Laundry machine drive

Abstract

A drive for a laundry machine having a means for agitating water and fabrics to launder the fabrics and for spinnning the fabrics to effect centrifugal displacement of water from the fabrics. An electronically commutated motor energized from a DC power source for driving the agitating and spinning means includes a stator with a plurality of winding stages adapted to be elctronically commutated in a plurality of preselected sequences, and a rotatable assembly is arranged in selective magnetic coupling relation with the winding stages so as to be rotatably driven thereby. The rotatable assembly is rotatably driven in one direction in response to the electronic commutation of at least some of the winding stages in one of the preselected sequences and also in the one direction and another direction opposite thereto in response to the electronic commutation of the winding stages in another of the preselected sequences. Means is provided for driving the agitating and spinning means from the rotatable assembly of the electronically commutated motor.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. A drive for a laundry machine having a DC power source associated therewith and means for agitating .[.water.]. .Iadd.a fluid .Iaddend.and fabrics to be laundered .[.thereby to wash.]. .Iadd.in .Iaddend.the .[.fabrics.]. .Iadd.fluid .Iaddend.and for thereafter spinning the fabrics to effect centrifugal displacement of .[.water.]. .Iadd.some of the fluid .Iaddend.from the fabrics, the drive comprising: an electronically commutated motor adapted to be energized from the DC motor source for driving the agitating and spinning means, .[.said.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.electronically commutated motor comprising a stator, a multi-stage winding arrangement associated with said stator and having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be electronically commutated in a plurality of preselected sequences .Iadd.to respectively establish corresponding magnetic poles, .Iaddend..[.and.]. a rotatable assembly associated with said stator and .Iadd.having a plurality of predeterminately oriented magnetic poles .Iaddend.arranged .[.in.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages .[.so as to be rotatably driven thereby.]., said rotatable assembly being rotatably driven in one direction in response to the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in one of the preselected sequences and also being rotatably driven in the one direction and another direction opposite thereto in response to the electronic commutation of .Iadd.at least some of .Iaddend.said winding stages in another of the preselected sequences.Iadd., and each of said at least some winding stages being electronically commutated at an advanced timing angle prior to the alignment of one of the magnetic poles of said rotatable assembly with a like magnetic pole of said each of said at least some winding stages and with the advanced timing angle being preselected so that incomplete selective magnetic coupling relation exists between the one magnetic pole and the like magnetic pole upon the electronic commutation of said each of said at least some winding stages thereby to afford said each of said at least some winding stages additional time to establish its maximum pole strength and wherein the torque at which said rotatable assembly is rotatably driven at least in the one and another directions is at least generally commensurate with the pole strength established by said each of said at least some winding stage; .Iaddend.and   means for driving the agitating and spinning means from said rotatable assembly of said electronically commutated motor.   
     
     
       2. A drive as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for securing said electromically commutated motor drivingly onto said driving means. 
     
     
       3. A drive as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for selectively effecting a driven interconnection between said driving means and said rotatable assembly of said electronically commutated motor. 
     
     
       4. A drive as set forth in claim 1 wherein said driving means includes means adapted for conjoint rotation with said rotatable assembly of said electronically commutated motor. 
     
     
       5. A drive as set forth in claim 1 wherein said driving means is associated in mounting relation with said electronically commutated motor so as to be directly driven by said rotatable assembly thereof and includes means adapted for conjoint rotation with said rotatable assembly. 
     
     
       6. A drive as set forth in claim 5 further comprising means associated with at least one of said rotatable and said driving means and selectively operable for effecting a .[.drivdn.]. .Iadd.driven.Iaddend.interconnection of said conjoint rotation means and said rotatable assembly. 
     
     
       7. A drive as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotatable assembly includes a set of permanent magnet material elements arranged in the selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  A drive for a laundry machine operable in at least a laundering mode to launder fabrics in a fluid and a spin mode to centrifugally displace some of the fluid from the fabrics, the drive comprising: an electronically commutated motor mounted in the laundry machine and including a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be electronically commutated in a plurality of preselected sequences to respectively establish corresponding magnetic poles, and a rotatable assembly having a set of predeterminately oriented magnetic poles arranged in selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages, said rotatable assembly being rotatably driven in one direction upon the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in one of the preselected sequences during the spin mode of the laundry machine and also being rotatable in both the one direction and another direction opposite the one direction upon the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in another of the preselected sequences during the laundering mode of the laundry machine, and said at least some winding stages each being electronically commutated when one of the magnetic poles of said rotatable assembly attains a preselected rotated position angularly displaced from a like magnetic pole of said each of said at least some winding stages to establish its maximum pole strength at least upon the alignment of the one and like magnetic poles so that the rotation of said rotatable assembly is responsive to the pole strength established by said each of said at least some winding stages at least during the laundering mode;   means for driving the laundry machine in at least the laundering mode and the spin mode thereof from said rotatable assembly of said electronically commutated motor; and   means for transferring the operation of the laundry machine between the laundering mode and the spin mode thereof. .Iadd.   
     
