Pump mounting for an automatic washer
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsRussell J. Morrison, William Ohmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A means for mounting a pump to a motor is provided by forming a plurality of legs on the bottom side of a pump which abut the motor housing and space the pump axially and radially with respect to the motor, and providing spring clamp means to removably secure the pump to the motor.
Claims8
For use in an automatic laundry appliance,
- an electrically driven motor having a housing including a shaft bearing support and a rotatable drive shaft projecting therefrom,
- a pump having a housing including a plurality of legs mating with said bearing support and said motor housing, said pump including impeller means for pressurizing liquid used in said appliance,
- coupling means for operatively connecting said motor and said pump in driving relationship, and
- spring clamp means constituting the sole retainer means for selectively locking said pump and said motor in coupled relationship.
In an automatic washing machine having a tub for receiving a clothes load, a water supply to provide water to said tub, an agitator for agitating said clothes load, a motor having an axial drive shaft for driving said agitator, said motor having a housing including an end bell and a shaft bearing support, and a pump impeller connected to and driven by said shaft, a pump mounting means for mounting said pump impeller relative to said motor, said mounting means comprising:
- a pump housing surrounding said pump impeller and having an inlet connected to said tub and an outlet connected to a drain, said pump housing defining a pump chamber and having bearing means for spacing said impeller relative to said housing;
- a plurality of legs projecting from said pump housing, said legs having an axial portion projecting generally parallel to said shaft to bear against said motor housing for spacing said pump housing from said motor housing, said legs including a radial portion projecting radially inwardly from said axial portion to bear against said motor shaft bearing support for locating said pump housing radially with respect to said shaft;
- and
- spring clamp retainer means connected between said pump housing and said motor housing for locking said pump housing to said motor housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.