Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020354875-A1
Application number	US-202016947237-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 24, 2020
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Nov 12, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine having an improved wire connection structure for electrically connecting electrical components. The washing machine includes a cabinet which has a first electrical component, forms an exterior, and has an opening through which laundry is inserted; a door provided with a second electrical component, and configured to open and close the opening; a wire which electrically connects the first electrical component and the second electrical component; and a hinge which has a wire guide portion for coupling the door to the cabinet so as to be rotatable about a rotating axis and for guiding the wire.

First claim

What is claims is:

1 . A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having an opening at a front side; a drum rotatably disposed inside the cabinet; a door configured to open or close the opening; a hinge configured to pivotably couple the door to the cabinet; and a wire extending from an inside of the cabinet to the door, wherein the hinge comprises: a hinge body coupled to the cabinet, a hinge arm extending from the hinge body, a protrusion protruding from the hinge arm to form a rotating axis of the door, a wire guide portion formed at the hinge arm and the protrusion to accommodate the wire, a hinge cover configured to cover the wire guide portion to prevent the wire accommodated in the wire guide portion from being exposed, and a wire inlet formed by coupling one end portion of the hinge cover to the protrusion in a manner that the wire inlet communicates with the wire guide portion.

2 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion includes an incised portion extending from the hinge arm along an exterior surface of the protrusion and forming the wire inlet together with the one end portion of the hinge cover.

3 . The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein:
the hinge includes a fixing ring coupled to the protrusion, and the wire passes through the fixing ring.

4 . The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the fixing ring encloses the protrusion and the one end portion of the hinge cover.

5 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the hinge arm includes:
a first arm extending from the hinge body toward the front side of the cabinet, and a second arm extending from the first arm and bent toward an outside of the cabinet.

6 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the hinge arm includes a first surface facing the cabinet, and the wire guide portion is formed and recessed along at least a portion of the first surface.

7 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the hinge arm includes a first hinge arm and a second hinge arm that are spaced apart from each other along a direction of the rotating axis.

8 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion includes:
a first protrusion formed to protrude in a first direction from the hinge arm, and a second protrusion formed to protrude in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

9 . The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the hinge further includes a protrusion cover configured to be coupled to the second protrusion to protect the second protrusion.

10 . The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first electrical component provided at the cabinet; and a second electrical component provided at the door, wherein the wire connects the first electrical component and the second electrical component.

11 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a wire outlet is formed at one surface of the hinge body, which faces the cabinet, to allow the wire to exit from the wire guide portion.

12 . The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein:
a through-hole is formed at one surface of the cabinet to which the hinge body is coupled, and the wire exiting from the wire outlet passes through the through-hole to enter the cabinet.

13 . The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion and the one end portion of the hinge cover are coupled by the fixing ring.

14 . The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the door includes an accommodating recess configured to accommodate the fixing ring enclosing the protrusion and the one end portion of the hinge cover coupled to the incised portion.

15 . The washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the accommodating recess allows the fixing ring to rotate about a rotation axis of the protrusion.

16 . The washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the wire passes through the accommodating recess when the fixing ring is inserted to provide power to an electrical component in the door.

17 . The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the one end portion of the hinge cover completes an outer circumference of protrusion at the incised portion.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chun Kwang Min
• Kim Hwa Shik
• Choi Min Jea
• Park Nae Young

Classifications

• D06F34/04

  Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/14

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• E05D11/0081

  for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing · CPC title

• E05Y2900/312

  for washing machines or laundry dryers · CPC title

• D06F34/10 Primary

  Power supply arrangements, e.g. stand-by circuits · CPC title