Transmission for a laundry machine

Claim 2

A transmission mechanism for a laundry machine, the transmission mechanism comprising: a housing having a plurality of wall means defining a chamber therein, said wall means of said plurality thereof including a pair of opposite end walls, and a sidewall interposed between said opposite end walls; a supporting structure seated on one of said opposite end walls within said chamber and including a pair of spaced apart supports disposed generally between said opposite end walls, respectively; an input shaft journaled in said one opposite end wall so as to extend therethrough into said chamber and including a first free end adjacent said one opposite end wall within said chamber, and an input gear on said first free end, said input shaft being selectively rotatable unidirectionally and also so as to oscillate; a tubular output shaft extending through one of said supports and journaled in the other of said opposite end walls and the other of said supports, said tubular output shaft including a bore therethrough, a second free end extending through said other opposite end wall exteriorly of said chamber, and a first output gear on said tubular output shaft within said chamber and between said one and other supports; another output shaft extending through said chamber and said bore of said tubular output shaft so as to be journaled at least in said one opposite end wall and including a third free end extending exteriorly of said chamber, and a second output gear on said another output shaft within said chamber between said other support and said one opposite end wall; a driven shaft and a driving shaft within said chamber extending through said other support and having opposite ends thereof journaled in said one opposite end wall and said one support, respectively, said driving shaft including a plurality of splines arranged between said opposite ends thereof, and a first pinion gear adjacent said one opposite end wall and meshed with said input gear on said input shaft, said driven shaft including a second pinion gear and a third pinion gear respectively arranged thereon between said one opposite end wall and said other support, said second pinion gear being meshed with said second output gear on said another output shaft; and means selectively movable on said driven shaft between at least a pair of axially spaced positions thereon for effecting the transmission of the rotation of said input shaft to said tubular output shaft and said another output shaft, respectively, said transmission effecting means including a pair of interconnected stepped shifting gears, and a splined bore extending through said stepped shifting gears and receiving said splines of said plurality thereof on said driving shaft so as to be both conjointly rotatable therewith and selectively axially movable thereon between the positions of said at least pair thereof, the larger of said stepped shifting gears being meshed with said first output gear on said tubular output shaft when said stepped shifting gears are in one position of the at least pair thereof and the smaller of said shifting gears being meshed with said second output gear on said another shaft when said stepped shifting gears are in another position of the at least pair thereof.

Claim 3

A transmission mechanism for a laundry machine and having at least two operating modes, the transmission mechanism comprising; input means including an input gear and selectively rotatable for oscillation during one of the operating modes and for unidirectional rotation during another of the operating modes; a pair of generally coaxially arranged output means for conjoint rotation with said input means and including a pair of output gears, respectively; a gear train arranged in direct coupling relation with one of said output gears; a drive shaft including a pinion gear coupled directly with said input gear; and a pair of interconnected shifting gears arranged so as to be conjointly rotatable with said drive shaft and also selectively axially movable thereon between at least a pair of selected positions, one of said shifting gears being drivingly meshed with said gear train when said shifting gears are in one of the selected positions to effect only the conjoint oscillation of one of said output means with said input means during the one operating mode and the other of said shifting gears being meshed with the other of said output gears when said shifting gears are in another of the selected positions in said each winding stage having at least one conductor turn and a pair of opposite side turn portions, respectively, some of said coils in said each winding stage having at least one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in individual ones of said slots with one of said opposite side turn portions of another of said coils in a same winding stage, respectively, one of said coils of two winding stages of said at least three thereof each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in one slot of a first pair thereof and another of said coils of said two winding stages each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in the other slot of said first slot pair respectively, a third coil in one of said two winding stages and one coil in a third winding stage of said at least three winding stages each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in one slot of a second pair thereof and a fourth coil in said one of said two winding stages and another coil in said third winding stage each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in the other slot of said second slot pair, and two coils of said coil plurality in the other of said two winding stages each having one of said opposite sides thereof disposed in a third pair of slots, respectively, a rotor disposed at least in part within said stator bore in magnetic coupling relation with said at least three winding stages so as to be unidirectionally rotatable when said at least three winding stages are commutated in the at least one preselected sequence and also oscillatable when said at least three winding stages are commutated in the at least preselected different sequence pairs, said rotor including a peripheral portion interposed between a pair of opposite end faces and arranged generally in coaxial relation with said stator bore, a shaft receiving opening extending through said rotor and intersecting with said opposite end faces, a plurality of to effect the unidirectional rotation of said other output means with said input means during the another operating mode, respectively.

