US20100083708A1

US20100083708A1 - Laundry device

Info

Publication number: US20100083708A1
Application number: US12/432,304
Authority: US
Inventors: Dong Joo Han; Young Bok Son
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2008-04-30
Filing date: 2009-04-29
Publication date: 2010-04-08
Also published as: FR2930951A1; DE102009018770B4; FR2930951B1; CN101570934B; CN101570934A; DE102009018770A1; KR20090115015A

Abstract

A laundry device is disclosed. The laundry device comprises a cabinet provided with a first space and a second space by a partition; a drum provided in the first space; a drawer provided in the second space; a hot air supply unit provided in the first space to supply the hot air to the second space; and an aroma spray unit supplying aroma to the hot air supply unit. In this case, since the hot air is supplied to the second space and at the same time an aromatic function is carried out, the laundry treating process is improved.

Description

This application claims the benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0040942, filed on Apr. 30, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laundry device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a laundry device is to wash and/or dry washing clothes. This laundry device can be divided into a washing machine for carrying out washing, a dryer for carrying out drying, and a washing machine with a drying function, for carrying out washing and drying.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned laundry device requires side devices of various functions (for example, finishing processes such as additional drying, sterilization, aromatic function, and deodorization) so that a user uses the laundry device more conveniently. In this respect, various kinds of side devices have been developed recently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a laundry device that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry device, in which additional drying, deodorization, aromatic function, and sterilization can be carried out for washed laundry or laundry for washing.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a laundry device comprising: a cabinet provided with a first space and a second space by a partition; a drum provided in the first space; a drawer provided in the second space; a hot air supply unit provided in the first space to supply the hot air to the second space; and an aroma spray unit supplying aroma to the hot air supply unit.
Preferably, the aroma spray unit supplies aroma to a hot air supply path of the hot air supply unit.
Preferably, the hot air supply unit and the aroma spray unit are provided in the first space.
Preferably, the hot air supply unit includes a housing detachably coupled to the first space to form a path where the air flows; a blower fan blowing the air; and a heater heating the air blown by the blower fan.
Preferably, the housing includes a lower cover detachably coupled to the partition, and an upper cover coupled to the lower cover to form the path.
Preferably, the aroma spray unit is detachably provided at the outside the housing.
Preferably, the aroma spray unit is provided to adjoin an outlet of the air.
Preferably, wherein the aroma spray unit includes a vessel containing aroma; a driving unit pressurizing the vessel to spray the aroma; and a spray nozzle pipe supplying the aroma sprayed from the vessel to the hot air supply unit.
Preferably, the vessel includes an aroma ampule that contains deodorization materials and sterilization materials.
Preferably, the driving unit includes a motor; a cam rotated by the motor; and a crank part pressurizing the vessel by carrying out linear reciprocation by means of the cam.
Preferably, the crank part includes a spring member for allowing the crank part to be pressurized toward the cam.
Preferably, the motor is controlled by a controller that controls an operation of the hot air supply unit.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a laundry device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a hot air supply unit and an aroma spray unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state that an upper cover is detached from FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a brief diagram illustrating a configuration of an aroma spray unit of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used
Referring to FIG. 1, a laundry device according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a cabinet 10 constituting appearance. The cabinet 10 is divided into a first space 12 and a second space 14 therein. The first space 12 is provided with a drum 20 that is rotatable. The second space 14 is provided with a drawer 30 (see FIG. 2) that is detachably provided. The first space 12 is provided with a hot air supply unit 40 that supplies the hot air to the second space 14. The hot air supply unit 40 is provided with an aroma spray unit 80 that sprays aroma along with a path of the hot air.
Various elements which constitute appearance and will be described can be mounted in the cabinet 10.
In the first space 12, a washing and/or drying stroke is carried out for the laundry. In the second space 14, the laundry of which washing and/or drying stroke has been finished in the first space 12 or the separately washed laundry is additionally dried.
In other words, the laundry device according to the embodiment of the present invention carries out a general washing stroke and/or drying stroke in the first space 12, and additionally dries the washed laundry, dries or refreshes separate laundry or clothes in the second space 14. In this case, “refresh” means that the air or the heated air is supplied to clothes to remove rumple of the clothes.
Meanwhile, although the cabinet 10 may be provided with a separate member for the first space 12 and the second space 14, one member is used in this embodiment as the cabinet 10 so that the cabinet 10 is divided into the first space and the second space. Namely, the first space 12 and the second space 14 are provided inside the cabinet 10 constituting appearance.
Hereinafter, an inner structure of the laundry device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In the laundry device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a partition 16 may be provided inside the cabinet 10, wherein the first space 12 and the second space 14 are partitioned from each other by the partition 16. In this case, the partition 16 partitions the inside of the cabinet 10 up and down, wherein the upper part of the partition 16 forms the first space 12 and the lower part of the partition 15 forms the second space 14.
As a result, the partition 15 can serve as a base of the first space 12 and at the same time as an upper cover of the second space 14. In this way, since one partition 16 serves as the base of the first space 12 and the upper cover of the second space 14, assembly process is easily carried out as compared with that the base of the first space 12 and the upper cover of the second space 14 are respectively provided, and assembly time can be reduced.
Meanwhile, the hot air supply unit 40 can be provided in the first space 12. Preferably, the hot air supply unit 40 can detachably be provided on the partition 16. Since the drum 20 is rotatably provided in the first space 12 and the drawer 30 is detachably provided in the second space 14, the first space 12 has a greater inner volume than that of the second space 14. Accordingly, if the hot air supply unit 40 that supplies the hot air to the second space 14 is provided in the first space 12 instead of the second space 14, the inner space can efficiently be used.
In this embodiment of the present invention, the hot air supply unit 40 is exemplarily provided, but not limited, to heat the air of the first space 12 and then supply the heated air to the second space 14. The air outside the cabinet 10 may be heated to provide the heated air to the second space 14. In this case, a supply path (not shown) that supplies the air from the outside of the cabinet 10 to the hot air supply unit 40 may further be provided.
Since the drum 20 is located in the first space 12 above the partition 16, if washing, drying, etc. are carried out, the water may be dropped to the partition 16. Accordingly, the partition 16 is provided with a recess part 17 that receives the water dropped from the upper part of the partition 16.
Meanwhile, the installation position of the hot air supply unit 40 provided in the barrier will be described in detail. The hot air supply unit 40 can detachably be provided on the partition 16. In this case, the hot air supply unit 40 can be provided in the recess part 17 formed in the partition 16.
In this case, although not shown, a drainage structure is provided for draining the water collected in the recess part 17 so as not to access the hot air supply unit 40. Alternatively, the recess part 7 is formed such that its bottom is inclined.
The aroma spray unit 80 is to improve user's convenience by spraying an aroma to the laundry or clothes when the washed and/or dried laundry is additionally dried or laundry passed through a separate washing stroke is dried, or clothes to be recycled is refreshed.
The aroma spray unit 80 is detachably provided in the hot air supply unit 40. The aroma spray unit 80 is provided to spray aroma to the path of the hot air moved by the hot air supply unit 40. In this case, the aroma spray unit 80 can spray aroma to the second space 14 using the hot air path formed by the hot air supply unit 40 without providing a separate supply path.
However, although this embodiment has been described that the aroma spray unit 80 is exemplarily provided above the partition, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the aroma spray unit 80 may be provided at one side of the second space 14 to spray aroma along the path of the hot air supplied by the hot air supply unit 40.
Meanwhile, in this embodiment, although a separate structure for draining the hot air supplied toward the second space 14, i.e., the drawer 30, is not provided, it is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the structure for draining the hot air. Namely, although not shown, a drainage path for draining the air to the outside of the cabinet 10 may further be provided in the second space 14.
Hereinafter, the hot air supply unit 40 and the aroma spray unit 80 of the laundry device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4, the hot air supply unit 40 according to this embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 42 that is detachably coupled to the upper part of the partition 16 (see FIG. 2) to form a path where the air flows. The housing 42 includes a blower fan 50 blowing the air, a heater 60 heating the air, and a sub-controller (not shown) controlling the blower fan 50 and the heater 60.
Although the housing 42 may be formed as one member, the housing 42 preferably includes a lower cover 46, and an upper cover 44 detachably connected to the lower cover 46. In this way, if the lower cover 46 and the upper cover 44 are provided, it is very easy to repair or mount inner elements of the hot air supply unit 40 during maintenance and repair of the hot air supply unit 40. Specifically, the lower cover is detachably provided on the partition 16, and can detachably be connected to a securing member such as a bolt or hook.
Meanwhile, as described above, the path 43 where the air flows along an arrow is formed between the lower cover 46 and the upper cover 44. Although the blower fan 50 and the heater 60 are arranged in due order along the flow of the air as shown, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement. The heater 60 may first be arranged, and then the blower fan 50 may be arranged.
Accordingly, if the blower fan 50 is driven, the air outside the housing 42 flows into the housing 42 and then is heated by the heater 60, so that the hot air is exhausted out through an outlet 49.
In this case, the outlet 49 is connected with a hot air supply (not shown) above the partition 16, so that the hot air exhausted out through the outlet 49 is supplied to the second space 14, i.e., the drawer 30 through the hot air supply. Moreover, the blower fan 50 is preferably provided to control rotation speed. This is because that the blower fan 50 can control the amount of the air supplied therethrough by controlling the rotation speed.
Meanwhile, the hot air supply unit 40 according this embodiment may further includes a first temperature sensor 70 sensing a temperature of the hot air supplied on the path where the air flows. In this case, the hot air supply unit 40 can supply the hot air by controlling the heater 60 in accordance with the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor 70.
The first temperature sensor 70 can be provided along the path 43, and can be located to adjoin the end of the path 43, i.e., the outlet 49 so as to exactly measure the temperature of the hot air supplied to the second space 14.
Accordingly, the sub-controller provided in the hot air supply unit 40 can control driving of the heater 60 in accordance with the temperature of the air, which is measured by the first sensor 70, to control the temperature of the hot air supplied to the second space 14.
