Horizontally vibrating laundry washer

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine for washing laundry. According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the washing machine may use a novel horizontal vibration method of washing laundry and the like instead of a rotation method. The washing machine may include a moving magnet connected to the washing tub causing the washing tub to move horizontally. The moving magnet may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

Claims

1. A washing machine, comprising: a washing tub that holds laundry; a moving magnet connected to or with the washing tub that horizontally reciprocates and/or oscillates together with the washing tub; a horizontal guide that supports the moving magnet and guides the moving magnet; an electromagnet having a magnetic field configured to horizontally move the moving magnet by magnetic force; a controller configured to control a current supplied to the electromagnet, causing the magnetic field of the electromagnet to switch direction, which causes the moving magnet to horizontally reciprocate and/or oscillate; and at least one damper between the washing tub and the moving magnet configured to dampen vertical movement and/or vibration of the washing tub and support the washing tub and/or the moving magnet, wherein the moving magnet has a contact member that contacts a lower surface of the washing tub and configured to support a pivot point to the washing tub, and both sides of the contact member are inclined in a direction away from the lower surface of the washing tub.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, further comprising: a first compression plate inside the washing tub; and a first actuator having one end on or supported by a first inner wall of the washing tub and another end connected to the first compression plate, and configured to push and/or pull the first compression plate toward a second inner wall opposite to the first inner wall.

3. The washing machine of claim 2, further comprising: a second compression plate in the washing tub between the first compression plate and the second inner wall; and a second actuator having one end on or supported by the second inner wall of the washing tub and another end connected to the second compression plate, and configured to push and/or pull the second compression plate toward the first inner wall.

4. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein each of the first actuator and the second actuator comprise at least one hydraulic cylinder.

5. The washing machine of claim 1, further comprising an undulating surface comprising a plurality of protrusions on a bottom surface inside the washing tub.

6. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the washing tub holds water together with the laundry.

7. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the washing tub has a quadrangular, 6-sided, or box shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a front side of an exemplary washing machine according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary washing machine, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the inside of an exemplary washing tub, suitable for use in the washing machine of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

(5) Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

(6) First, the washing machine of FIG. 1 includes a washing tub 10 configured to hold laundry and water.

(7) The washing tub 10 may have a quadrangular, 6-sided, or box shape, but may also have other various shapes. In the present exemplary embodiments, the washing tub 10 has a box shape that is elongated in one or two directions. That is, in the present exemplary embodiments, a cross-section of the washing tub 10 has a rectangular or square shape.

(8) As illustrated in FIG. 3, a first compression plate 11 and a second compression plate 12 are inside the washing tub 10. The first compression plate 11 may be on, near, or adjacent to a first inner wall 10a of the washing tub 10 and has a first hydraulic cylinder 13 and a second hydraulic cylinder 14. The second compression plate 12 is on, near, or adjacent to a second inner wall 10b of the washing tub 10 and has a third hydraulic cylinder 15 and a fourth hydraulic cylinder 16. According to some embodiments, the washing machine may have other numbers of cylinders (e.g., 1, 3, etc.) compressing and retracting each of the compression plates 11 and 12.

(9) The first compression plate 11 may be pressed toward the second inner wall 10b of the washing tub 10 by the first hydraulic cylinder 13 and the second hydraulic cylinder 14, and the second compression plate 12 may be pressed toward the first inner wall 10a of the washing tub 10 by the third hydraulic cylinder 15 and the fourth cylinder 16.

(10) The laundry may be compressed between the first compression plate 11 and the second compression plate 12 so that water in the laundry may be forcibly discharged from the laundry.

(11) The first compression plate 11 and the second compression plate 12 may be used in a washing cycle and a rinsing cycle, as well as a drying cycle.

(12) The first compression plate 11 and the second compression plate 12 may be used to move the laundry in a horizontal and/or vertical direction as the washing tub 10 reciprocates or oscillates. That is, when the washing tub 10 oscillates, the first compression plate 11 and/or the second compression plate 12 may cause the laundry inside the washing tub 10 to move in a horizontal direction orthogonal to that of the tub 10, and/or move vertically above or away from the floor or bottom of the washing tub 10 while the first compression plate 11 and/or the second compression plate 12 reciprocate or oscillate (e.g., come together and move apart) in the horizontal direction opposite to that of the reciprocation or oscillation of the washing tub 10. The laundry may be washed while moved in a multi-axis direction by the first compression plate 11 and/or the second compression plate 12, improving the effect of washing. According to some embodiments, only one plate at a time oscillates or reciprocates.

(13) In the present exemplary embodiments, the first compression plate 11 and the second compression plate 12 may be on the inner walls 10a and 10b of along the longest dimension of the washing tub 10.

(14) A washboard or undulating surface having a plurality of protrusions 17 is on a bottom surface of the washing tub 10. The washboard may improve the washing effect by applying friction to the laundry and/or causing local eddies or currents within the tub 10.

(15) In some exemplary embodiments, the protrusions 17 may have a shape elongated in a direction of the shortest dimension of the washing tub 10, and have recessions between the protrusions 17 in a same direction or along the longest dimension of the washing tub 10. The washing tub 10 may horizontally reciprocates/oscillate in the direction of the longest dimension of the tub 10.

(16) A bottom surface of the washing tub 10 may be connected to a first damper 30 and a second damper 31. The first damper 30 and the second damper 31 may dampen vertical movement and/or vibration of the washing tub 10.

(17) A lower end of each of the first damper 30 and the second damper 31 may be connected with a moving magnet 20. The horizontal reciprocation and/or oscillation of the moving magnet 20 may cause one side of the washing tub 10 to move vertically due to agglomeration of the laundry and the water inside the washing tub 10. Therefore, ends of the washing tub 10 may move vertically as well as horizontally, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

(18) Where the lower surfaces of the washing tub 10 and the moving magnet 20 may be spaced apart, and the washing tub 10 may move in a vertical direction.

(19) In one or more exemplary embodiments, a contact member 23 may be at a center portion of the moving magnet 20, in contact with a lower surface of the washing tub 10, and side surfaces of the moving magnet 20 have a first inclined surface 21 and a second inclined surface 22, which incline or decline vertically, based on the shape and location of contact member 23. Accordingly, the washing tub 10 may not move in the vertical direction, but reciprocates or oscillates based on the shape and location of contact member 23. In other words, the ends of the washing tub 10 may oscillate in a vertical direction, like a seesaw, where the contact member 23 contacts the washing tub 10, similar to the fulcrum or pivot point of the seesaw.

(20) The horizontal movement of moving magnet 20 may be guided by a guide groove or slot 41 in a base 40. An electromagnet (not illustrated) may be installed on and/or inside the base 40. The electromagnet has or creates a magnetic field to apply magnetic force to the moving magnet 20, and the force may be controlled by adjusting the power and/or current applied to the electromagnet. The direction of the magnetic field may be controlled and/or switched so that the moving magnet 20 horizontally reciprocates or oscillates by switching of the direction of the magnetic field at a predetermined frequency.

(21) A controller configured to control and supply power and/or current to the electromagnet is inside the base 40. The controller may be configured to cause the washing machine to perform a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a drying cycle, and the electromagnet, the hydraulic cylinder, and the like, which may be controlled according to a program in the controller.

(22) Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, but terms and expressions used in the description of the exemplary embodiments are only used for illustrating the exemplary embodiments, and shall not be used to limit contents or the scope of the terms and the expression described in the claims of the present specification.

(23) From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.