Description

WASHING MACHINE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a washing machine washing laundry including clothes, and more particularly, to a washing machine with at least one or more than one gasket disposed between a tub and a drum. Background Art

[2] FlG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of a typical washing machine.

[3] As illustrated in FlG. 1, the typical washing machine includes a square box type cabinet 1, a tub 3, a spring 5, a damper 6, a drum 8, and a motor 10. The tub 3 is disposed inside the cabinet 1 in horizontal direction to the cabinet 1 and contains washing water therein. The spring 5 and the damper 6 support the tub 3 such that the tub 3 can be buffered inside the cabinet 1, and the drum 8 is disposed to be rotatable inside the tub 3 so as to allow washing of laundry. The motor 10 is installed at the back of the tub 3 to rotate the drum 8.

[4] A water supplier 12 supplying washing water is placed in an upper portion of the tub 3, and a drain 14 draining the washing water is placed in a lower portion of the tub 3.

[5] In front of each of the cabinet 1, the tub 3 and the drum 8, an opening is formed to put in and take out laundry, and a door 16 is placed in the cabinet 1 to open and close the openings.

[6] Particularly, a gasket 20 is placed in the opening between the cabinet 1 and the tub

3 and connected together in a wrinkled structure to prevent the washing water from leaking to a gap between the cabinet 1 and the tub 3 and to hold the laundry inside the tub 3.

[7] Generally, in the case that the tub 3 is supported by the spring 5 and the damper 6 inside the cabinet 1, the typical washing machine can be used after being appropriately installed. However, in the case that the tub 3 is fixed being integrated with the cabinet 1, it may be difficult to implement the gasket 20 since there is no gap between the cabinet 1 and the tub 3.

[8] Also, the gasket 20 is typically placed between the cabinet 1 and the tub 3, and the tub 3 and the drum 8 are placed to have a certain gap therebetween to prevent a collision event between the tub 3 and the drum 8 when driving the drum 8. However, if the drum 8 hangs down under the weight, the drum 8 tends to collide with the tub 3 during washing, and this collision may produce lots of noise.

[9]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[10] Therefore, in order to solve the problem of the related art, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with a gasket placed between a drum and a tub to hold laundry inside the tub and reduce a collision between the drum and the tub.

[11] Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with a maximally enlarged size of a drum, which determines washing capacity, by directly coupling a tub with a cabinet, supporting vibration elements including the drum and a motor directly with the cabinet through a suspension and placing a gasket in each side of the tub and the drum. Technical Solution

[12] To achieve the above object, there is provided a washing machine comprising a cabinet, a tub disposed being fixed inside the cabinet and including an opening which laundry is placed into and taken out, a drum disposed inside the tub and including an opening which laundry is placed into and taken out; and at least one or more than one gasket disposed between the opening of the tub and the opening of the drum.

[13] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine may further comprise a motor including a rotary shaft rotating the drum, a supporting device coupled with the cabinet from the rotary shaft, and a buffer sealing device disposed in the tub and buffering the rotary shaft while sealing a gap between the rotary shaft and the tub.

[14] According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising a cabinet, a tub disposed being fixed inside the cabinet and including an opening which laundry is put into and taken out, a drum disposed inside the tub and including an opening which laundry is put into and taken out and drum gasket fixed to the drum and extending toward the tub.

[15] According to the other embodiment of the present invention, a front edge portion of the drum gasket extending toward the tub may be formed to be inclined to the inside.

[16] According to the other embodiment of the present invnetion, the washing machine may further comprises a balancing device formed in a ring structure and disposed in a portion of the circumference of the opening of the drum.

[17] According to the other embodiment of the present invention, the drum gasket may be fixed to a gap between the opening of the drum and thebalancing device.

[18] According to the other embodiment of the present invention, the drum may comprise a gasket attaching unit in a region where the opening of the drum is formed.

[19] According to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a

washing machine comprising a cabinet, a tub disposed being fixed inside the cabinet and including an opening which laundry is put into and taken out, a drum disposed inside the tub and including an opening which laundry is put into and taken out, and a tub gasket being fixed to at least one of the cabinet and the tub and extending toward the drum.

