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:
Oct. 24, 1995
Filed:
Feb. 22, 1994
Kurt Werner, St. Joseph Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
R Bruce Sherer, St. Joseph Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Gerald L Kretchman, St. Joseph Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Dale E Mueller, Benton Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
James W Titus, Coloma Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Thomas A Latack, Baroda Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Mark C Celmer, St. Joseph Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An automatic washer having an imperforate wash tub, a perforate wash basket disposed within the tub and rotatable about a vertical axis and a bottom plate disposed within the lower portion of the wash basket and mounted for wobbling motion. A motor is selectively interconnected with the basket and bottom plate for rotating the basket and the bottom plate together and for wobbling the bottom plate relative to the wash basket while the basket is held stationary such that the clothes items are agitated within the wash basket. A controlled rotation device is provided for driving the bottom plate in a wobbling motion while rotating the bottom plate, at a reduced rate, within the bottom of the wash basket. In a second embodiment, the wobble plate is supported and constrained to be driven in a wobbling motion while experiencing no rotation within the basket. A liquid level control system is also provided for supplying an optimum quantity of wash liquid into the tub wherein the clothes items within the wash basket are washed in an out-of-water wash process rather than being submerged. A recirculation system operates to pump wash liquid from a sump, disposed in the bottom of the tub, through a recirculation line and onto and through the clothes disposed within basket.