Patent Application
20050172678
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2004-007888, filed on Feb. 13, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a pedestal assembly provided under the washing machine to support at least one leg thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a washing machine is a representative home appliance for removing filth or dirt attached to a laundry using a reaction between water and detergent. A drum is vertically or horizontally arranged within the washing machine in general. In case of the washing machine having the vertically arranged drum, a pulsator or agitator is provided within the drum so that a laundry can be washed by a water current and friction generated by the pulsator or agitator. The washing machine having the vertically arranged drum is advantageous in washing performance but has a disadvantage of entangling or wearing out the laundry (or clothes).
In case of the washing machine having the horizontally arranged drum, a plurality of tumbling ribs are provided on an inner circumference of the drum so that the laundry held in the drum is lifted upward by the tumbling ribs to fall. Hence, the laundry can be washed using the impact power and friction generated from the falling. The washing machine having the horizontally arranged drum enables to avoid entangling or wearing out the clothes. Moreover, the washing machine having the horizontally arranged drum is recently equipped with a drying function to enable one-stop washing to drying, whereby user demand for the corresponding washing machine rises.
However, in the washing machine having the horizontally arranged drum, a door opening/closing the drum is provided to a front side of a washing machine case. Hence, a user has to bend over to put/pull the laundry in/from the drum, which is very uncomfortable despite the advantages.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a pedestal assembly of a washing machine that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention, which has been devised to solve the foregoing problem, lies in providing a pedestal assembly of a washing machine, by which a user is facilitated to use a door of the washing machine supported by a pedestal to be positioned in a convenient place.
Another object of the present invention, which has been devised to solve the foregoing problem, lies in providing a pedestal assembly of a washing machine, by which the washing machine is conveniently fixed to a pedestal.
Another object of the present invention, which has been devised to solve the foregoing problem, lies in providing a pedestal assembly of a washing machine, by which vibration occurring on the washing machine put on a pedestal is effectively attenuated.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from a practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the subject matter particularly pointed out in the specification and claims hereof as well as in the appended drawings.
To achieve these objects and other advantages in accordance with the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a pedestal assembly of a washing machine includes at least one leg coupled to a bottom surface of the washing machine, a pedestal provided under the washing machine to support the at least one leg, and at least one bracket rigidly fixed to at least one side of the pedestal, each bracket comprising a slot for fitting a corresponding leg therein.
The pedestal may include at least one drawer. Each leg may include a thread portion coupled to the bottom surface of the washing machine, and a head portion provided to a lower end of the thread portion to be supported by the pedestal.
The head portion includes a head extending from the lower end of the thread portion, and a housing accommodating the head. Herein, a gap exists between an end portion of the housing accommodating a topside of the head and an outer circumference of the thread portion.
Each bracket may include a protrusion extending downward in the vicinity of the slot to be fitted in the gap. The head portion may include a pad provided between the head and the housing. Herein, the slot has a U-shape.
Each bracket may include a protrusion extending downward in the vicinity of the slot to stably support a corresponding leg. Herein, each bracket is fixed to a lateral side of the pedestal by a locking member. And, the pedestal includes at least one concave recess, and wherein each bracket further comprises at least one protrusion to be fitted in the at least one concave recess.
Each bracket includes a first portion including the slot, and a second portion extending downward from the first portion to be fixed to the pedestal. Herein, the second portion vertically extends downward from an end portion of the first portion in the vicinity of a closed end portion of the slot.
In another aspect of the present invention, a pedestal assembly of a washing machine includes at least one leg coupled to a bottom surface of a case of the washing machine, a pedestal provided under the case to support the at least one leg, and at least one bracket rigidly fixed to at least one side of the pedestal, each bracket comprising a first portion having an open end to form a slot for fitting a corresponding leg therein, and a second portion extending downward from the first portion to be fixed to the pedestal.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a washing machine includes a case, a drum rotatably provided within the case, a water supply system supplying water to the drum, a drain system draining the water, at least one leg coupled to a bottom surface of the case, a pedestal provided under the case to support the at least one leg, and at least one bracket rigidly fixed to at least one side of the pedestal, each bracket comprising a first portion having an open end and the other closed end to form a slot for fitting a corresponding leg therein, and a second portion extending downward from the first portion to be fixed to an outer wall of the pedestal by a screw.
The pedestal may include at least one drawer. Each leg includes a thread portion coupled to the bottom surface of the washing machine, a head extending from the lower end of the thread portion, and a housing accommodating the head to be supported by a topside of the pedestal.
