Patent Publication Number: US-2009229313-A1

Title: Washing machine

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No. 10-2008-0023438, filed on Mar. 13, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present invention relates to a washing machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a washing machine capable of improving a structure of a hinge member rotatably coupling a lid to a top cover and preventing crack of the lid or top cover accordingly. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Washing machines are electric home appliances which removes various contaminants attached to clothes, cloth items, beddings (hereinafter, laundry), using both friction of water currents generated by rotation of a pulsator and shock applied to laundry by the pulsator. 
     A conventional washing machine typically includes a cabinet, a top cover coupled to a top of the cabinet and a lid hingedly secured to the top cover to open and close an opening formed at the top cover. 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a top cover  1 , a lid  10  and a hinge member  20  coupling the top cover  1  with the lid  10 .  FIG. 2  is an enlarged view illustrating the hinge member  20 . 
     In reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lid  10  of the conventional washing machine includes an insertion hole  11  and a coupling hole  12 . The insertion hole  11  is formed at a side portion of the lid  10  and the hinge member  20  is inserted in the insertion hole  11 . A coupling member  15  passes through the coupling hole  12  for the hinge member  20  to be coupled to the lid  10  securely in a state of being inserted in the insertion hole  11 . 
     The hinge member  20  includes a coupling part  21  and a hinge part  25 . The coupling part  21  is inserted in the insertion hole  11  to be coupled thereto. The hinge part  25  is provided at a predetermined portion of the coupling part  21  and it rotates about the top cover  1 . 
     The coupling part  21  is rectangular-plate-shaped and it is formed at a position, corresponding to the coupling hole  12  formed at the lid  10  when inserted in the insertion hole  11  of the lid  10 . Here, the coupling part  21  includes a through hole  22  through which the coupling member  15  passes. 
     The hinge part  25  is cylinder-shaped for the lid  10  coupled thereto by the coupling member  20  to rotate relatively with respect to the top cover  1 . 
     The lid  10  is seated on the top cover  1  and a lid seating surface  2  is recessed at the top cover  1  to a predetermined depth to seat the lid  10  thereon. Here, the recessed depth of the lid seating surface  2  is identical to the thickness of the lid  10  such that an upper surface of the top cover  1  may be formed smooth when the lid  10  is closed. 
     A user should lift the lid  10  to open the lid  10  and the lid  10  rotates about the hinge member  20 . 
     However, if the user takes off his/her hands from the lid  10 , the lid  10  will fall a predetermined height. If the lid  10  falls only to be bumped into the top cover  1 , the force corresponding to the weight of the lid  10  is applied to the hinge member  20  and the force applied to the hinge member  20  is transmitted to the top cover  1 . 
     When the user drops the lid  10  free to close, crack might be generated at the lid or the top cover  1 . 
     The reason why the crack is generated at the lid or top cover  1  is that the shock applied to the hinge member  20  is transmitted directly to the lid  10  or top cover  1  because the hinge member  20  is designed to improve only strength. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a washing machine. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of improving a structure of a hinge member and to prevent damage of a top cover or lid which might be generated during the opening/closing of the top. 
     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure 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. 
     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a washing machine includes a top cover at which an opening is formed; a lid hingedly coupled to the top cover, the lid opening and closing the opening; and a hinge member comprising a coupling part of a plate shape coupled to the lid and a hinge part of a cylinder shape hingedly coupled to the top cover, wherein a slot is provided at the hinge part. 
     The slot may be substantially perpendicular to the coupling part. 
     The slot may be formed horizontally along a longitudinal direction of the hinge part. 
     A cut part may be provided at the hinge part, the cut part formed by cutting a portion of a circumferential surface of the hinge part. 
     The cut part may be formed by cutting the portion with a predetermined length from a border between the coupling part and the hinge part. 
     The length of the slot may be substantially three or four times of the length between the slot and an end of the hinge part. 
     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 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a lid and top cover of a conventional washing machine; 
         FIG. 2  is a plane view illustrating a hinge member hingedly coupling the lid with the top plate shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a lid and a hinge member of the washing machine shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIGS. 5   a  to  5   g  are plane views illustrating hinge members of experimental groups  1  to  7 , respectively; and 
         FIG. 6  is a table of shock values measured through experiments of applying shock to the top cover, lid and hinge member when the hinge members of experimental groups  1  to  7 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the specific 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. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view schematically illustrating a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a washing machine  100  provided with a hinge assembly according to an exemplary embodiment includes a cabinet  110 , a top cover  120 , a tub  130  and a leg  140 . The cabinet  110  defines an exterior appearance of the washing machine and various parts of the washing machine  100  may be mounted in the cabinet  110 . The top cover  120  is placed on a top of the cabinet  110 . The tub  130  is installed in the cabinet  110  and laundry to wash is received in the tub  130 . The leg  140  is attached to a lower surface of the cabinet  110  and it prevents the washing from tumbling and maintains the washing machine to be leveled. 
