Laundry Treating Apparatus

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/666,182, filed on Feb. 7, 2022, which claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2021-0017344, filed on Feb. 8, 2021, and 10-2021-0024266, filed on Feb. 23, 2021, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a reinforcing rib configured to reinforce the rear surface of a drum.

A laundry treatment apparatus refers to an apparatus designed to wash and dry laundry and/or to remove wrinkles from laundry in a home or a laundromat. For example, a laundry treatment apparatus may include a washing machine configured to wash laundry, a dryer configured to dry laundry, a combined washing and dryer configured to perform both washing and drying, a laundry management machine configured to refresh laundry, and a steamer configured to remove wrinkles from laundry.

Dryers may be classified into an exhaustion-type dryer and a circulation-type dryer, which are both configured to perform a drying procedure including generating hot air using a heater and exposing laundry to the hot air to remove moisture from the laundry. For instance, the dryers may be configured to evaporate the moisture contained in an object to be treated, such as clothes, bedclothes and the like, received in a drum (or a tub) by supplying hot air to the object to be treated. Here, the dryers may be classified into a condensation type and an exhaustion type according to the method by which hot and humid air including moisture is treated.

In some cases, a dryer may be configured to perform a drying procedure and omit a structure for supplying water to laundry or discharging water. In some cases, a dryer may also omit a tub that receives water therein. The simplified internal structure of the dryer may improve drying efficiency by directly supplying hot air to a drum receiving laundry therein.

In some cases, a dryer may transmit rotational force to a drum to rotate the drum receiving laundry therein using a belt surrounding the drum. In some cases, the belt may not be capable of precisely controlling the rotational speed of the drum or changing the direction of rotation of the drum. In some cases, the dryer may reduce the drying time and improve drying efficiency by changing the rotational speed and the direction of rotation of the drum provided in the dryer.

In some examples, a dryer may have a structure in which hot air is introduced through a rear support defining the rear surface of a drum. In this structure, when the outer circumferential surface of the drum is rotated by means of a belt, hot air may be supplied through a portion of the rear supporter, that is, a crescent-shaped opening. In some cases, the hot air supplied through the portion of the rear support may not be rotated together with the drum during rotation of the drum. As a result, the period of time for which the hot air is in contact with laundry may be limited.

In some cases, a direct-coupling-type (or a direct-driving-type) dryer may include a motor directly connected to the rear side of a drum to order to change the rotational speed and rotational direction of the dryer drum. In some cases, components, which would conventionally be positioned below a drum to transmit power to the drum, may be omitted, thereby making it possible to enlarge a flow channel through which the hot air currents.

In some cases, when the intensity of airflow is increased due to the enlargement of the flow channel (for example, when the capacity of a fan is increased), laundry positioned in the drum may be pushed forwards. In this case, the laundry in the drum may not be normally mixed, thereby deteriorating drying efficiency. Particularly, in the case in which the lifter extends in forward and rearward directions, the laundry positioned in the drum may be agitated in the rotational direction of the drum, thereby deteriorating drying efficiency.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus that can enable hot air to be supplied while being rotated during rotation of a drum.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus that can increase the rigidity of a rear cover to thus suppress twisting of the rear cover.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus that can help to prevent laundry from being adhered to the rear surface of a drum and thus from being damaged when hot air is supplied.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus capable of efficiently agitating laundry during rotation of a drum.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus that can agitate the laundry positioned in a drum in forward and rearward directions and in the rotational direction of the drum.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus that can agitate the heated air in a drum by virtue of rotation of the drum.

The present disclosure describes a laundry treatment apparatus that can help to prevent laundry, which is agitated in a drum, from becoming stuck inside the drum.

According to one aspect of the subject matter described in this application, a laundry treatment apparatus includes a drum that is configured to receive laundry and includes a drum body that has a cylindrical shape and a rear cover that defines a rear surface of the drum, and a drive unit including a drum shaft configured to rotate the drum. The rear cover includes a rear cover central portion that protrudes toward an inside of the drum and defines a rear cover through-hole passing through the rear cover in an axial direction of the drum shaft, a rear cover peripheral portion that defines an outer circumference of the rear cover, a plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs that connect the rear cover central portion to the rear cover peripheral portion in a radial direction of the drum shaft, and a rear cover recess disposed between the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs, where the rear cover recess is recessed away from the drum relative to the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs in the axial direction, and the rear cover defines a plurality of air introduction holes at the rear cover recess.

Implementations according to this aspect can include one or more of the following features. For example, the rear cover peripheral portion can include a rear cover rim that has a ring shape and is connected to the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs, and a rear cover side surface that extends radially outward from the rear cover rim, where the rear cover side surface is bent from the rear cover rim and coupled to the drum body. In some examples, a distance from the rear cover recess to the rear cover rim in the axial direction can be equal to a distance from the rear cover recess to the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs in the axial direction. In other words, the rear cover rim and the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs can be located at the same axial position. In some examples, a radial width of the rear cover rim in the radial direction can be less than a radial width of the rear cover recess in the radial direction.

