The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 13, 1994
Filed:
Dec. 28, 1992
Eric K Farrington, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Brenner M Sharp, St. Joseph, MI (US);
Victor M Vukorpa, St. Joseph Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Anthony Mason, Lincoln Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A dynamic balancer for a laundry apparatus having a rotatable drum for receiving a clothes load. The rotatable drum has a horizontal geometric axis and is rotatably supported to rotate about its horizontal geometric axis. The rotatable drum includes a generally cylindrical outer wall defining the horizontal geometric axis, a first disk and a second disk. The first disk is provided for forming a first end wall of the drum and includes a balancing means including a plurality of concentric annular chambers. The second disk is provided for forming a second end wall of the drum, opposite the first end wall, and also includes a balancing means including a plurality of concentric annular chambers. The annular concentric chambers are partially filled with fluid for balancing the rotatable drum. In operation, the rotatable drum is subject to an out-of-balance mass as a result of uneven distribution of the clothes load within the drum. The out-of-balance mass creates a spinning axis distinct from the horizontal geometric axis causing vibration during rotation. The balancing of this vibration occurs as the fluid within the chambers, under the influence of centrifugal forces occurring during unbalanced rotation, is distributed within the chambers opposite the out-of-balance mass thereby correcting for the out-of-balance mass such that the geometric horizontal axis and the spinning axis are substantially coincident.