Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10669661-B2
Application number	US-201514814556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2015
Priority date	Aug 1, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus for treating laundry includes a main washing device and a secondary washing device. The secondary washing device includes a tub configured to receive wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub and configured to receive laundry, and a pulsator rotatably provided in the drum and configured to be rotated by motion of one or both of the wash water and the laundry that are received in the drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to receive wash water;
a drum rotatably provided in the tub and configured to receive laundry;
a pulsator rotatably provided in the drum and configured to be rotated relative to the drum by motion of one or both of the wash water and the laundry that are received in the drum, the pulsator defining a connection hole in a central portion of the pulsator;
a motor configured to rotate the drum;
a shaft configured to be rotated by the motor;
a hub connected to one end of the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft, the hub being located below the drum and configured to be coupled to a bottom surface of the drum; and
a pulsator connector that is located on an upper surface of the hub, that supports the pulsator, and that allows the pulsator to freely rotate regardless of rotation of the shaft,
wherein based on the shaft rotating at a rotational speed, the hub and the drum are configured to rotate at the rotational speed of the shaft,
wherein the pulsator is configured to, based on motion of one or both of wash water and laundry that are received in the drum, rotate independently of rotation of the shaft,
wherein the pulsator connector comprises:
a connector body that faces the upper surface of the hub, and
a vertical protrusion portion that extends upward from the connector body toward the pulsator and that defines a connector hole that is located at a central region of the pulsator connector and that is in communication with the connection hole of the pulsator,

wherein the vertical protrusion portion of the pulsator connector comprises a plurality of vertical protrusion portions that are spaced apart from one another to define one or more slits that allow flow of wash water through the connector hole and that extend along a circumference of the connector body, and
wherein the plurality of vertical protrusion portions comprise inner surfaces that surround and face the connector hole of the pulsator connector.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsator is configured to, based on the rotation of the drum stopping after a period of rotation, continue rotating in the same direction as the previous rotation direction of the drum for a predetermined time due to inertia.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsator is restricted from vertically moving in the drum.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the pulsator comprises a stepped portion that is located at an inner peripheral surface of the connection hole; and
the vertical protrusion portion forms a rotary shaft of the pulsator, and
the pulsator connector further comprises a latch portion configured to be engaged with the stepped portion to restrict vertical movement of the pulsator.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the stepped portion is configured such that the inner peripheral surface of the connection hole has a decreasing diameter toward a center of the connection hole.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the latch portion is fastened to an upper surface of the stepped portion; and
a predetermined gap is defined between the latch portion and the upper surface of the stepped portion.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the latch portion is configured as one or more latch portions provided along the inner peripheral surface of the connection hole.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
a mesh cap is provided at an upper side of the connection hole; and
the mesh cap defines a plurality of holes having a predetermined size, the plurality of holes being configured to perform a filtering function.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsator comprises a body rotatably provided on the bottom surface of the drum, and one or more blades protruding upward from the body.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein:
the blades extend outward from a center of the body; and
the body and blades of the pulsator are integrated with each other.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a main washing device and a secondary washing device,
wherein the tub, the drum, and the pulsator are provided in the secondary washing device of the laundry treatment apparatus, and
wherein the secondary washing device is a drawer type washing device configured to be inserted in and withdrawn from the laundry treatment apparatus.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a first cabinet defining an external appearance of the main washing device and a second cabinet defining an external appearance of the secondary washing device.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second cabinets are integrated with each other.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pulsator connector is directly attached to the upper surface of the hub, and the hub is coupled to the one end of the shaft.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a connection flange that couples the hub to the bottom surface of the drum and is configured to directly transfer driving force of the motor from the hub to the bottom surface of the drum.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical protrusion portions comprise:
a first vertical protrusion that extends along the circumference of the connector body; and
a second vertical protrusion that is spaced apart from the first vertical protrusion and that extends along the circumference of the connector body,
wherein a first perimeter of the first vertical protrusion along the connector body is longer than a second perimeter of the second vertical protrusion along the connector body, and
wherein the pulsator connector further comprises a latch portion that protrudes radially outward from the second vertical protrusion and that is configured to, based on engaging with the pulsator, restrict vertical movement of the pulsator.

17. A washing device for treating laundry that is configured to be placed under a laundry treatment apparatus, wherein the washing device comprises:
a tub configured to receive wash water;
a drum rotatably provided in the tub and configured to receive laundry;
a pulsator rotatably provided in the drum and configured to be rotated relative to the drum by motion of one or both of the wash water and the laundry that are received in the drum, the pulsator defining a connection hole in a central portion of the pulsator;
a motor configured to rotate the drum;
a shaft configured to be rotated by the motor;
a hub connected to one end of the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft, the hub being located below the drum and configured to be coupled to a bottom surface of the drum; and
a pulsator connector that is located on an upper surface of the hub, that supports the hub, and that allows the pulsator to freely rotate regardless of rotation of the shaft,
wherein based on the shaft rotating at a rotational speed, the hub and the drum are configured to rotate at the rotational speed of the shaft,
wherein the pulsator is configured to, based on based on motion of one or both of wash water and laundry that are received in the drum, rotate independently of rotation of the shaft,
wherein the pulsator c

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jonghwan
• Lee Junho
• Lee Dongsoo

Classifications

• D06F39/10

  Filtering arrangements · CPC title

• D06F23/04 Primary

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F31/00

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

• D06F17/08 Primary

  Driving arrangements for the impeller · CPC title

• 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