Source: http://www.patentsencyclopedia.com/app/20130014547
Timestamp: 2016-12-04 06:18:18
Document Index: 138037058

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n3', 'art 16', 'art 11', 'art 12', 'art 11', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 12', 'art 11', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12']

WASHING MACHINEAANM Kim; Hyun MookAACI Osan-siAACO KRAAGP Kim; Hyun Mook Osan-si KRAANM Jun; Kab JinAACI Gwangiu-siAACO KRAAGP Jun; Kab Jin Gwangiu-si KRAANM Min; Je HongAACI Seongnam-siAACO KRAAGP Min; Je Hong Seongnam-si KRAANM Lee; Sang HyeokAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP Lee; Sang Hyeok Suwon-si KRAANM Choi; Ji HoonAACI Hwaseong-siAACO KRAAGP Choi; Ji Hoon Hwaseong-si KRAANM Kim; Seung OhAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP Kim; Seung Oh Suwon-si KR - Patent application
Patent application title: WASHING MACHINEAANM Kim; Hyun MookAACI Osan-siAACO KRAAGP Kim; Hyun Mook Osan-si KRAANM Jun; Kab JinAACI Gwangiu-siAACO KRAAGP Jun; Kab Jin Gwangiu-si KRAANM Min; Je HongAACI Seongnam-siAACO KRAAGP Min; Je Hong Seongnam-si KRAANM Lee; Sang HyeokAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP Lee; Sang Hyeok Suwon-si KRAANM Choi; Ji HoonAACI Hwaseong-siAACO KRAAGP Choi; Ji Hoon Hwaseong-si KRAANM Kim; Seung OhAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP Kim; Seung Oh Suwon-si KR
Hyun Mook Kim (Osan-Si, KR)
Kab Jin Jun (Gwangiu-Si, KR)
Je Hong Min (Seongnam-Si, KR)
Sang Hyeok Lee (Suwon-Si, KR)
Ji Hoon Choi (Hwaseong-Si, KR)
Seung Oh Kim (Suwon-Si, KR)
Patent application number: 20130014547
A washing machine includes a cabinet, a rotary tub disposed to rotate
around a driving shaft, which is vertically provided inside the inner
part of the cabinet, and comprising a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall
slantingly extending from the bottom to have a diameter increasing toward
an upper side of the rotary tub from the bottom, a driving apparatus
disposed at a lower side of the rotary tub to rotate the rotary tub, a
bracket plate connected to the rotary tub by the driving shaft at the
lower side of the rotary tub and having the driving apparatus provided at
a lower side thereof, a base disposed at a lower side of the bracket
plate, and a suspension member having a lower side supported by the base
and an upper side connected to the bracket plate at a lateral side of a
center of gravity of the rotary tub.Claims:
1. A washing machine comprising: a cabinet comprising an outer part
forming an external appearance of the washing machine, and an inner part
which is provided in a cylindrical shape and connected to an inner
surface of the outer part; a rotary tub disposed to rotate around a
driving shaft, which is vertically provided inside the inner part of the
cabinet, and comprising a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall slantingly
extending from the bottom to have a diameter increasing toward an upper
side of the rotary tub from the bottom; a driving apparatus disposed at a
lower side of the rotary tub to rotate the rotary tub; a bracket plate
connected to the rotary tub through the driving shaft at the lower side
of the rotary tub and having the driving apparatus provided at a lower
side thereof; a base disposed at a lower side of the bracket plate; and a
suspension member having a lower side supported by the base and an upper
side connected to the bracket plate at a lateral side of a center of
gravity of the rotary tub so that vibration generated from the rotary tub
2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the outer part is integrally
formed with the inner part, and the inner part makes contact with at
least one inner surfaces of the outer part.
3. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the sidewall is provided at an
upper side thereof with at least one through-hole to discharge washing
water to an outside when the rotary tub rotates.
4. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein the inner part comprises a
drain groove which is formed at a circumference of a lower end of the
inner part while being bent toward an inside the inner part to store a
washing water falling through the through-hole, and at least one drain
hole which is formed at one side of the drain groove to guide the washing
water accommodated in the drain groove to outside of the drain groove.
5. The washing machine of claim 4, wherein the rotary tub comprises a
guide rib which extends from a lower side of the sidewall by a
predetermined length such that the washing water discharged through the
through-hole is guided to be fallen to the drain groove.
6. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein the drain groove comprises a
first bending portion which is bent from the lower end of the inner part
toward a center of the inner part, and a second bending portion which is
bent from an end of the first bending portion in a direction
perpendicular to a ground, and the guide rib is disposed between the
second bending portion and an inner circumferential surface of the inner
7. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the driving apparatus
comprises a clutch configured to rotate the rotary tub and a pulsator
rotatably disposed inside the rotary tub, and a driving motor configured
to drive the clutch.
8. The washing machine of claim 7, wherein the clutch comprises a housing
and the driving shaft which is rotatably supported by a bearing coupled
to an inner side of the housing, and wherein the lower side of the rotary
tub is coupled to a flange member that is configured to connect the
driving shaft to the rotary tub such that a rotary force of the driving
shaft is transmitted to the rotary tub.
9. The washing machine of claim 8, wherein the flange member is provided
at a center thereof with a first through-hole which allows the flange
member to be coupled to the driving shaft, and is provided with at least
one second through-hole formed around the first through-hole to guide the
washing water stored inside the rotary tub to an outside.
10. The washing machine of claim 4, wherein the inner part comprises a
bottom surface which extends from an end portion of the drain groove to a
center of the inner part, and wherein the rotary tub is disposed on a
upper side of the bottom surface, and a base plate configured to fix the
driving apparatus is disposed at a lower side of the bottom surface.
11. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein the bottom surface has a
center portion higher than a periphery portion whereby a washing water
that falls from the sidewall or the bottom of the rotary tub flows toward
the drain groove by gravity.
12. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the bracket plate includes a
base portion, an extension portion extending upward from the base portion
to a vertical position of a center of the gravity of the rotary tub, and
a connection portion formed at an upper side of the extension portion to
be connected to the suspension member.
13. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the driving apparatus is
provided at a lower side of the base portion of the bracket plate, and
the extension portion extends upward from the base portion to a vertical
position in a range between about ˜100 mm and +100 mm from the
center of the gravity of the rotary tub such that the connection portion
formed on the upper side of the extension portion is connected to the
suspension member at the lateral side of the center of the gravity of the
rotary tub.
14. The washing machine of claim 13, wherein the extension portion
comprises a first extension portion which extends from the base portion
toward the cabinet in parallel to the base portion, and a second
extension portion which extends from the first extension portion upward
while being inclined toward the cabinet.
15. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the connection portion
formed on the upper side of the second extension portion extends upward
from the second extension portion while being inclined toward the
16. The washing machine of claim 15, wherein the suspension member is
inclined with respect to the base toward the rotary tub such that the
suspension member is perpendicularly connected to the connection portion.
17. A lower side supporting apparatus for a washing machine comprising a
cabinet and a rotary tub disposed to rotate around a driving shaft
vertically provided inside the cabinet, the lower side supporting
apparatus configured to support the rotary tub at a lower side of the
rotary tub and comprising: a bracket plate comprising a base portion
which is connected to the rotary tub by the driving shaft at the lower
side of the rotary tub, an extension portion which extends upward from
the base portion to a vertical position of a center of the gravity of the
rotary tub, and a connection portion formed at an upper side of the
extension portion; a base provided at a lower side of the bracket plate;
and a suspension member comprising one side supported by the base and an
opposite side connected to the connection portion of the bracket plate at
a lateral side of a center of gravity of the rotary tub, thereby
absorbing vibration generated from the rotary tub
18. The lower side supporting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the driving
apparatus is provided at a lower side of the base portion of the bracket
plate, and the extension portion extends upward from the base portion to
a vertical position in a range between about -100 mm and +100 mm from the
center of the gravity of the rotary tub.
19. The lower side supporting apparatus of claim 18, wherein the
extension portion comprises a first extension portion which extends from
the base portion toward the cabinet in parallel to the base portion, and
a second extension portion which extends upward from the first extension
portion while being inclined toward the cabinet.
20. The lower side support apparatus of claim 19, wherein the connection
portion formed on the upper side of the second extension portion extends
upward from the second extension portion while being inclined toward the
21. The lower side support apparatus of claim 20, wherein the suspension
member is inclined with respect to the base toward the rotary tub such
that the suspension member is perpendicularly connected to the connection
portion.Description:
No. 2011-0070395, filed on Jul. 15, 2011 in the Korean Intellectual
[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a washing machine
and an apparatus for supporting a lower portion of a washing machine.
[0005] A washing machine is designed to wash laundry by use of
electricity. In general, the washing machine includes a tub to receive
washing water, a rotary tub rotatably installed inside the tub, a
pulsator rotatably installed at the bottom of the rotary tub, and a motor
and a clutch that are configured to rotate the rotary tub and the
[0006] As the rotary tub and the pulsator rotate in a state that laundry
and detergent are introduced in the rotary tub, the pulsator stirs the
washing water together with the laundry that is introduced into the
rotary tub, thereby removing dirt from the laundry.
