Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085141-B2
Application number	US-201916521891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing machine comprising an outer tub containing water, and an inner tub disposed in the outer tub to accommodate laundry and rotated about a horizontal axis. The washing machine includes: a motor for providing rotational force; an outer shaft that has a first hollow, and rotates the inner tub; an inner shaft disposed in the first hollow and rotated by the motor; a pulsator disposed in the inner tub and coupled with the inner shaft; a planetary gear train for transmitting rotational force of the motor; a carrier mover which has an outer circumferential surface that is spline-coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the outer shaft, and an inner circumferential surface that is screwed with an outer circumferential surface of the clutch carrier; and a stopper restricting movement of the carrier mover, thereby achieving various washing modes with a simple mechanism by rotating the inner tub and the pulsator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising an outer tub containing water, and an inner tub disposed in the outer tub to accommodate laundry and rotated about a horizontal axis, the washing machine comprising:
a motor for providing rotational force;
an outer shaft that has a first hollow, and rotates the inner tub;
an inner shaft disposed in the first hollow and rotated by the motor;
a pulsator disposed in the inner tub and coupled with the inner shaft; and
a planetary gear train for transmitting rotational force of the motor,
wherein the planetary gear train comprises:
a ring gear fixed to the outer shaft;
a sun gear connected to the inner shaft inside the ring gear;
a plurality of pinion gears which are engaged with the sun gear and inscribed in the ring gear, and allowed to move in a direction parallel to the inner shaft; and
a clutch carrier which rotatably supports each of the plurality of pinion gears, and is moved together with the plurality of pinion gears when the plurality of pinion gears are moved in the direction parallel to the inner shaft,
wherein the clutch carrier is disposed in the first hollow and has a cylindrical shape having a second hollow through which the inner shaft passes,
wherein the washing machine further comprises a carrier mover which is formed in a cylindrical shape, and has an outer circumferential surface that is spline-coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the outer shaft defining the first hollow, and an inner circumferential surface that is screwed with an outer circumferential surface of the clutch carrier,
wherein the carrier mover is moved in a first direction when being rotated in a normal direction with respect to the clutch carrier, and is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction when being rotated in a reverse rotation direction with respect to the clutch carrier,
wherein the washing machine further comprises:
a first stopper restricting movement of the carrier mover in the first direction;
a second stopper for restricting movement of the carrier mover in the second direction; and
a third stopper connected to the outer tub and restricting movement of the clutch carrier in the second direction,
wherein the clutch carrier is moved in the first direction by rotation in the reverse rotation direction with respect to the carrier mover and separated from the third stopper, and further movement of the clutch carrier is restricted when reaching a preset shaft coupling position in the first direction.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth stopper for restricting movement of the clutch carrier in the first direction, in a state where the clutch carrier reaches the shaft coupling position.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the clutch carrier in the first direction is restricted by the first stopper, in the state where the clutch carrier reaches the shaft coupling position.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the third stopper is a non-rotating member whose position with respect to the outer tub is fixed.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the third stopper restricts rotation of the clutch carrier.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the carrier mover in the first direction is restricted by interference with the first stopper.

7. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the inner shaft and the sun gear are coupled so that axial movement of the sun gear with respect to the inner shaft is permitted.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jeonguk
• Pyo Joonho
• Lee Taehee

Classifications

• D06F37/34 Primary

  in opposite directions, e.g. oscillating · 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

• D06F21/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement  (with receptacles serving both for washing and centrifugally separating water from the laundry D06F23/00, D06F25/00; programme control aspects D06F33/00) · CPC title

• D06F37/06

  Ribs, lifters, or rubbing means forming part of the receptacle · CPC title

• F16H1/28

  with gears having orbital motion · CPC title