Plug-in hub ring
AssigneeEmerson Electric Co.
InventorGerald N. Baker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A household appliance (D) has a housing (H). A fan (A) located inside the housing circulates air through the appliance. The fan is attached to a motor (M) located outside the housing. The motor has a shaft (S) extending through an opening (O) in a sidewall (W) of the housing and the fan is connected to the inner end of the shaft. A hub ring (9) is used for mounting the motor to the housing and includes a flange (13) having tabs (17) which engage a hub U of the motor to interlock the motor/fan assembly with the hub ring. The housing has a projection (3) on the outside of the housing through which the shaft extends and the hub ring has a sleeve 11 received in the projection to align and support the motor/fan assembly.
Claims15
In a household appliance having a housing in which a fan is located for circulating air through the housing, a motor located outside the housing for driving the fan and having a shaft to which the fan is attached extending through an opening in a sidewall of the housing the improvement which comprises means for mounting the motor to the housing, said means including a motor hub ring attachable to the housing sidewall adjacent the opening, and means formed on the ring for interlocking the motor with the hub ring, the housing including a projection extending outwardly of the housing, said projection having an axial groove in it, and said hub ring being received in said projection, and said hub ring including an annular flange fitting over the outer face of the projection.
In a clothes dryer having a housing, a fan located inside the housing for circulating air to dry clothes placed in the dryer, a motor located outside the housing for driving the fan and including a motor shaft extending through an opening in a sidewall of the housing for the fan to be attached to the end of the shaft, the improvement comprising a ring attachable to the sidewall adjacent the opening for mounting the motor to the housing and aligning the motor/fan assembly therewith, the motor having a central hub about the shaft with at least one opening therein, and the ring having a flange abutting the sidewall of the housing and a tab fitting into the opening in the hub to interlock the motor and the ring, and a sleeve fitting into the opening and about the shaft to align the motor/fan assembly with the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.