Washing machine having circulation nozzles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028519-B2
Application number	US-201816186321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A washing machine includes a casing having an input port which is formed in a front surface thereof and to which laundry is inputted; a tub which is disposed in the casing to contain fluid, and has an opening communicating with the input port; a drum which is rotatably disposed in the tub, and contains the laundry; a pump which pumps water discharged from the tub; a circulation conduit which guides the water pumped by the pump; an annular gasket which forms a channel connecting the input port and the opening of the tub, and has a plurality of nozzles for spraying water into the drum on an inner circumferential surface defining the channel; and a nozzle water supply conduit which is fixed to the gasket, and supplies the water pumped by the pump to the plurality of nozzles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a casing having a front surface that defines an input port configured to receive laundry;
a tub located in the casing and configured to receive water, the tub defining a tub opening that communicates with the input port;
a drum located in the tub and configured to receive laundry, the drum being configured to rotate relative to the tub;
a pump configured to pump, to the tub, water discharged from the tub;
a circulation conduit configured to guide water from the pump;
a gasket having an inner circumferential surface that defines a channel that extends between the input port and the tub opening;
a plurality of nozzles located at the inner circumferential surface of the gasket and configured to spray water into the drum; and
a nozzle water supply conduit configured to couple to the gasket and to supply, to the plurality of nozzles, water pumped by the pump,
wherein the nozzle water supply conduit comprises:
a circulation inlet port connected to the circulation conduit;
a transfer conduit comprising:
a first conduit portion that extends upwardly from the circulation inlet port along an outer circumferential surface of the gasket and that is located at a first side of the gasket, and
a second conduit portion that extends upwardly from the circulation inlet port along the outer circumferential surface of the gasket and that is located at a second side of the gasket;

a plurality of first nozzle water supply ports that protrude from the first conduit portion to the gasket and that are connected to two or more of the plurality of nozzles at the first side of the gasket; and
a plurality of second nozzle water supply ports that protrude from the second conduit portion to the gasket and that are connected to two or more of the plurality of nozzles at the second side of the gasket.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the first conduit portion and the second conduit portion has a first end connected to the circulation inlet port, and a second end that is closed.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the first side of the gasket is opposite to the second side of the gasket with respect to a center of the gasket,
wherein the second end of the first conduit portion is located at the first side of the gasket, and
wherein the second end of the second conduit portion is positioned at the second side of the gasket.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the gasket defines a plurality of hollows that pass through the gasket in a thickness direction of the gasket from the outer circumferential surface of the gasket to the plurality of nozzles, respectively, and
wherein the plurality of hollows are configured to receive the plurality of first nozzle water supply ports or the plurality of second nozzle water supply ports, respectively.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of at least one of the first conduit portion or the second conduit portion has:
a height that is defined in a radial direction of the gasket; and
a width that is defined in a longitudinal direction of the channel of the gasket and that is greater than the height of the cross-sectional shape.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first balancing weight configured to couple to the tub at a first side of the tub opening; and
a second balancing weight configured to couple to the tub at a second side of the tub opening opposite to the first side of the tub opening,
wherein the first conduit portion is configured to be positioned between the gasket and the first balancing weight, and
wherein the second conduit portion is configured to be positioned between the gasket and the second balancing weight.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the circulation inlet port is configured to be positioned between the first balancing weight and the second balancing weight.

8. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the pump is located vertically below the tub, and
wherein the circulation inlet port defines:
an inlet configured to connect to the circulation conduit and configured to receive water from the pump; and
an outlet positioned vertically above the inlet and configured to discharge water from the pump to the first conduit portion and to the second conduit portion.

9. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises:
a casing coupling portion configured to couple to a circumference of the casing that defines the input port;
a tub coupling portion configured to couple to a portion of the tub that defines the tub opening; and
an extension portion that extends from the casing coupling portion to the tub coupling portion, and
wherein each of the plurality of nozzles comprises:
a nozzle inflow conduit that protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the extension portion and that is configured to communicate with one of the first nozzle water supply ports or one of the second nozzle water supply ports; and
a nozzle head connected to the nozzle inflow conduit and configured to spray, into the drum, water supplied through the nozzle inflow conduit.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the gasket further comprises:
a plurality of port insertion conduits that protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the extension portion, each port insertion conduit being configured to communicate with the nozzle inflow conduit and to receive one of the plurality of first nozzle water supply ports or one of the plurality of second nozzle water supply ports.

11. The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein the extension portion of the gasket comprises:
a cylindrical rim portion that extends rearward from the casing coupling portion; and
a folded portion located between the cylindrical rim portion and the tub coupling portion, the folded portion having a shape corresponding to displacement of the tub,
wherein the folded portion comprises:
an inner diameter portion that is bent from the cylindrical rim portion toward the casing coupling portion; and
an outer diameter portion that is bent from the inner diameter portion toward the tub coupling portion,

wherein each port insertion conduit protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the outer diameter portion, and
wherein the nozzle inflow conduit protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the outer diameter portion.

12. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the transfer conduit defines a flow path having a cross-sectional area that decreases from a lower portion of the flow path toward an upper portion of the flow path.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein a width of the flow path decreases from the lower portion of the flow path toward the upper portion of the flow path.

14. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a variable speed motor.

15. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the circulation inlet port protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the gasket, and
wherein each of the first nozzle water supply ports and each of the second nozzle water supply ports protrude radially inward to the outer circumferential surface of the gasket.

16. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein at least two first nozzles among the plurality of nozzles are located at the first conduit portion and arranged vertically at the first conduit portion, and
wherein the two first nozzles comprise:
an upper nozzle configured to spray water downward into the drum; and
a lower nozzle located vertically below the upper nozzle and configured to spray water u

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Junghoon
• Woo Kyungchul
• Kim Jaehyun
• Im Myunghun
• Kim Hyundong
• Jung Hwanjin

Classifications

• D06F39/083 Primary

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F37/265

  Counterweights mounted to the tub; Mountings therefor · CPC title

• D06F39/088 Primary

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/085 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title

• D06F37/267

  Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence) · CPC title