Door on washing machine

Abstract

Door on a washing machine, in which a seating position of a door glass is guided at the time of placing the door glass on a door frame, for securing the door glass at a right position. The door includes a transparent door window, and a door frame mounted on a top cover of the washing machine, the top cover having a cloth opening, and the door frame having an opening, and a guide for guiding positioning of the transparent door window to cover the opening. If a transparent window is provided to a door on the washing machine, a comparatively great seating recess is required for easy seating of the transparent window. However, the great seating recess is likely to cause difficult in positioning the transparent window at a right position, to cause inconvenience of mounting. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2004-88268 filed on Nov. 2, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a door on a washing machine, and more particularly, to a door on a washing machine, in which a seating position of a door glass is guided at the time of placing the door glass on a door frame, for securing the door glass at a right position.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

In general, the washing machine removes contaminants from clothes or beddings (hereafter called as ‘cloth’) by using action of detergent and water (hereafter called as ‘washing water’). In the washing machines, there are agitator type, pulsator type, and drum type.

The agitator type washing machine performs washing by rotating a washing pole upright at a central portion in left/right directions, the pulsator type washing machine performs washing by using friction between water circulation made by left/right direction rotation of a disk like pulsator on a bottom of an inner tub and the cloth, and the drum type washing machine performs washing by rotating an inner tub with a plurality of lifts projected from an inside surface, having washing water, detergent, and cloth introduced thereto.

FIG. 1 illustrates a section of a related art washing machine.

Referring to FIG. 1, the related art washing machine is provided with a base pan 1, a cabinet 2 mounted on the base pan 1 to form an outside case of the washing machine, a top cover 10 on the cabinet 2 to form a top portion of the washing machine, having a cloth opening 8 for introduction of the cloth therethrough, and a door 20 rotatably mounted on the top cover 10 for opening/closing the cloth opening 8.

The top cover 10 has a supply valve 12 mounted thereon with an external hose 11 connected thereto for receiving water for use in washing or rinsing, and a detergent housing 13 mounted thereon through which the water from the water supply valve 12 passes.

In the detergent housing 13, a detergent box 14 is placed, where the water from the water supply valve 12 mixes with the detergent.

In the meantime, at a front edge of the top cover 10, there is a control unit 15 for controlling the washing machine.

The door 20 has a rear door 22 rotatably connected to the top cover 10, and a front door 24 rotatably connected to the rear door 22, so that the rear door 22 and the front door 24 are placed flat on the upper surface of the washing machine, or projected upward from the washing machine in an inverted ‘V’ shape.

In the meantime, in the cabinet 2, there is an outer tub 30 suspended from the cabinet 2 or the top cover 10 for holding washing water for washing or rinsing, and water extracted from the cloth at the time of spinning.

In the outer tub 30, there is an inner tub 40 rotatably mounted thereon for holding the cloth, having water holes 38 in a circumferential or bottom surface.

Under the outer tub 30, there is a drain unit 42 for draining washing water from the outer tub 30 to an outside of the washing machine.

The washing machine may have the pulsator 44 mounted on an inside bottom of the inner tub 40 for circulating the washing water, and a motor 46 mounted under the outer tub 30 for direct rotation of the inner tub 40, or may have the pulsator rotatably mounted on the inside bottom of the inner tub 40 for circulating the washing water, and a motor and a power transmission mechanism, such as a clutch, under the outer tub 30 for transmission of a driving force from the motor to the pulsator or the inner tub 40.

The door 20 on the related art washing machine has a problem in that it is difficult to determine inside operation state of the washing machine from an outside of the washing machine. If it is desired to see the inside operation state, it is required to open the door, when the washing water splashes from inside of the washing machine, and, if the washing machine is in operation even after the door is opened, if it is a child, the child can be in danger.

There are cases when operation of the washing machine stops temporarily in a case the door on the washing machine is opened, when the washing machine is turned on/off as the door on the washing machine is closed/opened, to result in a power loss.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a door on a washing machine that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a door on a washing machine, in which a transparent window is mounted on a door on a washing machine, for determination of an inside state of the washing machine without opening the door during operation of the washing machine.

In the meantime, if the transparent window is provided to the door on the washing machine, a comparatively great seating recess is required for easy seating of the transparent window. However, the great seating recess is likely to cause difficult in positioning the transparent window at a right position, to cause inconvenience of mounting. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a door on a washing machine which enables simple, low cost mounting of a transparent window on a door frame.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a door on a washing machine includes a transparent door window, and a door frame mounted on a top cover of the washing machine, the top cover having a cloth opening, and the door frame having an opening, and a guide for guiding positioning of the transparent door window to cover the opening.

