Patent US3583182A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3583182A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Washing machine
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1969-10-20
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Granted: 1971-06-08
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Expires: 1989-10-20
Abstract
Abstract In a drum-type washing machine which is so designed that the speed of the drum will automatically be reduced to the initial low level if the amount of unbalance in the drum is excessively large at the time when the operation of the machine is to be shifted to a dehydration operation, a device is provided for accurately detecting the amount of unbalance in the drum is in terms of the amplitude of the vibration of the drum when said drum is driven at a speed intermediary between the washing speed and the dehydration speed.
Inventors
- 👤 Katsumasa Matsuura
- 👤 Hiroki Utsumi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:05
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F34/00; D06F34/14; D06F34/16; D06F33/00; D06F33/30; D06F33/48; D06F2103/00; D06F2103/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A washing machine comprising a drum elastically supported relative to an outer frame and adapted for accommodating clothes, means for driving said drum at least at three different speeds stepwise, means for detecting the vibration of a moving part only when the drum is driven at the intermediate speed and means for Accelerating the drum to the higher speed and rendering said vibration detecting means substantially inoperative when the vibration detected by said vibration detecting means remains below an allowable values for a predetermined period.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
85 words
A washing machine comprising a drum elastically supported relative to an outer frame and adapted for accommodating clothes, means for driving said drum at least at three different speeds stepwise, means for detecting the vibration of a moving part only when the drum is driven at the intermediate speed and means for Accelerating the drum to the higher speed and rendering said vibration detecting means substantially inoperative when the vibration detected by said vibration detecting means remains below an allowable values for a predetermined period.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
A washing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate speed is selected to be higher than a speed at which the clothes are attached to the drum wall under the influence of centrifugal force but lower than the secondary critical speed of a vibration system composed by the moving part and an elastic member supporting said moving part.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A washing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said vibration detecting means consists of a conventional mercury switch mounted on the moving part at an angle to a horizontal line, the electrodes of said mercury switch being opened electrically by the vibration of the moving part when said vibration is larger than the allowable value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A washing machine as defined in claim 3, wherein the natural frequency of said mercury switch is either the same as or slightly greater than the frequency of the drum driven at the intermediate speed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
A washing machine comprising a drum elastically supported relative to an outer frame and adapted for accommodating clothes, means for driving said drum at least at three different speeds stepwise, means for detecting the vibration of a moving part only at the initial stage of a dehydration operation and auxiliary timer means for setting a dehydration motor in operation when said vibration detecting means has not detected a vibration larger than an allowable value for a predetermined time after said drum had been accelerated to the intermediate speed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
A washing machine comprising a drum elastically supported relative to an outer frame and adapted for accommodating clothes, means for driving said drum at least at three different speeds stepwise, means for detecting the vibration of a moving part only at the initial stage of a dehydration operation and auxiliary timer means for setting a dehydration motor in operation when said vibration detecting means has not detected a vibration larger than an allowable value for a predetermined time after said drum had been accelerated to the intermediate speed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
A washing machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary timer means is driven by an auxiliary timer motor and has two contacts to be closed alternately in an predetermined time interval, and starts the dehydration motor when the vibration detected by the vibration detecting means in a period from the time when one of said contacts was closed to the time when another one of said contacts is closed is below the allowable value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
135 words
A washing machine comprising a drum for accommodating clothes, at least two motors for driving said drum, speed changing means for driving the drum at an intermediate speed higher than a washing speed but lower than a dehydration speed, auxiliary timer means for changing the drum speed from the washing speed to the intermediate speed and means for reverting the drum speed to the initial washing speed when the vibration of a moving part at the intermediate speed is larger than an allowable value, a dehydration motor being set in operation and the circuit of vibration detecting means being shorted by the contact of auxiliary timer means when a condition of said vibration being below the allowable value has lasted for a predetermined time and the contact of said auxiliary timer means has been closed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
135 words
A washing machine comprising a drum for accommodating clothes, at least two motors for driving said drum, speed changing means for driving the drum at an intermediate speed higher than a washing speed but lower than a dehydration speed, auxiliary timer means for changing the drum speed from the washing speed to the intermediate speed and means for reverting the drum speed to the initial washing speed when the vibration of a moving part at the intermediate speed is larger than an allowable value, a dehydration motor being set in operation and the circuit of vibration detecting means being shorted by the contact of auxiliary timer means when a condition of said vibration being below the allowable value has lasted for a predetermined time and the contact of said auxiliary timer means has been closed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-07 | 1974-12-07 | 1975-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-07 | 1978-12-07 | 1979-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-07 | 1982-12-07 | 1983-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |