Patent Abstract:
A washing machine including a gasket having improved durability is disclosed. The washing machine includes a cabinet, a tub provided in the cabinet, storing washing water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, washing the laundry, a door provided in the cabinet, a gasket provided between the door and the tub, including a bent portion, and a reinforcement member provided in the bent portion of the gasket, preventing the bent portion from being abraded.

Full Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2004-39567, filed on Jun. 1, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to, a gasket provided between a door and a tub of a washing machine.  
         [0004]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0005]     A washing machine is to wash the laundry using a chemical action by detergents and a mechanical impact by a drum. Generally, the washing machine includes a tub provided in a cabinet and a drum rotatably provided in the tub. The cabinet is provided with a door that allows a user to put or take the laundry in or out of the drum. A gasket is provided between the door and the tub to prevent washing water from being leaked into the washing machine. The gasket includes a bent portion of a predetermined size and damps vibration of the tub and the drum using the bent portion.  
         [0006]     However, friction occurs between respective inner surfaces of the bent portion due to the vibration of the drum and the tub. In this case, the inner surfaces of the bent portion are abraded, and the bent portion is damaged by this abrasion. For this reason, the washing water is leaked out from the gasket and failure of the washing machine is caused.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a washing machine that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0008]     An object of the present invention is to provide a gasket for a washing machine configured to prevent a bent portion from being abraded.  
         [0009]     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention 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.  
         [0010]     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 cabinet, a tub provided in the cabinet, storing washing water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, washing the laundry, a door provided in the cabinet, a gasket provided between the door and the tub, including a bent portion, and a reinforcement member provided in the bent portion of the gasket, preventing the bent portion from being abraded.  
         [0011]     The reinforcement member is configured to allow facing inner surfaces of the bent portions to be spaced apart from one another at predetermined intervals so that the facing inner surfaces of the bent portion are not in contact with one another.  
         [0012]     The reinforcement member is comprised of at least one rib formed in any one of facing inner surfaces of the bent portion. Preferably, the reinforcement member is comprised of a plurality of ribs formed in any one of facing inner surfaces of the bent portion.  
         [0013]     Furthermore, the reinforcement member is comprised of first and second ribs respectively formed in facing inner surfaces of the bent portion. The first and second ribs are arranged to face each other. The first and second ribs may be connected with each other or may be separate members spaced apart from each other.  
         [0014]     The bent portion is comprised of a bellows and is oriented toward the door.  
         [0015]     In the present invention, the gasket is prevented from being abraded and damaged.  
         [0016]     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  
       [0017]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view illustrating a washing machine according to the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view illustrating a gasket fixed to a tub in a washing machine according to the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line I-I of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view illustrating a gasket of a washing machine according to the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a plane view viewed in a direction A of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view illustrating a modified example of a gasket of a washing machine according to the present invention; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a plane view viewed in a direction A of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred 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.  
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view illustrating a washing machine according to the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view illustrating a gasket fixed to a tub in a washing machine according to the present invention, and  FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line I-I of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0027]     As shown, a washing machine according to the present invention includes a cabinet  10 , a tub  20  supported by a damper  70  and a spring  60  in the cabinet  10 , a drum  30  rotatably provided in the tub  20 , and a driver  50  connected with the drum  30 .  
         [0028]     The driver  50  includes a rotor  52  and a stator  51  attached to the rear of the tub  20 . A driving shaft  53  is directly connected with the rotor  52  and the drum  30  to transfer a driving force of the rotor  52  to the drum  30 . Instead of the rotor  52  and the stator  51 , the driving shaft  53  may be connected with a motor located at the lower portion using a pulley and a belt.  
         [0029]     A controller  12  is provided at the upper portion of the cabinet  10  and controls the whole operation of the washing machine. A door  11  is provided at the front of the cabinet  10 , and a gasket  100  is provided between the door  11  and the drum  30 . The gasket  100  serves to prevent washing water from being leaked into the washing machine.  