Preferably, the door frame includes a seating recess in a upper surface for seating the transparent door window, and the guide includes a plurality of ribs at sidewalls of the seating recess.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs are formed at least on one of, four, front/rear and left/right sidewalls of the seating recess spaced from each other.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs include rear side ribs on the rear side sidewall of the seating recess, and the transparent door window is press fit between the rear side ribs and the front side sidewall. In this instance, front side ribs may also be formed on the front side sidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the front side ribs and the rear side ribs.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs include at least one left side rib projected from the left side sidewall and at least one right side rib projected from the right side sidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the left side rib and the right side rib.

More preferably, the rear side ribs, left side ribs, right side ribs, an so on are formed on the seating recess, to press fit the transparent door window between the ribs.

In the meantime, preferably, the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive. The adhesive recess prevents the adhesive from spreading along an adhesive surface of the transparent door window at the time of attachment of the transparent door window to the door frame, thereby preventing impairing good looking, or transparency.

The transparent door window may be formed of glass, or transparent resin, and any material, as far as the material enables the window to serve as a transparent window.

The ribs may be formed as one body with the door frame, or formed separate from the door frame and attached to relevant positions of the door frame. In a case the ribs are formed separate from, and attached to the door frame, the ribs may be form of a material different from the door frame. Particularly, in a case the transparent door window is formed of glass, it is preferable that the ribs are formed of a material like rubber, as the glass is susceptible to impact or deformation.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings;

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art washing machine;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in a closed state of a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in an opened state a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the door in FIG. 2 or 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a section across a line A-A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates a section across a line B-B in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a section of key parts of a door on a washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in a closed state of a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in an opened state a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the door in FIG. 2 or 3, FIG. 5 illustrates a section across a line A-A in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 illustrates a section across a line B-B in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the door on a washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a door frame 60 having an opening 58 rotatably connected to a top cover 52 having a cloth opening 51 below the opening 58, a door glass of a transparent window on the door frame 60 to cover the opening 58, and a guide 80 on the door frame for guiding positioning of the door glass.

The top cover 52 is rectangular, and has a receiving portion 53 on a rear side having an opened top.

Mounted on the receiving portion 53, there are various electric components, such as a water supply valve, water level sensor, and so on.

Mounted on the receiving portion 53, there is a control panel 55 in which a control board is mounted for controlling the washing machine following operation of the control panel 55.

In an upper surface of the top cover 52, there is a door seating recess 56 for seating the door 50.

On a center side of the door seating recess 56, there is a circular cloth opening 51 opened in a vertical direction.

The door seating recess 56 has a shape identical to the door 50, specifically, an outside circumference of the door frame 60, but with a size slightly greater than the door frame 60.

The door seating recess 56 has a front side 57 with a radius of curvature which becomes the greater as it goes toward a rear side the more in a section.

The opening 58 in the door frame 60 is formed above the cloth opening 51 with a size the same or greater than the cloth opening 51.

The door frame 60 has a front/rear direction length shorter than the door seating recess 56 with a gap ‘t’ between a front end of the door seating recess 56 and a front side 61 of the door frame 60, for enabling a user to put fingers therein at the time the door frame 60 is seated on the door seating recess 56.

The door frame 60 has a front side end 61 with a thickness formed thinner than the other portion.

That is, when the door 50 is seated in the door seating recess 56, the front side end 61 of the door frame 60 is spaced from a bottom surface of the door seating recess 56, such that the user can hold the door 50 easily if the user puts fingers between the gap ‘t’ and under the front side end 61 of the door frame 60.

The door frame 60 is a plastic injection molding or formed of a metal as one body, and is connected to the top cover 52 with a hinge.

A hinge bar 62 is fixed to one side and a hinge hole portion 63 for rotatable mounting of the hinge bar 62 therein is fixed to the other side of a rear side of the door frame 60 and the receiving portion 53 of the top cover 52.

That is, if a front end side of the door frame 60 is lifted up, the door 50 is projected upward from the washing machine tilted or perpendicular thereto, to open the cloth opening 51.

In an upper surface of the door frame 60, there is a glass seating recess 64 for seating the door glass 70.

The glass seating recess 64 has a circumferential shape in conformity with a circumferential shape of the door glass 70, but slightly greater than the door glass 70 to leave a fine gap t2 to an outside circumference of the door glass 70.

