Washing machine having drain casing

Abstract

A washing machine filter having improved structures of a drain filter and a drain casing so that foreign substances are effectively eliminated from wash water, thereby making itless necessary to frequently clean the drain filter. The drain filter includes a filter member having filter holes and filter protrusions, and a hand lever rotatably connected to the front end of the filter member. The filter protrusions, having a length larger than the depth of the filter holes, are perpendicularly protruded upward from the surface of the filter member, and each of the filter holes has a hexagonal shape. The drain filter can be detachable from the drain casing through a filter entrance formed in the front surface of the drain casing. A guide plate can be positioned at the rear end of the filter member, and a guide protrusion corresponding to the guide plate can be formed at the filter entrance, thereby permitting alignment of the drain filter within the drain casing.

1 . A washing machine comprising: 
 a tub to contain wash water;    a drain casing to discharge the wash water; and    a drain filter, positioned in the drain casing, comprising a filter member having a plurality of filter holes and a plurality of filter protrusions.    
   
   
       2 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the filter protrusions perpendicularly protrude upward from a surface of the filter member, with the filter protrusions having a length larger than a depth of the filter holes.  
   
   
       3 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein each of the filter holes has a hexagonal shape.  
   
   
       4 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a drain pump, installed in the drain casing, to forcibly discharge the wash water.  
   
   
       5 . The washing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the drain pump comprises an impeller, with a driving motor for the impeller, positioned outside the drain casing, being connected to the impeller.  
   
   
       6 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 a front surface of the drain casing forms a filter entrance through which the drain filter can be inserted into or removed from the drain casing, with the casing comprising an inlet pipe introducing the wash water into the drain casing and an outlet pipe permitting the wash water to be discharged from the drain casing, respectively positioned along alternate sides of the drain casing; and    the impeller is installed close to the outlet pipe.    
   
   
       7 . The washing machine of  claim 6 , wherein the filter member is inclined relative to the inlet pipe.  
   
   
       8 . The washing machine of  claim 7 , wherein a guide plate, having an upper end inclined relative to the filter member at a designated angle, is positioned at the rear end of the filter member, a guide protrusion corresponding to the inclined upper end of the guide plate is formed at the filter entrance of the drain casing, and when the upper end of the guide plate of the drain filter aligns with the guide protrusion of the drain casing the drain filter can be inserted into the drain casing.  
   
   
       9 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a housing containing the tub and the drain casing; and    a support member for fixing the drain casing, which includes the drain filter, to a lower panel of the housing.    
   
   
       10 . The washing machine of  claim 9 , wherein a connection protrusion protrudes downward from a lower portion of the drain casing, and a groove for fixedly receiving the connection protrusion is formed in an upper surface of the support member.  
   
   
       11 . The washing machine of  claim 9 , wherein a screw hole for screwing the support member to the lower panel of the housing is formed in a lower surface of the support member.  
   
   
       12 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the washing machine is encapsulated in a housing and the drain filter can be removed from the drain casing without removal of the housing, with the drain casing protruding from the surface of the housing.  
   
   
       13 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the filter member is connected to an end of the drain filter, with the end of the drain filter being rotatable relative to the filter member, such that the filter member stays aligned in a particular orientation, and with the end of the drain filter being capable of sealing the drain filter into the drain casing.  
   
   
       14 . A drain casing, comprising: 
 a main body having a designated volume;    an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe respectively positioned along opposing sides of the main body;    a filter entrance along a front surface of the main body;    a drain filter, detachable from the main body through the filter entrance, with the drain filter including a plurality of filter holes and a plurality of filter protrusions; and    a drain pump installed adjacent the main body to forcibly discharge wash water from within the main body through the outlet pipe.    
   
   
       15 . The drain casing of  claim 14 , wherein the filter protrusions protrude perpendicularly upward from a surface of a filter member of the drain filter, with the filter protrusions having a length larger than a depth of the filter holes.  
   
   
       16 . The drain casing of  claim 14 , wherein a filter member, of the drain filter, including the plurality of filter holes and protrusions, is inclined relative to the inlet pipe.  
   
   
       17 . A method of washing with a washing machine comprising a tub to contain wash water, a drain casing to discharge the wash water, and a drain filter, positioned in the drain casing, comprising: 
 using the wash water to wash a material in the tub;    draining the wash water from the material in the tub; and    filtering the drained wash water through a two stage filtering process, with a first stage comprising filtering the wash water past a plurality of protrusions and a second stage comprising filtering the wash water through a plurality of holes, with the height of the protrusions being greater than the depth of the holes.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the two stage filtering process is encapsulated in the drain filter and the drain filter is removable from the drain casing without removal of a housing of the washing machine.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the two stage filtering process is encapsulated in the drain filter, the plurality of holes of the drain filter are oriented on a planar filter member, with the plurality of protrusions protruding from the filter member, and with the filter member being oriented at an angle relative to an inflow of wash water from the tub.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the drain filter is removable from the drain casing, and can only be inserted into the drain casing along a particular orientation such that the drain filter will have a particular orientation within the drain casing.