Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746459-B2
Application number	US-202117352595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2021
Priority date	Jul 26, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

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 an 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 to be movable in a direction in which the axis extends in the first hollow and has a cylindrical shape having a second hollow through which the inner shaft passes, and
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.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , 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, and
wherein the washing machine further comprises:
a first stopper disposed at the outer shaft and restricting movement of the carrier mover in the first direction; and
a second stopper disposed at the outer shaft and restricting movement of the carrier mover in the second direction.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the washing machine further comprises a third stopper connected to the outer tub and restricting movement of the clutch carrier in the second direction.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 , 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 clutch carrier comprises:
a first mounting plate having a first through hole through which the inner shaft passes and to which one end of the rotational shaft of the pinion gear is connected;
a second mounting plate having a second through hole through which the inner shaft passes and to which the other end of the rotational shaft of the pinion gear is connected;
a clutch portion extending in the first direction from the first mounting plate and having a tubular shape; and
a connecting portion extending in the second direction from the second mounting plate.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein an external thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the clutch portion, and the carrier mover is engaged with the outer circumferential surface of the clutch portion.

8. 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

• D06F37/06

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

• F16H1/28

  with gears having orbital motion · 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

• D06F37/40 Primary

  for driving the receptacle and an agitator or impeller, e.g. alternatively {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title