Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016194801-A1
Application number	US-201514884122-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tub, with a bearing housing inserted therein, and a washing machine having the same. The washing machine includes a bearing housing and a tub, the tub having a rear wall portion in which the bearing housing is inserted. The bearing housing includes a cylindrical hub having bearings, a stator mounting portion surrounding the hub, the stator mounting portion having concave portions and convex portions formed in a repetitive pattern in a circumferential direction, and an expansion portion surrounding the stator mounting portion, the expansion portion having radial ribs formed in a repetitive pattern in a circumferential direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A washing machine including a bearing housing and a tub, the tub having a rear wall portion in which the bearing housing is inserted, the bearing housing comprising:
a cylindrical hub having bearings; a stator mounting portion surrounding the hub, the stator mounting portion having concave portions and convex portions formed in a repetitive pattern in a circumferential direction; and an expansion portion surrounding the stator mounting portion, the expansion portion having radial ribs formed in a repetitive pattern in a circumferential direction.

2 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing is made by aluminum die casting and is integrally formed to have a single body.

3 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing comprises a first circumferential rib which divides the stator mounting portion and the expansion portion in a radial direction.

4 . The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein a flat surface is formed between one radial rib and another radial rib in the expansion portion.

5 . The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the flat surface is formed with a through-portion, through which an injection-molded product passes when the tub is made by injection molding.

6 . The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the bearing housing comprises a second circumferential rib formed at a radial distal end of the expansion portion.

7 . The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the second circumferential rib divides the rear wall portion of the tub into an insert portion, in which the bearing housing is inserted, and a non-insert portion, in which the bearing housing is not inserted.

8 . The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the bearing housing comprises a third circumferential rib arranged between the first and second circumferential ribs.

9 . The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the non-insert portion comprises radial ribs and a circumferential rib of the tub so as to have the same pattern as the expansion portion.

10 . The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the radial ribs of the tub are radially formed on the same lines as the radial ribs of the bearing housing.

11 . The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the circumferential rib of the tub has the same center as the circumferential ribs of the bearing housing.

12 . The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein a radial distance between the first circumferential rib and the third circumferential rib is greater than a radial distance between the third circumferential rib and the second circumferential rib.

13 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the rear wall portion of the tub is formed to have the same pattern as the stator mounting portion and the expansion portion of the bearing housing so as to correspond thereto.

14 . The washing machine of claim 13 , wherein the rear wall portion of the tub is vertically arranged.

15 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an expansion portion radius measured from a center of the hub to a distal end of the expansion portion to a mounting portion radius measured from the center of the hub to a distal end of the stator mounting portion is less than 2.

16 . The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the ratio of the expansion portion radius to the mounting portion radius is equal to or greater than 5/3.

17 . A drum washing machine including a bearing housing and a tub, and the tub having a rear wall portion in which the bearing housing is inserted, the tub having a drum rotating about a horizontal axis,
wherein the bearing housing comprises: a cylindrical hub having bearings; a stator mounting portion surrounding the hub, the stator mounting portion having concave portions and convex portions formed in a repetitive pattern in a circumferential direction; an expansion portion surrounding the stator mounting portion, the expansion portion having radial ribs formed in a repetitive pattern in a circumferential direction; and a first circumferential rib dividing the stator mounting portion and the expansion portion in a radial direction, wherein inner and outer surfaces of the rear wall portion of the tub have the same shape as that of the bearing housing to facilitate insertion of the bearing housing in the rear wall portion, and wherein a ratio of an expansion portion radius measured from a center of the hub to a distal end of the expansion portion to a mounting portion radius measured from the center of the hub to a distal end of the stator mounting portion is less than 2.

18 . The drum washing machine of claim 17 , wherein the distal end of the stator mounting portion is located above a maximum allowable level of water in the tub when washing is performed in the drum washing machine.

19 . The drum washing machine of claim 18 , wherein the concave portions are concave toward the rear of the tub, the convex portions are convex toward the front of the tub, and the concave portions and the convex portions are not repetitively formed in the expansion portion.

20 . The drum washing machine of claim 17 , wherein each intersection point between the radial ribs and the first circumferential rib has a circular or oval cross-section.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sunghoon
• Yoo Sanghee
• Kim Junyoung

Classifications

• D06F37/264

  Tubs provided with reinforcing structures, e.g. ribs, inserts, braces · CPC title

• D06F37/269 Primary

  for the bearing of the rotary receptacle · CPC title

• D06F37/262

  made of plastic material, e.g. by injection moulding · CPC title

• D06F21/02

  about a horizontal axis · CPC title