Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840799-B2
Application number	US-201514725718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet having an upper surface, the upper surface being configured to receive an object thereon, a drawer adapted to be drawn from the cabinet, a drum disposed in the drawer and defining a space for receiving laundry, a driving unit configured to rotate the drum, a control unit configured to control the driving unit, and a connector unit configured to impact an ability of the control unit to control operation of the driving unit based on whether or not the object is placed on the upper surface of the cabinet by preventing the control unit from controlling operation of the driving unit based on the object being absent from the upper surface of the cabinet and by allowing the control unit to control operation of the driving unit based on the object being placed on the upper surface of the cabinet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet having an upper surface, the upper surface being configured to receive an object thereon;
a drawer adapted to be drawn from the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the drawer and defining a space for receiving laundry;
a driving unit configured to rotate the drum;
a control unit configured to control the driving unit; and
a connector unit configured to open and close a circuit that supplies power to the control unit and the driving unit,
wherein the connector unit is configured, based on the object being absent from the upper surface of the cabinet, to open the circuit to thereby prevent supply of power to the control unit and the driving unit, and
wherein the connector unit is configured, based on the object being placed on the upper surface of the cabinet, to close the circuit to thereby supply power to the control unit and the driving unit.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the cabinet defines a cabinet through hole, and
wherein the connector unit comprises:
a housing mounted within the cabinet, the housing defining a through hole that is disposed vertically below the cabinet through hole;
a switch fixed to the housing and configured to open and close a circuit that connects the control unit to the driving unit; and
a press unit configured to reciprocate within the housing through hole to actuate the switch.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the switch comprises:
a switch body fixed to the housing and disposed outside the housing through hole;
a slider having a first end disposed in the housing through hole and a second end configured to reciprocate within the switch body; and
a contact disposed in the switch body and configured to open and close a circuit that connects the control unit to the driving unit by being manipulated by the slider.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a press guider unit configured to guide the reciprocating movement of the press unit.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the press unit comprises:
a support plate disposed in the cabinet through hole and configured to contact the object based on the object being placed on the upper surface of the cabinet; and
a press body configured to reciprocate within the housing through hole by movement of the support plate that presses the slider.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an inclined surface provided at at least one of the press body and the first end of the slider exposed through the housing through hole.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object is a second laundry treatment apparatus mounted on the upper surface of the cabinet, wherein the second laundry treatment apparatus is the object and comprises:
a second cabinet mounted on the upper surface of the cabinet and configured to actuate the connector unit;
a second drum disposed in the second cabinet and defining a space for receiving laundry;
and a second driving unit configured to rotate the second drum.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the cabinet defines a cabinet through hole, and wherein the connector unit comprises:
a housing mounted within the cabinet, the housing defining a through hole that is disposed vertically below the cabinet through hole;
a switch fixed to the housing and configured to open and close a circuit that connects the control unit to the driving unit; and
a press unit configured to reciprocate within the housing through hole to actuate the switch.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 8 , herein the switch comprises:
a switch body fixed to the housing and disposed outside the housing through hole;
a slider having a first end disposed in the housing through hole and a second end configured to reciprocate within the switch body; and
a contact disposed in the switch body and configured to open and close a circuit that connects the control unit to the driving unit by being manipulated by the slider.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a press guider unit configured to guide the reciprocating movement of the press unit.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9 , herein the press unit comprises:
a support plate disposed in the cabinet through hole and configured to contact the object based on the object being placed on the upper surface of the cabinet; and a press body configured to reciprocate within the housing through hole by movement of the support plate that presses the slider.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising an inclined surface provided at at least one of the press body and the first end of the slider exposed through the housing through hole.

13. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet having an upper surface, the upper surface being configured to receive an object thereon;
a drawer adapted to be drawn from the cabinet;
a drum disposed in the drawer and defining a space for receiving laundry;
a driving unit configured to rotate the drum;
a control unit configured to control the driving unit;
a display unit configured to display operation information of the laundry treatment apparatus; and
a connector unit configured to open and close a circuit that supplies power to the control unit and the display unit,
wherein the connector unit is configured, based on the object being absent from the upper surface of the cabinet, to open the circuit to thereby prevent supply of power to the control unit and the display unit, and
wherein the connector unit is configured, based on the object being placed on the upper surface of the cabinet, to close the circuit to thereby supply power to the control unit and the display unit.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the connector unit is configured, based on the object being absent from the upper surface of the cabinet, to open the circuit to thereby prevent supply of power to the driving unit, and
wherein the connector unit is configured, based on the object being placed on the upper surface of the cabinet, to close the circuit to thereby supply power to the driving unit.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Sang Minkyu
• Heo Kwangchul

Classifications

• D06F29/00

  Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus · CPC title

• D06F31/00 Primary

  Washing installations comprising an assembly of several washing machines or washing units, e.g. continuous flow assemblies · CPC title

• D06F39/125

  Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or legs · CPC title

• D06F29/005 Primary

  the other separate apparatus being a drying appliance · CPC title

• D06F58/28

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic