PULSATOR DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINE AND WASHING MACHINE INCLUDING SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pulsator device for a washing machine, wherein the pulsator device is able to generate rotating water flow and vertical water flow. The pulsator device for a washing machine includes: a first pulsator provided with a recessed pulsator accommodation groove in the top surface thereof, and is formed to be able to rotate with respect to the central axis of the pulsator accommodation groove; a second pulsator which is installed in the pulsator accommodation groove and provided to be able to rotate or move vertically; and a connecting member installed in the pulsator accommodation groove to connect the first pulsator to the second pulsator, and causing the second pulsator to be inclined or horizontal with respect to the first pulsator according to the rotation direction of the first pulsator.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a pulsator device for a washing machine capable of forming a rotating water flow and a vertical flowing water flow and a washing machine including the same.

BACKGROUND ART

A washing machine is a machine that washes clothes using electric power, and is generally classified into a drum washing machine and a fully automatic washing machine.

In general, the fully automatic washing machine includes a tub for storing wash water, a rotating tub rotatably installed in the tub, a pulsator rotatably installed in an inner bottom of the rotating tub, and a driving device for rotating the rotating tub and the pulsator.

When the pulsator rotates forward and reverse in a state in which the laundry and the wash water are put into the rotating tub, the pulsator stirs the laundry with the wash water to remove the dirt from the laundry.

Such a washing machine causes the laundry to be twisted because the laundry is washed with a rotating water flow generated by the forward and reverse rotation of the pulsator. When the laundry is twisted, the laundry may be easily damaged, and there is an inconvenience in that the user has to separate the tangled laundry and loosen the twist when the washing is completed.

In order to solve such a kind of twisting of laundry, a pulsator provided with a plurality of rotating rollers on an upper surface has been proposed. In such a pulsator, when the pulsator rotates, the plurality of rotating rollers may push the laundry upwards.

However, such a pulsator basically only uses the rotating water flow by the forward and reverse rotation of the pulsator, and there is a problem that the plurality of rotating rollers do not make a water flow flowing vertically and thus may not alleviate the kind of twisting of the laundry.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

The disclosure provides a pulsator device for a washing machine capable of rotating motion and vertical movement, which may generate a rotating water flow and a vertical flowing water flow, and a washing machine including the same.

Further, the disclosure provides a pulsator device for a washing machine that has a small number of components, is simply assembled, and is capable of rotating motion and vertical movement, and a washing machine including the same.

Technical Solution

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a pulsator device for a washing machine includes: a first pulsator configured to have a concave pulsator accommodating groove provided on an upper surface thereof and rotate about a central axis of the pulsator accommodating groove; a second pulsator configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove and provided to rotate or vertically move; and a connecting member configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove to connect the first pulsator and the second pulsator, and allow the second pulsator to be in an inclined state or a horizontal state with respect to the first pulsator according to a rotational direction of the first pulsator.

The connecting member may include: a lower connector fixed in the pulsator accommodating groove and having an inclined upper surface; an upper connector installed on the upper surface of the lower connector and having an inclined lower surface; a rotating shaft penetrating through the upper connector to be perpendicular to the lower surface of the upper connector, and installed on the lower connector to rotate relative to the upper connector; and a housing installed to surround the upper connector, and rotatable relative to the upper connector, and the second pulsator may be fixed to the housing.

The upper surface of the upper connector may be provided with a posture switching portion configured to switch the second pulsator between the inclined state and the horizontal state according to a rotational direction of the rotating shaft.

The posture switching portion may include: an inclined pin and a horizontal pin that are provided on the upper surface of the upper connector and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; and an operating pin installed at one end of the rotating shaft protruding from the upper surface of the upper connector and caught by any one of the inclined pin and the horizontal pin according to the rotational direction of the rotating shaft, and the second pulsator may be in the inclined state based on the operating pin being caught by the inclined pin, and the second pulsator may be in the horizontal state based on the operating pin being caught by the horizontal pin.

A plurality of vanes may be radially installed on a lower surface of the first pulsator.

According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a washing machine includes: a tub; a rotating tub configured to be installed to be rotatable in the tub; a first pulsator configured to be installed to be rotatable in the rotating tub, and have a concave pulsator accommodating groove provided on an upper surface thereof; a second pulsator configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove and provided to rotate or vertically move; and a connecting member configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove to connect the first pulsator and the second pulsator, and allow the second pulsator to be in an inclined state or a horizontal state with respect to the first pulsator according to a rotational direction of the first pulsator, wherein the second pulsator maintains the horizontal state based on the rotating tub being rotated.

Advantageous Effects

In the case of washing with the pulsator device according to an embodiment of the disclosure having the structure as described above, because the laundry is washed by the rotational motion by the first pulsator together with the vertical movement by the second pulsator, the laundry may be prevented from being twisted and damaged, and uniform washing is possible.