The glass seating recess 64 has a thickness the same with or slightly greater than the door glass 70 so that the door glass 70 is not projected beyond an upper side of the door frame 60 when the door glass 70 is seated.

The guide 80 includes a plurality of ribs 80 projected from sidewalls of the glass seating recess 64 for pressing the door glass 70 into an inside of the glass seating recess 64.

The plurality of ribs 80 are formed on at least one of four sidewalls of the front/rear and left/right sidewalls 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d of the glass seating recess 64 spaced in left/right or up/down direction.

The plurality of ribs 80 include a plurality of rear side ribs 82 projected forward from the rear side sidewall 64a among the four sidewalls of the front/rear and left/right sidewalls 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d of the glass seating recess 64.

A distance ‘d1’ from the plurality of rear side ribs 80 to the front side sidewall 64b of the glass seating recess 64 is shorter than a front/rear width ‘d2’ of the door glass 70 such that portions of the rear side ribs 80 are bent or buckled by a rear end 70a of the door glass 70 when the door glass 70 is seated. Thus, the door glass 70 is seated on the seating recess 64 in a press fit.

That is, the door glass 70 is press fit between the front side sidewall 64b and the rear side ribs 80 as the rear side ribs 80 are bent or buckled.

The plurality of ribs 80 include a plurality of left side ribs 84 projected from a left side sidewall 64d and a plurality of right side ribs 86 projected from a right side sidewall 64d among the front/rear and left/right sidewalls 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d of the glass seating recess 64.

A distance ‘d3’ between the plurality of the left side ribs 84 and the plurality of right side ribs 86 is formed shorter than a left/right width ‘d4’ of the door glass 70 so that a portion of each of the left side ribs 84 are bent or buckled by a left side end 70b of the door glass 70, and a portion of each of the right side ribs 86 is bent or buckled by a right side end 70c of the door glass 70 at the time of seating the door glass 70.

That is, the door glass 70 is press fit between the left side ribs 82 and the right side ribs 84 as the left side ribs 82 and the right side ribs 84 are bent or buckled.

Reference numeral 72 denotes a non-transparent sheet attached to portions of door glass 70 except portions over the cloth opening 51 and the opening 58.

A process for assembling the door of the present invention will be described.

After putting the door glass 70 over the glass seating recess 64, the door glass 70 is pressed down to put the door glass 70 into an inside of the glass seating recess 64, when the circumference of the door glass 70 is guided by the plurality of ribs 82, 84, and 86, to position the door glass 70 at a right position.

In this instance, a portion of each of the plurality of ribs 82, 84, and 86 is bent or buckled, so as to press fit the door glass 70 between the plurality of ribs 82, 84, and 86.

FIG. 7 illustrates a section of key parts of a door on a washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the door on a washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of ribs 80 formed on sidewalls of the glass seating recess 64 of the door frame 60 like the foregoing embodiment, and a door glass 70 attached to the glass seating recess 64 of the door frame 60 to secure the door glass 70 to the door frame 60.

The glass seating recess 64 of the door frame 60 has an adhesive coating recess 92 for coating the adhesive ‘C’ thereon.

In the door 50 on a washing machine in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, after applying the adhesive ‘C’ to the adhesive coating recess 92, if the door glass 70 is seated on the glass seating recess 64, the door glass 70 seats at a right position by the plurality of ribs 80, and is attached to the door frame 70 rigidly by the adhesive ‘C.’.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A door on a washing machine comprising;

a transparent door window; and

a door frame mounted on a top cover of the washing machine, the top cover having a cloth opening, and the door frame having an opening, and a guide for guiding positioning of the transparent door window to cover the opening.

2. The door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door frame includes a seating recess in a upper surface for seating the transparent door window, and the guide includes a plurality of ribs at sidewalls of the seating recess.

3. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs are formed at least on one of front/rear and left/right, four, sidewalls of the seating recess spaced from each other.

4. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs include at least one rear side rib projected from the rear side sidewall of the seating recess, and the transparent door window is press fit between the rear side rib and the front side sidewall.

5. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs include at least one left side rib projected from the left side sidewall and at least one right side rib projected from the right side sidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the left side rib and the right side rib.

6. The door as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of ribs further include at least one left side rib projected from the left side sidewall and a plurality of right side rib projected from the right side sidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the left side rib and the right side ribs, too.

7. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.

8. The door as claimed in claim 3, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.

9. The door as claimed in claim 4, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.

10. The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.

11. The door as claimed in claim 6, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.