Patent ID: 9441321
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: D06F

Claim Text:
1. A washing machine comprising: a water tub into which water is introduced; a bubble generating device to generate bubbles and supply the bubbles into the water tub; a pump to suck water from the water tub and supply the sucked water into the bubble generating device; and a first connecting pipe having an end connected to the bubble generating device and the other end connected to the water tub and being located above a water level in the water tub, wherein the bubble generating device selectively performs a bubble generating process in which bubbles are generated and supplied into the water tub, or a water circulating process in which the sucked water from the water tub circulates through the first connecting pipe and flows back to the water tub, and wherein the bubble generating device includes a housing to form an external appearance of the bubble generating device, a switching passage formed in the housing, a switching device mounted in the switching passage to selectively direct water to the water tub or the first connecting pipe, and a driving device to drive the switching device, in which the bubble generating process or the water circulating process is selectively performed by an operation of the switching device.