Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a tubless washing machine, and more particularly, to a tubless washing machine including only a drum without a tub containing wash water.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0141926, filed on Nov. 21, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a tubless washing machine, and more particularly, to a tubless washing machine including only a drum without a tub containing wash water. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In general, washing machines may be classified into a pulsator-type washing machine, which uses or generates a water current by rotation of a pulsator on a bottom surface of a washing tub, an agitator-type washing machine, which uses a central agitator to wash laundry (e.g., using friction), and a drum type washing machine, which uses gravity (e.g., a vertical drop of the laundry resulting from rotation of a drum in the washing machine) to wash laundry. 
         [0004]    A drum type washing machine is disclosed in various documents, including Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0400969 and the like, and the drum type washing machine in the related art includes each of a tub  11  containing wash water and a drum  12  inside a main body  10 . 
         [0005]    Accordingly, during washing, a door  18  in or on a front surface of the washing machine is opened, laundry is put into the tub  12 , and water is supplied to the tub  12  after the laundry is put into the tub  12 , to perform washing. 
         [0006]    Power from a washing motor  13  is transferred to a drum shaft  15  through a belt  13   a , so that the drum  12  is rotated, and a lifter  20  inside the drum  12  lifts and drops the laundry so that washing is performed. 
         [0007]    A spring  9  and a damper  8  are connected to and support the drum  12  to attenuate vibrations generated by the rotation of the drum  12  during washing. The spring  9  and the damper  8  are generally fixed to the main body  10 . 
         [0008]    During spin-drying, a drain pump  17  is operated so that water is drained through a drain hole  16  and a drain hose  19  connected to a lower portion of the tub  11 . 
         [0009]    As described above, the drum type washing machine in the related art commonly further includes the tub  11  in addition to the drum  12 . The reason is that the tub  11  contains the wash water, while washing is performed in the drum  12  inside the tub  11 . 
         [0010]    However, the tub  11  is generally formed of a plastic material, and accumulated mold, dirt or other foreign substances form in the tub  11  or on an inner surface of the tub  11  when the tub  11  is used over a long period of time. However, it is difficult to clean the tub  11 , due to the presence of the drum  12 . as a result, the unclean surface of the tub  11  may corrode, weaken, and/or contaminate the laundry (which may cause a skin irritation or disease). 
         [0011]    The pulsator type washing machine as well as the drum type washing machine that include the tub may have such problems. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    The present disclosure has been made in an effort to provide a tubless washing machine including only a drum, without a tub containing wash water, as in the related art. 
         [0013]    One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tubless washing machine, including a main body; a drum in the main body, including an opening and a water supply and drain hole at one side or end of the drum, capable of being opened and closed; a driving shaft fixed to one of a front surface and a rear surface of the drum; a driven shaft fixed to the other of the front surface and the rear surface of the drum; a power transmission unit configured to transmit power to the driving shaft; and a pair of supports configured to rotatably support the driving shaft and the driven shaft. 
         [0014]    In this case, each of the laundry insert opening and the water supply and drain hole may be in or at a curved side of the drum. 
         [0015]    The tubless washing machine may further include a docking device configured to dock with or connect to the water supply and drain hole, and water may be supplied to the drum or drained from the drum through the docking device. In one embodiment, the water supply and drain hole comprises a water supply hole and a separate drain hole. 
         [0016]    Each support may comprise crossing support frames that may have an X shape, and each of the driving shaft and the driven shaft may be attached at a crossing point of the crossing support frames. 
         [0017]    A rotatable drum ring may be around and/or coupled to the drum at the side surface of the drum, and a suspension configured to attenuate vibrations during rotation of the drum may be on or attached to the drum ring. 
         [0018]    A latch may be in or on the drum ring, and one end of the suspension may be attached to and/or assembled with the latch. 
         [0019]    The suspension may include a spring and hooks at first and second ends of the spring, and a first hook at the first end of the spring may be attached to and/or assembled with the drum ring, and a second hook at the second end of the spring may be attached to and/or assembled with the main body. 
