U.S. patent application number 10/882390 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-13 for washing machine.
Invention is credited to Kim, Kwang Soo, Park, Sam Je.
Application Number | 20050005651 10/882390 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33562926 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050005651 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim, Kwang Soo ; et
al. |
January 13, 2005 |
Washing machine
Abstract
Disclosed is a washing machine, including a lifter for
protecting weight imbalance of a drum. The washing machine includes
a housing, a tub provided in the housing for preliminarily storing
wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub for washing
laundry, at least one lifter provided on an inner circumferential
surface of the drum for lifting the laundry to drop the laundry
from a predetermined height during rotation of the drum so as to
prevent the laundry from gathering to an inlet of the drum.
Inventors: |
Kim, Kwang Soo;
(Changwon-si, KR) ; Park, Sam Je; (Gimhae-si,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Song K. Jung
MCKENNA LONG & ALDRIDGE LLP
1900 K Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
33562926 |
Appl. No.: |
10/882390 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/24 ; 68/140;
68/142; 68/58 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 37/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
068/024 ;
068/058; 068/140; 068/142 |
International
Class: |
D06F 023/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 8, 2003 |
KR |
P2003-0046022 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A washing machine, comprising: a housing; a tub provided in the
housing for storing preliminary wash water; a drum rotatably
provided in the tub for washing laundry; and at least one lifter
projected from an inner circumferential surface of the drum to a
predetermined height for lifting the laundry to drop at a
predetermined height during rotation of the drum so as to prevent
the laundry from gathering at an inlet of the drum.
2. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifter
has an uneven height.
3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a
part of the lifter is higher than other parts thereof.
4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifter
makes the laundry stop at a predetermined location.
5. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laundry
is stopped at a bottom portion of the drum by the lifter.
6. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a
part of the lifter holds the laundry for a longer time compared to
other parts.
7. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifter
comprises a first end having a higher height than other parts.
8. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first end
is adjacent to the bottom portion of the drum.
9. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height of
the lifter is gradually increased from an opposite end to the first
end.
10. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifter
in linearly increased to the first end.
11. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height
of the lifter is nonlinearly increased to the first end.
12. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper
end comprises a concave surface.
13. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifter
prevents the laundry from being moved.
14. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laundry
is restrained from being moved to the inlet of the drum by the
lifter.
15. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifter
comprises a first end and a second end having higher height than
other part thereof.
16. The washing machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the heights
of the first and second ends are the same.
17. The washing machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the height
of the lifter is gradually increased from a central portion thereof
toward the first end and second end, respectively.
18. The washing machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the height
of the lifter is linearly increased to the first and second
ends.
19. The washing machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the height
of the lifter is nonlinearly increased to the first and second
ends.
20. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drum
further comprises a cavity partially formed on the bottom portion
thereof.
21. The washing machine as claimed in claim 20, wherein the cavity
is formed on the whole bottom portion of the drum.
22. The washing machine as claimed in claim 21, wherein the cavity
comprises a spherical surface.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application
No. P2003-46022, filed on Jul. 8, 2003, which is hereby
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more
particularly, to a lifter provided in a drum of the washing
machine.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] A washing machine, in general, includes a drum rotatably
provided therein, and washes laundry by using the tub and drum. The
tub stores washing water in reserve, and the drum is supplied with
washing water and detergent from the tub, and rotated with the
laundry therein. Therefore, the laundry is washed by machinery
impact generated from rotation of the drum, as well as by a
chemical action of the wash water and the detergent.
[0006] In the conventional washing machine, however, during an
operation, particularly during a dehydration accompanied by
high-speed rotation of the drum, the laundry is centered to a front
portion of the drum by many reasons, resulting in a serious load
imbalance to the drum. Therefore, the driving and supporting
mechanism of the drum has a large weight unnecessarily, and
consumption of electric power, noise, and vibration are increased.
