# Patent

## Title
Drum type washing machine

## Abstract

A drum type washing machine is provided. The drum type washing machine includes a cabinet for forming an appearance; a tub fixed to an inner side of the cabinet and for storing washing water, a drum rotatably arranged in the tub for washing and dehydrating laundry, and a driving motor positioned at a rear side of the drum for generating a driving force by which the drum is rotated. The washing machine can increase washing capacity with maintaining an entire size thereof by increasing a diameter of the drum without increasing a size of the cabinet. The washing machine may include a supporting plate to rotatably support the rotational shaft, and a supporting unit to support the supporting plate, the supporting unit comprising a plurality of supporters connected between the supporting plate and the cabinet.

## Background
The present application is a 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/267,457 filed Nov. 7, 2008, currently pending, which is a 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/461,451 filed Jun. 16, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,533,548 B2, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 85521/2002, filed Dec. 27, 2002, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine which can maximize a capacity of a drum without changing an entire size of a washing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a drum type washing machine in accordance with the conventional art, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing the drum type washing machine in accordance with the conventional art.
The conventional drum type washing machine comprises: a cabinet 102 for forming an appearance; a tub 104 arranged in the cabinet 102 for storing washing water; a drum 106 rotatably arranged in the tub 104 for washing and dehydrating laundry; and a driving motor 110 positioned at a rear side of the tub 104 and connected to the drum 106 by a driving shaft 108 thus for rotating the drum 106.
An inlet 112 for inputting or outputting the laundry is formed at the front side of the cabinet 102, and a door for opening and closing the inlet is formed at the front side of the inlet 112.
The tub 104 of a cylindrical shape is provided with an opening 116 at the front side thereof thus to be connected to the inlet 112 of the cabinet 102, and a balance weight 118 for maintaining a balance of the tub 104 and reducing vibration are respectively formed at both sides of the tub 104.
Herein, a diameter of the tub 104 is installed to be less than a width of the cabinet 102 by approximately 30 ̃40 mm with consideration of a maximum vibration amount thereof so as to prevent from being contacted to the cabinet 102 at the time of the dehydration.
The drum 106 is a cylindrical shape of which one side is opened so that the laundry can be inputted, and has a diameter installed to be less than that of the tub 104 by approximately 15 ̃20 mm in order to prevent interference with the tub 104 since the drum is rotated in the tub 104.
A plurality of supporting springs 120 are installed between the upper portion of the tub 104 and the upper inner wall of the cabinet 102, and a plurality of dampers 122 are installed between the lower portion of the tub 104 and the lower inner wall of the cabinet 102, thereby supporting the tub 104 with buffering.
A gasket 124 is formed between the inlet 112 of the cabinet 102 and the opening 116 of the tub 104 so as to prevent washing water stored in the tub 104 from being leaked to a space between the tub 104 and the cabinet 102. Also, a supporting plate 126 for mounting the driving motor 110 is installed at the rear side of the tub 104.
The driving motor 110 is fixed to a rear surface of the supporting plate 126, and the driving shaft 108 of the driving motor 110 is fixed to a lower surface of the drum 106, thereby generating a driving force by which the drum 106 is rotated.
In the conventional drum type washing machine, the diameter of the tub 104 is installed to be less than the width of the cabinet 102 with consideration of the maximum vibration amount so as to prevent from being contacted to the cabinet 102, and the diameter of drum 106 is also installed to be less than that of the tub 104 in order to prevent interference with the tub 104 since the drum is rotated in the tub 104. According to this, so as to increase the diameter of the drum 106 which determines a washing capacity, a size of the cabinet 102 has to be increased.
Also, since the gasket 124 for preventing washing water from being leaked is installed between the inlet 112 of the cabinet 102 and the opening 116 of the tub 104, a length of the drum 106 is decreased as the installed length of the gasket 124. According to this, it was difficult to increase the capacity of the drum 106.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which can increase a washing capacity without changing an entire size thereof, in which a cabinet and a tub is formed integrally and thus a diameter of a drum can be increased without increasing a size of the cabinet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which can increase a washing capacity by increasing a length of a drum without increasing a length of a cabinet, in which the cabinet and a tub are formed integrally and thus a location of a gasket is changed.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a drum type washing machine comprising: a cabinet for forming an appearance; a tub fixed to an inner side of the cabinet and for storing washing water; a drum rotatably arranged in the tub for washing and dehydrating laundry; and a driving motor positioned at the rear side of the drum for generating a driving force by which the drum is rotated.
