Apparatus for treating laundry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704185-B2
Application number	US-201815886181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 2, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A cabinet includes a front panel having an opening at a front side, a door seated on the front panel, the door having a diameter greater than that of the opening to open/close the opening, a control panel located at a top part of the front panel, the control panel defining a seating recess configured to seat a top part of the door and a draw hole at a lateral side of the seating recess, a detergent box drawably located in the draw hole and configured to receive detergent, a handle panel coupled to a front side of the detergent box, the handle panel including one side configured as an avoidant surface corresponding to a shape of an outer circumference of the seating recess, and a preventing part configured to prevent the avoidant surface from being spaced apart from the front side of the detergent box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating laundry, comprising:
a cabinet including a front panel having an opening;
a door configured to be seated on the front panel and to open and close the opening, the door having a diameter greater than the opening;
a control panel that is located at an upper part of the front panel, the control panel defining:
a seating recess at a bottom part, the seating recess having a shape corresponding to an outer circumference of the door and being configured to seat an upper part of the door, and
a withdraw hole provided beside the seating recess;

a detergent box that is configured to be withdrawn from the withdraw hole and that defines a space configured to accommodate detergent;
a handle panel coupled to a front side of the detergent box, the handle panel comprising an avoidant surface that is disposed at one side of the handle panel and that has a shape corresponding to an outer circumference of the seating recess;
a coupling panel disposed at the front side of the detergent box and coupled to the handle panel; and
a preventing part that extends along the avoidant surface and that couples the avoidant surface of the handle panel to the detergent box to restrict the avoidant surface from being separated from the front side of the detergent box,
wherein the preventing part comprises a fastening portion that is disposed at one of the coupling panel or the avoidant surface, and a fixing portion that is disposed at the other of the coupling panel or the avoidant surface and that couples to the fastening portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion comprises a fixing rib projected from the coupling panel along a shape of the avoidant surface and a plurality of fixing perforated holes by perforating the fixing rib along a shape of the avoidant surface, and
wherein the fastening portion comprises a fastening rib projected from the avoidant surface and a projection portion disposed at the fastening rib and configured to couple to at least one of the fixing rib or one of the plurality of fixing perforated holes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the projection portion comprises a projection hook projected from the fastening rib and configured to insert into one of the plurality of fixing perforated holes.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the projection portion comprises a support portion projected from the fastening rib so as to come into contact with a free end of the fixing rib.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein one surface of the fastening rib is recessed from the avoidant surface to the free end of the fixing rib, and another surface of the fastening rib is projected from the avoidant surface to the free end of the fixing rib.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the support portion is configured in hexahedral shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the projection portion further comprises a block rib configured to enclose the fixing rib by extending from the free end of the fastening rib in a predetermined distance in parallel with the handle panel.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fastening rib further comprises a fastening perforated hole provided between the support portion and the projection hook by perforating the fastening rib and wherein the fixing rib further comprise a fixing hook projected between one of the plurality of fixing perforated holes and the free end of the fixing rib so as to be fixed by being inserted in the fastening perforated hole.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling portion joining the handle panel and the front side of the detergent box, the coupling portion comprising:
a main coupling portion spaced apart from the preventing part in a predetermined distance; and
an auxiliary coupling portion provided over the preventing part.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the main coupling portion comprises:
a projection projected from the handle panel;
a projection hook projected from an outer circumference of the projection;
a receiving portion provided to a front side of the coupling panel to receive the projection therein; and
a hook coupling portion provided to an inner circumference of the receiving portion to be joined to the projection hook.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the projection is formed in shape of cylinder.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary coupling portion comprises:
a support rib projected from the front side of the detergent box;
a support perforated hole formed by perforating the support rib;
an auxiliary rib projected from the handle panel toward the support rib; and
an auxiliary hook projected from the auxiliary rib so as to be inserted inand configured to insert into the support perforated hole.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary coupling portion comprises a plurality of auxiliary coupling portions that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jongsung
• Park Jinbong
• Choi Yeongkyeong

Classifications

• A47B88/944

  Drawers characterised by the front panel · CPC title

• A47B88/40

  Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor · CPC title

• D06F39/02 Primary

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F39/022 Primary

  in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence) · CPC title