Top Loaded Washing Machine having Drum with Horizontal Axis of Rotation

Abstract

A washing machine includes a tub fixedly installed in a cabinet, a drum rotatably installed in the tub for containing laundry and provided with an opening formed through the outer circumferential surface thereof so that the laundry is taken into and out of the drum through the opening. A drum door is provided at the opening of the drum and moves in the circumferential direction of the drum relative to the drum to open and close the opening of the drum. A driving unit rotates the drum.

1 . A washing machine comprising:
 a tub fixedly installed in a cabinet;   a drum rotatably installed in the tub for containing laundry, and provided with an opening formed through a cylindrical part thereof so that the laundry is taken into and out of the drum through the opening;   a drum door provided at the opening of the drum, and moving in the inner circumferential direction of the drum relative to the drum to open and close the opening of the drum;   a driving unit for rotating the drum, the drum door being connected to the driving unit to automatically open the opening of the drum after finishing washing the laundry; and   a clutch unit for selectively interconnecting the driving unit and the drum to selectively transmit driving force of the driving unit to the drum in washing and dehydrating the laundry.   
   
   
       2 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the drum door rotates centering on a rotary axis of the drum to open and close the opening of the drum. 
   
   
       3 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the driving unit comprises:
 a driving motor; and   a door driving shaft, one end of which is connected to a rotor of the driving motor and the other end of which is connected to a rotary center of the drum door, to transmit the driving force of the driving motor to the drum door.   
   
   
       4 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the drum comprises a drum driving shaft, one end of which is connected to a rotary center of the drum and the other end of which is selectively connected to the driving unit by the clutch unit, and being concentric with the door driving shaft. 
   
   
       5 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the drum door is movable along the inner circumferential surface of the drum in the circumferential direction, and the door driving shaft passes through the drum driving shaft in the axial direction. 
   
   
       6 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the clutch unit is installed between the driving motor and the drum driving shaft such that the clutch unit moves in the axial direction of the drum driving shaft, transmits the driving force of the driving unit to the drum driving shaft so that the drum driving shaft is rotated simultaneously with the rotation of the door driving shaft, when the washing machine is operated in washing and dehydration modes, and interrupts the transmission of the driving force of the driving motor to the drum driving shaft, when the drum door is opened. 
   
   
       7 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the clutch unit comprises:
 a coupler installed between the driving motor and the drum driving shaft such that the coupler moves in the axial direction of the drum driving shaft, to selectively interconnect the drum driving shaft and the door driving shaft; and   a coupler driving portion for moving the coupler.   
   
   
       8 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the coupler moves in the axial direction of the of the drum driving shaft by the coupler driving portion under the condition that the coupler is connected to the drum driving shaft by serrations, and is selectively connected to the door driving shaft. 
   
   
       9 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein one end of the coupler is separated from the door driving shaft and the other end of the coupler is connected to one end of the tub so that the position of the opening of the drum is not changed when the drum door is opened. 
   
   
       10 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 9 , the coupler comprises:
 a first serration formed on one end of the coupler and selectively connected to a driving serration formed in the door driving shaft;   a second serration engaged with a serration formed in the drum driving shaft; and   a third serration formed on the other end of the coupler and selectively connected to a fixing serration formed in one end of the tub.   
   
   
       11 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the coupler driving portion comprises at least one electromagnet for moving the coupler to control the interconnection between the coupler and the door driving shaft. 
   
   
       12 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the coupler driving portion comprises:
 at least one electromagnet formed on one of the tub and the coupler;   a magnetic member formed on the other one of the tub and the coupler for moving the coupler in one direction by the electromagnetic interaction with the electromagnet; and   an elastic member, one end of which is supported by the coupler and the other end of which is supported by the rotor of the driving motor.   
   
   
       13 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the magnetic member moves the coupler when current is applied to the electromagnet, cuts the interconnection between the coupler and the driving unit, and interconnects the coupler and one end of the tub so as to prevent the rotation of the drum driving shaft when the drum door is opened. 
   
   
       14 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising an alignment unit for aligning the opening of the drum to coincide with an opening formed through the tub. 
   
   
       15 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one latching protrusion formed on one edge of the opening of the drum; and   at least one latching hook formed on one edge of the drum door and latched onto the latching protrusion when the drum door is closed.   
   
   
       16 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at least one subsidiary latching protrusion formed on the other edge of the opening of the drum; and   at least one subsidiary latching hook formed on the other edge of the drum door and latched onto the subsidiary latching protrusion.   
   
   
       17 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the drum door is provided in the drum. 
   
   
       18 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 17 , further comprising a weight provided on the subsidiary latching hook for separating the subsidiary latching hook from the subsidiary latching protrusion by its own weight when the drum is stopped and connecting the subsidiary latching hook to the subsidiary latching protrusion by the centrifugal force when the drum is rotated.