Laundry treating appliance with a suspension assembly and a suspension assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534334-B2
Application number	US-201414492448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2014
Priority date	Sep 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance having a cabinet, a wash tub located within the cabinet and defining an interior, a wash basket mounted within the wash tub and defining a laundry treating chamber, and at least one suspension assembly operably coupled to a portion of the cabinet and a portion of the tub such that the tub is suspended from the cabinet and where the suspension assembly includes a suspension rod for attaching to a portion of the tub in a lower part of the cabinet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating appliance, comprising:
a cabinet;
a wash tub located within the cabinet and defining an interior;
a wash basket located within the wash tub and at least partially defining a laundry treating chamber; and
at least one suspension assembly operably coupled to a portion of the cabinet and a portion of the tub such that the tub is suspended from the cabinet, comprising:
a suspension rod having an upper portion and a lower portion, which is operably coupled to the portion of the tub in a lower portion of the cabinet; and
a spring-damper with at least a portion of the spring-damper being moveably mounted on the suspension rod and where the spring-damper is located adjacent a top of the cabinet; and
a hanger comprising a frame housing the spring damper and where the hanger has a first end rotatably coupled to the cabinet and where the frame is free to rotate about the suspension rod.

2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a wire form.

3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 2 wherein the wire form locates the spring-damper symmetrically around the suspension rod.

4. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a stamped housing.

5. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the frame at least partially encloses the spring-damper.

6. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the cabinet further comprises a rotatable socket located within its upper portion and the frame is operably coupled to the rotatable socket.

7. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the wash basket is mounted within the wash tub for rotation about a vertical axis.

8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the wash tub comprises a static wash tub fixed in position relative to the cabinet.

9. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1 wherein the hanger locates the spring-damper symmetrically around the suspension rod.

10. A suspension assembly for use in a laundry treating appliance having a tub located within a cabinet, comprising:
a suspension rod having an upper portion and a lower portion, which is operably coupled to a portion of the tub in a lower portion of the cabinet;
a spring-damper located along an upper portion of the suspension rod and where at least a portion of the spring-damper is moveably mounted on the suspension rod; and
a hanger comprising a frame housing the spring damper and where the hanger has a first end configured to operably couple to a top portion of the cabinet and a second end that extends past the spring-damper and where the frame is rotatably coupled to the cabinet and free to rotate about the suspension rod.

11. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the hanger comprises a wire form.

12. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the hanger comprises a stamped housing that at least partially encloses the spring-damper.

13. The suspension assembly of claim 10 wherein the hanger locates the spring-damper symmetrically around the suspension rod.

14. A suspension assembly for use in a laundry treating appliance having a tub located within a cabinet, comprising:
a suspension rod having an upper portion and a lower portion, which is operably coupled to a portion of the tub in a lower portion of the cabinet;
a spring-damper located along an upper portion of the suspension rod and where at least a portion of the spring-damper is moveably mounted on the suspension rod; and
a hanger comprising a wire form and having a first end configured to operably couple to a top portion of the cabinet and a second end that extends past the spring-damper, wherein the wire form hanger locates the spring-damper symmetrically around the suspension rod wherein the hanger is free to rotate about the suspension rod.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Alexander Benjamin E
• Morrow Bradley D
• Sharp Brenner M

Classifications

• D06F37/268

  for suspension devices · CPC title

• D06F37/24 Primary

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