Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574824-B2
Application number	US-201314138855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 31, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a connection duct into which air inside a drum, in which laundry is received, is discharged, and a discharge duct that extends in a longitudinal direction of the drum and that is connected to the connection duct. The laundry treatment apparatus also includes a filter assembly that has a filter unit located in the discharge duct and configured to filter air introduced into the discharge duct and an impurity remover unit configured to separate, from the filter unit, impurities remaining on the filter unit. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes an impurity storage device separable from the discharge duct. The impurity storage device is located below the filter unit and configured to store impurities separated from the filter unit by the impurity remover unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet defining an external appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus;
a drum rotatably supported within the cabinet and configured to receive laundry therein;
a connection duct into which air inside the drum is discharged;
a discharge duct that extends in a longitudinal direction of the drum and that is connected to the connection duct;
a filter assembly including:
a filter unit located in the discharge duct and configured to filter air introduced into the discharge duct, and
an impurity remover unit configured to separate, from the filter unit, impurities remaining on the filter unit; and

an impurity storage device that is located at the discharge duct and that is separable from the discharge duct, the impurity storage device being located below the filter unit and being configured to store impurities separated from the filter unit by the impurity remover unit,
wherein the cabinet has a storage device insertion hole that communicates with the discharge duct,
wherein the impurity storage device passes through the storage device insertion hole based on the impurity storage device being inserted into the discharge duct or separated from the discharge duct, and
wherein the discharge duct includes:
a duct connection hole located above the filter unit, wherein air is introduced from the connection duct into the discharge duct through the duct connection hole; and
a discharge hole located below the filter unit, wherein air having passed through the filter unit is discharged from the discharge duct to outside of the cabinet through the discharge hole.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filter assembly further includes a first roller and a second roller rotatably supported within the discharge duct and configured to allow movement of the filter unit above the impurity storage device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first roller includes a first roller body rotatably secured within the discharge duct, and first roller bosses radially protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the first roller body,
wherein the second roller includes a second roller body rotatably secured within the discharge duct, and second roller bosses radially protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the second roller body, and
wherein the filter unit includes:
a filter having a cylindrical shape with opposite sides that are open, the filter being supported by the first roller and the second roller, and
fastening holes defined in the filter such that the first roller bosses and the second roller bosses are inserted into the fastening holes.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the impurity remover unit includes a scraper that is secured to the impurity storage device and arranged to contact the filter.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filter unit includes a filter frame secured within the discharge duct, an impurity discharge aperture defined in the filter frame at a position above the impurity storage device, and a filter secured to the filter frame and configured to filter air passing through the discharge duct, and
wherein the impurity remover unit is configured to reciprocate along the filter frame and move impurities remaining on the filter to the impurity discharge aperture.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the impurity remover unit includes:
a brush located on the filter and arranged to contact the filter;
a brush rack placed within the discharge duct and configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the filter frame, the brush being secured to the brush rack;
a brush motor gear placed within the discharge duct and configured to allow the brush rack to move in a longitudinal direction of the filter frame;
a brush motor provided at an exterior of the discharge duct; and
a rotating shaft that is provided at the brush motor, that penetrates the discharge duct, and that serves to rotate the brush motor gear based on force generated by the brush motor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the impurity remover unit further includes a brush rack gear configured to connect the brush rack and the brush motor gear to each other,
wherein the brush rack includes a first brush rack and a second brush rack provided respectively at opposite sides of the filter frame, and
wherein the brush rack gear includes a first brush rack gear configured to couple the first brush rack and the brush motor gear to each other, and a second brush rack gear engaged with the second brush rack, the first brush rack gear and the second brush rack gear being connected to each other via a connection shaft.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the filter assembly further includes a scraper provided at an outer periphery of the impurity discharge aperture or inside the impurity discharge aperture to separate, from the brush, impurities remaining on the brush.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the scraper is provided at an outer periphery of the impurity discharge aperture.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the scraper is provided inside the impurity discharge aperture.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the discharge duct further includes a rack guide located below the filter frame and configured to assist the brush rack in being received in the discharge duct.

12. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the discharge duct further includes a slit that extends in a longitudinal direction of the filter frame, and
wherein the impurity remover unit includes:
a brush motor provided at an exterior of the discharge duct;
a rotating shaft provided at the brush motor and inserted into the discharge duct through the slit;
a brush located within the discharge duct and arranged to contact an upper portion of the filter, the rotating shaft penetrating the brush;
a brush rack that is located within the discharge duct and that extends in a longitudinal direction of the filter frame; and
a brush motor gear placed within the discharge duct and engaged with the brush rack, the brush motor gear being secured to the rotating shaft.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the brush rack includes a first brush rack and a second brush rack that are provided at opposite sides of the filter frame and that extend in a longitudinal direction of the filter frame, and
wherein the brush motor gear includes a first brush motor gear engaged with the first brush rack and a second brush motor gear engaged with the second brush rack.

14. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the impurity storage device includes:
a housing separable from the discharge duct, the housing being located below the impurity discharge aperture;
a compression unit located in the housing and configured to compress impurities introduced into the housing through the impurity discharge aperture; and
a compression unit drive unit configured to reciprocate the compression unit within the housing.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the compression unit includes a compression plate located within the housing and a shaft support portion secured to the compression plate such that the compression unit drive unit is connected to the shaft support portion, and
wherein the compression unit drive unit includes:
a motor located at an exterior of the housing, that has a rotating shaft configured to penetrate the housing, and that is rotatably secured to the shaft support portion,
a motor gear coupled to the rotating shaft and located at the ex

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Sangik
• Kim Jeongyun

Classifications

• F26B21/003 Primary

  Air or gas filters · CPC title

• D06F58/22 Primary

  Lint collecting arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title