Patent Application
20250075407
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0115477, filed on Aug. 31, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus, and more particularly, to a laundry treating apparatus for accommodating and treating laundry.
A laundry treating apparatus provides various treating courses for treating laundry, such as a washing course that removes contamination from laundry by putting clothes, bedding, etc. (hereinafter referred to as laundry) inside a drum, or a drying course that removes moisture present in laundry.
The laundry treating apparatus may include a cabinet that forms an outer appearance, and may include a laundry receiving portion provided inside the cabinet to accommodate laundry. When water is used in a laundry processing course, a tub may be provided inside the cabinet, and the laundry receiving portion may be installed inside the tub.
Cited reference KR 10-2008-0052967 A1 discloses a laundry treating apparatus including a drawer including the laundry receiving portion. The drawer may be extended out the cabinet from a state of being accommodated inside the cabinet to expose the laundry receiving portion to the outside, and a user may put laundry into the laundry receiving portion exposed to the outside.
As described above, the laundry treating apparatus including the drawer including the laundry receiving portion may also be called a pedestal type, and may be used in conjunction with another additional treating apparatus located outside the laundry treating apparatus.
However, as described above, when the drawer is retracted or extended into or out of the cabinet, a load increases as the drawer is provided with the laundry receiving portion, and the user may experience inconvenience in moving the drawer.
For example, when the above-described additional treating apparatus is provided together with the laundry treating apparatus, the external components, such as the additional treating apparatus and the cabinet of the laundry treating apparatus, may be provided to appear as a single configuration to have an external sense of unity, and in this case, the user may experience inconvenience in holding the drawer and extending out the drawer.
Therefore, it is an important task in this technical field to develop a laundry treating apparatus that allows the drawer provided in the laundry treating apparatus to be conveniently extended out and to be efficiently retracted.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus for conveniently extending a drawer.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus for automatically extending a drawer.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus having an efficient structure for extending out a drawer.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
A laundry treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet and a drawer that is retracted or extended into or out of the cabinet. When a drawer button provided in the drawer is manipulated by a user, the drawer may be automatically extended out by a certain distance.
A front portion of the drawer may be provided to hide a lower component of an additional treating apparatus located above the cabinet in a retracting-in state of the drawer.
When the cabinet includes an automatic retracting-in device configured to guide retracting-in of the drawer, an extending-out device of the drawer may extend out the drawer to be further extended out than an automatic retracting section by the automatic retracting device when the drawer button is manipulated.
A laundry treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet with a front surface in which an opening is formed, a drawer that is at least partially retracted or extended into or out of the cabinet through the opening, and a laundry receiving portion provided in the drawer and configured to accommodate laundry.
The drawer may include a a front portion configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet in a retracting-in state of the drawer and a drawer button provided in the front portion and manipulated by a user.
The cabinet may include an extending-out device configured to move the front portion forward to extend out the drawer in the retracting-in state when the drawer button is manipulated.
When the drawer button is manipulated, at least a portion of the extending-out device may protrude forward from the opening and pushes the front portion forward.
The extending-out device may be coupled to an internal surface of the cabinet and may include a push portion configured to push the front portion forward.
The extending-out device may be coupled to an upper surface of the internal surface of the cabinet, and when the drawer button is manipulated, the push portion may protrude forward beyond the opening and push the front portion forward.
The extending-out device may include a body portion coupled to the cabinet and a push portion protruding forward from the body portion. When the drawer button is manipulated, an amount of protrusion of the push portion may increase, and the extending-out device may push the front portion.
A body opening that is open forward may be provided at a front end of the body portion, and the push portion may be extended out forward from the body portion through the body opening.
The body opening may be located on the same plane as the opening of the cabinet. The body portion may include a receiving space formed to accommodate the push portion, and include an extending-out driver configured to provide power for protrusion of the push portion.
When the drawer button is manipulated, the push portion may be extracted out forward from the body portion, and when a certain time elapses after the push portion is extended out, the body portion may be retracted back into the body portion. The drawer button and the extending-out device may receive power from different control modules.
The laundry treating apparatus may further include a first control module connected to the drawer button and configured to receive a user manipulation signal for the drawer button, and a second control module connected to the extending-out device and operating the extending-out device when the drawer button is manipulated.
When a manipulation signal of the drawer button is generated, the first control module may switch the second control module from a minimum power consumption state to a normal power consumption state, and the extending-out device may receive power through the second control module in the normal power consumption state.
The extending-out device may not operate while treating laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion.
The drawer may include a main body portion that is located at a rear side of the front portion and is retracted into the cabinet, and on which the laundry receiving portion is located, the front portion may include an upward protrusion that protrudes upward from the main body portion, and the extending-out device may be configured to push the upward protrusion forward.
The upward protrusion may include a first upward protrusion protruding upward from the main body portion and pressed forward by the extending-out device, and a second upward protrusion protruding upward from the first upward protrusion and including an upper groove that has a rear surface recessed forward and is open upward.
