System and method for detecting and interrupting an out-of-balance condition in a washing machine

Claim 3

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein a constituent fluid for said fluidic pressure is air.

Claim 4

A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said generating means comprises a housing having an extension thereof pivotally connected to said tub, said generating means further comprising a generating piston having an extension thereof pivotally supported to said cabinet, said generating piston and said housing reciprocating relative to one another in response to said excursions of said tub and constituting one generating unit to produce said fluidic pressure.

Claim 5

A system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said generating means comprises additional generating units substantially similar to said one generating unit, said additional generating units and said one generating unit being arranged in respective mutually spaced pairs.

Claim 6

A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein each generating unit in a respective one of said pairs is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another in a respective plane situated substantially perpendicular to said spin axis.

Claim 7

A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said plane is substantially horizontal.

Claim 8

A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said plane is substantially vertical.

Claim 9

A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said predetermined angle is chosen to position respective ones of said mutually spaced pairs in substantially equiangular relationship with respect to one another.

Claim 10

A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said generating means comprises a housing integral to said tub, said generating means further comprising a generating piston having an extension thereof pivotally supported to said cabinet, said generating piston and said housing reciprocating relative to one another in response to said excursions of said tub and constituting one generating unit to produce said fluidic pressure.

Claim 11

A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said generating means comprises additional generating units substantially similar to said one generating unit, said additional generating units and said one generating unit being arranged in respective mutually spaced pairs.

Claim 12

A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein each generating unit in a respective one of said pairs is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another in a respective plane situated substantially perpendicular to said spin axis.

Claim 13

A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said generating means comprises one bellows having one extension thereof connected to said tub and said one bellows having another extension thereof supported to said cabinet.

Claim 14

A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said generating means comprises additional bellows substantially similar to said one bellows, said one bellows and said additional bellows being arranged in respective mutually spaced pairs.

Claim 15

A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein each bellows in a respective one of said bellows pairs is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another in a respective plane substantially perpendicular to said spin axis.

Claim 16

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said predetermined angle is chosen to position respective ones of said mutually spaced bellows pairs in substantially equiangular relationship with respect to one another.

Claim 17

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a respective enclosure in said cabinet, said actuating means further comprising biasing means and an actuating piston cooperating in said enclosure such that said actuating piston moves in response to said predetermined level of fluidic pressure from a nonactuating position to reach said actuating position and moves back to said nonactuating position absent said predetermined level of fluidic pressure.

Claim 18

A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said biasing means is a spring connected between one face of said actuating piston and an opposite end of said enclosure.

Claim 19

A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said actuating piston includes a magnet disposed in said one face of said piston.

Claim 20

A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said actuating piston comprises magnetic material.

Claim 21

A system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said switch is a magnetically actuated switch.

Claim 22

A system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said switch is a magnetically actuated switch.

Claim 23

A washing machine comprising: a cabinet; a tub being inside said cabinet; a washer basket for holding articles to be cleansed, said basket being positioned in said tub; means for rotating said washer basket about a predetermined spin axis during a spin cycle; said tub being susceptible to an out-of-balance condition characterized by excursions of said tube in a direction generally perpendicular to said spin axis during said spin cycle; a system for detecting and interrupting said out-of-balance condition in said washing machine, said system comprising: means connected to said tub and said cabinet for generating a fluidic pressure in response to said excursions of said tub; an actuator fluidly coupled to said generating means, said actuator being responsive to a predetermined level of said fluidic pressure to provide an actuating position corresponding to said out-of-balance condition; a conduit for transmitting said fluidic pressure from the generating means to the actuating means; a switch responsive to said actuator to deenergize said spinning means upon said actuator being in said actuating position thereby interrupting said out-of-balance condition; and a bleed valve for avoiding deenergization of the spinning means under conditions not substantially corresponding to an actual out-of-balance condition.