The tub is a cylindrical shape, and a front surface thereof is fixed to a front inner wall of the cabinet.
Both sides of the tub are fixed to both sides inner wall of the cabinet.
A supporting plate for mounting the driving motor is located at the rear side of the tub, and a gasket hermetically connects the supporting plate and the rear side of the tub, in which the gasket is formed as a bellows and has one side fixed to the rear side of the tub and another side fixed to an outer circumference surface of the supporting plate.
A supporting unit for supporting an assembly composed of the drum, the driving motor, and the supporting plate with buffering is installed between the supporting plate and the cabinet.
The supporting unit comprises: a plurality of upper supporting rods connected to an upper side of the supporting plate towards an orthogonal direction and having a predetermined length; buffering springs connected between the upper supporting rods and an upper inner wall of the cabinet for buffering; a plurality of lower supporting rods connected to a lower side of the supporting plate towards an orthogonal direction and having a predetermined length; and dampers connected between the lower supporting rods and a lower inner wall of the cabinet for absorbing vibration.
The drum is provided with a liquid balancer at a circumference of an inlet thereof for maintaining a balance when the drum is rotated.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a drum type washing machine in accordance with the conventional art;
FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing the drum type washing machine in accordance with the conventional art;
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing the drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a lateral view showing a state that a casing of the drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention is cut;
FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of a drum type washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing a drum type washing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drum type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is a rear sectional view showing the drum type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing the drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cabinet 2 for forming an appearance of a washing machine; a tub 4 formed integrally with the cabinet 2 and for storing washing water; a drum 6 rotatably arranged in the tub 4 for washing and dehydrating laundry; and a driving motor 8 positioned at the rear side of the drum 6 for generating a driving force by which the drum 6 is rotated.
The cabinet 2 is rectangular parallelepiped, and an inlet 20 for inputting and outputting laundry is formed at the front side of the cabinet 2 and a door for opening and closing the inlet is formed at the inlet 20.
The tub 4 is formed as a cylinder shape having a predetermined diameter in the cabinet 2, and the front side of the tub 4 is fixed to the front inner wall of the cabinet 2 or integrally formed at the front inner wall of the cabinet 2. Both sides of the tub 4 are contacted to both sides inner wall of the cabinet 2 or integrally formed with both sides inner wall of the cabinet 2 thus to be prolonged.
Herein, since both sides of the tub 4 are contacted to both sides inner wall of the cabinet 2, a diameter of the tub 4 can be increased.
Also, the supporting plate 12 is positioned at the rear side of the tub 4 and the gasket 14 is installed between the supporting plate 12 and the rear side of the tub 4, thereby preventing washing water filled in the tub 4 from being leaked.
The gasket 14 is formed as a bellows of a cylinder shape and has one side fixed to the rear side of the tub 4 and another side fixed to an outer circumference surface of the supporting plate 12.
The supporting plate 12 is formed as a disc shape, the driving motor 8 is fixed to the rear surface thereof, and a rotation shaft 16 for transmitting a rotation force of the driving motor 8 to the drum 6 is rotatably supported by the supporting plate 12. Also, a supporting unit for supporting the drum 6 with buffering is installed between the supporting plate 12 and the inner wall of the cabinet 2.
The supporting unit comprises: a plurality of upper supporting rods 22 connected to an upper side of the supporting plate 12 and having a predetermined length; buffering springs 24 connected between the upper supporting rods 22 and an upper inner wall of the cabinet 2 for buffering; a plurality of lower supporting rods 26 connected to a lower side of the supporting plate 12 and having a predetermined length; and dampers 28 connected between the lower supporting rods 26 and a lower inner wall of the cabinet 2 for absorbing vibration.
Herein, the buffering springs 24 and the dampers 28 are installed at a center of gravity of an assembly composed of the drum 6, the supporting plate 12, and the driving motor 8. That is, the upper and lower supporting rods 22 and 26 are prolonged from the supporting plate 12 to the center of gravity of the assembly, the buffering springs 24 are connected between an end portion of the upper supporting rod 22 and the upper inner wall of the cabinet 2, and the dampers 28 are connected between an end portion of the lower supporting rod 26 and the lower inner wall of the cabinet 2, thereby supporting the drum 6 at the center of gravity.
