Washing machine and drawer assembly thereof

Abstract

Provided are a washing machine and a drawer assembly thereof. The drawer assembly improves emotional quality by providing a structure capable of being automatically opened by a user through momentary application and negation of pressure. Because excessive force is not required to withdraw the detergent box, service life can be extended and product reliability can be improved.

1 . A drawer assembly of a washing machine, comprising:
 a detergent box holding detergent;   a dispenser on a main body of the washing machine to withdrawably and insertably receive the detergent box;   a withdrawing driver on a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser to provide withdrawing force to the detergent box;   a damping unit on a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser to generate resistance to limit a withdrawing speed of the detergent box; and   a transferring member on a side of the other of the detergent box and the dispenser, the transferring member transferring the withdrawing force and the resistance to the detergent box.   
     
     
         2 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the withdrawing driver comprises:
 a withdrawing gear engaged through gears with the transferring member; and   a tensile member connected to a shaft of the withdrawing gear and accumulating withdrawing force during an inserting of the detergent box, and   the damping unit comprises:   a damping gear engaged through gears with the transferring member; and   a damper connected to a shaft of the damping gear and generating resistance.   
     
     
         3 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the transferring member comprises a rack gear formed thereon to engage with the withdrawing gear and the damping gear. 
     
     
         4 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the tensile member comprises a clock spring, and the damper comprises a hydraulic damper employing hydraulic friction. 
     
     
         5 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the withdrawing driver and the damping unit are provided as a single unit on one bracket, and the withdrawing driver and the damping member are respectively provided on each side of the detergent box and the dispenser. 
     
     
         6 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a guide extending horizontally at a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser; and   a roller on a side of the other of the detergent box and the dispenser, the roller contacting at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the guide, and guiding a horizontal withdrawal of the detergent box.   
     
     
         7 . A drawer assembly of a washing machine, comprising:
 a dispenser defining a compartment;   a detergent box that is inserted and withdrawn from the dispenser;   a withdrawing driver on a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser, to provide a withdrawing force to the detergent box;   a damping unit connected to the withdrawing driver, to provide resistance to the withdrawing force; and   a transferring member extending along a length of the detergent box on a side of the other of the detergent box and the dispenser, and connected to the withdrawing driver.   
     
     
         8 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the damping unit comprises:
 a damping gear; and   a damper slowing a rotation of the damping gear, and   the withdrawing driver comprises:   a transferring gear engaged through gears with the damping gear to receive the resistance which is generated by the damper;   a withdrawing gear coupled to a shaft of the transferring gear; and   a tensile member coupled to the shaft of the transferring gear at a side opposite to the withdrawing gear, to accumulate the withdrawing force during an insertion of the detergent box.   
     
     
         9 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the damping unit and the withdrawing driver except the withdrawing gear are held within a single case, the withdrawing gear at an outside of the case is connected to the transferring member. 
     
     
         10 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the damper comprises a hydraulic damper employing hydraulic friction, or a spring member accumulating tensile force in a direction opposite to the withdrawing force of the tensile member. 
     
     
         11 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the spring member is on a shaft of the damping gear, the tensile member and the spring member have mutually different tension coefficients, and the tension member and the spring member are both clock springs that are wound in respectively opposite directions. 
     
     
         12 . A drawer assembly of a washing machine, comprising:
 a dispenser at a front surface of the washing machine;   a detergent box within the dispenser and capable of being withdrawn by a predetermined length;   a withdrawing driver allowing the detergent box to be automatically withdrawn from the dispenser;   a damping unit engaged through gears to the withdrawing driver, to generate resistance to gradually withdraw the detergent box; and   a transferring member on a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser, and connected to the withdrawing driver to transfer withdrawing force generated by the withdrawing driver to the detergent box, wherein   the withdrawing driver and the damping unit are on a side of the other of the detergent box and the dispenser.   
     
     
         13 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the withdrawing driver comprises:
 a withdrawing gear engaged through gears with the transferring member; and   a tensile member connected to a rotation shaft of the withdrawing gear to generate withdrawing force, and   the damping unit comprises:   a damping gear engaged through gears with the withdrawing gear; and   a damper generating resistance to slow a rotation of the damping gear according to a rotation of the withdrawing gear.   
     
     
         14 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the tensile member and the damper are each a clock spring and have respectively different tension coefficients. 
     
     
         15 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the tensile member and the damper are each a clock spring and are wound in respectively opposite directions. 
     
     
         16 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the withdrawing driver and the damper are provided integrally on one bracket. 
     
     
         17 . A drawer assembly of a washing machine, comprising:
 a dispenser;   a detergent box within the dispenser, and filled with detergent;   a withdrawing driver in a space between an outside of the detergent box and an inside of the dispenser, to induce an automatic withdrawal of the detergent box;   a damping unit commonly connected to a shaft of the withdrawing driver, to generate force opposing a withdrawing force generated by the withdrawing driver; and   a transferring member extending in a lengthwise direction of the detergent box at a side of the detergent box, and contacting the withdrawing driver.   
     
     
         18 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the withdrawing driver comprises:
 a withdrawing gear engaged through gears to the transferring member;   a rotation shaft with one end at which the withdrawing gear is connected and rotates; and   a tensile member connected to the rotation shaft, and accumulating withdrawing force to automatically withdraw the detergent box, and   the damping unit comprises a damper coupled to the other end of the rotation shaft, to generate resistance to the withdrawing force.   
     
     
         19 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 18 , further comprising a bracket through which the rotation axis is passed and coupled, to support the withdrawing driver and damping unit. 
     
     
         20 . The drawer assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the transferring member is a rack member engaged through gears to the withdrawing gear. 
     
     
         21 . A washing machine comprising:
 a main body;   a drum rotating within the main body;   a driving motor driving the drum;   a dispenser at a front surface of the main body;   a detergent box within the dispenser, and capable of being automatically withdrawn from the dispenser;   a withdrawing driver at a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser, to accumulate tensile force during an insertion of the detergent box, and supply the tensile force as withdrawing force for the automatic withdrawal of the detergent box;   a damping unit provided integrally with or separately to the withdrawing driver on a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser, and directly or indirectly connected to the withdrawing driver, to generate resistance to prevent the detergent box from being withdrawn abruptly; and   a transferring member at a side of the other of the detergent box and the dispenser, connected to both the withdrawing driver and the damping unit or to only the withdrawing driver, to horizontally withdraw the detergent box.   
     
     
         22 . The washing machine according to  claim 21 , further comprising a fixing member to selectively fix the detergent box to the dispenser. 
     
     
         23 . The washing machine according to  claim 22 , wherein the fixing member comprises a latch or a tact switch. 
     
     
         24 . The washing machine according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a guide roller assembly on a side of one of the detergent box and the dispenser, and including at least one or more pairs of rollers and a bracket supporting the rollers, each pair of rollers having one roller above that is separated a predetermined gap from another roller therebelow; and   a guide extending horizontally along a side of the other of the detergent box and the dispenser, and sliding in the predetermined gap separating the rollers.   
     
     
         25 . The washing machine according to  claim 21 , wherein
 the withdrawing driver comprises a tensile member including a clock spring having a predetermined tension coefficient,   the damping unit comprises a tensile member including a hydraulic damper employing fluid resistance, or a clock spring having a different tension coefficient than the clock spring of the withdrawing driver, and   the tensile member of the withdrawing driver is biased in a direction opposite to a biased direction of the tensile member of the damping unit.