     The top cover  120  includes an opening  121  and a control panel  122 . The opening  121  is formed at a center of the top cover and a user may load the laundry into the tub  130  through the opening  121 . The control panel  122  is provided on a predetermined portion of the top cover  120 . At the control panel  122  are provided a display part displaying an operational state of the washing machine and a button part for the user to input a washing condition. In addition, a detergent box  125  is provided at an inner rear surface of the top cover  120  to supply detergent or fabric softener to the laundry received in the tub  130  and the detergent box  125  is connected with a water supply hose such that the detergent received in the detergent box  125  and water may be mixedly supplied to the tub  140 . 
     A lid  200  is hingedly coupled to a top of the top cover  120 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the lid  200  includes glass  210  formed of transparent material and a frame  220  having a seating surface where the glass  210  is seated. The transparent glass  210  allows the user to look into the tub  130  conveniently. The glass  210  has a convex shape with a bulging center portion and thus wash water dropped at an inner upper surface of the lid  200  can flow along a rim thereof. 
     A lid seating part  123  is formed in the top cover  120  and the lid seating part  123  is recessed inward to a predetermined height for the lid  200  to be seated in. the height of the lid seating part  123  is substantially identical to the height of the lid  200 . As a result, when the lid  200  is seated in the lid seating part  123 , an upper surface of the top cover  120  and an upper surface of the lid  200  are high to be level. 
     Next, an operation of the washing machine according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
     The user turns on the washing machine  100  and lifts the lid  200  upward to open the opening  121 . Then, the user loads the laundry into the tub  130  through the opening  121  and puts the lid  200  downward to close the opening  121 . Hence, if the user inputs a corresponding washing condition at the control panel  122  and pushes a start button, the washing machine  100  is put into operation according to the input condition. 
     After washing and dry-spinning cycles, the user lifts the lid  200  again to open the opening  121  and unloads the washed laundry. Then, the user puts the lid  200  down again and closes the opening  121 . 
     Next, in reference to  FIG. 4  will be described a hinge member  300  coupling the lid  200  to the top cover  120  for the lid  200  to open and close the top cover  120  and the coupling structure between the lid  200  and the hinge member  300 . 
     The lid  200  includes an insertion hole  230  and a coupling hole  240  and both are provided at a side portion of the lid  200 . The hinge member  300  is inserted in the insertion hole  230  and a coupling member  250  passes through the coupling hole  240  for the hinge member  300  being inserted in the insertion hole  230  to be securely coupled with the lid  200 . 
     The hinge member  300  includes a coupling part  310  and a hinge part  320 . The coupling part  310  is inserted in the insertion hole  210  of the lid  200  and the hinge part  320  rotates with respect to the top cover  120 . 
     The coupling part  310  of the hinge member  100  is rectangular plate shaped. Because of that, if the lid  200  is rotated after the coupling part  310  is inserted in the insertion hole  230 , the hinge member  30  is rotated together with the lid  200 . 
     A through hole  311  is provided at a portion of the coupling part  310  which is corresponding to the coupling hole  240  formed at the lid  200  and the coupling member  250  passes through the through hole  311 . 
     The hinge part  320  is hinge securing part  127  formed at the top cover  120  such that the lid  200  coupled to the hinge member  300  may be rotated relatively with respect to the top cover  120 . 
     The user typically lets the hands holding the lid  200  off from the lid  200 . If then, the lid  200  is dropped a predetermined height and a shock corresponding to the weight of the lid  200  is transmitted to the hinge member  300  and the shock transmitted to the hinge member  300  is transmitted to the lid  200  and the top cover  120 . 
     The inventor has studied the hinge member  300  having a structure capable of minimizing damage of the lid  200  or the top cover  120  because of the shock generated when the user closes the lid  200 . the inventor found out that the conventional hinge member is fabricated only to improve the strength and that the lid  200  or top cover  120  could damage because of the shock transmitted to the lid or the top cover  120  again after having been transmitted to the hinge member  200 , which is generated when the lid  200  collides against the top cover  120 , accordingly. 
     The inventor has been studied the structure of the hinge member  300  capable of minimizing the damage of the lid  200  or top cover  120 , especially, has experimented various types of the hinge part  320  to increase the elasticity of the hinge part  320 . 
     In the experiment performed by the inventor, the conventional hinge member  20  shown in  FIG. 2  will be categorized as a control group and seven different hinge members  300  having different shapes of hinge parts  320  shown in  FIGS. 5   a  to  5   g  will be categorized as experimental group. 
