Washer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9394644-B2
Application number	US-201214111714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2012
Priority date	Apr 14, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A washing machine of the present invention comprises a casing; a tub disposed inside the casing; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, for accommodating laundry therein; and a gasket interposed between the casing and the tub, for preventing water in the tub from leaking between the tub and the casing. Wherein the gasket comprises a plurality of gasket nozzles for spraying water into the drum; and a plurality of connectors for supplying water to the respective gasket nozzles. Wherein the gasket nozzle comprises a spray guidance surface for refracting the an advancing direction of the water supplied through the connector so as to spray the water toward inside of the drum; and a plurality of protrusions provided adjacent to an finish end of the spray guidance surface on which the water guided along the spray guidance surface is separated, and arranged along an width direction of the spray guidance surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a casing with a laundry input hole through which laundry is received;
a tub disposed inside the casing, the tub including an opening at a front side thereof;
a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, for accommodating laundry therein; and
an annular gasket for preventing water in the tub from leaking between the tub and the casing, the annular gasket including opposite first and second sides which are respectively fixed to the casing and the tub, an inner circumferential surface which communicates the laundry input hole with the opening of the tub,
wherein the annular gasket comprises:
a plurality of gasket nozzles for spraying water into the drum, the plurality of gasket nozzles protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the annular gasket;
a plurality of connectors through which water is introduced, the plurality of connectors extruding from an outer circumferential surface of the annular gasket opposite to the inner circumferential surface; and
a plurality of flow channels for communicating the plurality of connectors with the plurality of gasket nozzles, respectively, formed in the annular gasket,
wherein the annular gasket is formed as a single piece with the plurality of gasket nozzles, the plurality of connectors, and the plurality of the flow channels, and
wherein each of the plurality of gasket nozzles comprises:
a spray guidance surface for refracting an advancing direction of the water supplied through one of the plurality of connectors so as to spray the water toward inside of the drum; and
a plurality of protrusions provided adjacent to a finish end of the spray guidance surface on which the water guided along the spray guidance surface is separated, and arranged along a width direction of the spray guidance surface.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the width of the spray guidance surface is gradually widened along the advancing direction of the water.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gasket nozzles comprises:
an inlet forming surface in which an inlet communicated with one of the plurality of connectors is formed, wherein the water is flowed through the inlet; and
a flow channel narrowing surface for reinforcing a flow rate of the water advancing toward the finish end of the spray guidance surface by limiting a lateral movement of the water discharged from the inlet to the spray guidance surface.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of gasket nozzles comprises a protruding portion having at least two surfaces protruded from a virtual plane virtually connecting both lateral sides of the spray guidance surface and the inlet forming surface, in a direction that a width of the water guided along the spray guidance surface is narrowed.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the flow channel narrowing surface is one of the at least two surfaces, and the flow channel narrowing surface is extended from a start end of the spray guidance surface.

6. The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of gasket nozzles further comprises an interval forming surface formed between the inlet forming surface and the spray guidance surface so that the spray guidance surface is spaced apart from the inlet forming surface, and the flow channel narrowing surface is extended along the spray guidance surface from the interval forming surface.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the flow channel narrowing surface is extended from a start end of the spray guidance surface on a boundary between the interval forming surface and the spray guidance surface.

8. The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the flow channel narrowing surfaces are formed at both sides of the spray guidance surface, respectively, and the water discharged from the inlet is guided along one of the plurality of flow channels surrounded by the spray guidance surface and the flow channel narrowing surfaces.

9. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the annular gasket is provided with outer curved surface portions respectively extended from both sides of each of the plurality of gasket nozzles while forming a predetermined curved surface so as to minimize interference with the laundry.

10. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pump for pressure-feeding the water discharged from the tub; and
a plurality of circulation hoses for guiding the water pressure-fed by the pump to the respective connectors.

11. The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein the pump comprises a plurality of discharge port independently connected to the respective circulation hoses so as to discharge the water.

12. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the tub is provided with a holder by which the circulation hose is fixed.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the holder comprises a pair of fixing ribs protruded from a front portion of the tub and spaced apart from each other so that the circulation hose is inserted and fixed thereto.

14. The washing machine of claim 13 , further comprising:
a clamp for clamping the circulation hose; and
a boss protruded from the tub, for fixing the clamp thereto.

15. The washing machine of claim 10 , further comprising a connection tube having both ends respectively inserted into the connector and the circulation hose.

16. The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the connection tube is formed harder than the circulation hose and the connector.

17. The washing machine of claim 15 , further comprising a clamp for clamping one end of the circulation hose into which one end of the connection tube is inserted, and a clamp for clamping one end of the connector into which the other end of the connection tube is inserted, so that the connection tube is not separated from the circulation hose and the connector.

18. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the annular gasket is provided with a nozzle avoiding portion for forming a predetermined interval between the annular gasket and each of the plurality of gasket nozzles.

19. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the water sprayed through each of the plurality of gasket nozzles reaches a posterior wall of the drum.

20. The washing machine of claim 19 , wherein water sprayed through one of the gasket nozzles and water sprayed through other of the gasket nozzles intersect with each other before reaching the posterior wall of the drum.

Assignees

• Im Myong Hun
• Lee Sung Min
• Son Chang Woo
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Im Myong Hun
• Lee Sung Min
• Son Chang Woo

Classifications

• D06F37/266 Primary

  Gaskets mounted between tub and casing around the loading opening · CPC title

• D06B1/08

  from outlets being in, or almost in, contact with the textile material · CPC title

• D06F37/267

  Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F21/02

  about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F17/04 Primary

  solely by water jets · CPC title