         [0020]    According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a function of a tub in the drum without using a tub, which may be formed of a plastic material or the like and become contaminated with mold or various foreign substances when the tub is used over a long period of time. 
         [0021]    The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram illustrating a washing machine in the related art. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a side view illustrating an exemplary tubless washing machine according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the exemplary tubless washing machine according to embodiment(s) of the present disclosure. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is a front view illustrating the exemplary tubless washing machine according to embodiment(s) of the present disclosure. 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a rear view illustrating the exemplary tubless washing machine according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary drum ring on an exemplary tubless washing machine according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary suspension for the exemplary tubless washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is a partially enlarged view of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. 
         [0031]    Hereinafter, an exemplary tubless washing machine according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is not limited to exemplary embodiments described herein. A configuration and an operational effect according to exemplary configurations of the present disclosure will be clearly understood through the detailed description below. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification and drawings. A detailed explanation of known related functions and constitutions may be omitted when the detailed explanation obscures the subject matter of the present disclosure. 
         [0032]    It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily dimensionally illustrated. Relative sizes and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in their sizes, and a predetermined size is just exemplary and not limiting. 
         [0033]    The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrate ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to a specific form of the illustrated region, and for example, include a modification of a form by manufacturing. 
         [0034]    First, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a tubless washing machine  100  according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a main body or exterior (not shown, but which may comprise a top panel or cover, front and rear panels or walls, and a pair of side walls or panels between the front and rear panels or walls), a drum  110 , a driving shaft  120 , a driven shaft  130 , a power transmission unit  140 , and one or more supports S. 
         [0035]    In the present disclosure, a function of the tub in the related art is integrally performed by the drum  110 . In the present embodiments, the tub  11  (see  FIG. 1 ), which may be formed of a plastic material, and in which accumulated mold or various foreign substances may form, is not included. The drum  110  generally comprises a stainless material (e.g., stainless steel, a metal with a hardened ceramic coating, etc.), so that mold or other foreign substances do not form or adhere well to the inner surface of the drum  110 . 
         [0036]    In the aforementioned configuration, various shapes of washing machine main bodies are used. However, the main body in embodiments of the present disclosure includes a door through which laundry may be placed. The washing machine in the related art generally includes the door  18  (see  FIG. 1 ) in or on a front panel thereof, so that laundry is put into the washing machine from the front, but in embodiments of the present disclosure, laundry is put into the washing machine from an upper side or top surface or panel of the washing machine, which may include or function as a lid or cover hingedly connected to the exterior of the washing machine. 
         [0037]    The drum  110  rotates inside the washing machine main body so that washing and/or spin-drying is performed, and particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure do not include a tub, so that water is supplied into the drum  110  during washing, and water is drained from the drum  110  during spin-drying. 
         [0038]    A lifter L is generally in and/or on an internal peripheral surface of the drum  110 . The lifter L may have a substantially rectangular or trapezoidal shape (e.g., similar to a step) extending inward from the internal peripheral surface of the drum by a predetermined height, so that laundry being rotated by centrifugal force is lifted out of the wash water by the lifter L and then dropped back into the wash water after the leading side surface of the lifter passes a horizontal plane, thereby washing the laundry. 
         [0039]    The drum  110  has an opening  111  through which laundry is put into the drum  110 , and a water supply and drain hole (not illustrated) for supplying and draining wash water. The opening  111  and the water supply and drain hole may be at any side of the drum  110 . 
         [0040]    However, in order to easily put the laundry in the drum, the laundry insert opening  111  may be in a curved side wall of the drum  110 . The curved side wall generally has a predetermined curvature as illustrated in the drawings. For example, the drum may have a substantially cylindrical shape with the curved side wall between the front and rear surfaces. The curved side wall may have a substantially circular cross-section. 
