Laundry machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11174585-B2
Application number	US-201615755482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2015
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a washing machine including a rib extending outward from a central portion of a rear portion of a tub. One end of the rib is provided adjacent to the central portion of the tub, the other end of the rib is provided adjacent to an outer side of the tub, and since a width of the one end of the rib is greater than a width of the other end of the rib, thereby maintaining efficient rigidity against stress generated in the rear portion of the tub. Further, in order to secure rigidity against stress due to vibrations generated by a driving motor, an additional rib is included between a side to which the driving motor is coupled and the outer side of the tub, thereby efficiently maintaining rigidity against additional stress.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a tub;
a drum located inside the tub and installed to be rotatable; and
a bearing housing which is a separate component from the tub and through which a driving shaft configured to drive the drum passes, wherein the bearing housing is insertably coupled with the tub, the bearing housing including a plurality of bearing ribs extending from an inner circumferential surface of the bearing housing adjacent to the driving shaft to an outer circumferential surface of the bearing housing;
a driving motor configured to rotate the drum;
a plurality of coupling flanges provided on one side of the tub to which the driving motor is coupled;
a buffer rib disposed between an outer circumferential surface of the tub and the plurality of coupling flanges, the buffer rib extending from one of the plurality of coupling flanges to another of the plurality of coupling flanges; and
first and second auxiliary buffer ribs configured to support the buffer rib,
wherein:
the tub includes one end provided at one side of a rotational axis of the drum and having an opening and another end provided at another side of the rotation axis of the drum and having the bearing housing disposed on the rotational axis,
the other end of the tub includes a plurality of first ribs corresponding to the plurality of bearing ribs and extending in a direction crossing the rotational axis to support the bearing housing and a support provided in an annular shape such that an inner circumferential surface of the support contacts the outer circumferential surface of the bearing housing,
each of the plurality of the first ribs has a thickness defined in a rotational direction of the rotational axis, the thickness of each of the plurality of first ribs at one side provided adjacent to the rotational axis being greater than the thickness of the other side thereof provided farther than the one side with respect to the rotational axis and adjacent to an outer circumferential surface of the tub, and
the thickness of each of the plurality of the first ribs continually decreases along a length substantially from the one side to the other side.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein, assuming the one side of each of the plurality of first ribs refers to a bottom side and the other side of the plurality of first ribs refers to a top side, a shape of each of the plurality of first ribs is provided in a trapezoidal pillar shape protruding toward the other end of the tub.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first ribs are provided in a radial form formed in a radial direction of the tub from the rotational axis.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the support covers the outer circumferential surface of the bearing housing to support the bearing housing; and
the plurality of first ribs are provided in a radial direction of the tub from an outer circumferential surface of the support.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein a portion at which the support is in contact with the plurality of first ribs includes a rounding portion.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a second rib located at the other end of the tub and provided in an annular shape.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein:
the second rib has a thickness defined in a radial direction of the tub from the rotational axis; and
the thickness of the second rib is smaller than the thickness of the one side of each of the plurality of first ribs.

8. The washing machine of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of third ribs provided in a radial form between the plurality of first ribs.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of third ribs extend from the second rib in a radial direction of the tub.

10. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of first ribs includes two ribs provided to be symmetrical; and
the two ribs provided to be symmetrical extend to face each other.

11. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein an auxiliary rib disposed in a diagonal direction with respect to the plurality of first ribs is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the bearing housing and the second rib.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary rib is formed as a pair of auxiliary ribs and is provided in a shape symmetrical to at least one of the plurality of first ribs.

13. A washing machine comprising:
a tub;
a drum located inside the tub and installed to be rotatable; and
a bearing housing which is a separate component from the tub and through which a driving shaft configured to drive the drum passes and insertably coupled with the tub, the bearing housing including a plurality of bearing ribs extending from an inner circumferential surface of the bearing housing adjacent to the driving shaft to an outer circumferential surface of the bearing housing;
a motor bracket in which a driving motor configured to rotate the drum is installed;
a motor coupler provided on one side of the tub to couple the motor bracket to the tub, the motor coupler comprising a plurality of coupling flanges;
a buffer rib disposed between an outer circumferential surface of the tub and the coupling flanges, the buffer rib extending from one of the plurality of coupling flanges to another of the plurality of coupling flanges; and
first and second auxiliary buffer ribs configured to support the buffer rib,
wherein:
the tub includes one end provided at one side of a rotational axis of the drum and having an opening and another end provided at another side of the rotation axis of the drum and having the bearing housing disposed on the rotational axis,
the other end of the tub includes a plurality of first ribs corresponding to the plurality of bearing ribs and extending in a direction crossing the rotational axis to support the bearing housing and a support provided in an annular shape such that an inner circumferential surface of the support contacts the outer circumferential surface of the bearing housing,
each of the plurality of the first ribs has a thickness defined in a rotational direction of the rotational axis, the thickness of each of the plurality of first ribs at one side provided adjacent to the rotational axis being greater than the thickness of the other side thereof provided farther than the one side with respect to the rotational axis and adjacent to the outer circumferential surface of the tub, and
the thickness of each of the plurality of the first ribs continually decreases along a length substantially from the one side to the other side.

14. The washing machine of claim 13 , wherein the buffer rib is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the tub and extends in a direction corresponding to a rotational axis direction.

15. The washing machine of claim 13 , wherein the buffer rib is provided so as to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the tub in a direction crossing the rotational axis.

16. The washing machine of claim 13 , further comprising a second rib located at the other end of the tub and provided in an annular shape.

17. The washing machine of claim 16 , wherein:
the second rib has a thickness defined in a radial direction of the tub from the rotational axis; and
the thickness of the second rib is smaller than the thickness of the one side of each of the plurality of first ribs.

18. The washing machine of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of third ribs provided in a radial form between the plurality of firs

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jung Hee
• Kang Jeong Hoon
• Kim Min Sung
• Choi Ji Hoon
• Hong Kwan Woo

Classifications

• D06F37/22 Primary

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

• D06F37/206

  Mounting of motor · CPC title

• D06F37/264

  Tubs provided with reinforcing structures, e.g. ribs, inserts, braces · CPC title

• D06F39/12 Primary

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F37/04

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title