Laundry treating appliance with tub ring

Abstract

A laundry treating appliance having a tub with a tub ring and a drum located within the tub having a balance ring. The tub ring may extend radially inward and be spaced above the balance ring. The tub ring and balance ring may have an angled portion to provide for a generally constant space between the tub ring and balance ring during rotation of the drum within the tub.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A laundry treating appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining an interior;   a tub comprising an end wall from which extends a peripheral wall terminating in a peripheral edge to form an opening to an interior of the tub for holding liquid, and having a first deflection-induced point of rotation;   a drum located within the interior of the tub and comprising an end wall from which extends a peripheral wall terminating in a peripheral edge to form an opening to an interior of the drum for receiving laundry for treatment, having a second deflection-induced point of rotation, and rotatable about an axis of rotation;   a tub ring mounted to the peripheral edge of the tub and having a radially minimum point relative to the first deflection-induced point of rotation;   a balancing ring mounted on the peripheral edge of the drum and having a radially maximum point relative to the second deflection-induced point of rotation;   wherein the combination of the tub and tub ring have a width D, which is the diameter of the tub, and an effective height H, which is the distance between the end wall of the tub to the radially minimum point along a line parallel to the axis of rotation, the combination of the drum and balancing ring have a width d, which is the diameter of the drum, and a height h, which is the distance between the end wall of the drum to the radially maximum point along a line parallel to the axis of rotation;   wherein a line of contact is defined by a line located between the tub ring and the balancing ring and form an angle alpha relative to a line parallel to the axis of rotation, where the angle alpha equals arctan[2*(H+h)/(D+d)]; and   wherein the tub ring and balancing ring are configured such that all portions of the tub ring lie on one side of the line of contact and all portions of the balancing ring lie on the other side of the line of contact.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 10  wherein the line of contact is located a predetermined radial distance from the second deflection-induced point of rotation. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 11  wherein the predetermined radial distance is greater than the radial distance between the second deflection-induced point of rotation and the radially maximum point. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 12  wherein the predetermined radial distance is less than the radial distance between the second deflection-induced point of rotation and the radially minimum point. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 10  wherein the tub ring comprises an angled portion extending inwardly and upwardly from the peripheral edge of the tub. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 14  wherein the angled portions form an angle beta relative to a line parallel to the axis of rotation, with angle beta being less than or equal to angle alpha. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 15  wherein the balancing ring comprises an angled portion extending inwardly and upwardly from the peripheral edge of the drum at the same or lesser angle than the angled portion of the tub ring. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 14  wherein the angled portion of the tub ring overlies the peripheral edge of the drum. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 14  wherein the tub ring further comprises another portion that extends radially inward from the angled portion of the tub ring. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 1  wherein the first and second deflection-induced points of rotation are a common point. 
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating appliance of  claim 10  wherein the angle alpha is about 35 degrees.