[20] According to the still other embodiment of the present invention, the tub gasket may comprise a lip unit adhering to a door opening and closing an opening of the cabinet.

[21] According to the still other embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the tub gasket extending toward the drum may be formed to be shorter than an inner lateral surface composing the front surface of the tub.

[22] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising a cabinet, a tub disposed being fixed inside the cabinet and including an opening which laundry is put into and taken out, a drum disposed inside the tub and including an opening which laundry is put into and taken out, a drum gasket fixed to the drum and extending toward the tub, and a tub gasket fixed to at least one of the cabinet and the tub and extending toward the drum.

[23] According to the further embodiment of the present invention, both edge portions of the tub gasket and the drum gasket may be disposed apart with a certain distance. Advantageous Effects

[24] As described above, the present invention is advantageous as follows. The washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can prevent laundry from being slipped into a gap between a tub and a drum and, the drum or a balancing device from colliding with the tub when the drum vibrates excessively at the initial stage of dehydration. Also, the washing machine according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can reduce damage to parts of the washing machine due to the collision and make ease of a dehydration operation.

[25] The washing machine according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the tub is directly fixed to the cabinet and those vibration elements including the drum and a motor are supported directly with the cabinet through a suspension. As a result, capacity of the tub and the drum can be easily increased while maintaining substantially the same size of the cabinet.

[26]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[27] FlG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of a typical washing machine.

[28] FlG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of a washing

machine with a gasket device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[29] FlG. 3 is a partial detail view illustrating a portion "A" illustrated in FlG. 2.

[30] FlG. 4 is a partial sectional perspective view illustrating a portion "B" illustrated in

FIG. 3. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[31] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[32] FlG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of a washing machine with a gasket device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FlG. 3 is a partial detail view illustrating a portion "A" illustrated in FlG. 2, and FlG. 4 is a partial sectional perspective view illustrating a portion "B" illustrated in FlG. 3.

[33] As illustrated in FlG. 2, the washing machine according an embodiment of the present invention is obtained as a tub 55, which contains washing water, is directly coupled with the inner side of a square box type cabinet 50. Compared with a typical washing machine, wherein the tub is connected with the cabinet through a spring and a damper, the tub 55 of the washing machine according to the present embodiment is directly fixed to the cabinet 50 without using an additional damper.

[34] As the tub 55 is directly coupled with the cabinet 50, those vibration elements including a drum 60 where washing of laundry takes place, and a motor 66 rotating the drum 60 are configured to be supported inside the cabinet 50 through a supporting device including a bearing housing 75 and a suspension 90 to buffer vibrations generated when the drum 60 is rotating. The supporting device will be described in detail later.

[35] In more detail, the drum 60 is coupled with a rotary shaft 69 from the motor 66 for a rotary motion. The bearing housing 75 including first and second bearings 71 and 72, which support the rotary shaft 69, is placed between the drum 60 and the motor 66, and the suspension 90 is coupled with the bearing housing 75, and thus, the vibration elements such as the drum 60 and the motor 66 are supported inside the cabinet 50 through the bearing housing 75.

[36] In front of the bearing housing 75, a buffer sealing device is disposed in the rear side of the tub 55 to buffer a gap between the rotary shaft 69 and the tub 55 while sealing the rear surface of the tub 55. The buffer sealing device includes a bracket 80 and a rear gasket 85. The bracket 80 configures the rear surface of the tub 55, and the rear gasket 85 is disposed between the bracket 80 and a rear portion of the tub 55 and blocks vibrations transmitted from the vibration elements to the tub 55 to thereby prevent leakage of water contained within the tub 55.

[37] Particularly, first to third openings 50a, 55a and 60a are formed respectively in the

front of the cabinet 50, the tub 55 and the drum 60 to put in and take out laundry. First and second gaskets 58 and 64 are formed indivisudally between the tub 55 and the drum 60 to prevent foreign materials from getting into a gap between the tub 55 and the drum 60 as well as to prevent the drum 60 from colliding with the tub 55 during washing and dehydration operations.

