Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12398498-B2
Application number	US-202217827134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2022
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus including a dryer including a first cabinet and a first drum rotatably mounted in the first cabinet; a washing machine including a second cabinet vertically disposed with respect to the first cabinet, a tub disposed in the second cabinet, and a second drum rotatably mounted in the tub; a refresher including a third cabinet disposed on one side of the first cabinet and the second cabinet, and having an inner space for receiving laundry; a heating device disposed under the tub and including a heat exchange unit for heating air supplied into the first drum and the inner space of the third cabinet; a drain pan which is disposed under the heat exchange unit and for storing condensate; and a drain pump for discharging water in the tub and the condensate in the drain pan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a dryer including:
a first cabinet; and
a first drum rotatably disposed in the first cabinet;

a washing machine including:
a second cabinet arranged vertically with respect to the first cabinet;
a tub disposed in the second cabinet; and
a second drum rotatably disposed in the tub;

a refresher including a third cabinet disposed at a lateral side of the first cabinet and the second cabinet, the third cabinet having an inner space for receiving laundry;
a heating device disposed under the tub, the heating device being configured to heat air supplied into the first drum and the inner space of the third cabinet;
a drain pump configured to discharge water in the tub,
wherein the heating device includes a heat exchange unit,
wherein the drain pump is disposed below the tub and is disposed in the heating device.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drain pan configured to store condensate, the drain pan being disposed under the heat exchange unit.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heating device is disposed in the second cabinet.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a drawer disposed in the first cabinet, the drawer being located below the drain pan, the drawer being for storing water; and
a drain pipe extending from the drain pan to the drawer.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a detergent supply device for supplying detergent to the washing machine,
wherein the detergent supply device is disposed between the first drum and the heating device.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first pipe connecting the tub and the drain pump;
a drain pipe connecting the drain pan and the drain pump; and
a second pipe extending from the drain pump to an outside of the laundry treating apparatus.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the washing machine further includes a partition wall disposed under the tub in the second cabinet, and
wherein the heating device and the drain pump are disposed under the partition wall in the second cabinet.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating device further includes:
a heat exchange channel in which the heat exchange unit is disposed; and
a cover disposed over the heat exchange channel, the cover having a shielding wall extending downwardly, and
wherein the shielding wall separates a first space, in which the drain pump is disposed, from a second space in which the heat exchange channel is disposed.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first supply air duct extending downwardly from the heating device and connected to the first drum;
a second supply air duct extending laterally from the heating device and connected to the refresher; and
a third supply air duct extending upwardly from the heating device and connected to the tub.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cabinet is disposed over the second cabinet, and
wherein the heating device and the drain pump are positioned below the first drum and the second drum.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a supply air duct extending from the heating device and connected to a supply air hole formed at a lower portion of the refresher.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a coolant supply pipe extending from the drain pump toward the supply air duct;
a heat exchange portion connected to the coolant supply pipe, the heat exchange portion for exchanging heat with the supply air duct; and
a coolant return pipe connecting the heat exchange portion and the drain pump.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a dehumidification duct for discharging the air, heated by the heating device, to an outside of the laundry treating apparatus;
a coolant supply pipe extending from the drain pump to the dehumidification duct;
a heat exchange portion connected to the coolant supply pipe, the heat exchange portion for exchanging heat with the dehumidification duct; and
a coolant return pipe connecting the heat exchange portion and the drain pump.

14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a circulation pipe extending from the drain pump toward the heat exchange unit; and
a nozzle disposed at the circulation pipe, the nozzle being open toward the heat exchange unit.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Yunhi
• Kim Jaehyun
• Yoo Hyunsun

Classifications

• D06F2105/26

  Heat pumps · CPC title

• D06F2103/32

  Temperature · CPC title

• D06F2105/20

  Temperature · CPC title

• D06F2103/50

  related to heat pumps, e.g. pressure or flow rate · CPC title

• D06F33/32

  Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry · CPC title