Laundry treating machine

• US 9,797,080 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Doh, Youngjin, Lee, Jihong, Namgoong, Hong, Lee, Kyuhwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lorenzi, Marc
• Application Number:
  US13/857,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20130263630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/081 using nozzles or suction devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/084 Nozzles placed on the filtrate side of the filtering element
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/79 by liquid process
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/005 Methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/04 adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/24 Condensing arrangements

Abstract

A laundry treating machine is provided. The laundry treating machine may include a tub to receive wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, an air supply device to supply air to the tub, a lint filter to filter lint from the air circulated by the air supply device, a filter cleaning device to supply cleaning water to the lint filter to remove the lint from the lint filter, and a cooling water supply device to supply cooling water to an inner surface of the tub such that moisture contained in air is condensed at the inner surface of the tub.

Claims

1. A laundry machine, comprising:

a tub to receive wash water, the tub including an air collection port extending through an outer circumference of the tub and an air discharge port provided at a front of the tub;

a drum rotatably provided in the tub;

a heating duct provided between the air collection port and the air discharge port to collect air at the air collection port and to supply air at the air discharge port and to supply air at the air discharge port such that the air is circulated between the tub and the heating duct;

a lint filter positioned in the air collection port to filter lint from the air circulated between the tub and the heating duct;

a filter cleaning device provided in the air collection port and configured to supply cleaning water to the lint filter to remove lint accumulated on the lint filter;

a fan provided between the air collection port and the heating duct to move air; and

a cooling water supply device to supply cooling water to an inner surface of the tub such that moisture contained in the circulated air is condensed at the inner surface of the tub,

wherein the filter cleaning device includes;

a main body having a hollow portion through which the cleaning water flows;

a spray device provided inside the main body and fastened to a lower side of the main body such that a top surface of the spray device is covered by the main body; and

a cleaning water line that supplies cleaning water to the spray device and 1th cleaning water being supplied simultaneously with or independently of wash water or cooling water,

wherein the spray device includes;

a hollow central portion through which cleaning water flows;

a first end which is open to allow cleaning water from the cleaning water line to flow into the hollow central portion;

a second end which is closed, the second end being opposite the first end;

a plurality of first spray nozzles formed as protrusions that protrude from a bottom surface of the spray device and arranged along a length of the main body, wherein each of the plurality of first spray nozzles are oriented at a respective predetermined angle with respect to the main body so as to spray cleaning water toward the lint filter at the respective predetermined angle; and

a plurality of second spray nozzles formed between the plurality of first spray nozzles on the bottom surface of the main body, wherein the plurality of second spray nozzles are oriented so as to spray cleaning water toward de lint filter in a direction that is orthogonal to the main body,

wherein the plurality of first spray nozzles protrude farther than the plurality of second spray nozzles.

2. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the cooling water supply device includes:

a cooling water nozzle fixed to the tub and positioned so as to spray cooling water toward an inner rear surface of the tub; and

a cooling water line that supplies cooling water to the cooling water nozzle.

3. The laundry machine of claim 2, wherein the cooling water nozzle includes:

a first end, to which the cooling water line is connected;

a second end, forming a nozzle through which cooling water is sprayed toward the inner rear surface of the tub; and

an intermediate section positioned between the first and second ends, by which the cooling water nozzle is coupled to the tub.

4. The laundry machine of claim 3, wherein the second end includes a deflection plate that deflects cooling water toward the inner rear surface of the tub.

5. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the filter cleaning device further includes a fastening device having a first end connected to the cleaning water line and a second end extending from the main body, the fastening device is in communication with the main body to allow cleaning water to flow to the hollow central portion of the spray device.

6. The laundry machine of claim 5, wherein the fastening device extends through an outer wall of the air collection port of the tub, and wherein the fastening device includes a fastening rib extending from an outer circumferential portion thereof to prevent leakage of cleaning water from the air collection port.

7. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the main body is formed in the shape of a rod that extends into a portion of the air collection port.

8. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first spray nozzles has a spray hole extending through a protruded portion thereof at the respective predetermined angle so as to form a circumferential spray pattern directed toward the lint filter.

9. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first spray nozzles and the plurality of second spray nozzles are arranged symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis of the spray device.

10. The laundry machine of claim 1, further comprising a valve assembly, comprising:

a water supply valve to control a supply of wash water to the tub;

a cleaning water valve to control a supply of cleaning water to the filter cleaning device; and

a cooling water valve to control a supply of cooling water to the cooling water supply device.

11. The laundry machine of claim 1, further comprising a rear gasket provided at a rear wall of the tub to seal a rear part of the tub and prevent leakage of water from the tub to a drive motor coupled thereto, and to allow movement of the drive motor relative to the tub.

12. The laundry machine of claim 1, further comprising a drive motor coupled to a bearing housing and directly connected to a rotary shaft coupled to the drum to rotate the drum.

13. The laundry machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a suspension device to elastically support the drum, wherein the tub is rigidly supported, separately from the drum, and the drum is elastically supported by the suspension device.

14. The laundry machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotary shaft coupled to the drum;

a bearing housing to rotatably support the rotary shaft;

a drive motor coupled to the rotary shaft to rotate the rotary shaft; and

a suspension device coupled to the bearing housing to absorb vibration of the drum.

15. The laundry machine of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet in which the tub and the drum are installed, wherein the tub is fixedly fastened to the cabinet.

16. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the filter cleaning device is provided parallel to a top surface of the air collection port at a position between the lint filter and the top surface of the air collection port.

17. The laundry machine of claim 5, wherein the spray device is provided in the air collection port such that a position of a tip of the spray device is higher than a position of the fastening device.

18. The laundry machine of claim 5, wherein an end of the spray device closest to the fastening device is a wedge shape that inclines downwards towards the lint filter.