U.S. patent application number 11/226343 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-18 for washing machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Myung Sun Kang, Koan Seog Namkung.
Application Number | 20060101864 11/226343 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35810351 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060101864 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Namkung; Koan Seog ; et
al. |
May 18, 2006 |
Washing machine
Abstract
A washing machine having simplified structure for coupling a
bearing housing with a stator and manufactured by a low-cost,
simplified process is provided. The washing machine includes a
water tub, a rotation tub installed in the water tub, a rotation
shaft penetrating the rotation tub and the water tub and extended
to the outside of the water tub, a bearing housing installed in the
water tub and supporting the rotation shaft, a driving motor,
mounted to the outside of the water tub, for rotating the rotation
shaft, the driving motor including a stator fixed in the bearing
housing and a rotor coupled with the rotation shaft, pre-coupling
protrusions protruded from the water tub such that the center of
the stator is aligned with the center of the rotation shaft to
pre-couple the stator when mounting the stator to the bearing
housing, and pre-coupling holes coupled with the pre-coupling
protrusions and formed in the stator.
Inventors: |
Namkung; Koan Seog;
(Hwasung-Si, KR) ; Kang; Myung Sun; (Suwon-Si,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
35810351 |
Appl. No.: |
11/226343 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/3R ;
68/139 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 37/206 20130101;
D06F 37/264 20130101; D06F 37/262 20130101; D06F 37/304 20130101;
D06F 37/269 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
068/003.00R ;
068/139 |
International
Class: |
D06F 37/00 20060101
D06F037/00; D06F 25/00 20060101 D06F025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 17, 2004 |
KR |
2004-94350 |
Claims
1. A washing machine comprising: a water tub; a rotation tub
installed in the water tub; a rotation shaft extended from the
rotation tub to the outside of the water tub; a bearing housing
installed to the water tub to support the rotation shaft; a driving
motor mounted to the outside of the water tub to rotate the
rotation shaft, the driving motor including a stator fixed in the
bearing housing and a rotor coupled with the rotation shaft;
pre-coupling protrusions protruded from the water tub such that the
center of the stator is aligned with the center of the rotation
shaft to pre-couple the stator when mounting the stator to the
bearing housing; and pre-coupling holes formed in the stator to be
coupled with the pre-coupling protrusions.
2. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:
coupling recesses formed in an outer circumference of the bearing
housing to couple the bearing housing with the water tub; and
coupling steps inserted into the coupling recesses to couple the
bearing housing with the water tub, wherein the pre-coupling
protrusions are protruded from the coupling steps.
3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the outer
circumference of the bearing housing is embedded in the water tub
such that the bearing housing is fixed to the water tub when
manufacturing the water tub by insert molding, and the coupling
steps and the pre-coupling protrusions are integrally formed with
the water tub when manufacturing the water tub.
4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the stator is
fixed to the bearing housing by fixing bolts after coupling the
pre-coupling protrusions with the pre-coupling holes.
5. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the
pre-coupling protrusions are protruded from the positions of the
water tub adjacent to the circumference of the bearing housing.
6. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the outer
circumference of the bearing housing is embedded into the water tub
such that the bearing housing is fixed to the water tub when
manufacturing the water tub by insert molding, and the pre-coupling
protrusions are integrally formed with the water tub when
manufacturing the water tub.
7. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the stator is
fixed to the bearing housing by fixing bolts after coupling the
pre-coupling protrusions with the pre-coupling holes.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from Korean Patent
Application No. 2004-94350, filed on Nov. 17, 2004 in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a washing machine and, more
particularly, to a washing machine having an improved structure for
mounting a bearing housing and a stator of a motor, which are
installed in a water tub.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, washing machines rotate a rotation tub or a
pulsator to wash laundry using rotation force of a driving motor,
and rotate the rotation tub at high speed to dehydrate the laundry.