[0007] In order to increase the washing capacity of the washing machine,
the rotary tub needs to be larger, that is, needs to increase the
diameter or the height of the rotary tub. If the rotary tub has a larger
size, a tub accommodating the rotary tub and a cabinet accommodating the
tub also need to be enlarged along with the increase of the rotary tub.
[0008] The enlargement of the cabinet, which corresponds to the external
appearance of the washing machine, is limited by the space of an area
where the washing machine is installed. In addition, for a vertical shaft
washing machine, the increased height of a washing machine causes a
difficulty in loading and unloading laundry. Accordingly, there is a need
for the washing machine having a structure capable of removing such an
[0009] In addition, in a case that a rotating body is supported by
connecting a suspension to an upper side of a cabinet of a washing
machine, a vibration is transmitted to the cabinet, thereby requiring the
cabinet to have a sufficient strength to support the rotating structure.
[0010] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved structure capable of
effectively absorbing the vibration of the rotating body without
requiring a high strength of the cabinet.
[0011] Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a
washing machine having a supporting apparatus capable of supporting a
rotary tub while effectively absorbing a vibration of the rotary tub.
[0012] In addition, it is another aspect of the present disclosure to
provide a washing machine having an improved structure capable of
increasing the washing capacity without enlarging the external appearance
[0013] Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in
the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the
description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.
[0014] In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a washing
machine includes a cabinet, a rotary tub, a driving apparatus, a bracket
plate, a base and a suspension member. The cabinet includes an outer part
surface of the outer part. The rotary tub is disposed to rotate around a
cabinet, and includes a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall slantingly
side of the rotary tub from the bottom. The driving apparatus is disposed
at a lower side of the rotary tub to rotate the rotary tub. The bracket
plate is connected to the rotary tub through the driving shaft at the
lower side of the rotary tub and has the driving apparatus provided at a
lower side thereof. The base is disposed at a lower side of the bracket
plate. The suspension member has a lower side supported by the base and
an upper side connected to the bracket plate at a lateral side of a
center of gravity of the rotary tub so that vibration generated from the
rotary tub is absorbed.
[0015] The outer part is integrally formed with the inner part, and the
inner part makes contact with at least one inner surfaces of the outer
[0016] The sidewall is provided at an upper side thereof with at least one
through-hole to discharge washing water to an outside when the rotary tub
[0017] The inner part includes a drain groove which is formed at a
circumference of a lower end of the inner part while being bent toward an
inside the inner part to store a washing water falling through the
through-hole, and at least one drain hole which is formed at one side of
the drain groove to guide the washing water accommodated in the drain
groove to outside of the drain groove.
[0018] The rotary tub includes a guide rib which extends from a lower side
of the sidewall by a predetermined length such that the washing water
discharged through the through-hole is guided to be fallen to the drain
[0019] The drain groove includes a first bending portion which is bent
from the lower end of the inner part toward a center of the inner part,
and a second bending portion which is bent from an end of the first
bending portion in a direction perpendicular to a ground. The guide rib
is disposed between the second bending portion and an inner
circumferential surface of the inner part.
[0020] The driving apparatus includes a clutch configured to rotate the
rotary tub and a pulsator rotatably disposed inside the rotary tub, and a
driving motor configured to drive the clutch.
[0021] The clutch includes a housing and the driving shaft which is
rotatably supported by a bearing coupled to an inner side of the housing.
The lower side of the rotary tub is coupled to a flange member that is
configured to connect the driving shaft to the rotary tub such that a
rotary force of the driving shaft is transmitted to the rotary tub.
[0022] The flange member is provided at a center thereof with a first
through-hole which allows the flange member to be coupled to the driving
shaft, and is provided with at least one second through-hole formed
around the first through-hole to guide the washing water stored inside
the rotary tub to an outside.
[0023] The inner part includes a bottom surface which extends from an end
portion of the drain groove to a center of the inner part. The rotary tub
is disposed on a upper side of the bottom surface, and a base plate
configured to fix the driving apparatus is disposed at a lower side of
[0024] The bottom surface has a center portion higher than a periphery
portion such that a washing water fallen from the sidewall or the bottom
of the rotary tub flows toward the drain groove by gravity.
