Patent Publication Number: US-2017362764-A1

Title: Wall-mounted washing machine and installation method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0076784, filed on Jun. 20, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a wall-mounted washing machines and an installation method thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A wall-mounted washing machine can be installed on a wall, which is particularly useful for rooms with relatively small spaces. 
     Generally, a wall-mounted washing machine includes a cabinet, a tub disposed within the cabinet and configured to store washing water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub and configured to accommodate laundry or other washing objects, a drive device configured to supply power to and drive rotation of the drum, a water supply device configured to supply washing water into the tub, and a drain device configured to drain washing water from the tub to the outside of the cabinet. 
     Once washing operation is started, washing water is supplied into the tub and the drum by the operation of the water supply device. The drum is rotated by the drive device. At the end of washing, washing water in the tub and the drum is drained to the outside of the cabinet by the operation of the drain device. 
     A wall-mounted washing machine usually is designed with a compact size. For example, it can be installed on a wall of a bathroom that typically has a small area. 
     However, a wall made of a structurally-weak lightweight material usually lacks the mechanical strength and stability needed to support the weight of a washing machine attached thereto, especially if ordinary bolts are used for affixation. 
     In particular, due to vibration caused by the washing machine operation, especially in the dewatering and rinsing cycles, the affixture between the washing machine and the wall may become loose. In a worse scenario, the washing machine may even fall from the wall, causing damage to the washing machine as well as the wall, and even beyond. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0064624 (published on Jun. 18, 2013) 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wall-mounted washing machine capable of being secured and/or affixed to a structurally-weak lightweight wall having regular or irregular cavities and an installation method thereof. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wall-mounted drum type washing machine, comprising: a rear panel mounted on a wall; a tub integrally formed with the rear panel and configured to store washing water; a drum rotatably installed in the tub; a chemical anchor put into a fastening hole formed in the wall; and a fastener kit having one end portion inserted into and fixed to the fastening hole, and the other end portion fixed to the rear panel. 
     As described above, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a washing machine can be mounted on a structurally-weak lightweight wall. Furthermore, vibration caused by washing machine operation, especially in dewatering and rinsing cycles, can be attenuated and restrained from being transmitted to the porous wall. Thus, noise generated by vibration can be reduced and/or prevented. This can also significantly reduces the risk of the washing machine falling from the wall due failure of the fastening mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary wall-mounted washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial sectional view illustrating an exemplary wall-mounted washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view illustrating an exemplary fastening mechanism between the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and the lightweight wall. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which a fastening hole is formed in the lightweight wall in order to install the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which debris-like extraneous material existing within the fastening hole are removed by a cleaning brush in order to install the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on the lightweight wall. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which particle-like extraneous material existing within the fastening hole are removed by an air flow in order to install the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on the lightweight wall. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which a chemical anchor is put into the fastening hole in order to install the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on the lightweight wall. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which an anchor rod is inserted into and fixed to the fastening hole in order to install the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on the lightweight wall. 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of installing the wall-mounted drum type washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, configurations and operations of embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is one of various patentable aspects of the disclosure and may form a part of the detailed description of the disclosure. 
     However, in describing the disclosure, detailed descriptions of known configurations or functions that make the disclosure obscure may be omitted. 
     The disclosure may be variously modified and may include various embodiments. Specific embodiments will be exemplarily illustrated in the drawings and described in the detailed description of the embodiments. However, it should be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to specific embodiments but rather to cover all modifications, similarities, and alternatives which are included in the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     The terms used herein, including ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” may be used to describe, and not to limit, various components. The terms simply distinguish the components from one another. When it is said that a component is “connected” or “linked” to another component, it should be understood that the former component may be directly connected or linked to the latter component or a third component may be interposed between the two components. Specific terms used in the present application are used simply to describe specific embodiments without limiting the disclosure. An expression used in the singular encompasses the expression of the plural, unless it has a clearly different meaning in the context. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary wall-mounted washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2  illustrates a partial sectional view of the exemplary wall-mounted washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 3  illustrates an enlarged sectional view of an exemplary coupling mechanism between the wall-mounted washing machine and a lightweight wall according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the wall-mounted washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a rear panel  100 , a tub  200 , a drum  300 , a housing  500 , a cover  600 , a front door  700  and a fastener kit  400 . The wall-mounted washing machine may be securely affixed to the structurally-weak lightweight wall  10 . 