Herein, a gap exists between an end portion of the housing accommodating a topside of the head and an outer circumference of the thread portion. The first portion may include a protrusion extending downward in the vicinity of the slot to be fitted in the gap. The head may include a pad provided between the head and the housing. The pedestal may include at least one concave recess, and wherein the second portion further comprises at least one protrusion to be fitted in the at least one concave recess.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing explanation and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and illustrative and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
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 embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, like elements are indicated using the same or similar reference designations where possible.
Referring to
Referring to
A drum 320 is rotatably provided within the tub 310. For this, a motor 330 is provided within the case 100, and more particularly, in rear of the tub 310. And, the drum 320 is connected to the motor 330 via a shaft 331. A multitude of perforated holes 321 perforate a circumference of the drum 320, and a plurality of tumbling ribs 325 are provided on an inner circumference of the drum 320. Hence, water supplied to the tub 310 enables to communicate between the drum 320 and the tub 310 via the perforated holes 321. A laundry held in the drum 320 is lifted upward to fall by the tumbling ribs 325 while the drum 320 is rotated. Hence, friction and impact energy sufficient for washing can be provided when the laundry falls by the tumbling ribs 325.
An opening 131 is provided to a front side of the case 100, i.e., the front cover 130, so that a user can put/pull the laundry in/from the drum 320, and a door is provided to open/close the opening 131. A gasket 137 is provided between the opening 131 of the case 100 and the tub 310 to prevent water/laundry held in the drum 320 and/or tub 310 from leaking/escaping. And, a control panel 150, as shown in
Meanwhile, a water supply system 340 and drain system 350 are provided within the case 100. The water supply system 340 includes an inlet valve 341, an inlet hose 342, a detergent box 343, and an inlet bellows 344. The inlet valve 341 opens or closes a passage of water supplied from outside, and the inlet hose 342 connects the inlet valve 341 and the detergent box 343. And, the inlet bellows 344 connects the detergent box 343 and the tub 310. Once the inlet valve 341 is turned on, water is passed through the inlet hose 342, detergent box 343, and inlet bellows 344 in turn to be supplied to the tub 310. In this case, a detergent stored in the detergent box 343 is supplied to the water if necessary.
The drain system 350 includes a drain bellows 351, a drain pump 352, and a drain hose 353. The drain bellows 351 connects the tub 310 and the drain pump 352. One end of the drain hose 353 is connected to the drain pump 352 and the other end of the drain hose 353 communicates with outside of the case 100. Hence, once the drain pump 352 is driven, water held in the tub 310 is passed through the drain bellows 351, the drain pump 352, and the drain hose 353 in turn to be discharged outside.
Meanwhile, a pedestal assembly 200 according to the present invention, as shown in
First of all, the leg 220 is coupled to a lower part (or bottom surface) of the case 100 of the washing machine. For this, a thread portion 221 is provided to the leg 220. And, the leg 220, as shown in
Referring to
A pad 229 is further provided to the head portion 225 to enhance vibration-absorbing capability of the head portion 225. The pad 229, as shown in
Furthermore, a drawer 215 is provided to the pedestal 210. And, the drawer 215 can be drawn in a front direction of the washing machine. A user can keep a detergent and the like in the drawer 215 to enhance user's convenience. The bracket 230 is fixed to the pedestal 210 and includes a slot 233 for fitting the corresponding leg 220 therein. The bracket 230 holds the leg 220 to prevent the washing machine on the pedestal 210 from being shaken by the vibration of the washing machine or sliding on the pedestal 210. In order to effectively attenuate the horizontal vibration of the washing machine, the bracket 230 is formed of a spring carbon tool steel based material having an excellent elastic restoring capability. A configuration of the bracket 230 is explained in detail as follows.
Referring to
One of both ends of the slot 233, as shown in
A protrusion 234, as shown in
The second portion 235 of the bracket 230 vertically extends downward from one end of the first portion 231 in the vicinity of the closed end of the slot. For instance, the second portion 235 is fixed to an outer wall of the pedestal 210 (e.g., a lateral side) by a locking member 240, such as a screw and the like. For this, at least one first hole 237 is provided to the second portion 23 of the bracket 230 and a second hole 211 confronting the first hole 237 is provided to the lateral side of the pedestal 210.
At least one concave recess 213 is provided to the pedestal 210 and at least one protrusion 239 confronting the recess 213 is provided to the bracket 230. For instance, a pair of the recesses 213, shown in
Once the recess 213 and protrusion 239 are provided, the bracket 230 is prevented from being shaken by the vibration occurring on the washing machine or the coupled portion coupled to the pedestal by the locking member 240 is prevented from being loosened by the vibration occurring on the washing machine. Besides, the recess 213 and protrusion 239 determines a loading position of the bracket 230, whereby the bracket 230 is facilitated to be quickly loaded on the correct position of the pedestal.
