Laundry machine

Abstract

Disclosed is a laundry machine in which a tub is isolated from vibration of a drum, ensuring an increased size of the tub and an increased volume of the tub. This results in an increased capacity of the laundry machine. The increased size of the tub provides a sufficient space between the tub and a cabinet for installation of relevant constituent elements, thus accomplishing a compact interior structure of the laundry machine.

1 . A laundry machine comprising:
 a tub to hold water therein, the tub having at a front upper portion thereof a water supply hole and at least one hole for supplying steam or water circulated by a circulation pump;   a drum rotatably placed in the tub;   a drive assembly having a rotation shaft connected to the drum, a bearing housing to rotatably support the rotation shaft, and a motor connected to the rotation shaft;   a suspension unit to reduce vibration of the drum.   
     
     
         2 .  2 ] The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front portion of the tub includes a forwardly extending rim portion; and   the holes are provided in the rim portion.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the water supply hole and the least one hole are placed opposite to each other with respect to a rotational axis of the shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tub has a hotair inlet at the front upper portion thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tub is placed tilted. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a main controller is placed below the front portion of the tub. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the suspension unit attached to the bearing housing behind the tub. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry machine according to  claim 7 , wherein the suspension unit comprises:
 one or more radial brackets radially extended behind the tub;   one or more axial brackets extended in the axial direction of the drum; and   suspensions connected to the axial brackets.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry machine according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the one or more radial brackets are composed of a couple of radial brackets radially extended from the center of the bearing housing, and the one or more axial brackets are composed of a couple of axial brackets extended from the rotation axis of the drum in parallel.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry machine according to  claim 8 , wherein the suspension unit further includes a suspension placed under the rotational axis and behind the tub. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry machine according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a detergent box located at an upper left or right position on an outer circumferential surface of the tub; and   a drying fan located at an opposite side of the detergent box.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flexible material to prevent the water inside the tub from leaking toward the drive assembly and allow the drive assembly to move relatively to the tub. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tub is supported more rigidly than the drum is. 
     
     
         14 . A laundry machine comprising:
 a tub to hold water therein;   a drum rotatably placed in the tub;   a drive assembly having a rotation shaft connected to the drum, a bearing housing to rotatably support the rotation shaft, and a motor to rotate the rotation shaft;   a suspension unit to reduce vibration of the drum; and   a controller mounted below a front portion of the tub.   
     
     
         15 . The laundry machine according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the laundry machine includes a base having a base front frame extending upward from a front end of the base; and   the controller is mounted to the base front frame.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry machine according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the base front frame includes a lower frame portion provided at one side thereof, a coupling post provided at the other side thereof, and a middle coupling portion to connect the lower frame portion and the coupling post; and   the middle coupling portion has a height a half or less a height of the coupling post, and a distance between the coupling post and the lower frame portion is longer than a longitudinal length of the controller.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry machine according to  claim 16 , wherein a front surface of the controller is hook-coupled to the coupling post or the middle coupling portion. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry machine according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the controller is provided at the front surface thereof with at least one hook, the hook consisting of a forwardly extending portion protruding from the front surface and a bent portion extending leftward or rightward from an end of the forwardly extending portion; and   the base front frame includes at least one hook coupler, the hook coupler being inserted between the bent portion of the hook and the front surface of the controller as the controller is moved in a bending direction of the hook.   
     
     
         19 . The laundry machine according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 a first hook is provided at an upper portion of the front surface of the controller;   a second hook is provided at a lower portion of the front surface of the controller so as to be arranged farther inward than the first hook;   a first hook coupler corresponding to the first hook is formed in the coupling post; and   a second hook coupler corresponding to the second hook is formed in the middle coupling portion.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry machine according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the first hook and the second hook respectively consist of a forwardly extending portion protruding from the front surface of the controller and a bent portion extending leftward or rightward from an end of the forwardly extending portion;   the first hook coupler is indented in an upper end of the coupling post such that a vertical inner edge of the first hook coupler is located farther outward than a vertical inner edge of the coupling post; and   the second hook coupler is formed by cutting a vertical slit from an upper edge of the middle coupling portion and then, cutting a horizontal slit from a lower end of the vertical slit, the horizontal slit extending in a bending direction of the second hook.   
     
     
         21 . The laundry machine according to  claim 20 , wherein at least one supporting rib is formed at the front surface of the main controller so as to be seated on a rear surface of the middle coupling portion. 
     
     
         22 . The laundry machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the controller has at least one boss to be screwed to a front flange of a cabinet right wall or the base front frame. 
     
     
         23 . The laundry machine according to  claim 14 , wherein the tub is tilted so that a front end thereof is moved upward. 
     
     
         24 . The laundry machine according to  claim 23 , wherein a bottom of the front portion of the tub located above the controller defines a flat portion. 
     
     
         25 . The laundry machine according to  claim 24 , wherein:
 a heater is inserted in the tub at a position in the rear of the controller; and   a stopper is formed at a lower surface of the flat portion to limit rearward movement of the controller.