Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus in which a sprayer, which is coupled to an upper portion of a gasket. receives water from a water supply pipe, and sprays water into a drum, may also spray water to an inner circumferential surface of a gasket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet having an opening formed in a front surface thereof;   a tub accommodated in the cabinet to store water therein, wherein the tub includes an inlet in communication with the opening;   a drum rotatably accommodated in the tub to store laundry therein;   a driver coupled to a rear surface of the tub and configured to rotate the drum;   a gasket connecting the opening with the inlet to prevent water and the laundry from leaking into the cabinet;   a water supply portion including a water supply valve coupled to the cabinet and connected to an external water supply source, and a water supply pipe supplying water from the water supply valve to the tub; and   a sprayer coupled to an upper portion of the gasket and configured to receive water from the water supply pipe and spray water into the drum,   wherein the sprayer is configured to spray water also onto an inner circumferential surface of the gasket.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sprayer is configured to spray water to at least one of both sides of the inner circumferential surface of the gasket. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sprayer is configured to spray water to a rear surface of a door disposed behind the sprayer. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sprayer includes:
 an inflow pipe coupled to a distal end of the water supply pipe;   an installation plate extending from an outer surface of the inflow pipe and seated on the gasket; and   a spray nozzle extending downward from the installation plate to spray water, wherein the spray nozzle includes:
 a guide body protruding inwards from the inner circumferential surface of the gasket and having a hollow in communication with the inflow pipe; 
 a main spray hole penetrating through a rear portion of the guide body to discharge water into the drum; and 
 a cleaning hole penetrating through the guide body so as to be spaced apart from the main spray hole and spraying water toward the inner circumferential surface of the gasket. 
   
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the cleaning hole includes:
 a first cleaning hole penetrating through one side of the guide body on one side of the main spray hole; and   a second cleaning hole penetrating through the other side of the guide body on the other side of the main spray hole.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the guide body further includes a cleaning slit recessed on at least one of both sides of the main spray hole to disperse water sprayed from the cleaning hole in a front and rear direction. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the cleaning slit is formed to be spaced apart from the main spray hole. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the spray nozzle includes a blocking rib extending on the installation plate in both lateral directions of the guide body to block water sprayed from the cleaning hole from being sprayed forward,
 wherein the cleaning slit is formed to be recessed to the blocking rib on said both sides of the main spray hole in the guide body.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the cleaning slit is formed such that a width thereof increases in a direction from the cleaning hole to the rear portion of the guide body. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein a bottom surface of the cleaning slit has a downward inclination from the cleaning hole to the rear portion of the guide body. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the cleaning slit includes:
 a first cleaning slit extending from the first cleaning hole to the rear portion of the guide body; and   a second cleaning slit extending from the second cleaning hole to the rear portion of the guide body.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first cleaning slit and the second cleaning slit are formed asymmetrically to each other with respect to the main spray hole. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the spray nozzle further includes an auxiliary spray hole spraying water longer toward a rear surface of the drum than the main spray hole. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary spray hole is formed upward of the main spray hole. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the spray nozzle further includes a partition rib disposed inside the auxiliary spray hole to branch sprayed water in a left and right direction.