Clutch assembly of washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015279-B2
Application number	US-201716068164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Jan 6, 2016
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A washing machine includes a motor for generating power and a clutch assembly that receives the power from the motor and drives a drum and a pulsator. The clutch assembly includes a driving shaft that receives the power from the motor and rotates, a pulsator drive portion selectively receiving the power from the driving shaft to rotate the pulsator, and a drum driving portion selectively receiving the power from the driving shaft to rotate the drum, The clutch assembly is provided to selectively drive a driving portion of at least one of the drum driving portion and the pulsator drive portion. With this configuration, the washing machine capable of running various modes of a washing mode and dehydration mode is implemented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a tub to store water;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub;
a pulsator provided within the drum and being rotatable independently of the drum;
a motor to generate power; and
a clutch assembly including:
a pulsator driving portion coupled to the pulsator to transmit the power generated by the motor to the pulsator,
a drum driving portion coupled to the drum to transmit the power generated by the motor to the drum, and
a coupling having a first position and a second position, and being controllable to selectively be in the first position or the second position, wherein,
in the first position, the coupling is configured with respect to the pulsator driving portion and the drum driving portion so that the power generated by the motor is transmitted to the drum to rotate the drum, with a rotating direction of the drum being opposite to a rotating direction of the motor, and so that the power generated by the motor is not transmitted to the pulsator, and
in the second position, the coupling is configured with respect to the pulsator driving portion and the drum driving portion so that the power generated by the motor is transmitted to the pulsator to rotate the pulsator, with a rotating direction of the pulsator being the same as the rotating direction of the motor, and so that the power generated by the motor is not transmitted to the drum.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the clutch assembly is configured to raise and lower the coupling to control the coupling to selectively be in the first position or the second position.

3. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving shaft including a sun gear formed at one end of the driving shaft for receiving the power generated by the motor; and
a plurality of planetary gears disposed around the sun gear to be engaged with the sun gear, and
wherein the pulsator driving portion includes a planetary gear connecting portion connecting a plurality of planetary gear shafts passing through rotation centers of the plurality of planetary gears, respectively.

4. The washing machine according to claim 3 ,
wherein the drum driving portion includes a ring gear surrounding the plurality of planetary gears and engaged with the plurality of planetary gears.

5. The washing machine according to claim 3 , wherein, when the coupling is in the first position, the coupling restrains the rotation of the planetary gear connecting portion to prevent the plurality of planetary gears from revolving about the sun gear, so that the power generated by the motor is not transmitted to the pulsator.

6. The washing machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the clutch assembly includes:
a driving shaft receiving the power generated by the motor;
a pulsator shaft surrounding the driving shaft and coupled to the pulsator to transmit the power generated the motor to the pulsator when the coupling is in the second position; and
pulsator shaft teeth formed on the outer periphery of the pulsator shaft; and,

when the coupling is in the first position, the coupling is engaged with the pulsator shaft teeth to restrict the rotation of the pulsator shaft.

7. The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the clutch assembly includes:
a drum shaft surrounding the pulsator shaft and coupled to the drum to transmit the power generated the motor to the drum when the coupling is in the first position; and
drum shaft teeth formed on an outer circumference of the drum shaft.

8. The washing machine according to claim 7 , wherein the coupling includes a pulsator shaft restricting portion engaged with the pulsator shaft teeth and a drum shaft coupling portion engaged with the drum shaft teeth.

9. The washing machine according to claim 8 , wherein the power generated by the motor is transmitted to the drum via the coupling when the drum shaft coupling portion is engaged with the drum shaft teeth.

10. The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the clutch assembly is configured to raise or lower the coupling such that the coupling is selectively engaged with the pulsator shaft teeth.

11. The washing machine according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a sun gear formed at one end of the driving shaft;
a plurality of planetary gears disposed around the sun gear and engaged with the sun gear; and
a ring gear surrounding the plurality of planetary gears and engaged with the plurality of planetary gears,
wherein when the coupling is engaged with the pulsator shaft teeth and the rotation of the pulsator shaft is restricted, the plurality of planetary gears is prevented from revolving around the sun gear and the ring gear rotates.

12. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving shaft including a sun gear to receive the power generated by the motor;
a plurality of planetary gears disposed around the sun gear and engaged with the sun gear; and
a ring gear surrounding the plurality of planetary gears and engaged with the plurality of planetary gears,
wherein the pulsator driving portion rotates as the plurality of planetary gears rotate about the sun gear along the ring gear.

13. The washing machine according to claim 12 , wherein the coupling is further adapted to selectively restrict the rotation of the pulsator driving portion to prevent revolution of the plurality of planetary gears.

14. The washing machine according to claim 13 ,
wherein the drum driving portion is engaged with the ring gear to rotate integrally.

15. The washing machine according to claim 13 , wherein the clutch assembly is adapted to selectively restrain the rotation of the pulsator driving portion by raising or lowering the coupling.

16. A washing machine comprising:
a tub to store water;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub;
a pulsator provided within the drum and being rotatable independently of the drum;
a motor to generate power; and
a clutch assembly including:
a pulsator driving portion coupled to the pulsator to transmit the power generated the motor to the pulsator,
a drum driving portion coupled to the drum to transmit the power generated by the motor to the drum, and
a coupling having a first position, a second position and a third position, and being controllable to selectively be in the first position, the second position or the third position, wherein,
in the first position, the coupling is configured with respect to pulsator driving portion and the drum driving portion so that the power generated by the motor is transmitted to the drum and not to the pulsator, to rotate the drum and not the pulsator,
in the second position, the coupling is configured with respect to the pulsator driving portion and the drum driving portion so that the power generated by the motor is transmitted to the pulsator and not to the drum, to rotate the pulsator and not the drum, and
in the third position, the coupling is configured with respect to the pulsator driving portion and the drum driving portion so that the power generated by the motor is transmitted to both the pulsator and the drum, to rotate the pulsator and drum together.

17. The washing machine according to claim 16 , wherein the clutch assembly is configured to raise and lower the coupling to thereby control the coupling to selectively be in the first position, the second position, or the third position.

18. The washing machine according to claim 16 , wherein, when the coupling is in the first position so that the drum is rotated, a rotating direction

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Yong-Kwon
• Lee Sang Up
• Um Young Jin
• Jin Yongjie
• Pyo Sang Yeon

Classifications

• F16D11/14

  with clutching members movable only axially (F16D11/02, F16D11/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• D06F37/24

  in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/304

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title

• D06F37/38

  in opposite directions · CPC title

• D06F37/40 Primary

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