Drum washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746238-B2
Application number	US-201414183719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Feb 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A drum washing machine having an improved air circulation structure thereof. The drum washing machine includes a cabinet, a tub arranged within the cabinet, a drum rotatably arranged within the tub, a drying unit which heats and circulates air discharged from the tub so as to dry laundry within the drum, the drying unit including a drying duct equipped with a heater to heat air therein, a circulation passage provided such that air circulates between the tub and the inside of the drying duct, and a suction member which is coupled to one side of the drying duct and introduces air outside the tub onto the circulation passage, and a discharge member which is coupled to one side of the tub and discharges part of the air in the circulation passage to the outside of the cabinet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drum washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub arranged within the cabinet;
a drum rotatably arranged within the tub;
a drying unit which heats and circulates air discharged from the tub so as to dry laundry within the drum, the drying unit comprising a drying duct equipped with a heater to heat air therein, a circulation passage provided such that air circulates between the tub and the inside of the drying duct, and a suction member which is coupled to one side of the drying duct and introduces air outside the tub onto the circulation passage; and
a discharge member coupled to an upper side of the tub and discharges part of the air and wash water in the tub to the outside of the cabinet,
wherein the discharge member comprises
a first discharge member having a first introduction port through which air in the tub is introduced, and a first communication hole disposed at an opposite side of the first introduction port;
a second discharge member having a second introduction port through which wash water is introduced, a second communication hole coupled to the first communication hole, and a discharge port through which the air and wash water are discharged; and
an opening and closing member disposed between the first communication hole and the second communication hole to open or close a passage between the first discharge member and the second discharge member such that air introduced from the first introduction port passes through the second communication hole while the wash water introduced from the second introduction port is prevented from passing through the first communication hole.

2. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the suction member is provided with at least one inlet such that a passage into which air is sucked from an upper side of the inlet is formed in order to suck air outside the tub.

3. The drum washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the suction member comprises a front member to which a blowing fan to circulate air in the tub is seated and a rear member provided with the inlet.

4. The drum washing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the rear member comprises a rear communication port through which air sucked into the inlet moves, and the front member comprises a front communication port through which air sucked into the rear member moves.

5. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge port of the discharge member is coupled to a coupling hole of the cabinet so as to protrude outward of the cabinet.

6. The drum washing machine according to claim 5 , wherein the coupling hole of the cabinet coupled with the discharge port of the discharge member is located at a point which is two-thirds from the bottom of the cabinet.

7. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing member is provided in a membrane shape so as to be capable of opening and closing the passage of air by pressure of air.

8. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing member is provided as a buoyancy valve capable of opening and closing the passage of air using buoyancy generated by wash water.

9. The drum washing machine according to claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the front member is provided with a slit for suction of external air.

10. A drum washing machine to perform a drying function, comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub arranged within the cabinet;
a drum rotatably arranged within the tub;
a drying duct to heat and supply air into the tub; and
a discharge member coupled to an upper side of the tub to discharge wash water and air in the tub to the outside of the cabinet,
wherein the discharge member comprises
a first discharge member having an air inlet through which air in the tub is introduced, and a first communication hole to discharge the air in the first discharge member;
a second discharge member having a water inlet through which wash water contained in the tub is introduced, a second communication hole coupled to the first communication hole, and a discharge port through which the air and wash water are discharged; and
an opening and closing member disposed between the first communication hole and the second communication hole to open or close a passage between the first discharge member and the second discharge member such that air introduced from the air inlet discharge through the discharge port while the wash water introduced from the water inlet prevented from passing through the first communication hole.

11. The drum washing machine according to claim 10 , wherein the water inlet is coupled to a first hose through which wash water is discharged from the tub.

12. The drum washing machine according to claim 10 , wherein the discharge port of the discharge member is coupled to a coupling hole of the cabinet so as to protrude outward of the cabinet, and the coupling hole is located at a point which is two-thirds from the bottom of the cabinet.

13. The drum washing machine according to claim 10 , further comprising a suction member provided therein with a passage through which air between the cabinet and the tub is sucked, the suction member being coupled to a lower side of the drying duct.

14. A drum washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub arranged within the cabinet;
a drum rotatably arranged within the tub;
a drying duct to heat and circulate condensed air within the tub;
a suction member which is coupled, at one side thereof, to a lower side of the drying duct and is coupled, at other side thereof, to one side of the tub so as to communicate with the tub, a blowing fan being seated to the suction member, the suction member being configured such that air inside and outside the tub is sucked into the suction member; and
a discharge member coupled to an upper side of the tub,
wherein the discharge member comprises
an introduction port through which air in the tub is introduced;
a discharge port through which the introduced air is discharged; and
an opening and closing member to open and close a passage of air discharged to the discharge member, the opening and closing member being a buoyancy valve capable of opening and closing the passage of air using buoyancy generated by wash water.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Hyung Sub
• Kang Min Hee
• Bae Seok Geun
• Yoo Sang Oh
• Kang Geun
• Seok Hye Joon

Classifications

• F26B21/30

  Controlling, e.g. regulating, parameters of gas supply · CPC title

• D06F2105/24

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F58/20

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title