Balance Ring for a Washing Machine Appliance

Abstract

A washing machine appliance includes a tub and a basket rotatably mounted within the tub. A balance ring is disposed on the basket. The balance ring includes a ring body defining an internal volume and a dilatant balancing fluid disposed within the internal volume of the ring body. The dilatant balancing fluid may distribute within the internal volume of the ring body in order to assist with reducing noise and vibration of the basket during rotation of the basket within the tub.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine appliance, comprising:
 a tub;   a basket rotatably mounted within the tub;   a balance ring disposed on the basket, the balance ring comprising
 a ring body defining an internal volume; and 
 a dilatant balancing fluid disposed within the internal volume of the ring body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the dilatant balancing fluid comprises a non-Newtonian shear thickening fluid having a shear viscosity that increases with applied shear stress. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the shear viscosity of the dilatant balancing fluid increases when the basket is accelerating. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the dilatant balancing fluid comprises water and starch. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the dilatant balancing fluid comprises silica and polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the balance ring further comprises a plurality of baffles mounted to the ring body within the internal volume of the ring body. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the baffles of the plurality of baffles are circumferentially distributed on the ring body within the internal volume of the ring body. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the ring body is sealed such that the internal volume of the ring body is closed from ambient air about the ring body. 
     
     
         9 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the balance ring is disposed on the basket at a top portion of the basket. 
     
     
         10 . The washing machine appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the basket is positioned and oriented for rotating within the tub about a vertical axis. 
     
     
         11 . A vertical axis washing machine appliance, comprising:
 a tub;   a basket positioned within the tub, the basket mounted within the tub such that the basket is rotatable about a vertical axis;   a balance ring disposed on the basket at a top portion of the basket, the balance ring comprising
 a ring body defining an internal volume; and 
 a dilatant balancing fluid disposed within the internal volume of the ring body. 
   
     
     
         12 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the dilatant balancing fluid comprises a non-Newtonian shear thickening fluid having a shear viscosity that increases with applied shear stress. 
     
     
         13 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the shear viscosity of the dilatant balancing fluid increases when the basket is accelerating. 
     
     
         14 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the dilatant balancing fluid comprises water and starch. 
     
     
         15 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the dilatant balancing fluid comprises silica and polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         16 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the balance ring further comprises a plurality of baffles mounted to the ring body within the internal volume of the ring body. 
     
     
         17 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the baffles of the plurality of baffles are circumferentially distributed on the ring body within the internal volume of the ring body. 
     
     
         18 . The vertical axis washing machine appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the ring body is sealed such that the internal volume of the ring body is closed from ambient air about the ring body.