In the washing machine, the driving motor may be connected to a
shaft of the rotation tub via a power transmitting device, such as
pulleys, belts, or the like, or a direct-coupled driving motor, in
which a stator is fixed in a water tub and a stator of the driving
motor is directly coupled with a rotation shaft of the washing
machine, may be employed.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,716 discloses a washing machine
employing the direct-coupled driving motor. The washing machine of
the patent includes a bearing housing installed at a rear side of a
water tub to support a rotation shaft, a stator installed in the
bearing housing and having coils wound thereon, a rotor rotatably
installed outside the stator. The bearing housing is coupled to the
water tub by fastening screws, the stator is fixed to the bearing
housing by a plurality of fastening screws, the rotor is rotated by
its central portion coupled with the rotation shaft connected to
the rotation tub.
[0007] The washing machine of the patent includes a rib protruded
from the stator to the bearing housing and having a slope such that
the center of the stator is aligned with the center of the bearing
housing when coupling the stator with the bearing housing, and a
recess corresponding to the rib and formed in the bearing
housing.
[0008] However, since the washing machine has a structure in that
the rib and the recess are respectively formed in the stator and
the bearing housing by separate manufacturing processes such that
the center of the stator is aligned with the center of the bearing
housing and the bearing housing is coupled with the water tub by
the fastening screws, there are shortcomings such as a large number
of parts, a complex manufacturing process, and high manufacturing
costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present
invention overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages
not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to
overcome the disadvantages described above, and an illustrative,
non-limiting embodiment of the present invention may not overcome
any of the problems described above.
[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the
above-mentioned problems, and an aspect of the invention is to
provide a washing machine having a simplified structure for
coupling a bearing housing with a stator and manufactured by a less
complex process at low cost.
[0011] In accordance with an aspect, an apparatus consistent with
the present invention provides a washing machine including a water
tub, a rotation tub installed in the water tub, a rotation shaft
extended from the water tub and to the outside of the water tub, a
bearing housing installed to the water tub to support the rotation
shaft, a driving motor mounted to the outside of the water tub for
rotating the rotation shaft, the driving motor having a stator
fixed in the bearing housing and a rotor coupled with the rotation
shaft, pre-coupling protrusions protruded from the water tub such
that the center of the stator is aligned with the center of the
rotation shaft to pre-couple the stator when mounting the stator to
the bearing housing, and pre-coupling holes formed in the stator to
be coupled with the pre-coupling protrusions.
[0012] The washing machine may further include coupling recesses
formed in the outer circumference of the bearing housing to be
coupled with the water tub, and coupling steps inserted into the
coupling recesses to couple the bearing housing with the water tub,
wherein the pre-coupling protrusions are protruded from the
coupling steps.
[0013] The outer circumference of the bearing housing is embedded
in the water tub such that the bearing housing is fixed to the
water tub when manufacturing the water tub by insert molding, and
the coupling steps and the pre-coupling protrusions are integrally
formed with the water tub when manufacturing the water tub.
[0014] The pre-coupling protrusions are protruded from the
positions of the water tub adjacent to the circumference of the
bearing housing, the outer circumference of the bearing housing is
embedded into the water tub such that the bearing housing is fixed
to the water tub when manufacturing the water tub by insert
molding, and the pre-coupling protrusions are integrally formed
with the water tub when manufacturing the water tub.
[0015] The stator is fixed to the bearing housing by fixing bolts
after coupling the pre-coupling protrusions with the pre-coupling
holes.
[0016] Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will
be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part,
will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by
practice of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the
following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating the structure of a
washing machine consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a
driving motor of the washing machine consistent with an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a stator
mounting structure of the driving motor of the washing machine
consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the driving motor
and the stator mounting structure of the washing machine consistent
with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the stator mounting
structure of the washing machine consistent with an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention separated from the driving
motor;
[0023] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a stator
mounting structure of the driving motor of the washing machine
according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0024] FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the driving motor
and the stator mounting structure of the washing machine according
to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE, NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS
OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Hereinafter the illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of
the present invention will be described in detail with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
[0026] The washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a drum-shaped
water tub 11 installed in a main body 10 and storing washing water,
and a rotation tub 12 rotatably installed in the drum-shaped water
tub 11, and is a drum type washing machine.
