Plug-in hub ring

Abstract: A household appliance (D) has a housing (H). A fan (A) located inside the housing circulates air through the appliance. The fan is attached to a motor (M) located outside the housing. The motor has a shaft (S) extending through an opening in a sidewall (W) of the housing (H) and the fan (A) is connected to the inner end of the shaft (S). A hub ring (9) is used for mounting the motor (M) to the housing (H) and includes a flange (13) having tabs (17) which engage a hub (U) of the motor (M) to interlock the motor/fan assembly with the hub ring (9). The housing (H) has a projection (3) on the outside of the housing (H) through which the shaft (S) extends and the hub ring (9) has a sleeve (11) received in the projection to align and support the motor/fan assembly.

Description: This invention relates to household appliances and more particularly, to a plug-in hub ring for use in mounting an electric motor in a clothes dryer, for example. In conventional clothes dryers of the type used in households, hot air is blown over the clothes placed in a housing or drum to dry them. A blower motor installed in the dryer has a shaft extending through a wall of the housing and a fan on the inner end of the shaft circulates the hot air about. The motor, in turn, is supported on a bracket external to the housing and an elastometric or rubber mounting ring is typically used with the motor to obtain proper alignment of the motor and to dampen vibrations. In addition, a lint seal is employed to prevent lint from migrating through the opening in the side of the housing, getting into the motor's bearings, and damaging the motor. A variety of clamping arrangements have been used with dryer motors to affix the mounting ring on the end of the motor. An example of such an arrangement is shown, for example, in US-A-3,464,656. The base in which the ring fits is usually a sheet metal base or plate. Once the motor is installed, a clamp is fitted over the ring to clamp the motor in place while retaining rotational and axial motion in the base. Such arrangements have certain drawbacks. First, a number of parts are required. Second, the assembly procedure is cumbersome. Third, lint sealing and vibration dampening are not wholly satisfactory. It would be advantageous, for example, if the clamping system could be simplified or done away with. This would not only reduce the number of parts required, but also reduce assembly time and lower costs. Also, lint protection and vibration dampening could be improved. Another mounting means for an electric motor on a fan housing is disclosed in FR-A-2,412,975. The motor housing has a cover provided with a flange having holes for fastener bolts to secure the motor to the fan housing. A centering ring is received in the cover. A motor shaft bearing is mounted in a hub portion of the motor housing cover. Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of a plug-in hub ring for use in a household appliance such as clothes dryer; the provision of such a ring for use in installing a motor such as a blower motor in the dryer; the provision of such a hub ring to be easily installable, to simplify installation of the motor in the dryer, and to properly align the motor; the provision of such a ring to improve dampening of motor vibrations and lint sealing; the provision of such a ring to eliminate the need for clamps or other motor installation systems; and, the provision of such a ring which is a low-cost, replaceable item. Briefly, the present invention as defined in independent claim 1 is directed to a household appliance such as a clothes dryer in which clothes are placed. A fan located inside a housing defining a tub in which the clothes are placed, circulates heated air about the inside of the housing to dry the clothes. A motor for driving the fan includes a shaft extending through an opening in a sidewall of the housing. The fan is attached to the outer end of the shaft. A hub ring is insertable in a receptacle formed in the sidewall adjacent the opening and the motor hub fits in the ring. The ring has a sleeve extending through the sidewall. The motor shaft fits into the sleeve which serves to align the motor. Use of the ring eliminates the need for clamps or other installation devices. Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a clothes dryer motor illustrating a prior art method of motor installation; Figure 1a is a partial elevational view of a housing in which a hub ring of the present invention is received; Figure 2 is an elevational view of the hub ring; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2; Figure 4 is an installed elevational view of a second embodiment of the hub ring; Figure 5 is an end view of a second illustrative embodiment of hub ring of this invention; and, Figure 6 is an installed view, partly in section and partly broken away of the embodiment of the hub ring shown in Figure 5. Corresponding reference characters represent corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figure 1, (labeled prior art), a household appliance such as a clothes dryer D has a frame F. A housing H installed in the frame defines a tub T in which clothes are placed for drying. Clothes to be dried are loaded into the appliance and when it turned on, heated air from a source (not shown) is blown over the clothes to dry them. The clothes may be tumbled during this drying operation so all portions of all the clothes are exposed to the heated air. Circulation of air is accomplished by a blower fan A positioned inside the housing. The fan is mounted on the end of a shaft S which extends through a sidewall W of the housing. Typically in the prior art, the motor is mounted on a pair of brackets B (one shown in phantom) individually ones of which are connected to the frame. As shown in Figure 1, brackets B extend upwardly from a base portion of frame F. Motor M is positioned horizontally and vertically to permit the motor shaft to project through the sidewall of the housing. The motor has rearward & forward projections P around which fits a hub ring R. A clamp C is supported by brackets B and clamps about ring R to attach the motor to the brackets. One of the brackets B is shown in dashed lines in Figure 1 to indicate that it is eliminated with the present invention. Referring now to Figure 1A, like parts being similarly labeled where appropriate, a means of the present invention for mounting the motor to the A housing is indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. As shown, sidewall W has a hollow, cylindrical projection 3 extending from the outer face of the sidewall. A concentric bore 5 extends through the sidewall. The diameter of the bore permits passage of shaft S. Means 1 includes a hub ring 9 sized to fit or plug into projection 3. The hub ring 9 includes a hollow, cylindrical sleeve 11 having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the projection 3. The hub ring 9 further includes an integrally formed annular flange 13 at the outer end of sleeve 11. When set into projection, an inner face 15 (Fig. 3) of the flange 13 abuts the outer face of projection 3. The hub ring further includes a plurality (4) of tabs 17 which extend rearwardly of flange 13 (see Fig. 3). The tabs are equidistantly spaced about the hub ring and fit into correspondingly sized slots or openings G in the side of the motor hub U in the embodiment shown. Other spacing may be used, if desired. Hub ring 9 performs a number of functions. First, the hub ring axially aligns the motor with the projection. Second, the tabs act to lock the motor in place so to maintain the alignment as well as keep the motor from twisting. Also, the design of the hub ring may act as a lint seal which keeps lint from migrating along the shaft and damaging the motor. Third, the hub ring eliminates the need for clamps such as the clamp shown in Fig. 1. Fourth, the hub ring, which is a molded component formed of an elastomeric material, acts to dampen vibrations which are otherwise transmitted to the motor/shaft assembly. Referring to Figure 4, a hub ring 19 comprising a second embodiment of the invention is shown. The hub ring 19 has a sleeve 21 with an integrally formed flange 23 at the outer end thereof. A plurality of locking tabs 25 are equidistantly spaced about the ring and extend rearwardly. Again, other designs are compatible with the broader concepts of the invention. As before, the tabs 25 are used to key the hub ring onto hub U of the motor for alignment purposes and to prevent the motor from turning. Flange 23 also has a lug 27 extending radially outwardly from the side of the flange to key the hub ring into a sidewall projection 31. Projection 31 has a lower cradle portion 33 and opposed upwardly curving fingers 35. The fingers 35 curve around the sides of hub ring 19 and substantially encompass it. There is a spacing between the upper ends of the fingers and the fingers are sufficiently pliable for the hub ring 19 to snap-fit into place between them. A notch of keyway 37 is formed in the bottom, inner wall of the cradle 33. The size and location of the keyway 37 allows lug 27 to fit into the keyway and lock the hub ring 19 in place. As a result, the motor hub is not only securely locked onto the hub ring, but the hub ring is also secured to the projection. This further helps prevent unintended movement of the motor during operation. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, a third embodiment of the hub ring of the present invention is indicated generally 39. Hub ring 39 includes an integrally formed sleeve 41 and a flange 43. In this embodiment motor M again has its shaft S extending therefrom through projection 3. The housing H again includes the sidewall W from which projection 3 extends. Projection 3 has an opening O formed in it. The shaft S extends into the projection 3 and through the opening O. The diameter of the opening O is slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft S. Sleeve 41 has an inner diameter, permitting its insertion over the diameter of shaft S, and an outer diameter, permitting its placement within the diameter of opening O. The length of the sleeve 