In some examples, the rear cover can further include a plurality of rear cover recesses that are disposed radially between the rear cover rim and the rear cover central portion and disposed between the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs in a circumferential direction of the rear cover, where the rear cover recess is one of the plurality of rear cover recesses.

In some implementations, a distance from the rear cover recess to the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs in the axial direction can be less than or equal to a distance from the rear cover recess to a portion of the rear cover central portion having the rear cover through-hole in the axial direction. In other words, the rear cover central portion can protrudes toward the inside of the drum relative to the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs in the axial direction.

In some implementations, the rear cover central portion can include a central flat surface that defines the rear cover through-hole, and a central side surface that extends radially outward from a periphery of the central flat surface and surrounds the central flat surface, where the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs extend outward from the central side surface in the radial direction. In some examples, the central side surface can include a curved surface. In some implementations, a distance from the rear cover recess to the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs in the axial direction can be less than or equal to a distance from the rear cover recess to the central flat surface in the axial direction. In some implementations, boundaries of the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs have a round shape and are connected to the rear cover recess.

In some implementations, the laundry treatment apparatus can include a lifter disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the drum body and configured to interfere with the laundry based on rotation of the drum, where a longitudinal axis of the lifter passes through the rear cover and is disposed between two of the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs. In some examples, the lifter extends in the axial direction and has a curved shape. In some examples, the lifter can protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the drum body toward a rotational center of the drum body, and a side surface of the lifter can be tapered toward the rotational center of the drum body.

In some implementations, the lifter extends in the axial direction and has a stepped shape, where the lifter has a plurality of lifting surfaces including a first lifting surface that extends in the axial direction, a second lifting surface that extends from the first lifting surface and is inclined with respect to the first lifting surface, and a third lifting surface that extends from the second lifting surface in the axial direction to thereby define a step with respect to the first lifting surface in a circumferential direction of the drum body.

In some implementations, the laundry treatment apparatus can include a drying unit configured to circulate air through the drum, where the drying unit is configured to supply the air to the drum to thereby absorb moisture from the laundry. For instance, the drying unit can include an exhaust passage configured to receive the air discharged from the drum, a heat-exchanging unit disposed in the exhaust passage and configured to dehumidify the air and then heat the air, and a supply passage configured to guide the air from the exhaust passage toward the drum.

In some implementations, the drive unit can further include a motor including a stator configured to generate a rotating field and a rotor configured to be rotated by the rotating field, a rotor shaft disposed between the rear cover and the motor, the rotor shaft having one end fixed to the rotor and configured to be rotated by the rotor, and a power transmission unit including one or more gears that are configured to transmit rotational power of the rotor shaft to the drum shaft.

In some implementations, the laundry treatment apparatus can include a shaft bracket that is fixed to the rear cover and covers the rear cover through-hole, where the shaft bracket is coupled to the drum shaft and configured to transmit rotational power from the drum shaft to the drum, and a rotating-shaft-coupling member that couples the drum shaft to the shaft bracket. The shaft bracket can define a shaft-coupling hole such that the drum shaft can be inserted into the shaft-coupling hole and protrude toward the drum.

In some implementations, the laundry treatment apparatus can include a protective cover that is disposed in the drum and covers the drum shaft and the shaft bracket. In some implementations, the rotating-shaft-coupling member can have a cylindrical shape and protrude from a front surface of the shaft bracket toward the drum, where the rotating-shaft-coupling member defines an inner thread at an inner circumferential surface thereof, and an end portion of the drum shaft has an outer thread coupled to the inner thread.

In some implementations, air introduction holes can be defined at a portion depressed in the outward direction of the drum and supply hot air to the rear surface of the drum. The rear-cover-reinforcing ribs can increase the rigidity of the rear cover and can project forwards further than the depressed portion in which the air introduction holes are formed. In other words, the present disclosure provides a laundry treatment apparatus having a difference in height between the rear-cover-reinforcing ribs and the depressed portion.

In some examples, the rear-cover-reinforcing ribs can serve as wings of a kind of fan for rotating air introduced through the air introduction holes. In other words, the rear-cover-reinforcing ribs are capable not only of increasing the rigidity of the rear cover but also of rotating the air introduced into the drum in the circumferential direction during rotation of the drum.

The air, which is rotated by the rear-cover-reinforcing ribs (or bridges), can be in contact with rotating laundry for a long period of time, thereby improving the drying performance of the laundry treatment apparatus.

In some implementations, the laundry treatment apparatus includes the air introduction holes formed through the rear cover, the drying unit configured to supply heated air toward the air introduction holes from the outside of the drum, the drive unit configured to rotate the drum in a main rotational direction, which is set to be one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, and a lifter provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum body so as to agitate laundry.

The lifter can include a portion that extends toward a front cover from a rear cover and is inclined in the main rotational direction. When the drum is rotated in the main rotational direction, the lifter can guide the laundry toward the rear cover.

The drive unit can include the motor, fixed to a fixed panel and generating rotational force, and the drum shaft, which is connected at one end thereof to the motor and at the other end thereof to the rear cover so as to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the drum.

The drum body can include an anti-slip portion formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof so as to be convex or concave in order to prevent slippage of laundry, and a slip-inducing portion, which is defined as a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the drum body on which the anti-slip portion is not formed.

