Bathroom management apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10240806-B2
Application number	US-201715695256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2017
Priority date	Sep 5, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A bathroom management apparatus capable of circulating air through a duct and discharging moisture that has entered the duct is disclosed. The bathroom management apparatus includes a case including an air intake port formed in a front surface thereof, a first air discharge port formed in the front surface thereof and a second air discharge port formed in a lower surface thereof, a duct provided in the case so as to connect the air intake port, the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port to each other, a damper provided in the duct so as to direct air toward one of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port, and a second discharge vane for opening and closing the second air discharge port, wherein the damper includes a first water discharge port and the second discharge vane includes a second water discharge port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bathroom drying apparatus comprising:
a case including an inner case and an outer case and including an air intake port formed in an upper region of a front surface thereof, a first air discharge port formed in a lower region of the front surface thereof, and a second air discharge port formed in a lower surface thereof;
a duct provided in the case and configured to provide an air passage between the air intake port, the first air discharge port, and the second air discharge port;
a blower fan configured to generate an air flow through the duct;
a damper provided in the duct and configured to direct air, which is introduced into the duct through the air intake port, toward at least one of the first air discharge port or the second air discharge port; and
a discharge vane configured to move to selectively open or close the second air discharge port,
wherein the damper includes a first water discharge port through which water introduced into the duct passes, and the discharge vane includes a second water discharge port through which the water that has passed through the first water discharge port is discharged to an outside of the bathroom drying apparatus.

2. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the duct includes a main flow channel configured to communicate with the air intake port, a first sub flow channel branched from the main flow channel and configured to communicate with the first air discharge port, and a second sub flow channel branched from the main flow channel and configured to communicate with the second air discharge port, and
wherein the damper is configured to allow air flow between the main flow channel and the second sub flow channel when the discharge vane opens the second air discharge port, and the damper blocks the communication between the main flow channel and the second sub flow channel when the discharge vane closes the second air discharge port.

3. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the damper is positioned to be inclined forward and downward when the damper blocks air flow between the main flow channel and the second sub flow channel.

4. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first water discharge port is formed by depressing a front end of the damper.

5. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a water guide provided in the duct configured to receive water that has passed through the first water discharge port and to direct the water toward the second water discharge port.

6. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second water discharge port includes a left water discharge port and a right water discharge port, and
wherein the water guide includes a trap provided between the left water discharge port and the right water discharge port and configured to receive water that has passed through the first water discharge port, a first outlet extending toward the left water discharge port from one end of the trap, and a second outlet extending toward the right water discharge port from another end of the trap.

7. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the trap is inclined downward toward opposite lateral sides thereof from a higher middle portion thereof.

8. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge vane is a second discharge vane,
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises an intake vane configured to move to selectively open or close the air intake port, an intake vane motor configured to move the intake vane, a first discharge vane configured to move to selectively open or close the first air discharge port, and a first discharge vane motor configured to move the first discharge vane,
wherein the inner case includes a first through hole into which a rotating shaft of the intake vane motor is fitted, and a second through hole into which a rotating shaft of the first discharge vane is fitted, and
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises a third seal configured to deter water from passing through the first through hole, and a fourth seal configured to deter water from passing through the second through hole.

9. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the intake vane motor is spaced apart from a first section of the duct and is coupled to the inner case defining a front surface of the case, and the first discharge vane motor is spaced apart from second section of the duct and is coupled to the inner case.

10. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blower fan is provided in the duct so as to suck air through the air intake port and to blow the air toward at least one of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port, and the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises a fan motor configured to drive the blower fan,
wherein the duct includes a fan-mounting hole formed in a lateral side thereof and configured to accommodate the blower fan, and
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises:
a fan motor-mounting bracket configured to couple the fan motor to the lateral side of the duct while covering the fan-mounting hole, the fan motor-mounting bracket including a third through hole into which a rotating shaft of the fan motor is fitted, and
a fifth seal configured to deter water from passing through the third through hole.

11. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heater provided in the duct and configured to heat air in the duct,
wherein the duct includes a heater-mounting hole formed in a lateral side thereof and configured to accommodate the heater, and
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises a sixth seal configured to deter water from passing through the heater-mounting hole.

12. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the duct includes a fourth through hole formed in a lateral side thereof, a rotating shaft of the damper being fitted into the fourth through hole, and
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises a seventh seal configured to deter water from passing through the fourth through hole.

13. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the duct includes a fifth through hole formed in a lateral side thereof, a rotating shaft of the discharge vane being fitted into the fifth through hole, and
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises an eighth seal configured to deter water from passing through the fifth through hole.

14. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an ionizer provided in the duct and configured to provide ions to air in the duct,
wherein the duct includes an ionizer-mounting hole formed in a rear surface thereof and configured to accommodate the ionizer, and
wherein the bathroom drying apparatus further comprises a ninth seal configured to deter water from passing through the ionizer-mounting hole.

15. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to selectively activate one or more components of the bathroom drying apparatus,
wherein the controller is spaced apart from a portion of the duct and is coupled to the inner case defining a front surface of the case.

16. The bathroom drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an intake vane configured to be moved to selectively open or close the air intake port and a first discharge vane configured to be moved to selectively open or close the first air discharge port,
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Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Yongju
• Kim Minjung
• Jun Wheeyoung

Classifications

• F04D29/441

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/083

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/4213 Primary

  suction ports · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title