LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS
20220307189 · 2022-09-29
Assignee
Inventors
- Donghwan Lee (Seoul, KR)
- Myungshik Kim (Seoul, KR)
- Jeaseok Seong (Seoul, KR)
- Sungkyong Han (Seoul, KR)
- Junyi Heo (Seoul, KR)
Cpc classification
F21V23/0485
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
D06F58/10
TEXTILES; PAPER
D06F2105/54
TEXTILES; PAPER
International classification
Abstract
A laundry treating apparatus has a cabinet, a laundry receiving space in the cabinet and providing a predetermined space for accommodate laundry. A laundry introduction opening in a front surface of the cabinet and communicating with the laundry receiving space, a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the laundry receiving space, a supply unit configured to supply at least one of air or water to the laundry receiving space, and a presser configured to form creases of pants or unfold wrinkles of pants. The presser has a housing on the laundry receiving space, a housing chamber in the housing and providing a space in which pants are secured thereto, a housing door rotatably coupled to the housing and configured to open and close the housing chamber, and a housing guide configured to withdraw the housing from the laundry receiving space through the laundry introduction opening.
Claims
1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising: a cabinet; a laundry receiving space provided in the cabinet and providing a predetermined space for accommodate laundry; a laundry introduction opening provided in a front surface of the cabinet and communicating with the laundry receiving space; a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the laundry receiving space; a supply unit configured to supply at least one of air or water to the laundry receiving space; and a presser configured to form creases of pants or unfold wrinkles of pants, the presser including: a housing provided on the laundry receiving space; a housing chamber provided in the housing and providing a space in which pants are secured thereto; a housing door rotatably coupled to the housing and configured to open and close the housing chamber; and a housing guide configured to withdraw the housing from the laundry receiving space through the laundry introduction opening.
2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing guide extends in a front-rear direction.
3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing guide includes: a fixed frame fixed to the laundry receiving space; and a withdrawable frame including one end withdrawable from the fixed frame and the other end fixed to the housing.
4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the presser further includes: a pants-supporting part provided in any one of the housing and the housing door to secure pants thereto; a pants-pressing part provided in the other of the housing and the housing door.
5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pants-supporting part includes: a laundry securing portion provided in the housing chamber and configured to detachably secure pants thereto; and a support body provided in the housing chamber and configured to support one surface of pants that is secured to the laundry securing portion.
6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pants-pressing part includes: a pressing body fixed to the housing door; and a secure part receiving groove configured to receive the laundry securing portion when the housing door closes the housing chamber.
7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 6, wherein presser further includes an avoiding groove recessed formed in at least one of the support body and the pressing body and provided along a height direction of the door.
8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the laundry securing portion is further recessed formed than the avoiding groove.
9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the presser further includes a hinge that rotates the housing door toward the laundry introduction opening, when the housing door opens the housing chamber.
10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 9, wherein the hinge includes: a hinge body connecting the housing and the housing door; a first shaft rotatably coupling one end of the hinge body to the housing; and a second shaft rotatably coupling the other end of the hinge body to the housing door.
11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the presser further includes a housing inlet hole formed penetrated on the housing to communicate the laundry receiving space and the housing chamber.
12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11, wherein the housing inlet hole is formed on at least one of an upper surface of the housing and a rear surface of the housing.
13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the presser further includes a pants-supporting part provided in the housing chamber and spaced apart from the upper surface of the housing.
14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is withdrawable coupled to any one surface of the inner side surfaces of the cabinet.
15. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the housing chamber faces the door when the housing is withdraw from the laundry receiving space through the laundry introduction opening.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042]
[0043]
[0044]
[0045]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted herein that construction of an apparatus, which will hereinafter be described, and a control method of the apparatus are given only for illustrative purposes and the protection scope of the invention is not limited thereto. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
[0047] As shown in
[0048] As shown in
[0049] The first chamber 13 is partitioned off from the laundry receiving space 11 by a first partition wall (17) and the second chamber 15 is partitioned off therefrom by a second partition wall (19). Accordingly, a lower surface of the first partition wall 17 may define an upper surface of the laundry receiving space 11 and an upper surface of the second partition wall 19 may define a lower surface of the laundry receiving space 11.
