Abstract:
A flexible mounting assembly is provided for a laundry assembly using a suspension rod to join a laundry assembly to a frame. The flexible mounting element is a single resilient component that provides dampening and restoring force. The method of using the flexible mounting assembly includes providing a flexible mounting element within the socket of a support frame of the laundry assembly and dampening vibrations from the laundry assembly by resisting pivoting of the suspension rod engaging the flexible mounting element.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Laundry appliances have been developed that support an internal laundry assembly with a hanging suspension system or a hung strut assembly. Previously, these systems have been designed using a rigid part to rotate relative to a rigid support member. Commonly, this design has taken a rigid ball and socket configuration which requires relative sliding between the ball and socket components to permit the hung suspension rod to pivot.  
         [0002]     The prior art encounters a number of disadvantages including wear at the interface between the two rigid components that may effect performance and may create additional vibration transferred to the frame in the laundry assembly. In addition, this prior art often does not have an interface between the two rigid components that prevents the separation of the ball component from the socket component especially during large displacement situations. Additionally, the prior art devices often include temporary solutions including grease between the interface of the two rigid components, the application of Teflon®, additional plastic parts, or some other combination thereof. Still other solutions require multi-piece rigid members.  
         [0003]     The prior art recognized the use of flexible components to dampen vibrations resulting from the hung suspension rod laundry assembly configuration. These utilize multiple rubber members clamped together to form a flexible joint. This solution lacks the simplicity of a single part mounting element with integral attachment features to secure the part to the frame of the washer.  
         [0004]     Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is to overcome the problem of the prior art.  
         [0005]     A further objective of the present invention is a flexible mounting assembly for use with a laundry appliance which is economical to manufacture, durable, and effective in use.  
         [0006]     These and other objectives become apparent from the following description of the invention and claims.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The foregoing problems of the prior art may be solved by a mounting element designed for use in a laundry appliance having a laundry assembly hung by a suspension rod to an upper frame that is a single resilient component that provides dampening and/or restoring force. The mounting element has a body having a passageway that accepts a suspension rod, a seating surface adapted for mating with a socket on a frame of the laundry appliance, and an attachment integrally formed with the body to secure the body to the upper frame.  
         [0008]     According to another feature of the present invention the attachment may be a snap-fit connection, a twist-lock connection, a helix connection, adhesive, and/or over-molding the mounting element into the frame. By using a single resilient component there is a cost reduction compared to the rigid sliding interface of the prior art.  
         [0009]     Additionally, the foregoing problems of the prior art may be overcome utilizing a flexible mounting assembly that includes a socket on the frame of a laundry assembly with an opening to receive the suspension rod and a flexible mounting element, the flexible mounting element having a body with a passageway therethrough so that the suspension rod can extend through the body and a seating surface for mating with the socket. The flexible mounting element allows the suspension rod to pivot to provide dampening and/or restoring force to the laundry assembly.  
         [0010]     According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible mounting element is made of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material grips the socket and prevents separation of the mounting element from the socket.  
         [0011]     According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible mounting element provides a dampening force as a response to the pivoting of the suspension rod.  
         [0012]     According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible mounting element provides a non-linear restoring force during large displacement situations of the laundry assembly in response to the pivoting of the suspension rod.  
         [0013]     The foregoing problems of the prior art may also be solved by a method of using a flexible mounting assembly with a laundry assembly, utilizing a suspension rod, including the step dampening vibration from the laundry assembly by resisting pivoting of the suspension rod engaging the flexible mounting element.  
         [0014]     According to another feature of the present invention, the method includes the step retrofitting a laundry assembly utilizing a rigid mounting assembly with a flexible mounting assembly. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a top loading, vertical axis washing machine.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  illustrating the positioning of the flexible mounting element.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the flexible mounting element in position over a support brace.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the flexible mounting element in a support brace assembly.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the flexible mounting element.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the flexible mounting element in a low displacement situation.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the flexible mounting element in high displacement situations. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a top loading, vertical axis washing machine  10  includes a cabinet  12  having a control panel  14  and a door  16  movable between an open and closed position.  
         [0024]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the washing machine  10  has a laundry assembly  18  supported by front suspension rod  20  and rear suspension rod  22 . The suspension rods  20 ,  22  cooperate to brace the laundry assembly  18  against forces during all portions of the laundry cycles.  
         [0025]     The front rod  20  has a bottom end  24  that is moveably connected within a front shock  26  that is attached to base  28 . The front rod has a top end  30  removably attached to a front arm  32  of the laundry assembly. The rear rod  22  is moveably connected at a bottom end  34  to a rear shock  36 . The rear shock  36  is removably attached to a rear arm  37  of the laundry assembly  18 . The front and rear shocks  26 ,  36  provide a dampening force to the laundry assembly  18  during large displacements.  
