Patent ID: 6901778

Claim:
A washing machine, comprising: a spin basket rotatably positioned in a tub; a pulsator positioned in the spin basket to be in a relative rotary motion; a driving motor installed at the lower portion of the tub; a pulsator shaft directly connected from the driving motor to the pulsator, the pulsator shaft for transmitting rotary power; a basket shaft connected from the outside of the pulsator shaft to the spin basket so as to form a dual shaft structure together with the pulsator shaft; and a clutch means for transmitting power of the driving motor to the basket shaft or intercepting the power of the driving motor to the basket shaft wherein the clutch means comprises: a coupling member having a magnetic member at least in one part, combined around the basket shaft, and combined with a rotor of the driving motor in a state where the coupling member moves downward, the coupling member for transmitting the rotary power of the driving motor to the basket shaft; a solenoid actuator having a solenoid coil and fixed to the lower portion of the tub, the solenoid actuator for supplying electromagnetic repulsive force between the solenoid actuator and the coupling member so that the coupling member is separated from the rotor of the driving motor, to thus push the coupling member upward; and a transformation operating means for applying voltages of different levels to the solenoid coil according to the position of the coupling member, wherein the transformation operating means supplies a voltage of a higher level to the solenoid coil during an initial operation for generating electromagnetic force so as to move the coupling member upward, and supplies a voltage of a lower level during a maintaining operation for maintaining a state where the coupling member is completely moved upward.