     More specifically, the rear panel  100  is a support frame which can be affixed to the porous wall  10  through the fastener kit  400 . The rear panel  100  may be rectangular-shaped with round corners. However, the rear panel can be of any suitable shape without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, such as circular or elliptical. 
     The tub  200  may be integrally formed with the rear panel  100 . The integral formation of the rear panel  100  with the tub  200  reduces or eliminates the need for additional components for supporting the tub  200 , such as a damper, a damping spring and the like. Thereby, the number of components and the overall size of the wall-mounted washing machine can be reduced. In particular, if the rear panel  100  is made of the same material as the tub  200 , for example, a synthetic resin, the rear panel  100  and the tub  200  may be simultaneously formed by performing insert-injection once. This can further reduce the time and cost for manufacturing the rear panel  100  and the tub  200 . 
     The tub  200  is a cylindrical reservoir integrally formed with the rear panel  100  and used to contain washing water. The tub  200  may receive washing water from a water supply device. The washing water may be drained from the tub  200  to the outside through a drain device. In this regard, the water supply device may include a water supply pipe as a water supply path through which the washing water is supplied. It may also include a water supply valve to control the flow rate of the washing water supplied into the tub  200  through the water supply pipe. The drain device may include a drain pump configured to generate pressure to draw the washing water, a drain pipe providing a path for draining washing water, and a drain port through which the washing water is drained from the drain pipe. 
     The drum  300  may be rotatably installed in the tub  200 . The drum  300  is a cylindrical container configured to accommodate laundry or other washing objects. The drum may rotate in the tub  200 . For example, the drum  300  may be driven by a drive device and can make half or full rotations within the tub  200 . The drive device may include a drive motor and a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the drive motor. 
     During operation, laundry is loaded into and washed by the drum  300 . Rotation of the drum  300  typically causes moderate vibration which can be effectively attenuated due to the firm coupling between the fastener kit  400  and the wall surface. However, vibration generated in the dewatering and rinsing cycles may not be sufficiently attenuated. A shock-absorbing member  450  for attenuating vibration may be disposed between the rear panel  100  and the porous wall  10 . The shock-absorbing member  450  is described below in greater detail. 
     The housing  500  is coupled to the rear panel  100  and contains the tub  200 . The housing  500  may be formed in a cylindrical shape with front and rear openings. The rear end portion of the housing  500  may be removably coupled to the rear panel  100  using fixing members such as screws or the like. 
     The cover  600  may be circular-shaped and mounted to the front opening of the housing  500 . The lower portion of the cover  600  may have push buttons for a user to control the washing machine, a display window, and the like. An opening portion may be formed in the central region of the cover  600 . The front door  700  may be mounted to the opening portion of the cover  600  to open and close an inner space of the tub  200 . 
     The chemical anchor  800  may significantly enhance the bonding between an anchor rod  410  of the fastener kit  400  and the inner surface of the fastening hole  20 . The chemical anchor  800  may be provided in the form of a capsule filled with a bonding material or may be provided in the form of a pack filled with a bonding material so that the bonding material can be injected into the fastening hole  20  using an injection gun. 
     In the present embodiment, the chemical anchor  800  having a capsule form is placed in the fastening hole  20 . The anchor rod  410  of the fastener kit  400  is inserted into the fastening hole  20  with the chemical anchor  800  therein. Alternatively, the chemical anchor  800  may be injected into the fastening hole  20  of the lightweight wall  10  with an injection gun. The anchor rod  410  may be inserted into the fastening hole  20  after the chemical anchor  800  is injected. 
     The fastener kit  400  can securely affix the washing machine to the lightweight wall  10  through the fastening hole  20  in the lightweight wall  10 . 
