Bubble generator for a washing machine

• US 5,770,118 A
• Filed: 11/21/1996
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daewoo Electronics (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Lee, Jea-Yoll
• Primary Examiner(s): MILES, TIM
• Application Number:
  US08/752,744
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 261/30, 417/473, 417/412, 417/413.1
• US Class Current: 261/30
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 17/12 solely by gases, e.g. air or steam, introduced into the washing liquid

Abstract

A bubble generator for a washing machine which utilizes bellows and an actuating cam for actuating the bellows is disclosed. The bubble generator includes a housing and a body installed within the housing. The body includes inlets for inflow of air at one side thereof, outlets for outflow of air at the other side thereof and passages for communicating the inlets with the outlets. Partitions for closing said passages are formed on the way of the passages, and spaces for expanding compressed air are formed adjacent to the outlets. An opposite pair of bellows are provided on an inner wall of the body. A plurality of holes are formed at the inner wall, one half of holes being for inflow of air into the pair of bellows, the other half of holes being for outflow of air out of the pair of bellows. An actuating cam for vibrating the pair of bellows by rotation is provided between the pair of bellows.

Claims

1. A bubble generator for a washing machine comprising:

a housing;

a body including an inner wall and an outer wall, having inlets for inflow of air at one side thereof and outlets for outflow of air at the other side thereof, having passages for communicating said inlets with said outlets, said passages being defined by said inner and outer walls, having partitions for closing said passages, said partitions being formed adjacent to said inlets on the way of said passages, having spaces for expanding compressed air, said spaces being formed adjacent to said outlets, and having opposite pairs of holes formed at said inner wall, each pair of holes thereof being positioned so that portion of said inner wall at which one of said partitions is provided intervenes therebetween, said body being installed within said housing to expose said outlets out of said housing;

a pair of bellows provided opposite to each other on said inner wall of said body;

an actuating cam for vibrating the pair of bellows by rotation provided between the pair of bellows, said actuating cam having a width shorter than a distance between the pair of bellows and a length longer than the distance therebetween;

driving means for rotating said actuating cam;

elastic blocking means for intermittently closing a hole of each pair of holes provided adjacent to said inlets in response to pressure change within said passages,

wherein said elastic blocking means is deformed to open said hole closed by said elastic blocking means if the pair of bellows are inflated, while said elastic blocking means is restored to their original shape to close said hole if the pair of bellows are contracted; and

each of the pair of bellows is airtightly attached on said inner wall to surround each pair of holes and said blocking means.

2. The bubble generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of bellows is fixedly mounted on said inner wall by engaging an outer peripheral edge portion of each of the pair of bellows with a first protrusion formed on said inner wall.

3. The bubble generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of bellows have a circular shape.

4. The bubble generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving means is a motor with a rotating shaft at an end of which said actuating cam is fixedly mounted.

5. The bubble generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic blocking means includes an elastic plate and a fixed portion for fixedly mounting said elastic plate on said inner wall.

6. The bubble generator as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said elastic blocking means is fixedly mounted on said inner wall by engaging said fixed portion with a second protrusion formed on said inner wall.

7. The bubble generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of bellows and said elastic blocking means are made of rubber.

8. A bubble generator for a washing machine comprising:

a housing;

a body including an inner wall and an outer wall, having inlets for inflow of air at one side thereof and outlets for outflow of air at the other side thereof, having passages for communicating said inlets with said outlets, said passages being defined by said inner and outer walls, having partitions for closing said passages, said partitions being formed adjacent to said inlets on the way of said passages, having spaces for expanding compressed air, said spaces being formed adjacent to said outlets, and having opposite pairs of holes formed at said inner wall, each pair of holes thereof being positioned so that portion of said inner wall at which one of said partitions is provided intervenes therebetween, said body being installed within said housing to expose said outlets out of said housing;

a pair of bellows provided opposite to each other on said inner wall of said body;

an actuating cam for vibrating the pair of bellows by rotation provided between the pair of bellows, said actuating cam having a width shorter than a distance between the pair of bellows and a length longer than the distance therebetween;

driving means for rotating said actuating cam; and

elastic blocking means for intermittently closing a hole of each pair of holes provided adjacent to said inlets in response to pressure change within said passages,

wherein said elastic blocking means is deformed to open said hole closed by said elastic blocking means if the pair of bellows are inflated, while said elastic blocking means is restored to their original shape to close said hole if the pair of bellows are contracted;

each of the pair of bellows is airtightly attached on said inner wall to surround each pair of holes and said blocking means;

each of the pair of bellows is fixedly mounted on said inner wall by engaging an outer peripheral edge portion of each of the pair of bellows with a first protrusion formed on said inner wall;

the pair of bellows have a circular shape;

said driving means is a motor with a rotating shaft at an end of which said actuating cam is fixedly mounted;

said elastic blocking means includes an elastic plate and a fixed portion for fixedly mounting said elastic plate on said inner wall;

each of said elastic blocking means is fixedly mounted on said inner wall by engaging said fixed portion with a second protrusion formed on said inner wall; and

the pair of bellows and said elastic blocking means are made of rubber.