Removable shipping restraint system for clothes washer

Abstract

A shipping restraint system for an appliance having movable suspension components is provided which includes a plurality of locking pins engagable in apertures in the components to prevent their movement during shipping. The locking pins are held in place by a single cotter pin which is attached to a cord retention strap directed to the exterior of the appliance. A loop of the power cord is retained by the cord retention strap. The power cord is further retained to the appliance exterior with a plastic strap. The plastic strap is pinned to the appliance in a manner to retain a self-leveling support system in a position with the leveling legs retracted for shipment. During installation, the power cord must be removed from the retained position, thereby releasing the suspension components and the self-leveling assembly.

1 . An automatic washer having a shipping restraint system, the washer having a wash tub mounted above a drive assembly and a suspension system including a fixed plate member and one or more movable plate members interposed between the wash tub and the drive assembly all within an outer cabinet, comprising:
 a plurality of apertures in each of the plate members forming sets of vertically aligned apertures;   a first locking pin and a second locking pin, each of the first and second locking pins extendable through one of the sets of aligned apertures;   a retaining pin engaging a first passageway in the first locking pin and a second passageway in the second locking pin such that the first and second passageways are secured in a fixed rotational orientation relative to the outer cabinet and holding the locking pins in the apertures; and   a strap member including a free end secured in an aperture in the outer cabinet and an opposite end operatively connected to the retaining pin for selectively disengaging the retaining pin from the first and second locking pins thereby effecting the release of the locking pins.   
   
   
       2 . The automatic washer of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second passageways are secured in a substantially parallel orientation. 
   
   
       3 . The automatic washer of  claim 1 , wherein the retaining pin is a cotter pin with a short leg and a long leg, each of the short and the long legs engageable with one of the first and second locking pins. 
   
   
       4 . The automatic washer of  claim 3 , wherein a first distance between an end of the short leg and an end of the long leg is unequal to a second distance between the first locking pin and the second locking pin. 
   
   
       5 . The automatic washer of  claim 4 , wherein an absolute value of a difference between the first distance and the second distance is greater than a locking pin diameter. 
   
   
       6 . The automatic washer of  claim 1 , wherein the free end of the strap member includes a hollow block member with an integral snap feature for securing the hollow block member to the outer cabinet. 
   
   
       7 . The automatic washer of  claim 6 , wherein a power cord for connecting electrical power to the washer is inserted into the hollow block member and retained for shipment by a second snap feature of the hollow block member whereby a force applied to the power cord causes the release of the retaining pin from the first and second locking pins causing the locking pins to fall under gravity bias from the apertures to release the restraint on the plate members. 
   
   
       8 . The automatic washer of  claim 7 , wherein the power cord is formed into a loop, and the loop is retained in the hollow block member. 
   
   
       9 . The automatic washer of  claim 8 , wherein the hollow block member includes a wall to limit a distance that the loop may be inserted into the hollow block member. 
   
   
       10 . An automatic washer having a shipping restraint system, the washer having an outer cabinet with a wash tub mounted therein, a suspension system including a fixed plate member and at least one movable plate member interposed between the wash tub and the outer cabinet, a plurality of apertures in each of the plate members forming sets of vertically aligned apertures, a first locking pin with a first passageway and a second locking pin with a second passageway, each of the first and second locking pins extendable through one of the sets of aligned apertures, and a strap member operatively connected to the first locking pin and the second locking pin for selectively disengaging the locking pins from the aligned apertures, the improvement comprising:
 a single retaining pin operatively connected to the strap member and engaging the first passageway of the first locking pin and the second passageway of the second locking pin such that the first and second passageways are maintained in a fixed rotational orientation with respect to the outer cabinet.   
   
   
       11 . The automatic washer of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second passageways are maintained in a substantially parallel orientation. 
   
   
       12 . The automatic washer of  claim 10 , wherein the retaining pin is a cotter pin with a short leg and a long leg, each of the short and the long legs engageable with one of the first and second locking pins. 
   
   
       13 . The automatic washer of  claim 12 , wherein a first distance between an end of the short leg and an end of the long leg is unequal to a second distance between the first locking pin and the second locking pin. 
   
   
       14 . The automatic washer of  claim 13 , wherein an absolute value of a difference between the first distance and the second distance is greater than a locking pin diameter. 
   
   
       15 . The automatic washer of  claim 10 , wherein the free end of the strap member includes a hollow block member with an integral snap feature for securing the hollow block member to the outer cabinet. 
   
   
       16 . The automatic washer of  claim 15 , wherein a power cord for connecting electrical power to the washer is inserted into the hollow block member and retained for shipment by a second snap feature of the hollow block member whereby a force applied to the power cord causes the release of the retaining pin from the first and second locking pins causing the locking pins to fall under gravity bias from the apertures to release the restraint on the plate members. 
   
   
       17 . The automatic washer of  claim 16 , wherein the power cord is formed into a loop, and the loop is retained in the hollow block member. 
   
   
       18 . The automatic washer of  claim 17 , wherein the hollow block member includes a wall to limit a distance that the loop may be inserted into the hollow block member. 
   
   
       19 . The automatic washer of  claim 15 , wherein the hollow block member includes a flange for positively locating the hollow block member with respect to the outer cabinet. 
   
   
       20 . An automatic washer with a shipping restraint system, the washer having a wash tub mounted above a drive assembly and a suspension system including a fixed plate member and one or more movable plate members interposed between the wash tub and the drive assembly all within an outer cabinet, a self-leveling support assembly attached to the outer cabinet and having support legs extendable between a deployed position and a retracted position suitable, comprising:
 a plurality of apertures in each of the plate members forming sets of vertically aligned apertures;   a plurality of locking pins, each of the plurality of locking pins extendable through one of the sets of aligned apertures;   a first retaining pin engagable with the plurality of locking pins to hold the locking pins in the apertures;   a first strap member operatively connected to the first retaining pin for selectively disengaging the first retaining pin from the plurality of locking pins thereby effecting the release of the locking pins;   the first strap member including a free end which extends outward through an aperture in the outer cabinet;   a second retaining pin for securing the support legs in the retracted position;   a second strap member secured to the outer cabinet at one end by the second retaining pin;   a power cord secured to the outer cabinet by the first and second strap members; and   whereby a force applied to the power cord causes disengagement of the first retaining pin from the plurality of locking pins thereby releasing the suspension system, the force further causing disengagement of the second retaining pin from the self-leveling support assembly.