DESCRIPTION

TWO-PART DAMPER PIN

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the connection structure of a damper to the machine body and tub, said damper being used in washing machines for attenuating the vibration occurring as a result of the revolving drum.

Background Art

With respect to the background art, dampers used in washing machines are connected to the machine body and drum by means of damper pins. Such dampers are provided with annular cross-sectioned slots at both of their ends. Said damper pins are placed into these slots and into other annular cross-sectioned slots provided on the machine body and tub that cooperate with the former slots.

Concerning the published patent application US2005183472 of the background art, in this document is disclosed a damper assembly performed by means of a single-part damper pin in front-loaded washing machines. According to this application, the lower lug of the damper is connected to base lugs so that the lower lug is supported by said base lugs. Said single-part damper pin is further equipped with an elastic clips. Following the assembly thanks to the clips, the single-part damper pin's displacement is avoided on the opposite direction of assembly. The structure of the damper pin disclosed here does not allow an assembly without slack into the damper slot. Furthermore, the pin disclosed here is not resistant against flexion and therefore lacks in counterbalancing the vertical forces from the damper and so becomes flexed. Any flexion to occur on the pin leads to vibration and noise on the washing machine.

Regarding the published patent application DE102005008239, here is disclosed an apparatus for connecting the tube and machine body to the damper. This apparatus is composed of a sleeve and a pin. The sleeve is inserted to the damper slot, whereas the pin is inserted to the sleeve. The insertion of the damper pin into the sleeve is achieved by displacing it from the starting position up to the locking position, and the damper pin is

fixed axially with respect to the sleeve at the locking position. The complex structure of the damper pin disclosed in this application enhances the manufacture costs. Additionally, any small axial back and forth displacements of the damper sleeve can not be avoided. Furthermore, the pin disclosed here is not resistant against flexion and therefore lacks in counterbalancing the vertical forces coming from the damper and so becomes flexed. And any flexion to occur on the pin leads to vibration and noise on the washing machine.

Brief Description of Invention

The damper pin is composed of a sleeve and a rod within said sleeve. The external surface and the interior of the sleeve are of a cylindrical formation. The interior is of a structure that extends in a lengthwise manner throughout in the sleeve. At least one cut is provided at one end of the sleeve so as to partition the sleeve to a certain amount lengthwise. At the side provided with such cuts and close to the tip are provided protrusions on each part formed by said cuts, said protrusions being formed with the external surface expanding outwards a certain amount and said protrusions surrounding the sleeve. With respect to the rod, it is a cylindrical piece formed so as to be positioned on the internal surface of sleeve.

For assembling the damper pin into the damper slot, first the sleeve is inserted into the damper slot. Since the external diameter formed by the outset protrusions at the sleeve is larger than the internal diameter of the slot, the sleeve flexes inwardly by means of said cuts as it is inserted to the slot. Once the sleeve is fastened to the slot completely, the protrusions become projected out of the slot. In this case, the sleeve becomes flexed outwardly from the side provided with said cuts. Thanks to this flexible structure of the sleeve, the external surface may also be optionally embodied so as to become jammed within the slot. Thereafter the rod is driven forward within the interior of the sleeve. With the rod becoming entirely settled in the interior, the inward flexion and the removal of the sleeve is avoided. In this manner a structure is obtained which does not flex against forces to come from the damper used for attenuating the vibrations resulting from the revolving drum within the tub.

Objective of Invention

The objective of the present invention is to provide a structure which is not flexible against forces to come from the damper.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a two-part damper pin to facilitate the damper assembly to the tub and body of washing machines.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide an assembly of said two-part damper pin into the damper slot without slack and thus to prevent the vibrations of a revolving drum from affecting the remaining parts of the washing machine.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to avoid the loosening and removal of said two-part damper pin from the damper slot while the washing machine is running.

Yet a further objective of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and secure damper connection.

Description of Figures

Exemplary embodiments of the subject washing machine and the two-part damper pin used in such machine are illustrated in annexed figures as described below in brief.

Figure 1 is a front view of the interior of a washing machine.

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the interior of a washing machine.

Figure 3 is a side view of the assembly manner of said two-part damper pin to the damper and machine's connection lug.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the assembly manner of said two-part damper pin to the damper.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the two-part damper pin.

Figure 6 is a normal and cross-sectional side view of said two-part damper pin.

Figure 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the interconnection of the sleeve and rod composing the two-part damper pin. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the full assembled form of the sleeve and rod.

The parts in said figures are individually enumerated as following.

