Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11332871-B2
Application number	US-201916455227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A washing machine includes a casing, a tub, a drum, a pump for circulating water from the tub, a gasket connecting an entry hole of the casing to an entrance hole of the tub and including nozzles for spraying water to the drum, and distribution pipes for supplying water to the nozzles. The nozzles are arranged at both lateral sides of the gasket in a vertical direction. The distribution pipes are arranged at an outer circumferential surface the gasket and coupled to receiving pipes that protrude from the gasket. The distribution pipes include an inlet port and outlet ports disposed in the vertical direction corresponding to the nozzles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a casing that defines an entry hole at a front surface of the casing;
a tub disposed in the casing, the tub defining a tub opening at a front surface of the tub;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub;
a gasket that connects the entry hole to the tub opening;
a first nozzle and a second nozzle that are provided at a first area of a circumferential surface of the gasket and that are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction;
a pump configured to circulate water discharged from the tub;
a first distribution pipe connected to the first nozzle and the second nozzle; and
a first circulation pipe that connects the pump and the first distribution pipe to each other,
wherein the first distribution pipe comprises:
a first transport conduit that includes (i) a first conduit part that extends along the first area of the circumferential surface of the gasket and (ii) a second conduit part that extends from the first conduit part toward the pump,
a first inlet port that protrudes from the second conduit part and that is connected to the first circulation pipe,
a first outlet port that protrudes from the first conduit part and is connected to the first nozzle, and
a second outlet port that protrudes from the first conduit part and is connected to the second nozzle,

wherein the first inlet port, the first outlet port, and the second outlet port are sequentially arranged along the first transport conduit, and
wherein the first transport conduit is bent at a position between the first inlet port and the first outlet port such that the second conduit part is located closer to a vertical line passing through a center of the gasket than the first conduit part.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet port is disposed at a first side of the first transport conduit facing away from the gasket, and
wherein the first outlet port and the second outlet port are disposed at a second side of the first transport conduit facing the gasket.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet port and the second outlet port extend toward the center of the gasket, and
wherein the first inlet port extends in a direction away from the center of the gasket.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the second outlet port is positioned above the first outlet port and the first inlet port.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a lower end of the second conduit part is positioned below the first inlet port.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet port extends downward in an inclined direction with respect to the second conduit part.

7. The washing machine of claim 1 ,
wherein the first circulation pipe is bent and extends toward the pump, and
wherein the pump is disposed below the gasket.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third nozzle and a fourth nozzle that are provided at a second area of the circumferential surface of the gasket facing the first area and that are spaced apart from each other along a second vertical direction; and
a second distribution pipe connected to the third nozzle and the fourth nozzle,
wherein the first distribution pipe and the second distribution pipe are symmetrical with respect to a vertical reference plane passing through the center of the gasket in the vertical direction.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the second distribution pipe comprises:
a second transport conduit extending along the second vertical direction;
a second inlet port protruding from the second transport conduit and connected to the pump;
a third outlet port protruding from the second transport conduit, and the third outlet port connected to the third nozzle; and
a fourth outlet port protruding from the second transport conduit, and the fourth outlet port connected to the fourth nozzle,
wherein the first outlet port, the second outlet port, the third outlet port, and the fourth outlet port protrude toward the center of the gasket, and
wherein the first inlet port and the second inlet port protrude in a direction away from the center of the gasket.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the first outlet port, the second outlet port, the third outlet port, and the fourth outlet port extend in a horizontal direction.

11. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the first outlet port and the second outlet port are parallel to each other, and
wherein the third outlet port and the fourth outlet port are parallel to each other.

12. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first circulation pipe comprises:
a first circulation part connected to the first inlet port, the first circulation part extending in a direction away from the gasket; and
a second circulation part bent from a lower end of the first circulation part toward the pump, the second circulation part extending toward the vertical line passing through the center of the gasket.

13. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a lower end of the first conduit part is positioned downstream of the first inlet port and upstream of the first outlet port and the second outlet port.

14. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a first angle between the first conduit part and the second conduit part is greater than a second angle between the first inlet port and the second conduit part.

15. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a first balancer disposed above the gasket and the first distribution pipe.

16. The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein an upper end part of the first transport conduit is positioned between the first balancer and the gasket, and the first outlet port is disposed at the upper end part of the gasket.

17. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a balancer disposed below the gasket and the first distribution pipe, and wherein the first inlet port and the second conduit part are positioned above the balancer.

18. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first balancer disposed above the gasket; and
a second balancer disposed below the gasket,
wherein the first distribution pipe is disposed between the first balancer and the second balancer.

19. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet port and the second outlet port are coupled to the gasket.

20. The washing machine of claim 19 , wherein the gasket comprises:
a first port receiving pipe that receives the first outlet port and is configured to communicate with the first nozzle, the first port receiving pipe protruding from a first region of an outer circumferential surface of the gasket corresponding to the first area; and
a second port receiving pipe that receives the second outlet port and is configured to communicate with the second nozzle, the second port receiving pipe protruding from the first region.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Kwanghyun
• Kim Hansol
• Jang Hosung

Classifications

• D06F39/085

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F37/266 Primary

  Gaskets mounted between tub and casing around the loading opening · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title