KR101397104B1 - Drum Type Washing Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved drum washing machine in which a balancer can be stably supported on a peripheral structure. The drum washing machine includes a main body, a rotating vessel rotatably installed in the main body, a balancer installed on the front member and the rear member of the rotating vessel, respectively, and a first housing and a second housing coupled to each other, And a balancer including a plurality of mass bodies movably disposed in the inner space. An annular recess is provided on the rim of the front member and the rear member, and a balancer is provided in the annular recess. The first housing of the balancer includes a first wall surface facing each other, a second wall surface, and a third wall surface connecting the first and second wall surfaces, and the second housing of the balancer has a first wall surface extending from the end of the second housing toward the first housing And a bent portion that is folded and coupled to surround the upper outside of the first housing. A supporting rib which protrudes outward from the first wall surface is provided on a first wall surface of the first housing in which centrifugal force due to the masses is applied during rotation of the rotary tub, and a height at which the supporting rib protrudes outward from the first wall surface, As shown in Fig.

Description

[0001] DRUM TYPE WASHING MACHINE [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a drum washing machine having a balancer, and more particularly, to a drum washing machine provided with a balancer for reducing vibrations and noise during dewatering.

Generally, in a drum type washing machine, a washing machine is rotated by rotating a washing tub containing a washing material by a driving motor. In the washing process, the washing tub is rotated at a low speed in a direction opposite to the forward direction. In the dehydrating process, the washing tub is rotated at a high speed in a forward direction.

In the dehydration process, if the laundry is not placed evenly in the entire area of the rotary tub and is placed only in a specific area, when the rotary tub is rotated at a high speed, the center of gravity and the center of rotation of the rotary tub are not aligned with each other and vibration and noise are generated. The parts including the rotating shafts, the rotating shafts, and the driving motors may fail or shorten the service life.

In particular, the drum washing machine has a structure in which the rotating tub containing the laundry is arranged horizontally, so that the laundry is rotated at a high speed in a state of being collected at the bottom of the rotating tub by gravity during the dehydrating operation, And the possibility of noise is very high.

Therefore, in a vertical axis type washing machine including a drum washing machine and a rotary drum set vertically, a balancer is usually installed to maintain the dynamic balance of the rotary drum.

An example of a washing machine equipped with such a balancer is Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0038279. The balancer of the conventional washing machine includes a steel ball serving as a balancing mass, a racer serving as a guide surface of the steel ball movement, and a viscous oil filled in the racer to control the amount of movement of the steel ball.

Therefore, when the rotating tub is rotated, the uneven eccentric structure of the rotating tub itself and the biased distribution of the laundry in the rotating tub can compensate the rotating tub when the rotating tub is rotated without maintaining the dynamic balance, In balance can be maintained.

However, in the above-mentioned patent publication, a racer serving as a guiding surface of a steel ball has a configuration in which an upper plate injected with a plastic material and a lower plate are fused and joined together. Such a balancer has a weak bonding force of the fused portion, There is a problem that the balancer may be damaged by the centrifugal force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a balancer of a drum type washing machine having a structure capable of improving the strength of a balancer.

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A drum washing machine according to the present invention includes a main body, a rotatable drum rotatably installed in the main body, the drum having a cylindrical body, a front member disposed in front of the body, and a rear member disposed behind the body A balancer which is mounted on a front member and a rear member of the rotary tub, respectively, the balancer comprising: a first housing and a second housing which are coupled to each other to form an enclosed inner space; Wherein the balancer is provided in the annular recess, and the first housing of the balancer is provided with a plurality of recesses And a third wall surface connecting the first wall surface and the second wall surface, wherein the second housing of the balancer has a first wall surface facing the first housing, And a bending portion that is bent toward the first housing and is coupled to surround an upper outside of the first housing, wherein a centrifugal force due to the masses is applied to the first wall surface of the first housing, A supporting rib protruding outward from the first wall surface is provided and a height of the supporting rib protruding outward from the first wall surface is equal to a height of the bent portion protruding outward from the first wall surface.

