Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119219-B2
Application number	US-201515119342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus comprises a cabinet forming a profile, provided with a laundry opening; a door having an inner frame arranged toward the laundry opening and an outer frame coupled to the inner frame and arranged toward the outside of the cabinet, and opening and closing the laundry opening; a hinge part having a first pivot rotating the door along a first rotational direction and a second pivot rotating the door along a second rotational direction different from the first rotational direction; a pivot switching member movable to rotatably fix the door to any one of the first pivot and the second pivot; and a pressing piece provided in the door and pressed by a user to move the pivot switching member, wherein the pressing piece includes a pressing point pressed by the user, and the pressing point is provided at an upper end of the pressing piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a cabinet that forms a profile, provided with an opening;
a door having an inner frame arranged toward the opening and an outer frame coupled to the inner frame and arranged toward the outside of the cabinet, the door being configured to open and close the opening;
a hinge part having a first pivot that rotates the door along a first rotational direction and a second pivot that rotates the door along a second rotational direction different from the first rotational direction;
a pivot switching member movable to rotatably fix the door to any one of the first pivot and the second pivot; and
an actuator provided in the door and configured to be pressed by a user, moving the pivot switching member when being pressed by the user,
wherein the actuator includes a pressing point pressed by the user, and the pressing point is provided at an upper end of the actuator,
wherein the actuator includes a first actuator configured to be pressed by the user, and a second actuator configured to be pressed by the first actuator when the first actuator is pressed by the user,
wherein the first actuator pivots around a first pivot shaft, and the second actuator includes a first portion arranged in a recess that is formed at an upper end of the door, and a second portion that extends from an end of the first portion toward the inner frame of the door and pivots around a second pivot shaft when pressed by the first actuator so as to move the pivot switching member,
wherein the first actuator includes a projection that projects toward the first portion of the second actuator, and the first portion of the second actuator is pressed by the projection when the first actuator is pressed by the user, and
wherein a pressing portion that projects toward the pivot switching member is formed at one end of the second portion of the second actuator, and when the first actuator is pressed by the user, the second portion and the pressing portion are moved in the same as the pressed direction of the first actuator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recess is recessed at a predetermined depth along a horizontal extension direction of the door, and the pressing point is arranged to be higher than the pivot shaft.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pivot switching member is provided with an inclined surface configured to move the pivot switching member in accordance with pressurization of the second actuator.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pivot switching member is provided with a bent portion bent to surround at least a part of the pressing portion, and wherein the inclined surface is formed at one side of the bent portion and arranged to be in contact with the pressing portion.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the bent portion is formed to surround at least a part of the pressing portion in a horizontal direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pivot switching member is provided with a projection that projects toward the inner frame, and the inclined surface is formed at one side of the projection and arranged in contact with the pressing portion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the projection is tapered such that a horizontal width increases as a distance between the projection and the pivot switching member increases.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, when the first portion of the second actuator is pressed, at least a part of the outer frame arranged in the pressed direction of the second actuator is formed to be rotated in the pressed direction of the second actuator.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pivot switching member includes a first switching member movable along a width direction of the door and a second switching member movable along a height direction of the door, and wherein the first switching member is arranged between the outer frame and the second portion of the second actuator.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first pivot shaft is provided at a lower end of the first actuator, and the second pivot shaft is provided at an upper end of the second actuator.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first pivot shaft of the first actuator is arranged to be lower than the second pivot shaft of the second actuator.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the projection is fixed to the first portion of the second actuator.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the first actuator is pressed, a free end of the second portion of the second actuator is moved in the same direction as the pressed direction of the first actuator.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the pressing portion bent toward the outer frame is provided at the free end of the second portion of the second actuator.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the pivot switching member includes a first switching member movable along a width direction of the door and a second switching member movable along a height direction of the door, and the pressing portion is formed to be projected toward an inclined surface of a projection piece formed in the first switching member.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Changheon
• Kim Jaeseok
• Kang Incheol
• Park Soowon
• Lee Hyuntae
• Hwang Inho
• Lee Hyeokjong
• Kim Kihyuk

Classifications

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F37/10

  Doors; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F37/28

  Doors; Security means therefor · CPC title

• D06F58/20

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F37/42

  Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door · CPC title