Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11155956-B2
Application number	US-201916537156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus is disclosed. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet, a tub arranged in the cabinet, a drum arranged in the tub and formed of a metal material, and an induction module configured to inductively heat the drum, wherein the induction module includes a coil formed by winding a wire, and a base housing including a base body arranged on the tub, and a fixing rib arranged on the base body to fix coil, wherein the wire is drawn into the base body in one direction, wound around the fixing rib, and drawn out of the base body in the same direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub disposed in the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the tub and made of a metal material; and
an induction module configured to inductively heat the drum,
wherein the induction module comprises:
a coil comprising a wire including one or more turns, and
a base housing comprising a base body that is disposed on the tub and a fixing rib that is disposed on the base body and configured to fix the coil to the base body, and

wherein the wire is drawn into the base body along a first direction, wound around the fixing rib to form the coil, and drawn out of the base body along the first direction, and
wherein the wire comprises an outer lead wire that vertically passes through the base housing and extends along a bottom surface of the base housing, the outer lead wire being disposed at a radially outermost side of the coil.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wire comprises:
a first lead wire that extends from a start terminal of the coil along the first direction; and
a second lead wire that extends from an end terminal of the coil to an outside of the base housing along the first direction.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the start terminal of the coil is located at one of the radially outermost side of the coil or a radially innermost side of the coil, and
wherein the end terminal of the coil is located at the other of the radially outermost side or the radially innermost side of the coil.

4. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet
a tub disposed in the cabinet
a drum disposed in the tub and made of a metal material; and
an induction module configured to inductively heat the drum,
wherein the induction module comprises:
a coil comprising a wire including one or more turns, and
a base housing comprising a base body that is disposed on the tub and a fixing rib that is disposed on the base body and configured to fix the coil to the base body, and

wherein the wire is drawn into the base body along a first direction, wound around the fixing rib to form the coil, and drawn out of the base body along the first direction,
wherein the wire comprises
an inner lead wire that vertically passes through the base housing and extends along a bottom surface of the base housing, the inner lead wire being disposed at a radially innermost side of the coil.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the inner lead wire extends toward a side of the base housing along a longitudinal centerline of the coil and is drawn out of the base housing, the longitudinal centerline of the coil passing the side of the base housing.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the outer lead wire extends from an end terminal of the coil or a start terminal of the coil to an outside of the base housing, the end terminal or the start terminal being located on the radially outermost side of the coil.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the wire further comprises an inner lead wire that is drawn out of the base housing, and
wherein the outer lead wire extends from the radially outermost side of the coil in a direction parallel to the coil and is bent to be drawn out of the base housing in the same direction as the inner lead wire.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller connected to the wire and configured to control supply of electrical current to the coil,
wherein the controller is fixed to an inside of the cabinet and disposed at a rear side of the cabinet.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base housing further comprises a penetrated portion that is disposed at the base body and that allows the wire to vertically pass therethrough.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the penetrated portion comprises:
a first penetrated portion disposed on or outside of an outermost portion of the fixing rib.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first penetrated portion is disposed at a left side of the base body or a right side of the base body.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the fixing rib is disposed on a top surface of the base body, and
wherein the wire vertically passes through the first penetrated portion via a space defined under the base body and is wound around the fixing rib.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first penetrated portion comprises:
a first inner wall that defines a first through hole;
a first lower inclined surface that connects a bottom surface of the base body to a lower end of the first inner wall; and
a first upper inclined surface that connects an upper end of the first inner wall to the top surface of the base body.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the penetrated portion comprises a second penetrated portion disposed inside of the fixing rib.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the fixing rib is disposed on a top surface of the base body, and
wherein the wire vertically passes through a space defined under the base body via the second penetrated portion and is laterally drawn out toward a rear side of the base body.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second penetrated portion comprises:
a second inner wall that defines a second through hole;
a second upper inclined surface that connects the top surface of the base body to an upper end of the second inner wall; and
a second lower inclined surface that connects a lower end of the second inner wall to a bottom surface of the base body.

17. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wire holder that is disposed on a top surface of the tub, that is disposed between the base housing and a rear end of the tub, and that is configured to accommodate at least a portion of the wire positioned rearward of the base body,
wherein the wire passes through the wire holder.

18. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the wire holder comprises:
a holder body and a holder connection portion that connects the holder body to the top surface of the tub, and
wherein the holder connection portion is made of a flexible material and configured to bend based on movement of the wire.

19. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base housing further comprises:
a boss disposed at a rear end of the base body and configured to limit a lateral movement range of the wire passing the rear end of the base body; and
a wire guider that protrudes from a bottom surface of the base body and that is configured to fix, to the base body, at least a portion of the wire extending along the bottom surface of the base body.

20. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the boss comprises:
a first boss that defines a first wire accommodation groove configured to accommodate a first portion of the wire drawn in from a rear side of the base body toward the base body; and
a second boss that defines a second wire accommodation groove configured to accommodate a second portion of the wire drawn out from the base body toward the rear side of the base body.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Youngjoo
• Hong Sangwook

Classifications

• D06F39/04 Primary

  Heating arrangements · CPC title

• H05B2206/022

  Special supports for the induction coils · CPC title

• H05B6/365

  using supplementary conductive or ferromagnetic pieces · CPC title

• D06F37/20

  Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title