Laundry treating apparatus

By installing a voice recognition unit on the door of the garment processing equipment, the limitation of requiring close-range operation of the control panel in existing technologies is overcome, achieving the convenience and user-friendliness of distance-free control.

CN117188104BActive Publication Date: 2026-05-01LG ELECTRONICS INC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
LG ELECTRONICS INC
Filing Date
2019-08-21
Publication Date
2026-05-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The control panel of existing garment processing equipment requires users to operate it at close range, which limits the ease of control of the equipment.

Method used

A voice recognition unit is installed on the door of the garment processing equipment. The microphone recognizes the user's voice and converts it into control commands, which are then transmitted to the controller for operation.

Benefits of technology

This allows users to control the device without having to operate it at close range, improving ease of operation and user experience.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet including a body, a body front surface fixed to the body and forming a front surface, and an introduction opening formed through the body front surface, a drum including a drum body arranged in the cabinet so as to store laundry and a drum introduction opening formed through the drum body so as to communicate with the introduction opening, a driving part for rotating the drum, a door rotatably arranged at the cabinet so as to open or close the introduction opening, a control part for controlling the driving part, and a voice recognition part arranged at the door so as to recognize a voice generated by a user and transmit a control command corresponding to the recognized voice to the control part.
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Description

Clothing processing equipment

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the original invention patent application with application number 201980055662.X (international application number: PCT / KR2019 / 010642, application date: August 21, 2019, invention title: clothing processing device). Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a garment processing device. Background Technology

[0003] Clothing processing equipment generally refers to clothing washing equipment, clothing drying equipment, and equipment capable of selectively performing clothing washing and drying functions. Clothing washing equipment removes dirt from clothing by rotating a drum containing the clothes inside an outer tank of water (through friction between the clothes and water). Clothing drying equipment removes water from clothing by supplying heated air to the drum containing the clothes.

[0004] Existing garment handling equipment includes a control panel configured to input control commands from a user and provide the user with information related to the operation of the garment handling equipment. Typically, the control panel provided in existing garment handling equipment has input units in the form of buttons or knobs, or in the form of a touchscreen.

[0005] Because the user can only manipulate the garment handling device when they are at a distance from the input unit, the aforementioned type of input unit in the prior art has limitations in controlling the garment handling device from a position spaced apart from the garment handling device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] One object of this disclosure is to provide a clothing handling device that recognizes user voice as control commands.

[0008] Another object of this disclosure is to provide a garment handling device that recognizes a user's voice and operates according to control commands corresponding to the recognized voice.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] This disclosure discloses a garment processing device comprising: a housing having an inlet; a roller disposed inside the housing for storing garments supplied to the inlet; a drive unit for rotating the roller; a door rotatably disposed within the housing for opening or closing the inlet; a controller for controlling the drive unit; and a voice recognition unit disposed within the door for recognizing user-generated voice and transmitting control commands corresponding to the recognized voice to the controller.

[0011] This disclosure discloses a garment processing device comprising: a housing including a body, a front surface of the body fixed to the body to form a front surface, and an inlet disposed through the front surface of the body; a roller including a roller body disposed inside the housing for storing garments and a roller inlet disposed through the roller body and communicating with the inlet; a drive unit for rotating the roller; a door rotatably disposed in the housing for opening or closing the inlet; a controller for controlling the drive unit; and a voice recognition unit disposed in the door for recognizing voice generated by a user and transmitting control commands corresponding to the recognized voice to the controller.

[0012] The door may include: a frame rotatably fixed to the housing to open or close the entrance; a front panel fixed to the frame and located on the front surface of the body; and a through hole configured to pass through the front panel, and the voice recognition unit may include a microphone located between the front panel and the frame to convert sound waves entering the through hole into electrical signals.

[0013] The through-hole can be located in the area below a horizontal line passing through the center of the front panel.

[0014] The through-hole may include a first through-hole and a second through-hole located at points symmetrical about a vertical line passing through the center of the front panel, and the voice recognition unit may include a first microphone located in the first through-hole and a second microphone located in the second through-hole.

[0015] The frame may include a first frame for fixing the front panel and a second frame fixed to the first frame to open or close the entrance, and the voice recognition unit may be disposed between the first frame and the front panel.

