Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11879199-B2
Application number	US-202217833548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2022
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus having a tub, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to store laundry therein, and a connector connecting the drum to a rotary shaft of a motor for transferring a rotation power to the drum. The connector includes a first body having a first body hub fixed to the drum and a first body arm extending from the first body hub fixed to the drum, a second body having a second body hub coupled to the rotary shaft and a second body arm extending from the second body hub along the first body arm, and connecting portions connecting the first body and the second body in a manner that the first body is spaced apart from the second body. The connecting portions are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the first body arm to allow water to pass therebetween.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to store water;
a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to store laundry therein; and
a connector connecting the drum to a rotary shaft of a motor for transferring a rotation power to the drum,
wherein the connector comprises:
a first body comprising a first body hub fixed to the drum and a first body arm extending from the first body hub fixed to the drum,
a second body comprising a second body hub coupled to the rotary shaft and a second body arm extending from the second body hub along the first body arm, and
connecting portions connecting the first body and the second body in a manner that the first body is spaced apart from the second body, and

wherein the connecting portions extend in a width direction of the first body arm and are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the first body arm so as to allow water to pass therebetween in the width direction of the first body arm.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body arm extends from the first body hub toward a rim of the drum.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the drum comprises:
a first surface comprising a drum inlet configured to allow laundry to be loaded or taken out therethrough,
a second surface facing the first surface, and
a circumferential surface connecting the first surface to the second surface, and
wherein the first body is fixed to the second surface of the drum, and the first body arm extends toward the rim of the second surface.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body arm extends along a direction across to a rotating direction of the drum.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first body arm extends along a radial direction of the drum.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connecting portions extend to cross the longitudinal direction of the first body arm.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the connecting portions extend along a rotating direction of the drum.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein paths are formed between the connecting portions and allow water to pass therethrough.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the paths extend to cross the longitudinal direction of the first body arm.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body arm and the second body arm allow water to pass across the longitudinal direction of the first body arm therebetween.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a body arm comprising the first body arm and the second body arm has holes penetrating the body arm to allow water to pass.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the holes of the body arm extend in a rotating direction of the drum.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the holes of the body arm extend in a curved manner or a vent manner.

14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the connecting portions extends in a curved manner or a vent manner.

15. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the connecting portions includes a first connecting body and a second connecting body connected to each other at a connecting point to form a curved shape or a vent shape of the each of the connecting portions.

16. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the connecting portions includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion located adjacent to the first connecting portion, and
wherein a connecting point of the first connecting portion points towards the second connecting portion and is located outside a space defined by connecting free ends of the second connecting portion.

17. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the connecting portions includes a third connecting portion and a fourth connecting portion located adjacent to the third connecting portion, and
wherein a connecting point of the third connecting portion points towards the fourth connecting portion and is located inside a space defined by connecting free ends of the fourth connecting portion.

18. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprises at least one rib located between the connecting portions and protruding from one of the first body arm and the second body arm to the other.

19. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the rib has a height smaller than a space between the first body arm and the second body arm to allow water to pass over.

20. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to store water;
a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to store laundry therein; and
a connector connecting the drum to a rotary shaft of a motor for transferring a rotation power to the drum,
wherein the connector comprises:
a first body comprising a first body hub fixed to the drum and a first body arm extending from the first body hub fixed to the drum,
a second body comprising a second body hub coupled to the rotary shaft and a second body arm extending from the second body hub along the first body arm, and
connecting portions connecting the first body and the second body in a manner that the first body is spaced apart from the second body, and

wherein the connecting portions extend along a rotating direction of the drum and are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the first body arm so as to allow water to pass therebetween along the rotating direction of the drum.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Yongdeok

Classifications

• D06F37/264 Primary

  Tubs provided with reinforcing structures, e.g. ribs, inserts, braces · CPC title

• D06F37/04 Primary

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title

• D06F21/04

  within an enclosing receptacle · CPC title

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F37/22

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