         [0041]    When the laundry insert opening  111  is in the cylindrical side of the drum  110 , the drum  110  rotates so that the opening  111  is at an upper part thereof, which can be controlled using a motor controller that controls an exact number of rotations of the drum during the washing, rinsing and spin-drying cycles, or using machine vision to determine a location or position of a feature on the drum (such as an edge of the opening  111 ) to control a starting and stopping position of the drum  110 . The laundry may then be easily put in or taken out. 
         [0042]    After the laundry is put in the drum, the opening  111  needs to be sealed in order to prevent water leakage from the drum. To this end, a first sealing door (not illustrated) is placed on or over the opening  111 . 
         [0043]    The first sealing door may comprise, for example, a sliding-type door having one or more seals along a border or periphery thereof, and/or that may slide into a self-sealing opening  111  (e.g., that includes a seal around its border or periphery that seals the door after it is slid into place). When the first sealing door is closed, the first sealing door is in close contact with the drum  110  and is sealed, so that the laundry insert opening  111  is completely sealed, thereby preventing water leakage and enabling washing operations in the drum. 
         [0044]    Various types of sealing doors may be adopted as long as the sealing door provides acceptable sealing. 
         [0045]    The water supply and drain hole may also be at the side surface of the drum  110 . As will be described below, in order to stably rotate the drum  110 , the driving shaft  120  and the driven shaft  130  are connected to front and rear surfaces of the drum  110 , so that the water supply and drain hole can be placed at the side surface of the drum  110 . Alternatively, in one embodiment, the water supply and drain hole is in or through the rear surface of the drum, and in an additional or alternative embodiment, the water supply and drain hole comprises a water supply hole and a separate drain hole. Each of the front and rear surfaces of the drum may comprise a closed and/or watertight end wall. 
         [0046]    The present disclosure includes no tub, so water needs to be supplied to the drum  110  (which rotates during washing or spin-drying). Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure further include a docking device (not illustrated) configured to connect a water supply hose or pipe and a drain pipe to the water supply and drain hole. The drain pipe may be operably connected to a drain pump that removes the wash and/or rinse water from the drum  110  by pumping. 
         [0047]    The docking device is connected with a hose for supplying water, so that after the docking device is docked or connected to the water supply and drain hole, water may be supplied through the water supply and drain hole into the drum  110  from an external water supply source and the hose. 
         [0048]    Also, water may be drained from the drum  110  through the docking device when the docking device is connected to the water supply and drain hole, or water may be directly drained through the open water supply and drain hole without first connecting the docking device during the water drainage. 
         [0049]    However, the water supply and drain hole may also include a second sealing door (not illustrated) capable of sealing the water supply and drain hole, and various types of second sealing doors, such as a sealing door that automatically opens and allows the docking device to be docked or connected to the water supply and drain hole, or a sealing door that is pushed, opened and/or entered by the docking device, may be used. 
         [0050]    Embodiments of the present disclosure include a driving device (e.g., motor) for rotating the drum  110  during washing, rinsing and/or spin-drying. The driving device generally includes the driving shaft  120 , the driven shaft  130 , and the power transmission unit  140  (e.g., for transmitting power from a motor). 
         [0051]    In this case, the driving shaft  120  may be fixed or attached to either the front surface or the rear surface of the drum  110 , and the driven shaft  130  is fixed or attached to the other surface. The driving shaft  120  is connected to the power transmission unit  140  for transmitting the power from the motor to rotate the drum  110 . 
