Laundry Treating Apparatus

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/827,134, filed on May 27, 2022, which claims the priority benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0069528, filed in the Republic of Korea on May 28, 2021, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0071149, filed in the Republic of Korea on Jun. 1, 2021, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0110913, filed in the Republic of Korea on Aug. 23, 2021, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0120154, filed in the Republic of Korea on Sep. 9, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus, and more particularly to a laundry treating apparatus including a plurality of laundry treating machines.

A washing machine, a dryer, and refreshers, which are provided for treating clothes, are installed in different spaces, such as a kitchen, a utility room, and an outdoor space, according to usage in a residential space.

Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0109194 discloses a washing machine. The washing machine washes laundry by supplying water and detergent into a tub and a drum and by rotating the drum in which the laundry is placed. In the washing machine, water from an external water source is supplied into the tub or the drum, and a pump is used to circulate the water in the tub to the drum or to discharge the water in the tub to the outside. The washing machine is generally installed in the kitchen or the utility room for the supply and discharge of water.

The washing machine separately includes a heater for heating air, a blower fan, and a steam generator, to dry or sterilize the laundry.

Korean Patent No. 10-2120993 discloses a dryer. The dryer may dry the laundry, placed in the drum, by heating air using a heating means and a blower fan and by supplying the heated air into the drum. The dryer is generally disposed adjacent to the washing machine, so as to dry the washed laundry and to allow a user to easily load the laundry containing moisture into the dryer.

By using the steam generator for generating steam and spraying the steam into the drum, the dryer may sterilize the laundry or may remove wrinkles of the laundry. Water may be supplied into the dryer for generating the steam, and water not changed into steam may be reused or may be discharged to the outside. Further, in order to deodorize the dried laundry, the dryer may further have a deodorization function for filtering the circulated air.

Korean Patent No. 10-2254903 discloses a refresher. The refresher may perform functions, such as drying, deodorizing, de-wrinkling, de-static and/or sterilization (hereinafter referred to as “refreshing”).

The refresher is used for treating clothes, such as suits and coats, which are frequently used by a user after washing. Generally, the user hangs the clothes, such as suits and coats, in a wardrobe. Accordingly, the refresher may be installed adjacent to the wardrobe, or may be installed instead of the wardrobe, in a dressing room, a living room, or a bedroom. Further, not only for the clothes or garments, the refresher may be used for all washable items, such as shoes, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, etc., which are frequently worn by users, as well as dolls, towels, blankets, etc., which are frequently used by users.

However, the existing laundry treating machines, which are installed in different spaces, have a problem in that a user needs to move the laundry items, which are sorted by a user, to the respective laundry treating machines performing corresponding laundry treating processes, thereby requiring a longer workflow, and making the clothes treating processes uncomfortable.

In addition, as the refresher is installed in a different place from the washing machine and the dryer, it is cumbersome for the user to move the washed wet clothes or the dried clothes to the place where the refresher is installed.

Furthermore, each of the existing laundry treating machines for treating laundry using hot air and steam separately requires water supply equipment, drainage equipment, an air heater, a steam generator, a pump, a blower fan, an air passage, a steam passage, etc., thereby causing a problem in that a space for receiving clothes is reduced. In addition, as each of the machines includes the heater, the steam generator, etc., there is a problem in that costs and energy consumption of the entire system may increase.

Further, there is also a problem in that as the respective laundry treating machines have a hot air passage and a steam passage, the entire length of the passages increases, thus complicating assembly of the passages.

In addition, the existing dryer generally has a heating device for generating hot air which is disposed at a lower portion of the dryer, and a water tank for storing condensate which is disposed at an upper portion of the dryer. Thus, the existing dryer requires a separate pump for moving the condensate generated in the heating device to the water tank, thereby increasing the number of components and making the inner space of the dryer smaller.

It is an object of the present disclosure to solve the above and other problems.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus including a plurality of laundry treating machines.

It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus including a washing machine, a dryer, and a refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of performing washing, drying, and refreshing of the laundry in the same space.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing a user's workflow required for laundry treatment.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of treating laundry which may not be subjected to high temperature drying in a space where washing and drying are performed.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus with improved workability in washing, drying, and refreshing processes of the laundry.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus with reduced vibrations generated in the entire system.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of improving user convenience in manipulation by lowering the height of components, such as a door, a control panel, etc., which require manipulation by a user.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus having a hot air passage for supplying air to the washing machine, the dryer, and the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing a length of a hot air passage for supplying air to the washing machine, the dryer, and the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a refresher having an extended longitudinal width.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus having a refresher with an extended longitudinal width.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus having an extended vertical height of a laundry receiving space.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus having an extended vertical height of a laundry receiving space in the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus using a difference between a longitudinal width of the refresher and a longitudinal width of the washing machine/dryer.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus having a steam passage for supplying steam to the washing machine, the dryer, and the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing a steam passage for supplying steam to the washing machine, the dryer, and the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of supplying hot air to the plurality of laundry treating machines using a single heating device.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of supplying steam to the plurality of laundry treating machines using a single heating device.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of facilitating discharge of condensate generated by the heating device.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of facilitating the supply of water for steam generation and discharge of the water.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing a length of a hot air passage for supplying air to the dryer and the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing heat loss of hot air supplied to the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing a length of a supply air duct and an exhaust air duct which are connected to the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of discharging condensate generated by the heating device, without using separate pump equipment.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of managing condensate by using a drain pump of the washing machine.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus in which temperature of hot air supplied to the refresher is lower than that of the dryer.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of using the condensate generated by the heating device.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of minimizing vibrations generated in the washing machine.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of reducing rocking of cabinets of the washing machine.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus in which the plurality of laundry treating machines are coupled to each other.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of recovering hot air from the upper side of the refresher.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of lowering the height of doors of the washing machine and the dryer.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of lowering the height of a laundry loading opening, through which the laundry is loaded, and the height of a control panel.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of allowing users to easily carry the washed laundry.