The drum washing machine may further include a reinforcing member provided on the outer side of the balancer to reinforce the strength of the balancer.

The reinforcing member may be provided to surround the outer surfaces of the first housing and the second housing.

The reinforcing member may be provided to surround an outer circumferential surface of the first housing and the second housing.

The reinforcing member may be made of a metal material.

The plurality of support ribs may be arranged in a circumferential direction of the first housing.

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The reinforcing member is provided on the outer side of the balancer to reinforce the strength of the balancer, thereby preventing deformation and breakage of the balancer.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary tank included in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A 'in Fig.
4 is a perspective view of a balancer included in a drum washing machine according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B 'of FIG.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a rotating drum included in an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 1 forming an outer appearance, a water tank 2 installed inside the main body 1 and containing wash water, 2 for rotating the rotary tub 10 so as to perform a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a dewatering cycle. The washing machine 10 includes a rotary drum 10 rotatably disposed in the drum 2, A water supply device 4 for supplying detergent and water into the water tub 2; a water drainage device 5 for draining the washing water in the water tub 2 to the outside; And a balancer 20 for preventing vibration of the rotary tub 10 due to unbalance.

The front surface of the water tub 2 and the rotary tub 10 are opened to allow laundry to be washed into the rotary tub 10 or to take laundry laundered in the rotary tub 10, A door 6 for opening and closing the open front face of the water tub 2 and the rotary tub 10 is hingedly connected.

The water supply device 4 includes a first water supply hose 4a provided at an inner upper portion of the main body 1 for receiving wash water from an external water supply source and a second water supply hose 4b for supplying detergent to the wash water, A detergent container 4b and a second water supply hose 4c for guiding the wash water mixed with the detergent to the water tank 2. [

The drainage device 5 is connected to the drainage pump 5a for draining the wash water contained in the water tank 2 provided in the inner lower part of the main body 1, And drain hoses 5b and 5c for guiding to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary tub 10 included in the drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rotary tub 10 having front and rear openings, a dewatering hole 11a and a lifter 11b A front member 12 provided with a cylindrical body 11 provided on the front side of the body 11 and an opening 14 connected to the entire opened side of the body 11 and allowing the laundry to be introduced into the body 11 or removed from the body 11, And a rear member 13 coupled to an open rear portion of the body 11 and coupled to a rotary shaft 7 (see FIG. 1) for rotating the rotary tub 10.

A plurality of dewatering holes 11a are formed on the circumferential surface of the body 11 so that the water contained in the water tub 2 flows into the inside of the rotary tub 10 during the washing operation, So that water can be drained to the outside of the main body 1 through the drain hoses 5b and 5c during the dehydration process. A plurality of lifters 11b are arranged at regular intervals on the inner circumferential surface of the body 11 so that the laundry is wetted as the rotary tub 10 rotates at low speed during a washing cycle, And then dropped to the bottom of the rotary tub 10 so that the laundry can be effectively washed.

The front member 12 is formed in a substantially 'C' shape in cross section so as to accommodate the balancer 20, and is provided with a recess 15 having a toric shape opened toward the front. The rear member 13 is also provided with a torus-shaped recess (not shown) opened toward the rear side in order to receive the balancer 20 on the rim side.

The front member 12 and the rear member 13 are fitted to the front and rear edges of the body 11, respectively, so as to be coupled to each other in a screw or other manner.

A rotary shaft 7 is disposed on the rear surface of the rotary tub 10 so as to extend through the rear surface of the water tub 2 and a driving motor 3 is provided on the outer side of the rear surface of the water tub 2 to which the rotary shaft 7 is coupled. Therefore, when the drive motor 3 is operated, the rotary tub 10 rotates together with the rotary shaft 7 (refer to FIG. 1)

When the drum washing machine is operated after the door 6 is opened and the laundry is put into the rotary tub 10, the wash water mixed with the detergent is supplied to the tub 2 through the water supply device 4, The laundry is lifted upwards along the lifter 11b to fall downward, thereby performing a laundry washing operation in which the laundry is washed. When the washing cycle is completed and the spinning cycle is started, the spinning bath 10 rotates at a high speed to perform the spinning cycle by the centrifugal force.

