Multi-point load tub support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Top-loading washing machines experience tub movement during shipping and handling, causing dents in the cabinet due to unsecured tub/transmission assemblies, and existing solutions fail to effectively prevent this within the limited clearance between the tub and cabinet.
Innovation Solution
A tub support device made from a folded blank with a bottom panel, side flaps, and a rear folded portion, designed to fit inside the washing machine's top opening, contacts the tub and cabinet at multiple points to prevent movement, utilizing a five-sided continuous sidewall and rear folded portion for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the tub is left unsecured during shipping, then the packaging is simple and easy to assemble, but the tub moves relative to the cabinet causing dents and cosmetic damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable cardboard support structure that is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. This single-use packaging element provides temporary protection during shipping by preventing tub movement, then is discarded after serving its purpose. The cardboard construction with flaps and contact points creates an effective anti-tamper barrier without requiring expensive reusable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cardboard support structure as an intermediary element between the tub and cabinet. This mediator prevents direct contact and potential damage between the tub and cabinet walls during shipping. The support structure with its multiple contact points and flaps creates a buffer that absorbs movement forces, protecting both the tub and cabinet from cosmetic damage.
2Reliability
If a tub support device is added to prevent movement, then the tub is secured against the cabinet, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the support structure into multiple functional segments: a bottom panel for foundational support, side flaps for lateral stabilization, and contact points for vertical positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific stabilizing function while maintaining overall simplicity. The modular flap design can be assembled from a single blank piece of cardboard through folding, reducing the number of separate parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional folding of a two-dimensional cardboard blank to create a volumetric support structure. By folding the blank into a box-like configuration with vertical flaps and contact points, the design transforms flat material into a multi-dimensional structure that provides stability in all directions (vertical, horizontal, and lateral) without requiring multiple separate components.
3Reliability
If the support structure contacts the tub at multiple points, then the tub is firmly secured, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs variable geometric parameters in the cardboard blank design, including different flap lengths, fold line positions, and contact point dimensions. By optimizing these parameters during the design phase, the structure naturally positions multiple contact points to engage the tub at appropriate locations. The parameters are designed to accommodate normal manufacturing tolerances while ensuring reliable tub engagement through the folded configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A tub support that fits inside the top opening of a washing machine to prevent the wash tub from moving relative to the cabinet during shipping and handling, and a blank for making a tub support. The tub support may comprise a rear folded portion having a plurality of rear tub contact points that contact the wash tub, and a sidewall configured to contact the top edge of the wash tub along a plurality of tub contact points and to contact the rim of the washing machine cabinet along a plurality of cabinet contact points.