Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a drum configured to receive laundry. The drum includes a cylindrical drum body and a rear cover defining a rear surface of the drum. The rear cover includes a plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs that radially extend from a center of the rear cover and are connected to a periphery of the rear cover. The laundry treatment apparatus is configured to circulate hot and dry air through an inside of the drum.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a drum provided inside the cabinet to receive laundry therein;   a drive unit including a rotating shaft configured to rotate the drum; and   a drying unit configured to circulate air in the drum and to supply hot and dry air to thus remove moisture from the laundry,   wherein the drum comprises a drum body receiving the laundry, and a rear cover coupled to a rear surface of the drum body,   wherein the rear cover comprises:
 a rear cover central portion projected forwards and coupled to the rotating shaft, 
 a rear cover peripheral portion defining a periphery of the rear cover, and 
 a plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs extending between the rear cover central portion and the rear cover peripheral portion in a radial direction of the rotating shaft and connecting the rear cover central portion and the rear cover peripheral portion to each other, 
   wherein a plurality of air introduction holes are formed through the rear cover between the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs, and   wherein a diameter of the rear cover central portion is larger than a half of a diameter of the rear cover.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the rear cover central portion is larger than half a diameter of the driving unit. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a radius of the rear cover central portion is formed to be larger than a radial length of the plurality of air introduction holes. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rear cover further comprises a rear cover recess positioned between the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs and depressed in an outward direction of the drum further than the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs, and wherein the plurality of air introduction holes are formed to penetrate the rear cover recess. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs is less than a projected height of rear cover central portion. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drum further comprises a lifter positioned on an inner circumferential surface of the drum body so as to agitate the laundry during rotation of the drum, the lifter being positioned between the plurality of rear-cover-reinforcing ribs from a front view of the drum. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rear cover further comprises a rear cover through hole formed through the rear cover in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, and
 wherein the laundry treatment apparatus further comprises:
 a shaft bracket fixed to the rear cover and coupled to the rotating shaft so as to close the rear cover through hole and to transmit rotational movement of the rotating shaft to the drum; and 
 a protective cover positioned in the drum to prevent the shaft bracket and the rotating shaft from being exposed to a laundry reception space in the drum. 
   
     
     
         8 . The laundry treatment apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein a diameter of the protective cover is smaller than a diameter of rear cover central portion.