Fabric treating machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359708-B2
Application number	US-201314142273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2013
Priority date	Apr 3, 2009
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A fabric treating machine includes a spray nozzle for spraying water supplied from a water supply passage into an inner tub and a spray nozzle combining unit for combining the spray nozzle with a case. Fabric loaded in the inner tub can be effectively soaked through the spray nozzle. Furthermore, a spray direction of the spray nozzle can be accurately adjusted when the spray nozzle is fitted in the case, and thus the spray nozzle can be easily fitted in the case and water sprayed through the spray nozzle can be prevented from overflowing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric treating machine comprising:
a case having a face on which a first hole, second hole, and an elastic protrusion couple hole are formed, the first hole having a first portion and a second portion beside the first portion;
an inner tub disposed inside the case and to be rotatable about a vertical axis; and
a spray nozzle configured to spray washing water into the inner tub, the spray nozzle including:
a tube inserted into the first portion and configured to receive washing water;
a spraying unit forming an outlet for spraying washing water introduced along the tube into the inner tub;
a radial direction protrusion extending in a radial direction with respect to the tube, and inserted into the second portion from a front to rear direction;
a rear protrusion protruded toward the case and inserted into the second hole; and
an elastic protrusion extending from the spray nozzle, wherein the spraying unit includes:
a first surface formed to increase in width from the tube to the outlet, the first surface allowing a flow direction of washing water received through the tube to be redirected while colliding with the first surface; and
second and third surfaces extending from both sides of the first surface, respectively, the second and third surfaces defining a left and right spray width of washing water sprayed through the outlet,
wherein one of the second and third surfaces guides the water toward a side wall of the inner tub and the other of the second and third surfaces guides the water toward a bottom of the inner tub,

wherein a movement of the radial direction protrusion in the front direction is restricted by a peripheral portion of the first portion of the face when the spray nozzle is rotated while the tube is being inserted into the first portion, thereby preventing the spray nozzle from being separated from the first portion, and the second hole guides a rotating movement of the rear protrusion according to the rotation of the spray nozzle, and stops the movement of the rear protrusion such that the spray nozzle does not further rotate when the spray nozzle is rotated a predetermined angle, and
wherein the elastic protrusion protrudes toward the case at an end thereof opposite to a connection portion with the spray nozzle to be elastically bent based on the connection portion by a pressure applied to the protruding end through a contact with the case such that during said rotating movement of the spray nozzle through the predetermined angle, the elastic protrusion is elastically bent by abutment with the face of the case, and after the spray nozzle has been rotated through the predetermined angle, the elastic protrusion is inserted into the elastic protrusion coupling hole of the face which restricts any further rotation of the spray nozzle.

2. The fabric treating machine of claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzle comprises:
a reinforcing plate extending between the tube and the spraying unit in a radial direction, and
wherein the elastic protrusion is formed on the reinforcing plate.

3. The fabric treating machine of claim 2 , wherein the elastic protrusion is formed by cutting a portion of the reinforcing plate except the connection portion such that the protruding end of the elastic protrusion applied with a pressure by the case is bendable within a certain range based on the connection portion.

4. The fabric treating machine of claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzle further comprises:
a reinforcing plate extending between the tube and the spraying unit in a radial direction, and
wherein the rear protrusion protrudes from the reinforcing plate.

5. The fabric treating machine of claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle cap covering the spraying unit, the nozzle cap having an opening corresponding to the outlet.

6. The fabric treating machine of claim 5 , further comprising a cross-shaped protrusion protruding from the spraying unit toward the nozzle cap.

7. A fabric treating machine comprising:
a case having a face on which a first hole, a second hole and an elastic protrusion coupling hole formed at the case are formed, the first hole having a first portion and a second portion beside the first portion;
an inner tub disposed inside the case and to be rotatable about a vertical axis; and
a spray nozzle configured to spray washing water into the inner tub, the spray nozzle including:
a tube inserted into the first portion and configured to receive washing water;
a spraying unit forming an outlet for spraying washing water introduced along the tube into the inner tub;
a radial direction protrusion extending in a radial direction with respect to the tube, and inserted into the second portion at an initial assembly location from a front to rear direction;
a rear protrusion protruded toward the case and inserted into the second hole; and
an elastic protrusion extending from the spray nozzle,

wherein the spraying unit includes:
a first surface formed to increase in width from the tube to the outlet, the first surface allowing a flow direction of washing water received through the tube to be redirected while colliding with the first surface; and
second and third surfaces extending from both sides of the first surface, respectively, the second and third surfaces defining a left and right spray width of washing water sprayed through the outlet,
wherein one of the second and third surfaces guides the water toward a side wall of the inner tub and the other of the second and third surfaces guides the water toward a bottom of the inner tub,

wherein a movement of the radial direction protrusion in the front direction is restricted by a peripheral portion of the first portion of the face at a final assembly location where the spray nozzle is rotated from the initial assembly location by a predetermined angle, thereby preventing the spray nozzle from being separated from the first portion, and the second hole guides a rotating movement of the rear protrusion according to the rotation of the spray nozzle from the initial assembly location to the final assembly location, and stops the movement of the rear protrusion such that the spray nozzle does not further rotate when the spray nozzle is at the final assembly location, and
wherein the elastic protrusion protrudes toward the case at an end thereof opposite to a connection portion with the spray nozzle to be elastically bent based on the connection portion by a pressure applied to the protruding end through a contact with the case such that during said rotating movement of the spray nozzle through the predetermined angle, the elastic protrusion is elastically bent by abutment with the face of the case, and after the spray nozzle has been rotated through the predetermined angle, the elastic protrusion is inserted into the elastic protrusion coupling hole of the face which restricts any further rotation of the spray nozzle.

8. The fabric treating machine of claim 7 , wherein the spray nozzle further comprises:
a reinforcing plate extending between the tube and the spraying unit in a radial direction, and
wherein the elastic protrusion is formed on the reinforcing plate.

9. The fabric treating machine of claim 8 , wherein the elastic protrusion is formed by cutting a portion of the reinforcing plate except the connection portion such that the protruding end of the elastic protrusion applied with a pressure by the case is bendable within a certain range based on the connection portion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Kyu Bum
• Kim Young Jong
• Park Young Bae

Classifications

• D06F39/08 Primary

  Liquid supply or discharge arrangements (supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02) · CPC title

• D06F39/088 Primary

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title