The second upward protrusion may further include a forward protrusion located at a front side of the upper groove, and a lateral protrusion provided at each of both sides of the upper groove and connected to the forward protrusion, and the upper groove may be defined by the forward protrusion and the lateral protrusion.
A handle portion including a recessed groove may be provided on an external surface of the lateral protrusion, which is externally exposed. A handle groove recessed forward and extending in a lateral direction of the cabinet may be provided on a rear surface of the forward protrusion, which faces the upper groove.
The cabinet may be provided to upwardly support an additional treating apparatus located above the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry, and a portion of a lower portion of the additional treating apparatus may be located in the upper groove in a retracting-in state of the drawer.
A rail support body may be provided on each of both sides of the drawer, and a rail portion on which the rail support body is accommodated to slide forward or backward may be provided on an internal surface of the cabinet.
The rail portion may include a retracting-in guider configured to move the rail support body located in a guide section defined in the rail portion backward. The extending-out device may push the front portion such that the rail support body is located ahead of the guide section.
The drawer button may be provided in a touch manner and configured to receive a touch signal of the user.
The laundry treating apparatus may further include a tub provided on the drawer and configured to accommodate water, and the laundry receiving portion may be located inside the tub and rotated about a rotation axis perpendicular to a ground.
The laundry treating apparatus may further include a controller provided inside the cabinet and configured to control rotation of the laundry receiving portion to treat laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion.
The controller may treat the laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion based on information transmitted from an external device located outside the cabinet.
The external device may include an additional treating apparatus provided outside the cabinet to accommodate laundry, and the controller may treat the laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion based on information determined through a manipulation unit provided in the additional treating apparatus and manipulated by the user.
The cabinet may be provided to upwardly support an additional treating apparatus located above the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry, and a front panel of the additional treating apparatus and the front portion of the drawer may be located vertically and on the same plane.
The present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet with a front surface in which an opening is formed, a drawer that is at least partially retracted or extended into or out of the cabinet through the opening, a laundry receiving portion provided in the drawer and configured to accommodate laundry, a front portion configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet in a retracting-in state in which the drawer is inserted into the cabinet, a drawer button provided in the front portion and manipulated by a user, and an extending-out device provided in the cabinet and configured to move the front portion forward to extend out the drawer in the retracting-in state from the cabinet when the drawer button is manipulated.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to these embodiments. To clearly describe the present disclosure, a part without concerning to the description is omitted in the drawings, and like reference numerals in the specification denote like elements.
In the specification, a repeated explanation thereof will not be given.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present.
The terms used in the present specification are used for explaining a specific exemplary embodiment, not limiting the present inventive concept.
In the specification, the singular expressions in the present specification include the plural expressions unless clearly specified otherwise in context.
In the specification, terms such as “include” or “comprise” may be construed to denote a certain characteristic, number, step, operation, constituent element, or combination thereof, but may not be construed to exclude the existence of or possibility of addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, or combinations thereof.
In this specification, the term ‘and/or’ includes a combination of a plurality of listed items or any of the plurality of listed items. In this specification, ‘A or B’ may include ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘both A and B’.
A laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet 10 and a drawer 100. The drawer 100 may include a laundry receiving portion 20 that accommodates laundry, and perform a laundry treating process such as washing or drying the laundry provided in the laundry receiving portion 20.
The cabinet 10 may be provided in a substantially box shape. A space may be formed inside the cabinet 10, and an opening 11 may be formed in a front surface of the cabinet 10. For example, the front surface of the cabinet 10 may be entirely open.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 (first laundry treating apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be used in conjunction with an external device. For example, the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a pedestal type, and the external device may include an additional treating apparatus 2 (second additional treating apparatus) that is located outside the laundry treating apparatus 1 to accommodate and treat laundry separately from the laundry treating apparatus 1.
For example, the cabinet 10 may be provided to support the additional treating apparatus 2 upward, which is located above the cabinet 10 and accommodates laundry. That is, the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with the additional treating apparatus 2 stacked thereon.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 may be provided to exchange information with the additional treating apparatus 2 and may be operated or treat laundry by a user in conjunction with the additional treating apparatus 2. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto, and the laundry treating apparatus 1 may be used alone.
For reference, the additional treating apparatus 2 may have a larger volume than the laundry treating apparatus 1 and may be provided to accommodate more laundry than the laundry treating apparatus 1. The additional treating apparatus 2 may include a door for opening and closing a hole that communicates the inside and the outside, and may be provided with a control panel for setting of the additional treating apparatus 2.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the drawer 100 is retracted into or extended out of the cabinet 10 through the opening 11. At least a portion of the drawer 100 may be retracted into the cabinet 10 through the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 described above, and may be extended out of the cabinet 10 as needed.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the laundry receiving portion 20. The laundry receiving portion 20 may be provided to accommodate laundry therein. The laundry receiving portion 20 may be provided as a drum type.