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the gasket  100  includes a first end  10 , a second end  120 , and a bent portion  130  formed between the first and second ends.  
         [0031]     The first end  110  is inserted into an opening formed in the cabinet and is engaged with the door  11  that closes the opening. The second end  120  is engaged with the tub  20 .  
         [0032]     The bent portion  130  serves to give elasticity to the gasket  100  to damp vibration of the tub  20  and the drum  30 . Substantially, the bent portion  130  is comprised of a bellows. In more detail, the bent portion  130  is oriented toward the door  11  as shown. The bent portion  130  is forwardly extended from the body of the gasket  100 . The bent portion  130  also allows the gasket  100  to damp up and down vibration and forward and reverse vibration.  
         [0033]     Meanwhile, as aforementioned, friction occurs between respective facing inner surfaces of the bent portion  130  due to vibration of the drum  30  and tub  20 . This could lead to abrasion of the bent portion  30 . The bent portion may be damaged by such abrasion. Accordingly, a reinforcement member  200  is provided in the bent portion  130  to prevent the bent portion from being abraded.  
         [0034]     The reinforcement member  200 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , is comprised of at least one rib  200  provided in any one of the facing inner surfaces of the bent portion  130 . The rib  200  is extended along the inner surface in a radial direction of the gasket  100 . Also, the rib  200  may be formed in a single body with the gasket  100  or may separately be attached to the inner surface of the gasket  100 . The reinforcement member, i.e., the rib  200  allows the facing inner surfaces of the bent portion to be spaced apart from one another at predetermined intervals. In this case, the facing inner surfaces are not in contact with one another. Thus, the reinforcement member  200  can prevent the bent portion  130  from being abraded and damaged by friction. Preferably, a plurality of ribs  200  are formed in any one of the facing inner surfaces of the bent portion  130 . In this case, the ribs are spaced apart from one another at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction of the gasket  100 .  
         [0035]     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , first and second ribs  210  and  220  may respectively be formed in facing inner surfaces  131  and  132  of the bent portion. The first and second ribs  210  and  220  are arranged to face each other. When the bent portion  130  is varied by vibration, the first and second ribs  210  and  220  are only in contact with each other. Thus, the first and second ribs  210  and  220  fully prevent the facing inner surfaces  131  and  132  from being contacted with each other, and can ensure prevention of abrasion of the bent portion  130 . Preferably, a plurality of first and second ribs may be formed in the inner surfaces  131  and  132 . In this case, as shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , the first and second ribs are spaced apart from one another at constant intervals. Also, the first and second ribs  210  and  220 , as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , may be separate members spaced apart from each other. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the first and second ribs  210  and  220  may be connected with each other. In other words, the reinforcement member  200  may be comprised of ribs successively extended over the facing inner surfaces of the bent portion  130 . The successive first and second ribs  210  and  220  wholly support the bent portion  130  to enhance the intensity of the bent portion  130 .  
         [0036]     The operation of the aforementioned gasket according to the present invention will be described as follows.  
         [0037]     First, if the power is applied to motors  51  and  52 , the drum  30  connected with the motors is rotated by the motors to perform a washing function. Vibration generated by rotation of the drum  30  is transferred to the gasket  100  through the tub  20 . The bent portion of the gasket is twisted or distorted by the vibration. At this time, the inner surfaces  131  and  132  of the bent portion are in contact with each other due to the reinforcement member  200 . Thus, the inner surfaces  131  and  132  of the bent portion  130  are not abraded. Even in case that the laundry enters the bent portion  130 , the reinforcement member  200  minimizes contact and abrasion of the inner surfaces  131  and  132  of the bent portion.  
         [0038]     As described above, the gasket is neither abraded nor damaged by the reinforcement member. Therefore, owing to the reinforcement member, it is possible to previously avoid failure of the washing machine that may be caused by leakage of the washing water.  
         [0039]     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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3