Washing machine driving device, washing machine having same, and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214846-B2
Application number	US-201514982571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Jul 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for driving a washing machine in which a washing tub and a pulsator are driven separately to thereby form a variety of washing water flows includes: an outer shaft whose one end is connected to a washing tub; an inner shaft whose one end is connected to a pulsator; a planetary gear set that decelerates a rotational speed that is transferred via the inner shaft; first and second bearings that rotatably support the planetary gear set in two-way directions; and a washing machine motor for applying a rotational force to each of the outer shaft and the inner shaft. The washing machine motor includes: an outer rotor; an inner rotor; and a double stator that rotatably drives the outer rotor and the inner rotor independently, in which the output of the pulsator is accelerated or decelerated depending on the direction of rotation of the outer rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for driving a washing machine, the apparatus comprising:
an outer rotor;
an inner rotor;
a double stator including a stator core, wherein the stator core is formed of a first teeth portion around which a first coil is wound, a second teeth portion around which a second coil is wound, and a partition integrally formed with and between the first teeth portion and the second teeth portion, and wherein the first teeth portion faces the inner rotor with an air gap to drive the inner rotor, the second teeth portion faces the outer rotor with an air gap to drive the outer rotor independently from the inner rotor;
a first cylindrical outer shaft connected to the outer rotor;
a second cylindrical outer shaft connected to a washing tub;
a first inner shaft rotatably disposed inside the first cylindrical shaft and connected to the inner rotor;
a second inner shaft rotatably disposed inside the second cylindrical shaft and connected to a pulsator inside the washing tub; and
a planetary gear set comprising: a ring gear fixedly coupled to the first cylindrical outer shaft and the second cylindrical outer shaft; a sun gear fixedly coupled to the first inner shaft; a plurality of planetary gears rotatably engaged with an outer surface of the sun gear and an inner surface of the ring gear; and a carrier coupled to the second inner shaft and rotatably supporting the planetary gears; and
first and second bearings that are provided at the first cylindrical outer shaft and the second cylindrical outer shaft, respectively,
wherein the planetary gear set is configured in such a way that, when a rotational force from the inner rotor is applied to the sun gear through the first inner shaft, a rotational speed of the inner rotor is decelerated through the planetary gears and the rotational force from the inner rotor is transmitted to the pulsator through the carrier and the second inner shaft with a decelerated rotational speed; and, when a rotational force from the outer rotor is applied to the ring gear through the first cylindrical outer shaft, a rotational speed of the outer rotor is not decelerated and the rotational force from the outer rotor is transmitted to the washing tub through the ring gear and the second cylindrical outer shaft, thereby being able to rotate the pulsator and the washing tub in the decelerated speed and the non-decelerated speed, respectively, and in opposite directions to each other, and drive the washing tub requiring a starting torque larger than that of the pulsator by ouput of the outer rotor providing a toque higher than that of the inner rotor.

2. The washing machine driving apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control device that applies a first drive signal and a second drive signal to the first coil and the second coil independently,
wherein the control device comprises: a first driver that controls the first drive signal applied to the first coil; a second driver that controls the second drive signal applied to the second coil; and a control unit for controlling the first driver and the second driver, and
wherein the control device detects a rotational speed of the ring gear of the planetary gear set to thereby control a rotational speed of the pulsator.

Assignees

• Amotech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Duck Hyun

Classifications

• H02K16/02

  Machines with one stator and two {or more} rotors · CPC title

• H02K7/116

  with gears · CPC title

• D06F37/304 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title

• D06F17/06

  by rotary impellers · CPC title

• D06F37/40

  for driving the receptacle and an agitator or impeller, e.g. alternatively {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title