[0016] The garment handling device may further include: a PCB mounting portion formed when the surface of the first frame is concave in a direction away from the front panel; an identification unit PCB located in the PCB mounting portion and configured to allow the first microphone and the second microphone to be fixed to the identification unit PCB; a first insertion hole disposed through the first frame and located in the PCB mounting portion, providing space for receiving the first microphone; and a second insertion hole disposed through the first frame and located in the PCB mounting portion, providing space for receiving the second microphone.

[0017] The garment processing device disclosed herein may further include an analyzer disposed in the space formed between the first frame and the second frame, which converts electrical signals provided by the first microphone and the second microphone into text or code, and transmits the converted text or code to the controller.

[0018] The garment processing device disclosed herein may further include: an analyzer housing, which is disposed in either the first frame or the second frame to form a space for accommodating the analyzer; and a ventilation hole that connects the inner side of the analyzer housing to the outer side of the analyzer housing.

[0019] The garment processing apparatus disclosed herein may further include: a placement protrusion protruding from the analyzer placement portion; and a protrusion receiving portion disposed in the analyzer and configured to allow insertion of the placement protrusion.

[0020] The garment processing device disclosed herein may further include: a connector through-hole configured to pass through the first frame and located in the PCB mounting portion; a connector disposed in the identification unit PCB and inserted into the connector through-hole; a connecting wire connecting the analyzer to the connector; and a first guide disposed in the first frame, providing space for accommodating the connecting wire.

[0021] The garment processing device disclosed herein may further include: a front surface through-hole configured to pass through the front surface of the body; a housing fixed to the front surface of the body and located within the housing, having an open surface facing the front surface of the body; a power PCB fixed to the housing and having a power circuit connected to a power source; a switch configured to turn the power circuit on or off; a button having one end inserted into the front surface through-hole and exposed to the outside of the front surface of the body and the other end connected to the switch; and a speaker fixed to the housing.

[0022] The speaker can be configured to generate an audio signal that indicates when the microphone begins recording.

[0023] The speaker can be configured to generate an audio signal indicating speech recognition failure when the speech recognition unit fails to convert sound waves into electrical signals.

[0024] The speaker can be configured to generate a sound signal indicating that the speech recognition has been completed when the speech recognition unit finishes converting the sound waves into electrical signals.

[0025] The housing may include: a base fixed to the front surface of the body; a receiving portion disposed in the base, forming a space for accommodating the power supply PCB and maintaining a gap between the base and the front surface of the body; a speaker PCB fixed to the base and located outside the receiving portion, and configured to allow the speaker to be fixed to the speaker PCB; and a communication unit disposed through the receiving portion, allowing sound signals emitted from the speaker to enter the receiving portion.

[0026] The receiving portion may include: a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being fixed to the base to form two sides of the housing; a third surface and a fourth surface, the third surface and the fourth surface being fixed to the base to form the upper surface and the lower surface of the housing; and an open surface facing the base, and the communicating unit may be disposed in at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface and the fourth surface.

[0027] Beneficial effects

[0028] This disclosure provides a clothing handling device that recognizes user voice as control commands.

[0029] This disclosure provides a garment processing device that recognizes user voice and operates according to control commands corresponding to the recognized voice. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate examples of the garment processing equipment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a door provided in this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 4 illustrates an example of a front panel installed in a door.

[0033] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate examples of a first panel installed in a door.

[0034] Figures 7 and 8 illustrate examples of the power controller and sound generator provided in this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configuration of the device or control method thereof described below is intended to assist in the implementation of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to denote the same or similar parts.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the clothing processing device 100 of this disclosure includes: a housing 1; an outer tub 2 disposed inside the housing to provide a space for storing water; and a roller 3 rotatably disposed inside the outer tub to provide a space for storing clothing.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 1 includes: a body 11 that provides space for accommodating the outer barrel 2 and has an open front surface; and a front surface 15 of the body that is fixed to the body to form the front surface of the housing.

[0038] The body 11 may be configured to include: a main body forming the left, rear and right sides of the housing; an upper surface 13 of the body fixed to the upper part of the main body to form the upper surface of the housing; and a lower surface of the body fixed to the main body to form the bottom surface of the housing.

[0039] The front surface 15 of the main body is provided with an inlet 151 that connects the inner side of the housing 1 to its outer side, wherein the inlet 151 is opened or closed by a door 5 that is rotatably connected to the housing 1.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the outer tank 2 includes an outer tank body 21, which is fixed to the housing 1 by an outer tank support 23. The outer tank body 21 is configured as a hollow cylindrical shape and provides space for storing water. The outer tank inlet 211 is provided on the front surface of the outer tank body 21. The outer tank inlet 211 and the inlet 151 are connected to each other by a gasket 25 configured as a cylindrical shape.

[0041] The outer tub support 23 may be provided with: a spring that fixes the upper region of the circumferential surface of the outer tub body 21 to the housing 1; and a damper that fixes the lower region of the circumferential surface of the outer tub body 21 to the housing.

[0042] The outer tub 2 is supplied with water through a water supply unit, and water inside the outer tub body 21 is discharged to the outside of the casing 1 through a discharge unit. The water supply unit may include: a water supply pipe 41 that connects the outer tub body 21 to a water source; and a water supply valve 43 that opens or closes the water supply pipe 41 according to a control signal from the controller 17. The discharge unit may include: a pump 47; a first discharge pipe 45 that guides water from the outer tub body 21 to the pump 47; and a second discharge pipe 49 that guides water discharged from the pump 47 to the outside of the casing.

[0043] The drum 3 includes a drum body 31 disposed inside the outer drum body 21. The drum body 31 may be configured as a hollow cylindrical shape, and the drum inlet 311 may be disposed on the front surface of the drum body. The drum inlet 311 is configured such that its center is located at the same height as the center of the outer drum inlet 211. Therefore, the user can put clothes into the drum body 31 by opening the door 5, or can take out clothes inside the drum body 31 to the outside of the casing 1.

[0044] The internal space of the roller body 31 is connected to the internal space of the outer barrel body 21 through the roller through hole 33. The roller through hole 33 can be configured as a hole passing through the circumferential surface of the roller body 31, a hole passing through the rear surface of the roller body 31, and a hole passing through the front surface of the roller body 31.

[0045] The drum body 31 is rotated by a drive unit controlled by the controller 17, and in FIG2, the drive unit may be configured to include: a stator 35, which is fixed to the rear surface of the outer drum body 21 to form a rotating magnetic field; a rotor 37, which is located outside the outer drum body 21 and rotates by the rotating magnetic field; and a rotating shaft 39, which is configured to pass through the rear surface of the outer drum body 21 and connect the drum body 31 to the rotor 37.

[0046] The garment processing apparatus 100 for washing clothes requires both an outer tub and a drum. However, if the garment processing apparatus 100 is only intended for drying clothes, the outer tub 2 can be omitted. That is, if the garment processing apparatus 100 is only intended for drying clothes, the garment processing apparatus 100 of this disclosure may include a housing, a drum disposed inside the housing, and a drive unit for rotating the drum. In this case, an air supply unit for supplying heated air to the drum 3 should be separately disposed inside the housing 1.

[0047] An air supply unit may include a supply duct for supplying air to the drum, an exhaust duct for discharging air from the drum to the outside of the drum, and a heater disposed in the supply duct. Alternatively, the air supply unit may be configured to include a circulation duct for resupplying air discharged from the drum back to the drum, and a heat exchanger for sequentially performing dehumidification and heating of the air entering the circulation duct.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the door 5 can be configured to include: frames 51 and 53, which are rotatably fixed to the housing 1 to open or close the entrance 151; and a front panel 55, which is fixed to the frames 51 and 53 and located on the front surface of the body. In this case, a voice recognition unit 71 for recognizing user-generated voice and transmitting control commands corresponding to the recognized voice to the controller 17 can be disposed between the frames 51 and 53 and the front panel 55.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, the through hole 551 can be provided on the front panel 55, and the voice recognition unit 71 can be provided as a microphone for converting sound waves entering the through hole 551 into electrical signals.

[0050] The through-hole 551 can be located in the area below the horizontal line H passing through the center of the front panel 55. The case where the through-hole 551 is located below the horizontal line H (in the case where the voice recognition unit is located below the door) is to prevent jitter based on the position of the voice recognition unit 71 and the position of the sound generator (described below). The sound generator is a device for generating an audio signal indicating the time when the voice recognition unit 71 begins recording, and it is located above the horizontal line H in the space provided by the front surface 15 of the body. Therefore, if the voice recognition unit 71 and the through-hole 551 are located above the horizontal line H, the distance between the sound generator 91 and the voice recognition unit 71 becomes shorter, which may generate jitter. On the other hand, if the voice recognition unit 71 and the through-hole 551 are located below the horizontal line H, the possibility of jitter occurring can be reduced.

[0051] At the same time, if the through-hole 551 is located below the horizontal line H rather than above it, the through-hole 551 can attract less attention from the user. Therefore, if the through-hole 551 is located in the area below the horizontal line H, the aesthetics of the garment handling device 100 can be improved.

