Washer Basket Drive Attachment with Bushing Assembly for Lower Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines require robust drive attachment mechanisms to withstand overturning forces, which often result in heavy and costly basket bases, especially in high-speed vertical axis machines, where traditional solutions fail to balance weight and performance effectively.
Innovation Solution
A drive attachment mechanism featuring a two-piece basket base with a bushing assembly and lock nut, allowing for a lighter weight design while maintaining robustness, includes an upper and lower bushing insert and a lock nut operably coupled to the drive shaft, providing a secure and efficient attachment system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a robust drive attachment mechanism is used to withstand overturning forces, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the weight of the basket base increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The basket base is divided into two separate pieces: an upper basket base and a lower basket base. This segmentation allows each piece to be optimized independently - the lower basket base can be lighter since it doesn't need to bear the full attachment load, while the drive attachment mechanism distributes forces across both pieces, achieving robustness without excessive weight
Solution Approach 2:
A drive attachment mechanism consisting of a bushing assembly and lock nut acts as an intermediary between the drive shaft and the basket base. This intermediary distributes overturning forces across the upper and lower basket base pieces and the drive shaft, allowing the basket base to be lighter while maintaining attachment robustness
2Reliability
If a robust drive attachment mechanism is used to withstand overturning forces, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The basket base is segmented into upper and lower pieces that can be manufactured separately using different processes (injection molding for upper, metal fabrication for lower), simplifying manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through the drive attachment mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The bushing assembly and lock nut serve as intermediary components that simplify the attachment process. The bushing assembly provides a standardized interface between the drive shaft and basket base, while the lock nut provides a simple, reliable locking mechanism, reducing overall system complexity compared to integrated robust attachments
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating appliance having a tub defining an interior, a basket located within the interior and rotatably mounted within the tub and having an upper and lower basket base portion, a balance ring mounted to the upper edge of the basket peripheral wall, a clothes mover rotatably mounted within the basket, a drive system comprising a motor operably coupled to the basket and the clothes mover and configured to selectively oscillate or rotate the basket or the clothes mover and a first and second drive shaft, and a drive attachment mechanism configured to couple the basket to the second drive shaft, with the drive attachment mechanism comprising a bushing assembly.