This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0112152, filed on Sep. 17, 2013, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus allowing laundry to be easily taken out.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a laundry treatment apparatus is an apparatus for treating laundry through the application of physical and/or chemical action to the laundry. A washing machine that removes dirt from laundry, a spin dryer that spin-dries laundry by rotating a tub with the laundry therein, and a drying machine that dries wet laundry through the application of cool air or hot air into a tub are, in combination, called a laundry treatment apparatus.
The exemplary washing machine includes a cabinet 1, a top cover 2, a door 3, a control panel 4, and an inner tub 5.
The cabinet 1 is open upward, the inner tub 5 is rotatably disposed in the cabinet 1, and laundry is loaded into the inner tub 5. Though not shown, an outer tub for receiving washing water is disposed in the cabinet 1 and the inner tub 5 is rotated inside the outer tub. Further, as is well known in the art, the washing machine is further equipped with a water supply unit for supplying water into the outer tub or the inner tub 5, a driving unit for rotating the inner tub 5, and a draining unit for draining the outer tub.
The top cover 2 is disposed on the open top of the cabinet 1 and has a laundry entrance for loading and unloading laundry. The door 3 is connected via hinges to the top cover 2, facilitating the opening/closing of the laundry entrance.
An input unit for inputting various control instructions to control the operation of the washing machine and a control panel 4 providing a display for indicating the operational state of the washing machine are disposed on the front of the top cover 2. The control panel 4 is independent from the door 3, that is, control panel 4 remains fixed regardless of the open/close status of the door 3.
In the exemplary configuration, a user has to bend over, potentially stretch, and put his/her hands into the inner tub 5 to take out the laundry in the inner tub 5. However, considering the recent tendency of increases in the capacity of washing machines, users may have difficulty reaching the inner tub 5 with their hands, depending on their physical conditions.
In particular, in top-loading washing machines into which laundry is loaded through a laundry entrance at the top of the washing machine it is preferable to lower the front in order for the user to easily unload the laundry, because the high front interferes with a user bending over. However, when the overall height of the washing machine is decreased for only the convenience of unloading laundry, the space inside the cabinet 1 is decreased accordingly, resulting in decrease of capacity of the internal tub 5.
Therefore, what is needed is to improve convenience of loading and unloading laundry without changing the capacity and function of a washing machine.
Embodiments of the present invention have been made in an effort to provide a laundry treatment apparatus allowing for easy unloading of laundry.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a casing having an upwardly open laundry entrance, a door for opening/closing the laundry entrance, and an operation unit for receiving predetermined control instructions to control an operation of the laundry treatment apparatus, in which the operation unit is disposed on a front portion of the door and moves on the top of the casing when the door opens.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a casing having a laundry entrance, a door for opening/closing the laundry entrance, and an operation unit for receiving predetermined control instructions to control an operation of the laundry treatment apparatus, in which the door includes a plurality of links connected by joints having predetermined degrees of freedom with respect to each other, the links include a link having a free end that moves on the top of the casing when the laundry entrance opens/closes and a link connected to rotate with respect to the casing and rotating with the operation of the link moving on the top of the casing, and the operation unit is disposed on the link moving on the top of the casing.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a casing having a laundry entrance, a door for opening/closing the laundry entrance, and an operation unit disposed on the door for receiving predetermined control instructions to control an operation of the laundry treatment apparatus, in which the operation unit is positioned on a front portion of the top of the casing, when the laundry entrance is closed by the door, and is moved with the door such that the front portion of the top of the casing is exposed, when the laundry entrance is open.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a casing having a laundry entrance, a door for opening/closing the laundry entrance, an inner tub disposed in the casing for receiving laundry, and an operation unit disposed on the door for receiving predetermined control instructions to control an operation of the laundry treatment apparatus, in which the operation unit is disposed on the front portion of the top of the casing, the overall height of the laundry treatment apparatus with the laundry entrance closed by the door is defined as the distance to the top of the operation unit, and when the laundry entrance is open, the operation unit moves with the door such that a height of the front of the top of the casing for unloading the inner tub is smaller than the overall height.
According to the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention, since the operation unit moves with the door, when the door opens, the height of the front of the washing machine which a user has to overcome to unload out laundry decreases.
Further, according to the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention, since it is possible to operate the operation unit even with the door open, usability is improved.
The above and other objects, features, and other advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Advantages and features of the present invention and a method of achieving the same will be more clearly understood from non-limiting embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or like parts.
Hereinafter, a washing machine of a laundry treatment apparatus will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
A washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a casing 10 that forms the external appearance and has a laundry entrance 10h and a door 20 that opens/closes the laundry entrance 10h.
The laundry entrance 10h is open upward such that laundry can be loaded from above. Depending on the embodiment, the casing 10 may include a cabinet 11 and a top cover 12.
The cabinet 11 is open at the top and an inner tub 41 receiving laundry is rotatably disposed in the cabinet 11.
Though not shown, an outer tub for receiving washing water is disposed in the cabinet 11 and the inner tub 41 is rotated inside the outer tub. Further, as is well known in the art, the washing machine is further equipped with a water supply unit for supplying water into the outer tub or the inner tub 41, a driving unit for rotating the inner tub 41, and a draining unit for draining the outer tub.
The top cover 12 is disposed on the open top of the cabinet 11 and has the laundry entrance 10h for loading and unloading laundry. The door 20 is connected to the top cover 12 and opens/closes the laundry entrance 10h.
The door 20 laterally closes the laundry entrance 10h on the top 12a of the top cover 12 and is opened by applying force to its front. As the door 20 opens, the front of the door 20 moves backward, where the front of the door 20 can be supported by the top 12a of the top cover 12.
