Abstract: A laundry drying machine includes a cabinet and a laundry holding drum rotatably supported within the cabinet for rotation. The drum includes a wall that is circumferential relative to the rotation and a drum hatch that is a section of the wall. The drum forms an enclosure together with at least one stationary end surface centred on the axis of rotation of the drum. A motor is connected to drive rotation of the drum and a fan provides a flow of air through the interior of the drum. The drum includes an outlet opening centred on the axis of rotation and an annular filter screen extending from the periphery of the drum outlet and rotating with the drum. The annular screen is connected along one circumferential edge to the drum. There is an annular sliding seal between the other annular edge of the screen and the outlet duct and an annular sliding seal between the outlet duct and the drum external to the annular filter screen.

Abstract: A self adjusting foot arrangement for an appliance cabinet has a first socket connected with the cabinet and a second socket connected with the cabinet spaced apart from the first socket. A foot downwardly protrudes from each socket and is moveable along axis into and out of the respective socket. A non-extensile band is fixed at one end to the first socket, passes into the first socket to bear on the first foot and is fixed at its other end to the second socket passing into the second socket to bear on the second foot. The band passes over the top of each foot within the respective socket.

Abstract: A linear compressor includes a cylinder part and a piston part. A spring connects the cylinder part and the piston part and operates in the direction of reciprocation of the piston part relative to the cylinder part. The piston part includes a radially compliant but axially stiff linkage and piston. The cylinder part includes a cylinder and a cylinder liner therewithin. A bore runs through the cylinder liner and the piston reciprocates in the bore. Gas bearing passages are formed between the cylinder and the cylinder liner leading to opening through the wall of the cylinder liner to the bore. A gas bearing manifold receives compressed gases and supplies the compressed gases to the gas bearing passages. The gas bearing passages follow a tortuous path to the openings.

Abstract: A clothes drying appliance includes a cabinet and a drum inside the cabinet supported on a drum support structure. A belt passes around the drive pulley of a drive motor and around the drum for driving rotation of the drum in either direction. A belt tensioning device includes a pair of spaced apart tensioning pulleys each having an axis of rotation substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the drive pulley. An imaginary line between the centres of the tensioning pulleys separates the drive pulley from the drum. The pulleys are supported on a yoke and the yoke passes around the drive pulley, with the tensioning pulleys spaced sufficiently close to impinge upon the path of the belt passing around the pulley and drum. A biasing agent such as a spring presses the pulleys toward the drum by urging the yoke toward the pulley.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a linear compressor includes measures to account for possible variations in manufacture of the spring connecting between a cylinder part and a piston part. In the method, the piston is located at a predetermined axial position in the bore of the cylinder of the compressor. A spring that is connected with the cylinder part is extended so that a piston connection point of the spring is at a position based on a predetermined displacement of the spring or a position in which the spring exerts a predetermined reaction force. In this position, this piston and the spring connection point are thus separated by a distance that depends on the actual formed dimension of the individual spring. The piston and the piston connection point are subsequently joined to have a rigid axial separation that is fixed according to the separation attained in these steps.

Abstract: A dishwasher (200) is dislosed which is suitable for mounting within a cavity under a bench. The dishwasher is chassis less and includes no outer wrapper or cabinet and as such is mounted directly to the cavity. Also disclosed are a number of embodiments relating to mechanisms for closing the lid (217) on the retractable drawer wash system and various methods for sealing the lid onto the wash drawer.

Abstract: A method of operating a drain pump in a laundry washing machine during the drain phase of the wash cycle to reduce pump blockages is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a) starting the pump and running it for a first period of time to produce a discharge of a given flow rate, (b) stopping the pump and leaving the pump stopped for a second period of time, and repeating steps (a) and (b) for the duration of said drain phase, said second period of time being such that the flow rate reduces substantially to zero.

Abstract: A low noise electronic three phase bridge controlled brushless DC motor suitable for whiteware appliance pumps and other appliance applications. Back EMF zero crossing sensing is used to determine rotor position and thus stator winding commutation times. Motor torque and speed are controlled by pulse width modulating the operation of that bridge switching device which has just been switched from an OFF state to an ON state on each new commutation. All three stator windings have current flowing in each winding commutation to improve motor current waveform and thereby reduce motor noise, but the current in one winding is always terminated before the end of the commutation period to allow the back EMF in that winding to be sensed to zero crossing.

Abstract: A laundry machine includes a cabinet and a laundry holding drum rotatably supported therewithin. The drum includes a wall and a drum hatch comprising a section of the wall. A motor is connected to rotate the drum. A controller is configured to operate the motor to drive the drum through a closing operation. The closing operation includes rotating the drum in a direction to bring the drum opening toward the drum hatch to re-close the opening with the drum hatch and to detect stopping of the drum rotation. The controller may provide user feedback that a closure disruption has occurred. The drum hatch is configured to close circumferentially, with a leading edge of the drum hatch approaching a leading edge of the remaining wall. The leading edges are shaped such that interposition of fabric between the leading edges during closure stops the drum hatch reaching a fully closed position.

Abstract: A laundry drying machine includes a cabinet and a laundry holding drum rotatably supported within said cabinet for rotation about a horizontal axis. The drum includes a cylindrical wall and a pair of ends. A drum hatch comprises a section of the cylindrical wall. A motor is connected to drive rotation of the drum via a drive belt. A hatch engaging member is actuable to grasp and hold the drum hatch relative to the cabinet. A controller operatively connected with the motor, is configured to operate the machine through each of: a) an opening operation in which the drum hatch is grabbed by the hatch engaging member and the drum is rotated to expose an opening, b) a closing operation, which follows a drum opening operation and in which the drum is rotated to re-close a the opening with the drum hatch, and c) a drying operation.

Abstract: A direct current power supply for a washing appliance powered is disclosed. The power supply includes a switch mode power supply which supplies direct current at a low voltage level from a high direct voltage supply and a pair of commutation devices as a buck converter, an active switching device connected across the input of one of the commutation devices, a latching circuit which controls the active switching device to cause the commutation device to switch off to disable the buck converter, and a push button switch for disabling the latching circuit to cause the active switching device to switch off to allow the one commutation switch to function and thereby enable the buck converter.

Abstract: A drum hatch engaging mechanism is for inclusion in a laundry appliance having a cabinet and a drum rotatable within the cabinet. The mechanism includes a drum hatch engaging member connected with the cabinet with the connection providing for movement of the member between non-engagement and engagement positions. An actuator is provided to selectively move the drum hatch engaging member between the positions. A catch member is connected with a sliding hatch of the drum. The connection between the catch member and the sliding hatch provides for movement of the catch member between a position adjacent the skin of the drum and an outwardly displaced position. The drum hatch engaging member includes a ramped abutment to engage and lift the catch member to the outer position through movement of the catch member toward the abutment during an opening rotation of the drum. The hatch engaging member includes a closing abutment facing the ramped abutment.

Abstract: A linear abstract includes a cylinder part and a piston part. A spring connects the cylinder part and the piston part and operates in the direction of reciprocation of the piston part relative to the cylinder part. The piston part includes a radially compliant but axially stiff linkage and a piston. The cylinder part includes a cylinder and a cylinder liner therewithin. A bore runs through the cylinder liner and the piston reciprocates in the bore. Gas bearing passages are formed between the cylinder and the cylinder liner leading to openings through the wall of the cylinder liner to the bore. A gas bearing manifold receives compressed gases and supplies the compressed gases to the gas bearing passages. The gas bearing passages follow a tortuous path to the openings.