The drawer 100 may include a main body portion 150 that is retracted into the cabinet 10 and a front portion 110 that is exposed to the outside of the cabinet 10 in a retracting-in state (IC) in which the drawer 100 is retracted into the cabinet 10. The laundry receiving portion 20 may be provided in the main body portion 150 and may be extended out of the cabinet 10 together with the drawer 100.
For reference, in the present disclosure, the retracting-in state (IC) of the drawer 100 refers to a state in which the drawer 100 is completely retracted into the cabinet 10, and an extending-out state (OC) of the drawer 100 refers to a state in which the drawer 100 is at least partially extended out of the cabinet 10, unlike the retracting-in state (IC).
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the laundry treating apparatus 1 may be provided to perform various treating processes for laundry. For example, the laundry treating apparatus 1 may be provided to perform a washing process and/or a drying process for laundry by using detergent and water.
Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the description will be based on the case in which the laundry treating apparatus 1 is provided to perform the washing process, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.
Referring to
The above-described laundry receiving portion 20 may be rotatably provided inside the tub 30. For example, the main body portion 150 may include a driver 40 for rotating the laundry receiving portion 20, and the laundry receiving portion 20 may be rotatably provided inside the tub 30 and connected to the driver 40 to be rotated.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body portion 150 may be provided such that an upper surface of the tub 30 is open, the tub 30 may have an upper surface in which a tub opening 31 is formed, and the laundry receiving portion 20 may also have an upper surface in which a receiving opening 21 is formed. The tub 30 or the main body portion 150 may be provided with a tub door for opening and closing the tub opening 31.
The tub 30 and the laundry receiving portion 20 may be at least partially extended out of the cabinet 10 together with the drawer 100. A user may extend the drawer 100 from the cabinet 10, put laundry into the laundry receiving portion 20 through the tub opening 31 and the receiving opening 21, and may then retract the drawer 100 again.
The laundry receiving portion 20 may be located inside the tub 30 and rotatably provided about a rotation axis 25 perpendicular to the ground, and the rotation axis 25 may be a drive shaft of the driver 40 or a shaft rotated by the drive shaft.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a water supply 74, a drain unit 76, and a detergent supply 72. The water supply 74 may receive water from the outside of the cabinet 10 and deliver the water to the tub 30 or the detergent supply 72.
The water supply 74 may be connected to an external water supply source located outside the cabinet 10 to receive water, and, if necessary, may be connected to the above-described additional treating apparatus 2 to receive water.
The detergent supply 72 may be provided inside the cabinet 10. For example, the detergent supply 72 may be provided in the main body portion 150 of the drawer 100 and located inside the cabinet 10 in the retracting-in state (IC) of the drawer 100.
The detergent supply 72 may be provided to supply detergent to the tub 30. The detergent supply 72 may be provided to receive water from the water supply 74 as needed and supply both water and detergent to the tub 30.
The detergent supply 72 may be provided to supply detergent stored therein to the tub 30, or may also be provided to deliver the detergent delivered from a detergent supply device 5 provided in the above-described additional treating apparatus 2 to the tub 30 again.
The drain unit 76 may be connected to the tub 30 and may be provided to discharge water from the tub 30 to the outside of the cabinet 10. The drain unit 76 may include a drain pump for flowing water in the tub 30.
The water supply 74 and the drain unit 76 may connect the cabinet 10 to the tub 30 provided in the main body portion 150 of the drawer 100, and at least a portion of the water supply 74 may be provided as a hose including a flexible material to accommodate movement of the drawer 100.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a controller. The controller may be provided inside the cabinet 10. The controller may control the driver 40 to control rotation of the laundry receiving portion 20.
The controller may control at least one of the above-described water supply 74, drain unit 76, and driver 40 to perform a treating process of laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion 20.
The controller may be provided in the form of a single module, or may be defined as including a plurality of control modules spaced apart from each other. For example, the controller may include at least one of a first control module 310 and a second control module 320, which will be described below.
For reference, the above-described additional treating apparatus 2 may include an additional cabinet that is different from the cabinet 10 of the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Inside the additional cabinet, an additional tub for storing water and an additional receiving portion provided inside the additional tub to accommodate laundry may be provided.
The controller may perform a laundry treating process set based on a user command. The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a manipulation unit that is operated by a user to generate a command signal from the user, and based on the user command signal input through the manipulation unit, the controller may set the laundry treating process.
However, the laundry treating apparatus 1 may be provided in a form that does not include the manipulation unit. For example, the laundry treating apparatus 1 may not have a manipulation unit for setting the laundry treating process.
In this case, the controller may set the treating process based on information transmitted from an external device located outside the cabinet 10 and treat laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion 20.
For example, the above-described additional treating apparatus 2 may be provided with the above-described manipulation unit 3, and the laundry treating apparatus 1 may not be provided with the above-described manipulation unit. Accordingly, the user may set a treating process to be performed in the laundry treating apparatus 1 through the manipulation unit 3 of the additional treating apparatus 2.
