Patent ID: 8056375
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: B21D,D06F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fixing a rear wall of a drum of a washing machine to a rotatable mounting fixture of the washing machine, wherein the washing machine includes a housing, the rotatable mounting fixture being rotatably supported within the housing for rotation about an axis, and the drum being connected to the mounting fixture such that the drum is rotatable about the axis by the rotatable mounting fixture, the method comprising: providing a plurality of openings extending through the rotatable mounting fixture, each of the plurality of openings having a larger end and a smaller end and a wall connecting the larger end to the smaller end, in which a cross-sectional area of the larger end is greater than a cross-sectional area of the smaller end, wherein each of the plurality of openings has a truncated cross-sectional shape; providing a plurality of tips extending outwardly from the rear wall of the drum, each of the plurality of tips having an end disposed opposite the drum; drawing each of the plurality of tips through the smaller end of each of the plurality of openings and toward the larger end; and widening each of the plurality of tips outward against the wall of each of the plurality of openings, each of the plurality of tips extending at least partially into each of the plurality of openings of the rotatable mounting fixture through the smaller end of the opening and the end of each of the plurality of tips extending radially outwardly beyond the smaller end of each of the plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of tips has a truncated cross-sectional shape corresponding to the truncated cross-sectional shape of each of the plurality of openings, to fix the rear wall of the drum to the rotatable mounting fixture and transmit rotation of the rotatable mounting fixture to the drum.