Washing machine

Abstract

A washing machine is disclosed. A washing machine includes a case, a tub mounted in the case to hold wash water, a hanger provided in a front upper portion of the tub to hang laundry thereon, and a driving unit to reciprocate the hanger with the laundry in a predetermined direction within the tub. According to the washing machine mentioned above, the laundry is washed only by using the reciprocating motion. As a result, the laundry may not be entangled and fabric of the laundry may not damage.

1 . A washing machine comprising:
 a case;   a tub mounted in the case to hold wash water;   a hanger disposed above an opening of the tub and hanging laundry thereon; and   a driving unit to reciprocate the hanger with the laundry in a predetermined direction to wash the laundry.   
   
   
       2 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the driving unit comprises a first driving unit to reciprocate the hanger with the laundry in a vertical direction to submerge at least some portion of the laundry in the wash water of the tub. 
   
   
       3 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the first driving unit is configured of a crank mechanism to convert a rotational motion of a motor into the linear reciprocating motion of the hanger in a vertical direction. 
   
   
       4 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the first driving unit comprises:
 a disk rotated by the motor;   a first link rotatably connected with an edge of the disk; and   a second link connected with the first link and the hanger to be reciprocated linearly in a vertical direction by the first link.   
   
   
       5 . The washing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the first driving unit further comprises a guide unit to guide the motion of the first and second links. 
   
   
       6 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein the guide unit comprises,
 a guide groove extended vertically to hold first and second extensions extended from the first and second links, respectively.   
   
   
       7 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the first driving unit comprises,
 a drum rotated by the motor; and   a wire connected with the drum and the hanger, the wire wound around or unwound from the drum according to a rotational direction of the drum to reciprocate the hanger in a vertical direction.   
   
   
       8 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the first driving unit comprises,
 a driving pulley rotated by the motor;   a driven pulley spaced apart with a predetermined distance from the driving pulley in a vertical direction; and   a belt wound around the driving and driven pulley and connected with the hanger, to reciprocate in a vertical direction together with the hanger according to a rotational direction of the driving pulley.   
   
   
       9 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the driving unit comprises a plurality of first driving units. 
   
   
       10 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the driving unit comprises a pair of first driving units provided in right and left of the hanger, respectively. 
   
   
       11 . The washing machine of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of the first driving units move the hanger upward and downward at the same moment. 
   
   
       12 . The washing machine of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of the first driving units move the hanger upward at different moments, and move the hanger downward at different moments. 
   
   
       13 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the driving unit further comprises a second driving unit to reciprocate the hanger with the laundry in a horizontal direction. 
   
   
       14 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the second driving unit comprises,
 a driving pulley rotated by a motor;   a driven pulley spaced apart a predetermined distance from the driving pulley in a horizontal direction; and   a belt wound around the driving and driven pulley and connected with the hanger, to reciprocate in a horizontal direction together with the hanger according to a rotational direction of the driving pulley.   
   
   
       15 . The washing machine of  claim 14 , wherein the second driving unit further comprises,
 a connection member connected with the first driving unit, the connection member allows the driving and driven pulleys to be mounted thereto.   
   
   
       16 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a heating unit provided in the case to supply hot air to the tub. 
   
   
       17 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a steam unit provided in the case to supply steam to the tub. 
   
   
       18 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein while the first driving unit is vertically reciprocating the hanger and the laundry, the second driving unit is horizontally reciprocating the hanger and the laundry. 
   
   
       19 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the first driving unit vertically reciprocates the hanger and the laundry without the horizontal reciprocating motion of the second driving unit. 
   
   
       20 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the second driving unit horizontally reciprocates the hanger and the laundry which is submerged in the wash water, without the vertical reciprocating motion of the first driving unit. 
   
   
       21 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second driving unit vertically and/or horizontally reciprocates the laundry during a washing, rinsing and spinning cycle, and the first and second driving unit stop during a drying or preserving cycle. 
   
   
       22 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein speeds of reciprocating motions of the first and second driving units during a washing cycle is greater than speeds of the reciprocating motions thereof in a rinsing cycle. 
   
   
       23 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein distances of reciprocating motions of the first and second driving units during a washing cycle is less than distances of the reciprocating motions thereof in a rinsing cycle. 
   
   
       24 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second driving units vibrates the laundry in the vertical and horizontal directions during a washing cycle. 
   
   
       25 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the first driving unit moves the hanger upward to take out the laundry from the wash water completely, and moves the hanger downward to submerge the laundry in the wash water completely.