Washing Machine

Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine having an enhanced exterior. The present invention includes a housing, a tub in the housing, a drum rotatably installed in the tub to hold a laundry, and a driving means for rotating the drum. And, the drum includes a plurality of lifters on an inner circumference of a sidewall of the drum, a multitude of perforated holes at the sidewall between the lifters, and a joint portion extending on the sidewall in a length direction to be indistinguishable from the lifters and the perforated holes.

1 . A washing machine comprising: 
 a housing;    a tub in the housing;    a drum rotatably installed in the tub to hold a laundry, the drum comprising: 
 a plurality of lifters on an inner circumference of a sidewall of the drum;  
 a multitude of perforated holes at the sidewall between the lifters; and  
 a joint portion extending on the sidewall in a length direction to be indistinguishable from the lifters and the perforated holes; and  
   a driving means for rotating the drum.    
   
   
       2 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , the joint portion comprising: 
 a first curled end; and    a second curled end engaging the first curled end to be joined.    
   
   
       3 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion includes a joint line formed on the sidewall in the length direction.  
   
   
       4 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the joint line comprises a plurality of unit joint lines formed intermittently.  
   
   
       5 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the unit joint lines are welding lines.  
   
   
       6 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each of the unit joint lines is a coupling member.  
   
   
       7 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion is separated from an adjacent one of the perforated holes in a circumferential direction to leave a same distance between the perforated holes in the circumferential direction.  
   
   
       8 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion lies parallel with one adjacent column of the adjacent perforated holes to leave a same distance between columns of the perforated holes.  
   
   
       9 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a distance between the unit joint lines is equal to a distance between the perforated holes belonging to an adjacent perforated holes column.  
   
   
       10 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion lies closer to the corresponding lifter than the perforated holes.  
   
   
       11 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion lies between the corresponding lifter and a perforated holes column closest to the lifter.  
   
   
       12 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion lies between the lifters to form a group of columns including perforated holes columns and wherein the joint portion is a first column closest to one of the lifters among the group of the columns.  
   
   
       13 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion lies symmetrical to a first column of the perforated holes confronting the joint portion centering around the corresponding lifter.  
   
   
       14 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , distance between the joint portion and the corresponding lifter is equal to a distance between the corresponding lifter and a first column of the perforated holes confronting the joint portion centering around the corresponding lifter.  
   
   
       15 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the corresponding lifter lies on a centerline between the joint portion and a first column of the perforated holes confronting the joint portion centering around the corresponding lifter.