     When the hinge member  300  of each experimental group is used in the washing machine  100 , the shock applied to the lid  200 , the top cover  120  and the hinge member  300  is measured. 
     A specific method of the experiment will be explained. 
     The experimenter opens and closes the lid repeatedly to suppose that the user opens and closes the lid  200 . Here, the lid  200  in a state of being open is rotated and bumped against the top cover  120 , which almost identical to the case in that the user lets his/her hands off from the lid  200 . To make experimental conditions identical, the experimenter is changed every 100 times. After repeating the 100 times of opening/closing the lid  200 , average values of the shock applied to the lid  200 , the top cover  120  and the hinge member  300  are calculated. 
     The inventor of the present invention performed the experiments, changing three elements to increase the elasticity of the hinge part  320 . 
     First, a slot  321  is provided at the hinge part  320  to increase the elasticity of the hinge part  320 . The slot  321  is formed through the hinge part  320 , substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the coupling part  310 , and it is formed horizontally in a longitudinal direction of the hinge part  320 . 
     Second, a cut part  322  is provided at the hinge part  320  and a predetermined portion of the hinge part  320  is cut to increase the elasticity of the hinge part  320 . The cut part  322  is substantially perpendicular to the plane formed by the coupling part  310 . In addition, the cut part  322  is formed by cutting some portion from a border between the coupling part  310  and the hinge part  320  to a predetermined length. 
     Third, the length of the hinge part  320  is increased to increase the elasticity of the hinge part  320 . The length of the hinge part  25  included in the control group is 11.5 mm and the length of the hinge part  320  included in the experimental group is 14.5 mm, which is increased as much as 3 mm. 
     The seven experimental groups are fabricated, changing at least one of the three elements. 
     The experimental group  1  shown in  FIG. 5   a  includes the slot  321 , not changing the other elements. 
     The experimental group  2  shown in  FIG. 5   b  includes the cut part  322 , not changing the other elements. 
     The experiments group  3  shown in  FIG. 5   c  includes both of the slot  321  and the cut part  322  formed simultaneously, not changing the length of the control group. 
     The experiment group  4  shown in  FIG. 5   d  has the increased length. 
     The experiment group  5  shown in  FIG. 5   e  includes the slot  321 , simultaneously with the increased length. Here, the length of the stop (A) is three or four times of the length from the slot  321  to an end of the hinge part  320 . 
     The experiment group  6  shown in  FIG. 5   f  includes the cut part  320 , simultaneously with the increased length. 
     The experiment group  7  shown in  FIG. 5   g  includes both of the slot  321  and the cut part  322 , with the increased length. 
       FIG. 6  shows the values of the shock transmitted to the top cover  120 , the lid  200  and the hinge member  300 , when each hinge member according to the control group and the experimental groups is applied to a washing machine and when the lid  200  is dropped and collided against the top cover  120 . 
     The shock transmitted to the lid  200  is reduced but the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  is increased in the experiment group  1 , compared with the control group. 
     The shock transmitted to the lid  200  is reduced but the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  is increased in the experiment group  2 , compared with the control group. 
     The shock transmitted to the lid  200  is reduced but the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  is increased in the experiment group  3  also, compared with the control group. 
     Both the shock transmitted to the lid and the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  are reduced simultaneously in the experimental group  4 , compared with the control group. 
     Both the shock transmitted to the lid and the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  are reduced simultaneously in the experimental group  5 , compared with the control group. 
     The shock transmitted to the lid  200  is reduced but the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  is increased in the experimental group  6 , compared with the control group. 
     Both the shock transmitted to the lid and the shock transmitted to the top cover  120  are reduced simultaneously in the experimental group  7 , compared with the control group. 
     In reference to the experimental groups  1  to  7 , the experimental groups  4 ,  5  and  7  are ones having the shock transmitted to the lid  200  and the shock transmitted to the top cover reduced simultaneously. Among these three groups, the experimental group  7  has the least shocks transmitted to the lid  200  and the top cover  120 . 
     The inventor finds out that the hinge member  300  of the experimental group  7  is the most proper one to reduce the shocks transmitted to the lid and the top cover  120 . 
     That is, the length of the cylindrical hinge part  320  is increased 3 mm from 11.5 mm to 14.5 mm and both of the slot  321  and the cut part  322  are formed at the hinge part  320 . 
     As mentioned above, according to the washing machine  100  adapting the hinge member  300  of the present invention, the shock received by the lid  200  and the top cove  120  may be reduced and damage of the lid  200  and the top cover  120  may be prevented accordingly, even if the user drops the lid  200  to close the opening  121  of the top cover  120 . 
     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.