     
       9.  The drive as set forth in claim 8 wherein the laundry machine has agitating means operable generally for agitating the fluid and fabrics laundered in the fluid, and wherein said driving means includes means connected in driving relation between said rotatable assembly and the agitating means for effecting the operation of the agitating means in the one and another directions at least generally conjointly with the rotation of said rotatable assembly in the one and another directions during at least the laundering mode of the laundry machine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. The drive as set forth in claim 8 wherein the laundry machine has spinning means operable generally for spinning the fabrics to centrifugally displace some of the fluid from the fabrics laundered in the fluid, and wherein said driving means includes means for connection in driving relation between at least the spinning means and said rotatable assembly to effect the operation of the spinning means in the one direction at least generally conjointly with the rotation of said rotatable assembly in the one direction during at least the spin mode of the laundry machine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The drive as set forth in claim 8 wherein the laundry machine has agitating means operable generally for agitating the fluid and fabrics laundered in the fluid and spinning means operable generally for centrifugally displacing some of the fluid from the fabrics, and wherein said transferring means includes means movable between a plurality of positions for transferring the drive of said rotatable assembly between the agitating means and the spinning means, at least the spinning means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one direction during at least the spin mode of the laundry machine when said drive transferring means is in one of its positions and the agitating means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one and another directions during at least the laundering mode of the laundry machine when the drive transferring means is in another of its positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A drive as set forth in claim 8 wherein said rotatable assembly includes a set of permanent magnet elements arranged in the selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.13.  A drive for a laundry machine having agitating means operable generally for agitating a fluid and fabrics to be laundered in the fluid and spinning means operable generally for spinning the fabrics to centrifugally displace some of the fluid from the fabrics, the drive comprising: an electronically commutated motor including a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be electronically commutated in a plurality of preselected sequences to respectively establish corresponding magnetic poles, and a rotatable assembly having a set of predeterminately oriented magnetic poles for selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages, said rotatable assembly being rotatably driven in one direction in response to the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in one of the preselected sequences and also being rotatably driven in one direction and another direction opposite the one direction in response to the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in another of the preselected sequences, and said at least some winding stages each being electronically commutated when one of the magnetic poles of said rotatable assembly attains a rotated position defining a preselected advanced timing angle with respect to a like magnetic pole of said each of said at least some winding stages thereby to establish the maximum pole strength of said each of said at least some winding stages at least upon the alignment of the one and like magnetic poles wherein the torque of the driven rotation of said rotatable assembly at least in the one and another directions is at least generally commensurate with the pole strength established by said each of said at least some winding stages;   means for driving the agitating means and the spinning means from said rotatable assembly; and   means movable between a plurality of positions for transferring the drive of said rotatable assembly between the agitating means and the spinning means, the agitating means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one and another directions when said drive transferring means is in one of its positions and at least the spinning means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one direction when said drive transferring means is in another of its positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A drive for a laundry machine adapted to be operated in at least a laundering mode and a spin mode and having agitating means operable generally during the laundering mode for agitating a fluid and fabrics to be laundered in the fluid and spinning means operable generally during the spin mode for spinning the fabrics to displace some of the fluid therefrom, the drive comprising;   an electronically commutated motor including a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be electronically commutated in a plurality of preselected sequences with each winding stage establishing a magnetic pole upon its electronic commutation, and a rotatable assembly having a set of predeterminately oriented magnetic poles arranged in selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages, said rotatable assembly being rotatably driven in one direction during the spin mode in response to the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in one of the preselected sequences and also being rotatably driven in the one direction and another direction opposite the one direction during the laundering mode in response to the electronic commutation of at least some of said winding stages in another of the preselected sequences, and the electronic commutation of each of said at least some winding stages occurring in response to a preselected rotated position of one of the magnetic poles of said rotatable assembly with respect to a like magnetic pole of said each of said at least some winding stages to establish its maximum pole strength at least upon the rotation of the one magnetic pole into alignment with the like magnetic pole so that the driven rotation of said rotatable assembly is at least generally commensurate with the pole strength established by said each of said at least some winding stages at least during the laundering mode; and   means for driving the agitating means in the one and another directions from said rotatable assembly independently of the spinning means upon the occurrence of the laundering mode and operable generally upon the occurrence of the spin mode for driving at least the spinning means in the   
     
