Patent Abstract:
The present invention relates to a drum washing machine capable of re-circulating wash water to clean laundry with a relatively less amount of water. The drum washing machine includes a body, a drum rotatable in the body, wherein the drum comprises an opening formed in a predetermined portion of a circumference thereof and a hole formed in one side of the drum, a motor assembly mounted adjacent to the other side of the drum, wherein the other side of the drum is opposite to the hole, and an injection unit adjacent to the hole, wherein at least one of wash water or steam is injected into the drum through the hole.

Full Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0028932, filed on Mar. 30, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a drum washing machine capable of re-circulating wash water to clean laundry with a relatively less amount of water. 
         [0004]    2. Discussion of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Generally, drum washing machines are home appliances that are used to clean laundry inside a drum by friction force between a rotary drum and laundry. Due to development of drum washing machines, laundry can be less damaged and less entangled and the laundry can be washed as if it were scrubbed by human hands. 
         [0006]    A door is provided in a front part of a body in a conventional drum washing machine to load or unload laundry. When a user tries to put or take the laundry in or from a drum, the user should bend his/her waist or sit down, which is inconvenient to the user. The drum washing machine having a door provided in a front portion of its body will be referred to as a front loading-type drum washing machine. 
         [0007]    Recently, top loading-type drum washing machines have been developed, in which an opening for loading/unloading laundry is formed in a circumference of a drum and a drum door is coupled to the opening. Thus, a user can open the door without bending his/her waist and can load or unload laundry inside the drum. 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional top loading-type drum washing machine. 
         [0009]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional top loading-type drum washing machine  1  includes a body  3 , a tub  5  mounted within the body  3  to store wash water, and a drum  7  rotatable within the tub  5  to wash laundry therein. 
         [0010]    There are provided in both sides of the drum a motor shaft  9 , a spider  2 , a motor  4  and a motor housing  6 . The motor shaft  9  transmits rotational force to the drum  7 . The spider  2  transmits the rotational force of the motor shaft  9  to the drum  7 . A plurality of elastic members  8  may be provided under the tub  5  to support the tub  5 . 
         [0011]    According to the conventional top loading-type drum washing machine, the rotational force of the motor  7  is transmitted to the spider  2  via the motor shaft  9  and the drum  7  rotates during a washing and ringing cycle. The drum  7  rotates and the rotation of the drum  7  is damped by the elastic members  8  connected to the housing  6  in media of the bearing fastened to shafts provided in both sides of the drum  7 . 
         [0012]    Since the conventional top loading-type drum washing machine may not have any secured space connected to the drum, a nozzle used in a conventional front loading-type drum washing machine may not be installed in the conventional top loading-type drum washing machine and it is impossible to re-circulate wash water. 
         [0013]    That is, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a drum operation mechanism is provided in a side of the drum and a mechanism for supporting rotation of the drum is provided in the other side of the drum. Hence, the overall drum is closed and it is impossible to install any means for connecting an inside of the drum to an outside of the drum. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a drum washing machine that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
         [0015]    An advantage of the present invention is to provide a top loading-type drum washing machine capable of re-circulating wash water to easily clean laundry with a relatively less amount of wash water. 
         [0016]    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. 
         [0017]    To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a drum washing machine includes a body; a drum rotatable in the body, wherein the drum comprises an opening formed in a predetermined portion of a circumference thereof and a hole formed in one side of the drum; a motor assembly mounted adjacent to the other side of the drum, wherein the other side of the drum is opposite to the hole; and an injection unit adjacent to the hole, wherein at least one of wash water or steam is injected into the drum through the hole. 
         [0018]    In another aspect of the present invention, the drum washing machine further includes at least one bracket unit provided in the other side of the drum. The bracket is secured to the motor assembly and the body to support the drum. 
         [0019]    The bracket unit includes at least one bracket secured to the motor assembly to support the drum; and at least one damper for damping vibration of the drum. One end of the damper fastened to the bracket and the other end of the damper fastened to the body. 
         [0020]    The injection unit includes an injection nozzle adjacent to the hole to inject at least one of the wash water or steam into the drum through the hole. 
         [0021]    In another aspect of the present invention, the drum washing machine may further include a nozzle window. At least one of the wash water or steam injected through the nozzle dampens laundry inside of the drum smoothly. 
         [0022]    The nozzle window may include a lattice provided in some portion or an overall portion of the hole. 
         [0023]    The nozzle window may include a lattice provided in some portion or overall portion of the hole, the lattice having an appearance substantially radial shape. 
         [0024]    The hole may be formed in a substantially donut shape with respect to a center of one side of the drum. 
         [0025]    A center of the hole may be spaced apart a predetermined distance from a center of one side of the drum. 
         [0026]    The motor assembly includes a motor provided in one side of the drum to operate the drum; and a motor housing for mounting the motor. An end of the bracket is secured to the motor housing, and the other end of the bracket is bent and secured to an upper end of the damper. 
         [0027]    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 
         [0028]    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 embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. 