[0050] As shown in
[0051] As shown in
[0052] The air supply unit 4 may include a duct 41 provided in the second chamber 15; and a heat exchanger and a fan 47 that are provided in the duct. The duct 41 may be a channel provided to discharge air inside the laundry receiving space 11 towards the heat exchanger and supply the air having passed the heat exchanger towards the laundry receiving space 11.
[0053] An outlet hole 191 and an inlet hole 192, which are in communication with the laundry receiving space 11 and the second chamber 15, may be provided in the second partition wall 19. The duct 41 provided in the second chamber 15 may connect the outlet hole 191 and the inlet hole 192 with each other. Accordingly, the fan 47 provided in the duct 41 may be rotated, and the air inside the laundry receiving space 11 may be drawn into the duct 41 via the outlet hole 191 and flow into the laundry receiving space 11 via the inlet hole 192.
[0054] The heat exchanger may be provided in a variety of forms provided that it is capable of dehumidifying the air (or removing the moisture contained in the air) drawn into the duct 41 via the outlet hole 191 and heating the dehumidified air. In
[0055] In this instance, the heat exchanger may include a refrigerant pipe 44 providing a circulation channel of a refrigerant; a first heat exchanger (42, a heat suction unit) fixed to the refrigerant pipe 44 and located between the outlet hole 191 and the fan 47; a second heat exchanger (43, a heat radiation unit) fixed to the refrigerant pipe 44 and located between the first heat exchanger 42 and the fan 47; an compressor 45 configured to circulate the refrigerant along the refrigerant pipe 44; and an expander 46 configured to lower the pressure of the refrigerant having passed the heat exchanger 43.
[0056] The first and second heat exchangers 42 and 43 may be provided in the duct 41. The compressor 45 and the expander 46 may be provided outside the duct 41. The first heat exchanger 42 may be provided as means for extracting heat from the air drawn into the duct 41 and transmitting the heat to the refrigerant circulating inside the refrigerant pipe 44. The refrigerant may be evaporated while passing the first heat exchanger 42 and the air may have moisture contained therein to be condensed while passing the first heat exchanger 42.
[0057] The second heat exchanger 43 may be provided as means for transmitting the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 to the air having passed the first heat exchanger 42. The refrigerant may be evaporated while passing the second heat exchanger 43 and the air may have moisture contained therein to be condensed while passing the second heat exchanger 43.
[0058] The moisture supply unit 5 may include a water storage 51 provided in the second chamber 15 and providing a predetermined space for storing the water; a supply pipe 55 provided to connect the water storage 51 with a nozzle 57; and a heater 53 configured to heat the water stored in the water storage. A moisture inlet hole 193 in communication with is provided in the second partition wall 19. The nozzle 57 may be fixed to the moisture inlet hole 193.
[0059] The laundry support unit 6 may include a support bar 64 having a hook H2 of the hanger supported thereto; first and second connecting portions provided to connect both ends of the support bar to the first partition wall 17. In this instance, when the support bar 64 is provided near the center of the upper surface of the laundry receiving space 11, a relatively short user could feel uncomfortable in hooking the hook H2 of the hanger to the support bar 64 or unhook it from the support bar 64.
[0060] To solve that, the laundry support unit 6 may be movable along a depth direction of the laundry receiving space (Z-axis direction). As shown in
[0061] The laundry support unit may include a base (61, a Z-axis reciprocating base) configured to reciprocate between the front surface 16 and a rear surface of the cabinet inside the first chamber 13; first and second connecting parts having one ends fixed to the base and free ends located in the laundry receiving space 11; and a support bar 64 having one end fixed to the first connecting part and the other end fixed to the second connecting part to support the hook H2 of the hanger.
[0062] The first partition wall 17 may include a first slit 171 and a second slit (not shown) provided to facilitate communication with the first chamber 13 and the laundry receiving space 11. The first connecting part 62 may be inserted in the first slit 171 and the second connecting part (not shown) may be inserted in the second slit.