That is, during the washing cycle, the rotary shaft 7 alternately rotates in the forward direction and the reverse direction by the driving motor 3 to rotate the rotary tub 10 at a low speed, thereby washing the laundry. The laundry is dehydrated by rotating the rotary tub 10 at a high speed while rotating in one direction.

If the center of gravity of the rotary tub 10 itself does not coincide with the center of rotation when the rotary tub 10 rotates at a high speed in the dehydrating process or the laundry in the rotary tub 10 is placed in a certain area, The drum washing machine according to the present invention includes a front member 12 and a rear member 13 of the rotary tub 10 and a balancer 20 for preventing unbalance, . The balancer 20 may be provided at either one of the front end or the rear end of the rotary tub 10, or may be installed at both ends as in the embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A 'in Fig.

The balancer 20 included in the embodiment of the present invention is installed in the recess 15 of the front member 12 and the rear member 13 and is formed into a toric shape as shown in FIGS. A plurality of mass bodies 21 having a balancing function, toroidal housings 30 and 40 for guiding the rotation of the mass body 21 and a plurality of housings 30 and 40 for regulating the moving speed of the mass body 21. [ A viscous fluid 23 injected into the inner space 22 and a reinforcing member 50 provided outside the housings 30 and 40 to reinforce the strength of the balancer 20.

The housings 30 and 40 have a toroidal shape and include a first housing 30 and a second housing 40 which are welded to each other to form a closed inner space 22.

The first housing 30 comprises a first wall surface 31 and a second wall surface 32 facing each other and a third wall surface 33 connecting the ends of the first and second wall surfaces 31 and 32 Sectional shape so that the mass body 21 and the viscous fluid 23 can be provided therein.

The second housing 40 has a bent portion 41 whose both ends are bent toward the first housing 30 and the lower surface of the second housing 40 and the inner side of the bent portion 41 are connected to the first housing 30 The first and second wall surfaces 31 and 32 are joined to the first housing 30 by thermal fusion or spin fusion.

The balancer 20 is rotated by the first and second wall surfaces 31 and 32 while the plurality of mass bodies 21 are moved for balancing action in the inner space 22 of the housings 30 and 40 during the dewatering stroke, The balancer 20 included in the drum washing machine according to the present invention may be provided with a plurality of housings 30 and 40 in order to reinforce the strength of the balancer 20. In order to prevent the deformation or breakage of the balancer 20, And the reinforcing member 50 is provided on the outer side.

The reinforcing member 50 is formed by bending a metal plate having a long rectangular shape into a circular shape and then forming both ends thereof into a cylindrical shape with a predetermined width through welding or the like and pressing the metal plate from both ends of the first side plate 51 inward The upper plate 52 and the lower plate 53 are formed so as to be folded back at the ends of the upper plate 52 and the lower plate 53 to form the second side plate 54. Accordingly, the reinforcing member 50 has four closed cross-sectional shapes, and the housings 30 and 40 are installed therein.

At this time, a support rib (34) protruding by a predetermined length to abut the inside of the first and second side plates (51, 54) of the reinforcing member (50) is provided outside the first and second wall surfaces ). The supporting ribs 34 protrude outward from the first and second wall surfaces 31 and 32 of the first housing 30 and are engaged with the first and second side plates 51 and 54 of the reinforcing member 50 Of the first housing 30 provided with the plastic injection molding material by the centrifugal force generated radially outward when a plurality of mass bodies 21 are circularly moved in the inner space 22 of the housings 30 and 40, So that the reinforcing member 50 and the first housing 30 are supported so that the two wall surfaces 31 and 32 are not deformed or damaged.

