Laundry treatment apparatus with drawer locking unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10125442-B2
Application number	US-201615058258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2016
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a drawer. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a cabinet that has an entrance opening and that is configured to receive the drawer through the entrance opening. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a drum that is located inside the drawer and that is configured to receive laundry. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a drum drive unit that is located inside the drawer and that is configured to rotate the drum. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a fastening mechanism that is configured to reciprocate in a first direction that is either up and down or left and right with respect to a front of the drawer. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a transfer member that is configured to reciprocate in a second direction that is either up and down or left and right with respect to the front of the drawer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a drawer;
a cabinet that has an entrance opening and that is configured to receive the drawer through the entrance opening;
a drum that is located inside the drawer and that is configured to receive laundry;
a drum drive unit that is located inside the drawer and that is configured to rotate the drum;
a fastening member that is configured to reciprocate in a first direction that is either up and down or left and right with respect to a front of the drawer and that is configured to separably couple the drawer to the cabinet; and
a transfer member that is configured to reciprocate in a second direction that is either up and down or left and right with respect to the front of the drawer and that is configured to move the fastening member, the second direction being different than the first direction,
wherein the fastening member comprises:
a first bar that is configured to reciprocate up and down with respect to the front of the drawer in response to the transfer member moving, that is separably coupled to a first surface of the cabinet, and that comprises:
a first coupling portion that is connected to the transfer member; and
a first end that is configured to separably couple to the cabinet, and

a second bar that is configured to reciprocate up and down with respect to the front of the drawer in response to the transfer member moving, that is separably coupled to a second surface of the cabinet that is opposite the first surface, and that comprises:
a second coupling portion that is connected to the transfer member; and
a second end that is configured to separably couple to the cabinet,

wherein the transfer member comprises a transfer body that is configured to reciprocate up and down with respect to the drawer and that defines a first slot that is configured to guide the first bar left and right with respect to the front of the drawer and a second slot that is configured to guide the second bar left and right with respect to the front of the drawer,
wherein the first coupling portion is configured to connect to the first slot,
wherein the second coupling portion is configured to connect to the second slot, and
wherein the laundry treatment apparatus further comprises:
a motor that has a rotating shaft; and
a converter that is configured to convert rotational motion of the rotating shaft into reciprocation motion of the transfer body, and that comprises:
a body slot in the transfer body that is orthogonal to a reciprocating movement direction of the transfer body;
an arm that is connected to the rotating shaft; and
a slot connection portion that is located on the arm,
wherein the body slot is configured to receive the slot connection portion, and
wherein a length of the body slot is equal to or greater than a diameter of a movement path of the slot connection portion.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first bar guide located in the drawer and configured to support the first bar; and
a second bar guide located in the drawer and configured to support the second bar.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first slot and the second slot are angled relative to a movement direction of the transfer body by a prescribed angle.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a distance between an upper end of the first slot and an upper end of the second slot is less than a distance between a lower end of the first slot and a lower end of the second slot.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transfer member guide that is located in the drawer and that is configured to guide movement of the transfer body.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tub that is located inside the drawer and that is configured to receive the drum; and
a drive shaft that is configured to penetrate the tub and that is configured to connect to a bottom surface of the drum,
wherein the drum drive unit comprises:
a rotor that is configured to connect to the drive shaft; and
a stator that is located on a lower surface of the tub and that is configured to rotate the rotor.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the fastening member is located above the drum drive unit.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drawer further comprises:
a drawer body that defines a space that is configured to receive the drum; and
a drawer panel that is configured to open or close the entrance opening and that is separably coupled to the drawer body,
wherein the fastening member and the transfer member are connected to the drawer body and are visible based on the drawer panel being separated from the drawer body.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jihong
• Kim Wooseong
• Sim Inbo
• Lee Gunho
• Han Inhee

Classifications

• E05B47/0012

  with rotary electromotors (actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68) · CPC title

• D06F29/00 Primary

  Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus · CPC title

• D06F31/00 Primary

  Washing installations comprising an assembly of several washing machines or washing units, e.g. continuous flow assemblies · CPC title

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• E05C9/045

  with inclined surfaces, e.g. spiral or helicoidal · CPC title