         [0026]     The rear rod  22  has a top end  38  attached to an upper frame  40  of the washing machine  10  by a support brace  42 . A mounting element  44  is provided between the rod  22  and the support brace  42  to provide dampening. The mounting element  44  also applies a restoring force which centers the laundry assembly  18  in the washing machine  10 . The flexible mounting element  44 , in combination with the support brace  42  is generally referred to as a flexible mounting assembly  45 . In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the flexible mounting element  44  may be attached directly to the upper frame  40 .  
         [0027]     The mounting element  44  is flexible and may be made of a elastomeric material such as ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), thermoplastic elastomer/rubber (TPE/TPR), or other flexible material.  
         [0028]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the flexible mounting element  44  is placed upon strut rod  22 . The flexible mounting element  44  is obstructed from movement upward beyond the top end  38  of the rod  22  by a washer  46  abutting crimps  48 . The washer  46  is designed to fit adjacent an upper horizontal surface  50  of the flexible mounting element  44 . The horizontal surface  50  may be upon a conical platform  52 . Alternatively, as seen in  FIG. 6 , the horizontal surface  50  may have alternative locations including the bottom surface of a recess  53  upon the top end of the flexible mounting element  44 .  
         [0029]     The flexible mounting element  44  has a seating surface  54  as best seen in  FIGS. 5-8  that is substantially spherical shaped and convex. This seating surface  54  may take various other shapes and configurations but is particularly useful in this shape and form when used as a retrofit replacement for rigid ball mounting elements.  
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a socket  56  with a central hole  59  is located on the support brace  42 . As illustrated, the socket  56  is substantially spherical shaped and concave. The socket further includes a lower cylindrical flange  58  to assist in aligning the flexible mounting element  44  within the socket  56 . The flange  58  cooperates with an outer rim  60  of the flexible mounting element  44 . At a lower portion of the outer rim  60  an attachment  62  is provided to connect the mounting element  44  to the support brace  42 . As illustrated, a lip attachment  62  is shown that permits a “snap-fit” between the flexible mounting element  44  and the support brace  42 . The snap-fit occurs when the attachment lip  62  is fitted adjacent the flange  58  and pushed through central hole  59 , allowing the attachment lip  62  to be released outwardly. The snap-fit feature may have a high insertion/retention force by utilizing the weight of the suspended laundry unit  18  to help seat the flexible mounting element  44  during assembly. Other attachments  62  may include a twist-lock, helix, adhesive, tongue and groove, over-molding into the socket, and/or other structure that attaches the flexible mounting element to either the support brace  42  or upper frame  40 .  
         [0031]     As seen in  FIG. 4 , once seated, the flexible mounting element  44  eliminates a bearing/wear surface that is typical of a rigid ball and socket type mounting element. Wearing and abrasion at this interface can affect performance of the washing machine or provide an interface through which vibration is transferred to the frame  40 . The described attachment of the flexible mounting element  44  to the support brace  42  creates an interface that is not susceptible to wearing of the socket  56 .  
         [0032]     As seen in  FIG. 5 , the flange  58  may have a lower horizontal surface  64  that engages the lip  62  to hinder an upward vertical force from disengaging the flexible mounting element  44  from the support brace  42 .  
         [0033]     As seen in  FIGS. 5-8 , the flexible mounting element  44  has an inner hollow shaft  68  extending downward from a main body  70  of the flexible mounting element  44 . The inner hollow shaft  68  and the main body  70  has formed therein a common rod passageway  72 . A gap  74  is provided between the outer rim  60  and the inner hollow shaft  68 .  
         [0034]     As seen in  FIG. 7 , in low displacement situations such as one that occurs when a well balanced load is operated at a high spin, no dampening is needed and therefore shaft  68  gripping the rod  22  moves toward the outer rim  60  closing the gap  74  but with little damping force. In these situations the seating surface  54  does not move within the socket  56  thus avoiding wearing at this interface.  
         [0035]     As seen in  FIG. 8 , a non-linear restoring force can be provided where there is a larger displacement of the suspended laundry assembly  18  such as passing through critical speeds. In this situation, the horizontal gap  74  is closed by the rod  22  pivoting the shaft  68  of the flexible member  44  until it contacts rim  60  which generates a significantly higher, thus non-linear, restoring force by the body  70  against the upper portion  38  of rod  22 .  
         [0036]     The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.