[38] Hereinafter, main configuration parts of the washing machine according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[39] The cabinet 50 is generally formed in a square integral body as similar to the typical washing machine. In front of the cabinet 50, a door 52 which opens and closes the inner side of the tub 55 is placed.

[40] The tub 55 includes a main body 56 and a cover 57. The main body 56 is disposed to be fixed directly to a front portion of the cabinet 50, and the cover 57 is adjoined with a rear portion of the main frame 56 and is formed in a ring structure to allow the bracket 80 and the rear gasket 85 to be disposed in a central portion of the main frame 56.

[41] A rear portion of the drum 60 is supported as being coupled with the rotary shaft 69, and a hub 65 coupled with the rotary shaft 69 is placed over the rear surface of the drum 60. A plurality of lifts 63 are provided inside of the drum 60 to push up the laundry within the drum 60 and fall the laundry down. First and second balancing devices 61 and 62 are disposed respectively in the front and back sides of the drum 60 to give a balance when the drum 60 rotates.

[42] For the suspension 90, a main damper 93 and a sub-damper 95 are coupled with each other between a base portion of the cabinet 50 and a damper bracket 91, coupled with the bearing housing 75. The main damper 93 located in the center is disposed to be inclined, and the sub-damper 95 located in both sides of the main damper 93 is disposed in a vertical direction to absorb vibrations generated by the vibration elements.

[43] The first and second gaskets 58 and 64 are a tub gasket, fixed to the cabinet 50 or the tub 55 and extending toward the drum 60, and a drum gasket, fixed to the drum 60 and extending toward the tub 55, respectively. Hereinafter, the first and second gaskets 58 and 64 will be referred to as "tub gasket" and "drum gasket", respectively.

[44] As for the tub gasket 58, the tub 55 is fixed as being assembled via a screw 59 while adhering to the front inner side of the cabinet 50, and the tub gasket 58 is fixed as a fixation unit 58b in the front side of the tub gasket 58 is inserted between the front surface of the cabinet 50 and the front surface of the tub 55. Herein, the fixation unit 58b is formed in an annular structure bent doubly and protrudes toward an outer circumference.

[45] As for the tub gasket 58, in the fixation unit 58b, a cylindrical extension unit 58a is

formed along the inner side of the second opening 55a (i.e., the opening of the tub 55) in the direction to the drum 60. An annular lip unit 58c is formed between the fixation unit 58b and the extension unit 58a, and protrudes toward an inner circumference to be in contact with a portion of a glass 53 of the door 52.

[46] In particular, an edge portion of the extension unit 58a directed to the drum 60 is formed to be shorter than an inner lateral surface 55b composing a portion of the front surface of the tub 55.

[47] As for the drum gasket 64, the first balancing device 61, arranged in a ring structure, is disposed in a portion of the circumference of the third opening 60a (i.e., the opening of the drum 60) being assembled via a bolt 61s. Particularly, the drum gasket 64 is fixed between the drum 60 and the first balancing unit 61.

[48] Referring to FlG. 4, a portion of the drum 60 composing the third opening 60a, is formed to protrude toward the door 52, and in this protruding third opening 60a, a grooved gasket attaching unit 60b is formed to allow a portion of the drum gasket 64 to be inserted into the protruding third opening 60a. The drum gasket 64 includes a fixation unit 64b protruding toward the inside to be inserted into the gasket attaching unit 60b of the drum 60. Therefore, the drum gasket 64 is attached being inserted into the outer circumference surface of the third opening 60a of the drum 60 and fixed being compressed inwardly by the first balancing device 61 in the outside.

[49] The gasket attaching unit 60b of the drum 60 is formed to have a groove shape of which section view is 'U' shaped, so that the fixation unit 64b of the drum gasket 64 is inserted thereinto. An edge portion 60c of the 'U' shaped structure of the gasket attaching unit 60b is rolled up circularly.