         [0052]    In one embodiment, water may be supplied to the drum  110  through an L-shaped pipe that passes through a sealed opening in a watertight plate covering the end of one of the shafts  120  and  130  (i.e., that extends into or interfaces with the drum). Inside the drum  110 , the water supply pipe bends upward, and extends towards the uppermost surface in the drum  110 . This water supply pipe may be capped with a sprayer configured to distribute the water relatively evenly over the laundry in the drum. Water may be removed from the drum  110  through a similar L-shaped pipe that passes through another sealed opening in a watertight plate covering the (internal) end of either the same one or the other one of the shafts  120  and  130 . Inside the drum  110 , the water removal pipe extends downward towards the lowermost surface in the drum  110 . The water removal pipe may have a filter on or over the open end, configured to keep the laundry (or parts thereof) out of the pipe. The pipes are fixed in place by the sealed opening in the cap on or over the end of the corresponding shaft, and may comprise or be made from a relatively stiff material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride). Generally a bearing is between the cap and the shaft, to enable the shaft to rotate and the cap to remain fixed in place. 
         [0053]    Each of the rotatable driving shaft  120  and driven shaft  130  is supported by a support S, and is assembled with the support S using a bearing B that enables the drum  110  to rotate. The pair of supports S are firmly fixed to the washing machine main body. Alternatively, the support S can comprise a single C-shaped or U-shaped unit supporting rotation of the shafts  120  and  130 , and each support S may have a different form (such as inverse V-shaped, with a ring and/or bearing configured to receive the rotatable shaft at the upper point thereof, a substantially rectangular or semi-circular shape with a similar ring and/or bearing therein, etc.). 
         [0054]    Particularly, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the support S may comprise support frames or support frame members crossing in an X shape, and each of the driving shaft  120  and the driven shaft  130  may be attached at the crossing point of the support frames and/or members. The drum  110  may be further stably supported through the supports S having the aforementioned shape. 
         [0055]    Hereinafter, a vibration attenuation apparatus for attenuating vibrations generated during rotation of the drum  110  having the aforementioned configuration will be described. The vibration attenuation apparatus includes one or more drum rings  150  and a suspension, and the suspension includes the spring device  160  and the damper  8  (see  FIG. 1 ). In various embodiments, the suspension includes a plurality of spring devices  160  (e.g.,  2 ,  4 , etc.). 
         [0056]    As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the drum ring assists a connection between the drum  110  and the suspension, and the ring-shaped or circular drum ring  150  is coupled to the drum  110  at the side surface of the drum  110 . The suspension for attenuating the vibrations generated during rotation of the drum  110  is installed in or attached to the drum ring  150 . 
         [0057]    The drum ring  150  is shaped like a band and generally has a predetermined width. In this case, a guide groove may be formed along a circumference of the drum  110  on the side surface of the drum  110 . Accordingly, the drum ring  150  may fit into the guide groove, and the guide groove stably supports the drum ring  150  without disturbing the rotation of the drum  110 . There may also be one or more bearings between the side surface of the drum  110  and the drum ring  150  (e.g., in the guide groove). 
         [0058]    Various apparatuses and/or methods, such as using a rail so that the drum  110  is rotatably assembled with the drum ring  150 , may be applied to embodiments of the present disclosure as a matter of course. 
         [0059]    In this case, latches or openings  151  extending away from the side of the drum  110  may be formed in the drum ring  150 , and one end of the suspension may be latched or connected to and/or assembled with the latches/openings  151 . In the drawing, the latch  151  may have a substantially semicircular or hemispherical shape, for example. 
         [0060]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the spring device  160  in the suspension may include a spring  161  (e.g., in a center part thereof), and hooks  162  and  163  at first and second ends of the spring  161 , respectively. 
         [0061]    When the hook  162  at one end of the spring  161  is latched or connected to and/or assembled with the latch  151  on or of the drum ring  150 , and the hook  163  at the other end of the spring  161  is latched or connected to and/or assembled with the washing machine main body, the vibrations of the drum  110  are considerably decreased. 
         [0062]    According to embodiments of the present disclosure, when the tubless drum  110  is used, it is possible to considerably attenuate the vibrations generated during the rotation of the drum  110  using a suspension specialized for the drum  110 . 
         [0063]    Specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, the spirit and the scope of the present disclosure are not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope without changing the spirit of the present disclosure. 
         [0064]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.