That is, the controller may set the treating process based on information determined through the manipulation unit 3 provided in the additional treating apparatus 2 and manipulated by the user, and treat laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion 20.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drawer 100 may include the front portion 110 and the main body portion 150. The front portion 110 may be located at a front side of the main body portion 150 and may close the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 in the retracting-in state (IC) of the drawer 100.
Accordingly, when the drawer 100 is completely retracted into the cabinet 10, the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 may be closed by the front portion 110, and thus the inside of the cabinet 10 may be entirely shielded from the outside.
The front portion 110, together with the cabinet 10, may form an outer appearance of the laundry treating apparatus 1. The front portion 110 may form a front surface of the laundry treating apparatus 1. When the laundry treating apparatus 1 is provided in a stacked form with the above-described additional treating apparatus 2, a front panel forming a front surface of the additional treating apparatus 2 and the front portion 110 of the drawer 100 may be located at upper and lower portions.
The front panel of the additional treating apparatus 2 and the front portion 110 may be located on the same plane. That is, a front surface of the front panel of the additional treating apparatus 2 and a front surface of the front portion 110 may be provided to define one surface extending up and down.
The front portion 110 may protrude above the cabinet 10 or the main body 150, and accordingly, an upper end of the front portion 110 may be located at a lower end portion of the front surface of the additional treating apparatus 2. A detailed description of a shape of the front portion 110 will be described below.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a drawer button 190. The drawer button 190 is provided on the front portion 110 and may be manipulated by the user.
The drawer button 190 may be provided in various types. For example, the drawer button 190 may be provided as a mechanical type that is pressed by the user to generate a manipulation signal, or a touch type that receives a touch signal of the user.
That is, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drawer button 190 may be provided in a touch manner to receive the touch signal of the user. As shown in
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may not include the above-described manipulation unit. For example, the laundry treating apparatus 1 may not include any buttons other than the above-described drawer button 190, and may not have a display that outputs a screen.
In this case, the drawer button 190 may be a multi-function button, a function of which changes depending on manipulation based on a state of the laundry treating apparatus 1. For example, when the laundry treating apparatus 1 is turned off, the drawer button 190 may function as a power button to command power on of the laundry treating apparatus 1, and may be a communication button for communication connection with the additional treating apparatus 2 in an initial setup process of the laundry treating apparatus 1.
As described later, the drawer button 190 may function as an extending-out button to command to extend out the drawer 100 in the retracting-in state (IC) and may also function as a stop button to command a temporary stop of the treating process in the laundry treating process. Changes in the function of the drawer button 190 are not limited as above, and the drawer button 190 may be provided to have various functions under various conditions as needed.
In detail, the drawer 100 may include the handle portion 128 that is exposed to the outside. A user may hold the handle portion 128 and move the drawer 100 forward to extend the drawer 100 out of the cabinet 10.
The front portion 110 may include an upward protrusion 120 that protrudes above the cabinet 10, and the upward protrusion 120 may include a front protrusion 126 and a lateral protrusion 127. The upward protrusion 120 may form a portion of a front surface of the front portion 110.
The lateral protrusions 127 may be located on both sides of the front protrusion 126 based on a width direction Y of the cabinet 10 and form a portion of a lateral surface of the front portion 110. That is, the handle portion 128 including a recessed groove may be provided on an externally exposed outer surface of the lateral protrusion 127.
The handle portion 128 may be located on the side of a lateral surface of the lateral protrusion 127. The handle portion 128 may include a groove in which a user hand is to be positioned. Additionally, if necessary, a cover may be provided to shield the groove from the outside.
The cover may be rotated or moved linearly through pressure from the user hand to expose the groove to the outside.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be in the form of a box with a height in upward and downward directions or in a height direction Z, which is less than a length in front and rear directions X or a width in left and right directions.
Considering an average height of the user, the height of the laundry treating apparatus 1 may be relatively low, and therefore, to increase the user convenience of manipulation, the handle portion 128 may be located at the upward protrusion 120 of the front portion 110.
The handle portion 128 may be provided on each of one pair of lateral protrusions 127 of the upward protrusion 120 to facilitate use with both hands while maintaining the appearance completeness of the front surface of the front portion 110.
However, the location or shape of the handle portion 128 is not necessarily limited as above, and if necessary, the handle portion 128 may be provided in various positions such as the front surface of the front portion 110.
Referring to
The upper groove 130 may be formed by recessing forward at least a portion of a rear surface of the upward protrusion 120. The front protrusion 126 may be located at a front side of the upper groove 130, and the lateral protrusions 127 may be located at both lateral ends of the upper groove 130, respectively.
In other words, the upper groove 130 may be defined by the front protrusion 126 and the lateral protrusion 127. The upper groove 130 may have a shape of a groove that is open upward and backward. The upper groove 130 may be spaced upward from a lower end and lower portion of the front portion 110.
In the retracting-in state (IC) of the drawer 100, a rear end of the lateral protrusion 127 may face a front end of the cabinet 10 and may be in contact with or located adjacent to the cabinet 10, and the front protrusion 126 may be located further forward than the front surface of the cabinet 10.