Further, the connecting member for moving the second pulsator of the pulsator device in the vertical direction according to an embodiment of the disclosure is simplified in structure and has the reduced number of parts compared to a vertical moving mechanism according to the related art, thereby reducing the parts cost and assembly time. Therefore, the pulsator device according to an embodiment of the disclosure has an advantage of reducing the manufacturing cost.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a pulsator device for a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a first pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a second pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a connecting member when the second pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure is in a horizontal state.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view taken along the line I-I of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure when the second pulsator is in an inclined state.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view taken along the line II-II of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a lower connector of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a washing machine when the second pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine is in an inclined state.

BEST MODE

Hereinafter, embodiments of a pulsator device for a washing machine and a washing machine including the same according to the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments described below are illustratively provided to help understanding of the disclosure, and it is to be understood that the disclosure may be variously modified and executed unlike the embodiments described herein. However, when it is decided that a detailed description for the known functions or components related to the disclosure may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the disclosure, the detailed description and concrete illustration will be omitted. Further, the accompanying drawings are not illustrated to scale, but sizes of some of components may be exaggerated to help the understanding of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a main body 3, a tub 10, a rotating tub 20, a pulsator device 50, and a driving device 30.

The main body 3 forms an appearance of the washing machine 1 and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an upper end of the main body 3 is provided with a laundry inlet 7 so that laundry may be put into the rotating tub 10. An upper surface of the main body 3 may be provided with a door 5 for opening and closing the laundry inlet 7.

The tub 10 is installed vertically in the interior of the main body 3, and is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape having a bottom to accommodate a certain amount of wash water. The tub 10 is supported by a suspension device 11 relative to the main body 3 so that vibration generated in the tub 10 during washing is attenuated.

Above the tub 10, a water feeding pipe 41 for supplying the wash water to the tub 10 is provided. One end of the water feeding pipe 41 is connected to a detergent supply device 42. The detergent supply device 42 is provided with a water supply pipe (not shown) for supplying external water. Therefore, the water supplied through the water supply pipe is supplied into the tub 10 through the water feeding pipe 41 together with the detergent via the detergent supply device 42.

Under the tub 10, a drainage device 45 for discharging the wash water contained in the tub 10 to the outside of the main body is provided. The drainage device 45 may include a drain pipe 46 connected to the bottom of the tub 10 and a drain valve 47 installed in the drain pipe 46. The drain pipe 46 may be provided with a drain pump (not shown) for forcibly discharging the wash water from the tub 10.

The rotating tub 20 is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape having a bottom, and is rotatably installed inside the tub 10. A plurality of through holes are provided on a circumferential surface of the rotating tub 20, so that the wash water contained in the tub 10 may enter or exit the rotating tub 20. A balancer 23 may be provided at an upper end of the rotating tub 20 such that the rotating tub 20 may stably rotate when the rotating tub 20 rotates at a high speed.

One side in the rotating tub 20 is provided with a wash water rising duct 25 to circulate the wash water inside the rotating tub 20. The wash water rising duct 25 is installed in a vertical direction over the upper and lower portions of the rotating tub 20. Discharge ports 27 for discharging the wash water are formed at an upper portion of the wash water rising duct 25.

The pulsator device 50 is installed on the bottom inside the rotating tub 20 so as to be rotatable separately from the rotating tub 20, and stirs the laundry introduced into the rotating tub 20 together with the wash water. The pulsator device 50 is described in detail below.

The driving device 30 is installed below the tub 10 and generates a rotational force for rotating the pulsator device 50 and the rotating tub 20. Such a driving device 30 may include a direct motor 31, a clutch 33, and a drive shaft 35.

The drive shaft 35 includes a washing shaft 37 connected to the pulsator device 50 to rotate the pulsator device 50, and a spin-drying shaft 36 connected to the bottom surface of the rotating tub 20 to rotate the rotating tub 20.

A rotational force of the direct motor 31 is transmitted directly to the washing shaft 37. The direct motor 31 includes a stator 31-1 and a rotor 31-2, and the stator 31-1 is fixed to the bottom surface of the tub 10. Because the rotor 31-2 is connected to the washing shaft 37, the washing shaft 37 rotates when the rotor 21-2 rotates.

The clutch 33 interrupts the rotational force of the motor 31 transmitted to the spin-drying shaft 36 so that the rotating tub 20 rotates together with the pulsator device 50, or the pulsator device 50 rotates in a state in which the rotating tub 20 is stopped. For example, when the clutch 33 transmits the rotational force of the motor 31 to the spin-drying shaft 36, the rotating tub 20 rotates, and when the clutch 33 prevents the rotational force of the motor 31 from being transmitted to the spin-drying shaft 36, the rotating tub 20 does not rotate.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the driving device 30 is formed in a direct driving method for transmitting the rotational force of the motor 31 directly to the drive shaft 35, a structure of the driving device 30 is not limited thereto. Although not illustrated, the driving device 30 may also be implemented by an indirect driving method for transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the drive shaft using a power transmission device. The power transmission device may include pulleys and a belt connecting the pulleys.