[0052] To enhance voice recognition accuracy and minimize the risk of voice recognition failure due to microphone malfunction, the voice recognition unit 71 may be equipped with two or more microphones. If the voice recognition unit 71 is equipped with a first microphone and a second microphone, the through-hole 551 may be provided with a first through-hole 551a and a second through-hole 551b respectively located at points symmetrical about a vertical line V passing through the center of the front panel. The first microphone may be configured to convert sound waves entering the first through-hole 551a into electrical signals, and the second microphone may be configured to convert sound waves entering the second through-hole 551b into electrical signals.

[0053] As shown in Figure 3, the frame can be configured to include: a first frame 51, which is fixed to the housing 1 via a hinge 518 (see Figure 6); and a second frame 53, which is fixed to the first frame 51 to open or close the entrance 151. In this case, the front panel 55 can be fixed to the first frame 51, and the voice recognition unit 71 can be located between the first frame 51 and the front panel 55.

[0054] The door 5 may also include a window 57 that allows observation of the inner side of the roller body 31 from the outside of the housing 1 through the roller inlet 311. For this purpose, the first frame 51 may be provided with a first frame through hole 511 (see FIG. 5), and the second frame 53 may be provided with a second frame through hole (not shown), and the area of ​​the front panel 55 corresponding to the first frame through hole 511 (first transparent area) may be transparently provided.

[0055] Window 57 is configured as a cylindrical shape with an open surface, and one end can be fixed to the first frame 51 and the other end inserted into the through hole of the second frame. The open surface of the cylindrical shape should be fixed to the first frame 51 to surround the through hole 511 of the first frame.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, the first frame 51 is provided with an adhesive receiving portion 519, which is used to provide a receiving space for the adhesive used to fix the front panel 55 to the first frame 51. The adhesive receiving portion 519 may be configured as a groove provided along the edge of the first frame 51.

[0057] The first frame 51 may also be provided with a control panel mounting part 512, which is fixed to the control panel 6. The control panel mounting part 512 may be configured as a through hole passing through the first frame 51 or a groove formed when the surface of the first frame 51 is bent.

[0058] As shown in Figure 1, the control panel 6 includes: input units 63 and 65, into which control commands from the user are input; and a display unit 61, which displays the execution process of the control commands that the user can select and the control commands selected by the user. The input units may include: a first input unit 63, into which control commands are input; and a second input unit 65, into which the start signal or stop signal of the selected control command is input.

[0059] If the control panel 6 is located between the front panel 55 and the first frame 51, the front panel 55 should have a transparent area (second transparent area) for exposing the control panel 6 to the outside. The control panel 6 can be a touchscreen. In this case, the input unit can be an input panel located between the display unit 61 and the second transparent area, generating an electrical signal by sensing the static electricity of the user's body. The input panel should be made of a transparent panel.

[0060] To facilitate user input of control commands via the control panel 6, the control panel 6 is preferably located above a horizontal line H passing through the center of the front panel. Therefore, as shown in FIG5, the control panel mounting portion 512 is preferably located above the first frame through-hole 511.

[0061] The voice recognition unit 71 provided in this disclosure may be configured to include a recognition unit PCB 711, a first microphone 713 disposed in the recognition unit PCB, a second microphone 715 disposed in the recognition unit PCB, and an analyzer 719 that transmits electrical signals provided by the microphones 713 and 715 to the controller 17.

[0062] The identification unit PCB 711 is a circuit board that includes circuitry for powering microphones 713 and 715, as well as circuitry for allowing microphones 713 and 715 to communicate with controller 17. A first microphone 713 is fixed to the identification unit PCB 711 and located behind a first through-hole 551a, and a second microphone 715 is fixed to the identification unit PCB 711 and located behind a second through-hole 551b.

[0063] Figure 6 illustrates the rear surface of the first frame 51, wherein the analyzer 719 can be fixed to the rear surface of the first frame 51 and thus to the space formed between the first frame 51 and the second frame 53. The analyzer 719 converts electrical signals transmitted from each of the microphones 713 and 715 into text or code, and transmits the converted text or code to the controller 17.

[0064] The first frame 51 is provided with an analyzer placement section 516 for providing space for placing the analyzer 719, wherein the analyzer placement section 516 can be configured as a chamber that is shaped to accommodate the analyzer and has an open surface facing the second frame 53.

