APPARATUS FOR REDUCTION OF VIBRATION IN WASHING MACHINE

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing vibrations in a washing machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a rotatable drum configured to receive laundry therein; a stationary tub configured to receive and hold water; a cabinet surrounding the tub; a base under the tub, configured to support the tub and/or other components in the washing machine; a plurality of suspension units connected to a lower side of the tub and an upper side of the cabinet, configured to reduce vertical vibrations of the tub; and one or more dampers coupled to the tub and the base.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0164183, filed on Dec. 26, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for reduction of vibrations in a washing machine.

BACKGROUND

In general, an automatic washing machine is designed to remove contaminants from clothes, bedclothes, etc. (hereinafter referred to as “laundry”) using friction and the impact of water flow caused by the rotation of a pulsator or other member in a drum containing water and detergent.

In general, when washing or spin-drying is performed after the laundry is placed in the drum, the laundry may gather at one side of the drum causing an unbalanced state of laundry in the drum.

Fewer problems may occur if the laundry is spread around the drum evenly while the drum is being rotated during the washing operation. If the drum is unbalanced, however, vertical and horizontal vibrations may be generated in the drum. Such vibrations may increase in magnitude as the laundry in the drum becomes more unbalanced.

Vibrations caused by the unbalance of laundry in the drum may result in audible noise. Furthermore, the vibrations may cause the drum to collide with a tub surrounding the drum or a cabinet that encloses the tub and drum and forms the exterior of the washing machine. Such collisions may cause damage to components within the washing machine.

A suspension unit for absorbing the vibrations of the drum has been proposed to address these issues.

The suspension units are installed at various positions along the periphery of the drum to connect a lower peripheral surface of the tub or drum to an upper portion of the cabinet. Each suspension unit incorporates a spring that acts to attenuate or absorb any vibrations generated by the drum.

Because the suspension unit has a structure connecting the lower portion of the drum to the upper portion of the cabinet, it may be effective for absorbing vertical vibrations (i.e., vibrations in the up/down direction relative to the washing machine). However, this configuration may not effectively reduce horizontal vibrations (i.e., vibrations in the front/back/left/right directions relative to the washing machine).

In particular, although the drum begins to rotate at a low speed during the initial stage of a water removal operation, the speed of the drum will eventually increase, which may result in horizontal vibrations may be generated. In this situation, the suspension unit in the conventional automatic washing machine may fail to sufficiently reduce the horizontal vibrations.

A conventional suspension may be disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-56715 (published on May 30, 2013)

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made in an effort to provide a suspension for a washing machine that can sufficiently absorb vibrations in both vertical and horizontal directions.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for reducing vibrations in a washing machine, which is able to reduce horizontal vibrations of a drum in the automatic washing machine.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for the reduction of vibrations in a washing machine including a rotatable drum configured to receive laundry; a stationary tub surrounding the drum and configured to hold water; a cabinet surrounding the stationary tub; a base under the stationary tub, configured to support components of the washing machine; suspension units connected to a lower side of the stationary tub and an upper side of the cabinet, configured to reduce vertical vibrations of the stationary tub; and one or more dampers coupled to the tub and the base, configured to reduce horizontal vibrations of the stationary tub.

The dampers may be sloped or in an inclined position when connected to a lower outer side of the stationary tub and to the base.

The dampers may be evenly positioned along an outer edge of the stationary tub such that the space between neighboring dampers is consistent or constant.

The dampers may comprise a coil spring, wherein one end of the spring is connected to a lower portion of the outer side of the stationary tub and another end is connected to the base.

The dampers may comprise a cone spring, having a diameter that increases from one of the stationary tub and the base to the other of the stationary tub and the base.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, vibrations and noise produced by the washing machine can be absorbed and/or reduced by including dampers between the tub and the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary washing machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary apparatus for reduction of vibrations in the washing machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an exemplary apparatus for reduction of vibrations in the washing machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary apparatus for reduction of vibrations in a washing machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be easily determined by those skilled in the art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiment(s) described herein.

It should be noted that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily to scale. Relative sizes and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in their sizes, and a predetermined size is just exemplary and not limiting. The same reference numerals designate the same structures, elements, or parts illustrated in two or more drawings in order to exhibit similar characteristics.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrate ideal embodiments in more detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to a specific form or illustrated region, and for example, include modifications of form (e.g., by manufacturing).