Claim 24

A washing machine comprising: a cabinet; a tub being inside said cabinet; a washer basket for holding articles to be cleansed, said basket being positioned in said tub; means for rotating said washer basket about a predetermined spin axis during a spin cycle; said tub being susceptible to an out-of-balance condition characterized by excursions of said tube in a direction generally perpendicular to said spin axis during said spin cycle; a system for detecting and interrupting said out-of-balance condition in said washing machine, said system comprising: means connected to said tub and said cabinet for generating a fluidic pressure in response to said excursions of said tub; an actuator fluidly coupled to said generating means, said actuator being responsive to a predetermined level of said fluidic pressure to provide an actuating position corresponding to said out-of-balance condition; a conduit for transmitting said fluidic pressure from the generating means to the actuating means; a switch responsive to said actuator to deenergize said spinning means upon said actuator being in said actuating position thereby interrupting said out-of-balance condition; and a bleed valve for avoiding deenergization of the spinning means under conditions not substantially corresponding to an actual out-of-balance condition.

Claim 25

A washing machine in accordance with claim 22 wherein a constituent fluid for said fluidic pressure is air.

Claim 26

A washing machine in accordance with claim 23 wherein said generating means comprises a housing having an extension thereof pivotally connected to said tub, said generating means further comprising a generating piston having an extension thereof pivotally supported to said cabinet, said generating piston and said housing reciprocating relative to one another in response to said excursions of said tub and constituting one generating unit to produce said fluidic pressure.

Claim 27

A washing machine in accordance with claim 24 wherein said generating means comprises additional generating units substantially similar to said one generating unit, said additional generating units and said one generating unit being arranged in respective mutually spaced pairs.

Claim 28

A washing machine in accordance with claim 25 wherein each generating unit in a respective one of said pairs is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another in a respective plane situated substantially perpendicular to said spin axis.

Claim 29

A washing machine in accordance with claim 26 wherein said predetermined angle is chosen to position respective ones of said mutually spaced pairs in substantially equiangular relationship with respect to one another.

Claim 30

A washing machine in accordance with claim 23 wherein said generating means comprises a housing integral to said tub, said generating means further comprising a generating piston having an extension thereof pivotally supported to said cabinet, said generating piston and said housing reciprocating relative to one another in response to said excursions of said tub and constituting one generating unit to produce said fluidic pressure.

Claim 31

A washing machine in accordance with claim 28 wherein said generating means comprises additional generating units substantially similar to said one generating unit, said additional generating units and said one generating unit being arranged in respective mutually spaced pairs.

Claim 32

A washing machine in accordance with claim 29 wherein each generating unit in a respective one of said pairs is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another in a respective plane situated substantially perpendicular to said spin axis.

Claim 33

A washing machine in accordance with claim 23 wherein said generating means comprises one bellows having one extension thereof connected to said tub and said one bellows having another extension thereof supported to said cabinet.

Claim 34

A washing machine in accordance with claim 31 wherein said generating means comprises additional bellows substantially similar to said one bellows, said one bellows and said additional bellows being arranged in respective mutually spaced pairs.

Claim 35

A washing machine in accordance with claim 32 wherein each bellows in a respective one of said bellows pairs is oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to one another in a respective plane situated perpendicular to said spin axis.

Claim 36

A washing machine in accordance with claim 33 wherein said plane is substantially horizontal.

Claim 37

A washing machine in accordance with claim 33 wherein said plane is substantially vertical.

Claim 38

A washing machine in accordance with claim 33 wherein said predetermined angle is chosen to position respective ones of said mutually spaced bellows pairs in substantially equiangular relationship with respect to one another.

Claim 39

A washing machine in accordance with claim 22 wherein said actuator comprises a respective enclosure in said cabinet, said actuator further comprising biasing means and an actuating piston cooperating in said enclosure such that said actuating piston moves in response to said predetermined level of fluidic pressure from a nonactuating position to reach said actuating position and moves back to said nonactuating position absent said predetermined level of fluidic pressure.

Claim 40

A washing machine in accordance with claim 37 wherein said biasing means is a spring connected between one face of said actuating piston and an opposite end of said enclosure.

Claim 41

A washing machine in accordance with claim 38 wherein said actuating piston includes a magnet disposed in said one face of said piston.

Claim 42

A washing machine in accordance with claim 38 wherein said actuating piston comprises magnetic material.

Claim 43

A washing machine in accordance with claim 39 wherein said switch is a magnetically actuated switch.

Claim 44

A washing machine in accordance with claim 40 wherein said switch is a magnetically actuated switch.