Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10487440-B2
Application number	US-201615197379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a laundry treatment apparatus including a first cabinet, a first drum provided inside the first cabinet for receiving laundry therein, a first drive unit for rotating the first drum, a first controller for controlling the first drive unit, a second cabinet located under the first cabinet and having an introduction/discharge opening, a drawer provided so as to be discharged from the second cabinet through the introduction/discharge opening, a second drum provided inside the drawer for receiving laundry therein, a second drive unit for rotating the second drum, a second controller for controlling the second drive unit, and a remote controller for transmitting a control signal to the second controller via wireless communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a first cabinet;
a first drum located inside the first cabinet for receiving laundry therein;
a first drive unit configured to rotate the first drum;
a first controller configured to control the first drive unit;
a second cabinet that is configured to be located under the first cabinet and that defines an introduction/discharge opening;
a drawer configured to discharge from the second cabinet through the introduction/discharge opening;
a second drum located inside the drawer and configured to receive laundry therein;
a second drive unit configured to rotate the second drum;
a second controller configured to control the second drive unit;
a first connection piece disposed on a bottom surface of the first cabinet;
a remote controller configured to transmit a control signal to the second controller via wireless communication; and
a connector configured to open and close a power circuit that is configured to supply power to the second drive unit,
wherein the connector is further configured to:
based on the first cabinet being seated on an upper surface of the second cabinet, close the power circuit to allow operation of the second drive unit, and
based on the first cabinet not being seated on the upper surface of the second cabinet, open the power circuit to prevent operation of the second drive unit, and

wherein the connector includes a connector body that penetrates the upper surface of the second cabinet and that allows the first connection piece to apply a pressure to the connector body, and a circuit connection piece configured to open and close the power circuit.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drawer includes a drawer panel configured to open and close the introduction/discharge opening and a drawer body, to which the drawer panel is fixed, the drawer body being configured to be discharged from the second cabinet through the introduction/discharge opening, and
wherein the remote controller includes a body, a transmitter disposed in the body and configured to transmit the control signal, and a receiver disposed in the drawer panel and configured to receive the control signal.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the receiver is provided on a front surface of the drawer panel or an upper surface of the drawer panel.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drawer includes a drawer panel configured to open and close the introduction/discharge opening and a drawer body, to which the drawer panel is fixed, the drawer body being configured to be discharged from the second cabinet through the introduction/discharge opening, and
wherein the remote controller includes a body, a transmitter disposed in the body and configured to transmit the control signal, and a receiver disposed in the drawer body and configured to receive the control signal.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a window disposed on an upper surface of the drawer body and configured to transmit light into the drawer,
wherein the receiver is located under the window.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing unit configured to separably couple the remote controller to the first cabinet or the second cabinet.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein at least one of the first cabinet and the second cabinet is made of a metal, and the fixing unit comprises a permanent magnet.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a discharge unit configured to move the drawer to an outside of the second cabinet or an inside of the second cabinet; and
a discharge controller disposed in the remote controller and configured to control whether or not to operate the discharge unit.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a door configured to open and close an introduction opening, through which laundry is supplied to the second drum;
a door lock configured to fix the door to the introduction opening; and
a lock controller disposed in the remote controller and configured to control whether or not to operate the door lock.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second connection piece disposed on the upper surface of the second cabinet and configured to be separably coupled to the first connection piece.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second drive unit is configured to operate when the connector closes the power circuit, and
wherein the second controller is configured to receive a control signal from the remote controller.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connector is further configured to, based on the first cabinet being lifted from the upper surface of the second cabinet, open the power circuit to prevent operation of the second drive unit.

13. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a first cabinet;
a first drum located inside the first cabinet for receiving laundry therein;
a first drive unit configured to rotate the first drum;
a first controller configured to control the first drive unit;
a second cabinet that is configured to be located under the first cabinet and that defines an introduction/discharge opening;
a drawer configured to discharge from the second cabinet through the introduction/discharge opening;
a second drum located inside the drawer and configured to receive laundry therein;
a second drive unit configured to rotate the second drum;
a second controller configured to control the second drive unit;
a remote controller configured to transmit a control signal to the second controller via wireless communication;
a receiver disposed in the second cabinet or the drawer, the receiver being configured to receive the control signal from the remote controller and transmit the control signal to the second controller;
a connector configured to open and close a power circuit that is configured to supply power to the second drive unit;
a second treatment device power line that connects a power source and the power circuit to each other; and
a display unit provided in the drawer,
wherein the connector is further configured to:
based on the first cabinet being seated on an upper surface of the second cabinet, close the power circuit to allow operation of the second drive unit, and
based on the first cabinet not being seated on the upper surface of the second cabinet, open the power circuit to prevent operation of the second drive unit, and

wherein the second controller, the display unit, and the receiver are configured to receive power from the second treatment device power line so that the second controller, the display unit, and the receiver receive power regardless of whether or not the first cabinet is located above the second cabinet.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the second controller is configured to notify a user of a state in which the power circuit is opened via the display unit when the receiver receives the control signal in a state in which no power is supplied to the second drive unit.

15. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a first cabinet;
a first drum located inside the first cabinet for receiving laundry therein;
a first drive unit configured to rotate the first drum;
a first controller configured to control the first drive unit;
a second cabinet that is configured to be

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Seungbae

Classifications

• D06F29/00

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

• D06F37/02

  Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums · CPC title

• D06F29/005

  the other separate apparatus being a drying appliance · CPC title

• D06F29/02 Primary

  with liquid-extracting apparatus (with roller wringer D06F45/12) · CPC title

• D06F39/005

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic