Laundry machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11035067-B2
Application number	US-201715723407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A laundry machine includes first and second washing units including first and second tubs, respectively. First and second drums are mounted inside the first and second tubs, and first and second drive units drive rotations of the first and second drums around first and second rotational shafts, respectively. The second washing unit is arranged above the first washing unit and has a smaller laundry treating capacity than the first washing unit. The first rotational shaft is not parallel to the second rotational shaft. A first recess projects downward from a rear lower surface of the second tub and is configured to heat wash water in the second tub. A metal plate member is provided on an outside lower surface of the second tub, and partially extends to the rear of the second tub to expose a bottom surface of the first recess.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry machine comprising:
a tub that is configured to receive water and that defines an opening at an upper surface, wherein a height of the tub is less than a width of the tub;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to accommodate clothing; and
a drive unit comprising a stator disposed at a bottom surface of the tub and configured to generate magnetic field, a rotor configured to be rotated by the magnetic field, and a rotating shaft coupled to the drum and configured to rotate together with the rotor,
wherein the tub defines:
a drainage chamber that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the tub, that is spaced apart from the stator or the rotor, and that is configured to store water to be drained from the tub, and
a recessed portion that is recessed upward relative to the drainage chamber, that is spaced apart from the drainage chamber, and that has an asymmetric shape with respect to the rotating shaft, and

wherein the stator is fixed to the bottom surface of the tub in the recessed portion, and the stator and the rotor are entirely accommodated in the recessed portion.

2. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein the drainage chamber protrudes from a rear of the bottom surface of the tub,
wherein the drive unit and the drainage chamber are spaced apart from each other, and
wherein the laundry machine further comprises a plate member that is attached to an outer surface of the tub defining the recessed portion and that is spaced apart from the rotor, the stator, and rotating shaft.

3. The laundry machine of claim 2 , wherein the plate member is affixed directly to the outer surface of the tub.

4. The laundry machine of claim 2 , wherein a first portion of the plate member is integrally formed in the bottom surface of the tub.

5. The laundry machine of claim 4 , wherein the first portion of the plate member that is integrally formed in the bottom surface of the tub is a center portion of the plate member that is injection-molded into the bottom surface of the tub.

6. The laundry machine of claim 2 , wherein:
the plate member comprises a first portion that surrounds an outer circumference of the drive unit, and
the plate member is configured to transfer heat from the first portion surrounding the outer circumference of the drive unit downward to an outside of the tub.

7. The laundry machine of claim 2 , wherein the plate member comprises a stepped portion that is molded to the bottom surface of the tub.

8. The laundry machine of claim 2 , wherein the tub is composed of plastic, and the plate member is composed of metal.

9. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein the drainage chamber includes a heating space inside the tub, the heating space being configured to receive heat from an outside of the tub to thereby heat wash water in the tub.

10. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein the drainage chamber is defined in an outer radial portion of the tub in a radial direction of the rotor of the drive unit.

11. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein the drainage chamber protrudes from a rear of the bottom surface of the tub, and
wherein the drive unit and the drainage chamber are spaced apart from each other.

12. The laundry machine of claim 11 , wherein a front distance from a front of the bottom surface of the tub to the recessed portion is different from a rear distance from the rear of the bottom surface of the tub to the recessed portion.

13. The laundry machine of claim 11 , wherein a distance between the recessed portion and a front of the drive unit is different from a distance between the recessed portion and a rear of the drive unit.

14. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion is recessed upward from the bottom surface of the tub such that a lower surface of the stator is positioned higher than a bottom surface of the drainage chamber.

15. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the recessed portion parallel to the bottom surface of the tub is asymmetric with respect to the rotation shaft.

16. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion has a front side and a rear side with respect to the rotation shaft,
wherein the front side is inclined with respect to a bottom surface of the drainage chamber, and
wherein the rear side faces the drainage chamber.

17. The laundry machine of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the stator is in contact with the bottom surface of the tub in the recessed portion, and
wherein a bottom surface of each of the stator and the rotor is disposed vertically above a bottom surface of the drainage chamber.

18. A laundry machine comprising:
a first washing unit comprising a first tub, a first drum mounted inside the first tub, and a first drive unit configured to drive a rotation of the first drum around a first rotational shaft inside the first tub; and
a second washing unit comprising a second tub, a second drum mounted inside the second tub, and a second drive unit configured to drive a rotation of the second drum around a second rotational shaft inside the second tub,
wherein the second washing unit is arranged above the first washing unit and is configured with a second laundry treating capacity that is smaller than a first laundry treating of the first washing unit, and
wherein:
a diameter of the second drum is larger than a height of the second drum, and the second rotational shaft is not parallel to the first rotational shaft of the first drum, and
the second drive unit comprises a motor connected to the second rotational shaft, the motor comprising a stator and a rotor that are disposed at a lower surface of the second tub,

wherein the second tub defines:
a drainage chamber that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the second tub, that extends in a radial outward direction from the motor of the second drive unit, and that is configured to store water to be drained from the second tub, and
a recessed portion that is recessed upward relative to the drainage chamber, that is spaced apart from the drainage chamber, and that has an asymmetric shape with respect to the second rotational shaft, and

wherein the stator is fixed to the lower surface of the second tub in the recessed portion, and the stator and the rotor are entirely accommodated in the recessed portion.

19. The laundry machine of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plate member that is disposed between the motor of the second drive unit and the lower surface of the second tub defining the recessed portion, the plate member being configured to transfer heat from the motor in a downward direction to an outside of the second tub, and
wherein the plate member comprises a first plate that is attached to an outer surface of the second tub defining the recessed portion and that faces outer circumferential surfaces of the stator and the rotor.

20. The laundry machine of claim 19 , wherein the plate member comprises an inclined portion that surrounds an outer circumference of the rotor, the inclined portion extending downward from a position vertically above the rotor in an outward radial direction.

21. The laundry machine of claim 19 , further comprising a cabinet that defines an exterior of the laundry machine,
wherein the first washing unit and the second washing unit are provided in the cabinet.

22. The laundry machine of claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of a drying duct is provided between a bottom surface of the second washing uni

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Son Kuyoung
• Kim Hyeokdeok
• Ahn Byunghwan

Classifications

• D06F37/262

  made of plastic material, e.g. by injection moulding · CPC title

• D06F37/20

  Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations · CPC title

• D06F31/005 Primary

  consisting of one or more rotating drums through which the laundry passes in a continuous flow · CPC title

• D06F29/005

  the other separate apparatus being a drying appliance · CPC title

• D06F21/08

  within an enclosing receptacle · CPC title