Hereinafter, a pulsator device for a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detail with referent to FIGS. 1 to 6.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a pulsator device for a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a first pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a second pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a pulsator device 50 according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a first pulsator 60, a second pulsator 70, and a connecting member 80.

The first pulsator 60 is rotatably installed on an inner lower surface of the rotating tub 20. The first pulsator 60 is formed in a disc shape and has a concave pulsator accommodating groove 61 provided in an upper surface thereof.

The pulsator accommodating groove 61 is formed to have a depth in which a lower portion of the second pulsator 70 may be accommodated. For example, the pulsator accommodating groove 61 may be formed so that a portion of the second pulsator 70 from the bottom surface of the second pulsator 70 to about one quarter of a height of the second pulsator 70 may be positioned in the pulsator accommodating groove 61. In addition, the depth of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 may be formed so that an edge of the second pulsator 70 does not protrude above the upper surface of the first pulsator 60 when the second pulsator 70 moves vertically.

An inner side surface 63 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60 may be formed in a shape corresponding to a trajectory of the edge of the second pulsator 70 that vertically moves.

In addition, a connecting boss 64 protrudes upward from the center of a bottom surface 62 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61. The connecting boss 64 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, a plurality of spline grooves 65 are provided on an inner circumferential surface of the connecting boss 64. A plurality of spline ribs 37a provided at a tip of the washing shaft 37 are coupled to the plurality of spline grooves 65. Therefore, when the washing shaft 37 rotates, the first pulsator 60 may rotate about a center line CL passing through a center of the pulsator accommodating groove 61, that is, a center of the connecting boss 64.

The bottom surface 62 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 is provided with a plurality of coupling grooves 66 radially around the connecting boss 64. The plurality of coupling grooves 66 are formed at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. The connecting member 80 is coupled to the plurality of coupling grooves 66. Each of the plurality of coupling grooves 66 may be formed in a substantially triangular cross section.

In addition, a plurality of through holes 62a may be formed in the bottom surface 62 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61. The wash water in the pulsator accommodating groove 61 may be introduced below the first pulsator 60 through the plurality of through holes 62a.

In addition, the upper surface of the first pulsator is provided with a plurality of water flow forming blades 67 around the pulsator accommodating groove 61. The plurality of water flow forming blades 67 are formed in the same shape, and are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction around the pulsator accommodating groove 61. As an example, each water flow forming blade 67 may be formed in a substantially square pyramid shape. When the first pulsator 60 rotates, the plurality of water flow forming blades 67 generate a rotating water flow rotating about the center line CL.

A plurality of vanes 68 are radially installed about the connecting boss 64 on a rear surface of the first pulsator 60. Each of the plurality of vanes 68 is formed of a thin plate having an approximately ‘L’ shape. Each vane 68 is installed perpendicular to the rear surface 62 and the side surface of the pulsator accommodating groove 61. The plurality of vanes 68 installed on the rear surface of the first pulsator 60 function as an impeller, and when the first pulsator 60 rotates, the wash water located below the first pulsator 60 is supplied to the wash water rising duct 25 of the rotating tub 20 by the plurality of vanes 68.

The second pulsator 70 is installed in the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60. The second pulsator 70 is provided to be able to rotate horizontally together with the first pulsator 60 or move in a vertical direction. That is, the second pulsator 70 is provided to perform a combination of the horizontal rotational motion and the vertical flow motion.

The second pulsator 70 is formed in a substantially hollow truncated cone shape, and is provided with an axial coupling boss 71 coupled to the connecting member 80 at a center thereof. A plurality of coupling ribs 72 are provided on an inner circumferential surface of the axial coupling boss 71 in the vertical direction.

A plurality of inclined blades 73 are radially provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second pulsator 70. The plurality of inclined blades 73 are formed to protrude from the outer circumferential surface and are installed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the second pulsator 70. In addition, the outer circumferential surface of the second pulsator 70 is provided with a plurality of through holes 74 through which the wash water may pass. Therefore, the wash water on the upper side of the second pulsator 70 may be introduced into the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60 through the plurality of through holes 74.

A cap accommodating portion 75 is provided at an upper portion of the axial coupling boss 71 of the second pulsator 70, and a cap 76 may be installed at the cap accommodating portion 75 to block an upper end of the second pulsator 70.

The connecting member 80 is configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60 to connect the first pulsator 60 and the second pulsator 70 to each other, and allow the second pulsator 70 to change a posture thereof to an inclined state or a horizontal state with respect to the bottom surface of the first pulsator 60 according to a rotational direction of the first pulsator 60.

Hereinafter, a connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a connecting member when the second pulsator of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure is in a horizontal state and FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a view taken along the line I-I of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure when the second pulsator is in an inclined state and FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a view taken along the line II-II of the connecting member of the pulsator device for the washing machine of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a lower connector of the pulsator device for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 7 to 13, a connecting member 80 may include a lower connector 90, an upper connector 100, a rotating shaft 110, and a housing 120.