[0063] The first slit 171 may extend from a rear portion of the laundry receiving space towards a front portion having the laundry introduction opening 161 (extend along Z-axis). The second slit may be provided in parallel with the first slit 171. The support bar 64 may be arranged high enough to keep a state where the laundry is spread or unfold in the laundry receiving space 11.
[0064] The conveying part 65 may be provided in a variety of forms provided that it is configured to reciprocate between the center of the laundry receiving space 11 and the laundry introduction opening 161. In
[0065] The conveying part 65 may convey the support bar 64 when the user inputs a control command via a user input unit (a control command input unit). the control command input unit may control the generation of a control command for moving the support bar 64 towards the laundry introduction opening 161 and another control command for moving the support bar 64 apart from the laundry introduction opening 161 (towards the center of the laundry receiving space) sequentially. The control command input unit may be provided in the door or a predetermined space exposed when the door opens the laundry introduction opening (e.g., the front surface of the cabinet, the laundry receiving space)
[0066] Once the user presses the control command input unit in a state where the laundry introduction opening 161 is open, the support bar 64 may move towards the laundry introduction opening 161 such that the user can easily hook the hook H2 of the hanger to the support bar 64. Once the user presses the control command after hooking the hanger H1 to the support bar 64, the support bar 64 may move apart from the laundry introduction opening so as to prevent the hanger H1 from interfering with the door 2.
[0067] Meanwhile, the conveying part 65 may be configured move the support bar 64 once the door 2 opens the laundry introduction opening 161. In other words, when the door 2 opens the laundry introduction opening 161, the conveying part 65 may move the support bar 64 towards the laundry introduction opening 161 (in Z-axis direction).
[0068] When the door 2 opens the laundry introduction opening 161, a distance from the laundry introduction opening 161 to the center of the support bar 64 may be set to be a third (⅓) or less of the length L (the Z-axis length of the laundry receiving space) of the laundry receiving space with respect to the moving direction of the support bar. That is to facilitate the user's hanging or unhanging the hanger H1 to or from the support bar 64 easily.
[0069] Meanwhile, when the door 2 closes the opening 161, a distance from the laundry introduction opening 161 to the center of the support bar 64 may be set to be a half (½) or more of the length L of the laundry receiving space that is in parallel with the moving direction of the support bar. When the support bar 64 is located in the center of the laundry receiving space 11 upon the door 2 closing the opening, it is possible to maximize the size of the hanger H1 having a shape that is symmetrical to the hanger H1 (that is, maximize the width of the laundry that can be accommodated in the laundry receiving space).
[0070] A door sensing unit 24 may be provided to sense whether the door 2 opens the laundry introduction opening 161. In
[0071] The door sensing unit 24 may be a sensor configured to contact with the door once the door 2 closes the laundry introduction opening 161 and separate from the door 2 when the door 2 opens the opening 161.
[0072] As shown in
[0073] The laundry treatment apparatus 100 may further include a lamp configured emit light towards the laundry receiving space 11. The lamp may be provided in the laundry receiving space 11 or the support bar 64.
[0074]
[0075] As shown in
[0076] The housing 31 may be withdrawable from the laundry receiving space 11 along a housing guide 33. The housing guide 33 may include a fixed frame 331 fixed to the laundry receiving space 11; and a withdrawable frame 332 having one end withdrawable from the fixed frame 331 and the other end fixed to the housing 31.
[0077] The pants-supporting part 34 may include laundry securing portion 342 provided in the housing chamber 31a and having one end of the pants detachably secured thereto; and a support body 341 provided in the housing chamber 31a and configured to support one surface of the pants secured to the laundry securing part portion 343.
[0078] One end of the laundry securing portion 343 may be secured to a surface of the support body 341 and a free end may be a clip for pressing the pants to the surface of the support body 341 by using elasticity.
[0079] The pants-pressing part 35 may be provided as means for pressing the pants secured to the pants-supporting part 34 towards the support body 341 when the housing door 312 closes the housing opening 31b. The pants-pressing part 35 may include a pressing body 351 fixed to the housing door 312. The pressing body 351 may include a securing part receiving groove 353 for accommodating the laundry securing portion 343 when the housing door 312 closes the housing opening 31b.
