Patent Abstract:
A washing appliance includes a spinner basket having a curved labyrinth ring around its outer surface. The labyrinth ring blocks water from leaving the spinner basket during the washing cycle wherein the basket spins in a first direction. The labyrinth ring permits water to exit the spinner basket when it is rotating in the opposite direction during its spinning cycle.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a spinner basket having a labyrinth ring and method for using same. 
     Conventional clothes washing appliances utilize an inner basket having perforations therein and an outer basket or tub surrounding the inner basket. The washing fluid communicates with the outer tub through the perforations in the inner basket. This construction adds to the cost of the appliance because it requires both an outer tub and an inner basket. It also adds to the amount of heated water required and therefore uses a considerable amount of water and energy. 
     Therefore a primary object of the invention is the provision of an improved spinner basket having a labyrinth ring thereon and a method for using same. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an appliance that provides an optimum usage of water. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved spinner basket that provides an optimum usage of energy to heat water. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an appliance having a spinner basket that contains the water during the washing cycle, but which permits the water to drain from the spinner basket during the spin cycle. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved spinner basket having a labyrinth ring which eliminates the need for a boot seal on the door of the appliance in order to seal the opening of the appliance. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a spinner basket having a labyrinth ring that is efficient in operation, durable in use, and less expensive to manufacture. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects may be achieved by a washing appliance having a spinner basket defining a basket cavity for holding a quantity of water and being mounted within the appliance for rotation about a non vertical spinner access. The spinner basket has a curved labyrinth ring extending around the outside of the spinner basket and positioned to rotate around the spinner access when the spinner basket is rotating. The labyrinth ring has a plurality of elongated curved labyrinths therein. Each of the labyrinths has a first end provided with an inlet opening providing communication from the basket cavity into the labyrinth. Each of the labyrinths also has an opposite second end with an outlet opening providing communication from the labyrinth to the exterior of the spinner basket. 
     A drive mechanism is connected to the spinner basket for rotating the spinner basket in a first rotational direction with the inlet openings trailing the outlet openings of each of the labyrinths. During rotation in this first rotational direction the quantity of water does not exit the outlet openings of the labyrinth. 
     The drive mechanism is capable of rotating the spinner basket in a second direction opposite from the first direction. When spinning in the second direction the quantity of water enters each of the labyrinths through the inlet openings and exits each of the labyrinths through the outlet openings to the exterior of the spinner basket. 
     Utilizing this construction minimizes the need for an outer tub, and requires only that there be a drain cavity for receiving the water exiting from the labyrinth ring during the spin cycle. Furthermore, it eliminates need for a boot seal between the door opening of the appliance and the outer tub or support wall. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a washing appliance utilizing the spinner basket and labyrinth ring of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the rotation of the spinner basket in the opposite direction. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an appliance  10  includes an outer cabinet  12  comprising a front lower wall  14 , a front upper wall  16 , a top wall  18 , a console  20  and a rear wall  22 . An access opening  24  is provided in the upper front wall  16 . The access opening  24  is shown without a door mounted over it, but such a door would normally be provided. 
     Within cabinet  12  is a support wall  26 , rigidly attached within cabinet  12  by conventional means (not shown). Support wall  26  is concave in shape and forms an enclosed drain cavity  66 . A drain opening  32  is provided in the lower most portion of lower support frame  26  so as to drain any water contained within drain cavity  66  outwardly through a drain conduit  34 . 
     Mounted within the drain cavity  66  is a spinner basket  36 . Spinner basket  36  is shown to have a spherical wall  38 . However, it is also possible for the spinner basket  36  to have other configurations such as a cylindrical configuration with cylindrical side walls and a flat bottom wall, or other types of configurations. A hemispherical wall  27  surrounds the lower half of spinner basket  36  and is held in place by struts  31 . Spinner basket  36  includes at its upper end an access opening  40 . Motor  42  is connected to the bottom of the spinner basket by a shaft  30  for rotating the spinner basket in conventional fashion. Motor  42  is shown only schematically, but there are many different types of motors available commercially which cause the spinner basket  36  to rotate in one direction to cause a tumbling action and washing of the materials within the spinner basket  36 , and rotate in the opposite direction for spinning the fabrics within the spinner basket to remove moisture from them. Spinner basket  36  is adapted to rotate about a rotational axis  44  which is shown in the drawings to be approximately 45 degrees, but which can be varied substantially. Preferably it is not vertical. 