A diameter of the drum 6 is installed in a range that the drum 6 is not contacted to the tub 4 even when the drum 6 generates maximum vibration in order to prevent interference with the tub 4 at the time of being rotated in the tub 4.
Operations of the drum type washing machine according to the present invention are as follows.
If the laundry is inputted into the drum 6 and a power switch is turned on, washing water is introduced into the tub 6. At this time, the front side of the tub 6 is fixed to the cabinet 2 and the gasket 14 is connected between the rear side of the tub 6 and the supporting plate 12, thereby preventing the washing water introduced into the tub 6 from being leaked outwardly.
If the introduction of the washing water is completed, the driving motor 8 mounted at the rear side of the supporting plate 12 is driven, and the drum 6 connected with the driving motor 8 by the rotation shaft 16 is rotated, thereby performing washing and dehydration operations. At this time, the assembly composed of the drum 6, the driving motor, and the supporting plate 12 is supported by the buffering springs 24 and the dampers 28 mounted between the supporting plate 12 and the inner wall of the cabinet 20.
FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of a drum type washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
The drum type washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same construction and operation as that of the first to embodiment except a shape of the tub.
That is, the tub 40 according to the second embodiment has a straight line portion 42 with a predetermined length at both sides thereof. The straight line portion 42 is fixed to the inner wall of both sides of the cabinet 2, or integrally formed at the wall surface of both sides of the cabinet 2.
Like this, since the tub 40 according to the second embodiment has both sides fixed to the cabinet 2 as a straight line form, the diameter of the tub 40 can be increased. Accordingly, the diameter of the drum 6 arranged in the tub 40 can be more increased.
FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing a drum type washing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drum type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a rear sectional view showing the drum type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
The drum type washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cabinet 2 for forming an appearance of a washing machine; a tub 50 formed integrally with the cabinet 2 and for storing washing water; a drum 6 rotatably arranged in the tub 50 for washing and dehydrating laundry; and a supporting unit positioned at the rear side of the tub 50 and arranged between the supporting plate 12 to which the driving motor 8 is fixed and the cabinet 2 for supporting the drum 6 with buffering.
The tub 50 is composed of a first partition wall 52 fixed to the upper front inner wall and both sides inner wall of the cabinet 2; and a second partition wall 54 integrally fixed to the lower front inner wall and both sides inner wall of the cabinet 2.
The first partition wall 52 of a flat plate shape is formed at the upper side of the cabinet 2 in a state that the front side and both sides are integrally formed at the inner wall of the cabinet 2 or fixed thereto. Also, the second partition wall 54 of a semi-circle shape is formed at the lower side of the cabinet 2 in a state that the front side and both sides are integrally formed at the inner wall of the cabinet 2 or fixed thereto.
The supporting unit comprises: a plurality of upper supporting rods 56 connected to the upper side of the supporting plate 12 and having a predetermined length; buffering springs 58 connected between the upper supporting rods 56 and the upper inner wall of the cabinet 2 for buffering; a plurality of lower supporting rods 60 connected to the lower side of the supporting plate 12 and having a predetermined length; and dampers 62 connected between the lower supporting rods 60 and the lower inner wall of the cabinet 2 for absorbing vibration.
Herein, the upper supporting rods 56 are bent to be connected to the upper side of the supporting plate 12 and positioned at the upper side of the first partition wall 52, and the buffering springs 58 are connected to the end portion of the upper supporting rods 56. Also, the lower supporting rods 60 are bent to be connected to the lower side of the supporting plate 12 and positioned at the lower side of the second partition wall 54, and the dampers 62 are connected to the end portion of the lower supporting rods 56.
In the drum type washing machine according to the present invention, a size of the drum can be maximized by fixing the tub in the cabinet, thereby increasing washing capacity of the drum without increasing a size of the cabinet.
Also, since the front surface of the tub is integrally formed at the inner wall of the cabinet and the gasket is installed between the rear surface of the tub and the supporting plate, a length of the drum can be increased and thus the washing capacity of the drum can be increased.
As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.