Washing machine (A) Machine body (1 )

Tub (2)

Damper (3)

Connection lug (4, 4')

Two-part damper pin (5) Sleeve (6)

Rod (7)

Damper slot (8)

Drum (9)

External surface (61 ) Interior (62)

Flange (63)

Cut (64)

Protrusion (65)

Protrusion (66) Front part (71 )

Hole (72)

Rear part (73)

Rib (74)

Flange (75) Flange (77)

Recession (78)

Description of Invention

The subject washing machine (A) as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2 comprises a machine body (1 ); a tube (2) within said body; at least one damper (3) connected to the connection lugs (4, 4') on the body (1 ) and tub (2); and damper pin (5) providing the connection of one each end of the damper (3) to each connection lugs (4, 4').

Figure 3 illustrates from on side how a damper pin (5) is placed on the connection lugs (4, 4') and on the slot (8) provided at one end of the damper (3). In this connection manner illustrated in Figure 4 (the connection lug (4) is not shown), the below detailed sleeve (6) and the rod (7) within said sleeve (6) of the damper pin (5) are together placed on the connection lugs (4, 4') and damper slot (8).

As indicated above, the damper pin (5) as illustrated in figures 5 and 6 is composed of a sleeve (6) and a rod (7) within said sleeve. The external surface (61 ) and the interior (62) of said sleeve is of a cylindrical form. The interior (62) is of a structure that extends in a lengthwise manner throughout in the sleeve (6). A flange (63) is provided at one end of the sleeve (6) so as to extend outwardly and surround the sleeve (6). At the other end of said sleeve (6) is provided at least one cut (64), partitioning the sleeve (6) to a certain amount lengthwise. At the side provided with such cuts (64) and close to the tip are provided protrusions (65) on each part formed by said cuts (64), said protrusions being formed with the external surface (61 ) expanding outwards a certain amount and said protrusions surrounding the sleeve (6). In a similar manner, at the side provided with such cuts (64) and close to the tip are provided other protrusions (66) on each part formed by said cuts (64), said protrusions (66) being formed with the internal surface (62) expanding inwards a certain amount and surrounding the interior of said sleeve (6).

With respect to the rod (7), it has a cylindrical structure formed so as to be positioned on the internal surface (62) of the sleeve (6). One axially-extending hole (72) is provided on the front part (71 ) of the rod (7). And at the rear part (73) of the rod, at least one support rib (74) is positioned that is formed in a lengthwise manner. At the tip of the rear part (73) and on each rib (74) are formed at least one flange (75), producing a sidewise expansion and surrounding the rod (7). At least one recession (78) is provided at a portion close to the front part's (71 ) tip on the exterior of the rod (7) so as to correspond to each sleeve protrusion (66). A flange (77) formed with a small diameter augmentation is provided around the tip portion of the rod (7) and in front of the recession (78). The foremost tip of the rod (7) preceding the flange is conical to a certain extent, narrowing towards the tip. The function of this conical formation is to facilitate the rod's (7) assembly to the sleeve (6) by providing a centering guide.

In order to assembly the damper pin (5) to the connection lugs (4, 4') and damper slot (8), first the sleeve (6) of the pin (5) is assembled to the connection lugs (4, 4') and damper slot (8). In a second step, the side accommodating the rod (7) flange (77) is inserted into the interior (62) of the sleeve (6) from the side accommodating the sleeve flange (63) (as illustrated in Figure 7). Since the diameter of the rod (7) flange (77) is larger than the diameter of the sleeve (6) interior (62) so as to allow a fast insertion of the rod's (7) tip, during this first assembly the rod's (7) tip first is leaned on the interior (62), and as long as the rod (7) is kept pushed, the rod's (7) tip advances and with each protrusion (66) settling into the respective recession (78) (illustrated in Figure 8), the assembly is completed. In this manner, thanks to the flange (77) provided on the rod (7), any spontaneous removal of the rod (7) from the sleeve is avoided.

Any further advancement of the sleeve (6) is avoided by means of the flange (63) leaning against the side surface of the connection lug (4). And any further advancement of the rod

(7) is ensured by means of the rod flange (75) leaning against the side surface of the flange (63). With the rod (7) becoming entirely settled into the interior (62), the inward flexion and the removal of the sleeve (6) from the connection lugs (4, 4') and slot (8) is avoided. Even with the lugs (4, 4') and slot (8) becoming jammed between the flange (63) and conical protrusions (65), not only the radial displacement of the damper pin (5), as was indicated above, but also the axial displacement is blocked. In the backward displacement of the sleeve (6) together with the rod (7), the protrusions (65) lean against the lateral surface of the connection lug so that any unintentional removal of the damper pin (5) from the slot (8) and lugs (4, 4') is avoided.