Patent Application
20190071812
The device is in the field of laundry appliances, and more specifically, a sound and vibration damping treatment disposed within a basement and near a rear wall for a laundry appliance.
In at least one aspect, a laundry appliance includes a motor that operates a rotating drum for processing laundry. A rear wall of a cabinet is located behind the rotating drum. An interior wall is offset from the rear wall and defines a cavity. First and second insulating members are positioned in an offset configuration within the cavity.
In at least another aspect, a base pan and a rear panel are connected to partially form the appliance cabinet. A motor operates a rotating drum within the appliance cabinet. A first insulating member is attached to the rear wall. A second insulating member is attached to a vertical portion of the base pan. The first and second insulating members define a gap. The gap and the first and second insulating members cooperate to absorb vibrations generated by the rotating drum during operation of the motor.
A laundry appliance includes a base pan and a rear panel that are connected to partially form a cavity within an appliance cabinet. A motor operates a rotating drum within the appliance cabinet. First and second insulating members are positioned within the cavity and define a gap. An upper insulating member is positioned on the rear wall near the rotating drum. The upper insulating member and the first and second insulating members cooperate to absorb vibrations generated by the rotating drum during operation of the motor.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present device will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
For purposes of description herein the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the device as oriented in
As exemplified in
During operation of the laundry appliance 14, the motor 16 operates the drum 18 within the cabinet 40 to process laundry therein. The laundry may be processed using various laundry cycles that can include, but are not limited to, washing, drying, rinsing, soaking, combinations thereof, and other similar laundry processing functions. As the motor 16 rotates the drum 18, the drum 18 and the motor 16 may generate various vibrations 32 and noises as they rotate within the structure of the cabinet 40. These vibrations 32 and other noises can be generated as the drum 18 for the laundry appliance 14 rotates within various guide members 44 and bearing mechanisms can also be used to guide the rotation of the drum 18 within the cabinet 40. The engagement of the drum 18 with these guide members 44 can also generate various vibrations 32 and noises during operation of the appliance 14. These vibrations 32 and noises can be absorbed through placement of the acoustical damping structure 10 within a rear portion of the appliance 14.
Referring again to
In various aspects of the device, the receptacle 64 can extend through a portion of the rear wall 20 to receive the fastener 62. In such an embodiment, the fastener 62 serves to secure the rear wall 20 to the receptacle 64, and the receptacle 64 and the support flanges 66 are coupled with the interior wall 22. In this manner, the interior support 60 extends through each of the first and second insulating members 26, 28 and assists in maintaining the first and second insulating members 26, 28 in a parallel configuration within the cavity 24.
Referring again to
The first and second insulating members 26, 28 can be made of various insulating materials that can be used to absorb vibration 32 and noises generated by the motor 16 and the rotating drum 18. One such insulating material 90 can include damping asphalt sheets that are attached to the interior wall 22 and the rear wall 20 within the cavity 24 defined therebetween. The damping asphalt sheets serve as insulating material 90 that receives and at least partially absorbs various frequencies and vibrations 32 before they can be directed out of the appliance 14. In various aspects of the device, other insulating materials 90 can include, but are not limited to, batting, foam insulation, fibrous insulating material, insulating panels, a combination thereof, and other similar insulating materials.
Referring again to
Referring again to
During operation of the appliance 14, the drum 18 rests upon a support structure 120. The support structure 120 is typically located near the lower portion 122 of the drum 18 and engagement of the drum 18 with the support structure 120 causes vibration 32 and noise around this lower portion 122 of the drum 18. During operation of the motor 16 that rotates the drum 18, various vibrations 32 and noises can be directed in a generally downward direction 128 and toward the cavity 24 defined between the interior wall 22 and the rear wall 20. The placement of the acoustical damping structure 10 is intended to intercept and at least partially absorb these vibrations 32 and noises emanating from the lower portions 122 of the drum 18. By placing the first and second insulating members 26, 28 within the cavity 24, a substantial portion of the vibration 32 and noises emanating from the drum 18 can be absorbed within the acoustical damping structure 10 for the appliance 14.
Referring again to
Referring again to
In various aspects of the device, the recess 112 that at least partially extends around the motor 16 can also be defined within one or both of the first and second insulating members 26, 28. In such an embodiment, the first insulating member 26 can extend upward along the rear wall 20 so that the first insulating member 26 can include the recess 112. In this manner, the first insulating member 26 may form at least a portion of the upper insulating member 110. The remainder of the upper insulating member 110 may also include a separate piece that extends around a separate portion of the motor 16.
As exemplified in
While the configuration of the first and second insulating members 26, 28 may be parallel, nonparallel configurations can also be used depending upon the design of the basement 12 for the appliance 14. Where the interior wall 22 and the rear wall 20 are set in a nonparallel configuration, the first and second insulating members 26, 28 will typically match this nonparallel configuration.
In various aspects of the device, additional insulating members can be disposed within the cavity 24 defined between the interior wall 22 and the rear wall 20 for the cabinet 40. Additional intermediary insulating members can be positioned to absorb additional vibrations 32 and frequencies of sound that may be generated through operation of the drum 18 within the cabinet 40. It is also contemplated that the first and second insulating members 26, 28 may be disposed near an air-flow path 140 for the appliance 14. Such an air-flow path 140 for the appliance 14 may allow for the movement of heated air therethrough. Accordingly, at least one of the first and second insulating members 26, 28 may typically be made of a heat-resistant material that can resist deformation or other damage that may be caused by the heated process air moving through the air-flow path 140 for the appliance 14.
The insulating material 90 may also be at least partially water resistant. During operation of the appliance 14, moisture is removed from a load of laundry being processed within the drum 18. Various amounts of this moisture can be moved through the air-flow path 140 and may, in various conditions, infiltrate into portions of the appliance 14 outside of the air-flow path 140, including the cavity 24. The first and second insulating members 26, 28 are typically water resistant such that any moisture that may infiltrate into the cavity 24 can be repelled from the first and second insulating members 26, 28. Accordingly, the first and second insulating members 26, 28 are substantially resistant to damage that may be caused by moisture that may enter the cavity 24 during operation of the appliance 14.
The first and second insulating members 26, 28 can also include one or more recesses 112 that can extend around portions of the air-flow path 140. In such an embodiment, a portion of the first and second insulating members 26, 28 can include a recess 112 that extends around a portion of the blower 142 or a portion of the ductwork that forms the air-flow path 140. The first and second insulating members 26, 28 can also include recesses 112 that extends around the drum 18 or another portion of the appliance 14.
In various aspects of the device, it is contemplated that the acoustical damping structure 10 can be included within various laundry appliances. Such laundry appliances can include, but are not limited to, vertical-axis laundry appliances, horizontal-axis laundry appliances, heat pump appliances, appliances having resistive heating elements for heating processed air, combination washing and drying appliances, appliances that include both a heat pump system and a resistive heater, combinations thereof, and other similar laundry appliances.
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described device and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the device disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the device as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present device. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present device, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
The above description is considered that of the illustrated embodiments only. Modifications of the device will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the device. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the device, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of Equivalents.
