Laundry treating apparatus having detergent insert door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191210-A1
Application number	US-201715398936-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus includes a detergent container receiving portion provided at a lower portion of a body, and provided with a front opening portion to insert a detergent container; and a detergent insert door rotatably provided on a front surface of the detergent container receiving portion to open or close the detergent container receiving portion, wherein the detergent insert door includes bracket coupled to the front opening portion to al low a detergent inlet formed on a front surface thereof to communicate with the front opening portion, and provided with a hinge receiving portion at a lower portion thereof; a cover inserted into the hinge receiving portion and coupled to the bracket to open or close the detergent inlet; a shaft damper coupled to a hinge shaft at one side of the bracket to limit a rotation speed of the cover up to a set angle; and an elastic member supported by the bracket and the cover to provide an elastic force in an opposite direction of rotation when the cover rotates above a set angle based on the bracket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A laundry treating apparatus, comprising:
a detergent container receiving compartment provided at a lower portion of a body, and having a front opening into which a detergent container may be inserted; and a detergent insert door rotatably provided on a front surface of the detergent container receiving portion to open or close the detergent container receiving compartment, wherein the detergent insert door includes: a bracket coupled to the front opening portion to allow a detergent inlet formed on a front surface of the bracket to communicate with the front opening, and including a hinge receiving groove at a lower portion of the bracket; a cover coupled to the hinge receiving groove and coupled to the bracket to open or close the detergent inlet; a shaft damper configured to limit rotation speed of the detergent insert door; and a spring configured to provide an elastic force in an direction opposite to a rotation of the detergent insert door, when the detergent insert door rotates past a set angle with respect to the bracket to support the cover so as to restrict the cover from touching the floor.

2 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes:
a first member forming an appearance of the detergent insert door, and including bracket supports at both ends thereof; and a second member adhered to a rear surface of the first member to reinforce the first member, and including a hinge shaft at a lower portion of the second member.

3 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bracket supports each include a rotation protrusion protruding toward a center of the first member, and configured to be accommodated into the bracket to rotate the cover.

4 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second member includes at least one hinge protruding toward the detergent container receiving compartment at a lower portion of the second member to be inserted into the hinge receiving groove.

5 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one hinge includes:
a housing inserted into the hinge receiving groove; a shaft supported by the bracket, and extended along a direction of the hinge shaft at a first side of the housing to receive the spring; and a shaft damper protrusion receiving socket configured in a groove shape and formed at a second side of the housing to accommodate one end of the shaft damper.

6 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the housing includes an elastic member supporting notch configured in a groove shape to accommodate and support the spring at one side of the housing.

7 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a first end of the spring is fixed to the elastic member supporting notch, and a second end thereof is brought into contact with one side of the bracket due to rotation past a set angle of the cover to limit the rotation of the cover.

8 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge receiving groove is depressed from a bottom to a top of the bracket to hinge-couple the cover to the bracket.

9 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a cover supporting hole formed to support and rotate the cover is provided at a first side of the hinge receiving groove.

10 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a shaft damper insert hole formed to allow the shaft damper to pass therethrough is provided at a second side of the hinge receiving groove.

11 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the shaft damper is coupled to the at least one hinge through the shaft damper insert hole to limit a rotation speed of the cover.

12 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spring is either one of a coil spring and a leaf spring.

13 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a hook is provided at an upper end of the second member to be coupled to and fixed to the bracket.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Sungwoo
• Jang Hunjun

Classifications

• E05F1/1215

  with a canted-coil torsion spring · CPC title

• E05Y2900/312

  for washing machines or laundry dryers · CPC title

• E05F1/1284

  with a leaf or similar spring · CPC title

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title