[0065] To facilitate easy assembly of the analyzer 719 into the first frame 51, the analyzer mounting portion 516 may be provided with a mounting protrusion 516a, and the analyzer 719 may be provided with a protrusion receiving portion (not shown) for insertion of the mounting protrusion 516a. The protrusion receiving portion may be provided as a hole through which the analyzer housing forms the appearance of the analyzer 719, or as a groove formed when the analyzer housing is bent.

[0066] Since door 5 is a device for opening or closing the outer tank inlet 211, it is difficult to rule out the possibility of water from the inside of the outer tank body 21 entering the space between frames 51 and 53. If water entering the space between the first frame 51 and the second frame 53 remains in the analyzer housing 516, a decrease in the durability of the analyzer 719 may occur. To solve this problem, the analyzer housing 516 may also be provided with a ventilation hole. The ventilation hole may be either a hole through the wall forming the analyzer housing 516 or a hole through the first frame 51 communicating with the analyzer housing 516.

[0067] The analyzer 719 is connected to the controller 17 via the identification unit wire 95 and the controller wire 993 (the second controller wire), and the identification unit PCB 711 is connected to the analyzer 719 via the connection wire 97.

[0068] To facilitate connection between the identification unit cable 95 and the controller second cable 903, the identification unit cable connector 951 can be located at the free end of the identification unit cable 95, and the controller second connector 994 can be located at the free end of the controller second cable 993. The identification unit cable connector 951 can be detachably connected to the controller second connector 994.

[0069] As shown in Figure 5, the connecting wire connector 971 can be disposed at the free end of the connecting wire 97, and the connector 717 that can be detachably connected to the connecting wire connector 971 can be disposed in the identification unit PCB 711.

[0070] The aforementioned voice recognition unit 71 can be fixed to the PCB mounting portion 514 disposed in the first frame 51. The PCB mounting portion 514 is a means for providing space to accommodate the recognition unit PCB 711, and can be configured as a groove formed when a surface of the first frame 51 facing the front panel 55 (the front surface of the first frame) is bent in a direction away from the front panel 55.

[0071] The PCB mounting section 514 is provided with a connector through-hole 514a, which is configured to pass through the first frame 51 and allow the connector 717 to be inserted therein. Therefore, the connecting wire connector 971 can be connected to the connector 717 through the connector through-hole 514a.

[0072] Additionally, the PCB mounting section 514 may be provided with: a first insertion hole 514b, which is configured to pass through the first frame 51 and allow the first microphone 713 to be inserted therein; and a second insertion hole 514c, which is configured to pass through the first frame 51 and allow the second microphone 715 to be inserted therein.

[0073] The depth of the PCB mounting portion 514 can be set to be equal to or less than the thickness of the identification unit PCB 711. If the depth of the PCB mounting portion 514 is set to be less than the thickness of the identification unit PCB 711, then in this disclosure, the identification unit PCB 711 can be fixed to the PCB mounting portion 514 without even the need for fastening devices such as bolts or adhesives. Since the front panel 55 is fixed to the first frame 51 by adhesive, if the front panel 55 only needs to be fixed to the first frame 51, the identification unit PCB 711 can be pressed towards the PCB mounting portion 514 under the action of the front panel 55.

[0074] As shown in Figure 6, a first guide 515 providing space for accommodating the connecting wire 97 and a second guide 517 providing space for accommodating the identification unit wire 95 may be further disposed on the rear surface of the first frame 51. The first guide 515 and the second guide 517 are means to prevent the connecting wire 97 and the identification unit wire 95 from being damaged by the second frame 53 when the second frame 53 is connected to the first frame 51.

[0075] The first guide 515 may be configured as a groove extending from the connector through hole 514a toward the analyzer mounting portion 516, and the second guide 517 may be configured as a groove extending from the hinge 518 toward the analyzer mounting portion 516.

[0076] The aforementioned control panel 6 can be connected to the controller 17 via panel cable 93. Panel cable 93 is connected to controller cable 991 (controller first cable) which is connected to controller 17. To facilitate connection between panel cable 93 and controller first cable 991, panel cable connector 931 can be provided at the free end of panel cable 93, and controller first connector 992 can be provided at the free end of controller first cable 991. Panel cable connector 931 is detachably connected to controller first connector 992.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, the garment processing equipment 100 of this disclosure is equipped with a power controller 8. The power controller 8 is a device for controlling the power supply to loads (controllers, water supply valves, pumps, stators, control panels, etc.) that operate when powered on.