As described above, the upward protrusion 120 may protrude above the cabinet 10, and the additional treating apparatus 2 described above may be disposed on the cabinet 10. Accordingly, a lower end of the additional treating apparatus 2 may be located at a rear side of upward protrusion 120.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the front portion 110 may have the upper groove 130 that is open backward, and accordingly, a lower end of the additional treating apparatus 2 may be shielded from a front side by the upward protrusion 120 of the front portion 110, and in the retracting-in state (IC) of the drawer 100, a portion of the lower portion of the additional treating apparatus 2 may be located in the upper groove 130.
Various lower components 4 may be located on the front surface of the lower end of the additional treating apparatus 2. For example, the various lower components 4 protruding forward may be located on the front surface of the lower end of the additional treating apparatus 2.
As an example of the additional treating apparatus 2,
However, the detergent supply device 5 and the lower cover 6 are only examples to explain the lower end of the additional treating apparatus 2, and the lower components 4 located at the lower end of the additional treating apparatus 2 may vary.
The detergent supply device 5 or the lower cover 6 may be shielded from the outside by the front portion 110 when the drawer 100 of the laundry treating apparatus 1 is completely retracted into the cabinet 10, and the detergent supply device 5 or the lower cover 6 may be exposed to the outside when the drawer 100 is extended out.
The detergent supply device 5 or the lower cover 6 may protrude forward from a surrounding area in consideration of user convenience. In this case, the upper groove 130 provided on the front portion 110 of the drawer 100 may accommodate the detergent supply device 5 and the lower cover 6.
The extending-out device 200 may be provided in the cabinet 10. The extending-out device 200 may be located inside the cabinet 10. The extending-out device 200 may be coupled to an upper surface of an internal lateral surface of the cabinet 10.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drawer 200 may be provided to extend forward the drawer 100 in the retracting-in state (IC). The drawer button 190 may be operated when the above-described drawer button 190 is manipulated.
For example, the drawer device 200 may move the front portion 110 forward when the drawer button 190 is manipulated. Accordingly, the drawer 100 in the retracting-in state (IC) may be moved forward and extended out by the extending-out device 200.
The drawer 100 may be located at a relatively low position in consideration of an average height of the user. The user may extend out the drawer 100 by using the handle portion 128 of the drawer 100 described above, but extending out the drawer 100 by using the handle portion 128 with a low height may not be convenient for use.
When the additional treating apparatus 2 is located above the laundry treating apparatus 1, the user may use the laundry treating apparatus 1 while using the additional treating apparatus 2, and in this case, the user needs to extend out the drawer 100 along with an operation for the additional treating apparatus 2, and thus inconvenience may increase.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with the extending-out device 200 that extends out the drawer 100 by a certain distance, and thus even if the user does not directly extend out the drawer 100, the user may extend out the drawer 100 conveniently.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user may conveniently manipulate the drawer device 200 by simply manipulating the drawer button 190 located on the front portion 110. The drawer button 190 may be located on the front surface of the front portion 110, and may be easily accessible to the user, thereby improving convenience of use.
An extending-out distance of the drawer 100 by the extending-out device 200 may vary. For example, in the drawer 100 extended out by the drawer 200, at least a portion of the above-described upper groove 130 may be moved forward from the front panel of the above-described additional treating apparatus 2 and exposed to the outside.
A method by which the extending-out device 200 moves the drawer 100 or the front portion 110 forward may vary. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the extending-out device 200 may protrude forward from the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 and may be provided to push the front portion 110 forward.
The extending-out device 200 may include a body portion 220 that is coupled and fixed to the cabinet 10, and the push portion 210 may be provided to protrude forward from the body portion 220. The body portion 220 may include a receiving space 225 in which the push portion 210 is accommodated.
When the drawer button 190 is operated while the push portion 210 is accommodated in the receiving space 225 of the body portion 220, the push portion 210 may push forward the front portion 110 of the drawer 100 while moving to protrude forward from the body portion 220.
The body portion 220 may be provided with a body opening 230 that opens foward. The body opening 230 may be an opening open from the body portion 220 toward the front portion 110. The body opening 230 may be located at a front end portion of the body portion 220. The body opening 230 may be located at a front end of the body portion 220.
The body opening 230 may be provided to face the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 from the inside of the cabinet 10. The front end of the body portion 220 may be located on the opening 11 of the cabinet 10, and the body opening 230 may be located on the same plane as the opening 11 of the cabinet 10.
In this case, an extending-out length of the push portion 210 extended out from the body portion 220 may correspond to an extending distance of the drawer 100 by the extending-out device 200. However, a positional relationship between the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 and the body opening 230 may include tolerances that may occur during product manufacturing.
The body opening 230 may be in communication with the receiving space 225 described above. The body opening 230 may be located at a front side of the receiving space 225. The body opening 230 may be a front end of the receiving space 225. The push portion 210 accommodated in the receiving space 225 may be moved to the outside of the body portion 220 through the body opening 230.