[0027] The main body 10 has an open inlet 13 formed in the front
side of the main body 10, through which laundry is inserted into
the rotation tub 12, and a door 14 for opening and closing the open
inlet 13 is installed to the open inlet 13. Water supply valves 15a
and 15b for supplying water and a detergent supply 16 for supplying
detergent into the water tub 11 are installed at the upper side of
the water tub 11, and a drain device 17 including a drain pipe 17a
and a drain pump 17b, for draining the water from the water tub 11,
is installed at the lower side of the water tub 11.
[0028] The rear side of the water tub 11 rotatably supports a
rotation shaft 18 coupled to the rear center of the rotation tub 12
such that the rotation tub 12 can be rotated in the water tub 11.
The rotation tub 12 has a plurality of penetrating holes 12a formed
in the circumference of the rotation tub 12 such that the washing
water can be introduced and discharged. The rotation tub 12 also
includes a plurality of lifters 12b installed on the inner surface
of the rotation tub 12 such that the laundry can be raised and
dropped when the rotation tub 12 rotates.
[0029] The rotation shaft 18 for supporting the rotation tub 12, as
shown in FIG. 4, penetrates the rear side of the water tub 11 and
extends rearward of the water tub 11, and a driving motor for
rotating the rotation shaft 18 is mounted to the rear side of the
water tub 11. A cylindrical bearing housing 20 is installed to the
rear side of the water tub 11 to rotatably support the rotation
shaft 18, and bearings 21a and 21b are installed between the
bearing housing 20 and the outer surface of the rotation shaft 18
to be spaced apart from each other such that the rotation shaft 18
coupled with the rotation tub 12 is firmly supported when
rotating.
[0030] The water tub 11 is manufactured by injection molding of
resin, and the bearing housing 20, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, is
inserted into the water tub 11 when the water tub 11 is
injection-molded. The bearing housing 20 is formed with a plurality
of coupling recesses 22 in the outer circumference thereof such
that the bearing housing 20 is firmly coupled with the water tub
11. Due to this structure, the structure of the rear side of the
water tub 11 is simplified by inserting the bearing housing 20 into
a mold when manufacturing the water tub 11 in comparison with the
conventional structure and the outer circumference of the bearing
housing 20 is firmly fixed in the water tub 11 by being integrally
formed with the water tub 11. Due to the coupling recesses 22
formed in the outer circumference of the bearing housing 20, a
plurality of coupling steps 23 are formed by molten resin entering
the coupling recesses 22 when manufacturing the water tub 11 such
that the bearing housing 20 is firmly coupled with the water tub
11.
[0031] The driving motor 30 mounted to the rear side of the water
tub 11 includes a stator 31 fixed to the bearing housing at the
rear side of the water tub 11 and a rotor 32 rotatably installed to
rotate around the outside of the stator 31 and having a center of
the rotor 32 coupled with the rotation shaft 18.
[0032] The stator 31, as shown in FIG. 3, includes a ring-shaped
stator frame 311 made of insulating material, a core 312 laminated
on the outer circumference of the stator frame 311, and an exciting
coil 313 wound around the core 312. The stator 31 is fixed to the
bearing housing 20 such that the stator frame 311 is fixed to the
bearing housing at the rear side of the water tub 11 by a plurality
of fixing screws 33. To this coupling, screw fastening holes 25 and
314 for fastening the fixing screws 33 are respectively formed in
the inner circumference of the stator frame 311 and the bearing
housing 20 to correspond to each other.
