Patent Abstract:
The present invention relates to a door assembly for a washing machine comprising a main recess part on the door frame for allowing adhesives applied thereto and a sub recess part for receiving the adhesives flown over from the main recess part. Thus, when sticking the door glass to the door frame, the adhesives are not leaked out, thereby preventing the surrounding of the adhesives from being contaminated.

Full Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No. P2004-88269, filed on Nov. 2, 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 door assembly for a washing machine capable of preventing the surrounding where a door glass is stuck to a door frame by adhesives from being contaminated.  
         [0004]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Generally, washing machines are home appliances which remove dirt from clothing items, clothes and beddings (hereinafter, ‘the laundry’) by using washing liquid and water (hereinafter, ‘washing water’).  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a first embodiment of a related art washing machine.  
         [0007]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the related art washing machine includes a base plate  1  for defining a base, a cabinet  2  defining a circumferential surface, a top cover  10  for defining a top and having a laundry entrance  8  for loading the laundry, and a door coupled to the top cover  10  for opening/closing the door  20 .  
         [0008]     There is a control part  15  at the top cover  10  for controlling the washing machine.  
         [0009]     The door includes a rear door  22  coupled to the top cover  10 , and a front door  24  coupled to the rear door  22 .  
         [0010]     The rear and front door  22  and  24  are folded or unfolded as necessary. That is, when loading the laundry, the rear and front door  22  and  24  are folded to open the laundry entrance  8 , whereas during a washing cycle, the rear and front door  22  and  24  are unfolded to close the laundry entrance  8 .  
         [0011]     However, the related art washing machine has a problem that it is difficult to check whether the washing cycle is under the process, or not, because the door  20  is not transparent enough to see through.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a door assembly for a washing machine that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0013]     An object of the present invention is to provide a door assembly for a washing machine capable of being handled to open the inside of the washing machine for a user&#39;s convenience, as well as the user seeing through the inside of the washing machine.  
         [0014]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a door assembly for a washing machine capable of preventing adhesives from leaking out in a manufacturing process of the door assembly, thereby stopping the contamination of an exterior of the door assembly.  
         [0015]     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.  
         [0016]     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an door assembly for a washing machine includes a top cover having a laundry entrance: a door frame coupled to the top cover, having an opening part on a surface thereof; a door glass put on an upper surface of the door frame for covering the opening part; a main recess part insertedly formed on a portion of an upper surface of the door fame which the door glass are in a close contact with.  
         [0017]     At that time, a glass seating part insertedly formed in the upper surface of the door frame is further included for allowing the door glass seated thereon, and the glass seating part allows the main recess part formed on the surface thereof.  
         [0018]     The depth in which the glass seating part is inserted is the same as or deeper than the thickness of the door glass.  
         [0019]     Also, a sub recess part formed on the surface of the glass seating part is further included for receiving the adhesives flown over from the main recess part.  
         [0020]     The sub recess part is formed outer, compared with the main recess part.  
         [0021]     The sub recess part is formed along the circumferential surface of the main recess part.  
         [0022]     The sub recess part is narrower in width than the main recess part.  
         [0023]     The sub recess part is spaced apart at a predetermined distance from an inner circumferential surface of the glass seating part.  
         [0024]     Also, an opaque sheet on a circumference of the upper surface of the door glass is further included.  
         [0025]     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  
       [0026]     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:  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a related art washing machine.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, when a first embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention is closed.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, when a first embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention is closed.  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a door of  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view illustrating an A-A line of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0032]     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.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view, when a first embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention is closed.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view, when a first embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention is closed.  FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a door of  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  FIG. 5  is a sectional view illustrating an A-A line of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0034]     As shown in FIGS.  2  to  5 , the door assembly for the washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a top cover  52  and a door  50 .  
         [0035]     The door  50  includes a door frame  60  and a door glass  70 .  
         [0036]     First of all, the top cover  52  will be described.  
         [0037]     The top cover  52  is a portion where the door  50  is mounted, and defines a top of the washing machine. The top cover  52  has a square shape, and an accommodating part  53  having an upper side thereof opened is formed in rear of the top cover  52 .  
         [0038]     Many kinds of sub assembly components (not shown) such as a water supply valve or a water level sensor are provided in the accommodating part  53 .  