The push portion 210 may have a shape of a bar extending in the front and rear directions X, in a longitudinal direction X of the cabinet 10, or in a moving direction of the drawer 100. The body portion 220 may include an extending-out driver 240 that provides power to protrude the push portion 210. The extending-out driver 240 may be a motor that consumes power.
A structure in which power of the extending-out driver 240 is converted into moving power of the push portion 210 may vary. For example, the power of the extending-out driver 240 may be provided to the push portion 210 through at least some of a worm gear 250, a pulley, and a rack and pinion gear.
For example, the drive shaft of the extending-out driver 240 may be directly or indirectly provided with a worm gear 250, and a driven gear having a rotation axis in a different direction from the drive shaft may be rotated through the worm gear 250.
The driven gear may be directly or indirectly provided with a first pulley, and a second pulley spaced apart from the first pulley may be connected to each other using a belt or the like.
The second pulley may be directly or indirectly connected to an operating gear 260. However, the driven gear and the operating gear 260 may be connected in a meshing relationship through a plurality of gear sets without using the belt or the like.
The operating gear 260 may be meshed with a linear gear unit provided in the push portion 210, for example, a rack gear unit. Accordingly, power of the extending-out driver 240 may be provided to the push portion 210 as a moving force of the push portion 210.
The above-described operating structure of the extending-out device 200 is only an example, and the operating structure of the extending-out device 200 for forming the displacement of the push portion 210 may vary.
As described above, when the drawer button 190 is manipulated, the push portion 210 may protrude forward from the opening 11 and push the front portion 110 forward. The extending-out device 200 may push the front portion 110 by increasing the amount of protrusion of the push portion 210 with respect to the body portion 220.
At least a portion of the main body portion 150 of the drawer 100 extended out by the extending-out device 200 may be exposed to the outside of the cabinet 10. As described above, an extending-out distance of the drawer 100 may correspond to an extending-out length of the push portion 210 and may be determined in various ways.
The extending-out distance of the drawer 100 extended out by the push portion 210 may be less than the maximum extending-out distance allowed by a design. For example, the push portion 210 may extend out the drawer 100 by a certain distance, and the user may directly extend out and use the drawer 100, which is partially extended out by the push portion 210, as much as necessary.
For example, the push portion 210 may extend out the drawer 100 such that the upper groove 130 of the front portion 110 of the drawer 100 is located in front of the front panel of the above-described additional treating apparatus 2 and exposed upward. In this case, the upper groove 130 or the upward protrusion 120 may function as a handle for the user, and the user may put his or her finger in the upper groove 130 and hold the upward protrusion 120 and extend out the drawer 100.
Extending out the push portion 210 may be accomplished by manipulating the above-described drawer button 190, and retraction of the push portion 210 may occur in various ways.
For example, the push portion 210 in the extending-out state (OC) may be moved back into the body portion 220 due to interference that occurs when the drawer 100 is retracted. That is, the drawer 100 retracted into the cabinet 10 may push the push portion 210 into the body portion 220.
The push portion 210 in the extending-out state (OC) may be retracted into the body portion 220 by the above-described operation of the extending-out driver 240. The extending-out driver 240 may be driven to move the push portion 210 toward the inside of the body portion 220 again immediately after the extending-out process of the push portion 210 is completed.
The extending-out driver 240 may be driven such that the push portion 210 is retracted into the body portion 220 after a certain time elapses after the extending-out process of the push portion 210 is completed. That is, the push portion 210 may be extended forward from the body portion 220 when the drawer button 190 is manipulated, and may be retracted back into the body portion 220 when a certain time elapses after the push portion 210 is extended out.
Whether or not the extending-out device 200 operates may be determined depending on the state of the laundry treating apparatus 1 or whether the laundry treating process proceeds. For example, the extending-out device 200 may not operate while treating laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion 20.
In this case, even if the drawer button 190 is manipulated, the extending-out driver 240 of the extending-out device 200 may not operate, and if necessary, the drawer button 190 may function as a stop button to command a temporary halt to the treating process currently being performed rather than an operation button of the extending-out device 200, as described above.
The main body portion 150 of the drawer 100 may be located at a rear side of the front portion 110 and retracted into the cabinet 10, and the laundry receiving portion 20 may be located thereon. The detergent supply 72 and the tub 30 described above may also be provided with the main body portion 150.
The front portion 110 may be located at a front end of the main body portion 150 and may include the upward protrusion 120 that protrudes upward from the main body portion 150. The extending-out device 200 may be provided to push the upward protrusion 120 forward.
The upward protrusion 120 may include a first upward protrusion 123 and a second upward protrusion 125. The first upward protrusion 123 may protrude upward from the main body portion 150 and may be pressed forward by the extending-out device 200.
That is, the first upward protrusion 123 of the upward protrusion 120 may be located at a front side of the extending-out device 200, and the push portion 210 of the extending-out device 200 may be provided to push a rear surface of the first upward protrusion 123.
The second upward protrusion 125 may protrude upward from the first upward protrusion 123 and may include the upper groove 130 having a rear surface that is recessed forward and open upward. The first upward protrusion 123 may be located below the second upward protrusion 125, and a boundary of the first upward protrusion 123 and the second upward protrusion 125 may be defined based on a lower end of the upper groove 130.
That is, the second upward protrusion 125 of the upward protrusion 120 may be defined as a region to an upper end from a lower end of the upper groove 130, and the first upward protrusion 123 may be defined as a region from an upper end of the main body portion 150 to a lower end of the upper groove 130.
The second upward protrusion 125 may include the front protrusion 126 and the lateral protrusion 127 described above. The front protrusion 126 may be located at a front side of the upper groove 130, and the lateral protrusions 127 may be provided on both sides of the upper groove 130 or the front protrusion 126, respectively, to be connected to the front protrusion 126.
The upper groove 130 may be defined by the front protrusion 126 and the lateral protrusion 127. The upper groove 130 may be located at a rear side of the front protrusion 126 and between one pair of lateral protrusions 127.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a handle groove 135 that is recessed forward and extends in a lateral direction of the cabinet 10 may be provided on a rear side of the front protrusion 126, which faces the upper groove 130.
As described above, the user may directly and additionally extend out the drawer 100 extended at a certain distance by the extending-out device 200, and in this case, the second upward protrusion 125, that is, the front protrusion 126 may function as a handle for the user, and the handle groove 135 formed on the rear surface of the front protrusion 126 may provide a space for the user to hang his or her fingers.
The handle groove 135 may be formed on a rear surface of the front protrusion 126, may be located below an upper end of the front protrusion 126, and may extend in a width direction Y of the cabinet 10. However, the location and shape of the handle groove 135 may be changed in various ways as needed.
As described above, the controller according to the present disclosure may include at least one control module. A plurality of control modules may be spaced apart from each other and may be signally connected to different components.
For example, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller may include the first control module 310 and the second control module 320. The first control module 310 may be connected to the drawer button 190 and may receive a user manipulation signal for the drawer button 190. The second control module 320 may be connected to the extending-out device 200 and may operate the extending-out device 200 when the drawer button 190 is manipulated.
The locations of the first control module 310 and the second control module 320 may vary.
The first control module 310 may be electrically connected to the drawer button 190. When the user operates the drawer button 190, for example, when the user touches a touch area 192 of the drawer button 190, a manipulation signal generated from the drawer button 190 may be transmitted to the first control module 310.
The first control module 310 may be electrically or signal-connected to the second control module 320. For example, the first control module 310 may be connected to the second control module 320 through a wire or wireless communication.
When the drawer button 190 is manipulated, the first control module 310 may transmit a signal to the second control module 320 such that the second control module 320 operates the extending-out device 200. The second control module 320, which receives the signal, may control the extending-out driver 240 of the extending-out device 200 to extend out the push portion 210.
The first control module 310 and the second control module 320 may have differences in power consumption. For example, the first control module 310 may have a constant power consumption method, and the second control module 320 may be operated to have a plurality of power consumption states.
For example, the second control module 320 may be in a minimum power consumption state in which power consumption is minimized, or may be in a normal power consumption state in which power consumption is normalized. In the minimum power consumption state of the second control module 320, the power supply to the second control module 320 and the components connected to the second control module 320 and receiving power may be completely blocked or only partially permitted.
In the normal power consumption state of the second control module 320, the power supply to the second control module 320 and the components connected to the second control module 320 and receiving power may be completely permitted.
The first control module 310 may be provided in the drawer 100 to control power supply to components that use relatively low power. The first control module 310 may be provided to control power supply to components to be operated at all times.
The first control module 310 may be electrically connected to components that consume low power and need to remain operational all the time, for example, the drawer button 190 or a device for wireless communication such as Bluetooth, and may supply power thereto.
The second control module 320 may be provided in the cabinet 10 to control power supply to components that use relatively high power. For example, the second control module 320 may be connected to the above-described extending-out device 200 and the driver 40 for rotation of the laundry receiving portion 20 to supply power thereto.
The second control module 320 consumes higher power compared to the first control module 310, and thus may operate in a minimum power consumption state unless a special signal is generated to prevent unnecessary power consumption through power cutoff. As an example of the special signal, the first control module 310 may transmit a signal to switch to the wake-up mode to the second control module 320 in the minimum power consumption state.
For example, the first control module 310 may switch the second control module 320 from the minimum power consumption state to the normal power consumption state when a manipulation signal of the drawer button 190 is generated.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drawer button 190 and the extending-out device 200 may receive power from different control modules. The drawer button 190 and the extending-out device 200 may consume different amounts of power, and thus may be connected to different control modules to receive power, thereby implementing an efficient power consumption structure.
For example, as described above, the drawer button 190 may be electrically connected to the first control module 310, which is responsible for relatively low power consumption components, and the extending-out device 200 may be connected to the second control module 320, which is responsible for relatively high power consumption components.