Claim 4

A transmission mechanism for a laundry machine and having at least two operating modes, the transmission mechanism comprising; input means including an input gear and selectively rotatable for oscillation during one of the operating modes and for unidirectional rotation during another of the operating modes; a pair of generally coaxially arranged output means for conjoint rotation with said input means and including a pair of output gears, respectively; a gear train arranged in direct coupling relation with one of said output gears; a drive shaft including a pinion gear coupled directly with said input gear; and a pair of interconnected shifting gears arranged so as to be conjointly rotatable with said drive shaft and also selectively axially movable thereon between at least a pair of selected positions, one of said shifting gears being drivingly meshed with said gear train when said shifting gears are in one of the selected positions to effect only the conjoint oscillation of one of said output means with said input means during the one operating mode and the other of said shifting gears being meshed with the other of said output gears when said shifting gears are in another of the selected positions in said each winding stage having at least one conductor turn and a pair of opposite side turn portions, respectively, some of said coils in said each winding stage having at least one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in individual ones of said slots with one of said opposite side turn portions of another of said coils in a same winding stage, respectively, one of said coils of two winding stages of said at least three thereof each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in one slot of a first pair thereof and another of said coils of said two winding stages each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in the other slot of said first slot pair respectively, a third coil in one of said two winding stages and one coil in a third winding stage of said at least three winding stages each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in one slot of a second pair thereof and a fourth coil in said one of said two winding stages and another coil in said third winding stage each having one of said opposite side turn portions thereof disposed in the other slot of said second slot pair, and two coils of said coil plurality in the other of said two winding stages each having one of said opposite sides thereof disposed in a third pair of slots, respectively, a rotor disposed at least in part within said stator bore in magnetic coupling relation with said at least three winding stages so as to be unidirectionally rotatable when said at least three winding stages are commutated in the at least one preselected sequence and also oscillatable when said at least three winding stages are commutated in the at least preselected different sequence pairs, said rotor including a peripheral portion interposed between a pair of opposite end faces and arranged generally in coaxial relation with said stator bore, a shaft receiving opening extending through said rotor and intersecting with said opposite end faces, a plurality of to effect the unidirectional rotation of said other output means with said input means during the another operating mode, respectively.

Claim 5

A transmission mechanism for a laundry machine and having at least two operating modes comprising: input means selectively rotatable for oscillation in one of the operating modes and for unidirectional rotation in another of the operating modes; a pair of generally coaxially arranged output means adapted for conjoint oscillation and unidirectional rotation with said input means, respectively; and means for transmitting the rotation of said input means to said output means, respectively, said transmitting means including means associated in coupled relation with one of said output means for driving it, driven means associated in coupled relation with said input means for being driven by it, and means selectively movable between at least a pair of positions with respect to said driven means and said driving means and operable generally in one of the positions for coupling said driven means with the other of said output means and in another of the positions for coupling said driven means with said driving means.

Claim 6

A transmission mechanism for a laundry machine and having at least two operating modes comprising: input means selectively rotatable for oscillation in one of the operating modes and for unidirectional rotation in another of the operating modes; a pair of generally coaxially arranged output means adapted for conjoint oscillation and unidirectional rotation with said input means, respectively; and means for transmitting the rotation of said input means to said output means, respectively, said transmitting means including means associated in coupled relation with one of said output means for driving it, driven means associated in coupled relation with said input means for being driven by it, and means selectively movable between at least a pair of positions with respect to said driven means and said driving means and operable generally in one of the positions for coupling said driven means with the other of said output means and in another of the positions for coupling said driven means with said driving means.

Claim 7

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said gear train includes a driven shaft having a pair of pinion gears thereon, one of said pinion gears being meshed directly with said one output gear and the other of said pinion gears being meshed with said one shifting gear when said shifting gears are in the one selected position thereof.

Claim 8

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said input means further includes an electronically commutated motor associated therewith and selectively electronically commutated so as to effect both the oscillation and the unidirectional rotation of said input means.

Claim 9

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein the rotational speed of said input means during the unidirectional rotation thereof is greater than during the oscillation thereof.

Claim 10

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said drive shaft further includes a plurality of axially extending splines, and said shifting gears including a splined bore received on said splines of said drive shaft.

Claim 11

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 3 further comprising means associated with said coupling means for effecting the selective movement between the one and other positions thereof, respectively.

Claim 12

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein said coupling means and said driving means include means for effecting the conjoint rotation thereof and for guiding the movement of said coupling means between the one and other positions thereof on said driving means, respectively.

Claim 13

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein said input means comprises a part of a rotatable assembly of an electronically commutated motor associated with the transmission mechanism.

Claim 14

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 10 wherein said electronically commutated motor is adapted to be selectively electronically commutated so as to effect both the oscillation and the unidirectional rotation of said input means.

Claim 15

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein said output means includes a pair of output gears thereof, respectively, said coupling means in one of the one and other positions thereof being directly coupled with one of said output gears.

Claim 16

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 12 wherein one of said driving means and said driven means includes a gear train coupled directly with the other of said output gears.

Claim 17

A transmission mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein said coupling means in another of the one and other positions thereof is coupled with said gear train.