The lower connector 90 of the connecting member 80 is fixed to the inner bottom surface 62 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61, and has an upper surface inclined at a certain angle with respect to a lower surface. The lower connector 90 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and has an inclined surface 91 formed at an upper end and a coupling disc 92 provided at a lower end. The coupling disc 92 is integrally formed with the lower connector 90. The center of the coupling disc 92 is provided with a boss accommodating groove 95 in which the connecting boss 64 of the first pulsator 60 is accommodated.

The coupling disc 92 has a diameter greater than the diameter of the lower connector 90, and a lower surface thereof is provided with a plurality of coupling protrusions 96 radially around the boss accommodating groove 95. The plurality of coupling protrusions 96 are formed in a shape corresponding to the plurality of coupling grooves 66 provided in the bottom surface 62 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60 described above.

For example, in the case in which the coupling groove 66 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 is formed in a triangular cross section, the coupling protrusion 96 of the lower connector 90 is also formed in a triangular cross section corresponding to the coupling groove 66 of the first pulsator 60. The plurality of coupling protrusions 96 of the coupling disc 92 may be coupled to the plurality of coupling grooves 66 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 by a transition fit or an interference fit so as not to be separated from the plurality of coupling grooves 66 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61. As a result, the connecting member 80 is firmly fixed to the lower surface 62 of the first pulsator 60.

Because the plurality of coupling protrusions 96 provided on the coupling disc 92 of the lower connector 90 are inserted into and coupled to the plurality of coupling grooves 66 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60, the rotational force of the first pulsator 60 is transmitted to the lower connector 90 by a contact surface between the plurality of coupling protrusions 96 and the plurality of coupling grooves 66. Therefore, when the first pulsator 60 rotates, the lower connector 90 is rotated integrally with the first pulsator 60 by the plurality of coupling protrusions 96.

The center of an upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is provided with a shaft hole 93 into which the rotating shaft 110 is inserted. Therefore, when the lower connector 90 is fixed to the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60, the center of the shaft hole 93 is positioned in line with the rotation center of the first pulsator 60. In addition, the shaft hole 93 is formed perpendicular to the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 110 is fixed to the shaft hole 93 of the lower connector 90, the rotating shaft 110 is in a state perpendicular to the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90.

An inclination angle θ of the upper inclined surface 91 with respect to the lower surface of the lower connector 90 may be approximately 3 degrees to 10 degrees. An angle at which the second pulsator 70 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction is determined according to the inclination angle θ of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90. The inclined angle of the second pulsator 70 determines the range of vertical motion of the second pulsator 70.

Therefore, as the inclination angle θ of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 increases, the second pulsator 70 may generate strong water flow in the vertical direction. However, when the inclination angle θ is too large, the laundry may be inclined toward one side of the rotating tub 20 in a washing process, and thus the inclination angle θ may be 10 degrees or less. On the other hand, when the inclination angle θ is too small, the vertical motion of the second pulsator 70 is insignificant, so that the effective vertical water flow may not be generated, and thus the inclination angle θ may be 3 degrees or more.

In addition, the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 may be provided with a friction groove 91a to reduce a friction area with the upper connector 100. In the embodiment, the friction groove 91a is formed in a circular shape surrounding the shaft hole 93. Therefore, the inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is formed in a ring shape as illustrated in FIG. 3.

A fixing hole 94 penetrating through the shaft hole in a transverse direction is provided at an upper portion of the outer circumferential surface of the lower connector 90. The fixing hole 94 is coupled with a fixing pin 99 for fixing the rotating shaft 110 to the lower connector 90. As another example, the rotating shaft 110 may be coupled to the lower connector 90 with a fixing bolt instead of the fixing pin 99. In this case, one side of the fixing hole 94 may be formed of a female screw to which the fixing bolt may be coupled.

The upper connector 100 is installed on the upper surface of the lower connector 90, and is formed in a cylindrical shape. A lower portion of the upper connector 100 is provided with a disc-shaped contact portion 101 having a larger diameter than the upper connector 100. A lower end of the upper connector 100, that is, a lower surface of the contact portion 101 is provided with an inclined surface 102 inclined with respect to the upper surface. That is, an upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 is formed as a plane perpendicular to a centerline of the upper connector 100, and a lower surface of the upper connector 100 is formed as the inclined surface 102 inclined with respect to the upper surface.

The lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100 is formed at an angle corresponding to the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90. For example, when the inclination angle θ of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is 4 degrees, the inclination angle of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100 is also 4 degrees.

The upper connector 100 is formed with an inclined through hole 105 into which the rotating shaft 110 is inserted in the vertical direction. The inclined through hole 105 is formed perpendicular to the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100. The inclined through hole 105 is formed to have a diameter larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft 110. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 110 is inserted into the inclined through hole 105, the rotating shaft 110 may rotate relative to the inclined through hole 105.