         [0039]     A control panel  55  is provided on an upper portion of the accommodating part  53  for managing operation of the washing machine. There is a control board (not shown) within the control panel  55  for controlling the washing operation based on the control panel  55 .  
         [0040]     Furthermore, a door seating part  56  is formed on an upper surface of the top cover  52  for allowing the door  50  to seat thereon, and a laundry entrance  51  is formed in a center of the door seating part  56 .  
         [0041]     The door seating part  56  is big enough to accommodate the door frame  60 .  
         [0042]     Also, the door seating part  56  is big enough to minimize an aperture between the door frame  60  and the top cover  52  when the door frame is accommodated.  
         [0043]     Specifically, the door seating part  56  in a front-and-rear direction may be formed in a size to have an aperture ti big enough for the user&#39;s hand or finger to be inserted fully, compared with the size for a front and rear direction of the door frame  60 .  
         [0044]     A front portion  57  of the door seating part  56  is formed higher than a rear portion thereof, and inclined downwardly from an end of the front portion toward the rear portion. Preferably, the inclined surface is formed concavely round.  
         [0045]     Next, the door frame  60  will be described.  
         [0046]     First of all, the door frame  60  is coupled to the top cover  52 .  
         [0047]     Also, an opening part  58  corresponding to the laundry entrance  51  is formed on the door frame  60 .  
         [0048]     The opening part  58  may be formed almost the same as the laundry entrance  51  of the top cover  52 . Alternatively, the opening part  58  may be larger or smaller than the laundry entrance  51 .  
         [0049]     Also, the door frame  60  made of one material such as plastic injected resin or metal is hinged to the top cover.  
         [0050]     For that, hinge shafts  62  are provided each at a first side of a rear surface of the door frame  60 , or each at a first side of the accommodation part  53  of the top cover  52 . Hinge holes  63  rotatably connected to the hinge shafts  62  are formed at a second side of the door frame  60  or the accommodation part  53 .  
         [0051]     Thus, once the front of the door frame  60  is lifted upwardly, the door  50  rotates upwardly to open the laundry entrance  51 . Therewith, the front portion  61  of the door frame  60  is thinner than the other portions thereof. That is, when the door frame  60  is seated on the door seating part  56 , the front portion  61  is spaced apart at a predetermined distance from a base of the door seating part  56 . That structure enables the user to grasp the front portion  61  of the door frame  60  without any difficulties.  
         [0052]     At that time, the end of the front portion  61  of the door frame  60  is more inclined than the front portion  57  of the door seating part  56 . Thus, the end of the front portion  61  of the door frame  60  may not come in contact with the front portion  57  of the door seating part  56 .  
         [0053]     Therefore, the user may grasp the front portion  61  of the door frame  60  through the aperture t 1  between the door frame  60  and the door seating part  56  more easily.  
         [0054]     Still further, a glass seating part  64  is insertedly formed on a front surface of the door frame  60 . The door glass  70  is seated in the glass seating part  64 .  
         [0055]     The glass seating part  64  has a shape corresponding to the door glass  70 , and is formed larger than the door glass  70 .  
         [0056]     Especially, the size difference between the glass seating part  64  and the door glass  70  is enough that a small aperture t 2  may be formed between an inner circumference of the glass seating part  64  and an outer circumference of the door glass  70 .  
         [0057]     Preferably, the depth in that the glass seating part  64  is inserted is the same as the thickness of the door glass  70  or deeper than the door glass  70 . That is so that the door glass  70  may not more projected than the upper surface of the door frame  60 , when seating the door glass  70  on the glass seating part  64 .  
         [0058]     On the other hand, a main recess part is formed in a portion of the door frame  60 , where the door glass  70  is contacted, in other words, the upper surface of the glass seating part  64 . Adhesives C are applied to the main recess part  65 .  
         [0059]     The main recess part  65  is a recess part in which the upper surface of the glass seating part  64  is inserted.  
         [0060]     The main recess part  65  may be formed along all the circumference portions of the opening part  58  on the upper surface of the glass seating part  64 . Alternatively, although not described, the main recess part  65  may be partially formed on the upper surface of the glass seating part  64 .  
         [0061]     Also, the first embodiment of the present invention discloses that a sub recess part  66  is further formed on the glass seating part  64 .  
         [0062]     The sub recess part  66  is for holding over-flown adhesives in case that the adhesives applied to the main recess part  65  are over flown.  