     The fastener kit  400  may include an anchor rod  410  having one end portion inserted into the fastening hole  20  and the other end portion coupled to the rear panel  100 . A fastening nut  440  is used to affix the other end portion of the anchor rod  410  to the rear panel  100 . A shock-absorbing member  450  is disposed between the lightweight wall  10  and the rear panel  100  and fitted to the anchor rod  410  to absorb vibration. 
     in this regard, one end portion of the fastening hole  20  is inserted into the fastening hole  20  by penetrating the chemical anchor  800 . Thus, a bonding liquid contained in the chemical anchor  800  hardens in the fastening hole  20  to strongly maintain the bonding between the wall and the anchor rod  410 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a process in which the fastening hole is formed in the lightweight wall according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which debris-like extraneous material is removed from the fastening hole using a cleaning brush prior to mounting the washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on the lightweight wall.  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which particle-like extraneous material is removed from the fastening hole using an air gun prior to mounting the washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure on the lightweight wall.  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which the chemical anchor is placed into the fastening hole according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary process in which the anchor rod is inserted into and affixed to the wall in order to install the wall-mounted washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the fastening hole  20  is formed in the lightweight wall  10  using a drill  31 . Then, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , extraneous materials existing within the fastening hole  20  are removed using a cleaning brush  32  and an air gun  33 . Thereafter, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the chemical anchor  800  is disposed in the fastening hole  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the anchor rod  410  is rotationally struck by a hammer drill  34  and is inserted into the fastening hole  20  with the chemical anchor  800  therein. 
     At this time, the chemical anchor  800  is drilled by the anchor rod  410 . The bonding liquid contained in the chemical anchor  800  spreads in the fastening hole  20 . As the bonding liquid hardens, the anchor rod  410  may be firmly affixed to the inner surface of the fastening hole  20 . After one end portion of the anchor rod  410  is affixed to the lightweight wall  10 , the rear panel  100  is affixed to the other end portion of the anchor rod  410  using the fastening nut  440 . The shock-absorbing member  450  is interposed between the lightweight wall  10  and the rear panel  100  to reduce vibration and noise generated during operation of the washing machine and transmitted to the lightweight wall  10 . 
     In a wall-mounted washing machine according to a modification of the present disclosure, if vibration of the washing machine generated in the course of dewatering and rinsing the washing objects is expected to be small, the shock-absorbing member  450  may not be needed. In this case, the omission of the shock-absorbing member  450  from the washing machine makes it possible to reduce the number of components and the number of steps. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of installing a washing machine to a lightweight wall according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the method of mounting the washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: forming a fastening hole in a lightweight wall (S 100 ); removing extraneous material from the fastening hole (S 200 ); disposing a chemical anchor into the fastening hole (S 300 ) ; inserting an anchor rod into the fastening hole and securing the affixation between the anchor rod and the wall (S 400 ); and fixing the washing machine to the anchor rod (S 500 ). 
     At the step S 100 , the fastening hole may be formed using a drill  31 . The depth of the fastening hole  20  may be selected based on the strength, material and shape of the lightweight wall  10 . 
     At the step S 200 , the fastening hole  20  is cleaned to remove the extraneous material generated during drilling. For example, debris-like extraneous material may be first removed using a cleaning brush  32  and particle-like extraneous material or others may be secondarily removed by an air gun  33 . 
     At the step S 300 , a chemical anchor  800  having a capsule form is placed into the fastening hole  20 . Alternatively, the chemical anchor  800  may be injected into the fastening hole  20  using an injection gun. 
     At the step S 400 , to affix the anchor rod in the fastening hole, the end portion of the anchor rod  410  may be rotationally struck by a hammer drill  34  so that the anchor rod  410  penetrates the chemical anchor  800  inserted into the fastening hole  20 . At this time, the chemical anchor  800  is penetrated by the anchor rod  410 . Thus, the bonding liquid contained in the chemical anchor  800  spreads in the fastening hole  20 . As the bonding liquid hardens, the anchor rod  410  may be firmly affixed to the wall through contact with the inner surface of the fastening hole  20 . 
     At the step S 500 , the rear panel  100  is affix to the other end portion of the anchor rod  410  using the fastening nut  440 . At this time, the shock-absorbing member  450  is interposed between the lightweight wall  10  and the rear panel  100 . This can restrain vibration and noise generated during operation of the washing machine from being transmitted to the lightweight wall  10 . 
     As described above, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a washing machine can be mounted on a structurally-weak lightweight wall. Furthermore, vibration caused by washing machine operations, especially in dewatering and rinsing cycles, can be attenuated and restrained from being transmitted to the lightweight wall. 
     Thus, noise generated by vibration can be prevented. This can also significantly reduce the risk of the washing machine falling from the wall due to a failure of the fastening mechanism. 
     Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure. 
     Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are not limiting, but only an example in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is expressed by claims below, not the detailed description, and it should be construed that all changes and modifications achieved from the meanings and scope of claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure. 
     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. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the present disclosure.