In some implementations, the slip-inducing portion can include a first slip-inducing portion, which extends not only in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft but also in the clockwise direction or in the counterclockwise direction at the rear end of the drum body, and a second slip-inducing portion, which extends from the first slip-inducing portion in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft and to which the lifter is coupled.

The anti-slip portion can include a first anti-slip portion, which is convex from the inner circumferential surface of the drum body, and a second anti-slip portion, which is concave from the inner circumferential surface of the drum body and has a size smaller than that of the first anti-slip portion.

In some implementations, the rear cover can include a drive recess, which projects forwards and to which the drum shaft is coupled, a plurality of rear cover ribs radially extending from the drive recess, and an introduction plate, which is provided between the plurality of rear cover ribs and through which the air introduction holes are formed.

In some examples, the lifter can be provided at a location that is spaced apart from an introduction plate in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft. The lifter can be provided at a location that overlaps the air introduction holes in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft. The drive recess can be rounded. The introduction plate can project rearwards further than the plurality of rear cover ribs. The lifter can project toward the rotational center of the drum body from the inner circumferential surface of the drum body and can be tapered in the direction in which the lifter projects.

The lifter can include a fixed surface, which is brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the drum body, a projecting surface, which is spaced apart from the fixed surface toward the rotational center of the drum body, and an extending surface extending between the fixed surface and the projecting surface.

In some examples, a first portion of the lifter, which is positioned before the center of the length of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft, may, in the main rotational direction of the drum shaft, be spaced apart from a second portion of the lifter, which is positioned behind the center of the length of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft.

In some examples, the projecting surface can include a first projecting lifting surface, which extends from the rear side of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft, a second projecting lifting surface, which obliquely extends from the first projecting lifting surface in a direction which is inclined in the main rotational direction, and a third projecting lifting surface, which extends from the second projecting lifting surface in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft. The fixed surface can extend in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft. The second projecting lifting surface can be positioned at the center of the length of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft.

In some examples, the projecting surface can include a first projecting lifting surface that extends from the rear side of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft, a second projecting lifting surface that extends from the first projecting lifting surface in a direction which is inclined in the main rotational direction, a third projecting lifting surface that extends from the second projecting lifting surface in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft, a fourth projecting lifting surface that extends from the third projecting lifting surface in a direction which is inclined in the main rotational direction, and a fifth projecting lifting surface that extends from the fourth projecting lifting surface in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft.

In some implementations, the fixed surface can include a first fixed lifting surface that extends from the rear side of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft, a second fixed lifting surface that extends from the first fixed lifting surface in a direction which is inclined in the main rotational direction, a third fixed lifting surface that extends from the second fixed lifting surface in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft, a fourth fixed lifting surface that extends from the third fixed lifting surface in a direction which is inclined in the main rotational direction, and a fifth fixed lifting surface that extends from the fourth fixed lifting surface in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft. In some examples, The third projecting lifting surface and the third fixed lifting surface can be positioned at the center of the length of the drum body in the longitudinal direction of the drum shaft.

In some implementations, the lifter can extend in a wave fashion. The projecting surface can include a first projecting laundry-tossing surface, which extends so as to be convex in the main rotational direction, and a second projecting laundry-tossing surface, which extends so as to be convex in the direction opposite the main rotational direction. In some examples, the fixed surface can include a first fixed laundry-tossing surface, which extends so as to be convex in the main rotational direction, and a second fixed laundry-tossing surface, which extends so as to be convex in the direction opposite the main rotational direction.

One or more implementations of the present disclosure will be described with the accompanying drawings.

illustrates an example of a laundry treatment apparatus.

In some implementations, the laundry treatment apparatuscan include a cabinetand a drum, which is rotatably provided in the cabinetand defines a space for receiving laundry (an object to be washed or dried). As illustrated in, the cabinetcan be provided therein with a drying unitconfigured to supply hot and dried air (air having a temperature higher than an ambient temperature and a dryness higher than the dryness of indoor air) to thus remove moisture from the laundry.

In some examples, referring to, the cabinetcan include a front paneldefining the front surface of the laundry treatment apparatusand a base paneldefining the bottom surface of the laundry treatment apparatus. The front panelcan be provided with an entrancecommunicating with the drum. The entrance can be configured to be opened and closed by a door.

The front panelcan be provided with a control panel. The control panelcan include an input unit, into which control commands are input by a user, and a display unit configured to output information such as control commands, which are capable of being selected by the user. The input unit can include a power supply request unit configured to request supply of power to the laundry treatment apparatus, a course input unit configured to allow a user to select a desired course among a plurality of courses, and an execution request unit configured to request execution of the course that is selected by the user.

The drumcan be configured to have the form of a hollow cylinder.illustrates an example in which the drumis composed of a cylindrical drum body, which is open at the front and rear surfaces thereof, a front coverdefining the front surface of the drum body, and a rear coverdefining the rear surface of the drum body. The front covercan include a drum entrance, through which the inside of the drum bodycommunicates with the outside, and the rear covercan include an air introduction hole(see), through which external air is introduced into the drum body.