Washing machine

Abstract

A full-automatic washing machine with a simple shaft system including a single rotating shaft to generate a composite current of wash water while having a pulsator and a drum integrally rotated during a washing cycle and a spin-dry cycle, thereby improving the washing power is provided. The washing machine includes a tub configured to store wash water, a drum disposed inside the tub, a driving apparatus to rotate the drum, and a circulating duct to guide wash water at a lower portion of the drum toward an upper portion of the drum. The drum includes a cylindrical body portion having an open upper and a lower surface, a bowl portion coupled to the lower surface of the body portion and having a center opened, and a bottom portion configured coupled to the center of the bowl portion to cover the center of the bowl portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine comprising:
 a tub configured to store wash water;   a drum disposed at an inside the tub to accommodate a laundry;   a driving apparatus configured to rotate the drum; and   a circulating duct configured to guide wash water at a lower portion of the drum toward an upper portion of the drum,   wherein the drum comprises:
 a body portion provided in a cylindrical shape having an upper surface and a lower surface that are open; 
 a bowl portion fixedly coupled to the lower surface of the body portion, and having a center opened; and 
 a bottom portion configured fixedly coupled to the center of the bowl portion to cover the center of the bowl portion, 
 the body portion, the bowl portion and the bottom portion simultaneously rotate during a washing cycle and a spin-dry cycle, 
 the bottom portion and the body portion are provided with a first water current generating unit and a second water current generating unit, respectively, to generate a current of wash water rising at an inside the drum, and 
 the bowl portion is provided with a third water current generating unit to generate a current of wash water circulating toward an upper portion of the drum through the circulating duct. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the driving apparatus comprises a driving motor to generate a rotary power, and a shaft flange to transmit the rotary power of the driving motor,
 wherein a shaft portion of the shaft flange is coupled to the driving motor,   wherein a flange portion of the shaft flange is coupled to the bowl portion,   wherein the body portion and the bottom portion are fixedly coupled to the bowl portion such that the body portion and the bottom portion are rotated together with the bowl portion as the bowl portion is rotated.   
     
     
         3 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the circulating duct comprises an inlet, an outlet, and a duct body portion connecting the inlet to the outlet,
 the inlet is provided at the bowl portion,   the outlet is provided at an upper side of the body portion,   the duct body portion is provided at an outer circumferential surface of the body portion, and   the wash water of the drum is discharged to an outside the drum through the inlet, and after rising, falls from an upper side of the drum.   
     
     
         4 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first water current generating unit comprises at least one first rotating blade that protrudes upward and integrally formed with the bottom portion. 
     
     
         5 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the second water current generating unit comprises at least one second rotating blade coupled at an inner circumferential surface of the body portion, and
 the second rotating blade is inclinedly coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the body portion.   
     
     
         6 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one second rotating blade is disposed at an equal interval in a circumferential direction of the drum. 
     
     
         7 . The washing machine of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one second rotating blade is screwed to the inner circumferential surface of the body portion. 
     
     
         8 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the third water current generating unit comprises at least one opening that is provided along a circumferential direction of the bowl portion, and at least one shovel provided at the at least one opening to lift wash water of an outside the drum toward an inside the drum. 
     
     
         9 . The washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the shovel comprises an inclination portion having one edge making contact with a body of the bowl portion while having the remaining edges being spaced apart from the body of the bowl portion, and a support portion configured to support the inclination portion by connecting left and right side edges of the one edge to the body of the bowl portion. 
     
     
         10 . The washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the shovel is fixedly coupled to the body of the bowl portion through welding. 
     
     
         11 . The washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the wash water lifted to the inside the drum through the shovel is moved through the circulating duct. 
     
     
         12 . A washing machine comprising:
 a tub configured to store wash water;   a drum disposed at an inside the tub to accommodate a laundry; and   a driving apparatus configured to rotate the drum, at least one first rotating blade is provided on a bottom surface of the drum to generate a current of wash water,   at least one second rotating blade is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum to generate a current of wash water.   
     
     
         13 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the second rotating blade is configured to guide a current of wash water generated by the first rotating blade upward. 
     
     
         14 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the washing machine further comprises a circulating duct provided at an outer circumferential surface of the drum to guide wash water at a lower portion of the drum toward an upper portion of the drum and to generate a current of wash water. 
     
     
         15 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one second rotating blade is slantedly provided within the height of a cylindrical body of the drum. 
     
     
         16 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the washing machine has a plurality of the second rotating blades, and at least some of the second rotating blades have different inclination angles. 
     
     
         17 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the washing machine has a plurality of the second rotating blades, and the plurality of the second rotating blades are provided in an alternative way with same inclination angles and different orientations. 
     
     
         18 . The washing machine of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one first rotating blade is fixed to the drum so that the at least of the first rotating blade is rotatable together with the rotation of the drum. 
     
     
         19 . A washing machine comprising:
 a tub configured to store wash water;   a drum disposed at an inside the tub to accommodate wash water;   a driving apparatus configured to rotate the drum,   wherein at least one opening is formed at a lower portion of the drum, and   at least one shovel that is provided with an inclination portion configured to lift wash water of an outside the drum toward an inside the drum is provided on the at least one opening.   
     
     
         20 . The washing machine of  claim 19 , wherein the washing machine further comprises a circulating duct configured to guide wash water at a lower portion of the drum to an upper portion of the drum, and the circulating duct comprises an inlet provided at a lower portion of the drum, an outlet provided at an upper portion of the drum, and a duct body portion connecting the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         21 . The washing machine of  claim 20 , wherein the duct body portion is provided at an outside the drum. 
     
     
         22 . The washing machine of  claim 20 , wherein the inlet is disposed at a side biased in a circumferential direction of the shovel. 
     
     
         23 . The washing machine of  claim 20 , wherein the circulating duct comprises a plurality of flow passages to guide water at the lower portion of the drum to the upper portion of the drum, and a middle wall to partition the plurality of flow passages from one another. 
     
     
         24 . The washing machine of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of flow passages have a plurality of inlets disposed near a plurality of the shovels, and the inlets are oriented toward the shovels nearby respectively. 
     
     
         25 . The washing machine of  claim 19 , wherein the washing machine has a plurality of the shovels which are disposed in an alternative way along the periphery of the lower portion of the drum.