Washing machine and method of manufacturing door thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790637-B2
Application number	US-201414493931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A washing machine having a door with an improved structure may include a cabinet, a laundry port, a tub that is disposed in the cabinet, a drum that is disposed in the tub, and a door that opens and closes the laundry port. The door may include a door cover placed at an outer side of the door when the door closes the laundry port, and a decoration member coupled to the door cover so that at least a portion of the decoration member is projected onto the door cover. The door having the improved structure may be manufactured without the necessity of performing post-processing and a molding cost may be reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine, comprising:
a cabinet having a laundry port;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub; and
a door that opens and closes the laundry port, the door comprising:
a door cover disposed at an outer side of the door when the door closes the laundry port, the door cover comprising a first portion formed of a transparent material and a second portion disposed at an inner side of the first portion and formed of an opaque material such that at least a part of the second portion is visible through the first portion, and
a decoration member coupled to the door cover such that at least a portion of the decoration member is visible through the first portion.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the decoration member is coupled to the first portion such that at least a portion of the decoration member overlaps the first portion.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the decoration member is coupled to a rear surface of the door cover.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a hook is provided at the decoration member, and a hook coupling portion is provided at a rear surface of the door cover, and
the decoration member and the door cover are coupled to each other by coupling between the hook and the hook coupling portion.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a fastening member is coupled to a fastening member coupling portion provided at the decoration member to couple the decoration member and the door cover.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of uneven structures are provided at the decoration member.

7. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises:
glass disposed in a center of the door; and
a glass holder coupled between the door cover and the glass.

8. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having a laundry port;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub; and
a door that opens and closes the laundry port, the door comprising:
a door cover disposed at an outer side of the door when the door closes the laundry port, and
a decoration member coupled to the door cover such that at least a portion of the decoration member is visible through the first portion,

wherein
the door cover further comprises a first portion formed of a transparent material and a second portion formed of an opaque material such that at least a part of the second portion is visible through the first portion,
the first portion comprises a first region coupled to the second portion so that the at least the part of the second portion is visible through the first portion, and a second region that is not coupled to the second portion, and
the second region is farther away from a center of the door cover than the first region.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein at least the portion of the decoration member is visible through the second region.

10. A washing machine, comprising:
a cabinet that constitutes an exterior and includes a laundry port;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub; and
a door that opens and closes the laundry port, the door comprising:
a door cover comprising a first portion to allow light to pass through at least a portion of the door cover and a second portion disposed at an inner side of the first portion such that at least a part of the second portion is visible through the first portion; and
a decoration member coupled to a rear surface of the door cover such that at least a portion of the decoration member is visible through the first portion.

11. The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein the second portion is placed closer to a center of the door cover than the first portion.

12. The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein the decoration member is provided in a ring shape.

13. The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein the first portion comprises a first region coupled to the second portion and a second region that is not coupled to the second portion.

14. The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of uneven structures are provided at the decoration member, and the plurality of uneven structures are visible through the first portion.

15. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet that constitutes an exterior and includes a laundry port;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub; and
a door that opens and closes the laundry port, the door comprising:
a door cover comprising a first portion to allow light to pass through at least a portion of the door cover and a second portion provided such that at least a portion of the second portion is visible through the first portion, and
a decoration member coupled to a rear surface of the door cover such that at least a portion of the decoration member is visible through the first portion,

wherein a distance between the decoration member and a center of the door cover is shorter than a distance between the first portion and the center of the door cover and is longer than a distance between the second portion and the center of the door cover.

16. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having a laundry port;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub; and
a door that opens and closes the laundry port, the door comprising:
a door cover disposed at an outer side of the door when the door is closed, the door cover including a first portion formed of a transparent material, and a second portion disposed at an inner side of the first portion and formed of an opaque material such that at least a part of the second portion is visible through the first portion, and
a decoration member connected to a rear surface of the door cover, and being partially visible through the first portion from the outer side of the door when the door is closed.

17. The washing machine of claim 16 , wherein
the first portion is formed as a ring-shaped object,
the second portion is formed as a ring-shaped object having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the first portion, and
the decoration member is formed as a ring-shaped object and partially overlaps the first portion.

18. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having a laundry port;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub; and
a door that opens and closes the laundry port, the door comprisinq:
a door cover disposed at an outer side of the door when the door is closed ,the door cover including a first portion formed of a transparent material, and a second portion formed of an opaque material, and
a decoration member connected to a rear surface of the door cover, and being partially visible from the outer side of the door when the door is closed,

wherein the first portion includes:
an inclination portion formed at an outer circumferential edge of the first portion, inclined toward an outer side of the door,
a first region coupled to the second portion, the second portion being visible through the first region, and
a second region disposed between the inclination portion and the first region to scatter light incident from outside the washing machine and connected to the decoration member.

19. A method of manufacturing a washing machine including a cabinet having a laundry port, a tub disposed in the cabinet, a drum disposed in the tub, and a door for opening and closing a laundry port of the washing machine, the method comprising:
manufacturing a door cover by performing first injection molding on a first portion formed of a transparent material which allows incident light to pass therethrough,

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jae Young
• Choi Han Kyu

Classifications

• E05D15/00

  Suspension arrangements for wings (arrangements of wings not characterised by the construction of the supporting means E06B3/32) · CPC title

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• E05D7/00

  Hinges or pivots of special construction (used for special suspension arrangements E05D15/00; so as to be self-closing E05F1/06, E05F1/12; with means for raising wings before being turned E05F7/02) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• D06F37/28 Primary

  Doors; Security means therefor · CPC title