Method and Apparatus for Assembling a Cabinet for Automatic Washers

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cabinets for appliances, and in particular to removable cabinets for front-serviceable appliances and methods of attaching such cabinets.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,035, a method for installing a four-sided cabinet wrapper on an automatic washer is disclosed in FIGS. 10 and 11. The cabinet wrapper is tilted to engage a front flange on the base and rocked rearwardly to engage side tabs and is secured in place by appropriate clips. A problem associated with this method has been the tendency of the U-shaped wrapper to spread apart at the rear, making it difficult to engage the side tabs and leaving the lower rear of the cabinet wider than the top portion which is secured to the top.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,797 discloses a case structure having a base member and a C-shaped detachable plastic cover which has a flexible portion near the rear edge portions to flex upon installation for interlocking with the base. U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,186 discloses a method of constructing a container wherein the frame members are flexed for installation of the side panels.

The present invention provides for a U-shaped cabinet wrapper or shroud which is formed with the opposed sides converging toward the open end of the U rather than being parallel. Thus, the width of the open end is less than the width at the closed front. When the wrapper is placed on the base frame against the back panel, the sides are forced outwardly at the rear to properly fit. In the assembled condition, the sides are thus stressed and an inward force is present keeping them tight against the side flanges of the rear panel.

The front flange of the cabinet is hooked on the base and the cabinet is rocked rearwardly. As the lower rear angled cabinet flanges engage guide pins mounted on the back panel, the sides are forced to their proper spacing so that they fit down properly over the base tabs.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic washer embodying the principles of the present invention with the cabinet shroud in a removed position.

FIG. 2 is a side schematic view illustrating a first step in the installation of the cabinet shroud.

FIG. 3 is a side schematic view illustrating a final step in the assembly of the cabinet.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the rear panel of the cabinet taken along lines IV--IV of FIG. 2 showing the side walls of the shroud fully installed and in broken lines just engaging the back panel guide pins.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a side wall of the shroud taken generally along the lines V--V of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the guide pin mounting on the rear wall of the cabinet.

FIG. 7 is a partial side sectional view of the rear panel and guide pin taken generally along the lines VII--VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of the shroud side wall taken generally along the lines VIII--VIII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a partial side sectional view showing the mounting of the rear panel guide pin.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a vertical axis automatic washer generally at 10 which includes a wash tub 12, an inner concentric perforate wash basket 14 for carrying a load of clothes and a vertical axis agitator 16. The basket and agitator assembly is carried on a plurality of legs 18 attached to a base panel 20 including suspension means 22. The agitator 16 and basket 14 are driven by an electric motor 24 through a transmission 26. The motor 24 also drives a pump 28. Attached to a rear edge of the base panel 20 is a rear panel 30 to which is hingedly mounted a console 32 containing the appropriate controls for selecting and operating the automatic washer 10 through a series of washing, rinsing and drying steps.

A cabinet shroud shown generally at 34 includes a front panel 36 and connected side panels 38, 40 such that the shroud has generally a U-shape. A top panel 42 is secured to the top portion of the shroud 34 and has an openable lid 44 which permits access into the interior of the wash basket 14 after the cabinet shroud 34 has been assembled as part of the washer 10.

FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically show the method of assembling the shroud 34 to the base 20 and rear wall 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the side walls 38, 40 of the shroud 34 each have an inwardly extending bottom flange 46, 48, each having an elongated opening 50, 52 near the junction with the front wall 36 which can engage with projections 54, 56 extending upwardly from the base member 20. An inwardly extending bottom flange 58 of the front wall 36 is positioned along a front edge of the base member 20 and the shroud is then pivoted rearwardly on this flange 58 with the projections 54, 56 engaging with the openings 50, 52 until the shroud has been pivoted to its final position in FIG. 3. A second set of openings 60, 62 are provided in the bottom flanges 46, 48 which engage with a second set of projections 64, 66 to hold the rear portion of the side walls 38, 40 in place. Once the shroud is in place, the control console 32 is pivoted about the rear wall 30 to its assembled position such that projections 66 extend into openings 68 in the top wall 42 of the shroud 34. This general construction and method of assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,035, owned by the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In order to overcome problems associated with prior shrouds, wherein the side walls would only loosely engage the rear wall of the cabinet, the present invention provides for constructing the shroud in an overbent condition such that the side walls 38, 40 extend inwardly a slight degree and are not parallel to each other, resulting in the open end of the side walls being smaller than the width of the front panel 36. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the side walls 38, 40 each have a rear inwardly extending flange 70, 72 respectively, with respective angled bottom edges or ends 74, 76. FIG. 5 also shows the angle .theta. which is the angle of overbend formed in the shroud during manufacture.

The angled edges 74, 76 engage with a pair of guide pins 78, 80 secured to the rear wall. The guide pins have a camming surface 82, as best seen in FIG. 6, which engages with the angled edge 76 of the flange 72 causing the side walls 38, 40 to move outwardly to a position flush with the edge of the rear wall 30. FIG. 4 illustrates the overbent condition of side walls 38, 40 showing the relative position (broken lines) of the flanges 70, 72 just before they are separated by the guide pins 78, 80 during installation, and in solid lines the position of the flanges 70, 72 after the shroud is fully installed. In this manner, when the cabinet shroud is fully installed, the side walls are constantly urged towards each other thereby providing a constant and tight fit between the side walls and the rear wall 30.

As seen in FIG. 7, the guide pin 80 is secured to the rear cabinet wall 30 by appropriate fastening means 84 such as a screw. Further, it is prevented from rotating by means of a projection 86 extending through an aligned opening 88 in the rear panel wall 30. The guide 80 extends outwardly away from the rear wall 30 such that the camming surface 82 is spaced from the rear wall 30 by a recessed connecting wall 90. The rear wall 30 has a forwardly extending flange 92 and there is also provided a flexible seal member 94 which is captured on the flange 92, both of which fit into the area adjacent the recessed supporting wall 90. An outer surface 96 of the seal member 94 occupies approximately the same plane as the camming surface 82 such that an end 98 of the flange 72 abuts against the outer surface 96 of the seal member. Another portion of the seal member 94 extends parallel to the rear wall 30 to overlie a portion of the flange 72 to provide a complete seal between the rear wall 30 and the side wall 40. A similar arrangement is provided with respect to the side wall 38 and guide pin 78.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the opening 62 in the bottom flange 48 of side wall 40 which is elongated to receive the projection 66 as the shroud is pivoted into position. The projection 66 is formed as a separate member attached as by welding to the base 20. As shown in FIG. 6 the projection 66 engages with the bottom flange 48 to hold the shroud against outward movement away from the base.

Thus, it is seen that there is provided a cabinet shroud 34 for an automatic washer 10 in which the shroud is formed in an overbent condition such that the side walls 38, 40 are canted inwardly, and guide pins 80 on the back panel 30 combine with angled flanges 70, 72 on the lower portion of the back edge of the shroud to force the cabinet shroud side outwardly to the proper position as the shroud is installed.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceeding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.