Washing machine for sports shoes

Abstract

A washing machine includes a washing drum, an openable cover mounted on a top end opening of the washing drum, a laundry mount rotatably disposed in a lower portion of the washing drum and on which an article to be washed is mounted, a motor for rotating the laundry mount, an upper brush disposed in an upper portion of the washing drum for brushing the laundry in accordance with the rotation of the laundry mount, a water supply unit for supplying water to the washing drum, and a water drain unit for draining water from the washing drum. In the washing machine, laundry such as sports shoes and bags made of thick fabrics can be cleanly washed.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:  
     
         1 . A washing machine comprising: 
 a washing drum;    a laundry mount rotatably installed within the washing drum for mounting an article to be washed;    a driving source for rotating the laundry mount;    an upper brush installed within an upper portion of the washing drum for brushing the article in accordance with rotation of the laundry mount;    a water supply unit for supplying washing water into the washing drum; and    a drain unit for draining the washing water from the washing drum.    
     
     
         2 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a cover openably installed on top end opening of the washing drum, wherein the upper brush is liftably installed on the cover.  
     
     
         3 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the upper brushes are installed in a radial shape at certain angular intervals.  
     
     
         4 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the upper brush can be moved in vertical direction within the washing drum by a lifting cylinder that is installed on the cover.  
     
     
         5 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the upper brush comprises: 
 a supporting rod connected to a piston rod of the lifting cylinder;    a frame spirally wound around the supporting rod;    a brush hair core having a shape of an elongate wire and secured to the frame; and    a plurality of brush hairs arranged in a radial shape around the supporting rod and secured to the frame by being coiled on the brush hair core.    
     
     
         6 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each of the brush hairs has a wavy shape.  
     
     
         7 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the cover is hinge-coupled to a top end of the washing drum so that the cover is opened/closed by actuation cylinders that are connected to both sides of the cover.  
     
     
         8 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the cover is hinge-coupled to a top end of the washing drum so that the cover is opened/closed by gas springs that are connected to both sides of the cover.  
     
     
         9 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a clamp unit for automatically clamping the cover when the cover is closed.  
     
     
         10 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the clamp unit comprises: 
 an engaging projection protruding from a side of the washing drum;    an actuation cylinder;    a jaw pivotally installed on a leading end of a piston rod of the actuation cylinder, and having one end selectively contacted with the engaging projection while moving up and down according to actuation of the actuation cylinder;    a stopper for limiting vertical movements of the jaw; and    a tension spring connected to the other end of the jaw for biasing the jaw away from the engaging projection constantly.    
     
     
         11 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the clamp unit comprises: 
 an engaging protrusion projecting from the cover;    a cam-shaped lever pivotally installed on a side of the washing drum; and    a hook with its one end being pivotally coupled to the cam-shaped lever while its another end is supported by being engaged with the engaging protrusion.    
     
     
         12 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper brush comprises: 
 a supporting rod;    a frame spirally wound around the supporting rod;    a brush hair core having a shape of an elongate wire and secured to the frame; and    a plurality of brush hairs arranged in a radial shape around the supporting rod and secured to the frame by being coiled on the brush hair core.    
     
     
         13 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each of the brush hairs has a wavy shape.  
     
     
         14 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a lower brush for brushing bottoms of the article to be washed during rotation of the laundry mount.  
     
     
         15 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the lower brush comprises: 
 a frame extending in a radial direction beneath the laundry mount;    a brush hair core having a shape of an elongate wire and secured to the frame; and    a plurality of brush hairs arranged in a lengthwise direction of the frame and secured to the frame by being coiled on the brush hair core.    
     
     
         16 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a side brush installed inside of the washing drum for brushing the sides of the article to be washed during rotation of the laundry mount.  
     
     
         17 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the side brush comprises: 
 a frame vertically extending along the washing drum;    a brush hair core having a shape of an elongate wire and secured to the frame; and    a plurality of brush hairs arranged in a lengthwise direction of the frame and secured to the frame by being coiled on the brush hair core.    
     
     
         18 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary brush that will be inserted into the article to be washed for brushing the insides of the article with maintaining its external shapes.  
     
     
         19 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the auxiliary brush comprises: 
 a supporting rod;    a frame spirally wound around the supporting rod;    a brush hair core having a shape of an elongate wire and secured to the frame; and    a plurality of brush hairs arranged in a radial shape around the supporting rod and secured to the frame by being coiled on the brush hair core,    wherein, the contours of the auxiliary brush formed by connecting the outer ends of the brush hairs are in accord with the inner shape of the article to be washed.    
     
     
         20 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the contours of the auxiliary brushes are accord with the inner shape of a sports shoe.  
     
     
         21 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein each of the brush hairs of the auxiliary brush has a wavy shape.  
     
     
         22 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of blades installed along an internal circumference of the washing drum for inducing eddy currents of the washing water during rotation of the laundry mount.  
     
     
         23 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the water supply unit comprises: 
 a water storage room for storing the washing water;    a pump for pumping the washing water from the water storage room; and    a water supply tube extending through the cover for supplying the pumped washing water into the washing drum.    
     
     
         24 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the drain unit comprises: 
 a draining tube extending from a drainage hole of the bottom of the washing drum to the outside;    a valve provided in the draining tube for allowing or blocking the water drain; and    an actuation cylinder for selectively opening/closing the valve.    
     
     
         25 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a drying chamber provided separately from the washing drum for drying the article to be washed;    a blow heater provided on a side of the drying chambers for conveying air into the drying chambers by heating external air; and    a nozzle pipe provided inside the drying chambers and having a plurality of nozzles to communicate with the blow heater and spout a heated air into the drying chambers.    
     
     
         26 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a far infrared ray ceramic coating layer is formed on the nozzle pipe.  
     
     
         27 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a suction tube extending from the blow heater to outside;    a ventilation fan installed on a side of the drying chamber separated from the blow heater; and    a discharge tube extending from the ventilation fan to near an entrance of the suction tube so as to put a mixed air into the suction tube, wherein the mixed air consists of external air and exhaustion hot air from the discharge tube.    
     
     
         28 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a wetting chamber installed separately from the washing drum for wetting the article to be washed in advance of cleaning.  
     
     
         29 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the driving source is a hydraulic motor which can be driven forward and reverse.  
     
     
         30 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the article are fixed on the laundry mount with fixing bands.  
     
     
         31 . A washing machine comprising: 
 a washing drum;    a cover openably installed on top end opening of the washing drum;    a laundry mount rotatably installed within the washing drum for mounting an article to be washed;    a driving source for rotating the laundry mount;    an upper brush installed within an upper portion of the washing drum for brushing the article in accordance with the rotation of the laundry mount;    a water supply unit for supplying a washing water into the washing drum;    a water drain unit for draining the washing water from the washing drum; a lower brush installed under the laundry mount for brushing bottoms of the article to be washed as the laundry mount is rotating; and    a side brush installed inside of the washing drum for brushing the sides of the article when the laundry mount is rotating.    
     
     
         32 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 3   1 , further comprising an auxiliary brushes inserted into the article to be washed for brushing the insides of the article while maintaining its external shape.  
     
     
         33 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 31 , further comprising: 
 a drying chamber provided separately from the washing drum for drying the article to be washed, and    a wetting chamber provided separately from the washing drum for wetting the article to be washed in advance of cleaning.