[0025] The bracket plate includes a base portion, an extension portion
extending upward from the base portion to a vertical position of a center
of the gravity of the rotary tub, and a connection portion formed at an
upper side of the extension portion to be connected to the suspension
[0026] The driving apparatus is provided at a lower side of the base
portion of the bracket plate, and the extension portion extends upward
from the base portion to a vertical position in a range between about
-100 mm and +100 mm from the center of the gravity of the rotary tub such
that the connection portion formed on the upper side of the extension
portion is connected to the suspension member at the lateral side of the
[0027] The extension portion includes a first extension portion which
extends from the base portion toward the cabinet in parallel to the base
portion, and a second extension portion which extends from the first
extension portion upward while being inclined toward the cabinet.
[0028] The connection portion formed on the upper side of the second
extension portion extends upward from the second extension portion while
being inclined toward the cabinet.
[0029] The suspension member is inclined with respect to the base toward
the rotary tub such that the suspension member is perpendicularly
connected to the connection portion.
[0030] In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a
lower side supporting apparatus for a washing machine including a cabinet
and a rotary tub disposed to rotate around a driving shaft vertically
provided inside the cabinet is configured to support the rotary tub at a
lower side of the rotary tub and includes a bracket plate, a base and a
suspension member. The bracket plate includes a base portion which is
connected to the rotary tub by the driving shaft at the lower side of the
rotary tub, an extension portion which extends upward from the base
portion to a vertical position of a center of the gravity of the rotary
tub, and a connection portion formed at an upper side of the extension
portion. The base is provided at a lower side of the bracket plate. The
suspension member includes one side supported by the base and an opposite
side connected to the connection portion of the bracket plate at a
lateral side of a center of gravity of the rotary tub, thereby absorbing
vibration generated from the rotary tub.
[0031] The driving apparatus is provided at a lower side of the base
-100 mm and +100 mm from the center of the gravity of the rotary tub.
[0032] The extension portion includes a first extension portion which
portion, and a second extension portion which extends upward from the
first extension portion while being inclined toward the cabinet.
[0033] The connection portion formed on the upper side of the second
[0034] The suspension member is inclined with respect to the base toward
[0035] According to the present disclosure, a vibration of a rotary tub is
effectively absorbed without a high strength of a cabinet.
[0036] In addition, the washing capacity is increased without enlarging
the washing machine, so that a larger amount of laundry is washed at one
[0037] In addition, the washing machine according to the present
disclosure implements the same washing capacity with a small external
appearance, so that the washing machine is less limited by the space of
an installation area than the conventional washing machine and the
laundry is easily loaded, and thus the convenience of a user is improved.
[0038] These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent
and more readily appreciated from the following description of the
[0039] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a washing machine
according an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the washing machine
according the embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the washing machine according
the embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0042] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the washing
machine according the embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0043] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the washing machine
[0044] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a washing machine
according another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0045] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine of FIG. 6.
[0046] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a washing machine having a tub
according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0047] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the
[0048] Referring to FIG. 1, a washing machine 1 includes a cabinet 10
forming an external appearance of the washing machine 1, a rotary tub 20
rotatably disposed inside the cabinet 10, and a driving apparatus 30
disposed at a lower side of the rotary tub 20 to rotate the rotary tub
[0049] The cabinet 10 is provided at an upper side thereof with an upper
cover 14 having a laundry inlet 13 through which laundry is loaded. A
door 15 is provided on the upper cover 14 to open and close the laundry
inlet 13.
[0050] The cabinet 10 is provided at a lower side thereof with a lower
cover 17 which is coupled to a resting part 16 enabling the washing
machine 1 to be rested on a floor.
[0051] The rotary tub 20 is rotatably disposed inside the cabinet 10. A
plurality of through-holes 24 is formed through a circumference of an
upper side of the rotary tub 20.
[0052] A pulsator 23 is rotatably installed at the bottom of the rotary
tub 20. The pulsator 23 serves to stir washing water together with
laundry that is loaded into the rotary tub 20.
[0053] A water supply apparatus 110 is installed on the upper side of the
rotary tub 20 to supply washing water to the inside the rotary tub 20.
[0054] The water supply apparatus 110 includes a water supply valve 113
which controls the supply of water, and a water supply pipe 111 which
connects the water supply valve 113 to a detergent dispensing apparatus
120 that is to be described later.
[0055] One side of the water supply pipe 111 is connected to an external
water source (not shown) and the other side of the water supply pipe 111
is connected to the detergent dispensing apparatus 120.
[0056] The detergent dispensing apparatus 120 includes a case 121 which is
provided inside the upper cover 14, and a detergent container 123 which
is detachably mounted on the case 121 and contains detergent.
[0057] The case 121 is provided at a lower surface thereof with an outlet
125 to discharge washing water containing dissolved detergent.
