Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11898299-B2
Application number	US-202117561179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2021
Priority date	May 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus is disclosed. The laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet configured to define a receiving space for receiving laundry, the cabinet having an open surface, a door hingedly provided at the cabinet for opening and closing the open surface of the cabinet, a laundry support unit provided in the receiving space for supporting laundry, and a machinery compartment provided in the cabinet for defining a space that is separate from the receiving space, the machinery compartment being provided therein with an air supply unit for dehumidifying or heating air in the receiving space and supplying the dehumidified or heated air into the receiving space. The air supply unit dehumidifies air in a room that communicates with the receiving space in the state in which the door is open.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet that includes an opening at a front side of the cabinet;
a door hingedly provided at the cabinet for opening and closing the opening;
a first chamber located inside the cabinet for receiving laundry;
a second chamber located below the first chamber inside the cabinet;
an air supply unit located inside the second chamber and configured to dehumidify or heat air in the first chamber, and supply the dehumidified or heated air into the first chamber; and
an opening and closing sensing unit for sensing whether the door is open or closed;
wherein a temperature of the air supplied by the air supply unit when the door opens is different from a temperature of the air supplied by the air supply unit when the door closes.

2. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the supplied air is lower when the door is open than when the door is closed.

3. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air supply unit comprises:
a circulation duct located in the second chamber for circulating the air in the first chamber; and
a heat exchanger configured to circulate a refrigerant so as to constitute a refrigerating cycle, the heat exchanger being configured to dehumidify or heat the circulated air along the circulation duct through heat exchange.

4. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
an evaporator located in the circulation duct for dehumidifying the air introduced into the circulation duct;
a condenser located in the circulation duct for heating the air that has passed through the evaporator; and
a compressor located outside the circulation duct for circulating the refrigerant through the evaporator and the condenser.

5. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a driving frequency for the compressor during operation of the compressor varies based on the door's opening or closing via the opening and closing sensing unit.

6. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the driving frequency is lower when the door is open than when the door is closed.

7. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the compressor is an inverter type compressor that converts DC voltage into AC voltage to rotate a motor of the compressor.

8. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a connection member configured to connect the door and the cabinet to each other such that the door selectively opens the first chamber or the door closes the first chamber,
wherein the connection member supports the door such that the door is maintained with a predetermined opening angle.

9. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the opening and closing sensing unit further senses the predetermined opening angle, and a controller in the cabinet detects whether the door is open with the predetermined angle or closed via the opening and closing sensing unit, and adjusts a driving frequency for the compressor.

10. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the controller decreases the driving frequency for the compressor based on that the predetermined opening angle is increased.

11. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger further comprises:
an expansion valve located between the condenser and the evaporator inside the circulation duct and configured to decrease a temperature of the refrigerant passing through the condenser.

12. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the expansion valve is an electronic linear expansion valve (LEV) that is configured to adjust an opening degree of the electronic LEV to change the flow rate of the refrigerant, based on the door's opening or closing via the opening and closing sensing unit.

13. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the opening and closing sensing unit further senses the predetermined opening angle, and a controller in the cabinet detects whether the door is open with the predetermined angle or closed via the opening and closing sensing unit, and adjusts the opening degree of the expansion valve.

14. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the controller decreases the opening degree of the expansion valve based on that the predetermined opening angle is increased.

15. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing sensing unit comprises:
a magnet located in one of the door or the cabinet; and
a reed switch located in the other one of the door or the cabinet and configured to detect the magnet.

16. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a moisture supply unit for supplying moisture into the first chamber.

17. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a controller receiving information about whether the door is open or closed from the opening and closing sensing unit and controlling an operation of the air supply unit and the moisture supply unit,
wherein the controller operates the moisture supply unit when the door is closed.

18. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an air suction unit located closer to the door than a rear side of the first chamber at a bottom of the first chamber for moving the air in the first chamber into the air supply unit.

19. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a laundry support unit provided in the first chamber for supporting laundry.

20. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the laundry support unit comprises:
a hanger bar located in an upper portion inside the first chamber;
a driving unit configuring for reciprocating the hanger bar along a width direction of the cabinet; and
a controller receiving information about whether the door is open or closed from the opening and closing sensing unit and controlling an operation of the driving unit,
wherein the controlled operates the driving unit based on the door's opening or closing via the opening and closing sensing unit.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Nam Wansik
• Kim Donghyun
• Park Jumin

Classifications

• A61L2103/50

  Textiles, e.g. bedwear or towels · CPC title

• F24F2003/144

  by dehumidification only · CPC title

• D06F35/00

  Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• D06F58/10 Primary

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

• A47B61/00

  Wardrobes · CPC title