[0080] To effectively remove wrinkles from the pants and reinforcingly put a cease on the pants, the presser 3 may further include a housing inlet hole provided to facilitate communication between the housing chamber 31a and the laundry receiving space 11. The housing inlet hole 313, 314 may include at least one of first and second inlet holes 313 and 314. The first inlet hole 313 may penetrate an upper surface of the housing and the second inlet hole 314 may penetrate a rear surface of the housing. Accordingly, the vapors and air supplied to the laundry receiving space 11 by the supply unit 3 and 4 may be supplied to the pants via the housing inlet hole 313, 314.
[0081] When removing wrinkles from the pants by using the presser 3, unintended wrinkles might be made by a sewing line formed in the pants. To solve such unintended wrinkles, the presser 3 may further include an avoiding groove 361, 363 providing a predetermined space for accommodating such sewing line.
[0082] The avoiding groove 361, 363 may include at least one of a support body groove 361 provided along the height of the support body 341 (Y-axis direction or the height of the door); and a pressing body groove 363 provided along the height of the pressing body.
[0083] The support body groove 361 may be a groove recessed in a surface of the support body 341 in a direction getting apart from the pressing body 351. The pressing body groove 363 may be a groove recessed in a surface of the pressing body 351 in a direction getting apart from the support body 341.
[0084] The housing door 312 may be rotatably coupled to the housing 31 by using a hinge 37. The hinge 37 may include a hinge body 371 provided in a bar shape; a first shaft 373 rotatably coupling one end of the hinge body 371 to the housing; and a second shaft 375 rotatably coupling the other end of the hinge body 371 to the door 312. The hinge body 371 may be provided in the bar shape having one inflection point formed between the first shaft 373 and the second shaft 375.
[0085] In case the housing door 312 to the housing 31 via the shaft, unintended wrinkles might be generated by the pants upon the door 312 closing the housing opening 31b (the pressing body contacting with the support body). In case of the presser 3 including the hinge having one shaft, an area near the hinge might contact with the pressing body 351 first upon the pressing body 351 pressing the pants towards the support body 341 such that the pants might be twisted. However, when the door 312 is coupled to the housing 31 by using the hinge 37 having two shafts 373 and 375, the wrinkles put on the pants when the pressing body 351 presses the pants towards the support body 341 may be prevented.
[0086] As shown in
[0087] The door body 21 may be provided to cover the entire area of the cabinet front surface 16 or some area of the front surface 16. In the former case, the front surface of the laundry treatment apparatus may be defined by the door body 21. In the latter case, the front surface of the laundry treating apparatus may be defined by some area of the cabinet front surface 16 (e.g., the area exposed to the front of the laundry treatment apparatus) and the door body 21.
[0088] In the door body 21 may be provided an input unit 213 configured to receive an input of a control command from the user and a display unit 211 configured to display a control command selectable by the user or an execution process of the selected control command.
[0089] Meanwhile, the door 2 may include a body through hole 22 penetrating the door body 21; a window 23 provided in the through hole 22; and a knock sensing unit 25 configured to sense at least one of noise (a sound wave transmitted via air) or vibration (transmitted via the window) that is generated when the user knocks on the window 23. Knocking may include tapping.
[0090] The window 23 may be made of a transparent or semitransparent material. The knock sensing unit 25 includes a housing 251 having an accommodating space and fixed to the door body 21; a sensor 253 provided in the accommodating space of the sensor housing and configured to sense the sound wave or vibration; and a pressing portion 255 provided in the accommodating space and configured to press the sensor 253 towards the window 23.
[0091] The pressing portion 255 may be provided in a variety of forms provided that it is able to keep the sensor 253 in a contacted state with the window 23. In
[0092] Meanwhile, the lamp 641 provided in the laundry receiving space 11 or the support bar 64 may emit light towards the laundry receiving space 11 once the knock sensing unit 25 senses the sound wave or vibration generated when the user is knocking the window 23. In this instance, the laundry treatment apparatus 100 may realize an effect of enabling the inside of the laundry treatment apparatus 100 to be checked from the outside by knocking on the window 23.
