Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970144-B2
Application number	US-201514812329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2015
Priority date	Aug 1, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a main washing apparatus and a secondary washing apparatus that includes a cabinet, a drawer housing within the cabinet, a tub in the drawer for receiving washing water, hanging couplers provided at an outer circumferential surface of the tub and spaced apart from each other, suspending couplers provided at the drawer housing and positioned at locations corresponding to the hanging couplers, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, and suspension assemblies provided between the drawer housing and the tub to attenuate horizontal and vertical vibrations of the tub, the suspension assemblies being disposed between respective hanging couplers and suspending couplers to support the tub. Each of the suspension assemblies includes a support bar, support members at both ends of the support bar through which the support bar extends, and an elastic member disposed on the support member provided at one end of the support bar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a tub configured to receive washing water;
a housing that accommodates the tub;
a plurality of hanging couplers provided at an outer circumferential surface of the tub and spaced apart from each other by predetermined distances, each of the plurality of hanging couplers including a bracket that defines a coupling hole;
a plurality of suspending couplers provided at the housing and positioned at locations corresponding to the plurality of hanging couplers;
a drum rotatably provided in the tub; and
a plurality of suspension assemblies provided between the housing and the tub and configured to attenuate horizontal and vertical vibrations of the tub, the suspension assemblies being disposed between respective hanging couplers and suspending couplers to thereby support the tub,
wherein each of the suspension assemblies comprises:
a support bar,
support members that are provided at both ends of the support bar,
an elastic member disposed at one end of the support bar, the elastic member including one of grooves or protrusions, and
a positioning member configured to couple to the elastic member and to restrict rotation of the elastic member relative to the positioning member,
wherein the positioning member includes the other of the grooves or the protrusions such that the protrusions are fitted into the grooves to restrict rotation of the elastic member relative to the positioning member.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket of the hanging coupler includes a support rib projecting toward the coupling hole, and the elastic member includes a buffer rib located at a lower portion and projecting radially outward, the buffer rib being disposed under the support rib to contact the support rib.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according claim 2 , wherein the buffer rib defines the grooves that are spaced apart at a predetermined interval along a circumference of the buffer rib.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support member provided at the one end of the support bar has a length longer than the elastic member, and
wherein, based on the tub vibrating horizontally, an outer surface of the support member is configured to contact an inner surface of the elastic member.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein three hanging couplers are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tub, and three suspending couplers are provided on the housing at positions corresponding to the hanging couplers,
wherein three suspension assemblies are disposed between the hanging couplers and the suspending couplers to thereby support the tub.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of three hanging couplers is disposed toward a rear of the laundry treatment apparatus and configured to extend in a tangential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the tub.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein four hanging couplers are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tub, and four suspending couplers are provided on the housing at positions corresponding to the hanging couplers,
wherein four suspension assemblies are disposed between the hanging couplers and the suspending couplers to thereby support the tub.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of four hanging couplers is disposed toward a rear of the laundry treatment apparatus and configured to extend in a tangential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the tub.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension assemblies are disposed between an inner surface of the housing and the outer circumferential surface of the tub.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member has a cylindrical shape and surrounds the corresponding support member,
wherein a portion of the elastic member is disposed within the coupling hole, and the remaining portion of the elastic member extends out of the coupling hole, and
wherein an inner diameter of the elastic member is greater than a diameter of the support member such that a space is defined between an inner surface of the elastic member and an outer surface of the support member.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning member is disposed between the elastic member and one of the support members.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning member has a ring shape that surrounds an outer peripheral surface of the support bar.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the bracket further defines a cut-out portion at one side of the coupling hole, and
wherein at least one of the protrusions of the positioning member is configured to fit into the cut-out portion.

14. A washing apparatus that is configured to be placed under a laundry treatment apparatus, the washing apparatus comprising:
a cabinet defining an external appearance of the washing apparatus;
a drawer housing configured to be pushed in or withdrawn from the cabinet;
a tub disposed in the drawer housing and configured to receive washing water;
a plurality of hanging couplers provided at an outer circumferential surface of the tub and spaced apart from each other by predetermined distances, each of the plurality of hanging couplers including a bracket that defines a coupling hole;
a plurality of suspending couplers provided at the drawer housing and positioned at locations corresponding to the plurality of hanging couplers;
a drum rotatably provided in the tub; and
a plurality of suspension assemblies provided between the drawer housing and the tub and configured to attenuate horizontal and vertical vibrations of the tub, the suspension assemblies being disposed between respective hanging couplers and suspending couplers to thereby support the tub,
wherein each of the suspension assemblies comprises:
a support bar,
support members that are provided at both ends of the support bar,
an elastic member disposed at one end of the support bar, the elastic member including one of grooves or protrusions, and
a positioning member configured to couple to the elastic member and to restrict rotation of the elastic member relative to the positioning member,
wherein the positioning member includes the other of the grooves or the protrusions such that the protrusions are fitted into the grooves to restrict rotation of the elastic member relative to the positioning member.

15. The washing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the bracket of the hanging coupler includes a support rib projecting toward the coupling hole, and the elastic member includes a buffer rib located at a lower portion and projecting radially outward, the buffer rib being disposed under the support rib to contact the support rib.

16. The washing apparatus according claim 15 , wherein the buffer rib defines the grooves that are spaced apart at a predetermined interval along a circumference of the buffer rib.

17. The washing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the elastic member has a cylindrical shape and surrounds the corresponding support member,
wherein a portion of the elastic member is disposed within the coupling hole, and the remaining portion of the elastic member extends out of the coupling hole, and
wherein an inner diameter of the elastic member is greater than a diameter of

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Won Woonghui
• Seo Jinwoo
• Kim Wooseong

Classifications

• D06F37/24 Primary

  in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/20 Primary

  Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations · CPC title

• D06F37/268

  for suspension devices · CPC title

• 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

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title