Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a laundry treatment apparatus including a cabinet defining an external appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus, a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet, the drum being configured to accommodate laundry therein, a drive unit configured to generate torque required to rotate the drum, a power transmission unit provided on one surface of the drum, the power transmission unit being configured to transmit the torque generated by the drive unit to the drum so as to rotate along with the drum, and at least one balancer provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum. Water is selectively supplied into the balancer so as to eliminate unbalance occurring in the drum.

1 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet defining an external appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus;   a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet, the drum being configured to accommodate laundry therein;   a drive unit configured to generate torque required to rotate the drum;   a power transmission unit provided on one surface of the drum, the power transmission unit being configured to transmit the torque generated by the drive unit to the drum so as to rotate along with the drum; and   at least one balancer provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum,   wherein water is selectively supplied into the balancer so as to eliminate unbalance occurring in the drum.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the water supplied into the balancer is supplied to a front of the balancer and is drained to a rear of the balancer. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the balancer is provided in a longitudinal direction on the inner circumferential surface of the drum. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the balancer includes:
 a balancer body having a cavity therein; and   a plurality of partitions configured to form a plurality of compartments inside the balancer body.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the balancer is provided so as to communicate with the power transmission unit. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the water accommodated inside the balancer is drained through the power transmission unit. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a balancer water supply unit configured to penetrate the tub so as to be exposed between the tub and the drum, the balancer water supply unit serving to supply water. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the balancer includes:
 a water supply hole provided in a front end of the balancer so as to provide a space required to supply water into the balancer; and   a drain hole provided in a rear end of the balancer so as to provide a space required to drain the water inside the balancer.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the power transmission unit includes:
 a center portion to which a shaft is mounted; and   a plurality of extensions configured to extend from the center portion in a radial direction of the drum,   wherein the at least one balancer includes a plurality of balancers communicating with the extensions.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the extensions are provided in the same number as the balancers. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the balancer includes a drain hole provided in a rear end of the balancer so as to provide a space required to drain water inside the balancer, and
 wherein each of the extensions includes a drain connector configured to communicate with the drain hole.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the balancer further includes a protrusion configured to protrude from the drain hole toward the power transmission unit, and
 wherein the protrusion is inserted into the drain connector.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the drum includes a drum drain hole configured to communicate with the drain connector, and
 wherein the drum drain hole drains the water, drained from the balancer, to an outside of the drum.   
     
     
         14 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a drain duct provided inside each of the extensions, the drain duct being configured to communicate with the drain connector so as to form a flow path, through which the water drained from the balancer is drained. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising an extension drain hole provided in a distal end of each of the extensions, the extension drain hole being configured to communicate with the drain duct,
 wherein the extension drain hole communicates with a drum drain hole provided in the drum so that the water inside the balancer is drained to an outside of the drum.