Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-28
2002-11-12
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
Combined
Reexamination Certificate
active
06477868
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a washing machine with a balancer, and more particularly to a washing machine, which is equipped with a balancer on a portion of the inner tub of the washing machine having a horizontally disposed drive shaft, thereby reducing its vibration and noise during a spin-drying process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a conventional washing machine includes a cabinet
1
. A door
3
is openably mounted to the front of the cabinet
1
to allow the laundry to be fed and discharged. An outer tub
5
is situated in the cabinet
1
to accommodate water.
An inner tub
7
provided with a plurality of water passage holes
7
a
is rotatably positioned in the outer tub
5
. A lifter
9
is mounted on the bottom of the interior of the inner tub
7
to raise the washing water to a predetermined height and, thereafter, allow it to fall down due to gravitational force. A water supply hose
13
passes through the cabinet
1
, and a water supply valve
11
is positioned on the water supply hose
13
, so as to supply water necessary for washing. A detergent container
15
is formed in the upper portion of the cabinet
1
to supply a detergent. A water supply bellows
17
is situated between the detergent container
15
and the outer tub
5
to supply to the outer tub
5
water that has been supplied through the water supply hose
13
and has been mixed with the detergent.
A motor
19
is mounted beneath the outer tub
5
. A belt
21
and a pulley
23
are situated in the vicinity of the motor
19
to rotate the inner tub
7
normally and reversely.
A water drain bellows
25
is situated under the outer tub
5
to drain water that is used in the washing machine. A drain pump
27
is mounted to the end portion of the drain bellows
25
to pump water that is drained through the water drain bellows
25
. A drain hose
29
is connected to the drain pump
27
to drain to the outside water pumped by the drain pump
27
.
A water level sensor
31
is positioned in the cabinet
1
so as to sense a water level by means of water pressure to determine if water is supplied to the outer tub
5
or not. A gasket
35
is interposed between the door
3
and the outer tub
5
to prevent water contained in the outer tub
5
from leaking.
Reference numerals
37
,
39
and
25
a
designate a spring for supporting the upper portion of the outer tub
5
, a damper for supporting the lower portion of the outer tub
5
and reducing the vibrations of the outer tub
5
, and a drain valve, respectively.
However, in the conventional drum washing machine, there occurs a shortcoming in which the inner tub
7
is imbalanced due to the maldistribution of the laundry when the inner tub
7
is rotated at a high speed to spin-dry the laundry, thereby generating vibration and noise.
In the meantime, in the conventional vertical washing machine (in which a drive shaft is positioned perpendicular to the ground), there occur shortcomings in which the balancing force of the balancer cannot be adjusted due to its balancer being hermetically sealed, its balancer may be damaged due to its thermal expansion during the heating of washing water and, the manufacture and assembly of its balancer is difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with a balancer, which is capable of improving the balancing capacity of its balancer to reduce vibration and noise, of preventing the balancer from being damaged due to thermal expansion to increase the durability of the balancer, and of simplifying the manufacture and assembly of the balancer to reduce the manufacturing cost of the washing machine.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a washing machine, comprising an outer tub for accommodating washing water, an inner tub rotatably mounted in the outer tub for washing and spin-drying the laundry, a balancer mounted to the inner tub to be opened at its one side, the balancer accommodating water to balance the inner tub, water supply means for supplying washing water to the balancer, and a cabinet for constituting the boundary of the washing machine and enclosing the components of the washing machine.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3214946 (1965-11-01), Starr et al.
patent: 4991247 (1991-02-01), Castwall et al.
patent: 5582040 (1996-12-01), Khan
Coe Philip R.
Fleshner & Kim LLP
LG Electronics Inc.
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