In addition, the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100 may be provided with a friction groove 102c in a manner similar to the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 to reduce the friction area with the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90. For example, the friction groove 102c of the upper connector 100 may be formed in a circular shape surrounding the inclined through hole 105.

The rotating shaft 110 penetrates through the upper connector 100 perpendicular to the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, and is installed to rotate relative to the upper connector 100. The rotating shaft 110 is formed to have a length longer than the length of the upper connector 100. Therefore, when the rotating shaft 110 is inserted into the upper connector 100, both ends of the rotating shaft 110 protrude to the upper and lower ends of the upper connector 100.

A coupling hole 111 into which the fixing pin 99 is inserted is provided at the lower portion of the rotating shaft 110 protruding from the lower end of the upper connector 100, and an operating pin 112 protruding in the transverse direction is provided at the upper portion of the rotating shaft 110 protruding from the upper end of the upper connector 100.

The lower portion of the rotating shaft 110 protruding from the lower end of the upper connector 100 is inserted into the shaft hole 93 of the lower connector 90, and is fixed to the shaft hole 93 of the lower connector 90 by the fixing pin 99 penetrating through the coupling hole 111. In this case, because the shaft hole 93 of the lower connector 90 is located on the same line as the central axis of the pulsator accommodating groove 61, the lower end of the rotating shaft 110 fixed to the shaft hole 93 is also fixed to the lower connector 90 on the same line as the central axis of the pulsator accommodating groove 61. Therefore, when the first pulsator 60 on which the lower connector 90 is installed rotates, the rotating shaft 110 rotates integrally with the lower connector 90.

The housing 120 is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and is installed to surround the upper connector 100. A connector hole 121 into which the upper connector 100 is inserted is provided in the housing 120 in the vertical direction. The connector hole 121 has a diameter greater than the diameter of the upper connector 100 so that the housing 120 may rotate freely with respect to the upper connector 100.

A lower end of the connector hole 121 may be provided with a support step 122 supported by the upper surface of the contact portion 101 of the upper connector 100. Therefore, when the upper connector 100 is inserted into the connector hole 121, the upper surface of the contact portion 101 of the upper connector 100 is in contact with the support step 122 of the housing 120.

A bearing 130 may be installed between the upper connector 100 and the housing 120 to allow the housing 120 to smoothly rotate relative to the upper connector 100. The bearing 130 may be fixed to an inner surface of the housing 120, that is, an inner surface of the connector hole 121. The bearing 130 may be implemented as an oilless bearing.

The bearing 130 may include an upper bearing 131 fixed to the upper portion of the housing 120 and a lower bearing 132 fixed to the lower portion of the housing 120.

When the bearing 130 is formed to be separated into two pieces in this manner, assemblability of the bearing 130 may be improved. The upper bearing 131 includes an upper flange 131a disposed on the upper surface of the housing 120. The lower bearing 132 includes a lower flange 132a disposed between the support step 122 of the housing 120 and the contact portion 101 of the upper connector 100. The lower flange 132a of the lower bearing 132 allows the housing 120 to rotate smoothly on the upper surface of the contact portion 101 of the upper connector 100.

A bearing holder 135 for fixing the bearing 130 may be installed on the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100. In the case of the embodiment, the bearing holder 135 installed on the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 prevents the upper bearing 131 from being separated from the housing 120. The bearing holder 135 is provided with two pin holes 135b through which an inclined pin 141 and a horizontal pin 142 to be described later pass, an opening 135a through which the rotating shaft 110 passes, and a bolt hole 135c into which a fixing bolt 136 is inserted. An upper surface of the bearing holder 135 may be formed to be inclined with respect to a lower surface thereof. The upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 may be provided with a screw hole 106 to which the fixing bolt 136 is fastened to fix the bearing holder 135.

A plurality of rib grooves 125 are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the housing 120 to fix the second pulsator 70. The plurality of rib grooves 125 are formed to correspond to the plurality of coupling ribs 72 formed on the inner surface of the axial coupling boss 71 of the second pulsator 70. Therefore, when the plurality of coupling ribs 72 of the second pulsator 70 are inserted into the plurality of rib grooves 125 of the housing 120, the second pulsator 70 and the housing 120 are integrally coupled to each other. Therefore, when the housing 120 rotates or moves vertically, the second pulsator 70 also integrally rotates or moves vertically.

On the other hand, the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 is provided with a posture switching portion 140 for switching the second pulsator 70 between an inclined state and a horizontal state according to the rotational direction of the rotating shaft 110.

The posture switching portion 140 includes two pins 141 and 142 protruding from the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the operating pin 112 provided on the upper end of the rotating shaft 110 protruding from the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100.

