IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,454,784
Granted Patent B2
US 12,454,784 · App. 18/332,604 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Washing machine

Inventors: Kyunam Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Heejin Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Youngjin Um (Suwon-si, KR); Jungwoo Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
D06F37/14B01F27/112B01F27/114B01F27/1921B01F27/808B01F27/90B01F27/9214D06F23/04B01F2101/4505
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,454,784
App. No.
18/332,604
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine with an improved stirring device. The washing machine includes a tub, a rotating tub rotatably provided in the tub, a stirring device including a first stirring portion rotatably provided below the rotating tub, and a second stirring portion coupled to the first stirring portion. The second stirring portion includes a cylindrical wash rod body and a groove that is recessed from an outer surface of the wash rod body and extends in a longitudinal direction to accommodate a parting line formed by a manufacturing process.

Claims (55)

1 . A washing machine comprising:

a tub;

a rotating tub rotatably provided in the tub; and

a stirring device including a first stirring portion rotatably provided in a lower portion of the rotating tub and a second stirring portion coupled to the first stirring portion;

the second stirring portion includes:

a washing rod body having a cylindrical shape;

a groove recessed from an outer surface of the washing rod body and extending in a longitudinal direction; and

a parting line formed by a manufacturing process of the second stirring portion, the parting line positioned within the groove.

2 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed to be recessed from the outer surface of the washing rod body.

3 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed to be concave 0.3 mm inward from the outer surface of the washing rod body.

4 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a width of the groove is formed to be 1.0 mm or less.

5 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:

the stirring device includes a coupling portion configured to detachably connect the first stirring portion and the second stirring portion,

wherein the coupling portion includes:

a first coupling portion provided in the first stirring portion, and

a second coupling portion provided in the second stirring portion to correspond to the first coupling portion.

6 . The washing machine of claim 5 , wherein the stirring device includes a sealing member configured to absorb an impact between the first stirring portion and the second stirring portion.

7 . The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the sealing member is mounted on the second stirring portion.

8 . The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the first coupling portion includes:

a coupling groove formed to be recessed on an upper surface of the first stirring portion, and

a plurality of rotation preventing grooves formed to be recessed downward from the coupling groove.

9 . The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the second coupling portion includes:

a coupling protrusion formed at a lower part of the second stirring portion to correspond to the coupling groove, and

a plurality of rotation preventing protrusions protruding downward from the coupling protrusion and corresponding to the plurality of rotation preventing grooves.

10 . The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the rotation preventing protrusion further includes a guide formed to be inclined to guide coupling to the coupling groove.

11 . The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein:

the coupling portion further includes a reinforcing rib configured to reinforce strength between the first stirring portion and the second stirring portion, and

the reinforcing rib is formed on at least one of the first coupling portion or the second coupling portion.

12 . The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein:

the coupling portion further includes a support portion configured to support the coupling of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion, and the support portion includes:

a first support portion formed around an upper end of the coupling groove, and

a second support portion extending on an outer circumferential surface of the coupling portion to correspond to the first support portion.

13 . The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the sealing member is provided between the first support portion and the second support portion.

14 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:

the second stirring portion further includes:

a cap detachably mounted to the washing rod body,

the cap extends to be detachably mounted to the washing rod body and further includes a hook capable of being elastically supported, and

a hook hole is formed on the washing rod body to lock and unlock the hook.

15 . A washing machine comprises:

a rotating tub configured to accommodate laundry,

a pulsator rotatably provided under the rotating tub, and

an agitator perpendicularly coupled to the pulsator and configured to rub the laundry and water, wherein the agitator includes:

a cylindrical shaped agitator body and a spiral shape agitator blade extending from an outer circumferential surface of the agitator body,

a groove formed to be recessed on an outer circumferential surface of the agitator body and extending in a longitudinal direction, and

a parting line formed during a manufacturing process of the agitator, the parting line positioned in the groove.

16 . The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the groove is formed to be concave 0.3 mm inward from the outer surface of the agitator body, and has a width of 1.0 mm or less.

17 . The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein:

the pulsator includes a first coupling portion, and

the agitator includes a second coupling portion configured to detachably connect to the first coupling portion.

18 . The washing machine of claim 17 , further comprising:

a sealing member configured to absorb impact between the pulsator and the agitator.

19 . The washing machine of claim 18 , wherein:

the first coupling portion includes a first support portion formed around an upper end of the first coupling portion, and

the second coupling portion includes a second support portion extending from an outer circumferential surface of the second coupling portion to correspond to the first support portion.

20 . The washing machine of claim 19 , wherein the sealing member is provided between the first support portion and the second support portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2023
From: LEE, KYUNAM; KANG, HEEJIN; UM, YOUNGJIN; LEE, JUNGWOO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 063914/0138 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2021-0019038 · Feb 10, 2021 · national
KR 10-2021-0068908 · May 28, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2022001460 · Jan 27, 2022
Related Publication 20230313434A1 · Oct 5, 2023
References Cited (22)
US 5611221A · Tremel · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 6742934B2 · Matsuyama et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6886372B2 · Kropf · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 7069752B2 · Clark et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7757522B2 · Pinkowski et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8833111B2 · Dominguez et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 10787761B2 · Czarnecki et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11365505B2 · Liu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20050284196A1 · Kopyrin et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20050284197A1 · Pinkowski · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20160362826A1 · Obregon et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20190062978A1 · Czarnecki · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200370229A1 · Bensel et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 110857500A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 3608611B2 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 4017607B2 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
KR 100173142B1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020000009797A · 2000 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020050050269A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
KR 101428485B1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
KR 20000009797 A machine translation, Pulsator for Washing Machine, Jung (Year: 2000). [cited by examiner]
International Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority dated May 6, 2022, in connection with International Application No. PCT/KR2022/001460, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]