An assembling process of the pedestal assembly 200 is explained as follows. The leg 20 is coupled to the corner of the lower part of the case 100, and more particularly, to the corner of the base plate 110 via a screw. The washing machine is then put on the pedestal 210. In doing so, the head portion 225 of the leg 220 is placed on a topside corner of the pedestal 210. Once the washing machine is put on the pedestal 210, the bracket 230 is fixed to the pedestal 210. Thus, the protrusion 239 of the second portion 235 is fitted in the corresponding recess 213. And, the protrusion 234 of the first portion 234 is fitted in the gap 228 of the head portion 225 of the leg 220 to be fixed thereto. Moreover, the locking member 240 is locked in both of the first hole 237 of the bracket 230 and the second hole 211 of the pedestal 211.
As the bracket 230 is installed on the pedestal 210, the protrusion 234 of the first portion 231 pushes the head 226 toward the pedestal 210 so that the bottom side of the head portion 225 can adhere closely to the topside of the pedestal 210. Thus, the washing machine can be stably fixed to the pedestal 210.
A washing machine provided with the above-configured pedestal assembly 200 according to the present invention is operated as described below. First, a laundry is put in the drum 320 and the door 135 is closed. In doing so, a user can easily put the laundry in the drum via the door 135 without bending his or her body since the pedestal 210 is provided below the case 100 of the washing machine. The control panel 150 is then operated. Once the washing machine is activated after setting washing, rinsing, dewatering, and drying cycles, the water supply system 340 supplies a predetermined amount of water and detergent to the drum 320. As the drum 320 rotates, the laundry is lifted by the tumbling rib 325 to fall. In doing so, the laundry is washed by the generated impact power and the chemical reaction of detergent.
After completion of the washing cycle, the drain system 350 discharges the used water of the drum 320 and tub 310. After completion of drain, the water supply system 340 supplies water to the drum 320. The drum 320 is then rotated to rinse the laundry. After completion of the rinsing cycle, the drain system 350 discharges the water of the drum 310. In this case, at least one washing cycle is carried out.
After completion of the rinsing cycle, the drum 320 is rotated at a high speed so that water is separated from the laundry by a centrifugal force. After the completion of the dewatering cycle, a user pulls the washed and dewatered laundry out of the washing machine via the door 135. If a drying function is further provided to the washing machine, hot air is supplied to the drum 320 to completely dry the laundry after completion of the dewatering cycle. The user is then provided with completely dried laundry.
Meanwhile, the vibrations generated from the washing machine during the above-explained operation are transferred to the leg 220 attached to the lower part of the case 100. The vertical vibration among the vibrations transferred to the leg 220 is absorbed in the pad 239 and the housing 227, whereas the horizontal vibration is effectively attenuated by the bracket 239 having elasticity. The washing machine 210 is prevented from slipping on the pedestal 210 as the bracket 230 stably holds the corresponding leg 220.
Accordingly, the present invention has the following advantages or effects.
First of all, the pedestal assembly raises the levels of the washing machine including the door, thereby facilitating a user to put/pull a laundry in/from the drum without bending his body. Secondly, in order to fix the washing machine to the pedestal, the leg of the washing machine is fitted in the slot of the bracket and the bracket is then fixed to the pedestal using the locking member. Hence, installation can be done conveniently and easily. Moreover, in re-installing the washing machine after moving, the entire elements of the pedestal assembly can be reused.
Thirdly, the pad and housing enabling to absorb the vibration are provided to the leg, thereby enabling effective absorption of the vibrations occurring in the washing machine. Fourthly, the bracket makes the head portion of the leg adhere closely to the pedestal and a plurality of the brackets prevent the washing machine from slipping in a horizontal direction. Therefore, the washing machine is stably fixed to the pedestal without slipping thereon. Finally, the concave recess and protrusion, which are correspondingly provided to the pedestal and the bracket, respectively, prevent the bracket from being shaken or the coupling portion from being loosened. Furthermore, the concave recess and protrusion determine the loading position of the bracket, thereby enabling a quick load of the bracket thereon.
The present invention is applicable to a washing machine having a door provided to its topside as well as a washing machine having a door provided to its front side. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to such a home appliance as a dryer and the like as well as a washing machine.
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 invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations, provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P 2004-0007888 | Feb 2004 | KR | national |
