Laundry treating appliance with tub and basket having matched characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138206-A1
Application number	US-201615005359-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance may include a tub and a basket located at least partially within the tub and at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber. A drive system may operatively couple the tub to the basket and may be operative to rotate the basket about a rotational axis. The tub and the basket may each have similar deflection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
a tub; a basket located at least partially within the tub and at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber; and a drive system operatively coupling the tub to the basket and operative to rotate the basket about a rotational axis; and wherein the tub and the basket undergo about the same degree of deflection relative to each other when the drive system rotates the basket at a spin speed.

2 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a cabinet and a suspension system resiliently holding the tub and the basket within the cabinet, wherein the suspension system, the tub, the basket, and contents of the basket collectively define a suspended mass.

3 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 2 wherein the tub and the basket undergo about the same degree of deflection relative to each other when the drive system rotates the basket at the spin speed, which corresponds to a first natural resonance frequency of the suspended mass.

4 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 3 wherein the spin speed is about 5 Hz lower than the first natural resonance frequency of the suspended mass.

5 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 3 wherein the spin speed is about 1100 rpm.

6 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 3 wherein the first natural resonance frequency of the suspended mass is a rocking mode natural resonance frequency.

7 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 1 wherein the spin speed is a rotational speed above where laundry within the basket satellizes against the basket with a centrifugal force at an inner surface of the basket being 1 g or greater.

8 . The laundry treating appliance according to claim 7 wherein the spin speed is about 1100 rpm.

9 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
a tub having a tub base; a basket located at least partially within the tub and at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber, the basket having a basket base; and a drive system operatively coupling the tub to the basket and operative to rotate the basket about a rotational axis; and wherein the base of the tub and the base of the basket undergo about the same degree of deflection relative to each other when the drive system rotates the basket at a spin speed wherein laundry within the basket satellizes against the basket with a centrifugal force at an inner surface of the basket being 1 g or greater.

10 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the same degree of deflection is accomplished by the tub base and basket base having matched thicknesses.

11 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 9 wherein the basket base has a central hub with a thickness between about 45 mm and 70 mm.

12 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the basket base is made from metal when the central hub thickness is less than about 55 mm.

13 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the basket base is made from plastic when the central hub thickness is greater than about 55 mm.

14 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 11 wherein the tub base has an outer periphery with a thickness between about 25 mm and 50 mm.

15 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 14 wherein the tub base outer periphery thickness is about 50 mm.

16 . A laundry treating appliance comprising:
a tub having a tub base; a basket located at least partially within the tub and at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber, the basket having a basket base; and a drive system operatively coupling the tub to the basket and operative to rotate the basket about a rotational axis; and wherein the tub base and basket base having matched thicknesses to provide for similar deflection between the tub base and the basket base during operation of the laundry treating appliance.

17 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the basket base has a central hub with a thickness between about 45 mm and 70 mm.

18 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 17 wherein the basket base is made from metal when the central hub thickness is less than about 55 mm and the basket base is made from plastic when the central hub thickness is greater than about 55 mm.

19 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 16 wherein the tub base has an outer periphery with a thickness between about 25 mm and 50 mm.

20 . The laundry treating appliance of claim 19 wherein the tub base outer periphery thickness is about 50 mm.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Sharp Brenner M

Classifications

• D06F23/04 Primary

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/36

  for rotating the receptacle at more than one speed {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title

• D06F39/085

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title

• D06F13/02 Primary

  wherein the agitator has an oscillatory rotary motion only · CPC title

• D06F33/00

  Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers  (D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32) · CPC title