WASHING MACHINE

• US 20090019896A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Jun, Park, Soon-An, Kim, Young-Jong
• Application Number:
  US12/170,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20090019896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/17.R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/145 ribs or lifters having means for circulating the washing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

A washing machine is disclosed. A water supply structure includes a water current guiding unit for supplying water, which is to be supplied into an inner tub after passing through a detergent dispenser, toward a wall side of the inner tub. Accordingly, when a rinsing operation is performed after spin-drying, water cannot be supplied to a central portion of the inner tub but be supplied to the wall side of the inner tub, so that although the laundry gathers on the wall of the inner tub, water can be sufficiently supplied to the laundry to effectively remove a remaining detergent from the laundry.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a casing forming an external appearance;

a top cover formed at an upper portion of the casing;

a door that opens and closes an input hole formed on the top cover;

an outer tub installed within the casing;

an inner tub rotatably installed within the outer tub;

a detergent dispenser formed at the top cover; and

a water current guiding unit that guides water outputted from the detergent dispenser toward the wall of the inner tub.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the water current guiding unit is formed at an outer tub cover mounted at an upper end of the outer tub.

3. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the water current guiding unit comprises:

a water current changing unit to which water discharged from the detergent dispenser first collides; and

a water supply hole that supplies water, whose direction has been changed by the water current changing unit, toward the wall surface of the inner tub.

4. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein the water current changing unit is sloped toward the wall of the inner tub and the outer tub cover is sloped toward a rotational center of the inner tub.

5. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein the water supply hole is positioned at the same straight line as the wall surface of the inner tub.

6. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the width of the water current guiding unit is greater than or the same as the width of an outlet of the detergent dispenser.

7. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the water current guiding unit is formed at the top cover.

8. The washing machine of claim 7, wherein the water current guiding unit comprises:

a water current changing unit to which water discharged from the detergent dispenser first collides; and

a water supply hole that supplies water, whose direction has been changed by the water current changing unit, to the wall surface of the inner tub.

9. The washing machine of claim 8, wherein the water current changing unit is sloped toward the wall of the inner tub.

10. The washing machine of claim 8, wherein the water supply hole is positioned at the same straight line as the wall surface of the inner tub.

11. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the water current guiding unit is formed at the detergent dispenser.

12. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein a lower portion of the detergent dispenser comprises:

a supply hole that discharges water; and

a guide unit that guides water that has passed through the supply hole toward the water current guiding unit.

13. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the guide unit comprises:

a first guide portion protrusively formed around the supply hole; and

a second guide portion that guides water, which flows toward the water current guiding unit by the first guide portion, to one position.

14. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the water current guiding unit is sloped toward the wall of the inner tub.

15. The washing machine of claim 11, the water current guiding unit is positioned at the same straight line as the wall surface of the inner tub.

16. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the width of the water current guiding unit is greater than or the same as the width of the outlet of the detergent dispenser.

17. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the water current guiding unit guides water to a certain position regardless of the pressure of the water discharged from the detergent dispenser.

18. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the water current guiding unit is formed at a front side of a proceeding direction of water discharged from the detergent dispenser.