Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535976-B2
Application number	US-201916427517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2019
Priority date	Jun 1, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus has a cabinet including an inlet on a front surface, a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet, a first chamber in the cabinet to accommodate a clothing item therein, a supply portion communicating with the first chamber to supply at least one of air or moisture into the accommodation space, and a holding portion in at least one of the first chamber or the door. The holding holds or secures the clothing item in the accommodation space. The holding portion includes a fixing portion coupled to an inner surface of the first chamber or the door for securing the clothing item, and a pressing portion rotatably coupled to the inner surface for pressing the clothing item secured to the fixing unit. The pressing portion rotates in a height direction of the door to press the clothing item.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet including an inlet on a front thereof;
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the inlet;
a first chamber disposed in the cabinet, the first chamber being configured to provide an accommodation space to accommodate a clothing item therein;
a supply portion configured to supply at least one of air or moisture into the accommodation space; and
a holding portion disposed in the first chamber or on the door, the holding portion being configured to hold or secure the clothing item in the accommodation space,
wherein the holding portion comprises:
a fixing portion configured to secure one portion of the clothing item;
a base configured to provide a space for the clothing item secured by the fixing portion to be pressed; and
a pressing portion rotatably coupled to at least one of the first chamber or the door and extending in the height direction of the cabinet, the pressing portion being configured to press the clothing item secured to the fixing portion along the height direction of the cabinet and to form a crease on the clothing item, and

wherein the pressing portion is configured to rotate upon a rotation shaft extending along a width direction of the cabinet.

2. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion comprises a pressing body rotatably disposed above the base, the pressing body being configured to press the clothing item.

3. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pressing body comprises:
a first body rotatably coupled above the base and configured to press the clothing item; and
a second body rotatably coupled under the base and configured to press the clothing item,
wherein a rotation radius of the pressing body is configured to decrease when the pressing body rotates.

4. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pressing body further comprises a body through hole configured to allow the clothing item to communicate with the accommodation space.

5. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pressing portion comprises a connection hinge configured to rotatably couple the first body and the second body to each other, such that the second body is configured to rotate with respect to the first body in a direction different from a direction in which the first body is configured to rotate.

6. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pressing portion comprises a slide hinge configured to rotatably couple the first body and the second body to each other, and
wherein the slide hinge comprises:
a withdrawing hinge coupled to the second body and configured to support the second body; and
a receiving hinge coupled to the first body and configured to allow the withdrawing hinge to be inserted thereinto or be retracted therefrom, the receiving hinge being configured to support the withdrawing hinge.

7. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the receiving hinge comprises:
a receiving body protruding from the first body toward the accommodation space; and
a guide groove disposed along a length direction of the receiving body,
wherein the withdrawing hinge comprises:
a withdrawing body protruding from the second body toward the accommodation space and retractably received in the receiving body; and
a stopper protruding from an outer surface of the withdrawing body and configured to move along the guide groove, and

wherein the receiving body and the withdrawing body are curved to allow the second body to rotate with respect to the first body.

8. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion further comprises an engagement unit configured to couple the fixing portion to at least one of the door or the first chamber, and
wherein the engagement unit is configured to control an installation height of the fixing portion.

9. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the engagement unit comprises:
an engagement body coupled to at least one of the door or the first chamber; and
control ribs coupled to both side surfaces of the fixing portion in the engagement body, the control ribs being configured to move the fixing portion, and
wherein the fixing portion comprises:
a fixing body disposed in front of the engagement body; and
moving ribs disposed on both sides of the fixing body and movably coupled to the control ribs.

10. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein:
one of the engagement body or the fixing body comprises a guide rail, the guide rail being configured to guide a movement direction of the fixing body, and
the other of the engagement body or the fixing body comprises a guide protrusion, the guide protrusion being configured to be inserted in the guide rail and move in the guide rail.

11. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the holding portion further comprises a positioning unit configured to keep the fixing portion at a position in which the fixing portion is fixed to the engagement unit, and
wherein the positioning unit comprises:
a plurality of insertion portions protruding in a length direction of one of side surfaces of the control ribs or side surfaces of the moving ribs; and
a plurality of fixing holes formed along the length direction of the other of the side surfaces of the control ribs or the side surfaces of the moving ribs, the insertion portions being configured to be inserted into the plurality of fixing holes.

12. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion comprises:
a fixing body formed in the shape of a plate; and
a fixing clip coupled to a front of the fixing body, the fixing clip being configured to catch the clothing item thereon.

13. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing clip comprises at least one grabbing groove defined by forming one surface of the fixing clip to be convex in at least one of an upward direction or a downward direction, to provide a space in which the clothing item is grabbed.

14. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing body comprises:
a first fixing body coupled to the door or the first chamber;
a second fixing body disposed in front of the first fixing body; and
a compression spring disposed between the first fixing body and the second fixing body and configured to push the second fixing body to the fixing clip and press a surface of the clothing item.

15. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first fixing body comprises a guide rib configured to accommodate the second fixing body and guide movement of the second fixing body.

16. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one support clip provided along a height direction of the first chamber or the door, the at least one support clip being configured to fix the clothing item.

17. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a support unit rotatably disposed between the base and the pressing portion, the support unit being configured to provide a space to fix the clothing item therein, wherein the support unit includes a mounting surface facing the pressing portion and configured to mount the clothing item to be pressed by the pressing portion thereon, and a pressing surface facing the base and configured to press the clothing item toward the base.

18.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jaehyung
• Jang Semin
• Noh Boram

Classifications

• D06B23/04

  Carriers or supports for textile materials to be treated · CPC title

• D06B3/208 Primary

  the treating material · CPC title

• D06F58/206

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/10

  Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means · CPC title

• D06B23/22

  for heating · CPC title