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US 2019/0153646 A1Published application
Washing machine
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsJeonguk Lee, Seyoung Woo, Taehee Lee, Joonho Pyo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a washing machine including an outer tub which accommodates wash water, an inner tub which is disposed in the outer tub to accommodate laundry, and which rotates around a vertical axis, a motor which provides torque, an outer shaft which has a hollow, and which rotates the inner tub, an inner shaft which rotates inside the hollow by the motor, a pulsator which is disposed in the inner tub and is connected to the inner shaft, and a clutch which is screw-coupled to the inner shaft in the hollow formed at the outer shaft, and which is engaged with the outer shaft so as to be raised by the rotation of the inner shaft.
Claims10
A washing machine, comprising:
- an outer tub provided to accommodate wash water therein;
- an inner tub located in the outer tub, the inner tub being provided to accommodate laundry therein;
- a pulsator located in the inner tub;
- an outer shaft configured to rotate with the inner tub;
- an inner shaft located in the outer shaft, the inner shaft being configured to rotate the pulsator;
- a motor configured to rotate the inner shaft;
- and
- a clutch configured to selectively transmit rotation of the inner shaft to the inner tub,
- wherein the clutch and the inner shaft are interconnected by a threaded interface, and the clutch and the inner tub are interconnected by an anti-rotation interface, the anti-rotation interface including an elevation guide configured to rotate together with the inner tub, so that rotation of the inner shaft with respect to the elevation guide in a first direction raises the clutch along the elevation guide, and rotation of the inner shaft with respect to the elevation guide in a second direction lowers the clutch along the elevation guide,
- wherein, when the inner shaft rotates in the first direction and the clutch reaches a predetermined upper position, the clutch is restrained from being raised further, and the inner tub rotates in the first direction together with the inner shaft, and
- wherein, when the inner shaft rotates in the second direction and the clutch reaches a predetermined lower position, the clutch is restrained from being lowered further, and the inner tub rotates in the second direction together with the inner shaft.
8 more elements
A washing machine, comprising:
- an outer tub provided to accommodate wash water therein;
- an inner tub located in the outer tub, the inner tub including a hub base at a lower side thereof, the inner tub being provided to accommodate laundry therein;
- a pulsator located in the inner tub;
- an outer shaft configured to rotate with the inner tub;
- an inner shaft located in the outer shaft, the inner shaft being configured to rotate the pulsator, the inner shaft including an upper stopper and a lower stopper;
- a motor configured to rotate the inner shaft;
- an elevation guide configured to rotate together with the inner tub, the elevation guide including a guide bar extending upwardly from the hub base;
- and
- a clutch configured to selectively transmit rotation of the inner shaft to the inner tub, the clutch including an elevation guide groove located on an outer peripheral surface of the clutch and slidably engaged with the guide bar,
- wherein the clutch and the inner shaft are interconnected by a threaded interface, and the clutch and the inner tub are interconnected by an anti-rotation interface, the anti-rotation interface including the elevation guide, so that rotation of the inner shaft with respect to the elevation guide in a first direction raises the clutch along the guide bar, and rotation of the inner shaft with respect to the elevation guide in a second direction lowers the clutch along the guide bar,
- wherein, when the inner shaft rotates in the first direction and the clutch reaches a predetermined upper position, the clutch is restrained from being raised further by the upper stopper, and the inner tub rotates in the first direction together with the inner shaft, and
- wherein, when the inner shaft rotates in the second direction and the clutch reaches a predetermined lower position, the clutch is restrained from being lowered further by the lower stopper, and the inner tub rotates in the second direction together with the inner shaft.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.