WASHING MACHINE

• US 20190323162A1
• Filed: 12/28/2017
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JUNG, Hwanjin, IM, Myunghun, LEE, Junghoon, WOO, Kyungchul, KIM, Jaehyun, KIM, Hyundong
• Granted Patent: US 11,920,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/24 Spin speed; Drum movements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/06 Recirculation of washing liquids, e.g. by pumps or diverting valves
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/48 Drum speed
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/36 of washing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/06 Ribs, lifters, or rubbing means forming part of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/22 in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/266 Gaskets mounted between tub and casing around the loading opening
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/30 Driving arrangements control circuits or arrangements D06F34/08
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements

Abstract

A washing machine includes a casing, a tub, a drum, a pump for sending water discharged from the tub, a gasket connecting an input port of the casing to an opening of the tub and having a nozzles for spraying water into the drum, and a nozzle water supply pipe fixed to the gasket configured to guide water introduced through the opening into a first sub-flow and a second sub-flow. The nozzle water pipe includes first nozzle water supply ports, formed on a first flow path to which the first sub-flow is guided, for supplying the first sub-flow to any two or more nozzles among the plurality of nozzles, and second nozzle water supply ports, formed on a second flow path to which the second sub-flow is guided, for supplying the second sub-flow to other two or more nozzles among the plurality of nozzles.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a casing which has an input port, which is formed in a front surface thereof, through which laundry is inputted;

a tub which is disposed in the casing to contain fluid, and has an opening communicating with the input port;

a drum which is rotatably disposed in the tub, and contains the laundry;

a pump which sends water discharged from the tub;

a gasket which communicates the input port and the opening of the tub, and has a plurality of nozzles for spraying water into the drum; and

a nozzle water supply pipe which is fixed to the gasket, has an opening into which the water sent by the pump is introduced, branches and guides the water introduced through the opening into a first sub-flow and a second sub-flow, has a plurality of first nozzle water supply ports, formed on a first flow path to which the first sub-flow is guided, for supplying the first sub-flow to any two or more nozzles among the plurality of nozzles, and has a plurality of second nozzle water supply ports, formed on a second flow path to which the second sub-flow is guided, for supplying the second sub-flow to other two or more nozzles among the plurality of nozzles.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a circulation pipe for guiding the water sent by the pump,

wherein the nozzle water supply pipe comprises:

a circulation pipe connection port which forms the opening and is connected to the circulation pipe; and

a transfer conduit which is connected to the circulation pipe connection port, and branches and guides the water introduced through the circulation pipe connection port to the first flow path and the second flow path.

3. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the transfer conduit comprises:

a first conduit portion which extends from the circulation pipe connection port in a first direction to form the first flow path, and is connected to the plurality of first nozzle water supply ports; and

a second conduit which extends from the circulation pipe connection port in a second direction to form the second flow path, and is connected to the plurality of second nozzle water supply ports.

4. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein one end of each of the first conduit portion and the second conduit is connected to the circulation pipe connection port, and the other end of the first conduit portion and the other end of the second conduit are separated from each other.

5. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein one end of each of the first conduit portion and the second conduit is connected to the circulation pipe connection port, and the other end of the first conduit portion and the other end of the second conduit are connected to each other.

6. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the transfer conduit is disposed around an outer circumferential portion of the gasket,

wherein each of the plurality of nozzles is disposed in an inner circumferential portion of the gasket,

wherein the plurality of first nozzle water supply ports and the plurality of second nozzle water supply ports pass through the gasket respectively to supply water to a corresponding nozzle.

7. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein a cross-section of the transfer conduit has a shape in which a height defined in a radial direction is shorter than a width defined in a longitudinal direction of the gasket.

8. The washing machine of claim 2, further comprising at least one balancer, having a certain weight, disposed along circumference of the opening of the tub,

wherein the transfer conduit is disposed between the gasket and the at least one balancer.

9. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the gasket comprises:

a casing coupling unit which is coupled to circumference of the input port of the casing;

a tub coupling unit which is coupled to circumference of the opening of the tub; and

an extension unit which extends from between the casing coupling unit and the tub coupling unit,

wherein each of the nozzles comprises;

a nozzle inflow pipe which is protruded from an inner circumferential surface of the extension unit and receives water through a corresponding nozzle water supply port; and

a nozzle head for spraying water supplied through the nozzle inflow pipe into the drum.