           [0029]    In the drawings: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically illustrating key parts of a conventional drum washing machine; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a diagram schematically illustrating key parts of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view schematically illustrating a damper shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0033]      FIGS. 4 to 7  are diagrams illustrating embodiments of the drum washing machine according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0034]    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. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates key parts of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment the present invention and  FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a damper shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIGS. 4 to 7  illustrate embodiments of the drum washing machine according to the present invention, respectively. 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a drum washing machine  100  includes a body  10 , a drum  20 , a tub  22 , a motor assembly  30  and an injection unit  40 . The drum is rotatable within the body  10 . An opening  21  is formed in a predetermined portion of a circumference of the drum  20  and a hole  41  is formed in one side of the drum  20 . The tub  22  is installed to cover the drum  20  and it stores wash water therein. The motor assembly  30  is mounted adjacent to the other side of the drum  20 , which is opposite to the hole  41 , and it operates the drum  20 . The injection unit  40  is adjacent to the hole  41  to inject at least one of wash water or steam into the drum  20  through the hole  41 . 
         [0037]    Also, the drum washing machine shown in  FIG. 2  includes the motor assembly  30  as a drum operation mechanism, which is provided in the other side of the drum  20 , a bracket unit  36  and a damper  37  as a drum supporting mechanism, and the injection unit  40  for injecting at least one wash water or steam into the drum  20  through the hole  41  formed in the other side of the drum  20 , in which the hole is formed, to communicate with the inside of the drum  20 . 
         [0038]    The opening  21  is in communication with the inside of the drum  20  so that a user may load laundry into the drum  20  through the opening  21 . Thus, it is preferred that an upper end of the tub  22 , that covers the drum  20 , and an upper end of the body  10 , that covers the tub  22 , are opened corresponding to the opening  21 . 
         [0039]    The drum  20  includes a drum door  24  for closing the opening  21 . The drum door  24  may be sliding to close the opening  21  or one side of the drum door  24  may have a hinge structure to close the opening  21 . 
         [0040]    The motor assembly  30  is provided in the other side of the drum  20 , which is opposite to the hole  41 , to operate the drum  20  so that the drum performs washing. Here, the motor assembly  30  includes a motor  33  and a motor housing  35 . 
         [0041]    The motor  33  includes a motor operation shaft  31  connected to the drum  20  and thus the motor  33  transmits a driving force to the drum  20  via the motor operation shaft  31 . The motor  33  is secured to the other side of the drum  20  by the motor housing  35 . 
         [0042]    As mentioned above, the hole  41  is provided in one side of the drum  20  in communication of the inside of the drum  20 . Together with the hole  41 , the injection unit  40  is also provided in the one side of the drum  20 , adjacent to the opening  21 . Thus, at least one of wash water or steam is injected into the drum  20  through the hole  41  by the injection unit  40 . 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the injection unit  40  includes an injection nozzle  45  adjacent to the hole  41 . Also, the injection unit  40  may include an injection spray mechanism that sprays wash water or steam into the drum  20  through the hole  41 . That is, the injection unit  40  may includes all kinds of structures that can supply wash water or steam into the drum  20  in a predetermined pressure and speed, for example injecting or spraying, to make wash water or steam reach the laundry adhering to inner surfaces of the drum  20 . If the injection unit  40  injects steam, a steam generation part may be connected to the injection unit  40 , though not shown in the drawings. The drum washing machine of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  further includes a nozzle window  43  provided at a hole provided at one side of the drum. The nozzle window  43  orients wash water or steam injected through an injection unit  40  to dampen the laundry inside of the drum smoothly. 
         [0044]    The drum washing machine according to the present invention is a top loading-type drum washing machine characterized in that the drum is supported in one side and the injection unit is provided in the other side of the drum to inject at least one of wash water or steam into the drum. 
         [0045]    When the drum is supported in one side, vibration may be generated severely and the supporting force may be insufficient during the drum rotation. As a result, the drum and the motor assembly provided in one side of the drum might collide against each other and become damaged. 
         [0046]    To damp the vibration and supply the sufficient supporting force, the drum washing machine according to the present invention may further include a bracket unit. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bracket unit includes at least one bracket  36  and at least one damper  37 . The bracket  36  is fastened to the motor assembly  30  to support the drum  20 . One end of the damper  37  is fastened to the bracket  36  and the other end of the damper  37  is fastened to the body  10  to damp the vibration of the drum  20  transmitted through the bracket  36 . 
         [0048]    One end of the bracket  36  is secured to a predetermined portion of the motor housing  35  and the other end of the bracket  36  is secured to an upper end of the damper  37 . It is preferred that the bracket  36  is provided in plural, considering safety of drum operation. 
         [0049]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , one end of the bracket  36  is secured to the motor housing  35  and thus the vibration of the drum  20  is transmitted through the bracket  36  during the drum rotation. The other end of the bracket  36  is movable due to the vibration of the drum  20 . 
         [0050]    Since the damper fastened to the other end of the bracket  36  damps the motion of the other end of the bracket  36 , the vibration generated from the drum rotation may be effectively damped. 
