Abstract:
Disclosed is a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing drier comprising: first and second motor hubs respectively protruding at both sides of a motor; a supporting rib formed at a case for supporting the first motor hub; and a supporting member assembled at a lateral surface of the case by a sliding method for supporting the second motor hub. The apparatus simplifies assembly processes, enhances a mass production characteristic, and simplifies a service performance by improving a motor supporting structure and thereby enabling assembly/disassembly of a motor without disassembling a drum.

Description:
This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) on Patent Application No(s). 10-2003-0055663 filed in KOREA on Aug. 12, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a clothing dryer, and more particularly, to a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer capable of increasing an assembly characteristic and a mass production characteristic by easily detaching and mounting a motor. 
   2. Description of the Conventional Art 
   Generally, a clothing dryer is divided into a condensing type for circulating air, an exhausting type for exhaust air to outside, and etc. 
     FIG. 1  is a construction view of a general condensing type clothing dryer. 
   As shown, the clothing dryer comprises a case  100 , a drum  102  rotatably mounted in the case  100  for drying clothing, a circulation duct  104  connected between a front side and a rear side of the drum  102  for supplying heated air to the drum  102  and circulating air which has finished a drying operation in the drum  102 , a condenser  106  installed in the circulation duct  104  for removing moisture contained in air exhausted from the drum  102 , a circulation fan  108  for forcibly circulating air through the circulation duct  104 , and a heater (not shown) for heating air supplied to the drum  102 . 
   The condenser  106  is composed of an air passage  110  for passing external air and an air passage  112  for passing air exhausted from the drum  102  which are stacked each other, and removes moisture contained in circulation air exhausted from the drum  102  after being condensed. 
   Also, the case  100  is provided with an air inlet  116  for introducing external air supplied to the condenser  106 , and a cooling fan  118  for sucking air into the air inlet  116 . The case is also provided with a motor  120  for driving the circulation fan  108  and the cooling fan  118  and rotating the drum  102 , and the motor  120  is fixed to a bottom surface of the case  110  by a supporting apparatus. 
     FIG. 2  is a lateral view showing an arrangement structure of a motor and a drum of a clothing dryer in accordance with the conventional art,  FIG. 3  is a lateral view showing a motor supporting apparatus in accordance with the conventional art, and  FIG. 4  is an upper lateral view showing the motor supporting apparatus in accordance with the conventional art. 
   The conventional motor  120  is mounted at a lower side of the drum  102 , and is provided with a rotation shaft  130  arranged at both sides thereof and respectively connected to the circulation fan  108  and the cooling fan  118 . The motor is supported at the case  100  by a supporting apparatus. 
   The motor supporting apparatus comprises two supporting members  150  uprightly fixed to a bottom surface of the case  100  with a certain interval; a motor hub  152  respectively protruding from both lateral surfaces of the motor  120  and mounted to an upper surface of the supporting member  150 ; and a frame  156  covering the motor hub  152  and then coupled to the supporting member  150  by a coupling bolt  154 , for supporting the motor hub  152  to the upper surface of the supporting member  150 . 
   A vibration-proof rubber  158  for preventing vibration of the motor  120  from being transmitted to the case  100  is installed at an outer circumferential surface of the motor hub  152 . 
   In the conventional motor supporting apparatus, the supporting member  150  is fixed to the bottom surface of the case  100 , and then the motor hub  152  protruding from both sides of the motor  120  is mounted at the upper surface of said two supporting members  150 . Next, the frame  156  covers the motor hub  152  thereon, and then the coupling bolt  154  is coupled from an upper side direction to a lower side direction thus to fix an interval between the frame  156  and the supporting member  150 . 
   However, in the conventional motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer, the coupling bolt is coupled between the frame and the supporting member from the upper side to the lower side, and the drum having a large diameter is arranged at an upper side of the motor. Accordingly, in case of disassembling the motor, the drum has to be first removed to unfix a coupling screw, thereby having complicated assembly processes, lowering an assembly characteristic, and lowering a mass production characteristic. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer capable of simplifying assembly processes, enhancing a mass production characteristic, and simplifying a service performance by improving a motor supporting structure and thereby enabling assembly/disassembly of a motor without disassembling a drum. 