[0033] The rotor 32m, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, includes a
rotation member having a circular plate 321 coupled with the
rotation shaft 18 at the center thereof and a rim 322 provided in
the outer circumference of the circular plate 321 and surrounding
the outer side of the stator 31, and a plurality of magnets 323
attached to the inner circumference of the rim 322 of the rotation
member. A connecting member 324 coupled with the center of the
circular plate 321 is coupled with the rotation shaft 18 in
serration-coupling fashion such that the rotor 32 is rotated
together with the rotation member.
[0034] The rotor 32 is rotated by electromagnetic interaction
between the stator 31 and the rotor 32 when electric power is
applied to the exciting coil 313 of the stator 31. Thus, the
driving motor 30 rotates the rotation shaft 18. When the center of
the stator 31 is accurately aligned with the center of the rotor
32, the rotor 32 of the driving motor 30 is smoothly rotated.
[0035] Thus, the center of the stator 31 must be accurately aligned
with the center of the bearing housing 20 and the center of the
rotation shaft 18 when the stator 31 is coupled with the bearing
housing 20. To achieve this coupling, the washing machine according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes
pre-coupling protrusions 41 and pre-coupling holes 42, which are
respectively formed to correspond to each other.
[0036] The pre-coupling protrusions 41 protrude from the coupling
steps 23, which are formed to enter the coupling recesses 22 of the
bearing housing 20 when manufacturing the water tub 11, to the
stator 31. The pre-coupling holes 42 are formed in the inner
circumference of the stator frame 311 of the stator 31 to be
coupled with the pre-coupling protrusions 41. Here, the
pre-coupling holes 42 may be penetrating holes for penetrating the
stator frame 311 or recesses.
[0037] Due to this structure, the center of the stator 31 is
aligned with the center of the bearing housing 20 by the
pre-coupling protrusions 41 and the pre-coupling holes 42 and the
fixing screws 33 are fastened when installing the stator to the
bearing housing 20, so that the stator 31 is easily installed to an
exact position.
[0038] By forming the pre-coupling protrusions 41 to the coupling
steps 23 formed when manufacturing the water tub 11, the
pre-coupling protrusions 41 are formed together with the coupling
steps 23 of the water tub 11 without need for an additional process
when manufacturing the water tub 11 by insert molding. Thus, the
manufacturing process is simplified and manufacturing costs can be
reduced in comparison to the conventional washing machine.
[0039] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of the
pre-coupling protrusions and the pre-coupling holes for installing
the stator 31. Different from the above embodiment of the present
invention, the pre-coupling protrusions 43 protrude from the
position of the water tub 11 (outside position of the bearing
housing 20) adjacent to the circumference of the bearing housing 20
and the pre-coupling holes 44 are formed to correspond to the
pre-coupling protrusions 43. In this embodiment, the positions of
the pre-coupling protrusions 43 and the pre-coupling holes 44 are
different from those of the above mentioned embodiment and their
effects are substantially the same as those of the above
embodiment. In this embodiment, the pre-coupling protrusions 43 are
formed together with the water tub 11 when manufacturing the water
tub 11 so that manufacturing costs can be reduced and the
manufacturing process can also be simplified. Since other
components and structures of this embodiment are identical to the
above embodiment, their description will be omitted.
[0040] Although the embodiments have been described by an example
that the bearing housing and the stator mounting structure of the
present invention are employed in a drum type washing machine, it
will be understood that the bearing housing and the stator mounting
structure of the present invention can be applied to a vertical
shaft type washing machine (a pulsator type washing machine).
[0041] As described above, consistent with the washing machine of
the present invention, since the pre-coupling protrusions for
pre-coupling the stator of the driving motor are formed in the
water tub and are integrally formed with the water tub when
manufacturing the water tub, the stator mounting structure of the
present invention is simplified in comparison to the conventional
stator mounting structure. Thus, the manufacturing process is
simplified and the manufacturing costs are reduced.
[0042] Moreover, since the bearing housing is embedded into the
water tub when manufacturing the water tub by insert molding, the
structure of the washing machine of the present invention is
simplified.
[0043] Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present
invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these
embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the
invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their
equivalents.
* * * * *