[0093] The knock sensing unit 25 may be activated only when the door body 21 closes the laundry introduction opening 161. In other words, the lamp 641 may be configured to emit light only when the knock sensing unit 25 senses the sound wave or vibration generated when the user is tapping the window 23 in a state where it is determined that the door body 21 closes the laundry introduction opening 161. In contrast, once it is determined that the door body 21 opens the laundry introduction opening 161, the knock sensing unit 25 may be controlled to be deactivated. Once the user checks the inside of the laundry receiving space 11 upon the door body 21 opening the laundry introduction opening 161, it is not necessary to check the laundry treatment apparatus by using the knock sensing unit 26.
[0094] The control unit (not shown) may switch a current activated state of the knock sensing unit 25 into the deactivated state or vice versa. In this instance, the control unit may receive a control signal from the door sensing unit 24 and it may be provided as means for cutting off the electricity supplied to the sensor 253.
[0095] The lamp 641 may be configured to emit different color lights according to a progress of the cycle (a dry cycle, a wrinkle-free cycle, cease putting cycle and the like) executed by the laundry treatment apparatus. For that, the laundry treatment apparatus may further include a state sensing unit (411, see
[0096] Alternatively, the state sensing unit 411 may be provided as means for measuring a contamination level of the laundry. In other words, the state sensing unit 411 may be provided as means for sensing the smell or the amount of the foreign substances remaining in the laundry. When the knock sensing unit 25 senses that an external force is applied to the window upon the door body 21 closing the laundry introduction opening 161, the lamp 641 may emit respective different color lights according to a contamination level of the laundry measured by the state sensing unit 411.
[0097] The state sensing unit configured to measure the amount of the smell remaining in the laundry may be a sensor configured to sense the intensity of smell particles contained in the air inside the laundry receiving space 11. The state sensing unit configured to measure the amount of the foreign substances remaining in the laundry may measure the amount of the foreign substances contained in the air drawn into the duct 41 via the outlet hole 191 or discharged from the duct 41 via the inlet hole 193. Examples of the state sensing unit may include a filter provided in the duct 41 and configured to filter air and a foreign substance sensing unit configured to sense the amount of the foreign substances remaining on the filter.
[0098] As shown in
[0099] As shown in
[0100] The actuating body 671 may reciprocate along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the laundry receiving space 11, while being supported by the actuating body 671. In this instance, the first connecting part 62 and the second connecting part 63 may be secured to both ends of the actuating body 671, respectively.
[0101] As shown in the drawing, the converting part may include a slot 675 provided in the actuating body 671; a shaft coupling part 676 fixed to the shaft 674 of the motor, an arm 677 projected from the shaft coupling part along an orthogonal direction with respect to the shaft 674; and a slot inserting part 678 provided in a free end of the arm to be inserted in the slot 675.
[0102] As illustrated in
[0103] The laundry support unit 6 may further include a rail 611 and a rail accommodating groove 613 so as to provide a moving passage of the base 61. In
[0104] When air is supplied to the laundry receiving space 11 by actuating the air supply unit 4, the laundry may be dried. While the air is supplied to the laundry receiving space, the support bar 64 is reciprocating along the width direction of the laundry receiving space by the actuating part 67. In this instance, the heat exchanging time between the laundry and air may be effectively reduced (e.g., achieving an effect of shortened drying time).
[0105] Meanwhile, when vapors are supplied to the laundry receiving space 11 by actuating the moisture supply unit 5, the laundry treatment apparatus may remove wrinkles from the laundry. While supplying vapors to the laundry receiving space, the support bar 64 may reciprocate along the width direction of the laundry receiving space such that wrinkles can be more effectively removed from the laundry.
[0106] Furthermore, when the vapors and the air are supplied to the laundry receiving space simultaneously or sequentially, bad smell may be removed from the laundry. While supplying the vapors and the air to the laundry receiving space, the support bar 64 may reciprocate along the width direction of the laundry receiving space. Accordingly, the time taken to deodorize the laundry may be minimized.
[0107] In some embodiments, units discussed herein may be implemented in various forms. For example, an electronic control unit may be provided. A controller may be provided having circuitry configured to perform various functions. An electronic control unit or controller may be provided together with other hardware. Some units may be implemented by a computer.
[0108] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosures. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers the modifications and variations of this disclosure that may be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.