Washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator having contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzles

• US 6,170,303 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation (Dayou Holdings Co.,Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Company Limited (Dayou Holdings Co.,Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lim, Moo-Saeng, Hong, Dae-Yeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/188,210
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 134/102.1, 134/102.2, 682/07, 681/83, 366/176.1, 366/340, 261/113, 261/100, 261/77, 261/123, 261/123.1
• US Class Current: 68/183
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 17/12 solely by gases, e.g. air or steam, introduced into the washing liquid
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/002 using bubbles

Abstract

Outlets of a contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzle type are formed in an air bubble-generating plate from which fine air bubbles are generated. The outlets are constituted with outer outlets and inner outlets. The outer outlets are formed along edge portions of the air bubble-generating plate and the inner outlets are formed in the inner portions of the air bubble-generating plate. Each of the outlets has a flow-in portion, a contraction portion, and a flow-out portion which are aligned in a coaxial line and have different diameters, so that each of the outlets are formed in a shape of a contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzle type. A diameter of the flow-out portion is smaller than a diameter of the flow-in portion, but larger than a diameter of the contraction portion. A height of the contraction portion is larger than a height of the flow-out portion, but smaller than a height of the flow-in portion. The diameters of contraction portions of the outer outlets are smaller than those of contraction portions of the inner outlets. Fine air bubbles are generated from an air bubble generator having outlets of a contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzle type.

Claims

1. A washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator for generating air bubbles from compressed air and for dispersing the generated air bubbles into washing water in a washer tub, the air bubble generator comprising an air bubble-generating plate in which outlets of a contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzle type are formed, wherein the outlets are constituted with outer outlets and inner outlets, the outer outlets being formed along edge portions of the air bubble-generating plate, the inner outlets being formed in the inner portions of the air bubble-generating plate, a diameter of each of the outer outlets being smaller than a diameter of each of the inner outlets.

2. A washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator for generating air bubbles from compressed air and for dispersing the generated air bubbles into washing water in a washer tub, the air bubble generator comprising an air bubble-generating Plate in which outlets of a contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzle type are formed, wherein each of the outlets has a cylindrical shape and includes a flow-in portion for receiving the compressed air, a contraction portion communicating with the flow-in portion and for contracting the received air, and a flow-out portion communicating with the contraction portion and for enlarging the contracted air, the flow-in portion, the contraction portion, and the flow-out portion being aligned in a coaxial line.

3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a diameter of the flow-out portion is smaller than a diameter of the flow-in portion, but larger than a diameter of the contraction portion.

4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a height of the contraction portion is larger than a height of the flow-out portion, but smaller than a height of the flow-in portion.