Clothes treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11920286-B2
Application number	US-201917262420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a clothes treatment apparatus comprising: an outer case having a first opening of which the front is open; an inner case provided inside the outer case; a machine room forming part positioned at the lower part of the inner case so as to form a machine room separated from the inner case; a foaming space formed between the outer case and the machine room forming part; foamed plastics filled in the foaming space; and strength reinforcing parts positioned at both side surfaces of the outer case in the foaming space so as to reinforce the strength of the outer case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus, comprising:
an outer case having a first front opening;
an inner case provided inside the outer case and defining a space for holding clothes;
a machine room forming portion located below the inner case and defining a machine room separated from the inner case;
a foaming space defined between the outer case and the inner case, between the outer case and the machine room forming portion, and between the inner case and the machine room forming portion;
foamed plastics filling the foaming space; and
a reinforcing portion located on two side surfaces of the outer case and configured to strengthen the outer case.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing portion is an L-shape bracket.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bracket comprises:
a first member facing toward a top of the outer case from a bottom of the outer case;
a second member facing toward a front of the outer case from a rear of the outer case; and
an overlapping portion in which the first and second members overlap and are coupled to each other.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the outer case further comprises a second opening,
wherein the laundry treating apparatus further comprises a rear panel coupled to the second opening and defining a rear surface of the outer case, and
wherein the rear panel comprises a first rear panel coupled to the second opening and defining a rear surface connected to the inner case, and a second rear panel coupled to the second opening and defining a rear surface connected to the machine room forming portion.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a base defining a floor of the outer case,
wherein the outer case further comprises:
a first outer case flange extending from a bottom of each of the two side surfaces of the outer case to the other side surface;
a first coupling portion coupled to a bottom of the machine room forming portion by a recess of the first outer case flange toward the inner case;
a second outer case flange extending from a rear of each of the two side surfaces of the outer case to the other side surface; and
a second coupling portion coupled to the machine room forming portion by a recess of the second outer case flange toward the first opening, and
wherein the bracket has a shape formed by bending of a bar two times in a width direction, and an avoidance space for avoiding interference with the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion is formed when the bracket is installed.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the bar bends in a length direction such that a length (L 1 ) of the first member is equal to a length (L 2 ) of the second member, so that the bracket is provided to be coupled to any one of both side surfaces of the outer case.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the bracket comprises:
a first bracket located at a bottom of one side surface of the outer case; and
a second bracket located at a bottom of the other side surface of the outer case.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein when the bar bends three times in the width direction, the bracket comprises:
a first bending surface coupled to the side surface of the outer case;
a second bending surface and a third bending surface defining the avoidance space; and
a fourth bending surface coupled to the first outer case flange or the second outer case flange,
wherein a width (W 1 ) of the first bending surface is greater than a width (W 4 ) of the fourth bending surface.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a length (LB 1 ) of a first bending surface of the bracket is greater than a length (LB 2 ) of a fourth bending surface of the bracket.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein when the bar bends in a length direction, caulking is applied the overlapping portion in which the first and second members overlap with each other.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing portion is located within the foaming space.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the foamed plastics are any one of polyurethane, polystyrene, and polyolefin.

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