Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12018425-B2
Application number	US-201917419089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A washing machine includes a tub, a drum, a motor, a pulsator, a coupler configured to couple and decouple a driving shaft of the motor and a drying shaft of the drum, and a clutch supporting the coupler and moving in an axial direction. The clutch includes driven protrusions extending in a vertical direction. The washing machine further includes a clutch supporter having a plurality of support surfaces that are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction and support lower ends of the driven protrusions located between the support surfaces when the coupler is at a connection position, and guide surfaces that are located above the support surfaces in the circumferential direction and configured to interfere with the upper ends of the driven protrusions based on the clutch moving upwards from the connection position to a disconnection position to thereby rotate the driven protrusions to positions corresponding to the support surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a water tub containing water therein;
a washing tub provided in the water tub to be rotated by a drying shaft;
a motor rotating a driving shaft;
a pulsator disposed in the washing tub, and rotated by a rotating force transmitted from the driving shaft;
a coupler spline-coupled to the drying shaft, coupling the driving shaft to the drying shaft at a connection position, and separating the drying shaft from the driving shaft at a disconnection position raised from the connection position;
a solenoid forming a magnetic field when current is applied thereto;
a clutch supporting the coupler and disposed to be movable upwards and downwards in an axial direction, so the clutch is moved upwards by the magnetic field, the clutch comprising driven protrusions which extend long in a vertical direction;
a clutch supporter having a plurality of support surfaces which are formed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a circumferential direction and support lower ends of the driven protrusions so as to prevent the clutch from moving downwards any longer when the coupler is at the connection position, the driven protrusions being located in gaps between the support surfaces when the coupler is at the connection position; and
a plurality of guide surfaces formed above the support surfaces in the circumferential direction, and interfering with upper ends of the driven protrusions while the clutch moves upwards from the connection position to the disconnection position, thus rotating the driven protrusions to positions corresponding to the support surfaces.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the solenoid comprises a bobbin around which coil is wound, and each of the guide surfaces is formed on an inner circumference of the bobbin.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , further comprising:
a bearing housing defining a space between the bearing housing and a lower surface of the water tub to accommodate a bearing which supports the drying shaft, and
wherein the clutch supporter is coupled to a lower surface of the bearing housing.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of support surfaces comprises:
a first descending inclined surface gradually descending in a direction in which the driven protrusions are rotated;
a first rotation limiting surface extending upwards from a lower end of the first descending inclined surface to limit a rotating operation of each of the driven protrusions; and
a second descending inclined surface gradually descending from an upper end of the first rotation limiting surface in the direction in which the driven protrusions are rotated.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein a lower-end contact surface is formed on the lower end of each of the driven protrusions to be in surface contact with the first descending inclined surface while the clutch moves downwards to the connection position.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the guide surfaces comprise:
an ascending inclined surface coming into contact with the upper end of each of the driven protrusions, and gradually ascending in a direction in which the driven protrusion is rotated; and
a second rotation limiting surface extending downwards from an upper end of the ascending inclined surface to limit a rotating operation of the driven protrusion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jeonguk
• Pyo Joonho
• Lee Taehee

Classifications

• F16D27/118

  with interengaging jaws or gear teeth · CPC title

• D06F37/04

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

• D06F37/304

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• F16D11/14

  with clutching members movable only axially (F16D11/02, F16D11/08 take precedence) · CPC title