## Claims

1. A laundry machine, comprising:
a tub provided in a cabinet;
a rotatable drum provided in the tub;
a rotational shaft having a first end connected to the drum and a second end connected to a motor to rotate the rotational shaft;
a supporting plate provided between the motor and the drum to rotatably support the rotational shaft;
a supporting unit coupled between the supporting plate and the cabinet, wherein the tub is rigidly supported by the cabinet and the drum is elastically supported by the supporting unit; and
a flexible material positioned between a side of the supporting plate facing an interior of the tub and a corresponding circumferential edge of a side wall of the tub such that the flexible material and supporting plate form an axial end wall of the tub.

2. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein an open front face of the tub is fixed to or integrally formed with a corresponding front wall of the cabinet.

3. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the flexible material extends radially beyond an outer circumference of the supporting plate so as to prevent water inside the tub from leaking toward the supporting plate and to allow the supporting plate to move relative to the tub.

4. The laundry machine of claim 3, wherein the flexible material comprises a gasket including:
a tub connecting portion that contacts the tub;
a supporting plate connecting portion that contacts the supporting plate; and
a curved portion that extends in a radial direction between the tub connecting portion and the supporting plate connecting portion.

5. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the cabinet has a front wall, two opposite lateral side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, with an opening formed in one of the front wall or the top wall, and the tub and the drum each have an opening formed therein corresponding to the opening formed in the one of the front wall or the top wall of the cabinet so as to provide access to an interior of the drum.

6. The laundry machine of claim 5, wherein a distance between the top wall or bottom wall of the cabinet and a corresponding outer circumferential surface portion of the tub is greater a distance between either of the two opposite lateral side walls of the cabinet and a corresponding outer circumferential surface portion of the tub.

7. The laundry machine of claim 6, wherein the tub contacts both of the two opposite lateral side walls of the cabinet.

8. The laundry machine of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the tub is curved in a lateral direction.

9. The laundry machine of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the tub is flat in a lateral direction.

10. The laundry machine of claim 6, wherein the tub is fixed to the two opposite lateral side walls of the cabinet.

11. The laundry machine of claim 6, wherein a portion of the tub proximate the opening formed therein is fixed to or integrally formed with the front wall of the cabinet.

12. The laundry machine of claim 5, wherein the supporting unit is supported from at least one of the top wall or the bottom wall of the cabinet.

13. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein a distance between an outer circumferential surface portion of the drum and a corresponding inner circumferential surface portion of the tub is greater than a distance between an outer circumferential surface portion of the drum and a corresponding inner surface of the cabinet.

14. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the cabinet has a front wall, two opposite lateral side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom wall that define a predetermined size of the cabinet, and wherein a volume of the tub is a maximum volume or a size of the tub is a maximum size for the predetermined size of the cabinet, and a distance between an outer circumferential surface portion of the tub and a corresponding inner surface portion of the cabinet is minimized for the predetermined size of the cabinet.

15. The laundry machine of claim 14, wherein the tub is substantially cylindrical, and a diameter of the tub is a maximum diameter for the predetermined size of the cabinet.

16. The laundry machine of claim 14, wherein the tub is fixed to the cabinet and remains stationary relative to the cabinet as the drum rotates such that the maximum size of the tub or the maximum volume of the tub allows a size of the drum to be a maximum size or a volume of the drum to be a maximum volume, respectively.

17. The laundry machine of claim 14, wherein a length of the tub in an axial direction is a maximum length.

18. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the motor is coaxially connected to the rotational shaft and the supporting plate extends radially across the motor.

19. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the supporting unit comprises at least two dampers arranged at opposite sides of the tub.

20. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the supporting unit comprises at least one supporting rod extending parallel to a rotational axis of the drum and toward a point aligned with a center of gravity of an assembly of the drum, the supporting plate and the motor.

21. A laundry machine dimensioned to increase capacity for handling laundry, the laundry machine comprising:
a cabinet having at least two side walls, the two sides walls being opposite to each other and being separated by a first prescribed width in a lateral direction;
a tub provided between the at least two side walls and having a second prescribed width in the lateral direction, the tub having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening and the second opening being spaced from each other in an axial direction, the axial direction being perpendicular to the lateral direction, wherein a first ratio of the second prescribed width to the first prescribed width is less than or equal to one;
a drum arranged in the tub and having a wall extending in the axial direction and having a third prescribed width in the lateral direction, a second ratio of the third prescribed width to the second prescribed width being less than one in order to prevent interference with the tub when the drum vibrates, the capacity of the laundry machine being increased as the first ratio is increased while the second ratio is maintained to be less than one;
a plate provided adjacent to the second opening,the plate having a receiving hole formed therein;
a shaft extending in the axial direction from a first end to a second end thereof and extending through the receiving hole formed in the plate, the second end of the shaft being coupled to the drum;
a motor that rotates the shaft;
at least one damper coupled to the plate to elastically support at least the drum; and
at least one spring coupled to the plate to elastically support at least the drum together with the at least one damper.

22. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein the first opening faces a front face of the laundry machine and defines an access hole that provides access to an interior of the drum through which laundry items are loaded into and removed from the drum.

23. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein the first opening in the tub is smaller than the second opening in the tub.

24. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein a capacity of the laundry machine is a maximum capacity when the first ratio is equal to one.

25. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein the tub further comprises a gasket provided between the plate and the second opening in the tub.

26. The laundry machine of claim 21, further comprising at least one supporting rod coupled to the plate and extending outward therefrom, wherein the at least one damper is coupled to the at least one supporting rod.

27. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein the plate is dimensioned to be about the same size as the second opening.

28. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein a size and shape of the plate corresponds to a size and shape of the second opening.

29. The laundry machine of claim 21, further comprising at least two support rods each attached to the plate and extending outward therefrom, wherein the at least one spring is coupled to a first of the at least two support rods and the at least one damper is coupled to a second of the at least two support rods.

30. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein a difference between the first prescribed width and the second prescribed width is less than 30 mm.

31. The laundry machine of claim 30, wherein a difference between the second prescribed width and the third prescribed width is about 15-20 mm.

32. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein the cabinet further comprises a front wall that extends between front ends of the two side walls, a rear wall that extends between rear ends of the two side walls, and a top wall that extends between top ends of the two side walls, with a laundry opening formed in one of the front wall or the top wall, and wherein the drum has a laundry opening formed therein corresponding to the laundry opening formed in the one of the front wall or the top wall of the cabinet, wherein the laundry opening formed in the cabinet and the laundry opening formed in the drum are aligned with the first opening formed in the tub so as to provide access to an interior of the drum.

33. The laundry machine of claim 32, wherein the laundry opening is formed in the front wall of the cabinet and the tub and drum are positioned horizontally, with the laundry opening formed in the drum and the first opening formed in the tub aligned with the laundry opening formed in the front wall of the cabinet.

34. The laundry machine of claim 33, wherein a front end of the tub corresponding to the first opening is fixed to the front wall of the cabinet such that the tub remains stationary as the drum rotates within the tub.

35. The laundry machine of claim 32, wherein a distance between the top wall or bottom wall of the cabinet and a corresponding outer circumferential surface portion of the tub is greater than a distance between either of the two side walls of the cabinet and a corresponding outer circumferential surface portion of the tub.

36. The laundry machine of claim 35, wherein the tub contacts both of the two side walls of the cabinet.

37. The laundry machine of claim 21, wherein the motor is coaxially coupled to the first end of the shaft.

38. A laundry machine dimensioned to increase capacity for handling laundry, the laundry machine comprising:
a cabinet having at least two side walls, the two sides walls being opposite to each other and being separated by a first prescribed width in a lateral direction;
a tub provided between the at least two side walls and having a second prescribed width in the lateral direction, the tub having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening and the second opening being spaced from each other in an axial direction, the axial direction being perpendicular to the lateral direction, wherein a first ratio of the second prescribed width to the first prescribed width is less than or equal to one;
a drum arranged in the tub and having a wall extending in the axial direction and having a third prescribed width in the lateral direction, a second ratio of the third prescribed width to the second prescribed width being less than one in order to prevent interference with the tub when the drum vibrates, the capacity of the laundry machine being increased as the first ratio is increased while the second ratio is maintained to be less than one;
a plate provided adjacent to the second opening, the plate having a receiving hole formed therein;
a shaft extending in the axial direction from a first end to a second end thereof and extending through the receiving hole formed in the plate, the second end of the shaft being coupled to the drum;
a motor that rotates the shaft;
at least one damper coupled to the plate to elastically support at least the drum; and
a gasket that is substantially annular and is made of a flexible material, wherein an inner circumferential portion of the gasket is connected to a corresponding outer circumferential portion of the plate, and an outer circumferential portion of the gasket is connected to a corresponding circumferential portion of the second opening in the tub such that the gasket and the plate at least partially define an axial end wall of the tub at the second opening.