Clothes treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11414810-B2
Application number	US-201816957881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2018
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A clothes treatment apparatus comprises: a frame; a hanger body configured to move with respect to the frame and provided to hang clothes or clothes hangers; a vibration module that generates vibrations by comprising at least one eccentric portion that rotates around at least one predetermined rotational axis in such a way that the weight is off-center, and that is connected to the hanger body to transmit the vibrations; and at least one elastic member that exerts an elastic force on the vibration module when the vibration module vibrates, wherein the angular speed of the eccentric portion is changeable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet;
a hanger body configured to move along a predetermined vibration direction of the cabinet and provided to hang clothes or clothes hangers;
a vibration module that is connected to the hanger body to transmit vibrations and generate the vibrations along the vibration direction, wherein the vibration module includes:
at least one eccentric portion that rotates around each predetermined rotational axis of the at least one eccentric portion in such a way that each weight of the at least one eccentric portion is off-center; and
a motor that rotates the at least one eccentric portion and changes an angular speed of the at least one eccentric portion; and

at least one elastic member that exerts an elastic force on the vibration module when the vibration module vibrates,
wherein, based on a speed of motor, the vibration frequency and the amplitude of the vibration module is changeable.

2. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein two or more different angular speeds of the at least one eccentric portion are maintained for a predetermined time or longer.

3. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clothes treatment apparatus is configured to perform a first mode in which the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
1

2
⁢
π

of the hanger body is relatively low and the amplitude is relatively large and a second mode in which the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
2

2
⁢
π

of the hanger body is relatively high and the amplitude is relatively small, by changing and controlling the speed of the motor.

4. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
1

2
⁢
π

for the first mode is preset to be closer to the natural vibration frequency

w
n

2
⁢
π

than the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
2

2
⁢
π

for the second mode.

5. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of vibration of the hanger body in a steady state is preset to have a peak value when the angular speed has a specific value greater than zero.

6. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one end of the elastic member is fixed to the vibration module, and the clothes treatment apparatus further comprises a supporting member fixed to the cabinet, to which the other end of the elastic member is fixed.

7. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastic member comprises:
a first elastic member that elastically deforms when the vibration module moves to one side in the vibration direction; and
a second elastic member that elastically deforms when the vibration module moves to the other side.

8. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one eccentric portion comprises:
a first eccentric portion that rotates around a predetermined first rotational axis in such a way that the weight is off-center; and
a second eccentric portion that rotates around a predetermined second rotational axis, which is the same as or parallel to the first rotational axis, in such a way that the weight is off-center.

9. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the vibration module is configured in such a way as to rotate around a predetermined center axis where the position relative to the cabinet is fixed, and the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are placed apart from each other, in opposite directions with respect to the center axis.

10. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hanger body is configured to move with respect to the cabinet in the vibration direction, and the elastic member is configured to elastically deform or regain elasticity when the hanger body moves in the vibration direction.

11. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vibration module is configured in such a way as to linearly reciprocate in the vibration direction, and the elastic member is configured to elastically deform or regain elasticity when the vibration module linearly reciprocates.

12. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the clothes treatment apparatus is configured to perform a first mode in which the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
1

2
⁢
π

of the hanger body is relatively low and the amplitude is relatively large and a second mode in which the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
2

2
⁢
π

of the hanger body is relatively high and the amplitude is relatively small, by changing and controlling the speed of the motor,
wherein the vibration frequency

w
⁢

⁢
1

2
⁢
π

for the first mode is preset to be closer to

1

2
⁢
π

·

k
M

than the vibration frequency

w
⁢

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jaehyung
• Jang Semin

Classifications

• D06F58/20 Primary

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F58/12 Primary

  having conveying means for moving clothes, e.g. along an endless track · CPC title

• D06F73/02

  having one or more treatment chambers · CPC title

• B06B1/14

  the masses being elastically coupled · CPC title

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title