AU666745B2 - Device for preventing a snarl of laundry in a washing machine - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: GOLDSTAR CO., LTD.

Actual Inventor(s): KIM, Yong Sik HWANG, Seong Ki Address for service in Australia: CARTER SMITH BEADLE, Qantas House, 2 Railway Parade, Camberwell, Victoria, 3124, Australia.

Invention Title: "Device for Preventing a Snarl of Laundry in a Washing Machine" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -2- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a washing machine, more particularly to a device for preventing a snarl of laundry caused by the operation of a pulsator in a washing machine.

Figure 1 shows the construction of a conventional washing machine.

The washing machine has a pulsator 8 at the bottom of the drying tub 1.

After filling washing water in the drying tub 1, the pulsator 8 is operated through a motor 3, a motor pulley 4, a belt 5, a clutch pulley 6 and clutch 7.

The washing is carried out by the combined action of the pulsator 8 rotating below 200 rpm in general, the water pulsation produced by the pulsator 8 and the softening of detergent.

However, the water pulsation causes laundry to gather at the center, which makes the laundry snarl at the center of the pulsator 8 resulting in the reduction of the effect of washing the laundry.

One of the techniques for preventing the snarl of laundry is to modify the form of pulsator. This invention relates to one such technique.

oo °Shown in Figure 2 is a modified conventional pulsator.

A spherical cap 9 is provided at the center of the upper side of a pulsator 8. With this conventional pulsator, laundry gathering to the center is ii 20 dispersed by the spherical cap which causes the laund,-y to slip down therefrom and to be pushed out to the outer circumference 10 of the pulsator I t I 8 by the rotation of the pulsator 8.

tt~ CHowever, in the pulsator 8 described above, the effect of prevention of snarling has not been satisfactory with bulky laundry like curtains and bed covers and in lengthy laundry like shirts and trousers because these laundry items are hard to disperse from the spherical cap due to their bulk compared to their weight, resulting in snarling on the bottom 12 of the pulsator 8 and being pushed out to the circumference 10 thereby causing decrease of washing effect.

ISRSM Il3522.SPC 24 May 1995 -3- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore desirable to provide a device for preventing a snarl of laundry in a washing machine which is particularly applicable to laundry that is bulky compared with the weight.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a device for preventing a snarl of laundry in a washing machine having a pulsator, wherein the device comprises a cap substantially in the form of a hemisphere formed at or adapted to be mounted to the center of the pulsator, the cap having a plurality of sloped flat parts formed on the spherical part of the cap and which slope downwardly from the centre to the sides of the cap.

Preferably, the cap is arranged to be detachably mounted on the pulsator.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a pulsator for a washing machine including a device in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

15 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS e: o Figure 1 shows the construction of a conventional washing machine.

.Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section of a pulsator of a conventional washing machine.

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of a pulsator of a washing machine in accordance with this invention.

i, °'Figure 4 shows a plan view of the hemispherical cap of the pulsator of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ~Shown in Figure 3 is a pulsator of a washing machine in accordance with this invention.

A substantially hemispherical cap 9 is arranged on the upper part of the center of the pulsator 8. The hemispherical cap 9 is detachably fixed on the pulsator 8 by a screw 14. The cap 9 includes, as shown in Figure 4, a ISRSM #13~ZZSPC Z4 Mqy 199S S-4plurality of flat parts 11 formed on the spherical part between the center 9a and the circumference 9b. The flat parts of the cap preferably slope downwards from the center 9a to the sides 9b of the cap i.e. toward the circumference 10 of the pulsator 8.

The effect of above construction is described hereinafter.

SOn pulsation of the pulsator 8 below 200 rpm, the laundry gathers at the center. When this occurs, a small water current a caused by the flat parts 11 on the cap as shown in Figure 3 in dotted arrow makes the laundry gathered at the center slip down, not directly onto the bottom surface 12 of the pulsator 8, but slowly along sides of the cap 9.

Then, as shown in Figure 3 in solid arrow, the laundry is dispersed smoothly to the circumference by the large water current b caused by the rotation of the pulsator 8, whereby dispersing even laundry that is bulky compared with its weight, is dispersed, easily preventing the snarling of the laundry.

S As described above, according to this invention, even such laundry that itis bulky or lengthy compared with its weight can be dispersed smoothly from the center to the circumference, reducing the likelihood of snarling, thereby ,!improving the effect of washing and making it easy to remove the laundry after the washing has finished.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific A: embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description, f Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all of the alternatives and 25 variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The claims form part of the disclosure of this specification.

ISR.SM #13522.SPC 24 May 1995 !1

Claims (5)

1. A device for preventing a snarl of laundry in a washing machine having a pulsator, wherein the device comprises a cap substantially in the form of a hemisphere formed at or adapted to be mounted to the center of the pulsator, the cap having a plurality of sloped flat parts formed on the spherical part of said cap and which slope downwardly from the centre to the sides of the cap.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cap is arranged to be detachably mounted on the pulsator.

3. A device for preventing a snarl of laundry in a washing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

4. A pulsator incorporating a device in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A washing machine incorporating a pulsator in accordance with claim 4. *000 *r 00 DATED: 24 May 1995 CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: GOLDSTAR CO., LTD. ISRSM #13522.SPC 2A May 1995 r r L7 L CIL_ L ~U 1 f I I 41 I I t If IC; Cf I C iI '.44 I *4.1r 4$ i ABSTRACT A device for preventing a snarl of laundry caused by an operation of a pulsator in a washing machine consists of a cap substantially in the form of a hemisphere provided on or adapted to be mounted to the center of the pulsator and a plurality of sloped flat parts (11) formed on the spherical part of the cap Even laundry that is bulky or lengthy compared with its weight can be dispersed smoothly by the cap from the center to the circumference of the pulsator decreasing the likelihood of snarling, thereby improving the effect of washing and making it easy to remove the laundry after washing has finished. i 4 t 4 I. II I, JRGDMW\spc\#13522.spg 30 July 1993