Laundry machine with bottom balance ring assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12565731-B2
Application number	US-202318357437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2023
Priority date	Jul 24, 2023
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A laundry machine appliance is provided, including a cabinet forming an interior volume, a tub positioned within the interior volume, and a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub and forming a wash chamber. A balance ring assembly is positioned at a base of the wash basket. The balance ring assembly forms a sealed passage between a base wall, a sidewall, and a top wall. The sealed passage extends circumferentially along the wash basket. The balance ring assembly includes a balance member forming a puck positioned at the sealed passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A laundry machine appliance, comprising:
a cabinet forming an interior volume; a tub positioned within the interior volume; a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the wash basket comprising a cylindrical wall extending from a base positioned at a bottom of the cylindrical wall, the wash basket forming a wash chamber extending along a vertical direction; and a balance ring assembly positioned in the wash chamber at the base of the wash basket, the balance ring assembly forming a sealed passage between a base wall, a sidewall, and a top wall, wherein the top wall comprises a transparent wall permitting a user to see into the sealed passage at which a balance member forming a puck is positioned and permitted to move freely through the sealed passage, the sealed passage extending circumferentially along the wash basket.

2 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the balance member forming the puck is configured to rotate against the sidewall.

3 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the balance member forming the puck comprises a flat face extending co-directional with the base wall.

4 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the balance member forming the puck forms a substantially cylindrical structure.

5 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the top wall forms a substantially flat face extending co-directional to the base wall.

6 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , the sealed passage containing a liquid fluid, wherein the sealed passage fluidly segregates the liquid fluid from the wash chamber.

7 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 6 , wherein the liquid fluid comprises a colorant.

8 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the top wall forms an opening at which the transparent wall is positioned.

9 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 8 , wherein the top wall comprises a glass filled polypropylene material, and wherein the transparent wall comprises an unfilled polypropylene material.

10 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 8 , wherein the transparent wall forms a separate component bonded onto the top wall.

11 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the top wall comprises a cover sidewall extending along the vertical direction, and wherein the sidewall extends along the vertical direction extending from the base wall, and wherein the sidewall and the cover sidewall are bonded together to fluidly segregate the sealed passage from the wash chamber.

12 . The laundry machine appliance of claim 1 , wherein the laundry machine appliance is a vertical axis top load washing machine appliance.

13 . A top load washing machine appliance, comprising:
a cabinet forming an interior volume; a tub positioned within the interior volume; a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the wash basket comprising a cylindrical wall extending from a base positioned at a bottom of the cylindrical wall, the wash basket forming a wash chamber extending along a vertical direction; and a balance ring assembly positioned in the wash chamber at the base of the wash basket, the balance ring assembly forming a sealed passage between a base wall, a sidewall extending along the vertical direction from the base wall, and a top wall comprising a cover wall extending along the vertical direction adjacent to the sidewall, wherein the sidewall extending from the base wall and the cover sidewall extending from the top wall are bonded together to fluidly segregate from the wash chamber a liquid fluid contained in the sealed passage, wherein a transparent wall is positioned at the top wall and permitting a user to see into the sealed passage at which a balance member forming a puck is positioned and permitted to move freely through the sealed passage, the sealed passage extending circumferentially along the wash basket.

14 . The top load washing machine appliance of claim 13 , wherein the top wall forms an opening at which the transparent wall is positioned and permits the user to see into the sealed passage.

15 . The top load washing machine appliance of claim 13 , wherein the top wall comprises a glass filled polypropylene material, and wherein the transparent wall comprises an unfilled polypropylene material.

16 . The top load washing machine appliance of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the base wall is formed from the base of the wash basket.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Froelicher Stephen Bernard
• Ewing Cody

Classifications

• D06F37/24

  in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/12

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/245 Primary

  Damping vibrations by displacing, supplying or ejecting a material, e.g. liquid, into or from counterbalancing pockets · CPC title