Clothes Washing Machine

• US 20080041117A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Young Su
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/17R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/003 using electrochemical cells
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

A washing machine includes a colloidal silver maker and a detergent feeder which are integrated with each other, thus enhancing assembility and reliability of the washing machine. The colloidal silver maker includes a silver ion casing, a lid, and a pair of silver plates. An outlet pipe and a connecting part are provided on predetermined portions of the silver ion casing. The outlet pipe is integrated with an inlet of the detergent feeder, and the connecting part integrally connects the colloidal silver maker to the detergent feeder. Thus, the colloidal silver maker is integrated with the detergent feeder while the silver ion casing of the colloidal silver maker communicating with the detergent feeder. The silver plates are placed in the silver ion casing while being supported by the lid. Further, at least one spacing projection is upwardly projected from a bottom of the silver ion casing to be provided between the silver plates.

Claims

1. A washing machine, comprising:

a colloidal silver maker to produce colloidal silver;

a detergent feeder to feed a detergent; and

an outlet pipe to feed the colloidal silver from the colloidal silver maker to the detergent feeder, the outlet pipe integrally connecting the colloidal silver maker to the detergent feeder into a single structure.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connecting part provided between the colloidal silver maker and the detergent feeder to integrally connect the colloidal silver maker to the detergent feeder, the connecting part integrating the colloidal silver maker with the detergent feeder into the single structure, in cooperation with the outlet pipe.

3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the colloidal silver maker comprises:

a silver ion casing to define a water passage through which water passes; and

a pair of silver plates placed in the water passage of the silver ion casing to generate silver ions.

4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the colloidal silver maker further comprises:

a lid mounted to an upper portion of the silver ion casing, with an inlet hole being provided on a predetermined portion of the lid to feed the water into the silver ion casing, wherein the plurality of silver plates are placed in the silver ion casing while being supported by the lid.

5. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

at least one spacing projection provided between the pair of silver plates, the spacing projection being upwardly projected from a bottom of the silver ion casing.

6. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the inlet hole is provided on an end of the lid to correspond to a first end of the silver ion casing, and the outlet pipe is provided on a second end of the silver ion casing, so that the silver ions dissociated from the pair of silver plates are added to the water while the water introduced into the silver ion casing through the inlet hole flows from the first end to the second end of the silver ion casing.

7. A washing machine, comprising:

a colloidal silver maker to produce colloidal silver;

a detergent feeder to feed a detergent;

a water tub provided under the detergent feeder; and

a connection pipe to integrally connect a lower end of a predetermined portion of the colloidal silver maker to an upper end of a corresponding portion of the detergent feeder so that the colloidal silver maker and the detergent feeder are integrated with each other, the colloidal silver being fed from the colloidal silver maker through the connection pipe to an upper portion of the detergent feeder.

8. The washing machine according to claim 7, wherein the detergent feeder comprises:

a body to define an external appearance of the detergent feeder, with the connection pipe being connected to a predetermined portion of the body;

a spray unit provided in the body to be disposed under the connection pipe, the spray unit having a plurality of spray holes to spray the colloidal silver fed through the connection pipe onto a lower portion of the body; and

a detergent container to slide through a front of the body, with the detergent being mixed with the colloidal silver sprayed through the spray holes in the detergent container.

9. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the detergent container is placed in the body of the detergent feeder while a bottom surface of the detergent container being spaced apart from a bottom surface and a rear surface of the body, so that the colloidal silver sprayed through the spray holes flows to a rear portion of the detergent container together with the detergent contained in the detergent container, and then flows to a front portion of the body along the bottom surface of the body, prior to falling into the water tub.

10. The washing machine according to claim 7, wherein the colloidal silver maker comprises:

a silver ion casing to define a water passage through which water passes, with a connection pipe being provided on a predetermined portion of the silver ion casing;

a lid mounted to an upper portion of the silver ion casing, with an inlet hole being provided on a predetermined portion of the lid to feed the water into the silver ion casing; and

a pair of silver plates placed in the silver ion casing while being supported by the lid.

11. The washing machine according to claim 10, wherein the inlet hole is provided on an end of the lid to correspond to a first end of the silver ion casing, and the connection pipe is provided on a second end of the silver ion casing, so that the silver ions dissociated from the pair of silver plates are added to the water while the water introduced into the silver ion casing through the inlet hole flows from the first end to the second end of the silver ion casing.