CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0013885, filed on Feb. 1, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus.

Discussion of the Related Art

A laundry treating apparatus includes an apparatus for washing laundry, an apparatus for drying laundry, and an apparatus for washing or drying laundry in accordance with selection of a user. A laundry treating apparatuses of the related art includes a cabinet, a tub provided inside the cabinet, storing water therein, a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, storing laundry, a detergent storage in which a detergent is stored, and a detergent path for guiding the detergent stored in the detergent storage to the tub.

It is general that one end of the detergent path provided in the laundry treating apparatus of the related art is fixed to the detergent storage, and the other end of the detergent path is fixed to a detergent supply hole provided in the tub. That is, one end of the detergent path is fixed to a discharge outlet of the detergent storage through a fastening member such as a clamp, and the other end of the detergent path is fixed to the detergent supply hole through the clamp. However, a problem occurs in that much time is required for assembly of the detergent path fixed to the tub and the detergent storage through the fastening member such as the clamp.

Meanwhile, the detergent path provided in the laundry treating apparatus of the related art is provided with a trap for disconnecting the tub from the detergent storage if water is stored therein. The trap provided in the detergent path serves to prevent bubbles inside the tub from being discharged to the detergent storage during washing. However, when a door opens an inlet provided in the cabinet, the water stored in the trap of the detergent path may be discharged to the tub if a pressure inside the tub is lowered. For this reason, a problem occurs in that a user doubts a damage of the detergent storage or the detergent path.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to a laundry treating apparatus that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus in which assembly of a detergent path for guiding a detergent to a tub is simple.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that easily prevents water leakage of a detergent path from occurring.

Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that minimizes discharge of water stored in a trap formed in a detergent path to a tub due to a pressure change inside the tub.

Further still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that guides water, which moves from a trap to a tub due to a pressure change inside the tub, to an insulator for connecting a cabinet inlet with a tub inlet.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the disclosure. The objectives and other advantages of the disclosure may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises an insulating body connecting an inlet provided in a cabinet with a tub inlet, an inlet pipe of an elastic material provided to pass through the insulating body, a discharge pipe of an elastic material discharging a detergent from a detergent storage, and a connector made of a material different from that of each of the inlet pipe and the discharge pipe. Through this connector, the laundry treating apparatus may enhance a coupling force between the inlet pipe and the discharge pipe and minimize the possibility of water leakage.

That is, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises a cabinet provided with an inlet; a tub providing a space in which water is stored, having a tub inlet provided on a surface headed for a direction where the inlet is arranged; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, providing a space in which laundry is stored, and having a drum inlet provided on a surface headed for a direction where the inlet is arranged; a storage provided inside the cabinet, providing a space in which a detergent is stored; a discharge pipe discharging the detergent to the outside of the storage, made of an elastic body; an insulating body connecting the inlet with the tub inlet; an inlet pipe made of an elastic body, passing through a circumferential surface of the insulating body; and a connector having one end inserted into the discharge pipe and the other end inserted into the inlet pipe to connect the discharge pipe with the inlet pipe, made of a material different from that of each of the discharge pipe and the inlet pipe.

The discharge pipe and the inlet pipe may be made of an elastic body such as rubber, and the connector may be made of a sintered body such as plastic.

Also, in the present disclosure, a laundry treating apparatus that attenuates the risk of water leakage due to thermal deformation generated in the middle of molding by allowing a surface which is longer among surfaces constituting the connector to be relatively thicker than any other surfaces.

That is, the connector may include a connector body of a cylindrical shape having one end inserted into the discharge pipe and the other end inserted into the inlet pipe, and a through hole provided to pass through the connector body, wherein the connector body may include a first surface and a second surface arranged to face each other, a third surface connecting one end of the first surface with one end of the second surface, and a fourth surface provided to connect the other end of the first surface with the other end of the second surface, facing the third surface, and two surfaces, which are the longest, among the four surfaces may be set to be thicker than two surfaces which are the shortest.

If the first surface and the second surface are set at the same length, the third surface and the fourth surface are set at the same length but are set to be shorter than the first surface, the first surface may be set to be thicker than the third surface.

In this case, a section in a thickness direction of the first surface may be provided in a convex shape toward a direction far away from a center of the through hole, and a section in a thickness direction of the second surface may be provided in a convex shape toward a direction far away from a center of the through hole.

Unlike the aforementioned description, if the first surface and the second surface are set at the same length, the third surface and the fourth surface are set at the same length but are set to be longer than the first surface, the third surface may be set to be thicker than the first surface.

In this case, a section in a thickness direction of the third surface may be provided in a convex shape toward a direction far away from a center of the through hole, and a section in a thickness direction of the fourth surface may be provided in a convex shape toward a direction far away from a center of the through hole.

The laundry treating apparatus may further comprise a first fastening portion including a first fastening protrusion provided on the third surface along a direction from the first surface to the second surface, a first protrusion first extension portion extended from the first fastening protrusion toward the discharge pipe, and a first protrusion second extension portion extended from the first fastening protrusion toward the inlet pipe; a second fastening portion including a second fastening protrusion provided on the fourth surface along a direction from the first surface to the second surface, a second protrusion first extension portion extended from the second fastening protrusion toward the discharge pipe, and a second protrusion second extension portion extended from the second fastening protrusion toward the inlet pipe; a first fastening hole including a first slit provided to pass through the discharge pipe to allow the first fastening protrusion to be inserted thereinto, and a first slit extension portion extended from the first slit to allow the first protrusion first extension portion to be inserted thereinto; and a second fastening hole including a second slit provided to pass through the discharge pipe to allow the second fastening protrusion to be inserted thereinto, and a second slit extension portion extended from the second slit to allow the second protrusion first extension portion to be inserted thereinto.

The first protrusion second extension portion and the second protrusion second extension portion may be provided to tightly adhere an inner circumferential surface of the discharge pipe to the first surface and the second surface by pressurizing the inner circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.

The laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may further comprise a first stopper protruded from the first surface; a second stopper protruded from the second surface; a discharge pipe first groove provided at a free end of the discharge pipe, in which the first stopper is accommodated; a discharge pipe second groove provided at the free end of the discharge pipe, in which the second stopper is accommodated; an inlet pipe first groove provided at a free end of the inlet pipe, in which the first stopper is accommodated; and an inlet pipe second groove provided at the free end of the inlet pipe, in which the second stopper is accommodated.

The laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may further comprise a connector stopper provided in a ring shape protruded from the inner circumferential surface of the discharge pipe to be in contact with one end of the connector body, wherein the connector stopper may be provided to be upwardly inclined from the inner circumferential surface of the discharge pipe toward a corner of the through hole.

The laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may further comprise a sealing portion provided in a ring shape protruded from the inner circumferential surface of the discharge pipe toward the connector body, being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the connector body.

According to the present disclosure, a laundry treating apparatus in which assembly of a detergent path for guiding a detergent to a tub is simple may be provided.

Also, a laundry treating apparatus that easily prevents water leakage of a detergent path from occurring may be provided.

Also, a laundry treating apparatus that minimizes discharge of water stored in a trap formed in a detergent path to a tub due to a pressure change inside the tub may be provided.

Also, a laundry treating apparatus that guides water, which moves from a trap to a tub due to a pressure change inside the tub, to an insulator for connecting a cabinet inlet with a tub inlet, may be provided.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.

