Laundry Treating Apparatus

This application is the National Phase of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2022/020103, filed on Dec. 12, 2022, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to Patent Application No. 10-2022-0171922, filed in the Republic of Korea on Dec. 9, 2022, all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application.

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a laundry treatment apparatus including a storage adapted to store detergent therein.

A laundry treatment apparatus is an apparatus capable of performing a washing course of eliminating contaminants from clothes, bedclothes and the like (referred to hereinafter as a laundry) introduced into a drum. The laundry treatment apparatus is capable of performing a rinsing course, a dewatering course, a spin-drying course and the like, in addition to the washing course.

The laundry treatment apparatus may include a cabinet defining the appearance of the apparatus, and a drum rotatably provided in the tub so as to receive laundry therein.

The laundry treatment apparatus may include a detergent supply adapted to introduce detergent into the tub or the drum in order to perform the washing course and the like. When the drum rotates in the state in which washing water and detergent are supplied to the inside of the tub, it is possible to eliminate contaminants from laundry by virtue of frictional action between the laundry and the drum, the washing water and the like.

The detergent supply may have a function of supplying detergent in order to enhance a washing effect. Here, the detergent may include all of materials capable of enhancing a washing effect, such as a laundry agent adapted to cause decomposition and separation of contaminants, a fabric softener adapted to enhance fabric softness of laundry and a bleaching agent adapted to improve color contamination of laundry. The detergent may include all of the form of solid (powder) and the form of liquid (liquid phase).

Korea unexamined patent publication No. 10-2020-0007549 discloses a laundry treatment apparatus including a conventional detergent supply. The conventional detergent supply includes a drawer configured to be drawn out of a cabinet, and a detergent path which is provided at the drawer to guide detergent to the tub. The above-mentioned conventional manual detergent supply is a type of detergent supply in which detergent introduced into the detergent path is supplied to the tub together with water.

However, because the conventional manual detergent supply is constructed such that a user directly introduces detergent before execution of every washing course, there is a difficulty in introducing a constant amount of detergent, and there is an inconvenience in that a user must introduce detergent every time.

In order to solve this problem, a detergent supply designed to automatically supply detergent during every washing course has been developed. Furthermore, a laundry treatment apparatus which is provided with the above-mentioned automatic detergent supply in addition to a conventional manual detergent supply so as to allow a user selectively to use one of the two detergent supplies has also been developed.

In the case in which an automatic detergent supply is additionally provided, there is a need to assure a space required to accommodate various components of the automatic detergent supply. However, a space for installation of the automatic detergent supply is limited in the laundry treatment apparatus, which is provided with the manual detergent supply and other components.

For example, considering user convenience in handling, although the automatic detergent supply may advantageously be disposed in an upper area of a cabinet, there may be a limitation on an installation space because a control panel and the like, which are manipulated by a user, is disposed at the upper portion of the cabinet.

Furthermore, in a top-loading laundry treatment apparatus in which an introduction opening through which laundry is introduced is provided on the upper surface of a cabinet, because the height of the upper end of a tub increases and an introduction opening for laundry and a door adapted to open and close the introduction opening are provided at the upper portion of the cabinet together with a control panel, compared to a front-loading type of laundry treatment apparatus in which an introduction opening is provided in the front surface of the cabinet, there may be tighter limitations on a space required for installation of the automatic detergent supply.

In order to solve such spatial limitations, a structure in which a storage container which requires a space for storage of detergent, among components of an automatic detergent supply, is exposed to the outside of the cabinet has been suggested.

Korea unexamined patent publication No. 10-2018-0080013 discloses a laundry treatment apparatus in which an automatic detergent supply including a detergent storage container which is exposed to the outside of the cabinet is installed.

The above-mentioned laundry treatment apparatus is constructed such that an automatic detergent supply is additionally provided to a conventional structure including a manual detergent supply and a detergent storage container adapted to store detergent therein is exposed to the outside of the cabinet for assurance of a space required for installation of the automatic detergent supply.

The detergent storage container may be exposed to the outside of the cabinet for efficient enlargement of a space, and may be removable from the cabinet for easy management.

The detergent storage container may include a detergent introduction opening, through which detergent is introduced, and a storage cap adapted to open and close the detergent introduction opening. The storage cap may be rotatably configured so as to open and close the detergent introduction opening according to the rotating position thereof.

However, intense or light vibration may be generated throughout the overall cabinet when the drum rotates to treat laundry, and, furthermore, there is the possibility that the storage cap is separated from the detergent storage container due to breakage or deformation of the storage cap when the vibration becomes severe.

Furthermore, when the storage cap is overly rotated by a user or is unintentionally rotated beyond the allowable range, there is the possibility of causing breakage or deformation of the panel or the rotating shaft of the storage cap.