[0058] The water supplied through the water supply pipe 111 is provided to
the inside the rotary tub 20 together with detergent via the detergent
dispensing apparatus 120.
[0059] The rotary tub 20 is provided at the lower side thereof with a
first drain hose (H1) and a second drain hose (H2) that are configured to
guide the washing water to the outside the cabinet 10 after a washing
operation or a spin-drying operation is finished.
[0060] The driving apparatus 30 includes a clutch 31 which rotates the
rotary tub 20 and the pulsator 23, and a driving motor 33 which drives
the clutch 31.
[0061] The clutch 31 is connected to the driving motor 33 through a pulley
35 and a belt 37 to selectively transfer a driving force of the driving
motor 33 to the rotary tub 20 or the pulsator 23.
[0062] Hereinafter, a configuration of the washing machine according to
the present disclosure capable of increasing the washing capacity without
enlarging the external appearance and effectively reducing the vibration
of the rotary tub will be described in detail.
[0063] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the washing machine includes 1 the
cabinet 10 forming an external appearance of the washing machine 1, the
rotary tub 20 rotatably disposed inside the cabinet 10, the driving
apparatus 30 disposed at the lower side of the rotary tub 20 to rotate
the rotary tub 20, a bracket plate 40 connected to the rotary tub 20 by a
driving shaft 31B at the lower side of the rotary tub 20, a base 60
disposed at a lower side of the bracket plate 40, and a suspension member
50 connected to the bracket plate 40 while being supported by the base 60
to absorb the vibration generated from the rotary tub 20.
[0064] The rotary tub 20 is directly disposed inside the cabinet 10 while
being spaced apart from the cabinet 10.
[0065] That is, an additional structure for storing washing water is
omitted at a portion between the cabinet 10 and the rotary tub 20.
[0066] The cabinet 10 includes an outer part 11 forming the external
appearance of the washing machine 1 and an inner part 12 connected to an
inner surface of the outer part 11.
[0067] The inner part 12 is provided in an approximate cylindrical shape.
An outer circumferential surface of the inner part 12 is connected to at
least one inner surface of the outer part 11 through a rib (not shown) or
makes contact with at least one inner surface of the outer part 11.
[0068] In addition, for the sake of productivity, the outer part 11 and
the inner part 12 are integrally formed with each other through injection
molding. In this case, the cabinet 10 including the outer part 11 and the
inner part 12 may be formed using ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
and PP (Poly Propylene) material.
[0069] A drain groove 12A is provided at a circumference of a lower end of
the inner part 12.
[0070] The drain groove 12A includes a first bending portion 12a which is
bent from the lower end of the inner part 12 toward the center of the
inner part 12, and a second bending portion 12b which is bent from an end
of the first bending portion in a direction perpendicular to a ground.
[0071] The first bending portion 12a serves as a bottom surface to receive
water which is discharged and fallen to the outside the rotary tub 20 via
the through-hole 24 formed in the upper side of the rotary tub 20, or
water which flows along the outer circumferential surface of the rotary
tub 20 or the inner circumferential surface of the inner part 12. The
second bending portion 12b forms a water passage in cooperation with a
lower inner surface of the inner part 12 to drain the water fallen onto
the bottom surface to an outside.
[0072] A drain hole 12B is formed at one side of the first bending portion
12a while communicating with the drain groove 12A to guide the water
stored in the drain groove 12A to an outside.
[0073] One end of the drain hole 12B is connected to the second drain hose
(H2), which has been described above. The water passing through the drain
hole 12B is drained to the outside the cabinet 10 by sequentially passing
the second drain hose (H2) and the first drain hose (H1) connected to the
second drain hose (H2).
[0074] The rotary tub 20 is provided to enable a vertical rotation inside
the inner part 12 of the cabinet 10.
[0075] The rotary tub 20 includes a bottom 21 and a sidewall 22 which is
connected to the bottom 21 to form a water reserving space in cooperation
with the bottom 21.
[0076] The sidewall 22 slantingly extends from the bottom 21 to have a
diameter increasing toward an upper side of the rotary tub 20.
[0077] If the rotary tub 20 rotates at a high speed of about 280 rpm or
above during a spin-dry operation, the water separated from the laundry
reaches to the sidewall 22 through a centrifugal force and smoothly moves
to the upper side of the rotary tub 20 along the inner circumferential
surface of the sidewall 22 that is inclined.