That is, the extending-out device 200 may be connected to the second control module 320, and when the second control module 320 in the minimum power consumption state is switched to the normal power consumption state by the first control module 310, the extending-out device 200 may receive power through the second control module 320 in the normal power consumption state.
The second control module 320 in a normal power consumption state may be switched to the minimum power consumption state when a user manipulation signal is not input for a certain time, a laundry treating process is not performed for a certain time, or there is a power off command of a user.
The first control module 310 may be provided to supply power or transmit and receive signals to the drawer button 190 regardless of changes in the state of the laundry treating apparatus 1 or the user manipulation signal.
Referring to
The rail portion 350 may be provided on an internal surface of the cabinet 10 and may be provided in the form of a groove or protrusion extending in a retraction direction of the drawer 100. The rail portion 350 may be coupled to the internal surface of the cabinet 10 or may be provided as a portion of the internal surface.
The location of the rail portion 350 may vary, and
The drawer 100 may be provided with a rail support body 330. The rail support body 330 may be accommodated on the rail portion 350 and may slide in a longitudinal direction of the rail portion 350. That is, the rail support body 330 may be moved forward or backward in the rail portion 350. The drawer 100 may be retracted into or extended out of the cabinet 10 by sliding movement of the rail support body 330.
The rail support bodies 330 may be provided on both sides of the drawer 100, respectively. The rail support body 330 may protrude laterally from the drawer 100 and be supported by the rail portion 350, or may be laterally recessed such that the rail portion 350 is inserted into the recessed portion.
The rail support body 330 may be manufactured separately from the drawer 100 and coupled to the drawer 100, or portions of both sides of the drawer 100 may form the rail support body 330.
The rail portion 350 may be provided with the retracting-in guider 380. The retracting-in guider 380 may be provided to move the rail support body 330 located within a guide section GS of the rail portion 350, which is determined by design, backward.
That is, the rail portion 350 may include the retracting-in guider 380 that moves the rail support body 330 located within the guide section GS defined within the rail portion 350 backward, and the drawer 100 may be moved to the fully retracting-in state (IC) by the retracting-in guider 380.
For example, as shown in
Accordingly, as shown in
As such, the user may completely retract the drawer 100 by using the retracting-in guider 380 by simply retracting the drawer 100 into the cabinet 10 to a certain level without completely retracting the drawer 100, that is, by retracting the drawer 100 such that the rail support body 330 of the drawer 100 is located in the guide section GS, thereby improving convenience of use.
The method and structure by which the retracting-in guider 380 moves the rail support body 330 backward may vary. For example, the retracting-in guider 380 may move the rail support body 330 located in the guide section GS backward using magnetic force or an elastic force of an elastic member.
For example, the retracting-in guider 380 may include an guide that is selectively coupled to the rail support body 330. The guide may be coupled to a rear end of the rail support body 330 located within the guide section GS. The guide and the rail support body 330 may be mechanically coupled to each other through an external force of retracting the drawer 100 by the user by using a magnetic force of the above-described magnetic material or a hook method.
The retracting-in guider 380 may include an attraction force member for moving the guide coupled to the rail support body 330 backward. The attraction force member may be an elastic member or a magnetic material connected to the guide.
Accordingly, the guide of the retracting-in guider 380 may be moved backward in a state of being coupled to the rail support body 330, and as such, the rail support body 330 may be moved backward until the drawer 100 reaches a fully retracting-in state (IC).
In the extending-out process of the drawer 100, when the rail support body 330 deviates from the guide section GS by the retracting-in guider 380, elastic force may be stored in the attraction member, and coupling between the rail support body 330 and the guide may be released.
An external force that causes the drawer 100 to move forward may be used to release coupling between the rail support body 330 and the guide and to store the elastic force of the attraction force member. For example, when the user extends out the drawer 100 in the retracting-in state (IC) forward or the drawer 100 is moved forward by the extending-out device 200, coupling between the rail support body 330 and the guide may be released by the moving force of the drawer 100.
Referring to
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the rail support body 330 of the drawer 100 extended out by the extending-out device 200 may deviate from the guide section GS defined by the retracting-in guider 380 and may be located ahead of the guide section GS.
That is, the extending-out device 200 may push the front portion 110 such that the rail support body 330 is located ahead of the guide section GS. Accordingly, while improving the convenience of use for the retracting process of the drawer 100 through the retracting-in guider 380, the drawer 100 extended out by the extending-out device 200 may be prevented from being retracted by the retracting-in guider 380 again.
A separation distance between the rail support body 330 of the drawer 100 extended out by the extending-out device 200 and the guide section GS may be determined in various ways. Even if the user retracts the drawer 100 extended out by the extending-out device 200 only a relatively short distance, the drawer 100 may be retracted to a fully retracting-in state (IC) by the retracting-in guider 380.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus for conveniently extending a drawer.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus for automatically extending a drawer.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus having an efficient structure for extending out a drawer.
Although the present disclosure has been shown and described in relation to specific embodiments, it is obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the technical spirit of the invention as provided by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0115477 | Aug 2023 | KR | national |
