# US 12,595,608 B2 · Washing machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,595,608 B2 - Document ID: US12595608B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/428,215 - Filed: 2024-01-31 - Published: 2024-05-23 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-22 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Heejin Kang; Younghyun Kim; Junho Kim; Seulgi Lee; Hyounyoung Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12595608B2 ## CPC - D06F 25/00: Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) - D06F 37/267: {Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence)} - D06F 37/04: adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis - D06F 37/26: Casings; Tubs - D06F 37/304: {Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors} - D06F 58/02: having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis - D06F 58/08: Driving arrangements - D06F 58/20: General details of domestic laundry dryers (D06F59/00 takes precedence) - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES ## Abstract A washing machine with a drying function can include a tub, a drum inside the tub and including: a cylindrical body having a rear end opening, and a drum back coupled to the cylindrical body to be over the rear end opening and including: a plurality of recess portions, a plurality of openings between adjacent recess portions and a plurality of porous plates coupled to the plurality of openings, a motor to provide a rotational force to the drum, a flange shaft between the drum and the motor to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the drum and including: a hub, and a plurality of flange portions extending radially from the hub, a drying duct configured to supply heated air into the tub, and an exhaust duct configured to return the heated air from the tub through the plurality of porous plates to the drying duct. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A washing machine with a drying function, comprising: a tub to store washing water and including a plurality of exhaust ports, at least one exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports: is a distance from a center of a rear surface of the tub that is different from a distance from the center of the rear surface of the tub in comparison to another exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports, and/or has a width that is different from a width of another exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports, and/or has a diameter that is different from a diameter of another exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports; a drum inside the tub and including: a cylindrical body having a front end opening and a rear end opening, and a drum back coupled to the cylindrical body so as to be over the rear end opening of the cylindrical body and including: a plurality of recess portions recessed from a rear of the drum back toward a front of the drum, a plurality of openings formed between each adjacent recess portions of the plurality of recess portions, and a plurality of porous plates respectively corresponding, and respectively coupled, to the plurality of openings; a motor to provide a rotational force to the drum; a flange shaft between the drum and the motor to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the drum and including: a hub at a center of the drum back, and a plurality of flange portions extending radially from the hub and respectively corresponding to the plurality of recess portions; a drying duct configured to supply heated air into the tub; and an exhaust duct configured to return the heated air from the tub through the plurality of porous plates and the plurality of exhaust ports to the drying duct. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The washing machine of claim 1, wherein each recess portion of the plurality of recess portions is formed of a metal material, and each porous plate of the plurality of porous plates is formed of a resin material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The washing machine of claim 2, wherein each porous plate of the plurality of porous plates is coupled to the corresponding opening of the plurality of openings by an insert injection method. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The washing machine of claim 1, wherein each porous plate of the plurality of porous plates is coupled to the corresponding opening of the plurality of openings by a seaming method. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the exhaust duct includes a plurality of exhaust connection portions respectively corresponding to, and respectively connecting, the plurality of exhaust ports to the exhaust duct. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The washing machine of claim 5, wherein with the drum is-rotated by the rotational force to a position such that one flange portion of the plurality of flange portions overlaps one or more exhaust ports of the plurality of exhaust ports, at least one different exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports is not overlapped by any flange portion of the plurality of flange portions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the drum back includes a rim corresponding to an inner diameter of the cylindrical body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The washing machine of claim 7, wherein the rim includes a plurality of flange shaft fixing portions corresponding to the plurality of flange portions and configured such that the drum back, the cylindrical body, and the plurality of flange portions are fastened together through the rim. ### Claim 9 A washing machine with a drying function comprising: a tub including a tub back having a plurality of exhaust ports through the tub back; a cylindrical drum, inside the tub, having a front end opening and a rear end opening and including: a drum back spaced apart from the tub back, coupled to the cylindrical drum so as to be over the rear end opening, and including: a plurality of first regions that each include a plurality of holes through the drum back, and a plurality of second regions extending radially and separating adjacent first regions of the plurality of first regions in a circumferential direction of the drum back; a drying duct to supply heated air into the tub; a motor to provide a rotational force to the cylindrical drum, wherein the plurality of exhaust ports are configured such that, when the cylindrical drum is rotated by the rotational force to a position at which a second region of the plurality of second regions overlaps an exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports, another exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports is overlapped by at least one first region of the plurality of first regions and is not obstructed by any second region; and an exhaust duct connected to the plurality of exhaust ports to return the heated air from the tub, through the at least one first region of the plurality of first regions and the another exhaust port. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The washing machine of claim 9, wherein each exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports is a distance from a center of a rear surface of the tub, the distance of each exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports from the center is different from the distance of each other exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports from the center. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The washing machine of claim 9, wherein a width of at least one exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports is different from a width of another exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The washing machine of claim 9, wherein a diameter of at least one exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports is different from a diameter of another exhaust port of the plurality of exhaust ports. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The washing machine of claim 9, wherein the drum back includes a rim corresponding to an inner diameter of the cylindrical drum. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The washing machine of claim 13, wherein the rim includes a plurality of flange shaft fixing portions corresponding to a plurality of flange portions and configured such that the drum back, the cylindrical drum, and the plurality of flange portions are fastened together through the rim.