Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873973-B2
Application number	US-201615373433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2016
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a washing machine having an elastic member for providing resilient power to the door in a direction in which the door is opened and a damping member arranged to damp pivoting of the door or an inner door. The washing machine has a structure to smoothly open/shut the door and inner door combined together, and if supplementary washing is required, to smoothly open/shut only the inner door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having an opening on top;
an outer door pivotally combined with the cabinet to open/shut the opening;
an inner door pivotally combined with the cabinet to open/shut the opening, pivoting around between the outer door and the opening, and detachably combined with the outer door;
an elastic member for providing resilient power to the outer door in a direction in which the outer door is opened; and
a damping member arranged to damp pivoting of the outer door while the outer door and the inner door is combined.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the damping member comprises at least one of a first damping member for damping pivoting of the outer door in a direction of shutting the opening and a second damping member for damping pivoting of the outer door in a direction of opening the opening.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the outer door comprises at least one of a first pusher for applying force to the first damping member and a second pusher for applying force to the second damping member,
wherein the first pusher applies force to the first damping member when an extent of opening of the outer door is smaller than a certain angle, and
wherein the second pusher applies force to the second damping member when an extent of opening of the outer door is greater than a certain angle.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet comprises a door combiner with which the outer door is pivotally combined, and
wherein the outer door is combined with the door combiner by at least one pivot pin unit.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the at least one pivot pin unit comprises a body and a pivot pin, and
wherein the door combiner and the outer door have pivot holes formed for the pivot pin to pass through.

6. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the elastic member is formed in a torsion bar, and
wherein the torsion bar is arranged inside of the outer door to be located on a pivot shaft line of the outer door.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the outer door comprises a supporter arranged to support one bent end of the torsion bar, and
wherein the other bent end of the torsion bar is supported against the cabinet.

8. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein a pivot pin has a via hole for the torsion bar to pass through, and
wherein the other end of the torsion bar supported against the cabinet passes through the via hole of the pivot pin, and is supported against the inside of the door combiner of the cabinet.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the via hole of the pivot pin has a form of an oval hole for the end of the torsion bar to be easily inserted thereto.

10. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is formed in a torsion spring, and
wherein one end of the torsion spring is supported against a door and the other end is supported against the cabinet.

11. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the damping member comprises a direct-operated oil damper.

12. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having an opening on top;
an outer door pivotally combined with the cabinet to open/shut the opening;
an inner door pivotally combined with the cabinet to open/shut the opening, pivoting around between the outer door and the opening, and detachably combined with the outer door; and
a damping member arranged to damp pivoting of the inner door while the inner door is pivoting around separately from the outer door.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the outer door and the inner door pivot around a same pivot axis on the cabinet.

14. The washing machine of claim 13 , wherein the cabinet comprises a door combiner with which the outer door and the inner door are pivotally combined, and
wherein the outer door and the inner door are combined with the door combiner by at least one pivot pin unit.

15. The washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the at least one pivot pin unit comprises a body and a pivot pin, and
wherein the door combiner, the outer door, and the inner door have pivot holes formed for the pivot pin to pass through.

16. The washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the inner door comprises a supplementary pivot unit arranged to be combined with the door combiner,
wherein the outer door comprises a hinge into which the door combiner and the supplementary pivot unit are inserted, and
wherein pivot holes are formed in the door combiner, the supplementary pivot unit, and the hinge.

17. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the inner door comprises a pusher for applying force to the damping member when an extent of opening of the inner door is smaller than a certain angle.

18. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet having an opening on top;
an outer door pivotally combined with the cabinet to open/shut the opening;
an inner door pivotally combined with the cabinet to open/shut the opening, pivoting around between the outer door and the opening, and detachably combined with the outer door; and
a first damping member for providing damping power for the outer door or the inner door, while the outer door or the inner door is pivoting in a direction of shutting the opening.

19. The washing machine of claim 18 , wherein the outer door or the inner door comprises a first pusher for applying force to the first damping member, and
wherein the first pusher applies force to the first damping member when the outer door or the inner door is within a certain angle.

20. The washing machine of claim 18 , further comprising: a second damping member for providing damping power for the outer door while the outer door is pivoting in a direction of opening the opening,
wherein the outer door comprises a second pusher for applying force to a second damping member when an extent of opening of the outer door is greater than a certain angle.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Wan Gi
• Jun Kab Jin
• Choi Ji Hoon

Classifications

• Y02B40/00

  Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers · CPC title

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F31/00

  Washing installations comprising an assembly of several washing machines or washing units, e.g. continuous flow assemblies · CPC title

• D06F1/04

  the tub walls or bottom having corrugations · CPC title