Since washing is not regularly performed, a long time is required
for washing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a washing
machine that substantially obviates one or more problems due to
limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a washing
machine for preventing weight imbalance generated from a drum
thereof.
[0009] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the
invention will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary
skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be
learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other
advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the
structure particularly pointed out in the written description and
claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
[0010] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in
accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and
broadly described herein, the present invention includes a housing;
a tub provided in the housing for storing preliminary wash water; a
drum rotatably provided in the tub for washing laundry; and at
least one lifter projected from an inner circumferential surface of
the drum to a predetermined height for lifting the laundry to drop
at a predetermined height during rotation of the drum so as to
prevent the laundry from gathering at an inlet of the drum.
[0011] The lifter makes the laundry stop at a predetermined
location, desirably at a bottom portion of the drum.
[0012] The lifter includes a first end having a higher height than
other parts practically, and the first end is adjacent to the
bottom portion of the drum. Desirably, the height of the lifter is
gradually increased from an opposite end to the first end.
Practically, the height of the drum is linearly or nonlinearly
increased.
[0013] The lifter prevents the laundry from being moved, and the
laundry is restrained from being moved to the inlet of the drum by
the lifter.
[0014] Actually, the lifter includes first and second end having
higher heights than other parts thereof, and the heights of the
first and second ends are the same. The height of the lifter is
gradually increased from a central portion thereof toward the first
and second ends, and the height of the lifter is linearly or
nonlinearly increased to the first end and the second end.
[0015] In the end, the drum further includes a cavity at least
partially formed on the bottom portion thereof, and the cavity is
formed on the whole bottom portion thereof.
[0016] The laundry is evenly dispersed in the drum without
gathering at a front portion of the drum by the present invention
aforementioned.
[0017] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description of the present
invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide
further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention. In the drawings;
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a cutaway view showing a washing machine
in accordance with the present invention including a first
embodiment of a first preferred embodiment;
[0020] FIGS. 2A to 2B illustrate a perspective view and a side view
showing a modified example in accordance with the first
embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a cutaway view showing a washing machine
in accordance with the present invention including a second
embodiment of the lifter in FIG. 3;
[0022] FIGS. 4A to 4B illustrate a perspective view and a side view
showing a modified example of the lifter in accordance with the
second embodiment; and
[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates a cutaway view showing a washing machine
in accordance with the present invention including a modified
drum.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the
same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to
refer to the same or like parts.
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a cutaway view showing a washing machine
in accordance with the present invention, referring with which the
washing machine in accordance with the present invention will be
described. Illustrated washing machine is the same as a front
loading type washing machine, or a top loading type washing machine
except that a tub 20 and a drum 30 are lied. Therefore, although
the present invention is described referring to the front loading
type washing machine for a simple description, it is also applied
to the top loading type washing machine.
[0026] As illustrated, the washing machine in accordance with the
present invention includes a housing 10, and a tub 20 and a drum 30
provided in the housing 10.
[0027] The housing 10 is designed to include and to protect various
parts therein. In front of the housing 10, a door 11 is provided
for opening and closing an inlet 10a coupled to the drum 30. In
more detail, the inlet 10a is coupled with an inlet 20a of the tub
and an inlet 30a of the drum, respectively, and sequentially
communicated such that a user can insert a laundry into the drum
30.
[0028] Between the inlet 10a and the inlet 20a of the tub, a gasket
12 is provided for preventing wash water from being leaked, and a
control panel 13 is provided at an upper part of the housing 10.
The user directs an operation of the washing machine by using the
control panel 13, and puts in or takes out the laundry.
[0029] In a center of a bottom surface of the tub 30, a though hole
is provided, and a driving axis coupled with the drum 30 is
provided through the through hole. The tub 20 includes a balance
weight 21, and is elastically provided in the housing 10 by means
of a damper 22 and a suspension spring 23. The drum 30 receives the
laundry, and is rotatably provided in the tub 20. The drum 30
includes a plurality of though holes (not shown) for receiving wash
water from the tub 20, and a lifter for supporting washing.