   To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer comprising: first and second motor hubs respectively protruding at both sides of a motor; a supporting rib formed at a case for supporting the first motor hub; and a supporting member assembled at a lateral surface of the case by a sliding method for supporting the second motor hub. 
   The supporting rib is provided with a hub mounting portion of a cylindrical shape for inserting the first motor hub, and is integrally formed at the case. 
   The supporting member comprises: a body uprightly arranged at a bottom surface of the case; a hub supporting portion formed at an upper side of the body for inserting the second motor hub and supporting; and a sliding coupling portion sliding-coupled to the case. 
   A bolt coupling portion bolt-coupled to the body after the sliding coupling portion is sliding-coupled to the body is formed at a front side of the body. 
   The sliding coupling portion is formed as a circular arc shape having the same diameter at a center of the hub supporting portion, and an engaging groove engaged to the case is formed in a length direction thereof. 
   An insertion groove of a circular arc shape for inserting the sliding coupling portion is formed at the case, and a guide rib coupled to the engaging groove is formed at both sides of the insertion groove in a length direction thereof. 
   The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a construction view of a general clothing dryer; 
       FIG. 2  is a lateral view showing an arrangement structure of a motor and a drum of a clothing drier in accordance with the conventional art; 
       FIG. 3  is a lateral view showing a motor supporting apparatus in accordance with the conventional art; 
       FIG. 4  is an upper lateral view showing the motor supporting apparatus in accordance with the conventional art; 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective views showing a supporting member of the motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view of a case showing a motor mounting portion of the motor supporting apparatus according to the present invention; and 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  are perspective views showing a structure that a motor is coupled to the case by the motor supporting apparatus according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
   Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer according to the present invention will be explained. 
     FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer according to the present invention. 
   The clothing dryer according to the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , comprises: a drum  102  rotatably mounted in the case  100  for drying clothing; a circulation duct  104  connected between a front side and a rear side of the drum  102  for supplying heated air to the drum  102  and circulating air which has finished a drying operation in the drum  102 ; a condenser  106  having a cooling fan  118  for removing moisture contained in air exhausted from the drum  102 ; a circulation fan  108  for forcibly circulating air through the circulation duct  104 ; and a motor  120  for driving the cooling fan  118  and the circulation fan  108  and for rotating the drum  102 . 
   The motor  120  is provided with a rotation shaft  130  for driving the cooling fan  118  and the circulation fan  108  at both sides thereof, and a first motor hub  2  and a second motor hub  4  for respectively supporting the rotation shaft  130  are formed at both side surfaces of the motor  120 . The first motor hub  2  and the second motor hub  4  are provided with a motor supporting apparatus, thereby fixing the motor  120  to the case  100 . 
   The motor supporting apparatus is composed of a supporting rib  6  for inserting the first motor hub  2  and supporting, and a supporting member  8  for supporting the second motor hub  4 . 
   The supporting rib  6  is provided with a hub mounting portion  10  of a cylindrical shape for inserting the first motor hub  2 , and is integrally formed at an inner side of the case  100 . The supporting rib  6  is provided with a penetration hole  16  for passing the rotation shaft  130 . 
   A vibration-proof member  18  for minimizing a transmission of vibration generated from the motor  120  to the case  100  is installed between an outer circumferential surface of the first motor hub  2  and an inner circumferential surface of the hub mounting portion  10 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the supporting member  8  comprises: a body  20  uprightly arranged at a bottom surface of the case  100 ; a hub supporting portion  22  formed at an upper side of the body  20  for inserting the second motor hub  4  and supporting; and a sliding coupling portion  24  formed at a lower side of the body  20  and sliding-coupled to the case  100 . 