[0078] The sidewall 22 is desired to form an inclination angle (α)
of about 2 to 10 degrees with respect to a line (l) perpendicular to the
bottom 21 of the rotary tub 20. If the inclination angle (α) is
below 2 degrees, the water fails to smoothly move to the upper side of
the rotary tub 20 along the inner circumferential surface of the sidewall
22, thereby degrading the spin-dry performance. If the inclination angle
(α) is excessively large by exceeding above 10 degrees, the upper
side of the rotary tub 20 is enlarged, so that the overall width of the
cabinet 10 is increased.
[0079] The sidewall 22 is provided at an upper side thereof with the
through-hole 24 to discharge water, which is separated during the
spin-dry operation, to the outside the rotary tub 20.
[0080] The through-hole 24 is provided with at least one through-hole 24
along the circumference of the sidewall 22 at a vertical position
corresponding to two third of the rotary tub 20.
[0081] The water discharged to the outside the rotary tub 20 through the
through-hole 24 flows down along the outer circumferential surface of the
rotary tub 20 or the inner circumferential surface of the inner part 12
of the case 10. Alternatively, the water discharged to the outside the
rotary tub 20 through the through-hole 24 may be directly fallen through
a drain passage 27 formed between the sidewall 22 and the inner
circumferential surface of the inner part 12, and then flows into the
drain groove 12A.
[0082] In addition, a guide rib 26 may be provided on the rotary tub 20 to
guide the water, which is discharged to the outside the rotary tub 20
through the through-hole 24, to the drain groove 12A.
[0083] The guide rib 26 is disposed between the second bending portion 12b
forming the drain groove 12A and the inner circumferential surface of the
inner part 12 of the case 10 while extending from the lower end of the
sidewall 22 by a predetermined length. Accordingly, the guide rib 26
allows water flowing along the outer circumferential surface of the
rotary tub 20 to be naturally introduced into the drain groove 12A while
preventing the water from flowing into the center portion of the rotary
tub 20, in which the clutch 31 and the driving motor 33 are disposed, via
the bottom 21 of the rotary tub 20.
[0084] An interference preventing groove 28 is provided between a lateral
side of the bottom 21 and the guide rib 26 in a predetermined depth to
prevent interference between the rotary tub 20 and the second bending
portion 12b due to the vertical vibration of the rotary tub 20 during
operation of the washing machine 1.
[0085] The depth of the interference preventing groove 28 or the length by
which the guide rib 26 extends from the lower end of the sidewall 22 is
associated with the width of the vertical vibration of the rotary tub 20
during the washing or the spin-dry operation.
[0086] If the width of the vertical vibration of the rotary tub 20 is
larger, the depth of the interference preventing groove 28 needs to be
increased while decreasing the extension length of the guide rib 26.
[0087] In this regard, the guide rib 26 is disposed between the second
bending portion 12b and the inner circumferential surface of the inner
part 12 while having the second bending portion 12b accommodated into the
interference preventing groove 28, thereby reducing the overall height of
the cabinet 10.
[0088] That is, by allowing the guide rib 26 and the second bending
portion 12b to be accommodated into the drain groove 12A and the
interference preventing groove 26, respectively, in consideration of the
vertical vibration width of the rotary tub 20, the cabinet 10 is provided
in a reduced height by the overlapping length of the guide rib 26 and the
second bending portion 12b.
[0089] The lower side of the rotary tub 20 is coupled to the driving
apparatus 30 that drives the rotary tub 20 or the pulsator 23 disposed
inside the rotary tub 20.
[0090] The driving apparatus 30 includes the clutch 31, the driving motor
33, a flange member 130, and a base plate 140. The clutch 31 selectively
rotates the rotary tub 20 and the pulsator 23. The driving motor 33
drives the clutch 31. The flange member 130 connects the driving shaft
31B of the clutch 31 to the bottom 21 of the rotary tub 20 to transfer a
rotary force of the driving shaft 31B to the rotary tub 20. The base
plate 140 is configured to fix the clutch 31 and the driving motor 33.
[0091] The rotary tub 20 is provided in the middle thereof with a shaft
coupling portion 25 that is coupled to the flange member 130 to fix and
support the flange member 130.
[0092] The shaft coupling portion 25 includes a shaft coupling wall 25A
and a shaft inserting hole 25B. The shaft coupling wall 25A protrudes
from the bottom 21 downward to the outside the rotary tub 20. The shaft
inserting hole 25B is formed at the inner side of the shaft coupling wall
25A such that one end of the flange member 130 is inserted into the
inside the rotary tub 20 through the shaft inserting hole 25B.
[0093] The flange member 130, which couples the driving shaft 31B to the
rotary tub 20, is inserted into the shaft inserting hole 25B and fixed.