         [0051]    Here, the bracket  36  is bent at a predetermined portion and a bending part (B) is formed at the bracket  36  to damp some of the vibration of the drum before the vibration is transmitted to the damper  37 . 
         [0052]    The damper  37  may be fixed under the rotation center of the drum  20  within the body  10 . The rotation center of the drum  20  is a rotation center in connection with the weight of components related to the drum rotation. 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the damper  37  of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  may include a damper housing  39 , an elastic member  32  and a piston member  34 . The damper housing  39  is mounted in the body  10 . The elastic member  32  is provided in a longitudinal direction of the damper housing  39 . The piston member  34  is movable upward/downward along the longitudinal direction of the damper housing  39 . 
         [0054]    The other end of the bracket  36  is fastened to an upper end of the piston member  34  and the elastic member  32  is provided at a lower end of the piston member  34 , to support the piston member  34 . 
         [0055]    Fluid having high coefficient of viscosity may be provided within the damper housing  39  and the portion through which the fluid is filled is tightly sealed, such that the damping efficiency of the damper  37  may be enhanced. 
         [0056]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , balancing members  23  are provided at four side ends of the drum  20 , respectively. Also, a pump  25  is provided on an inner bottom surface of the body  10  to pump wash water so that the wash water is injected into the drum by the injection unit  40 . 
         [0057]    Embodiments shown in  FIGS. 4 to 7  will be now described. 
         [0058]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 to 7 , a drum washing machine according to the present invention further includes a nozzle window  43 ,  63  and  73  provided at a hole provided at one side of a drum. The nozzle window  43 ,  63  and  73  orients wash water or steam injected through an injection unit to dampen the laundry inside of the drum smoothly. 
         [0059]    According to a first embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the nozzle window  43  may be provided at some portion or an overall portion of the hole  41  in a lattice shape. In other words, the nozzle window  43  is formed by a lattice  44 . 
         [0060]    The injection unit  40  is installed adjacent to the nozzle window  43 . The hole  41  is provided in a center of one side of the drum  20  and the nozzle window  43  is provided at an overall portion of the hole  41  or provided at a predetermined portion of a center of the hole  41 . 
         [0061]    Thus, wash water or steam may be distributed over the inside of the drum  20  by the lattice  44  of the nozzle window  43 , or a motion path of the wash water or steam injected in a predetermined pressure and speed is changed to uniformly supply the wash water or steam to the laundry. Especially, when a soaking cycle is performed, the laundry may be adhering to an inner surface of the drum during the drum rotation. At this time, the lattice  44  of the nozzle window  43  allows the wash water or steam to be supplied to and to dampen the laundry adhering to the inner surface of the drum  20  uniformly. 
         [0062]      FIG. 5  illustrates a nozzle window and a lattice according a second embodiment. 
         [0063]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , a hole  41  provided at one side of the drum  20  and a center of the hole  41  is spaced apart a predetermined distance from a center of one side of the drum  20 . 
         [0064]    That is, the hole  41  is eccentric from the center of one side of the drum  20  and it rotates eccentrically when the drum  20  rotates. Accordingly, the nozzle window  43  eccentrically rotates with respect to the center of the drum  20  such that the wash water or steam injected by the injection unit may easily reach the laundry adhering to the inner surface of the drum  20  through the nozzle window  43 . 
         [0065]      FIG. 6  illustrates a nozzle window  63  and a lattice  64  according to a third embodiment. 
         [0066]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the nozzle window  63  is radial from a center of one side of the drum  20 . That is, a lattice  64  having a radial shape is provided at the hole  41  and the radial shaped nozzle window  63  is formed by the radial shaped lattice  64 . The nozzle window  63  is provided in a radial shape and the wash water or steam is injected in all direction, that is, a radial direction. 
         [0067]      FIG. 7  illustrates a nozzle window  73  and a lattice  74  according to a fourth embodiment. 
         [0068]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the nozzle window  73  is formed in a donut shape with respect to the center of one side of the drum  20 . For the donut shaped nozzle window  73 , a hole  71  is also formed in a donut shape with respect to the center of one side of the drum  20 . The nozzle window  73  is formed at one side of the drum  20  in a donut shape, such that wash water may be injected to an upper and lower part of the laundry uniformly. 
         [0069]    As mentioned above, in the drum washing machine according to the present invention, which is a top loading-type, the predetermined components to support the drum may be provided in one side of the drum and not provided in the other opposite side of the drum. Thus, inner space of the drum may be relatively wide and washing capacity may be enhanced, compared to the same overall size of a conventional top loading-type drum washing machine as well as a conventional front loading-type drum washing machine. 
         [0070]    Moreover, while there are provided in one side of the drum the components for supporting the drum, there are provided in the other side of the drum the injection unit for injecting at least one of wash water or steam. At least one of wash water or steam is injected into the drum through the hole and thus washing efficiency is high even with a relatively small amount of wash water. 
         [0071]    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