Automatic washer and tub therefor

An automatic clothes washer comprising:

• a tub defining a chamber adapted to receive a wash basket, the tub comprising an upper tub member and a lower tub member, the upper tub member having a pan-like body with a first peripheral rim, the lower tub member having a pan-like body with a second peripheral rim corresponding to the first peripheral rim;
• first and second spaced circumferential walls connected by a transverse circumferential wall are formed in the first peripheral rim to define a U-shaped channel;
• a circumferential flange with opposing sides corresponding to the first and second circumferential walls is formed in the second peripheral wall and the circumferential flange sized to be received in the U-shaped channel;
• and
• at least one protrusion extending from one of the side wall and corresponding opposing side a sufficient distance to abut the other of the side wall and corresponding side to provide an interference connection between the upper tub member and the lower tub member.

An automatic clothes washer comprising:

• an elongated tub having a horizontally orientated longitudinal axis, the tub comprising an upper tub member and a lower tub member, the upper tub member having a pan-like body with an upper peripheral rim, the lower tub member having a pan-like body with a second peripheral rim corresponding to the first peripheral rim;
• first and second spaced circumferential walls connected by a transverse circumferential wall formed in the first peripheral rim to define a U-shaped channel;
• a resilient flexible circumferential flange with opposing sides formed in the second peripheral rim and the circumferential flange sized to be received in the U-shaped channel;
• and
• multiple ribs extending from one of the first and second walls and the opposing sides a distance sufficient to contact the other of the first and second walls and the opposing sides and the multiple ribs being alternately disposed on the one of the first and second walls and opposing sides to thereby resiliently flex the flange to provide an interference connection to secure the upper tub member to the lower tub member.

A tub for an appliance comprising:

• an upper tub member having a pan-like body with a first peripheral rim;
• a lower tub member having a pan-like body with a second peripheral rim;
• an interference connection between at least a portion of the first and second peripheral rims wherein the first peripheral rim includes a channel having a pair of side walls and the second peripheral rim includes a flange wherein the channel is sized to receive the flange which is received up into the channel;
• and
• at least one protrusion extending away from the flange a sufficient distance to abut one of the side walls when the flange is received in the channel to form the interference connection.