         [0063]     Especially, the sub recess part  66  is formed outer, compared with the main recess part  65 , and narrower than the main recess part  65 . Regardless to say, the sub recess part  66  also may be formed along all the circumference portions of the main recess part  65 .  
         [0064]     Furthermore, the sub recess part  66  may be spaced apart at a predetermined distance t 2  from an inner circumferential surface of the glass seating part  64 . the distance t 2  is the same as the aperture t 2  between the glass seating part  64  and the door glass  70 .  
         [0065]     Still further, a division rib  67  is further formed on the glass seating part  64  for dividing the sub recess part  65  from the main recess part  66 . The division rib  67  is high enough for the adhesives applied to the main recess part  65  to go over into the sub recess part  66 .  
         [0066]     Next, the door glass  70  will be described.  
         [0067]     First of all, the door glass  70  is a window for seeing through the inside of the washing machine from an outside, and is made of transparent material.  
         [0068]     The door glass  70  is stuck to the glass seating part  64  of the door frame by adhesives (C) for covering the opening part  58  of the door frame  60 .  
         [0069]     An opaque sheet  72  is further provided on a circumference of the upper surface of the door glass  70 .  
         [0070]     The opaque sheet  72  is a film so as not to see through a below portion thereof, in other words, the portion where the door glass  70  and the door frame  60  are stuck. Then, the opaque sheet  72  is provided on the upper circumference surface of the door glass  70 , the portion not corresponding to the laundry entrance  51  and the opening part  58 .  
         [0071]     On the other hand, the reference number  74  is a seating rib projected at the glass seating part  64 . The seating rib  74  forms the sub recess part  66 , and is seated at a downside edge of the door glass  70 .  
         [0072]     An assembly process of the door assembly according to the present invention will be described.  
         [0073]     First, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the adhesives C are applied to the main recess part  65  of the door frame  60 .  
         [0074]     Hence, the door glass  70  is seated on the glass seating part  64 .  
         [0075]     In that case, the portion of the door glass  70  downside, facing the main recess part  65  is stuck on the adhesives C, whereas the other portions thereof is in a close contact with the portion facing the glass seating part  64 .  
         [0076]     If the adhesives C are applied to the entire main recess part  65  or some of the main recess part  65  too much in the middle of seating the door glass  60  on the glass seating part  64 , the adhesives C are over flown from the main recess part  65 .  
         [0077]     However, the adhesives C go across the division rib  67  into the sub recess part  66 . Continuously, the adhesives are flown along the sub recess part  66 . Thus, the adhesives are prevented from being over flown outside of the sub recess part  66 . Then, the adhesives C′ flown into the sub recess part  66  are stuck to the surface of the door glass  70  facing the sub recess  66 .  
         [0078]     On the other hand, if the adhesives C are applied too much, the adhesives C may be over flown to the outside of the sub recess part  66 . However, the over flown adhesives C are stopped from being leaked into an outside by the inner circumferential surface of the glass seating part  64 . Also, the adhesives are flown along the aperture t 2  between the door glass  60  and the glass seating part  64  to allow the outer circumferential surface of the door glass  60  and the inner circumferential surface of the glass seating part  64  stuck together.  
         [0079]     As described above, the door assembly for a washing machine according to the present invention has the following advantageous effect. First, the user may see through the inside of the washing machine due to the door assembly according to the present invention, as well as may open the washing machine more easily.  
         [0080]     Furthermore, when connecting the door glass  70  to the door frame  60 , the adhesives are prevented from being leaked outside of the aperture between the door frame  60  and the door glass  70  by the main and sub recess part  65  and  66 .  
         [0081]     Still further, since the door assembly for the washing machine according to the present invention has the glass seating part  64  on the upper surface of the door frame  60 . Thus, the adhesives may stay in the inner wall side of the glass seating part, although the adhesives are over flown outside of the sub recess part  66 , thereby preventing the adhesives from being over flown to an outside. Also the portion around the adhesives may be prevented from being contaminated.  
         [0082]     Still further, since the door assembly for the washing machine according to the present invention has the division rib on the glass seating part  64  for divide the main recess part  65  into the sub recess part  66 , the worker may apply the adhesives to the main and sub recess part  65  and  66  more easily.  
         [0083]     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