10. The washing machine of claim 9, wherein the gasket further comprises a plurality of port insertion pipes which are protruded from an outer circumferential surface of the extension unit, and communicate with the nozzle inflow pipes respectively,

wherein the plurality of first nozzle water supply ports and the plurality of second nozzle water supply ports are inserted into the plurality of port insertion pipes respectively.

11. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein the transfer conduit comprises a plurality of uplift portions which are convex in a direction away from an outer circumferential portion of the gasket, in a position corresponding to the plurality of port insertion pipes, respectively,

wherein the plurality of first nozzle water supply ports and the plurality of second nozzle water supply ports are protruded from the plurality of uplift portions, respectively.

12. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein, on a front surface of the tub, a plurality of balancers having a certain weight are disposed along the circumference of the opening of the tub,

wherein the uplift portion is disposed between the plurality of balancers.

13. The washing machine of claim 9, wherein the extension unit comprises:

a cylindrical rim unit which extends from the casing coupling unit toward the tub coupling unit; and

a folded unit which is formed between the rim unit and the tub coupling unit, and folded according to displacement of the tub,

wherein the folded unit comprises;

an inner diameter unit bent from the rim unit toward the casing coupling unit side; and

an outer diameter unit bent from the inner diameter unit toward the tub coupling unit side,

wherein the nozzle inflow pipe is protruded from an inner circumferential surface of the outer diameter unit.

14. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein, in an inner side cross-section of the transfer conduit, an area of the cross-section of the transfer conduit is gradually reduced from a lower side of the transfer conduit to an upper side.

15. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein, in an inner side cross-section of the transfer conduit, a width of the cross-section of the transfer conduit is gradually reduced from a lower side of the transfer conduit to an upper side.

16. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the pump is able to perform a speed control.

17. A washing machine comprising:

a casing which has an input port, which is formed in a front surface thereof, through which laundry is inputted;

a tub which is disposed in the casing to contain fluid, and has an opening communicating with the input port;

a drum which is rotatably disposed in the tub, and contains the laundry;

a pump which sends water discharged from the tub;

a gasket which communicates the input port and the opening of the tub, and has a plurality of nozzles for spraying water into the drum; and

a nozzle water supply pipe which is fixed to the gasket, has an opening into which the water sent by the pump is introduced, branches and guides the water introduced through the opening into a first flow path and a second flow path, has a plurality of first nozzle water supply ports, which is formed on the first flow path, for guiding water to any two or more nozzles among the plurality of nozzles, and has a plurality of second nozzle water supply ports, which is formed on the second flow path, for supplying water to other two or more nozzles among the plurality of nozzles.

18. The washing machine of claim 17, wherein the plurality of nozzles comprises:

an upper nozzle which sprays water downward;

a pair of intermediate nozzles which is disposed in a lower side of the upper nozzle, and disposed in both sides based on an inflow port of the nozzle water supply pipe into which the water supplied by the pump flows, and

a pair of lower nozzles which is disposed in an upper side of the inflow port, disposed in a lower side of the intermediate nozzle, and is disposed on both sides based on the inflow port.

19. The washing machine of claim 18, wherein the pair of intermediate nozzles are disposed in an upper side of a center of the drum.

20. The washing machine of claim 18, wherein the pair of lower nozzles are disposed in a lower side of a center of the drum.

21. The washing machine of claim 17, wherein the plurality of nozzles comprises:

an upper nozzle which sprays water downward;

a first intermediate nozzle which is disposed in a lower side of the upper nozzle, and disposed in a first area divided into left and right sides based on a vertical plane to which a center of the drum belongs and sprays water downward toward a second area corresponding to an opposite side;

a second intermediate nozzle which is disposed in the second area in the lower side of the upper nozzle, and sprays water downward toward the first area;

a first lower nozzle which is disposed in the first area below the first and second intermediate nozzles, and sprays water upward toward the second area; and

a second lower nozzle which is disposed in the second area below the first and second intermediate nozzles, and sprays water upward toward the first area.