Drive system for a vertical axis washer

An automatic washing appliance comprising:

• a wash basket having a generally cylindrical shape and a bottom wall;
• an output shaft extending upwardly though the bottom wall of the wash basket and having an upper end disposed above the bottom wall, the output shaft being rotatable in a first and second direction;
• a wash plate supported for radially pivoting within the wash basket adjacent the bottom end, the wash plate having a center hub disposed about the upper end of the output shaft;
• an inner drive member drivingly connected to the upper end of the output shaft;
• and
• an outer drive member rotatably engaging the center hub of the wash plate and controlling the angular orientation of the wash plate, the outer drive member being rotatably supported about the inner drive member between a first angular position wherein the outer drive member is canted relative to the center axis of the wash basket when the output shaft is driven in the first direction and a second angular position wherein the outer drive member is co-aligned with the center axis of the wash basket when the output shaft is driven in the second direction.

A drive system interconnected between an upper end of an output shaft and a wash plate pivotably supported within a wash basket of an automatic washer where the output shaft is rotatable in a first and second direction, the drive system comprising:

• a hub extending from the center of the wash plate, the hub having a generally cylindrical wall and a top wall;
• a drive lug extending inwardly from the generally cylindrical wall of the hub;
• an inner drive member rigidly mounted to the upper end of the output shaft;
• an outer drive member having a drive boss rotatably engaging the wash plate for controlling the angular orientation of the wash plate, the outer drive member being rotatably supported about the inner drive member between a first angular position where the wash plate is supported in an angled orientation when the output shaft is driven in the first direction and a second angular position wherein the wash plate is supported in a level orientation when the output shaft is driven in the second direction;
• and
• a movable drive pawl mounted to the outer drive member for selectively engaging the drive lug of the hub to ensure relative rotation between the inner drive member and the outer drive member when the output shaft reverses direction.

An automatic washing appliance comprising:

• a wash basket having a generally cylindrical shape and a bottom wall;
• an output shaft extending upwardly though the bottom wall of the wash basket and having an upper end disposed above the bottom wall, the output shaft being rotatable in a first and second direction;
• a spin tube disposed coaxially about the output shaft and having a top end engaging the bottom wall of the basket, the spin tube being co-rotatable in the second direction with the output shaft;
• a wash plate disposed within wash basket adjacent the bottom wall of the wash basket;
• means for pivotably supporting thc wash plate about the top end of the spin tube;
• and
• means for drivingly connecting the wash plate with the upper end of the output shaft such that the wash plate is disposed in an angled orientation when the output shaft is driven in the first direction and the wash plate is disposed in a level orientation when the output shaft is driven in the second direction.

An automatic washing appliance comprising:

• a wash basket having a generally cylindrical shape defining a center axis and a bottom wall;
• an output shaft extending upwardly though the bottom wall of the wash basket and having an upper end disposed above the bottom wall, the output shaft being rotatable in a first and second direction;
• a spin tube disposed coaxially about the output shaft and having a top end engaging the bottom wall of the basket, the spin tube being co-rotatable in the second direction with the output shaft;
• a wash plate disposed within wash basket adjacent the bottom end, the wash plate having a center hub disposed about the upper end of the output shaft;
• a universal joint for pivotably supporting the wash plate about the top end of the spin tube;
• an inner drive member connected to the upper end of the output shaft;
• and
• an outer drive member rotatably engaging the center hub of the wash plate, the outer drive member supported about the inner drive member between a first angular position where in the outer drive member is dis posed in a canted position relative to the center axis of the basket and a second angular position wherein the outer drive member is co-axially aligned with the center axis.

A method for operating an automatic washer having a wash basket rotatably supported within a tub, a water inlet system for supplying water into the tub, a wash plate supported within the bottom portion of the wash basket and a drive system including a motor and an output shaft for selectively wobbling the wash plate within the wash tub while securing the wash basket against rotation and for co-rotating the wash basket and the wash plate during a spin extraction step, the method of operating the wash basket comprising:

• loading fabric items within the wash basket;
• supplying wash liquid into the wash basket;
• supporting the wash plate in an angled orientation within the bottom of the wash basket;
• wobbling the wash plate such that the fabric items are agitated within the wash basket;
• leveling the wash plate;
• and then
• rotating the wash basket and the wash plate after the wash plate has been moved to a level orientation within the wash basket while draining wash liquid from the tub.