3, the height at which the support ribs 34 protrude outward from the first wall surface 31 of the first housing 30 is such that the bent portion 41 protrudes outward from the first wall surface 31 Height. Similarly, the height at which the support rib 34 protrudes outward from the second wall surface 32 of the first housing 30 may be equal to the height at which the bent portion 41 protrudes outward from the second wall surface 32 .

The annular balancer 20 manufactured as described above is disposed in the annular recess 15 provided in the front member 12 and the rear member 13 of the rotary tub 10 and has a recess 15 by welding or bolt fastening or the like.

Therefore, the balancer 20 included in the embodiment of the present invention is provided with the metallic reinforcing member 50 on the outside of the housings 30 and 40 so that the mass body 21 of the internal space 22 is located outside It is possible to prevent the balancer 20 from being damaged.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a balancer included in a drum washing machine according to a modified embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B 'of FIG.

Next, the balancer included in the modified embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The same components as those of the embodiment of the present invention are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 60 is provided to surround the outer peripheral surface of the housings 30 and 40.

In other words, since the centrifugal force generated by the mass body 21 occurs in the radially outward direction of the balancer 20, the centrifugal force acts strongly on the first wall surface 31. Therefore, the reinforcing member 50 is formed by bending a metal plate having a long rectangular shape into a circular shape, and then both ends are formed into a cylindrical shape of a predetermined width through welding or the like so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the housings 30 and 40. In this manner, the strength of the balancer 20 can be reinforced to prevent deformation or breakage of the balancer 20 due to a force acting radially outward due to the centrifugal force. Also in this case, the support ribs 34 may be configured only on the first wall surface 31. [

4, a plurality of support ribs 34 may be provided, and the plurality of support ribs 34 may be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the first housing 30. As shown in FIG. The balancer can be stably supported on the peripheral structure (for example, the inner wall surface of the rotary tubular recess) by the support ribs 34 spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

Reference numeral 61 denotes a welded portion of the reinforcing member 60.

In the embodiments of the present invention, the balancer is installed in the drum washing machine. However, it is obvious that the balancer is also applicable to the vertical washing machine having the structure in which the rotating drum is arranged vertically.

1: housing 2: water tank
10: Rotation tank 11: Body
12: front member 13: rear member
21: Mass 22: Viscous fluid
30: first housing 31, 32: first and second walls
40: second housing 50: reinforcing member.

Claims (6)

main body;
A rotary tub having a cylindrical body, a front member disposed in front of the body, and a rear member disposed behind the body;
A balancer installed on the front member and the rear member of the rotary tub, respectively, the balancer including a first housing and a second housing coupled to each other to form an enclosed inner space, and a plurality of mass bodies movably disposed in the inner space A balancer,
Wherein an annular recess is provided at an edge of the front member and the rear member, the balancer is installed in the annular recess,
Wherein the first housing of the balancer includes a first wall surface facing each other, a second wall surface, and a third wall surface connecting the first and third wall surfaces,
The second housing of the balancer includes a bent portion bent at an end of the second housing toward the first housing and coupled to surround the upper outer side of the first housing,
A supporting rib protruding outward from the first wall surface is provided on a first wall surface of the first housing in which a centrifugal force due to the masses acts during rotation of the rotating tub,
Wherein a height of the support rib protruding outward from the first wall surface is equal to a height of the bent portion protruding outward from the first wall surface. The drum washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing member provided on the outer side of the balancer to reinforce the strength of the balancer. The drum type washing machine of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing member is provided to surround the outer surfaces of the first housing and the second housing. 3. The drum type washing machine of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing member is arranged to surround the outer peripheral surface of the first housing and the second housing. The drum washing machine of claim 3 or 4, wherein the reinforcing member is made of a metal material. The drum type washing machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support ribs are provided in a circumferential direction of the first housing.

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