This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Application No. 10-2016-0085726 filed on Jul. 6, 2016, whose entire disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.
A device that prevents noise generated during an operation of a clothes treating apparatus from being leaked through a lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus and a clothes treating apparatus having the device are provided.
A clothes treating apparatus is an apparatus that removes contaminants from laundry. The clothes treating apparatus may perform processes, such as, e.g., washing, rinsing, removing water, and drying. Clothes treating apparatuses may be classified into a top loading type and a front loading type based on a method of loading laundry into a drum. A front loading type washing machine may be called a drum type washing machine.
The clothes treating apparatus may include a cabinet forming an outer appearance, a tub accommodated in the cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub and having laundry introduced therein, a lifter located on an inner circumferential surface of the drum to help wash the laundry by lifting and dropping the laundry, and a detergent supply device to supply detergent into the drum.
Once the laundry is placed into the clothes treating apparatus, water may be supplied to perform a washing process through rotation of the drum, followed by rinsing and removing water, and then washing water may be discharged to outside by a drain pump. During operations of the clothes treating apparatus, noise and vibrations are generated. The generated noise and vibrations may be leaked through a lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus and propagated to an installation space of the clothes treating apparatus. Legs that separate the clothes treating apparatus from the ground by a predetermined height may be provided on one side of a base of the clothes treating apparatus. Noise and vibrations generated in the clothes treating apparatus may be propagated to the outside through a space between the legs and a lower surface of the base. The noise and vibrations coming from the lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus may be uncomfortable for users, and users may place the clothes treating apparatus in a separate closed space. This may limit space usage or where the clothes treating apparatus may be placed.
The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:
Referring to
The clothes treating apparatus may include, in the lower portion thereof, a storage container 16 in which liquid detergent or liquid softener may be stored and which may be drawn out of the cabinet 11, a plurality of elastic members 22 and/or dampers 23 that support the drum 20 to suppress vibration, and a driving motor to rotate the drum 20. The door 12 through which laundry to be washed may be taken in and out may be provided on a front surface of the cabinet 11. The door 12 may be configured to open and close a front surface of the drum 20. The door 12 may have a disk shape. An electric heater that heats water when power is applied may be provided below the drum 20.
A drain pump 18 to drain water stored in the drum 20 may be provided below the drum 20. A circulation pump 19, by which the water in the drum 20 may be pumped up to be introduced into an upper area of the drum 20, may be provided below the drum 20. A filter 17 that filters foreign materials contained in the water discharged out of the drum 20 may be provided at one side of the drain pump 18.
A base 110 (see
The base 110 may be provided with a plurality of legs 14 by which the clothes treating apparatus may be spaced apart from the ground by a predetermined height. The legs 14 may support the clothes treating apparatus. Noise and vibration generated during an operation of the clothes treating apparatus may be transferred out through a space between the legs 14 and a lower surface of the base 110 via the lower base 110.
Noise and vibrations, which may be generated within the clothes treating apparatus during an operation of the clothes treating apparatus, may be leaked through or come out from the lower base 110. Referring to
Referring to
The base 110 may be made of a metallic material. A plurality of through holes through which noise may be emitted or discharged or a plurality of coupling holes through which screws may be inserted may be formed through the surface of the base 110. Accordingly, noise generated within the clothes treating apparatus may be leaked or emitted externally through the through holes or the coupling holes.
Accordingly, the generated noise and vibrations may partially be absorbed by coupling the noise blocking member 120 along a periphery of the lower surface of the base 110, and the space between the lower surface of the base 110 and the legs 14 may be hermetically sealed. Since the clothes treating apparatus may be formed in a rectangular shape, the base 110 may also be formed in a rectangular shape.
A flat portion on which the noise blocking member 120 may be located may be provided along the periphery of the lower surface of the base 110, so as to facilitate the noise blocking member 120 to be coupled along the periphery of the lower surface of the base 110. The noise blocking member 120 may be attached along the periphery of the lower surface of the base 110, and may extend in one direction. The noise blocking member 120 may be located between the base 110 and the ground so as to be compressed by a load of the clothes treating apparatus applied toward the ground.
The clothes treating apparatus may be spaced apart from the ground by the legs 14 at a predetermined height. Since the noise blocking member 120 may be attached along the periphery of the lower surface of the base 110 to be located between the base 110 and the ground, noise and vibrations generated during operation of the clothes treating apparatus may be prevented from being leaked or emitted through the lower surface of the base 110.
