Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10570548-B2
Application number	US-201816199880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet having an introduction/discharge opening, a drawer configured so as to be discharged from the cabinet through the introduction/discharge opening, a through-hole formed in an upper surface of the drawer, a tub that is located inside the drawer and that defines a space that is configured to receive water, an introduction aperture formed in an upper surface of the tub, the introduction aperture being located under the through-hole, a drum rotatably provided inside the tub for receiving laundry supplied to the introduction aperture, a door that is configured to open and close the introduction aperture, the door being coupled to one of the drawer or the tub, and a door sensing unit that is configured to determine whether the door is opened during a state in which the drawer is inserted into the cabinet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet having an opening;
a drawer configured to withdraw from the cabinet through the opening;
a through-hole formed in an upper surface of the drawer;
a tub that is located inside the drawer and that defines a space that is configured to receive water, the tub comprising a tub cover located below the through-hole of the drawer;
an introduction aperture defined in the tub cover, the introduction aperture being located under the through-hole;
a drum rotatably provided inside the tub for receiving laundry supplied to the introduction aperture;
a door that is configured to open and close the introduction aperture; and
a door sensing unit that is configured to sense whether the door is opened in a state in which the drawer is inserted into the cabinet,
wherein the door sensing unit comprises a sensor that is located in the cabinet at a position above the tub cover and that is configured to sense opening of the door in the state in which the drawer is inserted into the cabinet.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the door is configured to detachably couple to the tub cover.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense opening of the door based on the door contacting the cabinet.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the door sensing unit further includes:
a generator that is located at the cabinet and that is configured to cause an excitation of the sensor based on the door contacting the cabinet.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the door comprises:
a frame rotatably coupled to the upper surface of the drawer or to the tub cover; and
a handle provided in front of the frame and configured to detachably couple the frame to the upper surface of the drawer or to the tub cover,
wherein the generator is provided at the handle or at the frame, and
wherein the sensor is provided at the cabinet at a location above the generator.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a base coupled to an upper surface of the cabinet and provided above the door,
wherein the base is located between the opening and a rotational axis of the drum,
wherein the door sensing unit further comprises a body rotatably coupled to the base,
wherein the generator is provided at the body, and
wherein the sensor is provided at the base to sense a magnitude of the excitation of the sensor caused by the generator.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the door comprises:
a frame rotatably coupled to the upper surface of the drawer or the tub cover; and
a handle provided in front of the frame and configured to detachably couple the frame to the upper surface of the drawer or to the tub cover,
wherein the handle or a front of the frame is provided to rotate the body based on the door opening the introduction aperture.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the body further comprises a body contact portion that is located on the body and that is configured to contact the door based on the door opening the introduction aperture.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the base further comprises a body support portion that is located at the base and that is configured to restrict the body from rotating toward the door.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the body further comprises a projection extending from a head of the body and being seated on the body support portion.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the base is configured to accommodate the body in the base,
wherein the generator is provided inside of the body,
wherein the generator is configured, based on rotation of the body, to move away from the sensor based on the door opening the introduction aperture.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a notification unit that is configured to notify a user that the door is opened based on the excitation sensed by the sensor.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the body includes a body rotation shaft that is rotatably coupled to the base, and
wherein the sensor is provided in the base, and
wherein the generator is coupled to the body rotation shaft and configured to approach or move away from the sensor based on rotation of the body relative to the base.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the body is exposed from the base in which the generator is provided toward the door, and
wherein the generator is configured to, based on rotation of the body, approach toward the sensor based on the door opening the introduction aperture.

15. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet having an opening;
a drawer configured to withdraw from the cabinet through the opening;
a through-hole formed in an upper surface of the drawer;
a tub that is located inside the drawer and that defines a space that is configured to receive water, the tub comprising a tub cover located below the through-hole of the drawer;
an introduction aperture defined in the tub cover, the introduction aperture being located under the through-hole;
a drum rotatably provided inside the tub for receiving laundry supplied to the introduction aperture;
a door that is configured to open and close the introduction aperture, the door being configured to rotatably couple to the tub cover that defines the introduction aperture; and
a door sensing unit that is configured to sense whether the door is opened in a state in which the drawer is inserted into the cabinet,
wherein the door sensing unit includes:
a base that is located inside the cabinet and that is positioned above the door;
a sensor that is located in the base;
a body that is located in the base and that is configured to be rotated toward or away from the sensor based on the door being opened; and
a generator that is coupled to the body and that is configured to cause an excitation of the sensor.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the generator is provided to generate a magnetic force, and
wherein the sensor is configured to sense the magnetic force.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jihong
• Gwon Hyeokjin
• Joo Hyojin

Classifications

• D06F2105/44

  Opening, closing or locking of doors · CPC title

• D06F37/02

  Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums · CPC title

• D06F31/00

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

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/26

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title