Washing machine having sub-pulsator

A washing machine, comprising:

• a wash/spin-dry tub for washing and spin-drying laundry, said wash/spin-dry tub having an inner wall and inner floor;
• a pulsator mounted on the inner floor of said wash/spin-dry tub, said pulsator being rotatable in the forward and reverse directions;
• a guide duct formed along the inner wall of the wash/spin-dry tub, said guide duct having a bottom opening near said pulsator, and the top of said guide duct being closed, said guide duct for guiding water upward from the pulsator;
• a sub-pulsator mounted on said guide duct and protruding into said wash/spin-dry tub, said sub-pulsator comprising:
• a sub-pulsator disc having a through hole in the center of the disc;
• and
• vanes radially arranged on one side of the sub-pulsator disc;
• a hollow shaft member mounted axially in the through hole of said sub-pulsator disc and penetrating into said guide duct, for rotating the sub-pulsator and conducting water through the sub-pulsator;
• and
• a hydraulic turbine mounted inside said guide duct and connected to said hollow shaft member, for rotating said sub-pulsator, said hydraulic turbine comprising:
• a turbine disc having a central hole for admitting water, the central hole of the turbine disc being axially connected to said hollow shaft member;
• turbine vanes arranged with rotational symmetry on said turbine disc, said turbine vanes having curvature in a cross-section parallel to the disc;
• and
• a guide rib mounted in the guide duct around said turbine disc, said guide rib having an opening for exposing the vanes of the hydraulic turbine to the flow of water in the guide duct.

A washing machine, comprising:

• a wash/spin-dry tub for washing and spin-drying laundry, said wash/spin-dry tub having an inner wall and inner floor;
• a pulsator mounted on the inner floor of said wash/spin-dry tub, said pulsator being rotatable in the forward and reverse directions;
• a first guide duct formed along a portion of the inner wall of the wash/spin-dry tub, said first guide duct having a bottom opening and a top opening, the bottom opening of said first guide duct being near said pulsator, and the top opening of said first guide duct being at an upper portion of said inner wall, said first guide duct for guiding water upward from the pulsator;
• a sub-pulsator mounted on and near to said first guide duct;
• a first hydraulic turbine axially connected to said sub-pulsator, for rotating said sub-pulsator in response to water flow in the first guide duct;
• and
• a second guide duct formed along another portion of the inner wall of the wash/spin-dry tub, said second guide duct having a bottom opening and being closed at the top;
• a second sub-pulsator mounted near the second guide duct and protruding into the wash/spindry tub, said second sub-pulsator having a through hole formed centrally;
• a hollow shaft member mounted axially in the through hole of said second sub-pulsator disc and penetrating into said second guide duct, for rotating the sub-pulsator and conducting water through the sub-pulsator;
• and
• a second hydraulic turbine having a central through-hole, said hollow shaft member mounted axially in the through hole of the second hydraulic turbine, said second hydraulic turbine for turning said second sub-pulsator and the through hole of said second hydraulic turbine for admitting water to said hollow shaft member.