Meanwhile, a driving member 40 is provided at the tub 20 so as to
supply power for rotation of the drum 30. The driving member 40
includes a motor 41, and the operating axis 42 for coupling the
drum 30 with the motor 41. In more detail, the motor 41 includes a
stator 41a fixed on the bottom surface of the tub 20, and a rotor
41b rotatably provided surrounding the stator 41a. As illustrated,
the rotor 41b is directly coupled with the operating axis 42, thus
the power of the motor 41 is directly transformed to the drum 30
through the operating axis 42 without any loss. Therefore, The
driving member 40 has an advantage in an efficiency, noise and
vibration aspects. In the mean time, the driving member 40,
although not illustrated, includes a conventional operating
mechanism including pulleys provided at the drum 30 and the motor,
and a belt coupling the pulleys together.
[0030] In the washing machine, the lifter 100 or a baffle is
projected to a predetermined height on an inner circumferential
surface of the drum 30. The drum 30 includes at least one,
desirably a plurality of lifters 100. The lifter 100 is provided at
the drum 30 as a separate member, or the lifter 100 and the drum
300 are formed as a single body by projecting a part of the drum 30
via press fabricating.
[0031] The laundry is caught on the lifter 100 during the rotation
of the drum 30 because the lifter 100 is projected. The lifter 100
rotates together with the drum 30 and lifts the laundry to a
predetermined height, and then the laundry falls down from the
lifter 100 because of its weight, and impacts against another
laundry, wash water, the drum 30, or another lifter 100.
Accordingly, the laundry is more effectively washed by machinery
impact of the lifter 100. In addition, the lifter 100 impacts
against the laundry and performs a role of mixing the laundry so as
to well wash the laundry.
[0032] As aforementioned, the laundry is centered to a front
portion of the drum 30, i.e., near the inlet 30a for many reasons
during washing. As illustrated, since the drum 30 is supported only
by a rear portion thereof, i.e., the operating axis 42 coupled with
the bottom portion 30b, weight imbalance of the gathered laundry
largely burdens the operating axis 42 and a bearing supporting the
operating axis 42. The weight imbalance brings power consumption,
and noise, vibration, wash time increase. For solving such
problems, the structure of the drum 30 needs to be changed, and the
structural change is suitable for, particularly, the lifter 100
because the lifter 100 is in contact with the laundry, directly.
Therefore, the lifter 100 is configured for preventing the laundry
from being gathered to the inlet 30a of the drum 30.
[0033] First of all, the lifter 100 is configured to make the
laundry stop at a predetermined location of the drum 30 except the
inlet 30a so as to prevent the laundry from being gathered.
Particularly, when the laundry is positioned adjacent to the
operating axis 42 and the bearing, the supporting and operating
mechanisms are less burdened. Accordingly, it is desirable that the
laundry stops at the rear portion of the drum 30, i.e., adjacent to
the bottom portion 30b by the lifter 100. In more detail, the
lifter 100 includes a first end 110 projected to a predetermined
height therefrom. In other words, the first end 110 is higher than
other parts of the lifter 100. The first end 110 drops the laundry
at a higher place than other parts of the lifter 100 because the
first end 110 is projected. In other words, the laundry caught by
the first end 100 is held at the lifter 100 for a longer time.
Consequently, the laundries near the first end 110 are kept to stop
at a predetermined location of the drum 30, particularly near the
first end 110. As aforementioned, it is desirable that the fist end
110 is positioned adjacent to the bottom portion (the rear portion)
30b of the drum 30 such that the laundry stops at the bottom
portion 30b for less burdening the driving and supporting
mechanism.
