Laundry machine with lost motion clutch

Abstract

A laundry machine has a tub and a spin basket in said tub. A drive assembly includes a shaft and agitator. The shaft passes through a wall of the spin basket. The agitator is located within the spin basket. A lost motion clutch is physically located in the tub. The lost motion clutch interconnects between the drive assembly and the spin basket and absorbs greater than one revolution of relative rotation.

1 . A laundry machine comprising:
 a tub,   a spin basket in said tub,   a drive assembly comprising a shaft and agitator, the shaft passing through a wall of the spin basket, said agitator being located within said spin basket,   a lost motion clutch physically located in the tub, interconnecting between the drive assembly and the spin basket and absorbing greater than one revolution of relative rotation.   
   
   
       2 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein clockwise rotation of said agitator relative to said spin basket ends at a first end condition wherein said drive assembly is engaged to drive said spin basket in a clockwise direction, and
 anticlockwise rotation of said agitator relative to said spin basket ends at a second end condition wherein said drive assembly is engaged to drive said spin basket in an anticlockwise direction, said first end condition and said second end condition being greater than one revolution of relative rotation between said agitator and said spin basket apart.   
   
   
       3 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said lost motion clutch includes a rotation member mounted for rotation about said shaft, said rotation member having a first pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise, and a second pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise,
 said drive assembly has a pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise,   said spin basket has a pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise, and   in said first end condition said first pair clockwise surface engages against said drive assembly counter clockwise surface, said second pair anticlockwise surface engages against said spin basket clockwise surface, and in said second end condition said first pair counter clockwise surface engages said drive assembly clockwise surface, and said second pair clockwise surface engages against said spin basket counter clockwise surface.   
   
   
       4 - 9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said drive assembly, but for said lost motion clutch, would be free to rotate relative to said spin basket. 
   
   
       11 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said lost motion clutch includes a shock absorber for absorbing engagement impacts at one or both ends of the relative motion. 
   
   
       17 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 16  wherein at least one said stop surface is elastically supported relative to the respective rotation member, drive assembly or spin basket. 
   
   
       18 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 46  including a power supply circuit connected with windings of said motor, and a microcomputer having outputs connected to said power supply circuit for controlling the application of power to said windings of said motor, said microcomputer being programmed to drive said drive assembly in at least a first mode involving strokes of short duration in alternate directions, and a second mode involving continuous running for many revolutions in the same direction. 
   
   
       19 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said microcomputer is programmed to limit the angular rotation of any single agitation stroke of said drive assembly to be less than about 1.5 revolutions. 
   
   
       20 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said microcomputer is programmed to detect any occasional end condition that occurs during agitation and to terminate the drive of motor in that agitation stroke as soon as the collision is detected. 
   
   
       21 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said microcomputer is programmed to monitor the load on the motor and detect said end condition by an increase in the motor load. 
   
   
       22 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said microcomputer is programmed to detect any directional bias in any residual rotation of the spin basket during agitation. 
   
   
       23 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said microcomputer is programmed to adjust the respective agitator stroke lengths to try to reduce this bias and preferably to reverse the estimated accumulated relative creep in one direction. 
   
   
       24 . A laundry machine comprising:
 a tub,   a spin basket in said tub,   a drive assembly comprising a shaft and agitator, the shaft passing through a wall of the spin basket, said agitator being located within said spin basket, and   a rotation member mounted in said tub to rotate about said shaft, said rotation member having a first pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise, and a second pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise,   said drive assembly has a pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise,   said spin basket has a pair of stop surfaces, one facing clockwise and one facing anticlockwise; wherein   in a first end condition said first pair of clockwise surface engages against said drive assembly counter clockwise surface, said second pair anticlockwise surface engages against said spin basket clockwise surface, and   in a second end condition said first pair counter clockwise surface engages said drive assembly clockwise surface, and said second pair clockwise surface engages against said spin basket counter clockwise surface, said first end condition and said second end condition being greater than one revolution of relative rotation between said agitator and said spin basket apart.   
   
   
       25 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said rotation member includes a lug, with said clockwise facing surface of said first pair and of said second pair being on one side surface of said lug and said counter clockwise surface of said first pair and of said second pair being on another side surface of said lug. 
   
   
       26 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said spin basket includes a lug, and said pair of stop surfaces of said spin basket comprise opposite faces of said spin basket lug. 
   
   
       27 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 26  wherein said spin basket includes a lug, and said pair of stop surfaces of said spin basket comprise opposed faces of said spin basket lug. 
   
   
       28 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 27  wherein said drive assembly lug and said spin basket lug do not share the same axial and radial position relative to the rotation, such that said lugs pass by one another with relative rotation of said agitator and said spin basket in the absence of any intervening member. 
   
   
       29 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 28  wherein said drive assembly lug and said spin basket lug overlap in the axial direction but are separated in the radial direction, and the radial extent of said lug of said rotating member overlaps with the outer of the drive assembly lug and the spin basket lug. 
   
   
       30 . A laundry machine as claimed in  claim 28  wherein there is a clearance of less than 10 mm between said drive assembly lug and said spin basket lug as said lugs pass each other with relative rotation of said agitator and said spin basket. 
   
   
       31 - 45 . (canceled) 
   
   
       46 . A laundry machine as claimed in claim I wherein said shaft rotates around a vertical axis, and said tub and said spin basket are accessible through a top opening, and said shaft of said drive assembly protrudes from below a base portion of said tub, a stator of an electric motor is fixed to said tub, and a rotor of said electric motor is fixed to said shaft.