   A bolt coupling portion  26  for bolt-coupling the supporting member  8  to the case  100  after the sliding coupling portion  24  is sliding-inserted into the case  100  is formed at a front side of the body  20 . 
   The bolt coupling portion  26  is integrally formed at a front side of the body  100  as a flat plate shape and has a plurality of bolt coupling holes  28 . Accordingly, the bolt coupling portion  26  bolt-couples the supporting member  8  toward a lateral direction of the case  100  after assembling the supporting member  8  to the case  100 . 
   The hub supporting portion  22  is formed as a cylindrical shape to insert the second motor hub  4 , and is provided with a penetration hole  30  for passing the rotation shaft  130  at one side thereof. A vibration-proof member  32  for preventing vibration generated from the motor  120  from being transmitted to the case  100  is installed between an outer circumferential surface of the second motor hub  4  and an inner circumferential surface of the hub supporting portion  22 . Also, an engaging portion  36  to which the vibration-proof member  32  is inserted and rotated together is formed at an inner circumferential surface of the hub supporting portion  22 . 
   The sliding coupling portion  24  is formed as a circular arc shape having the same radius R from a center P of the penetration hole  30  in order to be sliding coupled to the case  100  when the body  20  is rotated in a state that the hub supporting portion  22  is inserted into the first motor hub  4 . The sliding coupling portion  24  is provided with an engaging groove  38  of a circular arc shape sliding inserted into the case  100  at both sides thereof, and preferably has a sectional surface of an ‘I’ shape. 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , a motor mounting portion  42  for mounting the motor is formed at a bottom surface of the case  100 . The motor mounting portion  42  is provided with the supporting rib  6  having the hub mounting portion  10  at one side thereof and is provided with an insertion groove  40  for inserting the sliding coupling portion  24  at another side thereof. A guide rib  44  having a circular arc shape and the same curvature radius as the sliding coupling portion  24  is formed at both sides of the insertion groove  40  in order to fit the engaging groove  38  of the sliding coupling portion  24 . 
   Assembly processes and operation of the motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer according to the present invention will be explained as follows. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10  are perspective views showing a structure that a motor is coupled to the case by the motor supporting apparatus according to the present invention. 
   First, the motor  120  is mounted at the motor mounting portion  42  of the case  100 , and then the first motor hub  2  is inserted into the hub mounting portion  10  of the supporting rib  6 . Next, the rotation shaft  130  of the motor  120  is passed through the penetration hole  16  formed at the supporting rib  6 . At this time, said process is performed in a state that the vibration-proof member  18  has been fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the first motor hub  2 . 
   Under said state, the rotation shaft  130  is passed through the penetration hole  30  of the supporting member  8  thus to move the supporting member  8  to a lateral direction and insert the hub mounting portion  22  of the supporting member  8  into the second motor hub  4 . Said process is also performed in a state that the vibration-proof member  32  has been fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the second motor hub  4 . 
   Then, the supporting member  8  is rotated on the basis of the hub mounting portion  22  thus to fit the sliding coupling portion  24  of the supporting member  8  into the insertion groove  40  formed at the bottom surface of the case  100 . According to this, the engaging groove  38  formed at the sliding coupling portion  24  is fitted into the guide rib  44  formed at the insertion groove  40 . 
   Next, a bolt is coupled to the bolt coupling portion  26  formed at the supporting member  8  thus to fix the supporting member  8  to the case  100 , thereby completing a motor mounting. 
   A motor disassembling process is performed by disassembling the motor with a reverse order of the motor assembling process. 
   In the motor supporting apparatus of a clothing dryer according to the present invention, the first motor hub of the motor is inserted in the supporting rib formed at the case, then the supporting member is inserted into the second motor hub positioned at an opposite side to the motor towards a lateral direction, and then the supporting member is rotated, thereby fixing the supporting member to the case by a sliding method. Accordingly, the assembling process is simple. Also, since the drum does not have to be disassembled at the time of assembling or disassembling the motor, a service performance and a mass production characteristic are enhanced. 
   As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.