Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377775-B2
Application number	US-201916454990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine including: a plurality of nozzles provided in an inner circumferential surface of a gasket body to spray water into a drum; a pump configured to pump water discharged from a tub; a distribution pipe supplying the water, pumped by the pump, to the plurality of nozzles; and a circulation pipe connecting the distribution pipe and the pump, wherein the pump is disposed in one side of left and right sides with reference to the inlet port, wherein the circulation pipe is bent at least once, wherein the inlet port includes a first positioning protrusion protruding from an outer circumferential surface of an inlet pipe coupled to the circulation pipe, and wherein a first positioning groove allowing the first positioning protrusion to be inserted thereinto is formed at one end of the circulation pipe, and accordingly, misassembling of the circulation pipe may be prevented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a casing that defines a laundry 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 has a cylindrical shape and defines a passage connecting the laundry entry hole to the tub opening;
a plurality of nozzles disposed at the gasket and configured to spray water into the drum;
a pump disposed below the tub and configured to pump water discharged from the tub;
a distribution pipe connected to the plurality of nozzles,
the distribution pipe comprising:
a transport conduit that extends along the gasket and is connected to the plurality of nozzles, and
an inlet port that protrudes from a lower portion of the transport conduit;

a circulation pipe that connects the inlet port and the pump;
a first balancer disposed on the front surface of the tub and positioned at a left side of the gasket; and
a second balancer disposed on the front surface of the tub and positioned at a right side of the gasket,
wherein a lower end portion of the first balancer and a lower end portion of the second balancer are disposed at a lower portion of the gasket and spaced apart from each other, and
wherein the inlet port is disposed in a space defined between the lower end portion of the first balancer and the lower end portion of the second balancer.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port comprises:
an inlet pipe inserted into the circulation pipe; and
a first positioning protrusion that protrudes from a front surface of the inlet pipe,
wherein the circulation pipe has a first end portion coupled to the inlet port, the first end portion defining a first positioning groove,
wherein the first positioning protrusion is inserted into the first positioning groove, and
wherein the pump comprises a circulation port coupled to the circulation pipe.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the circulation port comprises a tube portion inserted into the circulation pipe and a second positioning protrusion that protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the tube portion, and
wherein the circulation pipe defines a second positioning groove that has a shape corresponding to the second positioning protrusion, that is configured to receive the second positioning protrusion, and that is disposed at a second end of the circulation pipe coupled to the circulation port.

4. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the circulation pipe comprises:
a first port coupling tube comprising a first coupling portion coupled to the inlet port and a first coupling tube portion that extends downward from the first coupling portion;
a connection tube that is bent from the first coupling tube portion and that extends toward one of the left side of the inlet port or the right side of the inlet port, the pump being disposed at a side of the gasket corresponding to the one of the left side of the inlet port or the right side of the inlet port; and
a second port coupling tube that connects the connection tube to the circulation port.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the second port coupling tube comprises:
a second coupling portion configured to receive the circulation port; and
a corrugated tube portion that extends from the second coupling portion toward the connection tube, and
wherein a flexibility of the corrugated tube portion is greater than a flexibility of each of the first port coupling tube, the connection tube, and the second coupling portion.

6. The washing machine of claim 5 , wherein the second port coupling tube comprises a bent tube portion that is bent from the connection tube in a direction parallel to the second coupling portion, and
wherein the corrugated tube portion connects the bent tube portion to the second coupling portion.

7. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the connection tube comprises:
a first connection tube that is bent from the first coupling portion and that extends rearward; and
a second connection tube that is bent from the first connection tube and that extends toward the side of the gasket at which the pump is disposed.

8. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the second port coupling tube comprises:
a bent tube portion that is bent downward from the second connection tube; and
a second coupling portion that is configured to extend from the bent tube portion and to receive the circulation port.

9. The washing machine of claim 4 , further comprising a clamp configured to fix the circulation pipe to the tub.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the clamp comprises:
a first clamp configured to fix the first port coupling tube to the front surface of the tub; and
a second clamp configured to fix the connection tube to a lower surface of the tub.

11. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the connection tube is disposed on a horizontal plane, and
wherein the first port coupling tube and the second port coupling tube extend in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane.

12. The washing machine of claim 1 ,
wherein the lower end portion of the first balancer and the lower end portion of the second balancer are disposed below a lowermost portion of the gasket,
wherein the circulation pipe comprises a first port coupling tube coupled to the inlet port, and
wherein the first port coupling tube is disposed in the space defined between the lower end portion of the first balancer and the lower end portion of the second balancer.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , further comprising a heater disposed vertically below the tub at a rear side of the front surface of the tub, the heater being configured to heat water received in the tub,
wherein the lower end portion of the first balancer and the lower end portion of the second balancer extend to a lower side than a lower end portion of the front surface of the tub,
wherein the circulation pipe further comprises a connection tube that is bent from the first port coupling tube, and
wherein at least a portion of the connection tube is disposed between the heater and one of the first balancer or the second balancer that is disposed at a side of the gasket at which the pump is disposed.

14. The washing machine of claim 13 , wherein the connection tube comprises:
a first connection tube that is bent from the first port coupling tube and that extends in a direction toward the heater; and
a second connection tube that is bent from the first connection tube and that extends toward the side of the gasket at which the pump is disposed,
wherein the second connection tube is disposed rearward of the one of the first balancer or the second balancer, and
wherein the second connection tube is disposed forward of the heater.

15. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the distribution pipe comprises:
a left conduit that extends along the gasket to the left side of the inlet port and is disposed between the first balancer and the gasket; and
a right conduit that extends along the gasket to the right side of the inlet port and is disposed between the second balancer and the gasket.

16. The washing machine of claim 1 ,
wherein the transport conduit extends along the gasket to the left side of the inlet port and the right side of the inlet port, and
wherein the inlet port protrudes downward from the transport conduit.

17. The washing machine of claim 16 , wherein the inlet port comprises:
an inlet pipe inserted into the circulation pipe; and
a first p

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Hosung
• Kim Sunghoon
• Ryu Hwanchan

Classifications

• D06F21/10 Primary

  about an inclined axis · CPC title

• D06F39/083 Primary

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F37/266

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

• D06F37/22

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

• D06F39/085

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title