The two pins 141 and 142 provided on the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 include an inclined pin 141 for allowing the second pulsator 70 to be inclined with respect to the first pulsator 60, and a horizontal pin 142 for allowing the second pulsator 70 to be horizontal. The inclined pin 141 and the horizontal pin 142 are spaced apart from each other by approximately 180 degrees.

The operating pin 112 is installed in the transverse direction at the upper end of the rotating shaft 110 protruding from the upper end of the upper connector 100. As the rotating shaft 110 rotates, the operating pin 112 is selectively caught by the inclined pin 141 or the horizontal pin 142 to rotate the upper connector 100 connected to the second pulsator 70.

When the rotating shaft 110 rotates in one direction, for example counterclockwise and the operating pin 112 is caught by the inclined pin 141 as illustrated in FIG. 12, a high point portion 91a of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 to which the rotating shaft 110 is coupled is located at a high point portion 102a of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, and a low point portion 91b of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is located at a low point portion 102b of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, as illustrated in FIG. 11. As a result, the rotating shaft 110 is in a substantially vertical state, and the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 and the upper surface of the housing 120 are inclined. Therefore, the second pulsator 70 coupled to the housing 120 is inclined with respect to the first pulsator 60.

In such a state, when the rotating shaft 110 and the upper connector 100 are rotated by the lower connector 90 rotated by the washing shaft 37, the second pulsator 70 moves up and down with a predetermined amplitude in place in correspondence with the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 110.

In the state in which the second pulsator 70 is inclined with respect to the first pulsator 60, when the rotating shaft 110 rotates in an opposite direction, for example, clockwise and the operating pin 112 is caught by the horizontal pin 142 as illustrated in FIG. 9, the high point portion 91a of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 to which the rotating shaft 110 is coupled is located at the low point portion 102b of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, and the low point portion 91b of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is located at the high point portion 102a of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, as illustrated in FIG. 8. As a result, the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 and the upper surface of the housing 120 are in a horizontal state. That is, the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 and the upper surface of the housing 120 are in a state parallel to the bottom surface of the pulsator accommodating portion 61 of the first pulsator 60. Therefore, the second pulsator 70 coupled to the housing 120 is in a state horizontal to the first pulsator 60.

In this state, when the lower connector 90 rotated by the washing shaft 37 continues to rotate, the rotating shaft 110 connected to the lower connector 90 rotates, and the upper connector 100 rotates together with the rotating shaft 110. Therefore, the second pulsator 70 coupled to the housing 120 maintains the horizontal state without vertical movement and rotates together with the first pulsator 60.

Hereinafter, a method of assembling the pulsator device for the washing machine having the structure described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

First, the plurality of coupling protrusions 96 of the lower connector 90 are inserted into the plurality of coupling grooves 66 of the pulsator accommodating groove 61 of the first pulsator 60.

Subsequently, the rotating shaft 110 is coupled to the shaft hole 93 of the lower connector 90. That is, when one end of the rotating shaft 110 is inserted into the shaft hole 93 of the lower connector 90 and the fixing pin 99 is inserted into a fixing hole 94 on a side surface of the lower connector 90 to penetrate through the coupling hole 111 of the rotating shaft 110, the rotating shaft 110 is fixed on the upper surface of the lower connector 90.

In the embodiment, after the lower connector 90 is coupled to the first pulsator 60, the rotating shaft 110 is coupled to the lower connector 90, but the coupling order of the rotating shaft 110 is not limited thereto. As another example, after the rotating shaft 110 is first coupled to the lower connector 90, the lower connector 90 coupled to the rotating shaft 110 may also be coupled to the first pulsator 60.

The upper connector 100 is coupled to the rotating shaft 110 coupled to the lower connector 90. In this case, when the rotating shaft 110 is inserted into the inclined through hole 105 of the upper connector 100, the upper connector 100 is coupled to the lower connector 90. As a result, the upper end of the rotating shaft 110 protrudes above the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100.

In this state, the operating pin 112 is installed on the rotating shaft 110 protruding above the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100. The upper end of the rotating shaft 110 is provided with a pin hole into which the operating pin 112 is inserted, and when the operating pin 112 is inserted into the pin hole, the operating pin 112 is fixed to one side of the rotating shaft 110.

Subsequently, the housing 120 is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the upper connector 100. In this case, the bearing 130 is first installed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing 120, that is, the inner circumferential surface of the connector hole 121. The upper bearing 131 is inserted into the connector hole 121 at the upper end of the housing 120, and the lower bearing 132 is inserted into the connector hole 121 at the lower end of the connector hole 121 of the housing 120, that is, the support step 122.

The upper connector 100 is inserted into the connector hole 121 of the housing 120 in which the upper bearing 131 and the lower bearing 132 are assembled from the support step 122 to bring the support portion 122 into contact with the upper surface of the contact portion 101 of the upper connector 100. As a result, the coupling between the housing 120 and the upper connector 100 is completed.

