US 5,345,793 A · Drive system for an automatic washer

Abstract

In an automatic washer drive system, a planetary gear arrangement is provided including an input drive shaft being drivingly connected to a motor at one end and having a sun gear interconnected with a second end. A plurality of cylindrical plastic planet gears are disposed around and engage the sun gear. A plastic unitary carrier member rotatably supports the planet gears and further interconnects with an output drive shaft for causing rotation of an agitator. A gear housing surrounds the cylindrical planetary gears which engage an internal ring gear disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the gear housing. The plastic unitary carrier member is configured to include a plate portion which extends outwardly in the radial direction with respect to the output drive shaft. A plurality of the cylindrical pin portions extend from the plate portion in the longitudinal direction with respect to the output drive shaft. These cylindrical pin portions provide the rotatable support of the cylindrical planet gears. A boss portion extends from a center portion of the plate portion and includes internal grooves for receiving splines disposed on the output drive shaft such that the unitary carrier member and output drive shaft are rigidly interconnected.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A gear reduction mechanism comprising:

a rotary input drive shaft;
a sun gear interconnected with said input drive shaft;
a plurality of cylindrical planet gears engaging said sun gear;
an output vertical shaft;
a unitary carrier member being formed of plastic resin and having integral means for rotatably supporting said cylindrical planet gears and further having means for interconnecting with said output vertical shaft for causing rotation of said output vertical shaft;
and
a gear housing having an internal gear ring surrounding said cylindrical planet gears, said plurality of cylindrical planet gears engaging said internal gear ring member.

4 more elements

An automatic washer having a vertical axis agitator, a concentrically mounted wash basket, a motor drivingly connected to said agitator to selectively oscillate or rotate said agitator about said vertical axis, and a drive system for drivingly interconnecting said motor with said agitator, said drive system comprising:

an input drive shaft having a first end interconnected with said motor and a second end;
a sun gear interconnected with said second end of said input drive shaft;
a plurality of cylindrical planet gears engaging said sun gear;
an output vertical shaft;
a unitary carrier member being formed of plastic resin and having integral means for rotatably supporting said cylindrical planet gears and further having means for interconnecting with said output vertical shaft for causing rotation of said output vertical shaft;
a gear housing having an inner peripheral surface;
and
an internal gear ring formed on said inner peripheral surface of said gear housing, said plurality of cylindrical planet gears engaging said internal gear ring.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Drive system for an automatic washer

Life of this patent

Drive system for an automatic washer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23