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a washing machine according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary apparatus for reduction of vibrations suitable for the washing machine of FIG. 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the exemplary apparatus for reduction of vibrations in the washing machine of FIG. 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, an apparatus for reduction of vibrations in a washing machine according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise a tub 100, a cabinet 200, a base 300, one or more suspension units 400, and one or more dampers 500.

The tub 100 may hold water and laundry in a washing machine 10 to substantially remove contaminants in the laundry and includes a rotatable drum 110 and a stationary tub 120.

The meaning of “an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the above-described configurations” is that an embodiment of the present disclosure does not consist of only the above-described configurations but may include other configurations (e.g., that are well known in the washing machine arts), as well as the above-mentioned configurations. However, since configurations well known in the art may obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof may be omitted.

The drum 110 is in the stationary tub 120 and may hold laundry therein. When the laundry is in the drum 110, the washing machine 10 can supply water to the tub 120 and start a washing operation.

The washing machine 10 is configured to operate in a washing mode and a water removal mode. While operating in the washing mode or the water removal mode, the drum 110 may rotate to wash or remove water from the laundry.

The stationary tub 120 may hold water with the drum 110 therein. The stationary tub 120 may be fixed without any rotation.

The cabinet 200 may accommodate the tub 100, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, may cover the tub 100 so that the tub 100 is not seen from the outside and is protected from external impact.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the cabinet 200 may be a predetermined distance from an outer surface of the tub 100.

Also, the base 300 may be under the tub 100 to support the tub 100 or other components in the washing machine 10. A motor 310 may be in the base 300, and the drum 110 and/or a pulsator 330 may be in the drum 110 and may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise via a shaft 320 coupled to the motor 310.

The base 300 may be in the cabinet 200 so as not to be seen from the outside while being under the tub 100 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Also, the base 300 may be seen from the outside when the cabinet 200 is coupled to an upper side of the base 300.

Further, the suspension units 400 may be connected to a lower side of the tub 100 and an upper side of the cabinet 200. This may reduce the vertical vibrations of and/or from the tub 100.

When the drum 110 moves or vibrates, for example, up and down during a water removal operation, vertical vibrations may be generated by the tub 100. On the other hand, when the drum 110 moves in a forward/reward/left/right direction, horizontal vibrations may be generated by the tub 100.

The vertical vibrations or effects thereof may be reduced by the suspension unit 400 connecting the lower side of the tub 100 to the upper side of the cabinet 200. However, since horizontal vibrations may not be reduced by the suspension unit 400, the horizontal vibrations may cause a collision between the drum 110 and the cabinet 200.

In particular, drum when the laundry in the drum 110 is in a unbalanced state in which the laundry is agglomerated at a side of the drum 110, for example at a left or right side and/or an upper or lower side, the horizontal vibrations may increase.

The dampers 500 may effectively reduce the horizontal vibrations that may be generated by the tub 100. The dampers 500 may be between the tub 100 and the base 300.

In detail, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dampers 500 may be sloped or in an inclined position (i.e., at an angle between vertical and horizontal) while connected between an outer lower side of the tub 100 and the base 300.

Also, the dampers 500 may include at least two dampers which are spaced at predetermined intervals along an outer edge of the tub 100.

While, according to some embodiments, the dampers 500 includes four dampers which are spaced at equal intervals of 90 degrees, the number and angle of the dampers 500 may vary without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

The dampers 500 may be implemented by a coil spring 510, wherein one end of the coil spring is connected to an outer lower side of the tub 100 and the other end is connected to the base 300. While FIG. 3 depicts dampers positioned near the corners of tub 100 and base 300, the dampers 500 may be positioned at the midpoint between the corners, according to some embodiments. Similarly, the dampers 500 may be positioned at midpoints (e.g., at an angle or arc of about 45 degrees with respect to the center of the tub 100 and/or drum 110) between adjacent individual suspension units 400.

The coil spring 510 may be or comprise a tensile spring providing an external force pulling the tub 100 toward the base 300. Therefore, because the tensile force of the coil springs 510 is provided at constant intervals along the outer lower side of the tub 100, the horizontal movement of the tub 100 may be suppressed or absorbed by the coil spring 510. As a result, the horizontal vibrations generated by the tub 100 may be reduced.

