Balancing device for a rotatable drum which may be eccentrically loaded
AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorsRobert Josef Arkeveld, Hendrik Karel Moraal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A balancing device for a rotatable drum which may be eccentrically loaded and provided with containers for a balancing material. A control mechanism for the flow of balancing material includes a member capable of oscillating movement as a result of eccentric drum movement for diverting the flow.
Claims13
In a balancing device for balancing an eccentrically loaded rotatable drum of the type comprising a drum, a plurality of containers carried on said drum for receiving and holding balancing material, each container having inlet and outlet openings, means for supplying balancing material to at least one of said containers, means for mounting said drum to permit rotation of said drum with respect to the mounting means and to permit eccentric movement of the drum, said mounting means undergoing similar eccentric movement in response to eccentric movement of the drum, and a control mechanism for controlling the amount and timing of balancing material supplied to said containers in response to eccentric movement of said mounting means, the improvement wherein
- said supplying means comprises means for intermittently supplying a flow of balancing material along a path to an inlet region, said means for intermittently supplying comprising a first movable member, and means for conducting said flow of material from said inlet region to successive ones of said inlet openings in sequence as said drum rotates,
- said control mechanism comprises means for coupling said first movable member to said mounting means for freely oscillatory movement in response to said eccentric movement and for developing a restoring force biasing said movable member toward a central position when said movable member is displaced from the central position, said restoring force being approximately proportional to the instantaneous distance by which said movable member is displaced from said central position along one rectangular coordinate direction, said central position being fixed in position with respect to said mounting means,
- said first movable member being so arranged with respect to said inlet region as to divert all of said flow from said path to the inlet region while in said central position, and permit substantially all of said flow to pass to the region while in a given position, over a range of movement from the central toward the given positions an increasing proportion of said flow passing to said inlet region.
In a textile washing and spin drying machine having a frame, a tub mounted in said frame, a drum mounted for rotation within said tub, said drum arranged for receiving a load capable of causing eccentric imbalance of said drum upon rotation thereof, means within said frame for causing rotation of said drum, means for balancing said eccentrically loaded drum comprising a plurality of containers carried on said drum for receiving balancing material and having inlet and outlet openings, and means mounted on a wall of said tub for supplying said balancing material to at least one of said containers in response to movement of said drum caused by imbalance, an improved mechanism for controlling the flow of said balancing materials to said containers wherein
- said supplying means comprises means for intermittently supplying a flow of balancing material along a path to an inlet region, said means for intermittently supplying comprising a first movable member, and means for conducting said flow of material from said inlet region to successive ones of said inlet openings in sequence as said drum rotates,
- said mechanism comprises means for coupling said first movable member to said mounting means for freely oscillatory movement in a plane in response to said eccentric movement and for developing a restoring force biasing said movable member toward a central position when said movable member is displaced from the central position, said restoring force being approximately proportional to the instantaneous distance by which said movable member is displaced from said central position along one rectangular coordinate direction, said central position being fixed in position with respect to said mounting means,
- said first movable member being so arranged with respect to said inlet region as to divert all of said flow from said path to the inlet region while in said central position, and permit substantially all of said flow to pass to the region while in a given position, over a range of movement from the central toward the given positions an increasing proportion of said flow passing to said inlet region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.