Referring to
The noise blocking member 120 may be made of synthetic resin to have predetermined elasticity and sound absorption and insulation properties, but may be made of rubber or sponge. The noise blocking member may be formed in such a manner that a first member 121 made of a soft material and a second member 122 made of a harder material than the first member 121 are stacked with each other.
The first member 121 may be made of a material which is compressible. The first member 121 may be compressed by the load of the clothes treating apparatus between the lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus and the ground. Density of the first member 121 may be increased when the first member 121 is compressed by the load. This may result in effectively preventing the noise generated in the clothes treating apparatus from being leaked or emitted out.
The second member 122 may be made of a material different from that of the first member 121. The second member 122 may be made of a material which is hard in order to shield noise and has high density to effectively prevent the noise leakage.
Referring to
The noise blocking member 120 may have a thickness or a height greater than a spaced height between the clothes treating apparatus and the ground. Therefore, the sum of thicknesses of the first member 121 and the second member 122 may be greater than a spaced distance between the base 110 of the clothes treating apparatus and the ground.
The noise blocking member 120 may be attached along the periphery of the rectangular base 110 and thus may not surround the legs 14. The noise blocking member 120, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The linear members 223 may be located along the periphery of the base 110 to prevent noise from being leaked out from the lower portion of the base 110. The corner members 224 may surround an outside of the legs 14 so as to block gaps between the linear members 223 and the legs 14, thereby more effectively preventing the noise leakage to the outside through the lower portion of the base 110. The noise blocking member 220, as illustrated in a lower left drawing of
As can be appreciated, various configurations are possible. For example, the noise blocking member 120 may be installed a predetermined distance from the periphery of the base 110 on all four sides or on two sides whereas another two sides are provided on the periphery.
As illustrated in
The noise blocking member, as aforementioned, may be attached along the periphery of the base 110 at the outside of the legs 14. In addition, the noise blocking member may have the structure in which two materials are stacked as illustrated in
A drain hole 134 for drainage may be formed through an upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130, where the upper surface may be a surface attached to the lower surface of the base 110. The drain hole 134 may be through the central portion of the upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130, such that a liquid may be externally discharged without being collected at the central portion of the upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130 when the liquid is discharged from the lower portion of the base 110.
Grooves 135 along which the liquid discharged from the base 110 may flow toward the drain hole 134 may be formed on the upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130 toward the drain hole 134. The grooves 135 may form a drain portion 136 with a height lower than surrounding portions thereof, such that the liquid may be collected toward the drain hole 134 along the grooves 135.
Screw portions 132 (e.g., holes or recesses) may be formed through portions adjacent to each vertex of the noise blocking panel 130 in a spaced manner, such that the noise blocking plate 130 may be attached to the lower surface of the base 110 using screws. The screw portions 132 may be located at a plurality of points along the surface of the noise blocking panel 130.
Attachment pads 131 that may be closely attached to the lower surface of the base 110 may be provided on each edge of the noise blocking panel 130. Each of the attachment pads 131 may be attached to the lower surface of the base 110 made of metal using an adhesive, thereby preventing the noise generated during the operation of the clothes treating apparatus from be leaked to the outside through the edges and simultaneously preventing the noise blocking panel 130 from being separated from the base 110 due to vibrations. The attachment pad 131 may be formed along an outer side of each edge.
Guide pins 133 may be formed on the upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130 so that the noise blocking panel 130 may be better attached or aligned to the lower surface of the base 110. The guide pins 133 may be inserted into guide pin accommodating portions such as, e.g., holes or recesses, formed on the base 110. Each of the guide pins 133 may have a shape that protrudes from the upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130. The guide pin 133 may be provided in plurality on one side of the upper surface of the noise blocking panel 130.
The noise blocking panel 130 may be provided with a plurality of ribs 137a extending along one direction in parallel for reinforcing rigidity of the noise blocking panel 130. The ribs 137a may be located inside the noise blocking panel 130 to increase rigidity of the noise blocking panel 130. The ribs 137a may be made of a material different from that of the noise blocking panel 130 and may prevent the noise blocking panel 130 from being damaged due to vibration generated during the operation of the clothes treating apparatus.
The noise blocking panel 130 may be made of a plastic material, such as, e.g., polypropylene. By using the plastic material, the noise blocking panel 130 may absorb the noise and vibrations generated within the clothes treating apparatus, thereby reducing the noise and vibrations heard or emitted. Other materials exhibiting noise and/or vibration reduction may be used.