Referring to
An operation unit 30 is disposed on the links L12, L22, L33 moving on the top of the top cover 12. The operation unit 30 receives predetermined control instructions to control the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus and includes one or more input units. The operation unit 30 may further include a display unit to indicate the operational state of the laundry treatment apparatus.
Referring to
Operation unit 30 is disposed on the front portion of lid 21. When a backward force is applied to the front of the lid 21, the front of lid 21 moves backward on the top cover 12, the laundry entrance 10h opens, and the movable joint J12 moves up. With lid 21 fully open, the input unit or the display unit of operation unit 30 faces substantially the front from the washing machine, such that a user can easily operate the operation unit 30 even with the door 20 open.
Referring to
The operation unit 30 is disposed on the front portion of lid L22. When a backward force is applied to the front of lid L22, the front of the lid L22 moves backward on the top cover 12, the laundry entrance 10h opens, and the movable joint J22 moves on the lid L22.
Referring to
Further, door 20 may have a movable joint J33 connecting the second connection link L32 and lid L33, and, the movable joint J33, as in
Operation unit 30 is disposed on the front portion of lid L33. When a backward force is applied to the front of lid L33, the front of lid L33 moves backward on top cover 12 and the laundry entrance 10h opens, in which the prismatic joint J32 adjusts the distance between the first connection link L31 and the second connection link L32 in accordance with the movement distance of the movable joint J33.
In these embodiments, the operation unit 30 is disposed on the front portion of the door 20. When the door 20 opens/closes, the operation unit 30 moves with the door 20. Accordingly, when the door 20 is closed, the operation unit 30 is disposed at the front portion on top cover 12, covering the front portion of casing 10 or the top 12a of the top cover 12, and when the door 20 opens, it moves with door 20 and the front portion of the top 12a of the top cover 12 is exposed.
The height H of the front end of the washing machine with door 20 closed can be defined as the distance from the floor where the washing machine is placed to the top of the operation unit 30 (see
Referring to
A rotational axis of the first door frame 121 to the second door frame 122 is not positioned on the line (L, see
Joint J12 connects the second door frame 122 so that the second door frame 122 can turn with respect to the top cover 112.
With door 120 closed, the first door frame 121 and the second door frame 122 are not aligned on a straight line, but maintain a predetermined alignment angle, and the angle decreases, as the door 120 opens.
A window 120h through which a user can see the inside of casing 10 may be disposed on at least one of the first door frame 121 and the second door frame 122. In this case, door 120 may further include a transparent member 123 covering the window 120h.
Transparent member 123 may be a plate made of a transparent or translucent material which can transmit light, for example, reinforced glass or synthetic resin, and preferably made of a hard material having sufficient rigidity for durability, but it is not limited thereto and may be formed in the type of film that can deform a little.
To facilitate operation of the operation unit 130 by touching the transparent member 123, the operation unit 130 may include a touch type input unit using static electricity or static pressure, and accordingly, marks 123a for discriminating menus on the operation unit may be disposed on transparent member 123.
Transparent member 123 may be supported by the first door frame 121 and the second door frame 122 under it, when door 120 is closed, and it may be separated from the second door frame 122, and be supported solely by the first frame 121, when door 120 is open. Preferably, transparent member 123 is coupled to first door frame 121.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2013-0112152 | Sep 2013 | KR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2831219 | Nelson | Apr 1958 | A |
2872698 | Gommels | Feb 1959 | A |
5253493 | Ohashi | Oct 1993 | A |
5437168 | Mason | Aug 1995 | A |
5489924 | Shima | Feb 1996 | A |
5724837 | Shin | Mar 1998 | A |
5857363 | Jung | Jan 1999 | A |
6233981 | Grandpierre | May 2001 | B1 |
6343492 | Seagar | Feb 2002 | B1 |
6903927 | Anlauff | Jun 2005 | B2 |
7032350 | Bienick | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7184263 | Maskatia | Feb 2007 | B1 |
7313932 | Ryohke | Jan 2008 | B2 |
7490495 | Kim | Feb 2009 | B2 |
7614263 | Kim | Nov 2009 | B2 |
8047026 | Won | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8792236 | Tomita | Jul 2014 | B2 |
8908364 | Tseng | Dec 2014 | B2 |
9110631 | Oakley | Aug 2015 | B2 |
9218022 | Tseng | Dec 2015 | B2 |
20030061841 | Nakamura | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20040144138 | Takeuchi | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040231062 | Sharrow | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20060077622 | Keely | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060086151 | Kim | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060086152 | Kim | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060086153 | Kim | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060086154 | Kim | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060086155 | Kim | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20060090521 | Kim | May 2006 | A1 |
20070030634 | Maskatia | Feb 2007 | A1 |
20130091903 | Thorpe | Apr 2013 | A1 |
20130128442 | Tseng | May 2013 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1150194 | May 1997 | CN |
1150196 | May 1997 | CN |
1676736 | Oct 2005 | CN |
1690296 | Nov 2005 | CN |
1766206 | May 2006 | CN |
2830463 | Oct 2006 | CN |
08084891 | Apr 1996 | JP |
2000342893 | Dec 2000 | JP |
2002085891 | Mar 2002 | JP |
2004167108 | Jun 2004 | JP |
2019980035649 | Sep 1998 | KR |
1020020069736 | Sep 2002 | KR |
1020030075922 | Sep 2003 | KR |
1020060036538 | May 2006 | KR |
1020070092861 | Sep 2007 | KR |
Entry |
---|
Machine translation JP 08-084891, printed Feb. 25, 2016. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20150076977 A1 | Mar 2015 | US |