Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180644-B2
Application number	US-202318328304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2023
Priority date	May 7, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet having a laundry inlet defined in one surface thereof, a first chamber positioned inside the cabinet to accommodate laundry therein through the laundry inlet, a second chamber positioned underneath the first chamber to define a space separated from a space of the first chamber, a steamer disposed inside the second chamber to generate steam and supply the generated steam to the first chamber, a door pivotably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the laundry inlet, a door inner surface facing the first chamber among both surfaces of the door, a base plate coupled to the door inner surface, a first shaft disposed parallel to a width direction of the door, a second shaft disposed parallel to the first shaft, a first pressurizing plate pivotably coupled to the door inner surface or the base plate through the first shaft and disposed to face the base plate, wherein the first pressurizing plate mounts and pressurizes pants, and a second pressurizing plate pivotably coupled to the door inner surface or the base plate through the second shaft and disposed to face the first pressurizing plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet having a laundry inlet defined in one surface thereof;
a first chamber positioned inside the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry therein through the laundry inlet;
a second chamber that is positioned underneath the first chamber and defines a space separated from a space of the first chamber;
a steamer disposed inside the second chamber and configured to generate steam and to supply the generated steam to the first chamber;
a door pivotably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the laundry inlet, the door having a door inner surface facing the first chamber;
a base plate coupled to the door inner surface;
a first pressurizing plate that is rotatably coupled to the door inner surface and that is configured to rotate upward and downward; and
a second pressurizing plate that is rotatably coupled to the door inner surface and that is configured to rotate upward and downward, the second pressurizing plate being configured to press the laundry disposed on the first pressuring plate or the base plate,
wherein at least one of the first pressurizing plate or the second pressurizing plate is configured to:
based on rotating downward, be separated from the base plate, and
based on rotating upward, press the laundry toward the base plate.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pressurizing plate is configured to rotate between a first position for fixing pants and a second position for treating the pants,
wherein the first pressurizing plate is configured to support the pants based on the first pressurizing plate being positioned at the first position in which a portion of the pants is located between the first pressurizing plate and the base plate, and
wherein the pants are pressed by the first pressurizing plate and the second pressurizing plate.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pressurizing plate is configured to rotate within 90 degrees.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first shaft that is disposed parallel to a width direction of the door and that rotatably couples the first pressurizing plate to the base plate; and
a second shaft that is disposed parallel to the first shaft and rotatably couples the second pressurizing plate to the base plate,
wherein the first shaft is located on one of an upper end and a lower end of the base plate, wherein the second shaft is located on the other of the upper end and the lower end of the base plate.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first pressurizing plate includes:
a first clip located at a lower portion of one surface thereof facing the base plate, wherein the first clip fixes one of a hem and a pant waist of the pants; and/or
a second clip located at a lower portion of the other surface thereof facing the second pressurizing plate, wherein the second clip fixes the other of the hem and the pant waist of the pants.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a length of the second pressurizing plate is smaller than a length of the first pressurizing plate, and the second clip is exposed out of the first pressurizing plate when the second pressurizing plate is pivotably coupled to the first pressurizing plate.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first pressurizing plate includes:
a first surface that is one surface facing the base plate;
a second surface that is the other surface facing the second pressurizing plate; and
a mounting corner including a first curved surface and a second curved surface for connecting the first surface and the second surface to each other, wherein the mounting corner mounts the pants,
wherein a curvature of the first curved surface connected to the first surface is different from a curvature of the second curved surface connected to the second surface.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first curved surface protrudes toward the second pressurizing plate.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first surface includes a first groove recessed in a longitudinal direction of the door to prevent interference with a seam formed on the pants, and/or
wherein the second surface includes a second groove recessed in the longitudinal direction of the door to prevent the interference with the seam formed on the pants.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a width of the second pressurizing plate is greater than widths of the first pressurizing plate and the base plate.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a blower disposed inside the second chamber to suck air in the first chamber;
a heat pump disposed inside the second chamber to dehumidify and heat the sucked air;
a first opening penetrating the first pressurizing plate; and
a second opening penetrating the second pressurizing plate at a position corresponding to a position of the first opening,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are configured to expose the laundry to dehumidified and heated air and steam.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second pressurizing plate includes protective side surfaces formed by being bent in a direction toward the door inner surface from both side surfaces of the second pressurizing plate, respectively,
wherein the protective side surfaces cover both side surfaces of the base plate and both side surfaces of the first pressurizing plate when the second pressurizing plate pressurizes the first pressurizing plate and the base plate.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a cover surface that is located on a side away from the door inner surface among both surfaces of the second pressurizing plate, and the cover surface further includes a handle for a user to hold the second pressurizing plate to pivot the second pressurizing plate.

14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first pressurizing plate includes a hinge portion including the first shaft, wherein the hinge portion is disposed beneath the first pressurizing plate to move the first pressurizing plate in a direction farther from or closer to the door inner surface.

15. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the hinge portion further includes a hinge connecting portion of an angled shape for connecting the first shaft and the first pressurizing plate to each other,
wherein the hinge connecting portion prevents the first pressurizing plate from pivoting by an angle equal to or greater than a predetermined angle when the first pressurizing plate pivots in a direction farther from the base plate.

16. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pressurizing plate is configured to:
based on rotating downward, be separated from the base plate; and
based on rotating upward, press a portion of the laundry on the first pressurizing plate toward the base plate.

17. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second pressurizing plate is configured to, based on rotating downward in a state in which the first pressurizing plate has rotated upward, be separated from the base plate and press another portion of the laundry on the first pressurizing plate toward the base plate.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jaehyung
• Jang Semin
• Jang Jinhyuk
• Noh Boram

Classifications

• D06F71/40

  Holders or stretchers for the article to be pressed · CPC title

• D06F71/34

  Heating arrangements; Arrangements for supplying or removing steam or other gases · CPC title

• D06F71/29 Primary

  Trousers · CPC title

• D06F58/206

  Heat pump arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/203

  Laundry conditioning arrangements · CPC title