Acoustically insulated machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9453296-B2
Application number	US-201313769511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A home appliance, such as a clothes washing machine, has a source of noise and an acoustic insulator. The source of noise moves between a first position and a second position during operation of the appliance. The acoustic insulator has a movable portion that moves with the source of noise between the first position and the second position during operation of the appliance and an interface that remains substantially stationary as the source of noise moves between the first and second positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A home appliance comprising:
a source of noise that moves between a first position that corresponds to the appliance being empty and a second position that corresponds to the appliance being loaded during operation of the appliance; and
an acoustic insulator having a movable portion that moves with the source of noise between the first position and the second position and an interface that remains substantially stationary as the source of noise moves between the first and second positions;
wherein the moveable portion and the interface are made from the same material;
wherein the acoustic insulator includes a series of cuts through the acoustic insulator to allow the moveable portion to move with respect to the interface between the first and second positions.

2. The home appliance of claim 1 wherein the home appliance is a washing machine and the source of noise is a motor of the washing machine.

3. The home appliance of claim 2 wherein the acoustic insulator is disposed in a bottom opening of a cabinet of the washing machine.

4. The home appliance of claim 3 wherein the washing machine includes a tub that moves downward when the tub is filled with water, wherein the motor is attached to the tub and moves downward with the tub when the tub is filled with water, wherein the moveable portion moves downward with the tub and the motor when the tub is filled with water, and wherein the interface remains stationary when the tub is filled with water.

5. The home appliance of claim 1 wherein the acoustic insulator is formed from a single piece of material.

6. The home appliance of claim 5 wherein the movable portion is coupled to the interface by a coupling arrangement.

7. The home appliance of claim 1 wherein the movable portion is coupled to the interface by a coupling arrangement.

8. A home appliance comprising:
a source of noise that moves between a first position that corresponds to the appliance being empty and a second position that corresponds to the appliance being loaded during operation of the appliance; and
an acoustic insulator having a movable portion that moves with the source of noise between the first position and the second position and an interface that remains substantially stationary as the source of noise moves between the first and second positions;
wherein the moveable portion and the interface are made from a single piece of material;
wherein the acoustic insulator includes a series of cuts through the acoustic insulator to allow the moveable portion to move with respect to the interface between the first and second positions.

9. The home appliance of claim 8 wherein the home appliance is a washing machine and the source of noise is a motor of the washing machine.

10. The home appliance of claim 9 wherein the acoustic insulator is disposed in a bottom opening of a cabinet of the washing machine.

11. The home appliance of claim 10 wherein the washing machine includes a tub that moves downward when the tub is filled with water,
wherein the motor is attached to the tub and moves downward with the tub when the tub is filled with water,
wherein the moveable portion moves downward with the tub and the motor when the tub is filled with water, and
wherein the interface remains stationary when the tub is filled with water.

Assignees

• Owens Corning Intellectual Capital Llc

Inventors

• Rockwell Anthony L
• Johnson Phil

Classifications

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F37/20

  Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations · CPC title

• A47L15/4255

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• D06F37/24 Primary

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

• A47L15/4209

  Insulation arrangements, e.g. for sound damping or heat insulation · CPC title