Laundry dryer and drum supporting assembly thereof

• US 20050132604A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Kyung Seop, Lee, Jun Seok, Yoon, Seong No
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/603
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/06 Mountings for the rotating drums
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 23/04 self-adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2340/00 Apparatus for treating textiles

Abstract

A laundry dryer includes a dry drum in which laundry is loaded, a lower housing coupled to a rear wall of the dry drum by a rivet, an upper housing seated on the upper housing, and a journal bearing including a bearing inserted between the upper and lower housings and a shaft coupled to the bearing.

Claims

1. A laundry dryer comprising:

a dry drum in which laundry is loaded;

a lower housing coupled to a rear wall of the dry drum by a rivet;

an upper housing seated on the lower housing; and

a journal bearing including a bearing inserted between the upper and lower housings and a shaft coupled to the bearing.

2. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lower housing is provided with a bearing seating portion having a concaved portion for receiving the bearing.

3. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lower housing is provided with a bearing seating portion elevated on the lower housing by a predetermined height.

4. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lower housing comprises a coupling end bent by a predetermined height and coupled to the upper housing.

5. The laundry dryer according to claim 4, wherein the coupling end is provided with a coupling hole in which a coupling member is inserted.

6. The laundry dryer according to claim 4, wherein the coupling end further extends in a radial direction from an edge of the lower housing.

7. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing is provided with a concaved seating portion on which a sealing member is seated.

8. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing is provided with a concaved bearing receiving portion in which the bearing is received.

9. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing includes a supporting sleeve elevated upward by a predetermined height, the shaft being inserted in the sleeve.

10. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing is provided with a coupling hole through which a coupling member penetrates.

11. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing is provided with one of a sub-coupling projection or a sub-coupling hole and the lower housing is provided with rest one of the sub-coupling projection and a sub-coupling hole.

12. The laundry dryer according to claim 11, wherein the sub-coupling projection is formed at least two locations.

13. The laundry dryer according to claim 11, wherein the number of the insertion holes is identical to or more than that of the sub-coupling projections.

14. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein a rear wall of the dry drum has a concaved central portion to receive the lower housing.

15. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the a rear wall of the dry drum includes a hole through which circulating air is introduced into the dry drum and a load supporting surface formed in a radial direction to support the load transmitted to the rear wall of the dry drum.

16. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a circular seal member inserted in the upper housing.

17. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing member covering an upper portion of the upper housing.

18. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is coupled to an outer circumference of the shaft through an insert injection molding process.

19. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is provided with an oil groove.

20. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is provided with an oil groove formed aligning a direction of an axis of the shaft.

21. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is provided at an outer circumference with a thread so that a nut can be thread-coupled around the shaft.

22. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, wherein lubricant is deposited on an inner circumference of the upper and/or lower housing.

23. A laundry dryer comprising:

a supporting member having a shaft and a bearing coupled to an outer circumference of the shaft through an insert injection molding process;

a housing enclosing a portion of the supporting member, the housing having a projected portion elevated by a predetermined height and a concaved portion concaved by a predetermined depth;

an outer seal covering a portion of the housing; and

an inner seal covering an outer portion of the supporting member to prevent oil leakage.

24. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the projected portion includes a first projected portion for supporting the inner seal;

and

a second projected portion round with a predetermined curvature in the first projected portion to receive the bearing.

25. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the housing includes a supporting sleeve inserted in the outer seal to prevent the lubricant from being leaked.

26. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the outer seal comprises a metal body and a rubber seal member coupled to the metal body through an insert injection molding process.

27. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the outer seal comprises an inner layer formed in the outer seal to prevent the lubricant from being leaked;

and

an outer layer layered on the inner layer to secondary prevent the lubricant from being leaked.

28. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein a portion of an outer circumference of the bearing is cut away.

29. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the bearing has an outer circumference cut away in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the shaft.

30. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, further comprising a bearing seating portion provided with a concaved portion at a top and projected with a predetermined curvature.

31. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the inner seal is received in the housing.

32. The laundry dryer according to claim 23, wherein the inner seal is formed of pelt material.

33. A laundry dryer comprising:

a housing;

a bearing member receiving in the housing and formed by an insert injection molding process;

an inner seal inserted in the housing to prevent the friction and noise; and

an outer seal seated on an outer surface of the housing to prevent lubricant from being leaked.