[50] The drum gasket 64 includes a extension unit 64a extending lengthwise to the tub

55 from the fixation unit 64b of the drum gasket 64, and the extension unit 64a of the drum gasket is formed to be converged to the center as moving toward the edge of the extension unit 64a. More specifically, in a section view of the extension unit 64a, the extension unit 64a is formed to be inclined to the inside, i.e., to the center.

[51] As illustrated in FlG. 3, both the extension unit 58a of the tub gasket 58 and the extension unit 64a of the drum gasket 64 are disposed to face each other with a certain distance G therebetween, so that the tub gasket 58 and the drum gasket 64 configured as above do not contact with each other.

[52] Hereinafter, operation of the washing machine according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[53] In the present exemplary embodiment, the tub 55 is placed directly in the cabinet

50, and thus, the size of the tub 55 placed inside the cabinet 50 having substantially the same size can be increased. Hence, the size of the drum 60 provided inside the tub 55 can also be increased, and as a result, the overall washing capacity of the washing

machine can be increased without increasing the size of the cabinet 50.

[54] When the door 52 is closed while the tub gasket 58 is fixed as being bent between the first opening 50a and the second opening 55a and the lip unit 58c protrudes, the tub gasket 58 adheres to the glass 53 of the door 52. Hence, during the washing operation, the washing water is less likely to leak into the gap between the cabinet 50 and the tub 55 or to the outside.

[55] Since the edge portion of the extension unit 58a of the tub gasket 58 is formed to be shorter than the inner lateral surface 55b of the tub 55, an interference event between the drum 60 and the drum gasket 64, which often occurs during washing and dehydration operations, can be impeded.

[56] The drum gasket 64 is inserted into the gap between the third opening 60a and the first balancing device 61. Thus, when the first balancing device 61 is attached to the drum 60, the first balancing device 61 can be fixed by being attached to the gap conveniently.

[57] The drum gasket 64 is disposed being maintained with a minimum distance from the tub gasket 58. Hence, a usual event that foreign materials such as laundry are easily slipped into the gap between the second opening 55a and the third opening 60a is less likely to occur, and when the dehydration operation is performed, a direct collision of the drum 60 with the inner lateral surface 55b of the tub 55 can be impaired.

[58] Especially, even if the drum 60 sags down to a certain level due to the weight exerted when the laundry is put thereinto, the drum 60 can maintain a certain distance with the tub 55 since the drum gasket 64 is placed in the drum 60. Therefore, at the initial dehydration stage, the drum gasket 64 may contact the tub 55 due to excessive vibrations. However, the drum 60 or the first balancing device 61 does not collide with the inner lateral surface 55b of the tub 55, and thus, the drum gasket 64 is less likely to collide with the tub 55 due to the excessive vibrations.

[59] At the normal dehydration stage after the excessive vibration stage, there is not an interference between the drum gasket 64 and the tub 55. Hence, the normal dehydration operation is carried out smoothly.

[60] The washing machine that the tub 55 and the cabinet 50 are integrated in one body is exemplified in the present embodiment of the present invention. However, even in the case that as illustrated in FIG. 1, the tub of the washing machine typically known in the art is disposed inside the cabinet being supported by the spring and the damper, the tub gasket or the drum gasket exemplified in the present embodiment can be configured to be placed between the tub and the drum without departing from the scope and sprit of the embodiments of the present invention.

[61] Although the washing machine according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the

present invention should not construed as being limited to the provided exemplary embodiments and the drawings, and it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [62]

Industrial Applicability

[63] The washing machine configured and operating as described in the exemplary embodiment provides advantages as follows. First, laundry is less likely to be slipped into the gap between the tub and the drum. Second, an event that the drum or the balancing device collides with the tub due to excessive vibrations of the drum at the initial dehydration stage can be reduced. Third, damage to the parts of the washing machine, often caused by the collision, can be impaired. Last, the dehydration operation can proceed smoothly.

[64] The washing machine according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is fixed directly to the cabinet, and those vibration elements including the drum and the motor are configured to be supported with the cabinet via the suspension. Hence, the capacity of the tub and the drum can be easily increased under the same size of the cabinet.

[65]

[66]