     Within the spinner basket  36  are a plurality of tumbling paddles, and at the bottom of the spinner basket  36  is a helical ridge  48 . Helical ridge  48  and the paddles  46  cause the fabrics within the spinner basket  36  to move in a tumbling action during the washing cycle so as to clean and wash those fabrics. A quantity of water  50  is provided in the lower most portion of the spinner basket  36  and this water also tumbles and is agitated by the paddles  46  and the helical ridge  48 . 
     Extending around the exterior of the spinner basket  36  is an annular labyrinth ring  52 . The labyrinth ring  52  is shown in cross section in FIGS. 2 and 3. It includes hollow walls which create three separate elongated arcuate labyrinths  54 . While three labyrinths  54  are shown the number of labyrinths  54  may be increased or decreased without detracting from the invention. These labyrinths  54  are cavities which are capable of containing water. At one end of each cavity  54  is an inlet opening  56  providing communication from the labyrinth  54  to the interior of the spinner basket  36 . At the other end of each labyrinth  54  is an outlet opening  58  providing communication from the labyrinth  54  to the exterior of the spinner basket  36 . Screens  60  extend over the inlet openings  56  to prevent larger objects from passing through inlet openings  56 , but being capable of permitting water to pass through the inlet openings  56 . 
     Labyrinth ring  52  is shown to be located in a single plane, but it could be located in more than one plane. For example it could extend spirally upward from lowest portion of spinner basket  36  toward the openings  56  of spinner basket  36 . 
     In operation, the water  50  is placed within the spinner basket  36  at a level comparable to that shown in FIGS. 1-3. It should be noted that the spinner basket of the present invention uses a minimum amount of water as compared to vertical axis washers which must be filled to a much greater depth. After the water  50  has been placed in the spinner basket  36 , it remains within that basket while the basket is in a stationary condition. The reason for this is that there are no perforations in the spinner basket  36  as is the case with most conventional spinner baskets. Instead the only openings in spinner basket  36  are the inlet openings  56  which provide communication into the labyrinths  54 . When the spinner basket  36  is stationery as shown in FIG. 2, the labyrinths  54  are partially filled with water, but they are incapable of draining water out of the labyrinth through the outlet opening  54 . 
     During the washing cycle the spinner basket  36  is rotated in the direction shown by clockwise arrow  62  in FIG.  2 . When rotating in this direction, the water  50  is not permitted to exit through the outlet openings  58 . Instead the water fills the labyrinth  54  and as the inlet opening  56  rises on the left side of the rotation of the device, the water drains out of the labyrinth back into the spinner basket. Thus during the washing cycle the water is agitated in a tumbling action but is not permitted to exit through the outlet openings  58 . The fabrics within the spinner basket  36  are tumbled and washed. 
     During the spinning cycle of the spinner basket  36 , the motor  42  is reversed so as to rotate the spinner basket in the direction shown by counterclockwise arrow  64  in FIG.  3 . When rotating in this direction, the labyrinths  54  act as scoops, scooping the water into each labyrinth  54  through opening  60  and permitting the water to exit through outlet opening  58 . While FIG. 3 shows the water  50  resting in the bottom of the spinner basket  36 , during rotation of the spinner basket  36  the water is forced by centrifugal force outwardly around the circumference of the inside of the spinner basket  36 . However, the water is permitted to exit through the openings  56  into the labyrinths  54  and outwardly through the outlet openings  58 . 
     After the water exits through the outlet opening  58  it enters drain cavity  66  and because of gravity drains downwardly through drain opening  32  into drain conduit  34 . The high speed rotation of the spinner basket  36  forces a substantial amount of water out of the fabrics and outwardly through the drain conduit  34 . 
     An important feature of the present invention is that the spinner basket does not have traditional perforations in it which permit the water to flow freely between the drain cavity  66  and the interior of the spinner basket  36 . Instead all of the water is contained within the spinner basket  36  while the basket is at rest and while it is in its washing cycle. This reduces the amount of water necessary. In prior devices the amount of water necessary to maintain a proper level within the spinner basket  36  required additional water to fill not only the spinner basket  36  but also to fill the tub surrounding the spinner basket  36  to the same level. In the present invention, only enough water to fill spinner basket  36  to the level  50  is required. 
     Because the spinner basket uses less water it is also energy efficient because it requires less energy to heat the smaller amount of water. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that there is not a requirement for a boot seal between the door opening of the appliance and the outer tub or support wall  26 . The water flows by gravity downwardly to the bottom of the spinner basket  36 , and it also flows by circumferential force during the spinning cycle toward the labyrinth ring  52 . Thus the need for a tight seal around the access opening  40  is minimized. 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3