41 is sufficient for the inner end of the sleeve to extend into the interior of the housing H. The sleeve 41 has a circumferential lip 45 at this inner end, the lip extending radially outwardly from the end of the sleeve 41. When sleeve 41 and shaft S are inserted through the opening O, the lip 45 catches against the inner wall of the housing H to lock the sleeve 41 in place. A plurality of tabs 47 extend outwardly from flange 43 and engage openings or slots in hub U of the motor M to key the hub ring 39 onto the motor M. Again, while four such lugs are shown, it will be understood there could be more or fewer. A recess 49 is formed in the outer face of projection 3 and extends about the circumference of the face of the projection. The depth of the recess 49 corresponds to the thickness of flange 43 and the shape of the recess conforms to that of the flange. As seen in Figure 5, flange 43 has a generally circular arcuate segment 51 comprising the major portion of the flange. However, the flange also has a flattened or shallow segment 53. The recess has corresponding circular and flattened segments. The flattened portion of the flange and recess serve to lock the hub ring in place and prevent its movement in the same way as the locking lug and keyway previously described. Other embodiments may eliminate the need for the flattened portion. Those skilled in the art also will recognize that the flange 43 maybe internal or external of the housing. It will be understood that while the hub rings shown in the various embodiments of the invention serve to align the motor and shaft. A similar hub ring design can also be used at the opposite end of the motor in place of the clamp C. By using snap-in or plug-in type hub rings of the types described above, the number of parts required for attaching the motor and appliance to one another is reduced, and installation and alignment of the motor is simplified. A conventional lint seal may be employed with the constructions described, if desired. Likewise, various designed interconnecting lugs formed in the hub and housing may be interchanged with one another in other embodiments of this invention. Such variations are merely illustrative.

Claims: Household appliance having a housing (H) for a fan (A) circulating air through the housing (H), a motor (M) located outside the housing (H) for driving the fan (A), the motor (M) having a shaft (S) to which the fan (A) is attached, and the shaft (S) extending through an opening in a sidewall (W) of the housing (H), and means for mounting the motor (M) to the housing (H), characterized by said mounting means including a motor hub ring (9;19;39) attached to the housing (H) adjacent the opening, the housing (H) having a projection (3;31) formed in the sidewall (W) in which the opening is formed, said hub ring (9;19;39) being sized to fit in said projection (3;31), said hub ring (9;19;39) including an annular flange (13;23;43) fitting over the outer face of the projection (3;31), and a sleeve (11;21;41) extending into the projection (3;31) and fitting about the motor shaft (S) to align the motor/fan assembly. Household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor (M) has a central hub (U) with openings (G) therein and the hub ring (9;19;39) has tabs (17;25;47) which interlock the hub ring (9;19;39) with the hub (U) by fitting into the openings (G). Household appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the appliance is a clothes dryer and the sleeve (11;21;41) forms a seal about the shaft (S) to prevent migration of lint therealong. Household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the projection (31) comprises a cradle having integrally formed fingers (35) extending circumferentially about the hub ring (19) along opposite sides thereof to hold the hub ring (19). Household appliance according to claim 4, characterized by including locking means to prevent displacement or rotational movement of the motor (M) caused by vibrations. Household appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking means includes a lug (27) formed on the outer face of the flange (23) and the projection (31) has a corresponding notch (37) in which the lug (27) fits. Household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that a portion (53) of the flange perimeter is flattened and the projection (3) has a corresponding recessed area in which the flattened portion (53) of the flange (43) fits to lock the hub ring (39) in place and prevent motor rotation. Household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange (43) and sleeve (41) are integrally formed with one another. Household appliance according to claim 2, characterized by including a lip (45) formed on the end of the sleeve (41) insertable in the projection (3), the lip (45) engaging the inner surface of sidewall (W) of the housing (H) to hold the sleeve (41) in place.

Inventors: BAKER GERALD NEWTON, BAKER, GERALD NEWTON
Applicants: EMERSON ELECTRIC CO, EMERSON ELECTRIC CO.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H02K5
IPC codes: H02K5, H02K7, D06F58