Clothes treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873594-B2
Application number	US-201917263103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A clothes treating apparatus includes a cabinet including first and second lateral panels facing each other, and upper and lower panels connecting the first and second lateral panels and respectively forming the top surface and the bottom surface. The cabinet includes a rear panel connecting the first and second lateral panels. The cabinet includes a first base comprising a front panel fixed to the first lateral panel, the second lateral panel, and the upper and lower panels to define the front surface, and an inlet extending through the front panel. The cabinet includes a first chamber positioned inside the cabinet, and communicating with the inlet to provide a space for receiving clothes. The cabinet includes a second base including a front frame positioned between the front and rear panels, an upper frame extending from the front frame towards the rear panel, and first and second lateral frames.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet comprising:
a first side panel and a second side panel opposite to each other;
a top panel and a bottom panel connecting the first side panel and the second side panel to each other, and defining top and bottom surfaces of the cabinet, respectively; and
a rear panel connecting the first side panel and the second side panel to each other, and defining a rear surface of the cabinet;

a first base comprising:
a front panel fixed to the first side panel, the second side panel, the top panel, and the bottom panel, and defining a front surface of the cabinet; and
a laundry inlet extending through the front panel;

a first chamber fixed to the front panel and disposed inside the cabinet, wherein the first chamber has a laundry receiving space defined therein communicating with the laundry inlet;
a second base comprising:
a front frame disposed between the front panel and the rear panel;
a top frame extending from the front frame toward the rear panel, and spaced apart from a bottom surface of the first chamber;
a first side frame spaced apart from the first side panel; and
a second side frame spaced apart from the second side panel;

a second chamber defined by the front frame, the top frame, the first side frame, the second side frame, the bottom panel, and the rear panel;
a supply unit disposed inside the second chamber to supply at least one of air or moisture to the first chamber;
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet or the front panel to open and close the laundry inlet; and
a thermal insulator including a foam plastic inserted into a foam space defined between the cabinet, the first base, the first chamber, and the second base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the foam space includes:
a space defined between the first chamber and the top panel;
a space defined between the first chamber and the first side panel;
a space defined between the first chamber and the second side panel;
a space defined between the first chamber and the rear panel;
a space defined between the first chamber and the top frame;
a space defined between the front panel and the front frame;
a space defined between the first side frame and the first side panel; and
a space defined between the second side frame and the second side panel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the foam plastic includes one of polyurethane, polystyrene, and polyolefin.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a first chamber through-hole and a second chamber through-hole extending through the bottom surface of the first chamber;
a first fixing hole and a second fixing hole extending through the top frame;
a first flow channel defining portion connecting the first chamber through-hole and the first fixing hole to each other; and
a second flow channel defining portion connecting the second chamber through-hole and the second fixing hole to each other,
wherein the supply unit includes:
a circulation duct disposed inside the second chamber to connect the first fixing hole and the second fixing hole to each other;
a first heat exchanger for dehumidifying air introduced into the circulation duct;
a second heat exchanger disposed inside the circulation duct to heat air passing through the first heat exchanger; and
a fan for moving air introduced into the first fixing hole to the second fixing hole.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a receiving groove recessed in the front panel toward the front frame;
a second chamber communication hole extending through the receiving groove;
a receiving-groove communication hole extending through the front frame and connected to the second chamber communication hole;
a drainage tank comprising a water storage space defined therein and removably received in the receiving groove;
a drainage tank through-hole extending through the drainage tank and communicating with the second chamber communication hole;
a first discharge pipe coupled to the drainage tank through-hole when the drainage tank is inserted into the receiving groove, wherein the first discharge pipe is separated from the drainage tank through-hole when the drainage tank is withdrawn out of the receiving groove; and
a discharge pump for supplying condensate water discharged from the first heat exchanger to the first discharge pipe.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first flow channel defining portion includes:
a first flow channel body constructed to maintain a spacing between the bottom surface of the first chamber and the top frame; and
a first body through-hole extending through the first flow channel body and connecting the first chamber through-hole and the first fixing hole to each other,
wherein the second flow channel defining portion includes:
a second flow channel body constructed to maintain a spacing between the bottom surface of the first chamber and the top frame; and
a second body through-hole extending through the second flow channel body and connecting the second chamber through-hole and the second fixing hole to each other.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a first outside-air intake hole defined below the laundry inlet, and extending through the front panel;
a second outside-air intake hole extending through the front frame;
an outside-air guide connecting the first outside-air intake hole and the second outside-air intake hole to each other; and
an outside-air duct connecting the second outside-air intake hole and the circulation duct to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the circulation duct includes:
an intake duct connected to the first fixing hole;
a discharge duct connected to the second fixing hole;
a connection duct for guiding air introduced into the intake duct and air supplied from the outside-air duct to the discharge duct;
a first valve for opening and closing the intake duct; and
a second valve for opening and closing the outside-air duct.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the outside-air guide includes:
a guide body comprising one end fixed to the front panel and the other end fixed to the front frame to maintain a spacing between the front panel and the front frame; and
a guide through-hole extending through the guide body and connecting the first outside-air intake hole and the second outside-air intake hole to each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a receiving groove recessed in the front panel toward the front frame;
a second chamber communication hole communicating with the receiving groove;
a receiving-groove communication hole extending through the front frame, and communicating with the second chamber communication hole;
a water supply tank comprising a water storage space defined therein and removably received in the receiving groove;
a water supply tank through-hole extending through the water supply tank and communicating with the second chamber communication hole;
a first supply pipe coupled to the water supply tank through-hole when the water supply tank is inserted into the receiving groove, wherein the first supply pipe is separated from the water supply tank through-hole when the water supply tank is withdrawn out of the receiving groove; and
a supply pump for moving water introduced into the first supply pipe to a second supply pipe connected to the steam generator.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:
a chamber through-hole extending through the bottom surface of the first chamber;
a supply pipe through-hole extending t

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Junyoung
• Nam Wansik
• Park Sunghoo
• Park Hyeyong

Classifications

• D06F2103/62

  related to systems for water or steam used for conditioning or finishing · CPC title

• D06F58/203

  Laundry conditioning arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/10 Primary

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

• D06F58/02

  having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• B29C44/14

  the preformed part being a lining {(B29C44/1209 takes precedence)} · CPC title