Referring to
A clothes treating apparatus including the thusly-configured noise leakage preventing device may include a cabinet 11, a tub 15 provided within the cabinet 11, a drum 20 rotatably provided within the tub 15 and accommodating laundry or things to be dried therein, a base 110 located at a lower portion of the cabinet 11 and forming a bottom surface of the clothes treating apparatus, a noise blocking member extending in one direction and attached along a periphery of a lower surface of the base 110 to be located between the base 110 and the ground, and a noise blocking panel 130 formed in a shape of a rectangular plate and having vertex portions bent toward a central portion thereof to surround inner surfaces of legs 14. With this configuration, the clothes treating apparatus may prevent noise generated during a washing process from being externally leaked through a lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus via the base 110.
Embodiments disclosed herein may provide a device capable of preventing noise generated during operation of a clothes treating apparatus from being leaked or emitted externally through a lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus. Embodiments disclosed herein may further provide a device attached to a bottom surface of a base and capable of minimizing noise leakage through the base. Embodiments disclosed herein may also provide a device capable of reducing external noise leakage by absorbing a part of noise generated during an operation of a clothes treating apparatus and transferred through a lower portion of the clothes treating apparatus. Embodiments disclosed herein may also provide a clothes treating apparatus capable of reducing noise leakage through a lower base.
According to embodiments disclosed herein, a noise leakage preventing device for a clothes treating apparatus may include a base located at a lower portion of a cabinet and forming a bottom surface of the clothes treating apparatus, and a noise blocking member extending in one direction, and attached along a periphery of a lower surface of the base to be located between the base and the ground, the noise blocking member preventing noise generated during a washing or dewatering process from being transferred to outside via the base.
The noise blocking member may be compressed by a load of the cabinet applied toward the ground. The noise blocking member may have a thickness greater than a distance between the base and the ground. The noise blocking member may surround legs at an outside or inside of the legs, the legs fixed to the base to support the cabinet.
The noise blocking member may be formed by stacking two different materials. The noise blocking member may include a first member made of a material compressed by a load, and a second member attached to the first member, and made of a material having density greater than that of the first member to prevent an external leakage of the noise. The first member and the second member may have different thicknesses from each other.
The device may further include a noise blocking plate formed in a shape of a rectangular plate and having vertex portions bent toward a central portion thereof to surround inner surfaces of legs, respectively, the legs fixed to the base to support the cabinet. The noise blocking plate may be provided with guide pins protruding from an upper surface thereof toward the base to be inserted into guide pin accommodating portions, such that the noise blocking plate is coupled to the base. The noise blocking plate may be provided with attachment pads provided on edges thereof, respectively, and having adhesive strength such that the noise blocking plate is attached to the base.
The noise blocking plate may be provided with screw coupling portions formed on a plurality of points, such that the noise blocking plate is fixed to the base by screws. The noise blocking plate may be provided with a drain hole formed through a central portion thereof, so that a liquid discharged through the base flows externally.
The noise blocking plate may be provided with grooves formed on an upper surface thereof and extending toward a drain hole, so that a liquid discharged through the base flows toward the drain hole. The noise blocking plate is provided at an inside thereof with a plurality of ribs extending in parallel along one direction for reinforcing rigidity of the noise blocking plate.
According to embodiments disclosed herein, a clothes treating apparatus may include a cabinet, a tub provided within the cabinet, a drum rotatably provided within the rub to accommodate laundry or things to be dried therein, a base located at a lower portion of the cabinet and forming a bottom surface of the clothes treating apparatus, a noise blocking member extending in one direction and attached to a periphery of a lower surface of the base to be located between the base and the ground, and a noise blocking plate formed in a shape of a rectangular plate and having vertex portions bent toward a central portion thereof to surround inner surfaces of legs, respectively, the legs fixed to the base to support the cabinet, wherein noise generated during a washing process is prevented from being leaked to outside through the base.
According to the embodiments disclosed herein, a space formed between the lower surface of the base and the ground may be blocked, thereby preventing external leakage of the noise generated in the clothes treating apparatus. The noise blocking member located along the periphery of the lower surface of the base may hermetically seal the space between the base and the legs, thereby reducing noise leaked through the base. The noise blocking panel, which may be made of a material capable of absorbing noise, may be attached on the base so as to absorb a part of the noise generated in the clothes treating apparatus, thereby reducing external leakage of the noise.
Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2016-0085726 | Jul 2016 | KR | national |