[0034] If there is a large difference of height at an upper end
portion of the lift 100 by the first end 110, for example if a kind
of staff portion is provided, the laundry can be damaged from the
lifter 100 during washing. Accordingly, it is desirable that the
height of the lifter 100 is gradually increased from an opposite
end to the first end 110, and the lifter 100 has a smooth upper end
for undamaging the laundry. In more detail, on the one hand, the
height of the lifter 100 may be increased linearly as illustrated
in FIG. 1, and on the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 2A and 2B.
It is advantageous for washing that the lifter 100 of FIGS. 2A and
2B has a larger friction area owing to the height, which is
nonlinearly increased.
[0035] In this case, it is advantageous that the upper part of the
lifter 100 is curved as illustrated in the drawing. (In other
words, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, an outline of the upper end
portion of the lifter 100 is formed in an arc form.) It is because
the lifters 100 having a bulky upper end can unnecessarily reduce
capacity (laundry amount) of the drum 30.
[0036] Even if the first end 110 makes the laundry stop at a
predetermined location of the drum 30, a large amount of the
laundry can keep moving toward the inlet 30a of the drum 30.
Accordingly, the lifter 100 is provided fro preventing the laundry
from being moved in the drum 30. Particularly, it is desirable that
the laundry is restrained from being moved to a front of the drum,
i.e., toward the inlet 30a by the lifter 100. In more detail, the
lifer 100 further includes a second end 120 projected to a
predetermined height therefrom. In other words, the second end 120
is higher than other parts of the lifter 100 as same as the first
end 110. The second end 120 forms a barrier or an obstacle against
the laundry, and it is uneasy for the laundry to move over the
second end 120. The second end 120 is provided adjacent to the
inlet 30a opposite side of the first end 110 such that the laundry
is not accessed to the inlet 30a.
[0037] If there is a height difference between the second end 120
and the first end 110, weights become different from each other,
and thus the weight imbalance can be generated only with the ends
110 and 120. Therefore, it is desirable that the first end 110 and
the second end 120 are the same. It is also desirable that the
height of the lifter 100 is gradually increased from the central
portion to the first end 110 and the second end 120. In more
detail, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the height of the lifter 100 may
be linearly increased. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 4A
and 4B, the height of the lifter 100 may be nonlinearly increased
such that a larger friction surface is formed at the upper end
thereof. As aforementioned, it is advantageous that the upper end
portion of the lifter 100 includes a concave surface such that the
capacity of the drum is unreduced.
[0038] Meanwhile, the drum 30 further includes a cavity 31
partially formed on the bottom portion 30b as illustrated in FIG.
5. The cavity 31 induces the laundry to the bottom portion (rear
portion) 30b of the drum 30 by forming a predetermined space.
Accordingly, instead of gathering the laundry to the inlet 30a, the
cavity 31 stably receives the laundry into an inside thereof near
the bottom portion 30b by supplementing the first and second ends
110 and 120. It is desirable that the cavity 31 is formed on the
whole bottom portion 30b of the drum 30 as illustrated so as to
form enough space. Therefore, the cavity 31, specifically the
bottom surface of the drum 30 includes a spherical surface,
practically. The cavity 31 is solely applied to the drum 30 of the
washing machine without the first and second ends 110 and 120, in
this case, it is sufficiently effective for stopping the laundry at
the rear portion (bottom portion) 30b of the drum 30.
[0039] The lifter includes a first and second ends in the washing
machine of the present invention as aforementioned. In other words,
the lifter has an inconsistent height on the whole, and more
precisely, at least a part of the lifter is taller than other
parts.
[0040] Accordingly, owing to the height difference, the laundry
stops at the bottom portion of the drum but not moving toward the
inlet of the drum. Furthermore, the laundry is evenly dispersed
between the first and second ends. Therefore, the weight imbalance
is largely reduced and thus the weight weighed on the driving and
supporting mechanism of the drum is reduced. Time for washing,
power consumption, noise and vibration are also reduced. Reduction
of many factors results in increasing washing efficiency, stability
and reliability of the washing machine.
[0041] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications
and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *