Laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879370-B2
Application number	US-201414526776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a laundry receiving part provided within the cabinet and configured to receive laundry, a water supply part configured to supply wash water, and a detergent supplier configured to supply detergent. The detergent supplier includes a storage body having a first storage part configured to hold a first detergent and a second storage part configured to hold a second detergent. The first storage part is configured to communicate with the laundry receiving part, and the second detergent is in liquid form. The detergent supplier further includes a passage body having a water supply passage that is configured to supply the first storage part with the wash water from the water supply part, and a liquid detergent supply part that is configured to supply the water supply passage with the second detergent from the second storage part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a cabinet;
a laundry receiving part provided within the cabinet and configured to receive laundry;
a water supply part configured to supply wash water; and
a detergent supplier configured to supply detergent, the detergent supplier comprising:
a storage body having a first storage part configured to hold a first detergent, the first storage part being configured to communicate with the laundry receiving part, and a second storage part configured to hold a second detergent, wherein the second detergent is in liquid form,
a passage body having a water supply passage configured to supply the first storage part with the wash water from the water supply part, and
a liquid detergent supply part configured to supply the water supply passage with the second detergent from the second storage part,

wherein the liquid detergent supply part comprises:
a pump configured to discharge the second detergent from the second storage part, and
a supply pipe configured to supply the second detergent discharged from the pump to the water supply passage.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover provided above the passage body, the cover being configured to seal the water supply passage,
wherein the cover includes a cover perforating hole that perforates the cover, the cover perforating hole being configured to enable fluidic communication between the water supply passage and the supply pipe.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the liquid detergent supply part further comprises
a valve body, the valve body including a body perforating hole that enables fluidic communication with the cover perforating hole, and
wherein the supply pipe is configured to lead the second detergent to the body perforating hole.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the liquid detergent supply part further comprises a valve configured to selectively open and close the body perforating hole.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cover further comprises a flange that is configured to surround the cover perforating hole and to seat the valve body within the flange, the flange including one or more ribs that extend inward toward the valve body, and wherein the liquid detergent supply part further comprises a ball that is configured to be supported by the one or more ribs, the ball being configured to allow fluid flow from the body perforating hole into the cover perforating hole and to prevent the wash water from flowing from the cover perforating hole into the body perforating hole.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to alternately control the water supply part and the liquid detergent supply part to supply the wash water and the second detergent, respectively.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the water supply part and the liquid detergent supply part to supply the wash water and the second detergent, respectively, wherein the controller unit is configured to control the water supply part to supply and stop supplying the wash water to the water supply passage, and wherein the control unit is configured to, based on the wash water being stopped, control the liquid detergent supply part to supply the second detergent in the second storage part to the water supply passage.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the detergent supplier further comprises a support body provided within the cabinet, the support body being configured to support the storage body and to communicate with the laundry receiving part, wherein the storage body is configured to be removed from the cabinet by being pulled out from the support body through an opening defined by the cabinet.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the support body further comprises:
a connecting pipe configured to communicate externally from the laundry treating apparatus; and
a discharge hole connected to the laundry receiving part,
wherein the storage body further comprises a discharge pipe that is configured to discharge the first detergent in the first storage part into the support body and a detachable pipe that is detachably coupled to the connecting pipe to lead the second detergent in the second storage part to the connecting pipe, and
wherein the pump is connected to the connecting pipe to thereby discharge the second detergent in the second storage part out of the support body.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cover further comprises a flange that is configured to surround the cover perforating hole and to seat the valve body within the flange, the flange including one or more ribs that extend inward toward the valve body, and wherein the liquid detergent supply part further comprises a ball that is configured to be supported by the one or more ribs, the ball being configured to allow fluid flow from the body perforating hole into the cover perforating hole and to prevent, by blocking the body perforating hole, the wash water from flowing from the cover perforating hole into the body perforating hole.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the detergent supplier further comprises:
a cover configured to be coupled to the storage body and to form a top face of the second storage part, the cover defining an opening that perforates the cover; and
a lid configured to selectively open and close the opening.

12. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first storage part is configured to hold the first detergent, wherein the first detergent includes detergent that is in powder form.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first storage part includes first and second spaces that are separated by a first sidewall, and wherein the second storage part includes first and second spaces that are separated by a second sidewall.

14. A detergent supplier for a laundry treating apparatus, the detergent supplier comprising:
a storage body having a first storage part configured to hold a first detergent, the first storage part being configured to communicate with a laundry receiving part, and a second storage part configured to hold a second detergent, wherein the second detergent is in liquid form,
a passage body having a water supply passage configured to supply wash water to the first storage part, and
a liquid detergent supply part configured to supply the second detergent in the second storage part to the water supply passage,
wherein the liquid detergent supply part comprises:
a pump configured to discharge the second detergent from the second storage part, and
a supply pipe configured to supply the second detergent discharged from the pump to the water supply passage.

15. The detergent supplier of claim 14 , further comprising:
a cover provided above the passage body, the cover being configured to seal the water supply passage,
wherein the cover includes a cover perforating hole that perforates the cover, the cover perforating hole being configured to enable fluidic communication between the water supply passage and the supply pipe.

16. The detergent supplier of claim 15 , wherein the liquid detergent supply part further comprises
a valve body, the valve body including a body perforating hole that enables fluidic communication with the cover perforating hole, and
wherein the supply pipe is configured to lead the second detergent to the body perforating hole.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Sungwoon
• Bae Sungook

Classifications

• D06F39/022

  in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F39/028 Primary

  Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments · CPC title

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F33/37

  of metering of detergents or additives · CPC title

• D06F2105/42

  Detergent or additive supply · CPC title