[0094] The flange member 130 includes a first through-hole 131 formed at
the center of the flange member 130, and a second through-hole 133 formed
around the circumference of the first through-hole 131. The first
through-hole 131 enables the flange member 130 to be coupled to the
driving shaft 31B.
[0095] The second through-hole 133 serves as a passage for the water
stored in the rotary tub 20 to move to the outside the rotary tub 20
after a washing operation is finished.
[0096] The clutch 31 includes a housing 31A and the driving shaft 31B that
is rotatably coupled to the center of the housing 31A.
[0097] The housing 31A accommodates various types of bearings that
rotatably support the driving shaft 31B and decelerating apparatuses
configured to decelerate the driving shaft 31B.
[0098] The driving shaft 31B is connected to the rotary tub 20 and the
pulsator 23 after passing through the first through-hole 131 formed in
the flange member 130.
[0099] The driving shaft 31B includes a first connection portion 31a
coupled to the first through-hole 131 and a second connection portion 31b
extending from the first connection portion 31a to be coupled to the
pulsator 23.
[0100] The first connecting portion 31a and the second connecting portion
31b may separately or simultaneously rotate depending on whether the
operation mode is a washing mode or the spin-dry mode. During the washing
operation, the second connecting portion 31b rotates, thereby rotating
the pulsator 23 that is coupled to the second connecting portion 31b.
During the spin-dry operation, the first connecting portion 31a and the
second connecting portion 31b simultaneously rotate, thereby rotating
both of the rotary tub 20 and the pulsator 23.
[0101] An end of the driving shaft 31 B is coupled to the pulley 35 such
that a driving force of the driving motor 33 is transferred to the clutch
[0102] A base plate cover 141 is coupled between the flange member 130 and
the base plate 140. The base plate cover 140 communicates with the second
through-hole 133 to form a space for transporting the washing water
introduced through the second through-hole 133 to a drain case 150.
[0103] In addition, a sealing member 143 is inserted between the flange
member 130 and the base plate cover 141 and between the base plate cover
141 and the base plate 140 to prevent water leakage.
[0104] The base plate 140 is coupled at a lower side thereof to the drain
case 150.
[0105] The drain case 150 accommodates the washing water, which is
introduced after passing through the space formed by the base plate cover
141 and the base plate 140.
[0106] The drain case 150 is provided at one end with a drain pipe 151 to
drain the washing water introduced into the drain case 150. The drain
pipe 151 is connected to the first drain hose (H1) to guide the washing
water to the outside the cabinet 10.
[0107] A drain valve 153 is provided on the drain pipe 151 to selectively
drain the washing water contained in the rotary tub 20 during the washing
[0108] The washing water having been used during the washing operation or
the rinsing operation is introduced into the space formed between the
base plate cover 141 and the base plate 140 via the second through-hole
133 of the flange member 130, and then is drained to the outside the
cabinet 10 through the drain case 150 and the first drain hose (H1).
[0109] Meanwhile, as described above, the washing water separated from the
laundry during the spin-dry operation is discharged to the outside the
rotary tub 20 through the through-hole 24 and introduced to the drain
groove 12A along the outer circumferential surface of the rotary tub 20
or the inner circumferential surface of the inner part 12. The water
introduced to the drain groove 12A is drained to the outside the cabinet
10 through the drain hole 12B and the second drain hose (H2) connected to
the drain hole 12B.
[0110] A lower side supporting apparatus for the washing machine 1
configured to support the rotary tub 20 at a lower side of the rotary tub
20 includes the bracket plate 40, the base 60, and the suspension member
50. The bracket plate 40 is connected at the lower side of the rotary tub
20 to the rotary tub 20 through the driving shaft 31B. The base 60 is
provided at a lower side of the bracket plate 40. The suspension member
50 includes one side supported by the base 60 and an opposite side
connected to the bracket plate 40 such that the vibration generated from
the rotary tub 20 is absorbed.
[0111] The bracket plate 40 includes a base portion 41, an extension
portion 43 extending upward from the base portion 41 to a vertical
position of the center of the gravity (C) of the rotary tub 20, and a
connection portion 45 formed at an upper side of the extension portion 43
to be connected to the suspension member 50.
[0112] The extension portion 43 of the bracket plate 40 includes a first
extension portion 43A which extends from the base portion 41 toward the
cabinet 10 in parallel to the base portion 41, and a second extension
portion 43B which extends from the first extension portion 43A upward
while being inclined toward the cabinet 10.
