Washing machine and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010257-A1
Application number	US-201514795003-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2015
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A washing machine includes: a tub configured to accommodate wash water therein; a rotary tub rotatably mounted in the tub; a pulsator rotatably arranged below the rotary tub, configured to form a water current; a motor configured to provide driving power to the pulsator; and a floater configured to ascend or descend in response to a water level of the wash water in such a manner that the pulsator and the rotary tub interact with each other or the interaction therebetween is released. The pulsator includes a reinforcement rib protruding from a bottom surface of the pulsator to reinforce stiffness. The floater is connected to the reinforcement rib in a manner that the floater ascends or descends along the reinforcement rib. The washing machine can alternatively transmit the driving power of the motor only to the pulsator or to the pulsator and the rotary tub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A washing machine comprising:
a tub configured to accommodate wash water therein; a rotary tub rotatably mounted in the tub; a pulsator rotatably arranged below the rotary tub, configured to form a water current; a motor configured to provide driving power to the pulsator; and a floater configured to ascend or descend in response to a water level of the wash water in such a manner that the pulsator and the rotary tub interact with each other or the interaction therebetween is released, wherein the pulsator includes a reinforcement rib protruding from a bottom surface of the pulsator to reinforce stiffness, and the floater is connected to the reinforcement rib in a manner that the floater ascends or descends along the reinforcement rib.

2 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the floater includes a guide groove in which the reinforcement rib is inserted so that the floater ascends or descends along the reinforcement rib.

3 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement rib is configured in a radial form.

4 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement rib is extended from a shaft coupling unit of the pulsator to a flange portion of the pulsator.

5 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsator includes:
an edge rib protruding from a bottom surface of the pulsator, configured to be formed along a circumferential direction at a flange portion of the pulsator, wherein the reinforcement rib is supported by closely contacting the edge rib.

6 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsator includes:
an inner rib and an outer rib, which protrude from a bottom surface of the pulsator, and are configured to respectively support an inner lateral surface and an outer lateral surface of the floater.

7 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the reinforcement rib is configured to cross the inner rib and the outer rib.

8 . The washing machine according to claim 7 , wherein the pulsator includes a floater accommodation space formed among the reinforcement rib, the inner rib, and the outer rib to accommodate the floater therein.

9 . The washing machine according to claim 8 , wherein the floater accommodation space is sealed to prevent permeation of foreign materials when the floater ascends.

10 . The washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the floater includes an inner flange portion and an outer flange portion which are configured to closely contact the inner rib and the outer rib, respectively, to seal the floater accommodation space when the floater ascends.

11 . The washing machine according to claim 8 , wherein the pulsator includes air discharge holes through which air of the floater accommodation space is discharged outside when the floater ascends.

12 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the floater is line-contacted with the reinforcement rib.

13 . The washing machine according to claim 12 , wherein the floater includes a convex portion configured to protrude toward the reinforcement rib so that the floater is line-contacted with the reinforcement rib.

14 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the pulsator includes:
an auxiliary guide rail formed in at least one of the reinforcement rib, the inner rib, and the outer rib to guide the ascending and descending movement of the floater.

15 . The washing machine according to claim 14 , wherein the floater includes:
a rail groove in which the auxiliary guide rail is inserted in such a manner that the floater ascends or descends along the auxiliary guide rail.

16 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a coupler which is separated from the floater when the floater ascends, and is connected to the floater when the floater descends so that the coupler receives rotational force.

17 . The washing machine according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a flange shaft including a drive flange coupled to the rotary tub and a dehydration shaft rotatably supporting the drive flange, wherein the coupler is fixed to the drive flange.

18 . The washing machine according to claim 16 , wherein:
the floater includes a floater interaction unit formed at a bottom surface of the floater, configured to be coupled to the coupler when the floater descends so that the rotational force is applied to the coupler, and the coupler includes a coupler interaction unit which is connected to the floater interaction unit when the floater descends to receive the rotational force.

19 . The washing machine according to claim 18 , wherein the floater interaction unit includes interaction teeth protruding from the bottom surface of the floater.

20 . The washing machine according to claim 19 , wherein the interaction teeth includes tilted surfaces respectively formed at a left region and a right region on the basis of a center line arranged in a radial direction.

21 . The washing machine according to claim 19 , wherein the coupler interaction unit includes an interaction slot in which the interaction teeth are inserted.

22 . The washing machine according to claim 21 , wherein the coupler includes a guide surface obliquely formed between the neighboring interaction slots that are configured to direct the interaction teeth toward the interaction slot when the floater descends.

23 . The washing machine according to claim 21 , wherein the coupler includes:
a water-drain passage configured to drain wash water from the interaction slot to the outside.

24 . The washing machine according to claim 19 , wherein the coupler interaction unit includes correspondence teeth configured to be meshed with the interaction teeth when the floater descends.

25 . A washing machine comprising:
a tub configured to accommodate wash water therein; a rotary tub rotatably mounted in the tub; a pulsator rotatably arranged below the rotary tub, configured to form a water current; a motor configured to provide driving power to the pulsator; and a floater coupled to a bottom surface of the pulsator, configured to ascend or descend in response to a water level of the wash water in such a manner that the pulsator and the rotary tub interact with each other or the interaction therebetween is released, wherein the pulsator includes a floater accommodation space formed at the bottom surface of the pulsator to accommodate the floater therein, and wherein the floater accommodation space is sealed by the floater when the floater ascends.

26 . The washing machine according to claim 25 , wherein the pulsator includes:
a reinforcement rib configured to protrude from the bottom surface of the pulsator and formed in a radial shape; and an inner rib and an outer rib protruding from the bottom surface of the pulsator, configured to be formed along a circumferential direction to respectively support an inner lateral surface and an outer lateral surface of the floater, wherein the floater accommodation space is formed by the reinforcement rib, the inner rib, and the outer rib.

27 . The washing machine according to claim 26 , wherein the floater includes an inner flange portion and an outer flange portion which are configured to closely contact the inner rib and the outer rib, respectively, to seal the floater accommodation space when the flo

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Seung Oh
• Son Young Myung
• Choi Ji Hoon

Classifications

• D06F17/10

  Impellers · CPC title

• D06F33/00

  Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers  (D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32) · 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

• D06F37/14

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

• D06F39/087

  Water level measuring or regulating devices · CPC title