Patent ID: 7841800

Claim:
A mounting fixture and drum assembly for a washing machine, the assembly comprising: a mounting fixture operable to be supported within the washing machine for rotation of the mounting fixture about a rotation axis, the mounting fixture having a distal side and a proximal side and a tip receiving opening extending through the mounting fixture from the distal side to the proximal side, the tip receiving opening having a distal open end, a proximal open end, and an axial extent extending between the distal and proximal open ends, the proximal open end of the tip receiving opening being located at the proximal side of the mounting fixture and the distal open end of the tip receiving opening being located at the distal side of the mounting fixture and having a cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the proximal open end of the tip receiving opening; and a drum having one end and another end axially opposite to the one end, the one end of the drum having a tip extending axially outwardly from the drum and the one end of the drum connected to the mounting fixture, the tip of the one end of the drum extending through the proximal open end of the tip receiving opening of the mounting fixture and extending at least partially along the axial extent of the tip receiving opening of the mounting fixture, and a portion of the tip that extends along the axial extent of the tip receiving opening of the mounting fixture having a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the proximal open end of the tip receiving opening.