Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus is configured to reduce a volume independently occupied by a driver that rotates a drum for accommodating laundry therein, and a volume of a space defined between a rear surface of the drum and a cabinet rear panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a drum for accommodating laundry therein; and   a driver disposed at the rear of the drum, wherein the driver includes a rotation shaft for rotating the drum,   wherein the drum includes:   a drum body having a laundry inlet defined in a front surface thereof and providing a space for accommodating the laundry therein; and   a drum rear surface coupled to a rear end of the drum body, and   wherein the drum rear surface includes:   a rear surface body coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the drum body to form the rear surface of the drum; and   a seating portion recessed toward the space at the rear surface body,   wherein the seating portion comprises an installation surface extending toward the driver.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seating portion comprises an accommodating surface extending inwardly of the space, and
 wherein the accommodating surface extends by a length C 1  from the drum rear surface body.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the installation surface extends from the accommodating surface extends by a length C 2 , and
 wherein the length C 1  is different from the length C 2 .   
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the length C 1  is longer than the length C 2 . 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the seating portion comprises a support surface arranged between the accommodating surface and the installation surface. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the installation surface is recessed in a direction opposite to a recessed direction of the accommodating surface from the support surface to be disposed inwardly of the accommodating surface. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the diameter of the installation surface is smaller than the diameters of the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating surface. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the installation surface further includes a coupling groove protruding further toward the driver. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the accommodating surface has a diameter greater than a diameter of the driver to accommodate at least a portion of the driver therein. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a diameter of the seating portion is larger than a diameter of the driver such that at least portion of the driver is accommodated in the seating portion.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the driver includes:
 a motor disposed at the rear of the drum to provide power to the drum; and   a decelerator for converting the power of the motor and transmitting the converted power to the rotation shaft,   wherein the decelerator is at least partly accommodated and disposed in the seating portion.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the motor includes:
 a stator coupled to the decelerator to generate a rotating magnetic field; and   a rotor rotated by the rotating magnetic field and rotating a driving shaft,   wherein at least a portion of the stator is accommodated and disposed in the seating portion.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a bushing for supporting a free end of the rotation shaft is coupled to the installation surface. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the bushing includes:
 a coupling surface coupled to the installation surface;   a recessed surface extending from the coupling surface to accommodate at least a portion of the rotation shaft therein; and   a shaft coupling portion disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the recessed surface and coupled to the free end of the rotation shaft,   wherein the recessed surface is constructed to extend away from the driver.   
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the recessed surface and the shaft coupling portion are disposed closer to the laundry inlet than the installation surface when the coupling surface is coupled to the installation surface. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the recessed surface and the shaft coupling portion are located inside the drum body. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the recessed surface extends from the coupling surface away from the driver, so that the free end of the rotation shaft is located inside the drum body. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the recessed surface extends from the coupling surface away from the driver,
 wherein the shaft coupling portion includes a coupling body extending from the recessed surface to be closer to the driver to accommodate the rotation shaft therein.