Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11519121-B2
Application number	US-201916455146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine including: a gasket, wherein the gasket includes a gasket body, forming a passage between a laundry entry hole formed in a casing and an opening formed in a tub, and a plurality of nozzles spraying water into a drum; and a distribution pipe supplying water pumped by a pump to the plurality of nozzles, wherein the distribution pipe includes a transport conduit disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the gasket, wherein the gasket body is divided into a front body positioned on the side of the casing and a rear body positioned on the side of the tub, wherein the rear body includes an accommodating part in which at least a portion of the transport conduit is disposed, and accordingly, it is possible to prevent intervention between the distribution pipe and any other structure around the gasket.

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 and configured to receive laundry;
a gasket that defines a passage connecting the laundry entry hole to the tub opening;
a plurality of nozzles disposed at an inner circumference of the gasket and configured to spray water into the drum;
a pump configured to circulate water discharged from the tub; and
a distribution pipe configured to supply, to the plurality of nozzles, water pumped by the pump,
wherein the distribution pipe comprises:
a transport conduit that is disposed on an outer circumference of the gasket and extends along the outer circumference of the gasket, and
a plurality of outlet ports that protrude from the transport conduit toward the gasket and that are configured to supply water to the plurality of nozzles,

wherein the gasket comprises a front body connected to the casing and a rear body connected to the tub,
wherein the rear body comprises an accommodating part configured to receive at least a portion of the transport conduit, and
wherein the accommodating part comprises:
a boundary surface that is bent radially inward from a rear end of the front body toward the passage of the gasket, and
a seating surface that is bent rearward from a radial inner end of the boundary surface toward the tub and faces the transport conduit in a radial direction of the gasket.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the gasket further comprises:
a rim part that extends from the casing toward the tub;
an inner circumferential part that is bent outward from the rim part and that extends toward the casing; and
an outer circumferential part that is bent outward from the inner circumferential part and that extends toward the tub,
wherein a diameter of the outer circumferential part is greater than a diameter of the inner circumferential part, and
wherein the rear body is disposed at the outer circumferential part.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the boundary surface is disposed rearward of a portion of the inner circumferential part bent from the rim part.

4. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the seating surface is disposed outward of a portion of the inner circumferential part bent from the rim part.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the transport conduit comprises an inner surface facing the outer circumference of the gasket, and
wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the transport conduit is disposed between the seating surface and a virtual plane that extends rearward from the rear end of the front body toward the tub.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the accommodating part comprises:
a first accommodating part disposed in a first area of the gasket; and
a second accommodating part disposed in a second area of the gasket facing the first area of the gasket.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the gasket further comprises a plurality of port receiving pipes that protrude from the outer circumference of the gasket and that are configured to communicate with the plurality of nozzles, respectively,
wherein the plurality of port receiving pipes comprise a first upper port receiving pipe and a first lower port receiving pipe that are vertically disposed in the first area of the gasket,
wherein the plurality of outlet ports comprises:
a first upper outlet port coupled to the first upper port receiving pipe; and
a first lower outlet port coupled to the first lower port receiving pipe.

8. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the first lower port receiving pipe is disposed vertically below a horizontal line that passes through a center of the gasket,
wherein the first upper port receiving pipe is disposed vertically above the horizontal line, and
wherein a vertical distance between the first lower port receiving pipe and the horizontal line is less than a vertical distance between the first upper port receiving pipe and the horizontal line.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the first accommodating part extends along a circumferential direction of the gasket from a first portion above the horizontal line to a second portion below the first lower port receiving pipe, and
wherein the first lower port receiving pipe protrudes from the seating surface of the first accommodating part.

10. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the first lower port receiving pipe and the first upper port receiving pipe protrude extend parallel to each other, and
wherein the first lower outlet port and the first upper outlet port extend parallel to each other.

11. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of port receiving pipes further comprise a second upper port receiving pipe and a second lower port receiving pipe that are vertically disposed in the second area of the gasket, and
wherein the plurality of outlet ports comprise:
a second upper outlet port coupled to the second upper port receiving pipe; and
a second lower outlet port coupled to the second lower port receiving pipe.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the distribution pipe further comprises an inlet port that is configured to receive water pumped by the pump and that protrudes downward from the transport conduit at a point lower than the first lower outlet port and the second lower outlet port, and
wherein the transport conduit comprises:
a first conduit part disposed on an outer circumference of the first area of the gasket and configured to guide, to the first lower outlet port and the first upper outlet port, water received through the inlet port; and
a second conduit part disposed on an outer circumference of the second area of the gasket and configured to guide, to the second lower outlet port and the second upper outlet port, water received through the inlet port.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , further comprising a balancer disposed at the front surface of the tub,
wherein the balancer comprises a first balancer disposed at an outer side of the first area of the gasket and a second balancer disposed at an outer side of the second area of the gasket,
wherein at least a portion of the first conduit part is disposed between a seating surface of the first accommodating part and the first balancer, and
wherein at least a portion of the second conduit part is disposed between a seating surface of the second accommodating part and the second balancer.

14. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of nozzles comprise:
a first upper nozzle configured to communicate with the first upper port receiving pipe,
a first lower nozzle configured to communicate with the first lower port receiving pipe,
a second upper nozzle configured to communicate with the second upper port receiving pipe, and
a second lower nozzle configured to communicate with the second lower port receiving pipe,
wherein the distribution pipe comprises:
a first distribution pipe configured to supply, to the first upper nozzle and the first lower nozzle, water pumped by the pump, and
a second distribution pipe configured to supply, to the second upper nozzle and the second lower nozzle, water pumped by the pump,

wherein the first distribution pipe comprises:
a first transport conduit disposed on an outer circumference of the first area of the gasket,
a first inlet port configured to receive water pumped by the pump and disposed vertically below the first lower outlet port, the first inl

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Hosung
• Kang Yohwan
• Kim Kwanghyun
• Kim Hansol
• Lee Hyunjae

Classifications

• D06F37/266 Primary

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

• D06F39/085

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F37/265

  Counterweights mounted to the tub; Mountings therefor · CPC title

• D06F39/08 Primary

  Liquid supply or discharge arrangements (supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02) · CPC title