Packing material for laundry treatment apparatus

• US 9,580,855 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Daehee
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jacob K
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAGAN, JENINE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/531,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20150122680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 206/320, 206/576, 206/521, 206/523, 206/591, 206/592
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/6855 washing machine
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/02 specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage containers of polygonal cross-section provided with internal protecting elements for contents B65D5/50; devices to locate articles in containers B65D25/10
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 23/04 and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/001 Arrangements for transporting, moving, or setting washing machines; Protective arrangements for use during transport transport in general B65

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packing material for a laundry treatment apparatus having a casing with an entrance/exit hole through which laundry is entered and exited and an outer tub hung in the casing and having an opening through which the laundry is entered and exited, the packing material including a base part at a side of a predetermined fold line corresponding to the shape of the opening and a gap compensating part at another side of the fold line, wherein the base part is inserted into a space between the outer tub and an entrance/exit hole forming part forming the entrance/exit hole in the casing, and wherein the gap compensating part is inserted into an inside of the outer tub when the packing material is folded along the fold line.

Claims

1. A laundry treatment apparatus shipping package comprising:

a laundry treatment apparatus comprising;

a casing with a hole, and

an outer tub included in the casing, the outer tub having an opening that is larger than the hole in the casing, the opening through which laundry inserted through the hole in the casing is placed into the outer tub and through which laundry is retrieved from the outer tub through the hole in the casing;

a first packing material on which multiple perforations are formed along a predetermined virtual fold line configured to have a shape corresponding to a shape of the opening in the outer tub and spaced apart from each other, the first packing material folded at the fold line, the first packing material comprising;

a base part that is defined at a first side of the fold line, and

a gap compensating part defined at a second side of the fold line that is opposite of the first side of the fold line;

wherein, based on the first packing material being folded along the fold line;

the base part is inserted into a space between the outer tub and a part of the casing that defines the hole in the casing, and

the gap compensating part is inserted into an inside of the outer tub, and

a second packing material comprising;

an upper end part that is inserted into the hole in the casing and placed on the base part of the first packing material; and

a lower end part that is configured to extrude from a bottom of the upper end part, that is configured to be inserted into the opening of the outer tub, and that is configured to contact the gap compensating part.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the gap compensating part includes a linear cut that extends from the fold line to an internal edge oriented toward a center of the outer tub.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the gap compensating part is configured to fill an inside of the opening to a distance corresponding to a thickness of the gap compensating part.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein an edge of the base part that is configured to face the casing includes a section configured to contact an inner surface of the casing.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the fold line is configured to be shaped as a circular arc.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material further comprises an installation direction mark that indicates an orientation of the first packing material appropriate for installing the first packing material in the laundry treatment apparatus.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material is made of a material that is configured to bend in any direction when an external force is applied.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material is made of foam polyethylene.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material is made of a single material.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material is formed as a thin planer shape.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material is configured to be placed at one side of the laundry treating apparatus and used with another first packing material placed at another side of the laundry treating apparatus.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein an edge of the base part, which is configured to be placed opposite of the casing, is divided into a side section configured to face a side part of an inner surface of the casing, a front section configured to face a front part of the casing, and a rear section configured to face a rear part of the casing.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 12, wherein the side section, the front section, and the rear section are configured to contact their respective opposite side part, front part, and rear part inside the casing.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus shipping package of claim 1, wherein the first packing material is configured to be inserted into the laundry treatment apparatus by pushing the base part into a space between a top cover of the laundry treatment apparatus and a water storage tank cover of the laundry treatment apparatus, and folding the gap compensating part along folding guide marks defined along the fold line.