Accordingly, an important task in the laundry treatment apparatus field is to stably fix the storage cap to the detergent storage container in a rotatable manner during operation of the laundry treatment apparatus and to efficiently prevent breakage of the storage cap caused by abnormal pressure or rotation.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of efficiently increasing a storage space for detergent.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treatment apparatus in which a storage body is enlarged and exposed to the outside of a cabinet in order to increase an amount of detergent storage.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of efficiently preventing separation of a storage cap provided in a detergent storage.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treatment apparatus which is constructed so as to allow the storage cap to be stably coupled and separated.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of efficiently preventing breakage or deformation of the storage cap.

An embodiment of the present disclosure includes a storage having a detergent introduction opening and a storage cap adapted to open and close the detergent introduction opening.

The storage cap may include a plurality of storage caps which are disposed in a line, and shaft members of the storage caps may extend away from adjacent storage caps. Accordingly, the plurality of storage caps prevent movement toward each other, thereby making it possible to prevent separation of the shaft members.

A first storage cap and a second storage cap are disposed such that the distance between the first storage cap and the second storage cap is less than a length by which the shaft members are inserted, thereby preventing the plurality of storage caps from being moved toward each other and preventing separation of the shaft members.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet, a tub, the storage, and the storage cap.

The cabinet may include a top cover having an introduction opening. The tub may be provided in the cabinet so as to store water therein, and may include a tub opening facing the introduction opening.

The storage may be provided at the top cover so as to be exposed at at least a portion thereof to the outside of the cabinet, and may include the detergent introduction opening through which detergent is introduced. The storage caps may be disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in one direction, and may be rotated about the plurality of shaft members so as to open and close the detergent introduction opening.

The storage cap may include a plurality of storage caps, that is, a first storage cap and a second storage cap which are disposed adjacent to each other in the one direction, and the shaft member of the first storage cap and the shaft member of the second storage cap may be inserted into and coupled to the storage in a direction away from each other.

A distance between the first storage cap and the second storage cap may be less than a length by which the shaft member is inserted into the storage.

The detergent introduction opening may include a plurality of detergent introduction openings, that is, a first detergent introduction opening and a second detergent introduction opening which are disposed adjacent to each other in the one direction, and the first storage cap may open and close the first detergent introduction opening while the second storage cap may open and close the second detergent introduction opening.

The storage may include a storage body which includes the detergent introduction opening and to which the storage cap is coupled. The storage body may include a plurality of storage bodies, that is, a first storage body and a second storage body which are disposed adjacent to each other in the one direction.

The shaft member of the first storage cap may be coupled to the first storage body, and the shaft member of the second storage cap may be coupled to the second storage body.

The storage may further include an installation unit which is provided at the top cover and to which the storage body is coupled in the one direction. The first storage body and the second storage body may be moved close to each other in the one direction and are coupled to the installation unit.

The installation unit may extend in a width direction of the cabinet, and the first storage body and the second storage body may be moved in the width direction and may be coupled to the installation unit.

An embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a door which is rotatably coupled to the top cover so as to open and close the introduction opening, and the first storage body and the second storage may be positioned behind the door.

The plurality of shaft members provided at the first storage cap may project in a direction away from the second storage cap, and the plurality of shaft members provided at the second storage cap may project in a direction away from the first storage cap.

The storage may include a shaft receiver into which the shaft member is inserted, and a distance between the first storage cap and the second storage cap may be less than a distance from an insertion start point of the shaft member, which is defined at the shaft receiver, to a distal end of the shaft member.

The storage cap may include a plurality of shaft bases from which the shaft members project, the plurality of shaft bases may be disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the one direction, and the plurality of shaft members may project from respective ones of the plurality of shaft bases in the same direction.

The shaft members of the first storage cap may project from the shaft bases in a direction away from the second storage cap, and the shaft members of the second storage cap may project from the shaft bases in a direction away from the first storage cap.

The storage cap may further include a cap panel adapted to cover the detergent introduction opening, the shaft bases may extend away from the cap panel, and the shaft members may be disposed at extended ends of the shaft bases.

The storage may include through holes through which the shaft members extend, and at least one of the plurality of shaft members may include a separation inhibitor which is provided at a projecting end thereof and which projects in a diametrical direction of the through hole.

At least one of the plurality of shaft members may be divided at at least a portion thereof including the end into a plurality of segments by means of a separation groove which extends in the one direction. The separation inhibitor may be provided at at least one of the plurality of segments.

The storage may further include a separation promotor adapted to press the separation inhibitor at a maximum rotational position of the storage cap to reduce a distance between the plurality of segments.

The separation promotor may come into contact with the separation inhibitor at a point on a rotational periphery of the separation inhibitor corresponding to a maximum rotation position of the storage cap.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are able to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of efficiently increasing a storage space for detergent.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure are able to provide a laundry treatment apparatus in which a storage body is enlarged and exposed to the outside of a cabinet in order to increase an amount of detergent storage.