Bathroom management apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767302-B2
Application number	US-201815913257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2018
Priority date	Mar 6, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a bathroom management apparatus including a cabinet, a frame provided at an inner side of the cabinet to reinforce stiffness of the cabinet, and having a lower side that is spaced apart from a bottom of the cabinet, a function module including at least one of a towel care module, a sterilizing module, a lock box module, a refrigerating module, and a charging module, and mounted inside the frame, a dryer coupled with the function module and disposed inside the frame, and a vane assembly disposed between the cabinet and a lower side of the frame. A first air outlet is provided for airflow in a forward direction, and a second air outlet provided for airflow in a downward direction. The vane assembly may switch a direction of the airflow received from the dryer through the first air outlet and the second air outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bathroom management apparatus comprising:
a cabinet having an open front side;
a frame provided at an inner side of the cabinet to reinforce stiffness of the cabinet, and having a lower side that is spaced apart from a bottom of the cabinet;
a function module including at least one of a towel care module, a sterilizing module, a lock box module, a refrigerating module, and a charging module, and mounted inside the frame;
a dryer coupled with the function module and disposed inside the frame; and
a vane assembly disposed between the cabinet and a lower side of the frame, wherein
a first air outlet is provided between the cabinet and the lower side of the frame for airflow in a forward direction, and a second air outlet provided at a lower side of the cabinet for airflow in a downward direction,
the dryer generates airflow and blows air inside the cabinet to the vane assembly, and
the vane assembly switches a direction of the airflow received from the dryer to one of a first direction through the first air outlet and a second direction through the second air outlet.

2. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a first mounting space, a second mounting space at a lower side of the first mounting space, and a third mounting space at a lower side of the second mounting space therein, and
wherein the dryer is coupled with the function module mounted in the third mounting space.

3. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control panel disposed between the cabinet and a lower side the frame,
wherein the vane assembly is disposed in the control panel.

4. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
a second opening is formed at a lower side of the frame, and
a third opening is formed at the control panel,
wherein a top end of the vane assembly is inserted into the second opening such that the vane assembly is connected with the dryer, and a bottom end of the vane assembly is inserted into the third opening portion such that the vane assembly is in communication with the second air outlet.

5. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a blower louver having a discharge grill is coupled with a region corresponding to the second air outlet in the cabinet, and
a bottom end of the vane assembly is connected with the blower louver.

6. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an outer case of the function module includes a front surface for separating a storage space for a prescribed function of the function module and a storage space of the dryer, and lateral surfaces that protrude rearward from both sides of the front surface,
a dryer coupling part having a prescribed shape in which a front surface is recessed rearward and a rear surface protrudes rearward,
a first air inlet being formed at the lateral surface, and
the dryer coupling part including a second air inlet for sucking air sucked through the first air inlet.

7. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 6 , wherein first openings communicating with the first air inlet are formed at both sides of the frame.

8. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second air inlets are formed at a top surface and both surfaces of the dryer coupling part.

9. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the dryer coupling part includes a suction grill behind the second air inlet and an inner door in front of the second air inlet.

10. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the dryer includes
a case coupled with the dryer coupling part to communicate with the second air inlet,
a blowing fan rotatably disposed in the case,
a fan motor configured to rotate the blowing fan, and
a heater disposed in the case to heat air blown from the blowing fan.

11. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 10 , wherein an elastic support protrusion that elastically supports an end of the heater inserted into the case at an outer side of the case is formed at a rear surface of the front surface.

12. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vane assembly includes
a vane assembly case including a top opening in communication with the dryer, a front opening in communication with the first air outlet, and a bottom opening in communication with the second air outlet;
a fluid path switch vane rotatably disposed in the vane assembly case to switch the direction of airflow introduced through the top opening to one of the front opening and the bottom opening; and
a vane motor configured to rotate the fluid path switch vane.

13. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the vane assembly includes
a first light source installed in the vane assembly case, and configured to be turned-on when the front opening portion is open to irradiate light to the front opening portion; and
a second light source installed in the vane assembly case, and configured to be turned-on when the bottom opening portion is open to irradiate the light to the bottom opening portion.

14. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the vane assembly has a housing having a front wall and a rear wall that form a cavity inside the housing, and the fluid path switch vane is mounted inside the cavity such that a rotational axis is provided toward the front wall.

15. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the front opening is provided on the front wall and the bottom opening is provided to extend between the front wall and the rear wall.

16. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a first distal end of the fluid path switch vane is provided at the rotational axis and a second distal end of the fluid path switch vane rotates relative to the rotational axis.

17. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 16 , wherein when the vane motor is controlled to rotate the fluid path switch vane for airflow through the first air outlet, the fluid path switch vane rotates such that the second distal end contacts an inner surface of the rear wall, and when the vane motor is controlled to rotate the fluid path switch vane for airflow through the first air outlet, the fluid path switch vane rotates to such that the second distal end contacts an inner surface of the front wall.

18. The bathroom management apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the vane motor is mounted outside the housing of the vane assembly at a lateral wall of the housing.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jeon Jinhyeon
• Kim Jeongyun
• Park Daeyun

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• F26B21/50

  Ducting arrangements from the source of air or other gases to the materials or objects being dried · CPC title

• F24F2013/1433

  with electric motors · CPC title

• F24F2013/205

  Mounting a ventilator fan therein · CPC title

• F24F2221/10

  combined with, or integrated in, furniture · CPC title