Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus includes a decelerator capable of converting power of a motor and providing the converted power to a drum. The decelerator is coupled to and fixed to a rear case disposed between the drum for accommodating laundry therein and a motor for rotating the drum.

1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a drum having a laundry inlet and configured to accommodate laundry through the laundry inlet;   a hot air supplier disposed outside the drum and configured to supply hot air into the drum;   a motor configured to rotate the drum;   a decelerator connecting the motor to the drum and configured to change a rotational speed and torque of the motor; and   a rear case disposed between the drum and the motor,   wherein the decelerator is coupled to the rear case and fixed to the rear case.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rear case is disposed between the drum and the decelerator. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the rear case is spaced apart from the drum. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the decelerator includes a drum rotation shaft that passes through the rear case and is configured to rotate the drum or transfer a load of the drum to the rear case. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rear case is disposed between the drum and the motor, and
 wherein the decelerator is disposed between the drum and the motor, the decelerator being supported at the rear case.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the decelerator includes a fastening protrusion coupled to the motor and configured to transfer a load of the motor to the rear case. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the rear case is spaced apart from the motor. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drum is disposed at a first side of the rear case and spaced apart from the rear case,
 wherein the motor is disposed at a second side of the rear case and spaced apart from the rear case, the second side being opposite to the first side of the rear case, and   wherein the decelerator extends from the second side of the rear case, passes through the rear case, and is coupled to the rear case, the decelerator connecting the motor to the drum.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a cabinet configured to accommodate the drum therein and defining an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus,
 wherein the rear case includes:
 a rear plate supported at a bottom surface of the cabinet and disposed between the drum and the motor, and 
 a mounting portion defining a through-hole at the rear plate, wherein the decelerator is coupled to the mounting portion. 
   
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the mounting portion is recessed from the rear plate. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a bracket that couples the decelerator to the rear case. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a cabinet configured to accommodate the drum therein and defining an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus,
 wherein the rear case includes:
 a rear plate supported at a bottom surface of the cabinet and disposed between the drum and the motor; and 
 a mounting portion defining a through-hole at the rear plate that supports the decelerator, 
   wherein the bracket includes a main bracket coupled to a first surface of the mounting portion, the main bracket configured to reinforce rigidity of the mounting portion or to fix the decelerator.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the bracket further includes an auxiliary bracket coupled to the main bracket or a second surface of the mounting portion, the auxiliary bracket configured to reinforce rigidity of the main bracket or to fix the decelerator, the second surface being opposite to the first surface of the mounting portion. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the main bracket is coupled to a front surface of the mounting portion,
 wherein the auxiliary bracket is coupled to a rear surface of the mounting portion and coupled to the main bracket,   wherein the decelerator includes a coupling protrusion fixed at a location between the main bracket and the auxiliary bracket.   
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the main bracket includes:
 a main body seated at a front portion of the mounting portion; and   at least one installation rib extending from an inner circumferential surface of the main body and coupled to the coupling protrusion of the decelerator.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the auxiliary bracket includes:
 an auxiliary body coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the main body; and   a shielding body extending from an inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary body and configured to shield the coupling protrusion of the decelerator or to pressurize the coupling protrusion of the decelerator.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one installation rib of the main bracket further includes a penetrating protrusion fixedly extending through the coupling protrusion or the shielding body. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the main bracket includes:
 a main body supported at a surface of the mounting portion; and   at least one fixing protrusion protruding along a circumference of the main body,   wherein the mounting portion of the rear case includes a fastening portion that accommodates the at least one fixing protrusion therein and restricts a change in a position of the main bracket.   
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a front case disposed in front of the drum, wherein the front case defines an opening being in fluid communication with the laundry inlet,
 wherein the rear case is made of a material different from a material of the front case.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a front case disposed in front of the drum, wherein the front case defines an opening being in fluid communication with the laundry inlet,
 wherein the rear case is thicker than the front case.   
     
     
         21 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear stopper that supports the drum or restricts the drum from pressurizing the rear case. 
     
     
         22 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the rear stopper is spaced apart from a rear surface of the drum by a reference distance. 
     
     
         23 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the rear stopper is disposed between the drum and the rear case,
 wherein the drum and the rear case are spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to or greater than the reference distance.   
     
     
         24 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the rear stopper is spaced apart from a lower portion of the drum. 
     
     
         25 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a front stopper disposed in front of the drum and rotatably supporting the drum. 
     
     
         26 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the front stopper is spaced apart from a front-upper end of the drum. 
     
     
         27 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a drum having a laundry inlet and configured to accommodate laundry through the laundry inlet;   a hot air supplier disposed outside the drum and configured to supply hot air into the drum;   a motor configured to rotate the drum;   a decelerator connecting the motor to the drum and configured to change a rotational speed and torque of the motor; and   a rear case disposed between the drum and the motor and supporting the decelerator,   wherein the drum and the motor are configured to transmit at least a portion of a load to the rear case via the decelerator.   
     
     
         28 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the motor, the decelerator, and the drum are configured to simultaneously tilt or vibrate with respect to the rear case.