Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903066-B2
Application number	US-201414495286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A washing machine includes a cabinet; a tub which is disposed in the cabinet and in which washing water is stored; a rotating tub that is disposed in the tub and accommodates laundry; a spray unit configured to spray washing water into the rotating tub; and a fixing unit to which at least a portion of the spray unit is coupled and which includes a mounting structure provided at at least a portion of a circumferential direction of the fixing unit so as to fix the spray unit. The mounting structure in which a spray unit can be fixed by a fixing unit provides that movement of the spray unit can be prevented when a washing machine operates and the spray unit can be assembled in a desired position of the washing machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising: a cabinet;
a tub disposed in the cabinet and in which water is storable;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub to accommodate laundry;
a pump to supply water;
a plurality of nozzles disposed around an opening formed at a top of the tub to inject water into the drum;
a connector defining a plurality of passages through which water flows to the plurality of nozzles;
a first hose extending between the pump and the connector in an axial direction of the drum;
a second hose extending between the connector and one of the plurality of nozzles, and including:
a first portion extending from the connector in a circumferential direction of the opening, and
a second portion extending from the first portion to the one of the plurality of nozzles in a radial direction of the opening; and
a fixing unit disposed on the tub to secure the first portion of the second hose to the tub along the circumferential direction of the opening.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a protrusion to support at least one of an upper portion, a lower portion, and a side portion of the second hose.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a mounting groove recessed into an inner side of the tub from an outer side of the tub so that the spray unit is insertable into the mounting groove.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a lower rib protruding from a bottom surface of the mounting groove to prevent movement of the second hose in a radial direction of the drum.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a side rib that protrudes from a circumferential portion of the tub to prevent movement of the second hose in a radial direction of the drum.

6. The washing machine of claim 5 , wherein the fixing unit comprises an upper rib that protrudes from the top surface of the tub towards the side rib to prevent movement of the second hose in the axial direction of the drum.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the upper rib is provided substantially perpendicular to the side rib.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nozzles comprise a first nozzle disposed closer to the connector and a second nozzle coupled to the second hose.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the fixing unit is inclined from the first nozzle to the second nozzle.

10. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of nozzles is integrally formed with the tub.

11. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub disposed in the cabinet to store water therein and having an opening at a top portion thereof;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub to accommodate laundry;
a pump to supply water;
a plurality of nozzles to inject water into the drum;
a connector defining a plurality of passages through which water flows to the plurality of nozzles;
a first hose extending between the pump and the connector in an axial direction of the drum;
a second hose extending between the connector and one of the plurality of nozzles, and including
a first portion extending from the connector in a circumferential direction of the opening, and
a second portion extending from the first portion to the one of the plurality of nozzles in a radial direction of the opening; and
a fixing unit separated from the cabinet and disposed on the opening of the tub, and comprising at least one rib provided to secure the first portion of the second hose to the fixing unit along the circumferential direction of the opening.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the at least one rib comprises a side rib provided to support a side portion of the second hose and an upper rib provided to support an upper portion of the second hose.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the side rib is disposed away from the upper rib.

14. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the at least one rib further comprises a lower rib provided to support a lower portion of the second hose.

15. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a mounting groove recessed into an inner side of the fixing unit from an outer side of the fixing unit so that the second hose is insertable into the mounting groove.

16. The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of nozzles comprise a first nozzle disposed closer to the connector and a second nozzle coupled to the second hose.

17. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub disposed in the cabinet and in which water is storable;
a rotating tub disposed in the tub to accommodate laundry;
a spray unit comprising at least one nozzle configured to spray the water into the rotating tub and a hose configured to transfer the water to the at least one nozzle, the hose including
a first portion extending in a circumferential direction of the tub, and
a second portion extending from the first portion to the at least one nozzle in a radial direction of the tub; and

a fixing unit separated from the cabinet and disposed on the tub, and to which the first portion of the hose is secured to the fixing unit along a circumferential portion of the fixing unit, and including a communicating hole configured to receive the at least one nozzle.

18. The washing machine of claim 17 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a mounting groove recessed into an inner side of the fixing unit from an outer side of the fixing unit and configured to receive the hose.

19. The washing machine of claim 17 , wherein the fixing unit comprises a side rib that protrudes from a top surface of the circumferential portion of the fixing unit to prevent movement of the hose in a direction towards the side rib, and an upper rib that protrudes from an upper portion of the mounting groove towards the side rib to prevent movement of the hose in a direction towards the upper rib, and
the side rib is provided substantially perpendicular to the upper rib.

20. The washing machine of claim 17 , wherein the at least one nozzle comprises a first nozzle coupleable to a first point of the fixing unit and a second nozzle coupleable to a second point of the fixing unit.

21. The washing machine of claim 17 , wherein more than half of a total length of the second hose is secured to the tub by the fixing unit along the length of the second hose, thereby reducing a movement of the second hose during an operation of the washing machine.

22. The washing machine of claim 17 , wherein the fixing unit is provided along an entire circumference of the opening.

23. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub disposed in the cabinet to store water and having an opening at a top portion thereof;
a drum rotatably disposed, around an axis from a top of the washing machine to a bottom of the washing machine, in the tub to accommodate laundry;
a pump to supply water;
a plurality of nozzles to inject water into the drum;
a connector defining a plurality of passages through which water flows to the plurality of nozzles;
a first hose extending between the pump and the connector in an axial direction of the drum;
a second hose extending between the connector and one of the plurality of nozzles, and including a first portion extending from the connector in a circumferential direction of the opening, and
a second portion extending from the first portion to the one of the plurality of nozzles i

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Kyung Up
• Ko Hong Seok
• Kim Sang Wook
• Jin Yongjie
• Kim Jae Sin

Classifications

• D06F37/267

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

• D06F39/08

  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

• D06F39/024 Primary

  mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers · CPC title