Laundry treatment apparatus

• US 10,407,816 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jihong, Kim, Wooseong
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graf, Irina
• Application Number:
  US15/281,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20170016167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 23/04 and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 29/00 Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet and a drawer retractably provided in the cabinet. An accommodation unit is disposed in the drawer and defines a space configured to receive washing water. A water supply channel is connected to a water supply source and is configured to supply washing water to the accommodation unit. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a body along which a water supply channel is provided, the body being rotatably provided at the cabinet. A body guider is provided at the cabinet and is configured to guide a rotational movement of the body.

Claims

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:

a cabinet that defines an opening at a front surface of the cabinet;

a drawer configured to insert into and retract from the cabinet through the opening at the front surface of the cabinet, the drawer defining an introduction opening at an upper surface of the drawer;

a tub disposed in the drawer and configured to receive water, the tub defining a tub introduction port configured to communicate with the introduction opening of the drawer;

a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to receive laundry through the introduction opening of the drawer and the tub introduction port of the tub;

a door configured to open and close the tub introduction port;

a body located in a space between the upper surface of the drawer and an upper surface of the cabinet that faces the upper surface of the drawer, the body comprising;

a first end rotatably coupled to one of a rear surface of the cabinet, a side surface of the cabinet, and the upper surface of the cabinet, and

a second end configured to move in the space between the upper surface of the drawer and the upper surface of the cabinet;

a body guider that is fixed to the upper surface of the cabinet and that is located in the space between the upper surface of the drawer and the upper surface of the cabinet, the body guider being configured to guide a movement of the second end of the body;

a discharge unit mounted on a rear surface of the drawer and configured to discharge water in the tub; and

a water discharge channel configured to guide water discharged from the discharge unit to an outside of the cabinet, wherein the water discharge channel is disposed inside the body or configured to be supported by the body.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body guider is configured to provide upward directional support for the body.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the body is rotatably coupled to the rear surface of the cabinet, and the second end of the body is disposed at the body guider and configured to be movable along the body guider.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, further comprises:

a first guider holder provided at the body; and

a second guider holder provided along the body guider and along which the first guider holder is movably supported.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second guider holder comprises at least one of a protruding rail that is formed along the body guider and a groove that is formed along the body guider, and

wherein the first guider holder comprises a hook that is configured to protrude from the body and is configured to be movably coupled to the second guider holder.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the body is configured to be a bar-shaped member having a fixed end as the first end and a free end as the second end.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the water discharge channel is formed as an external water pipe supported by the body.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the water discharge channel comprises:

a body channel formed as an internal channel inside the body;

a first water discharge pipe connecting the body channel and the tub; and

a second water discharge pipe to guide water inside the body channel to the outside of the cabinet.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first water discharge pipe comprises an extensible structure or an elastic material in at least a portion thereof.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second water discharge pipe comprises an extensible structure or an elastic material in at least a portion thereof.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the discharge unit is configured to cause water inside the tub to flow into the first water discharge pipe.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the discharge unit comprises:

a housing, through which the tub and the first water discharge pipe are fluidly connected, mounted on the rear surface of the drawer to be located below the body;

an impeller rotatably provided in the housing;

a residual water discharge tube configured to discharge the water in the housing to the outside of the housing; and

a discharge tube attachment configured to, based on the drawer retracting from the cabinet through the opening at the front surface of the cabinet, be exposed to the outside of the cabinet,

wherein one end of the residual water discharge tube is connected to the housing, and the other end of the residual water discharge tube is detachably coupled to the discharge tube attachment.

13. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:

a cabinet that defines an opening at a front surface of the cabinet;

a drawer that is configured to insert to or retract from the cabinet through the opening at the front surface of the cabinet;

an accommodation unit disposed in the drawer and defining a space configured to receive water;

a body located in a space between an upper surface of the drawer and an upper surface of the cabinet that faces the upper surface of the drawer, the body being configured to rotate in a direction in which the drawer inserts to or retracts from the cabinet through the opening at the front surface of the cabinet, the body comprising;

a first end rotatably coupled to one of a rear surface of the cabinet, a side surface of the cabinet, and the upper surface of the cabinet, and

a second end located in the space between the upper surface of the drawer and the upper surface of the cabinet and configured to rotate about the first end;

a body guider located in the space between the upper surface of the drawer and the upper surface of the cabinet, the body guider defining a path configured to guide a rotational movement of the second end of the body about the first end; and

a water discharge channel configured to guide water in the accommodation unit to an outside of the cabinet, wherein the water discharge channel is formed inside the body or configured to be supported by the body,

wherein the first end of the body is rotatably coupled to the rear surface of the cabinet, and the second end of the body is disposed at the body guider and configured to move along the path defined by the body guider, and

wherein the body guider is fixed to the upper surface of the cabinet.