Drum type washing machine and drum therefor

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a drum type washing machine. The drum type washing machine comprises front and rear balancers mounted at the front and rear sides of a drum, respectively. Consequently, an eccentric force generated by laundry is complementarily eliminated by the front and rear balancers even when the laundry is eccentrically placed at one side of the drum.

1 . A drum for drum type washing machines, comprising: 
 a hollow drum body; and    front and rear balancers mounted in the front and the rear of the drum body, respectively.    
   
   
       2 . The drum as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a drum front mounted in the front of the drum body, the drum front having an opening; and    a drum back mounted in the rear of the drum body, and wherein    the front balancer is attached to the drum front, and the rear balancer is attached to the drum back.    
   
   
       3 . The drum as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the front and rear balancers is a liquid balancer.  
   
   
       4 . The drum as set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a hub mounted at the rear surface of the drum back, wherein    the rear balancer is attached to the hub.    
   
   
       5 . The drum as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein 
 the rear balancer is formed in the shape of a ring, the rear balancer being attached to the rear surface of the drum back, and    the drum further comprises: a hub mounted at the center part of the ring-shaped rear balancer.    
   
   
       6 . The drum as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein 
 the drum body is formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder, and    the front and rear balancers are formed in the shape of a ring, the ring-shaped front and rear balancers being mounted in the front and the rear of the drum body, respectively.    
   
   
       7 . The drum as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front and rear balancers is a liquid balancer.  
   
   
       8 . The drum as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the liquid balancer comprises: 
 a housing having a space defined therein; and    fluid contained in the housing,    the housing further having partitions disposed therein, each partition having one end spaced a predetermined distance from the inner wall of the housing.    
   
   
       9 . A drum type washing machine comprising: 
 a rotatable hollow drum; and    front and rear balancers mounted in the front and the rear of the drum, respectively, for providing a centrifugal force to the drum to complementarily balance an eccentric force generated at the drum.    
   
   
       10 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the drum comprises: 
 a drum body;    a drum front mounted in the front of the drum body, the drum front having an opening; and    a drum back mounted in the rear of the drum body, and wherein    the front balancer is attached to the drum front, and the rear balancer is attached to the drum back.    
   
   
       11 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the front and rear balancers is a liquid balancer.  
   
   
       12 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the drum further comprises: 
 a hub mounted at the rear surface of the drum back, wherein    the rear balancer is attached to the hub.    
   
   
       13 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein 
 the rear balancer is formed in the shape of a ring, the rear balancer being attached to the rear surface of the drum back, and    the drum further comprises: a hub mounted at the center part of the ring-shaped rear balancer.    
   
   
       14 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein 
 the drum body is formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder, and    the front and rear balancers are formed in the shape of a ring, the ring-shaped front and rear balancers being mounted in the front and the rear of the drum body, respectively.    
   
   
       15 . A drum type washing machine comprising: 
 a cabinet assembly forming the outer appearance of the drum type washing machine;    a tub mounted in the cabinet assembly in a supported fashion; and    a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, wherein the drum comprises: 
 a hollow drum body;  
 a drum front mounted in the front of the drum body, the drum front having an opening; and  
 a drum back mounted in the rear of the drum body; and  
 front and rear balancers mounted in the front and the rear of the drum body, respectively, for complementarily eliminating an eccentric force generated at the drum body when the drum body is rotated.  
   
   
   
       16 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the front balancer is attached to the drum front, and the rear balancer is attached to the drum back.  
   
   
       17 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the front and rear balancers is a liquid balancer.  
   
   
       18 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a motor mounted in the cabinet assembly for rotating the drum, the motor being connected to a hub mounted at the rear surface of the drum back for rotating the drum, wherein    the rear balancer is attached to the hub.    
   
   
       19 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a motor mounted in the cabinet assembly for rotating the drum, the motor being connected to a hub mounted at the rear surface of the drum back for rotating the drum, wherein    the rear balancer is mounted at the edge of the hub, and is directly fixed to the drum back.    
   
   
       20 . The washing machine as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the front and rear balancers is a liquid balancer.