Differentially damped support assembly for washing machine

Claim 1

A support assembly for a washing machine having an assembly of working parts for effecting washing of fabrics in a liquid and extraction of liquid from the fabrics, the support assembly comprising: a cabinet structure housing said assembly of working parts, said cabinet structure having a base including a generally spherical bearing surface for pivotally supporting said assembly of working parts; a mount secured to the assembly of working parts for movement therewith during operation of said machine and including a generally spherical lower support surface; an intermediate member positioned between said bearing surface and said support surface and formed with opposed generally spherical faces complimentary to said bearing surface and said support surface respectively; means for providing a first, relatively low coefficient of friction, interface between said intermediate member and one of said bearing and support surfaces and means for providing a second, relatively high coefficient of friction, interface between said intermediate member and the other of said bearing and support surfaces; so that relative motion between said intermediate member and either of said base and said mount respectively in response to movement of said mount tends to occur at said first interface; said intermediate member having an interfering engagement with the one of said base and said mount with which it has said first interface upon a predetermined amplitude of movement of said mount so that relative movement between said intermediate member and either of said base and mount in response to greater than the predetermined movement of said mount occurs at said second interface.