Structural block for supporting a rotating drum within a laundry appliance

A rotating drum for a laundry appliance, the rotating drum comprising:

• a base having an upper portion that is connected to a lower portion,
• a drive shaft of a motor that is coupled to the base and that rotates the base about a vertical central axis;
• a structural block having a coupler disposed within the upper portion and a lower plate disposed within the lower portion;
• wherein
• the coupler engages the drive shaft to transfer vertical and rotational forces between the base and the drive shaft;
• and
• the lower plate engages an outer surface of the drive shaft below the coupler to absorb off-axis moment forces exerted by the base and direct the off-axis moment forces away from the coupler.

A laundry appliance comprising:

• a rotating drum that receives laundry to be treated;
• a motor that rotates a drive shaft about a vertical axis;
• and
• a structural block having an upper coupler and a lower plate and that connects the rotating drum to the drive shaft at the vertical axis;
• wherein
• the upper coupler engages a top portion of the drive shaft to transfer forces that are exerted along and about the vertical axis between the rotating drum and the drive shaft;
• and
• the lower plate engages an outer surface of the drive shaft below the top portion to absorb moment forces exerted by the rotating drum about a non-vertical axis and to direct the moment forces away from the top portion of the drive shaft and the coupler.