     
        one direction from said rotatable assembly. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15.  A drive as set forth in claim 14 further comprising means movable between a plurality of positions for effecting the drive of the agitating means and the spinning means from said rotatable member, the agitating means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one and another directions when said drive affecting means is in one of its positions and at least the spinning means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly when said drive effecting means is in another of its positions. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  A drive for a laundry machine operable in at least a laundering mode to launder fabrics in a fluid and a spin mode to centrifugally displace some of the fluid from the fabrics, the drive comprising: an electronically commutated motor mounted in the laundry machine and including a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding coils adapted to be electronically switched in plurality of preselected sequences to respectively establish corresponding magnetic poles, and a rotatable assembly having a set of oriented magnetic poles arranged in selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding coils, said rotatable assembly being assembly being rotatably driven in one direction upon the electronic switching of at least some of said winding coils in one of the preselected sequences during the spin mode of the laundry machine and also being rotatable in both the one direction and another direction opposite the one direction upon the electronic switching of at least some of said winding coils in another of the preselected sequences during the laundering mode of the laundry machine, and each of said at least some winding coils being electronically switched in response to a preselected position of one of the magnetic poles of said rotatable assembly displaced relative to a like magnetic pole of said each of said at least some winding coils in order to establish the maximum pole strength of said each of said at least some winding coils at least generally at the one magnetic pole is rotated into alignment with the like magnetic pole wherein the rotation imparted to said rotatable assembly is derived from the pole strength established by said each of said at least some winding coils at least during the laundering mode of the laundry machine; and   means for changing operation of the laundry machine between the laundering   
     
     
        mode and the spin mode thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  The drive as set forth in claim 16 wherein the laundry machine has agitating means operable generally for agitating the fluid and fabrics laundered in the fluid, and wherein the machine includes at least one shaft that drivingly interconnects said rotatable assembly and the agitating means for effecting the operation of the agitating means in one and another directions at least generally conjointly with the rotation of said rotatable assembly in one and another directions during at least the laundering mode of the laundry machine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The drive as set forth in claim 8 wherein the laundry machine includes a spin tub operable generally for spinning the fabrics to centrifugally displace some of the fluid from the fabrics laundered in the fluid, and wherein said laundry machine further includes a driving interconnection between at least the spin tub and said rotatable assembly to effect the operation of the spin tub in the one direction at least generally conjointly with the rotation of said rotatable assembly in the one direction during at least 
     
     
        the spin mode of the laundry machine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19.  The drive as set forth in claim 16 wherein the laundry machine has agitating means operable generally for agitating the fluid and the fabrics laundered in the fluid and spinning means operable generally for centrifugally displacing some of the fluid from the fabrics, and wherein said transferring means includes means movable between a plurality of positions for transferring the drive of said rotatable assembly between the agitating means and the spinning means, at least the spinning means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one direction during at least the spin mode of the laundry machine when said drive transferring means is in one of its positions and the agitating means being conjointly rotatable with said rotatable assembly in the one end another directions during at least the laundering mode of the laundry machine when the drive transferring means is in another of its positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. A drive as set forth in claim 16 wherein said rotatable assembly includes permanent magnet elements arranged in the selective magnetic coupling relation with said winding stages. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.21.  A drive as set forth in claim 1 wherein the advanced timing angle is generally about twenty two and one half electrical degrees between the centers of the one magnetic pole and the like magnetic pole. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A drive as set forth in claim 8 wherein the center of the one magnetic pole defines a predetermined advance timing angle with respect to the center of the like magnetic pole when the one magnetic pole attains its preselected rotated position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A drive as set forth in claim 22 wherein the predetermined advanced timing angle is generally about twenty two and one half electrical degrees. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. A drive as set forth in claim 13 wherein the angular displacement between the respective centers of the one magnetic pole and the like magnetic pole defines the preselected advanced timing angle. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. A drive as set forth in claim 13 wherein the preselected advanced timing is generally about twenty two and one half 
     
     
        electrical degrees. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26.  A drive as set forth in claim 14 wherein the angular displacement between the respective centers of the one magnetic pole and the like magnetic pole defines a preselected advanced timing angle at which said each of said at least some winding stages is electronically commutated when the one magnetic pole is in its preselected rotated position. .Iadd.27. A drive as set forth in claim 26 wherein the preselected advanced timing angle is generally about twenty two and one half electrical degrees. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. A drive as set forth in claim 16 wherein the displacement between the one magnetic pole and the like magnetic pole defines a preselected advanced timing angle at which said each of said at least some winding coils is electronically switched when the one magnetic pole is in the preselected position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. A drive as set forth in claim 28 wherein the preselected advanced timing angle is generally about twenty two and one half electrical degrees. .Iaddend.