Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12270147-B2
Application number	US-202118257702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2020
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus including a cabinet having an inlet, a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet so as to open and close the inlet, a door inner plate positioned at the door, a laundry hanger support provided on the door inner plate, abase plate coupled to the door inner plate, a rotating shaft provided in a width direction of the door, a roller rotating about the rotating shaft, a moving unit supporting the rotating shaft and moving the rotating shaft and the roller in a vertical direction of the door due to rotation of the roller, and a drive unit provided at the roller or the moving unit so as to rotate the roller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet including an inlet defined in one side thereof;
a first chamber positioned in the cabinet and receiving laundry therein through the inlet;
a second chamber positioned below the first chamber and defining a space separated from the first chamber;
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet;
a door inner plate positioned at a side of the door that faces the first chamber;
a laundry hanger support provided on the door inner plate and supporting pants hung thereon;
a base plate coupled to the door inner plate and supporting the pants hung on the laundry hanger support;
a rotating shaft provided in a width direction of the door;
a roller rotating about the rotating shaft and pressing the pants;
a moving unit supporting the rotating shaft and moving in a vertical direction of the door due to rotation of the roller; and
a drive unit provided at the roller to thereby rotate the roller.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roller comprises:
a first cylindrical press positioned close to one end of the roller so as to press the pants;
a second cylindrical press positioned close to another end of the roller so as to press the pants; and
a cylindrical moisture supply, which is positioned between the first press and the second press so as to connect the first press to the second press and supplies moisture to the pants.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the roller is capable of supplying steam to the pants through the moisture supply and of pressing the pants while rotating, even when the door is open.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the moisture supply has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first press and the second press.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the moisture supply comprises:
a steam generation tank positioned in the moisture supply and configured to store water therein and to discharge generated steam;
a steam heater positioned in the steam generation tank and heating the water stored in the steam generation tank; and
a plurality of steam spray holes formed in an outer circumferential surface of the moisture supply so as to spray the steam, which is generated by the steam heater and discharged from the steam generation tank, to the pants.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the steam heater is a coil heater.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the roller further comprises a tank connector provided between one of the first press and the second press and the moisture supply so as to couple or separate the steam generation tank.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the moisture supply comprises:
a first moisture supply body including a tank introduction port configured to allow the steam generation tank to be inserted and separated into and from the moisture supply; and
a second moisture supply body coupled to the tank introduction port.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the moisture supply includes a porous moisture-containing portion configured to have a form of a pipe surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the moisture supply and to contain moisture therein, the moisture-containing portion having a diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the first press and the second press.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the roller comprises:
a first heater provided in the first press so as to heat the first press; and
a second heater provided in the second press so as to heat the second press.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first heater and the second heater are respectively provided along an inner circumferential surface of the first press and an inner circumferential surface of the second press.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the door includes a guide hole formed through the door inner plate in the vertical direction of the door, and
wherein the moving unit is movable along the guide hole in the vertical direction of the door when the roller is rotated.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the moving unit comprises:
a moving mount inserted partway into the guide hole and moved in the vertical direction of the door; and
a moving support coupled to the moving mount so as to support the rotating shaft.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the moving unit further comprises a wheel provided parallel to the width direction of the door and coupled to a surface of the moving mount that is inserted into the guide hole, the wheel having a length greater than a length of the guide hole in a width direction thereof in order to prevent the moving unit from being separated from the guide hole.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the moving unit further comprises an elastic member positioned between the moving support and the moving mount so as to provide external force required for the roller to press the pants.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the moving unit is moved along the guide hole in one direction among an upward direction and a downward direction when the roller is rotated in a first rotational direction, and is moved along the guide hole in a direction opposite the one direction when the roller is rotated in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction.

17. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 16 , wherein, when the rotation of the roller is halted, the movement of the moving unit is also halted.

18. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cover rotatably provided at the door or the door inner plate so as to open and close the laundry hanger support, the base plate, the rotating shaft, the roller, and the moving unit.

19. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotating shaft comprises:
a first rotating shaft coupled to one end of the roller; and
a second rotating shaft coupled to another end of the roller.

20. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the door includes a guide hole formed through the door inner plate in the vertical direction of the door,
wherein the moving unit comprises:
a first transfer portion coupled to the first rotating shaft; and
a second transfer portion coupled to the second rotating shaft,

wherein the guide hole comprises:
a first guide hole formed between one side surface of the base plate and a side surface of the door that is positioned close to the one side surface of the base plate; and
a second guide hole formed between another side surface of the base plate and another side surface of the door, which is positioned close to the another side surface of the base plate,

wherein the first transfer portion is movable along the first guide hole in the vertical direction of the door when the roller is rotated, and
wherein the second transfer portion is movable along the second guide hole in the vertical direction of the door when the roller is rotated.

21. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet including an inlet defined in one side thereof;
a first chamber positioned in the cabinet and receiving laundry therein through the inlet;
a second chamber positioned below the first chamber and defining a space separated from the first chamber;
a door rotatably coupled to th

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Semin
• Kim Jaehyung

Classifications

• D06F67/005

  Stands or cabinets · CPC title

• D06F67/02

  Rollers; Heating arrangements therefor · CPC title

• D06F67/10

  Driving arrangements · CPC title

• D06F63/00

  Ironing machines having a roller or rollers coacting with a fixed or moving flat bed or table (coverings or pads D06F83/00) · CPC title

• D06F71/38

  Feeding arrangements (feeding by lateral movement of pressing elements D06F71/08) · CPC title