Drum washing machine

Abstract

A drum washing machine in which washing water is supplied directly to a drum to reduce consumption of the washing water, and is easily discharged from the drum in a dehydrating mode without leakage of the washing water from the drum in a washing mode. The drum washing machine includes an opening and closing device to open the dehydration holes by a centrifugal force only when the drum is rotated more than a designated speed. The opening and closing device includes opening and closing members to open and close the dehydration holes, and an elastic member to enable the opening and closing members to open and close the dehydration holes according to an intensity of the centrifugal force generated due to a rotation of the drum. The drum washing machine supplies the washing water directly to the drum, thereby preventing problems regarding the leakage or discharge of the washing water.

1 . A drum washing machine comprising a housing and a drum rotatably installed in the housing, wherein a plurality of dehydration holes for discharging washing water is formed through the drum, and the drum washing machine comprising: 
 an opening and closing device to open the dehydration holes by applying a centrifugal force only when the drum is rotated more than a designated speed.    
   
   
       2 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing device comprises: 
 opening and closing members to open and close the dehydration holes; and    an elastic member to enable the opening and closing members to open and close the dehydration holes according to an intensity of the centrifugal force generated due to a rotation of the drum.    
   
   
       3 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the dehydration holes are arranged at a front portion of the drum.  
   
   
       4 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the elastic member comprises an elastic band wound on an outer cylindrical surface of the drum at a position corresponding to the dehydration holes to apply an elastic force to the drum.  
   
   
       5 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the opening and closing members are disposed between the dehydration holes and the elastic band.  
   
   
       6 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the opening and closing members comprise spherical shapes, and when the opening and closing members are mounted on the dehydration holes, the opening and closing members are partially inserted into the drum through the dehydration holes so that the washing water in the drum is not discharged to an outside of the drum.  
   
   
       7 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the opening and closing members are attached to the elastic band at positions corresponding to the dehydration holes.  
   
   
       8 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the dehydration holes are aligned in a line along a circumferential surface of the drum.  
   
   
       9 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the elastic band is fixed to the drum by connection means.  
   
   
       10 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising lifters fixed with an inside of the drum to lift laundry in the drum to a designated height, wherein the elastic band and the lifters are fixed with the drum by a same connection means.  
   
   
       11 . The drum washing machine as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the opening and closing device further comprising sealing members interposed between the dehydration holes and the opening and closing members, to prevent the washing water from being leaked through gaps between the opening and closing members and the dehydration holes.  
   
   
       12 . A drum washing machine having a drum, the drum washing machine comprising: 
 dehydration holes aligned along a surface of the drum to discharge washing water; and    an opening and closing device to open the dehydration holes during a dehydration operation when the drum is rotated more than a predetermined speed and to close the dehydration holes during a washing operation.    
   
   
       13 . The drum washing machine of  claim 12 , further comprising a water supply tube to supply the washing water directly into the drum during the washing operation.  
   
   
       14 . The drum washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the opening and closing device comprises: 
 opening and closing members corresponding to the dehydration holes, to open and close the dehydration holes; and    an elastic member positioned along an outer surface of the opening and closing members to apply an elastic force to the opening and closing members during the washing operation to close the dehydration holes.    
   
   
       15 . The drum washing machine of  claim 14 , wherein the opening and closing members close the dehydration holes via the elastic force of the elastic member during the washing operation, and open the dehydration holes via a centrifugal force during the dehydration operation when the drum is rotated more than the predetermined speed.  
   
   
       16 . The drum washing machine of  15 , further comprises sealing members respectively interposed between the opening and closing members and the dehydration holes, adjacent to the dehydration holes to prevent the washing water from leaking through gaps between the opening and closing members and the dehydration holes.  
   
   
       17 . The drum washing machine of  claim 15 , wherein a weight of the opening and closing members is determined relative to a rotational speed and an intensity of the elastic force of the elastic member such that the centrifugal force is stronger than the elastic force during the dehydration operation, to thereby open the dehydration holes during the dehydration operation.