Next, the second pulsator 70 is coupled to the plurality of rib grooves 125 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the housing 120. Specifically, the plurality of coupling ribs 72 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the coupling boss 71 of the second pulsator 70 are inserted into the plurality of rib grooves 125 provided on the housing 120. As a result, the second pulsator 70 is firmly fixed to the housing 120.

Subsequently, if the cap 76 is coupled to the cap accommodating portion 75 of the second pulsator 70, the assembly of the pulsator device 50 is completed.

The assembled pulsator device 50 is coupled to an inner bottom of the rotating tub 20. In this case, when the plurality of spline ribs 37a of the washing shaft 37 protruding from the inner bottom of the rotating tub 20 are inserted into the plurality of spline grooves 65 of the connecting boss 64 provided on the bottom of the first pulsator 60, the pulsator device 50 is coupled to the washing shaft 37.

Because the pulsator device 50 according to an embodiment of the disclosure is assembled in the outside and is then inserted into the washing shaft 37 protruding from the inside of the rotating tub 20, the assembly is very simple and convenient compared to the pulsator according to the related art, which needs to be assembled sequentially inside the rotating tub.

Hereinafter, an operation of a washing machine 1 in which the pulsator device 50 for the washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosure having the structure described above is installed will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, when the laundry is put into the rotating tub 20 and the washing machine 1 is operated, water is supplied to the tub 10 and the rotating tub 20 and the pulsator device 50 are operated by the driving device 30.

That is, when the washing shaft 37 rotates in one direction to wet the laundry with water supplied while the water is being supplied to the tub 10, the rotating shaft 110 also rotates together by the lower connector 90 coupled to the first pulsator 60. Accordingly, when the operating pin 112 of the rotating shaft 110 is caught by the horizontal pin 142 as illustrated in FIG. 9, the high point portion 91a of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is located at the low point portion 102b of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, and the low point portion 91b of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is located at the high point portion 102a of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, as illustrated in FIG. 8, and as a result, the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 and the upper surface of the housing 120 are horizontal. Therefore, the second pulsator 60 coupled to the housing 120 is also in the horizontal state as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4.

As described above, when the rotating shaft 110 is further rotated in one direction while the second pulsator 70 is in the horizontal state, the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 rotates together with the rotating shaft 110 while maintaining the horizontal state. Therefore, the second pulsator 70 maintains the horizontal state without vertical movement and rotates together with the first pulsator 60. In this case, because the rotating tub 20 rotates at a low speed by the spin-drying shaft 36, the laundry placed on the first pulsator 60 and the second pulsator 70 is uniformly wetted by the water supplied while rotating.

Next, in order to perform the washing, the spin-drying shaft 36 is stopped and the washing shaft 37 is rotated in the opposite direction. As a result, the lower connector 90 and the rotating shaft 110 are integrally rotated in the opposite direction and the operating pin 112 installed on the upper end of the rotating shaft 110 is rotated by approximately 180 degrees counterclockwise from the position of FIG. 9 to be caught by the inclined pin 141 as illustrated in FIG. 12.

When the posture switching portion 140 switches to the position illustrated in FIG. 12, the high point portion 91a of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is located at the high point portion 102a of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, and the low point portion 91b of the upper inclined surface 91 of the lower connector 90 is located at the low point portion 102b of the lower inclined surface 102 of the upper connector 100, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 14, and as a result, the upper surface 103 of the upper connector 100 and the upper surface of the housing 120 are inclined. Therefore, the second pulsator 70 coupled to the housing 120 is in an inclined state.

In this state, when the rotating shaft 110 is further rotated together with the lower connector 90, the operating pin 112 is caught by the inclined pin 141 so that the upper connector 100 rotates together with the rotating shaft 110, and the housing 120 and the second pulsator 70 move up and down in place without rotating.

As described above, when the second pulsator 70 moves up and down, the second pulsator 70 impacts the laundry in the vertical direction and simultaneously generates the water flow flowing in the vertical direction. In addition, the first pulsator 60 rotates in the left and right directions to generate water flow in the left and right direction while impacting the laundry in the left and right direction. Therefore, the washing of laundry is performed by the impact and water flow in the vertical direction generated by the second pulsator 70 and the impact and water flow in the left and right direction generated by the first pulsator 60.

On the other hand, when the first pulsator 60 rotates, the plurality of vanes 68 provided on the lower surface of the first pulsator 60 rotate. When the plurality of vanes 68 rotate, the wash water rises through the wash water rising duct 25 of the rotating tub 20 and falls toward the lower portion of the rotating tub 20 through the discharge port 27. When the impact is applied to the laundry by the falling water flow, washing power may be improved.

When the washing process is completed, the wash water is drained through the drain hose 46, and a rinsing process for removing the detergent from the laundry is performed. Subsequently, a spin-drying process in which the rotating tub 20 is rotated at high speed by the rotation of the spin-drying shaft 36 to spin-dry the laundry is performed.

