Whirlpool Corporation

Joseph H Zahrn, Jr

Victor W Cuthbert

Vonda K Johnston

Brenner Martin Sharp

Jean-Paul D Merlin

Steven J Mejeur

In an automatic washer, a system of automatically positioning and holding a cylindrical basket having an opening provided with door flaps within a tub having a tub access opening such that the basket doors and tub access opening are aligned for loading and unloading clothes to and from the basket. The basket includes a stop opening disposed on the periphery wall of the basket. A motor is drivingly connected to a pulley which is drivingly connected to the wash basket such that the wash basket may be rotated about its horizontal axis. A control shaft is provided rotatably supported by the tub and having a main portion disposed adjacent the basket and an end extending external of the tub. A holding arm is supported adjacent the basket by the main portion of the control rod such that rotation of the control shaft moves the holding arm into the outer surface of the wash basket for engagement with the stop opening for rotationally positioning and holding the wash basket. A rotary positioning member or hub is rigidly attached to the externally extending end of the control shaft. A latching mechanism is disposed adjacent the hub for latching the hub in a predetermined angular position against a spring bias urging the holding arm toward the basket. A tripping mechanism is provided, associated with the pulley, for selectively engaging the latching mechanism for releasing the holding arm to rotate into the basket and engage the stop opening, thereby positioning and holding the basket in the desired position for loading and unloading clothes.

Basket positioning system for a top loading horizontal axis automatic

A system for automatically opening basket doors of an automatic washer. The automatic washer includes an enclosure having an opening provided with a lid hingedly connected to the enclosure for selectively covering the enclosure opening. An imperforate tub disposed within the enclosure surrounds a rotatable perforate wash basket having an opening for accessing the interior of the basket. A first door flap having an engagement opening and a second door flap having a catch portion extending therefrom are provided being hingedly mounted on opposite rims of the basket opening and being biased toward their open position and further being adapted to partially overlap one another in a closed position such that the catch portion engages the engagement opening for locking the first door flap and the second door flap in a closed position. A tab extends from the second door flap generally opposite the main portion of the second door flap beyond the hinged connection with the basket. A tab engagement arm is disposed adjacent the basket for selectively engaging the tab for disengaging the second door flap from the first door flap. The tab engagement arm is interconnected with the lid such that moving the lid from a closed position to an open position causes the tab engagement arm to disengage the respective door flaps.

System for automatically opening basket doors of a top loading

A pulley system for an automatic washer wherein the automatic washer includes a wash basket rotatably disposed within a tub and a motor having a motor shaft for selectively rotating the wash basket about a horizontal axis. The pulley system is disposed between the motor and the basket for drivingly connecting the motor with the basket and includes a drive hub disposed external of the tub drivingly interconnected with the wash basket. A pulley having an inner surface slidably disposed about the outer diameter of the drive hub is provided such that the pulley may rotate a predetermined angular distance about the hub before drivingly engaging the drive hub for co-rotation. A trip arm is interconnected with the drive hub and the pulley and is adapted for selective partial extension beyond the outer periphery of the pulley in response to the direction of wash basket rotation. A belt is drivingly disposed about the motor shaft and the pulley for drivingly interconnecting the motor with the pulley.

Growing community of inventors

Berrien Springs, MI, United States of America

Joseph H Zahrn, Jr