Clothes treating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225741-B2
Application number	US-201716469450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Nov 11, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A clothes treating device includes: a cabinet; a tub having an inlet at an upper part; a drum provided inside the tub and having a through-hole on a bottom surface thereof; a stirring part rotatably disposed in through-hole; a driving part provided on the lower part of the stirring part so as to provide power for rotating the stirring part and/or the drum; and a coupling provided between the stirring part and the driving part so as to be rotated by the power, and provided so as to rotate the stirring part and the drum in different directions or rotate only the stirring part when a water level of the tub is greater than or equal to a certain water level, and to rotate the stirring part and the drum in the same direction when the water level is less than to the certain water level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet that defines an exterior of the laundry treating apparatus;
a tub disposed in the cabinet and configured to receive water, the tub defining an opening at a top surface of the tub;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to accommodate laundry, the drum defining a through-hole at a bottom surface;
an agitation unit rotatably disposed in the through-hole;
a drive unit disposed vertically below the agitation unit and configured to supply a drive force to at least one of the agitation unit or the drum, the drive unit including (i) a drive rotation shaft that includes a shaft body extending in a vertical direction and (ii) a first gear that extends upward from the shaft body;
a shaft fixing unit fixed to the drum, the drive rotation shaft passing through the shaft fixing unit;
a hub gear that defines a hollow space receiving the first gear, that extends in the vertical direction, and that is fixed to the shaft fixing unit, the hub gear including a second gear that is disposed at an inner surface of the hub gear and spaced apart from the first gear; and
a coupling device configured to be rotated by the drive force and disposed between the agitation unit and the drive unit, the coupling device being configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the first gear between a first position corresponding to the hub gear and a second position that is above the first position,
wherein the coupling device comprises a power transmission unit coupled to the drive rotation shaft and configured to receive the drive force from the drive unit, and
wherein the power transmission unit comprises:
a coupling gear including (i) a third gear that is disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the coupling gear and configured to engage with the first gear and (ii) a fourth gear that is disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the coupling gear and configured to engage with the second gear in the first position and to be separated from the second gear in the second position,
a fixed plate that extends from an upper part of the coupling gear, the coupling gear being fixed to the fixed plate, and
an accommodating rib that extends from one end of the fixed plate and is configured to detachably accommodate the hub gear.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the agitation unit is coupled to one end of the drive rotation shaft.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupling device comprises:
an extended rib that extends from the accommodating rib; and
an agitation coupling unit that protrudes from one end of the extended rib and that is configured to detachably couple to a lower portion of the agitation unit, the agitation coupling unit defining a water space configured to accommodate water at a lower area of the agitation coupling unit.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the agitation unit comprises:
an agitation unit body;
a central portion that is disposed at a center region of the agitation unit body and that is coupled to one end of the first gear, the central portion being configured to rotate together with the first gear; and
an agitation arm that radially extends from the central portion and that is configured to agitate the laundry in the drum, and
wherein the central portion protrudes upward from the agitation unit body, and has a lower portion configured to detachably accommodate the coupling device.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the agitation unit further comprises:
a coupling rib that extends downwardly from the central portion and that is configured to seat the power transmission unit in the extended rib.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupling device is made of a material having a specific gravity that is less than a specific gravity of water.

7. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a first cabinet that defines a first opening at a front surface of the first cabinet;
a second cabinet disposed on a top surface of the first cabinet, the second cabinet defining a second opening at a top surface of the second cabinet;
a tub disposed in the second cabinet and configured to receive water, the tub defining an introduction opening that is in communication with the second opening;
a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to accommodate laundry, the drum defining a penetrating hole at a bottom surface of the drum;
an agitation unit rotatably disposed in the penetrating hole;
a drive unit disposed vertically below the agitation unit and configured to supply a drive force for rotating at least one of the agitation unit or the drum, the drive unit including (i) a drive rotation shaft that includes a shaft body extending in a vertical direction and (ii) a first gear that extends upward from the shaft body;
a shaft fixing unit fixed to the drum, the drive rotation shaft passing through the shaft fixing unit;
a hub gear that defines a hollow space receiving the first gear, that extends in the vertical direction, and that is fixed to the shaft fixing unit, the hub gear including a second gear that is disposed at an inner surface of the hub gear and spaced apart from the first gear; and
a coupling device disposed between the agitation unit and the drive unit and configured to rotate based on the drive force, the coupling device being configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the first gear between a first position corresponding to the hub gear and a second position that is above the first position,
wherein the coupling device comprises a power transmission unit coupled to the drive rotation shaft and configured to receive the drive force from the drive unit, and
wherein the power transmission unit comprises:
a coupling gear including (i) a third gear that is disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the coupling gear and configured to engage with the first gear and (ii) a fourth gear that is disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the coupling gear and configured to engage with the second gear in the first position and to be separated from the second gear in the second position,
a fixed plate that extends from an upper part of the coupling gear, the coupling gear being fixed to the fixed plate, and
an accommodating rib that extends from one end of the fixed plate and is configured to detachably accommodate the hub gear.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft fixing unit comprises:
a hub;
a fixing arm that radially extends from the hub and is coupled to a bottom of the drum; and
a shaft penetrating portion including the hub gear and a hub coupling portion that extends from an outer circumferential surface of the hub gear and is coupled to the hub.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a shaft accommodation unit configured to rotatably accommodate the drive rotation shaft, the drive rotation shaft passing through the shaft accommodation unit,
wherein the shaft accommodation unit comprises:
an accommodation pipe configured to rotatably accommodate a predetermined area of the drive rotation shaft;
an accommodation fixing portion that extends from an upper area of the accommodation pipe and that is coupled to the hub; and
an accommodation bearing disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the accommodation pipe and configured to cut off transmission of the drive force of the drive rotation shaft to the shaft accommodation unit.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jeong Jaeyong
• Kim Keunjoo
• Lee Dongsoo
• Kwon Oshin
• Lee Sangwook

Classifications

• D06F34/24

  Liquid temperature · CPC title

• D06F37/22

  in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F2103/40

  Opening or locking status of doors · CPC title

• D06F37/42

  Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door · CPC title

• D06F37/304

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title