Auxiliary washing machine and laundry treatment apparatus using the same

• US 10,435,835 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• 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:
  US14/726,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20150345071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 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;

a drawer retractably provided in the cabinet;

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

a water supply channel connected to a water supply source and configured to supply washing water to the accommodation unit;

a body along which a water supply channel is provided, the body having a first end that is rotatably coupled to the cabinet and a second end that is a free end of the body and is arranged between an upper surface of the cabinet and an upper surface of the drawer in a state in which the drawer is in a closed position; and

a body guider fixed to the cabinet to be positioned above the upper surface of the drawer in the state in which the drawer is in the closed position, and configured to guide a rotational movement of the body,

wherein the body is positioned below the body guider and above the upper surface of the drawer in the state in which the drawer is in the closed position, and the body is connected to the body guider to be movable along the body guider as the drawer moves.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water supply channel is formed as an internal channel inside the body.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water supply channel is formed as an external water pipe supported by the body.

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

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

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.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second guider holder comprises at least one of:

a protruding rail that is formed along the body guider, or 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.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a water discharge channel configured to discharge washing water from the accommodation unit to the outside of the cabinet;

a first frame rotatably provided at the drawer and configured to support the water discharge channel;

a second frame rotatably provided at the cabinet and configured to support the water discharge channel; and

a frame rotating shaft configured to rotatably connect the first frame to the second frame.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

a first end of the first frame is rotatably connected to the drawer,

a first end of the second frame is rotatably connected to the cabinet, and

the frame rotating shaft rotatably connects a second end of the first frame with a second end of the second frame.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water discharge channel provided along the body and configured to discharge washing water from the accommodation unit to the outside of the accommodation unit.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the water discharge channel is formed as an internal channel inside the body.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the water discharge channel is formed as an external water pipe supported by the body.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the body is configured to have a recessed portion that is configured to accommodate an upper edge of a rear surface of the drawer when the drawer in the closed position.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the body defines a washing water channel that is divided into a first supply channel and a first discharge channel by a partition.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water discharge channel configured to discharge washing water from the accommodation unit to the outside of the accommodation unit,

wherein the water supply channel comprises a first supply channel provided along an interior of the body, a connecting pipe connected between the first supply channel and the water supply source, and a water supply pipe connected between the first supply channel and the accommodation unit, and

wherein the water discharge channel is supported along an exterior of the body.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water discharge channel configured to discharge washing water from the accommodation unit to the outside of the accommodation unit,

wherein the water supply channel is supported along an exterior of the body, and

wherein the water discharge channel comprises a first discharge channel provided along an interior of the body, a first water discharge pipe connected between the first discharge channel and the accommodation unit, and a second water discharge pipe connected between the first discharge channel and the outside of the cabinet.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises:

a base rotatably coupled to the cabinet; and

a cover coupled to the base such that the base and the cover together form a first supply channel comprising an enclosed portion of the water supply channel.

17. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the water

supply channel comprises the first supply channel, a connecting pipe connected between the first supply channel and the water supply source, and a water supply pipe connected between the first supply channel and the accommodation unit.

18. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a water discharge channel configured to discharge washing water from the accommodation unit to the outside of the accommodation unit,

wherein the water discharge channel comprises:

a first discharge channel formed by the base and the cover;

a first water discharge pipe connected between the first discharge channel and the accommodation unit; and

a second water discharge pipe connected between the first discharge channel and the outside of the cabinet; and

wherein the first discharge channel is divided from the first supply channel by a partition.

19. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the second water discharge pipe comprises a flexible structure or an elastic material in at least a portion thereof.

20. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a water discharge channel supported along an exterior of the body and configured to discharge washing water from the accommodation unit to the outside of the accommodation unit; and

a discharge pipe configured to guide washing water supplied from the water discharge channel to the outside of the cabinet,

wherein a portion of the water discharge channel that is connected to the discharge pipe comprises a flexible structure or an elastic material.

21. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a water supply opening provided at the drawer and configured to be connected to an end portion of the water supply channel;

a through hole provided at the accommodation unit and configured to provide a passage for water from the water supply opening; and

a recovery unit positioned between the water supply opening and the through hole and configured to;

recover moisture discharged from the accommodation unit out of the through hole, and

return the moisture back into the accommodation unit through the through hole.

22. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the recovery unit comprises:

a first recovery part provided at the drawer to be positioned above the through hole and configured to condense steam discharged out of the through hole into condensed water; and

a second recovery part positioned above the through hole and configured to guide the condensed water falling from the first recovery part back down into the through hole.

23. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the second recovery part comprises a recovery body protruding toward the first recovery part from an upper surface of the accommodation unit, the recovery body defining a body through hole that corresponds to the through hole, and

wherein the first recovery part is configured to protrude toward the second recovery part from an upper surface of the drawer.

24. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

a reception recess formed at an upper surface of the accommodation unit and configured to be concave and having a diameter larger than a diameter of the through hole;

a body flange protruding from an outer surface of the recovery body and configured to contact an inner surface of the reception recess;

a flange through hole formed through the body flange and configured to provide a passage for condensed water to fall from the body flange into the reception recess; and

a recovery hole configured to guide condensed water from the reception recess into the through hole,

wherein the first recovery part is configured to have a maximum radial extent that is less than a maximum radial extent of the body flange.

25. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first recovery part comprises a plurality of concentric protrusions from the first recovery part that are spaced apart in a radial direction and that define a plurality of walls of the first recovery part,

wherein the plurality of concentric protrusions are arranged to define concentric circles about the water supply opening, and

wherein the plurality of concentric protrusions comprise a bottom portion having a maximum radial extent that is larger than a maximum radial extent of the body through hole but smaller than a maximum radial extent of the body flange, and the concentric protrusion having the smallest radial extent having a smaller radial extent than the maximum radial extent of the body through hole.

26. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accommodation unit comprises:

a tub provided in the drawer and configured to receive washing water; and

a drum rotatably provided in the tub to contain laundry,

wherein the drawer comprises a water supply opening through which the water supply channel is connected to the drawer, and an introduction opening through which laundry is put into the drawer is formed through the drawer, and

wherein the tub comprises a through hole configured to provide a passage from the water supply opening to the drum, and a tub introduction port configured to provide a passage from the introduction opening to the drum.

27. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising an intermediate connecting member between the water supply opening and the through hole and comprising a flexible structure or an elastic material.

28. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

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

a sealing body provided at the door and configured to be fitted within the tub introduction port;

a first protrusion protruding from the sealing body and configured to contact an inner surface of the tub introduction port; and

a second protrusion positioned above the tub introduction port and protruding from the sealing body to contact an upper surface of the tub.

29. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a through hole configured to provide a passage for washing water to be introduced into the accommodation unit,

wherein the water supply channel is configured to extend through the drawer and an end portion of the water supply channel is configured to be connected to the through hole.

30. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 29, wherein at least part of the water supply channel comprises a flexible structure or an elastic material.

31. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the end portion of the water supply channel that is positioned between the through hole and the drawer comprises a flexible structure or an elastic material.

32. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support configured to hold the accommodation unit in the drawer in a movable manner.