Speed dependent clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290882-B2
Application number	US-201013392207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2010
Priority date	Aug 26, 2009
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clutch for a laundry appliance. The clutch selectively connects a laundry vessel to a variable speed drive. A driven member is rotationally coupled to the variable speed drive and a driven member is rotationably coupled to the laundry vessel. The driven member is at least partially rotationally coupled to the driven member by friction. At least one locking element is moveable from an unlocked position to a locking position. The driven member and the driven member are rotationally coupled together once the driven member accelerates to a rotational speed above a first rotational speed, connecting the laundry vessel to the variable speed drive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry appliance comprising:
a tub for holding washing liquid,
a rotatable wash basket located within the tub,
an agitator mounted in a lower portion of the wash basket, the agitator rotatable relative to the wash basket,
a variable speed drive having a drive shaft rotatable by the drive at adjustable selected speeds and in clockwise and counter clockwise rotational directions,
a clutch for selectively locking the agitator and wash basket for rotation together, the clutch comprising:
a driving member rotationally coupled to the drive shaft and to the agitator,
a driven member which is at least partially rotationally coupled by a frictional coupling to the driven member, the driven member also rotationally coupled to the wash basket, and
at least one locking element which, during rotation of the driving member in the clockwise or counter clockwise rotational direction at a speed which causes the driven member, via the frictional coupling, to rotate below a first rotational speed in the clockwise or counter clockwise rotational direction, is in an unlocked position in which the driving and driven members are able to rotate at different rotational speeds and which moves to a locking position in which the at least one locking element contacts the driven member and the driving member and locks them together so that they rotate at the same rotational speed once the speed of the driving member increases sufficiently in one rotational direction to cause the driven member, via the frictional coupling, to rotate at or above the first rotational speed.

2. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 1 , the driven member having at least one channel extending from an inner radial position to an outer radial position, a said locking element being disposed in a said channel, the locking position being at the outer radial position of the channel.

3. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 2 ,
the driving member having at least one pocket, and
the channel having a ramped surface, the ramped surface being inclined from the inner radial position to the outer radial position to gravitationally bias the locking element to the inner radial position.

4. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 2 , wherein there are a pair of said channels and a corresponding pair of said locking elements.

5. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the driven member has an outer circumferential surface and the driven member has an inner circumferential surface facing and closely adjacent to said outer circumferential surface,
the at least one channel extending from the inner radial position to the outer circumferential surface to be open at the outer circumferential surface, and
the at least one pocket being located in the driven member inner circumferential surface.

6. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 3 ,
the locking element moving from the inner radial position to the outer radial position under centrifugal force to enter a said pocket at the outer radial position when said pocket is radially aligned with said channel when the speed of the driven member accelerates to a speed at or above the first rotational speed, said locking element being captured between said driven member and said driving member at the outer radial position to rotationally couple said driven member and said driving member together.

7. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one pocket is directional, the pocket having an abutment side and a ramped side, and when the locking element enters a said pocket the locking element rotationally couples the driving and driven members together when accelerating in a first direction or at a constant speed following acceleration in the first direction, the locking element being captured between the abutment side and a side of the channel facing the abutment side.

8. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 7 , wherein when the locking element enters a said pocket and the driven member is rotating relative to the driven member in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, the locking element moves along the ramped surface to be displaced back into the channel thereby preventing rotational coupling between the driving and driven members.

9. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one channel is angled to the radial direction of the clutch so that one side of the channel is longer than an opposite side of the channel, the longer side of the channel facing the abutment side of a corresponding said pocket.

10. The laundry appliance as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the longer side of the channel includes a dimple for receiving the locking element when it is captured between the longer side of the channel and the abutment side of a corresponding pocket.

11. A laundry appliance clutch comprising:
a driving member and an driven member, the driving member adapted to be rotationally coupled to a drive comprising a drive shaft, the driving member and driven member at least partially rotationally coupled by a frictional coupling,
locking elements in one of the driving member or driven member, the locking elements comprising:
at least one first locking element moveable from an unlocked position to a locking position once said one of the driving member or the driven member accelerates to a rotational speed above a first rotational speed, and
at least one second locking element moveable from an unlocked position to a locking position once said one of the driving member or the driven member accelerates to a rotational speed above a second rotational speed,

the driven member adapted to rotate relative to the driving member and drive shaft when the first and second locking elements are in their unlocked positions, and
the at least one first locking element, during rotation in a first rotational direction, rotationally locking the driven member and the driving member together during acceleration or constant speed following acceleration of the driving member when the at least one first locking element is in the locking position, the at least one first locking element being captured between the driving member and driven member, and
the at least one second locking element, during rotation in the first rotational direction, rotationally coupling the driven member and the driving member together during deceleration or constant speed following deceleration of the driving member when the at least one second locking element is in the locking position, deceleration of the driving member in the first rotational direction resulting in relative rotation between the driving member and driven member which, while the speed of said one of the driving member or the driven member is above the second rotational speed, allows the at least one first locking element to be released from being captured between the driving member and the driven member and allows the at least one second locking element to be captured between the driving member and the driven member.

12. The laundry appliance clutch as claimed in claim 11 , the driven member having at least one first channel extending from an inner radial position to an outer radial position, a said first locking element being disposed in a said first channel, the locking position being at the outer radial position of the channel,
the driven member having at least one first pocket,
the first channel having a ramped surface, the ramped surface being inclined at a first angle from the inner radial position to the outer radial position to gravitationally bias the first locking element to the inner radial position,
the first locking element moving fr

Assignees

• Batt Geoffrey Paul
• Lane Sophie Elizabeth
• Rhodes David Charles
• Mcgill Ian Campbell
• Fisher & Paykel Appliances Ltd

Inventors

• Batt Geoffrey Paul
• Lane Sophie Elizabeth
• Rhodes David Charles
• Mcgill Ian Campbell

Classifications

• D06F37/40 Primary

  for driving the receptacle and an agitator or impeller, e.g. alternatively {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• F16D2041/0646

  the intermediate coupling members moving between recesses in an inner race and recesses in an outer race · CPC title

• F16D43/16

  with clutching members having interengaging parts · CPC title

• F16D43/14

  with centrifugal masses actuating the clutching members directly in a direction which has at least a radial component; with centrifugal masses themselves being the clutching members · CPC title