In the spin-drying process, when the operating pin 112 of the posture switching portion 140 is rotated again in the opposite direction from the position of FIG. 12 to switch to the position illustrated in FIG. 9, the second pulsator 70 switches to the horizontal state as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Therefore, the second pulsator 70 is rotated together with the first pulsator 60 and the rotating tub 20 without moving in the up and down direction to spin-dry the laundry on the first pulsator 60 and the second pulsator 70.

As described above, in the washing process, because the first pulsator 60 rotates in the horizontal direction and the second pulsator 70 moves in the vertical direction, a rotating water flow and a vertical flow water flow are generated at the same time in the rotating tub 20. Therefore, in the case of washing with the pulsator device 50 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, because the laundry is washed by the rotational motion by the first pulsator 60 together with the vertical movement by the second pulsator, the laundry may be prevented from being twisted and damaged, and uniform washing is possible.

Further, the connecting member 80 for moving the second pulsator 70 of the pulsator device 50 in the up and down direction according to an embodiment of the disclosure is simplified in structure and has the reduced number of parts compared to a vertical moving mechanism according to the related art, thereby reducing the parts cost and assembly time. Therefore, the pulsator device according to an embodiment of the disclosure has an advantage of reducing the manufacturing cost.

Hereinabove, the disclosure has been described as an illustrative method. It is to be understood that terms used herein are provided to describe the disclosure rather than limiting the disclosure. Various modifications and alternations of the disclosure may be made according to the contents described above. Therefore, the disclosure may be freely practiced without departing from the scope of the claims unless additionally mentioned.

Claims

1. A pulsator device for a washing machine, the pulsator device comprising:

a first pulsator configured to have a concave pulsator accommodating groove provided on an upper surface thereof and rotate about a central axis of the pulsator accommodating groove;

a second pulsator configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove and provided to rotate or vertically move; and

a connecting member configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove to connect the first pulsator and the second pulsator, and allow the second pulsator to be in an inclined state or a horizontal state with respect to the first pulsator according to a rotational direction of the first pulsator.

2. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting member includes:

a lower connector fixed in the pulsator accommodating groove and having an inclined upper surface;

an upper connector installed on the upper surface of the lower connector and having an inclined lower surface;

a rotating shaft installed on the lower connector to penetrate through the upper connector to be perpendicular to the lower surface of the upper connector and to rotate relative to the upper connector; and

a housing installed to surround the upper connector, and rotatable relative to the upper connector, and wherein the second pulsator is fixed to the housing.

3. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a lower end of the rotating shaft is fixed to the upper surface of the lower connector, and the rotating shaft is rotated integrally with the lower connector when the first pulsator is rotated.

4. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lower end of the rotating shaft is fixed to the lower connector on the same line as a central axis of the pulsator accommodating groove.

5. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the upper connector is provided with a posture switching portion configured to switch the second pulsator between the inclined state and the horizontal state according to a rotational direction of the rotating shaft.

6. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the posture switching portion includes:

an inclined pin and a horizontal pin that are provided on the upper surface of the upper connector and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; and

an operating pin installed at one end of the rotating shaft protruding from the upper surface of the upper connector and caught by any one of the inclined pin and the horizontal pin according to the rotational direction of the rotating shaft, and

wherein the second pulsator is in the inclined state based on the operating pin being caught by the inclined pin, and

the second pulsator is in the horizontal state based on the operating pin being caught by the horizontal pin.

7. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of coupling protrusions are provided on a lower end of the lower connector.

8. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein a plurality of coupling grooves corresponding to the plurality of coupling protrusions are provided on a bottom surface of the pulsator accommodating groove of the first pulsator.

9. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a bearing is installed between an outer circumferential surface of the upper connector and an inner circumferential surface of the housing.

10. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein a bearing holder configured to fix the bearing is installed on an upper surface of the upper connector.

11. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the first pulsator is provided with a plurality of water flow forming blades around the pulsator accommodating groove.

12. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of vanes are radially installed on a lower surface of the first pulsator.

13. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pulsator accommodating groove is formed so that an edge of the second pulsator does not protrude above the upper surface of the first pulsator when the second pulsator vertically moves.

14. The pulsator device for the washing machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein an inner side surface of the pulsator accommodating groove of the first pulsator is formed to correspond to a trajectory of the edge of the second pulsator that vertically moves.

15. A washing machine comprising:

a tub;

a rotating tub configured to be installed to be rotatable in the tub;

a first pulsator configured to be installed to be rotatable in the rotating tub, and have a concave pulsator accommodating groove provided on an upper surface thereof;

a second pulsator configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove and provided to rotate or vertically move; and

a connecting member configured to be installed in the pulsator accommodating groove to connect the first pulsator and the second pulsator, and allow the second pulsator to be in an inclined state or a horizontal state with respect to the first pulsator according to a rotational direction of the first pulsator,

wherein the second pulsator maintains the horizontal state when the rotating tub is rotated.