Washing machine

Abstract

A washing machine includes a cabinet, a rotary tub disposed to rotate around a driving shaft, which is vertically provided inside the inner part of the cabinet, and comprising a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall slantingly extending from the bottom to have a diameter increasing toward an upper side of the rotary tub from the bottom, a driving apparatus disposed at a lower side of the rotary tub to rotate the rotary tub, a bracket plate connected to the rotary tub by the driving shaft at the lower side of the rotary tub and having the driving apparatus provided at a lower side thereof, a base disposed at a lower side of the bracket plate, and a suspension member having a lower side supported by the base and an upper side connected to the bracket plate at a lateral side of a center of gravity of the rotary tub.

1 . A washing machine comprising:
 a cabinet comprising an outer part forming an external appearance of the washing machine, and an inner part which is provided in a cylindrical shape and connected to an inner surface of the outer part;   a rotary tub disposed to rotate around a driving shaft, which is vertically provided inside the inner part of the cabinet, and comprising a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall slantingly extending from the bottom to have a diameter increasing toward an upper side of the rotary tub from the bottom;   a driving apparatus disposed at a lower side of the rotary tub to rotate the rotary tub;   a bracket plate connected to the rotary tub through the driving shaft at the lower side of the rotary tub and having the driving apparatus provided at a lower side thereof;   a base disposed at a lower side of the bracket plate; and   a suspension member having a lower side supported by the base and an upper side connected to the bracket plate at a lateral side of a center of gravity of the rotary tub so that vibration generated from the rotary tub is absorbed.   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outer part is integrally formed with the inner part, and the inner part makes contact with at least one inner surfaces of the outer part. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall is provided at an upper side thereof with at least one through-hole to discharge washing water to an outside when the rotary tub rotates. 
     
     
         4 . The washing machine of  claim 3 , wherein the inner part comprises a drain groove which is formed at a circumference of a lower end of the inner part while being bent toward an inside the inner part to store a washing water falling through the through-hole, and at least one drain hole which is formed at one side of the drain groove to guide the washing water accommodated in the drain groove to outside of the drain groove. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the rotary tub comprises a guide rib which extends from a lower side of the sidewall by a predetermined length such that the washing water discharged through the through-hole is guided to be fallen to the drain groove. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein the drain groove comprises a first bending portion which is bent from the lower end of the inner part toward a center of the inner part, and a second bending portion which is bent from an end of the first bending portion in a direction perpendicular to a ground, and
 the guide rib is disposed between the second bending portion and an inner circumferential surface of the inner part.   
     
     
         7 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the driving apparatus comprises a clutch configured to rotate the rotary tub and a pulsator rotatably disposed inside the rotary tub, and a driving motor configured to drive the clutch. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine of  claim 7 , wherein the clutch comprises a housing and the driving shaft which is rotatably supported by a bearing coupled to an inner side of the housing, and
 wherein the lower side of the rotary tub is coupled to a flange member that is configured to connect the driving shaft to the rotary tub such that a rotary force of the driving shaft is transmitted to the rotary tub.   
     
     
         9 . The washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the flange member is provided at a center thereof with a first through-hole which allows the flange member to be coupled to the driving shaft, and is provided with at least one second through-hole formed around the first through-hole to guide the washing water stored inside the rotary tub to an outside. 
     
     
         10 . The washing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the inner part comprises a bottom surface which extends from an end portion of the drain groove to a center of the inner part, and
 wherein the rotary tub is disposed on a upper side of the bottom surface, and a base plate configured to fix the driving apparatus is disposed at a lower side of the bottom surface.   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom surface has a center portion higher than a periphery portion whereby a washing water that falls from the sidewall or the bottom of the rotary tub flows toward the drain groove by gravity. 
     
     
         12 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket plate includes a base portion, an extension portion extending upward from the base portion to a vertical position of a center of the gravity of the rotary tub, and a connection portion formed at an upper side of the extension portion to be connected to the suspension member. 
     
     
         13 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the driving apparatus is provided at a lower side of the base portion of the bracket plate, and the extension portion extends upward from the base portion to a vertical position in a range between about ˜100 mm and +100 mm from the center of the gravity of the rotary tub such that the connection portion formed on the upper side of the extension portion is connected to the suspension member at the lateral side of the center of the gravity of the rotary tub. 
     
     
         14 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the extension portion comprises a first extension portion which extends from the base portion toward the cabinet in parallel to the base portion, and a second extension portion which extends from the first extension portion upward while being inclined toward the cabinet. 
     
     
         15 . The washing machine of  claim 14 , wherein the connection portion formed on the upper side of the second extension portion extends upward from the second extension portion while being inclined toward the cabinet. 
     
     
         16 . The washing machine of  claim 15 , wherein the suspension member is inclined with respect to the base toward the rotary tub such that the suspension member is perpendicularly connected to the connection portion. 
     
     
         17 . A lower side supporting apparatus for a washing machine comprising a cabinet and a rotary tub disposed to rotate around a driving shaft vertically provided inside the cabinet, the lower side supporting apparatus configured to support the rotary tub at a lower side of the rotary tub and comprising:
 a bracket plate comprising a base portion which is connected to the rotary tub by the driving shaft at the lower side of the rotary tub, an extension portion which extends upward from the base portion to a vertical position of a center of the gravity of the rotary tub, and a connection portion formed at an upper side of the extension portion;   a base provided at a lower side of the bracket plate; and   a suspension member comprising one side supported by the base and an opposite side connected to the connection portion of the bracket plate at a lateral side of a center of gravity of the rotary tub, thereby absorbing vibration generated from the rotary tub   
     
     
         18 . The lower side supporting apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the driving apparatus is provided at a lower side of the base portion of the bracket plate, and the extension portion extends upward from the base portion to a vertical position in a range between about −100 mm and +100 mm from the center of the gravity of the rotary tub. 
     
     
         19 . The lower side supporting apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the extension portion comprises a first extension portion which extends from the base portion toward the cabinet in parallel to the base portion, and a second extension portion which extends upward from the first extension portion while being inclined toward the cabinet. 
     
     
         20 . The lower side support apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the connection portion formed on the upper side of the second extension portion extends upward from the second extension portion while being inclined toward the cabinet. 
     
     
         21 . The lower side support apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the suspension member is inclined with respect to the base toward the rotary tub such that the suspension member is perpendicularly connected to the connection portion.