Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060228-B2
Application number	US-202017128614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A washing machine including a plurality of washers may include a fixing bracket coupled to a front of a first housing in which a first tub is disposed and a front of a second housing in which a second tub is disposed, to prevent the first housing and the second housing from being separated from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes treating system comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing disposed on a top of the first housing;
a front cover covering at least a portion of a front surface of the first housing and at least a portion of a front surface of the second housing; and
a fixing bracket configured to be connected to the first housing and the second housing to couple the first housing to the second housing, and configured to be connected to an upper portion of the front cover.

2. The clothes treating system of claim 1 , further comprising a first tub disposed in the first housing; and
a second tub disposed in the second housing.

3. The clothes treating system of claim 2 , wherein
the first tub includes a first opening in a front of the first tub, the first opening configured to receive laundry into the first tub, and
the second tub includes a second opening in a top of the second tub, the second opening configured to receive laundry into the second tub.

4. The clothes treating system of claim 2 , wherein the second housing further comprises:
a lower frame supporting the second tub, and
an upper frame disposed on the lower frame.

5. The clothes treating system of claim 4 , wherein the second housing further comprises a side cover covering a side surface of the upper frame and a side surface of the lower frame.

6. The clothes treating system of claim 4 , further comprising a suspending device supporting the second tub on the lower frame.

7. The clothes treating system of claim 6 , wherein the lower frame surrounds the second tub, and comprises a first supporter supporting the suspending device.

8. The clothes treating system of claim 7 , wherein
the second tub comprises a second supporter on which the suspending device is mounted, and
the suspending device connects the first supporter to the second supporter.

9. The clothes treating system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide protrusion which protrudes upward from a top of the first housing; and
a guide protrusion insertion portion disposed in a bottom of the second housing to receive the guide protrusion.

10. The clothes treating system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide protrusion which protrudes downward from the second housing; and
a guide protrusion insertion portion disposed in a top of the first housing to receive the guide protrusion.

11. The clothes treating system of claim 1 , wherein the fixing bracket is directly coupled to the upper portion of the front cover.

12. The clothes treating system of claim 1 , wherein
the fixing bracket comprises a guide protrusion configured to guide the front cover into a coupling position, and
the front cover comprises a guide hole configured to receive the guide protrusion of the fixing bracket.

13. The clothes treating system of claim 1 , wherein
the fixing bracket comprises a first coupler to which the front cover is fixed, and
the front cover comprises a second coupler which is fixed to the fixing bracket.

14. A clothes treating system comprising:
a first housing housing a first tub;
a second housing disposed adjacent to the first housing and housing a second tub;
a front cover covering at least a portion of a front surface of the first housing and at least a portion of a front surface of the second housing; and
a fixing bracket configured to be connected to a front of the first housing and a front of the second housing to couple the first housing to the second housing, and configured to be connected to an upper portion of the front cover.

15. The clothes treating system of claim 14 , wherein the fixing bracket is disposed inside the front cover.

16. The clothes treating system of claim 15 , wherein an upper portion of the fixing bracket is directly coupled to the upper portion of the front cover.

17. The clothes treating system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a spring supporting the first tub to the first housing,
wherein the spring connects an outer surface of the first tub to a top of the first housing.

18. The clothes treating system of claim 14 , wherein a height of a top end of the front cover is higher than a height of a top end of the first housing.

19. The clothes treating system of claim 15 , wherein the fixing bracket is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a length corresponding to a lateral width of the first housing and the second housing and a thickness corresponding to a thickness of the front cover, and has an open rear surface and an open bottom surface.

20. A clothes treating system comprising:
a front side;
a top side;
a bottom side;
a first housing having a front opening facing the front side of the clothes treating system;
a first tub disposed in the first housing and having a first tub opening corresponding to the front opening of the first housing;
a second housing above and coupled to the first housing such that the first housing is adjacent to the second housing;
a second tub disposed in the second housing and having a second tub opening;
a front cover covering at least a portion of a front surface of the first housing and at least a portion of a front surface of the second housing; and
a fixing bracket configured to be connected to a front side of the first housing and a front side of the second housing to couple the first housing to the second housing, and configured to be connected to an upper portion of the front cover.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Baek Gyu
• Kim Dong-Won
• Lee Do Yun
• Kim Bo-Kyun
• Lee Geon Ho

Classifications

• D06F39/125

  Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or legs · CPC title

• D06F34/34

  characterised by mounting or attachment features, e.g. detachable control panels or detachable display panels · CPC title

• D06F34/28

  Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress · CPC title

• D06F29/00 Primary

  Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus · CPC title

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title