LAUNDRY TREATMENT APPARATUS

• US 20160237613A1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Seungjoon, HEO, Namyeong, KIM, Chungil, KIM, Junghoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus may include a cabinet defining an appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus, a drum provided in the cabinet and configured to hold laundry, a connecting duct configured to communicate with the drum, a lint filter unit that is mounted to an inner surface of the cabinet that is accessible from a front surface of the cabinet, and that is configured to communicate with the connecting duct to filter pollutant and a lock unit configured to selectively lock the lint filter unit to the connecting duct, where the lock unit includes a rotatable lock body, a shaft configured to rotate together with the lock body, at least one bent portion, and a lock guide with at least one bent section.

Claims

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:

a cabinet defining an appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus;

a drum provided in the cabinet and configured to hold laundry;

a connecting duct configured to communicate with the drum;

a lint filter unit that is mounted to an inner surface of the cabinet, that is accessible from a front surface of the cabinet, and that is configured to communicate with the connecting duct to filter pollutants; and

a lock unit configured to selectively lock the lint filter unit to the connecting duct,

wherein the lock unit comprises;

a rotatable lock body

a shaft configured to rotate together with the lock body;

at least one bent portion; and

a lock guide with at least one bent section.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock unit is configured to allow the lock guide to be inserted into the connecting duct and a portion of the lock guide to be in surface contact with an inner surface of the connecting duct to restrict the lint filter unit from being withdrawn from the front surface of the cabinet based on the lint filter unit being locked.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock guide comprises:

a first body that has a guide hole through which a shaft extends, and that is configured to extend parallel to a front portion of the lint filter unit; and

a second body that has a bent section, and that is configured to protrude from the first body toward the front portion of the lint filter unit.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second body comprises:

a first bent section configured to protrude toward the front portion of the lint filter unit; and

a second bent section configured to extend from the first bent section in a same direction as the direction the first body of the lint filter unit is configured to extend.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lint filter unit includes a discharge duct and a filter which is configured to communicate with the connecting duct to filter pollutants, and wherein the discharge duct is configured to be withdrawable from the front surface of the cabinet,

wherein the cabinet comprises:

a rear cover with an air discharge hole configured to discharge air in the discharge duct to an outside of the apparatus; and

a lower cover configured to prevent interference between an end of the discharge duct and the air discharge hole, and configured to include at least one guide for guiding motion of the discharge duct.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lint filter unit includes a filter housing including a holder, and the discharge duct includes a holder guide,

wherein the holder comprises:

a first holder body that has at least one through hole, and that is configured to couple with the filter housing;

a second holder body configured to extend from the first holder body in a same direction as the direction the lint filter unit is withdrawn; and

a third holder body that includes a plurality of bent portions, and that is configured to extend in a longitudinal direction of the lint filter unit.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of bent portions comprises:

a first bent section which is configured to be bent toward an outside of the lint filter unit; and

a second bent section which is configured to be bent toward an inside of the lint filter unit.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the holder guide comprises:

a fixing portion that has at least one through hole, and that is configured to couple the holder guide to the discharge duct; and

a convex portion configured to be bent toward an inside of the discharge duct.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lint filter unit comprises a discharge duct, which is mounted in the cabinet and configured to be withdrawable from the front surface of the cabinet, and which includes a filter configured to communicate with the connecting duct to filter pollutants.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a blower configured to communicate with the discharge duct to discharge air in the discharge duct to an outside of the apparatus,

wherein the blower comprises:

an upper body that has a center hole and that is configured to define an upper face of the blower;

a lower body configured to define a lower face of the blower; and

a blade configured to be rotatable with the upper body and the lower body, and including first ends coupled to the upper body and second ends coupled to the lower body,

wherein the blade includes a body with a longitudinal length which is greater than a transverse length in a longitudinal cross-section of the body,

wherein the body includes a first bent body, which is bent along a longitudinal direction of the body.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first bent body is disposed at a radial and inward portion of the body.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the blade further includes a second bent body, which is disposed at a radial and outward portion of the body.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first bent body is configured to have a shape that corresponds to a shape of a second bent body.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a first bend angle between the first bent body and the body is the same as a second bend angle between the second bent body and the body.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet includes a first cabinet and a second cabinet including an upper panel disposed under the first cabinet,

wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a first control device configured to be rotatably provided at a lower surface of the first cabinet to control a height of the first cabinet by adjustment of a rotational angle of the first control device;

a through hole defined in the upper panel;

a laundry container disposed in the second cabinet and configured to hold laundry; and

a support member received in the through hole and configured to support the first control device.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the support member includes a base positioned lower than the upper panel and configured to support the first control device.

17. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the support member comprises:

a base positioned lower than the upper panel, and the first control device is mounted to the base; and

at least two frames, which are bent from an outer circumference of the base toward the upper panel and configured to couple the base to the upper panel.

18. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the at least two frames include a first frame and a second frame, configured to be spaced apart from each other along the outer circumference of the base by a predetermined distance.

19. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the upper panel includes a first surface and a second surface positioned lower than the first surface,

wherein the at least two frames include a first frame configured to couple the base to the first surface, a second frame configured to couple the base to the second surface, and a third frame, which is positioned between the first frame and the second frame and configured to couple the base to the first surface.

20. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first frame, the second frame, and the third frame are configured to be spaced apart from each other along the outer circumference of the base by a predetermined distance.