Since the dampers 500 are between the outer lower side of the tub 100 and the base 300 and is sloped or inclined, it may reduce the vertical vibrations of the tub 100 that are not fully absorbed by the suspension unit 400, as well as the horizontal vibrations generated in the tub 100.

The suspension unit 400 may be configured to reduce vertical vibrations of a magnitude that are less than a predetermined maximum magnitude or value that may be generated by the tub 100. This configuration may achieve a better result because vertical vibrations of an average magnitude are more frequently generated by the tub 100. Vertical vibrations of a maximum magnitude may be quite rare.

However, in a unbalanced state (e.g., the laundry is agglomerated at a left and/or upper side and a right and/or lower side of the drum 110), when the drum 110 rotates, vibrations generated by the tub 100 may be maximum magnitude vibrations (higher than the average value), and thus the suspension unit 400 may fail to completely reduce the maximum magnitude vibrations. As a result, residual vertical vibrations which are not fully reduced by the suspension unit 400 may exist in the tub 100.

In some embodiments, the dampers 500 may reduce the residual vertical vibrations of the tub 100.

As described above, since the dampers 500 are sloped or inclined according to some embodiments, the dampers 500 may absorb the residual vertical vibrations as well as the horizontal vibrations. Thus the vibrations and noise of the washing machine 10 may be greatly reduced.

Referring to FIG. 4, the dampers 500 may be implemented in another form.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an apparatus for reduction of vibrations in a washing machine 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the dampers 500 may be implemented by a cone spring 520, having a diameter that increases from one of the tub 100 and the base 300 to the other of the tub 100 and the base 300. In one embodiment, the portion of the cone spring connected to the washing tub unit 100 has a smaller diameter than the portion of the spring connected to the base unit 300, and the diameter of the cone spring increases as it goes from the washing tub unit 100 to the base unit 300.

According to some embodiments, the cone spring 520 is made by winding a spring steel in a conical form (e.g., around a cone-shaped anvil), and when the dampers 500 comprise a cone spring 520, the dampers 500 may have greater elasticity in the length direction than the coil spring 510, which may improve the vibration reducing force. When compressed, the coils may be aligned to fit within one another such that a fully compressed cone spring lies flat (e.g., no coil sits on another coil).

Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing vibrations in a washing machine comprising:

a rotatable drum configured to receive laundry therein;

a stationary tub surrounding the drum, configured to receive and hold water;

a cabinet surrounding the tub;

a base under the tub, configured to support the tub and/or other components in the washing machine;

a plurality of suspension units connected to a lower side of the tub and an upper side of the cabinet, configured to reduce vertical vibrations of the tub; and

one or more dampers coupled to the tub and the base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the damper(s) are sloped or inclined between an outer lower side of the tub and the base.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of dampers are sloped or inclined between an outer lower side of the tub and the base.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a space between neighboring dampers is consistent.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a space between neighboring dampers is constant.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein four dampers are coupled to the tub and the base.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dampers are configured to reduce horizontal vibrations of the tub.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the damper(s) comprise a coil spring having one end connected to the outer lower side of the tub and another end connected to the base.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the dampers comprise a coil spring having one end connected to the outer lower side of the tub and another end connected to the base.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the damper(s) comprise a cone spring having a diameter that increases from one of the tub and the base to the other of the tub and the base.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dampers comprise a cone spring having a diameter that increases from one of the tub and the base to the other of the tub and the base.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the damper(s) are configured to reduce horizontal and vertical vibrations of the tub.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motor in the base.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pulsator in the drum.

15. A method of using an automatic washing machine to remove contaminants from laundry, comprising:

supplying water to a tub in the automatic washing machine;

washing laundry in a drum in the automatic washing machine by rotating the drum at a first rotational rate;

removing water from the laundry in the drum by rotating the drum at a second rotational rate, wherein a plurality of suspension units reduce and/or absorb vertical vibrations of the tub, and one or more dampers reduce and/or absorb horizontal vibrations of the tub.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more dampers are between the tub and a base.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the suspension units are connected to the tub and a cabinet surrounding the tub.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of dampers are at midpoints between adjacent suspension units.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more dampers comprise a coil spring having one end connected to the outer lower side of the tub and another end connected to a base.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more dampers comprise a cone spring having a diameter that increases from one of the tub and a base to the other of the tub and a base.