Washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932702-B2
Application number	US-201414523230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a washing machine that includes a washing tub to accommodate laundry, the washing tub provided to be rotatable, and a liquid applicator that sprays a liquid to prescribed regions inside the washing tub. The liquid applicator may include a first nozzle having a first outlet arranged in a first direction to spray the liquid toward a first region of the washing tub, and a second nozzle having a second outlet arranged in a second direction to spray the liquid toward a second region of the washing tub. The first and second directions may be different directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine, comprising:
a washing tub to accommodate laundry, the washing tub provided to be rotatable; and
a liquid applicator that sprays a liquid to prescribed regions inside the washing tub, wherein the liquid applicator includes:
a first nozzle having a first outlet to spray the liquid toward a first region of the washing tub, the first outlet being elongated from an upper side to a lower side of the first outlet, and
a second nozzle having a second outlet to spray the liquid toward a second region of the washing tub, the second outlet being elongated from an upper side to a lower side of the second outlet, the first outlet and the second outlet being substantially symmetrically disposed about a predetermined plane,

wherein in each of the first and second nozzle, the liquid sprayed along the upper side of the respective outlet is directed higher than the liquid sprayed along the lower side of the same respective outlet,
wherein a distance between the upper side of the first outlet and the upper side of the second outlet is less than a distance between the lower side of the first outlet and the lower side of the second outlet.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the upper side of the first nozzle is positioned relative to the upper side of the second nozzle such that an angle between a spray direction of the upper side of the first nozzle and a spray direction of the upper side of the second nozzle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 26 degrees.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the outlets are arranged at prescribed angles relative to the washing tub.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the first outlet is angled in a first direction and the second outlet is angled in a second direction bilaterally symmetric to the first direction.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are configured such that the liquid sprayed through respective outlets of the first and second nozzles reaches a side surface of the washing tub when the liquid is introduced at a prescribed pressure to the first nozzle and the second nozzle.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first region of the washing tub corresponding to the first nozzle and the second region of the washing tub corresponding to the second nozzle do not overlap each other.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein a rotational center of the washing tub is positioned between the first region and the second region.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a top cover disposed at an upper side of the washing tub, the top cover having a laundry opening for placing laundry in the washing tub, wherein the liquid applicator is disposed at the top cover.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the top cover includes a detergent box receiving part to receive a detergent box, a detergent box support provided in a lateral direction from the detergent box receiving part, and a rim part that extends from the detergent box support and bent to form the laundry opening, wherein the liquid applicator is disposed at the rim part.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the liquid applicator includes a side end disposed at a point where the rim part is connected with the detergent box support.

11. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first outlet and the second outlet has a V-shaped cross section that increases an area of a flow path from an inlet through which the liquid flows to the outlet.

12. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the liquid applicator includes:
a nozzle cover that covers the first nozzle and the second nozzle,
a nozzle supply pipe through which the liquid flows to the first nozzle and the second nozzle, and
a supporting plate through which the nozzle supply pipe passes and to which the nozzle cover are fixed.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the supporting plate includes a holding groove and the nozzle cover includes a holding protrusion configured to couple to the holding groove, the holding protrusion being configured to rotatably couple to the holding groove and to couple to a rear surface of the supporting plate.

14. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the supporting plate includes a hook and the nozzle cover includes an insertion hole into which the hook is inserted, the hook and insertion hole provided to couple to each other to fix the nozzle cover to the supporting plate.

15. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the liquid applicator further includes a bottom cover that extends from a lower side of the supporting plate to wrap around the first nozzle and the second nozzle, the bottom cover having a prescribed shape to prevent interference with the laundry provided in the washing tub.

16. The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein bottom cover and the nozzle cover are configured to couple to each other and have prescribed shapes to form a semi-circle.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jeong Jaeyong
• Kim Youngjong

Classifications

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/088 Primary

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F21/08 Primary

  within an enclosing receptacle · CPC title