Hand-held laundry treating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976241-B2
Application number	US-201514685215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A hand-held laundry treating apparatus includes a portable body formed in the shape of a bar having a predetermined length for washing a localized portion of a laundry item placed on a vertical plane or a horizontal plane while being in contact with the laundry item, and a water tank mounted at a middle part of the portable body at an angle to the portable body for supplying wash water to the portable body and, at the same time, for collecting and storing contaminated water generated from the localized portion of the laundry item according to a use state of the portable body when washing the localized portion of the laundry item placed on the vertical plane or the horizontal plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-held laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a portable body configured to wash a localized portion of a laundry item selectively oriented in each of a vertical plane or a horizontal plane while being in contact with the laundry item and comprising:
a housing formed in the shape of a bar having a predetermined length and an external appearance of the portable body;
a fluid feeding unit mounted inside the housing for supplying and collecting air of a predetermined pressure to circulate the air,
a washing unit mounted inside the housing for spraying the wash water to the laundry item and collecting the contaminated water;
a vibration unit mounted inside the housing for applying vibration to the laundry item when the wash water is sprayed to the laundry item; and
a circulation channel unit mounted inside the housing for guiding the air supplied from the fluid feeding unit to a water tank, guiding the wash water from the water tank to the washing unit, guiding the wash water collected from the washing unit to the water tank, and guiding air collected in the water tank together with the contaminated water to the fluid feeding unit,

wherein the water tank is mounted at a middle portion of the portable body at an angle with respect to the housing, the water tank being configured to supply wash water to the housing and to collect and store contaminated water generated from the localized portion of the laundry item according to a use state of the portable body when washing the localized portion of the laundry item oriented in the vertical plane or the horizontal plane,
wherein the water tank comprises:
a water tank body having a shape of a box;
a partition wall partitioning an internal space of the water tank body into a wash water storage unit configured to store the wash water and a contaminated water storage unit configured to store the contaminated water; and
a fastening unit provided at a lower part of the water tank body, the fastening unit being fastened to the portable body for defining a communication space for the wash water storage unit and the contaminated water storage unit.

2. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the water tank is detachably mounted to the middle portion of the portable body on an upper side of the portable body in a vertical direction.

3. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the water tank is oriented at an angle of about 30 to 60 degrees in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the vertical plane for washing a laundry item oriented on the horizontal plane, and
wherein the water tank is oriented at an angle of about 30 to 60 degrees in a clockwise direction with respect to the vertical plane for washing a laundry item oriented on the vertical plane.

4. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening unit comprises:
an air introduction boss for supplying external air to the wash water storage unit;
a wash water discharge boss for discharging the wash water stored in the wash water storage unit;
a contaminated water introduction boss for introducing the contaminated water into the contaminated water storage unit; and
an air collection boss for discharging air introduced into the contaminated water storage unit.

5. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the fastening unit further comprises a sealing protrusion having a shape surrounding the air introduction boss, the wash water discharge boss, the contaminated water introduction boss, and the air collection boss.

6. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the wash water storage unit comprises:
a first air introduction channel extending from the air introduction boss to an upper part of the wash water storage unit; and
a second air introduction channel connected to an upper part of the first air introduction channel such that the second air introduction channel is open at a lower part of the wash water storage unit.

7. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the wash water storage unit comprises:
a first wash water discharge channel extending from the wash water discharge boss to an upper part of the wash water storage unit; and
a second wash water discharge channel connected to an upper part of the first wash water discharge channel such that the second wash water discharge channel is open at a lower part of the wash water storage unit.

8. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the contaminated water storage unit comprises a contaminated water introduction channel extending from the contaminated water introduction boss to an upper part of the contaminated water storage unit such that the contaminated water introduction channel is open at the upper part of the contaminated water storage unit.

9. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the contaminated water storage unit comprises an air collection channel extending from the air collection boss to an upper part of the contaminated water storage unit such that the air collection channel is open at the upper part of the contaminated water storage unit.

10. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wash water storage unit is provided at a lower part thereof with a water supply hole for supplying the wash water into the wash water storage unit,
wherein the contaminated water storage unit is provided at a lower part thereof with a drainage hole for draining the contaminated water from the contaminated water storage unit, and
wherein the water tank is provided at a lower part thereof with water supply and drainage caps for opening and closing the water supply hole and the drainage hole.

11. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided at a middle part thereof with a water tank mounting unit at which the water tank is mounted, and
wherein the water tank mounting unit comprises a turning clamp for fixing the water tank.

12. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the housing is provided at a top thereof with a curved part, having a predetermined curvature, pressed by the turning clamp according to turning of the turning clamp, and a catching projection for restricting the turning of the turning clamp.

13. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation channel unit comprises:
a pump connection block at which the fluid feeding unit is connected;
a tank fastening block at which the water tank is mounted;
an air channel block defining a path for circulating the air between the pump connection block and the tank fastening block; and
a water channel block defining paths between the tank fastening block and the washing unit for the flow of wash water and for the flow of contaminated water.

14. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the fluid feeding unit comprises an air pump and a motor for transmitting a driving force to the air pump, the air pump comprising a discharge port for supplying pressurized air and a collection port for collecting air, the air pump being fastened to the pump connection block, and
wherein the pump connection block comprises a discharge channel to which the discharge port is connected, and a suction channel to which the collection port is connected.

15. The hand-held laundry treating apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the air channel block comprises:
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Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Junghoon
• Hong Sogkie

Classifications

• D06F19/00 Primary

  Washing machines using vibrations for washing purposes · CPC title

• D06F5/005

  Receptacles for washing articles, e.g. hosiery, by shaking or squeezing · CPC title

• D06F7/04

  of the vibrator type · CPC title

• D06F43/002

  Spotting apparatus · CPC title

• B05B14/30

  comprising enclosures close to, or in contact with, the object to be sprayed and surrounding or confining the discharged spray or jet but not the object to be sprayed · CPC title