Washing machine

Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine, including a lifter for protecting weight imbalance of a drum. The washing machine includes a housing, a tub provided in the housing for preliminarily storing wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub for washing laundry, at least one lifter provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum for lifting the laundry to drop the laundry from a predetermined height during rotation of the drum so as to prevent the laundry from gathering to an inlet of the drum.

1 . A washing machine, comprising: 
 a housing;    a tub provided in the housing for storing preliminary wash water;    a drum rotatably provided in the tub for washing laundry; and    at least one lifter projected from an inner circumferential surface of the drum to a predetermined height for lifting the laundry to drop at a predetermined height during rotation of the drum so as to prevent the laundry from gathering at an inlet of the drum.    
   
   
       2 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lifter has an uneven height.  
   
   
       3 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the lifter is higher than other parts thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lifter makes the laundry stop at a predetermined location.  
   
   
       5 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the laundry is stopped at a bottom portion of the drum by the lifter.  
   
   
       6 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the lifter holds the laundry for a longer time compared to other parts.  
   
   
       7 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lifter comprises a first end having a higher height than other parts.  
   
   
       8 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first end is adjacent to the bottom portion of the drum.  
   
   
       9 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the height of the lifter is gradually increased from an opposite end to the first end.  
   
   
       10 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lifter in linearly increased to the first end.  
   
   
       11 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the height of the lifter is nonlinearly increased to the first end.  
   
   
       12 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper end comprises a concave surface.  
   
   
       13 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lifter prevents the laundry from being moved.  
   
   
       14 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the laundry is restrained from being moved to the inlet of the drum by the lifter.  
   
   
       15 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lifter comprises a first end and a second end having higher height than other part thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the heights of the first and second ends are the same.  
   
   
       17 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the height of the lifter is gradually increased from a central portion thereof toward the first end and second end, respectively.  
   
   
       18 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the height of the lifter is linearly increased to the first and second ends.  
   
   
       19 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the height of the lifter is nonlinearly increased to the first and second ends.  
   
   
       20 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the drum further comprises a cavity partially formed on the bottom portion thereof.  
   
   
       21 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the cavity is formed on the whole bottom portion of the drum.  
   
   
       22 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the cavity comprises a spherical surface.