Meanwhile, if the temperature of the hot air is sensed by the first sensor 70 to control the heater 60, although one controller may be provided, two or more controllers may be provided.
As described above, if a plurality of controllers, for example, a main controller and a sub-controller are provided, the main controller can control the drum 20 and the hot air supply unit 40, and the value measured by the first temperature sensor 70 can be transmitted to the main controller.
Meanwhile, the aroma spray unit 80 can be provided to adjoin the hot air supply unit 40. It is preferable that the aroma spray unit 80 can detachably provided at one side of the hot air supply unit 40 to exchange aroma with new one if the aroma contained in the aroma spray unit 80 is used up.
Preferably, the aroma spray unit 80 supplies aroma to the second space 14 using the hot air supply path. In this case, the aroma spray unit 80 can uniformly spray aroma using the blower fan 50 of the hot air supply unit 40. Also, since a separate path and a separate blower fan are not required to supply the aroma, the manufacturing process steps can be reduced.
Therefore, it is preferable that the aroma spray unit 80 includes a spray nozzle pipe 81 that passes through the housing 42 to spray the aroma into the housing 42 of the hot air supply unit 40.
Furthermore, the aroma spray unit 80 preferably is provided to adjoin the outlet 49 through which the hot air is exhausted. This is because that, if the aroma sprayed from the aroma spray unit 80 is guided into the hot air supply unit 40, the aroma supplied to the second space 14 may be reduced and efficiency of the hot air supply unit 40 may be reduced as the heater 60 is covered with the raw materials, etc.
Therefore, according to this embodiment, the aroma spray unit 80 can uniformly spray the aroma to the second space 14 together with the hot air exhausted to the second space 14 by supplying the aroma into the path of the hot air supply unit 40 through the spray nozzle pipe 81.
Hereinafter, the aroma spray unit 80 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5.
The aroma spray unit 80 includes a vessel 82 in which the raw materials of the aroma are contained. The vessel 82 can be provided with the spray nozzle pipe 81 for spraying the aroma, at one side. The vessel 82 can be provided to spray the aroma through the spray nozzle pipe 81 if one end is pressurized like a general aroma spray. At this time, the raw materials of the aroma are made of, but not limited to, aromatic materials for clothes. The raw materials of the aroma can include deodorization materials or sterilization materials.
Meanwhile, a driving unit 83 may further be provided at one side of the vessel 82. The driving unit 83 is to spray an aroma ampule by pressurizing the vessel 82. Preferably, the driving unit 83 pressurizes the vessel 82 at a predetermined period so as to intermittently spray the aroma while the hot air supply unit is operated. This is because that, since an aromatic generally has an aromatic effect even using a little spray, if the aromatic is sprayed too much, it may make a user feel displeasure when the user wears clothes.
The driving unit 83 of this embodiment includes a motor 84, a cam 84′ converting a rotational motion of the motor 84 to a rectilinear motion of the motor 84, and a crank part 85 reciprocating by means of the rotation of the cam 84′. The crank part 85 includes a spring member 85′ for being always pressurized toward the cam 84′.
Accordingly, the cam 84′ is rotated by the motor 84, and one end of the crank part 85 carries out reciprocation toward the vessel 82 by means of the rotation of the cam 84′. Also, a pressurizing part 85 formed at one end of the crank part 85 can spray the aroma intermittently while pressurizing the vessel 82 at a predetermined period.
At this time, the driving unit 83 is preferably controlled by a controller (not shown) that controls the operation of the hot air supply unit 40. In this case, since the controller controls a spray period of the aroma in accordance with the intensity and the temperature of the hot air supplied from the hot air supply unit 40, it is possible to obtain a more suitable laundry device.
Hereinafter, the operation of the laundry device having the aforementioned structure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First of all, the user puts clothes in the drum 20 of the first space 12 and then carries out a desired stroke, for example, a washing and/or drying stroke to wash and/or dry the clothes.
Meanwhile, as described above, some cases may occur as follows. The laundry of which washing and/or drying stroke has been carried out in the first space 12 should be dried additionally, separately washed clothes should be dried, or clothes to be recycled should be refreshed.
In this case, the user can put the laundry to be additionally dried or clothes to be refreshed in the drawer of the second space 14, and can carry out additional drying stroke. In this case, the additional drying stroke can include, for example, a hot air course supplying the hot air, or a blowing course blowing the air only.
Meanwhile, if the hot air course is carried out, the air is heated by the hot air supply unit 40 and then the hot air is supplied to the second space 14, i.e., the drawer 30. Also, the temperature of the hot air may be sensed by the temperature sensor to control the hot air supply unit 40.
Furthermore, if the hot air is supplied from the hot air supply unit 40, the aroma can be sprayed by the aroma spray unit 80 along the supply path of the hot air. Accordingly, the laundry (or clothes) contained in the drawer 30 is dried by the hot air and at the same time is subjected to aromatic spray process.
As described above, the laundry device according to the present invention has the following advantages.
Since the hot air is supplied during additional drying process and refreshing process of clothes and at the same time the aroma is supplied, the laundry treating process is improved.
Also, since one partition serves as the base of the first space and the upper cover of the second space, it is possible to facilitate assembly of the laundry device.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. Thus, the above embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims and all change which comes within the equivalent scope of the invention are included in the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A laundry device comprising:

a cabinet provided with a first space and a second space by a partition;

a drum provided in the first space;

a drawer provided in the second space;

a hot air supply unit provided in the first space to supply the hot air to the second space; and

an aroma spray unit supplying aroma to the hot air supply unit.

2. The laundry device of claim 1, wherein the aroma spray unit supplies aroma to a hot air supply path of the hot air supply unit.

3. The laundry device of claim 1, wherein the hot air supply unit and the aroma spray unit are provided in the first space.

4. The laundry device of claim 1, wherein the hot air supply unit includes:

a housing detachably coupled to the first space to form a path where the air flows;

a blower fan blowing the air; and

a heater heating the air blown by the blower fan.

5. The laundry device of claim 4, wherein the housing includes a lower cover detachably coupled to the partition, and an upper cover coupled to the lower cover to form the path.

6. The laundry device of claim 4, wherein the aroma spray unit is detachably provided at the outside the housing.

7. The laundry device of claim 4, wherein the aroma spray unit is provided to adjoin an outlet of the air.

8. The laundry device of claim 4, wherein the aroma spray unit includes:

a vessel containing aroma;

a driving unit pressurizing the vessel to spray the aroma; and

a spray nozzle pipe supplying the aroma sprayed from the vessel to the hot air supply unit.

9. The laundry device of claim 8, wherein the vessel includes an aroma ampule that contains deodorization materials and sterilization materials.

10. The laundry device of claim 8, wherein the driving unit includes:

a motor;

a cam rotated by the motor; and

a crank part pressurizing the vessel by carrying out linear reciprocation by means of the cam.

11. The laundry device of claim 10, wherein the crank part includes a spring member for allowing the crank part to be pressurized toward the cam.

12. The laundry device of claim 4, wherein the motor is controlled by a controller that controls an operation of the hot air supply unit.