[0113] The second extension portion 43B formed on the first extension
portion 43A upward extends up to a vertical position in a range between
about -100 mm and +100 mm from the center of gravity of the rotary tub
[0114] Such a configuration allows the upper side of the second extension
portion 43B, at which the connection portion 45 is formed, to extend
upward to the vertical position of the center of the gravity of the
rotary tub 20, so the suspension member 50 is connected to the connection
portion 45 at a position adjacent to a lateral side of the center of the
gravity (C) of the rotary tub 20 Accordingly, the suspension member 50
effectively absorbs the vibration of the rotary tub 20.
[0115] The suspension member 50 supported by the base 60 is inclined with
respect to the base 60 toward the rotary tub 20 such that the suspension
member 50 is perpendicularly connected to the connection portion 45 that
extends upward from the second extension portion 43B while being
[0116] Referring to FIG. 8, a lower side supporting apparatus may be
applied to a washing machine 1' in which a tub 70 to store the washing
water is provided outside the rotary tub 20.
[0117] In this case that the washing machine 1' includes the tub 70
provided outside the rotary tub 20, the lower side supporting apparatus
directly supports the tub 70 at the lower side of the tub 70.
[0118] In a case that the tub 70 is provided outside the rotary tub 20,
the lower side supporting apparatus includes a suspension member 50',
which absorbs the vibration of the tub 70 generated from rotation of the
rotary tub 20, and a base 60' supporting the suspension member 50'.
[0119] Similar to the above description in which the lower side supporting
apparatus directly supports the rotary tub 20, the lower side supporting
allows the lower side of the suspension member 50' to be supported by the
base 60'.
[0120] However, the bracket plate of the lower side supporting apparatus
is omitted, so the upper side of the suspension member 50' is directly
connected to the tub 70.
[0121] The tub 70 A is provided at a lower side thereof with a connection
member 71 to which the suspension member 50' is connected.
[0122] The connection member 71 is disposed at a lower side of the tub 70
to have a position adjacent to a lateral side of the center of the
gravity of the rotary tub 20 disposed inside the tub 70. The suspension
member 50' is directly connected to the connection member 71 to absorb
the vibration of the tub 70 generated from rotation of the rotary tub 20.
[0123] The lower side of the suspension member 50' is supported by the
base 60' and the upper side of the suspension member 50' is connected by
the connection member 71 of the tub 70 at a region adjacent to a lateral
side of the center of the gravity of the rotary tub 20 such that the tub
70 is supported from the lower side of the tub 70. Accordingly, the
vibration of the tub 70 generated from rotation of the rotary tub 20 is
[0124] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a washing machine according to another
embodiment of the present disclosure has the same configuration as the
previous embodiment except for a bottom surface 210. Accordingly, the
description of the same reference numerals will be omitted since they are
used to denote identical elements having the same functions throughout
[0125] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the cabinet 10 includes the bottom
surface 210 that extends from an end portion of the second bending
portion 12b of the drain groove 12A to the center of the inner part 12 of
[0126] The bottom surface 210 has a center portion higher than a periphery
portion such that washing water fallen from the outer circumference of
the sidewall 22 or from the bottom 21 of the rotary tub 20 flows toward
the drain groove 12A by gravity.
[0127] In addition, the rotary tub 20 and the base plate 140 are
partitioned by the bottom surface 210 into a upper side and a lower side,
respectively, thereby preventing the washing water fallen from the bottom
21 of the rotary tub 20 from being introduced to the center of the rotary
tub 20 on which the clutch 31 and the driving motor 33 are disposed.
[0128] Meanwhile, the bottom surface 210 is provided in the center thereof
with a third through-hole 211 that allows the driving shaft 31B to pass
therethrough and then to be coupled to the rotary tub 20 and the pulsator
[0129] As described above, the suspension member 50 supports the rotary
tub 20 at the lateral side of the center of the gravity (C) of the rotary
tub 20, thereby effectively absorbing the vibration generated from the
rotary tub 20.
[0130] In addition, an additional configuration to store the washing water
is omitted between the cabinet 10 and the rotary tub 20, thereby
maximizing the spatial efficiency inside the cabinet 10.
[0131] That is, the washing capacity can be increased by enlarging the
rotary tub 20 without enlarging the cabinet 10. In addition, the same
washing capacity can be implemented with a smaller cabinet without
reducing the size of the rotary tub 20.
[0132] Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been
shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the
principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in
2012-09-06Washing machine wherein the unbalanced load is balanced
2010-07-15Coupling for washing machine and washing machine having the same
2016-05-26Balancer and washing machine including the same
2015-09-03Washing machine and washing water supply device
2015-02-12Lower shock-absorbing apparatus for washing machine packing
2015-02-05Washing machine having drying apparatus