[0078] The power controller 8 includes: a bracket 81 fixed to the front surface 15 of the body; a housing 83 fixed to the bracket; and a power PCB 87 having power circuitry and fixed to the housing 83.

[0079] As shown in Figure 8, a first curved portion 154 that bends toward the body 11 of the housing and a second curved portion 155 that bends from the first curved portion 154 and is fixed to the body 11 are provided at the edge of the front surface 15 of the body.

[0080] The bracket 81 can be fixed to the front surface 15 of the body via the second bend 155. That is, the second bend 155 is provided with a bend through hole 156 that is configured to pass through the second bend, and the bracket 81 can be provided with a bracket protrusion 811 that is detachably connected to the bend through hole 156.

[0081] The housing 83 is fixed to the bracket 81 and thus located inside the housing 1. For example, Figure 8 illustrates that the housing 83 is located in the space formed between the bracket 81 and the front surface 15 of the body (the space formed by the first bend).

[0082] The housing 83 can be configured in any shape as long as an open cavity is formed on the surface facing the front surface 15 of the body. The housing 83 can be fixed to the bracket 81 by means of a fixing plate 831 and bolts 831a. The fixing plate 831 can be configured as a plate that protrudes from the housing 83 and is provided with a fixing plate through hole for inserting the bolts 831a, and the bracket 81 can be provided with a bracket through hole for fixing the bolts 831a.

[0083] As shown in Figure 7, the housing 83 may be configured to include: a base 832, which is fixed to the bracket 81 by a fixing plate 831; and receiving portions 833, 834, 835 and 836, which are disposed in the base 832 to accommodate the space of the power supply PCB 87, maintaining the distance between the base 832 and the front surface 15 of the body.

[0084] The receiving portion may be configured to include: a first surface and second surfaces 833 and 834, disposed on the left and right sides of the base 832, forming both sides of the housing; and a third surface and fourth surfaces 835 and 836, disposed on the upper and lower sides of the base 832, forming the upper and lower surfaces of the housing. In this case, an open surface may be formed on the surface facing the base 832.

[0085] The power supply PCB 87 is a circuit board with a power supply circuit connected to a power source, and is fixed to the base 832 and located inside the receiving portion. The power supply PCB 87 is provided with a switch 871 to turn the power supply circuit on or off, wherein the switch 871 is operated by a button 873. The upper surface of the power supply PCB 87 may be coated with an insulating material to prevent the power supply PCB 87 from contacting liquids such as water.

[0086] The housing 1 is provided with a front surface through hole 152 passing through the front surface 15 of the main body, wherein the front surface through hole 152 should be configured to communicate with the space formed by the receiving portions 833, 834, 835 and 836. That is, the point where the front surface through hole 152 protrudes into the housing 83 should be configured to be located inside the space formed by the receiving portions 833, 834, 835 and 836.

[0087] Button 873 is configured such that one end is inserted into the front surface through-hole 152 and exposed to the outside of the housing, and the other end is connected to switch 871. Switch 871 can be configured to repeatedly turn the power circuit on and off whenever an external force is applied via button 873. In this case, if the user presses button 873 once, the power circuit will close (power will be supplied to the load), and if the user presses button 873 again, the power circuit will open (power will be interrupted to the load).

[0088] The garment processing apparatus disclosed herein may further include a sound generator 91 that generates an audio signal indicating the start time of recording by microphones 713 and 715 of the voice recognition unit 71. The sound generator 91 may be configured to include a speaker PCB 911 fixed to the housing 83 and a speaker 913 fixed to the speaker PCB.

[0089] The speaker PCB 911 is a circuit board that includes circuitry for supplying power to the speaker 913 and circuitry for enabling communication between the speaker 913 and the controller 17. The speaker PCB 911 is fixed to the housing 83 by a support 85.

[0090] The support member 85 can be fixed to any of the four surfaces 833, 834, 835, and 836 forming the receiving portion. For example, Figure 7 illustrates that the support member 85 is disposed on the fourth surface 836. In this case, the speaker PCB 811 will be located outside the receiving portions 833, 834, 835, and 836. The support member 85 can be provided with a support plate 851 fixed to the fourth surface 836 and a fastening protrusion 853 disposed on the support plate. The fastening protrusion 853 can be disposed on either the left or right side of the support plate 851 and inserted into a PCB through-hole configured to pass through the speaker PCB 911.

[0091] Meanwhile, if the speaker 913 is located outside the housing portions 833, 834, 835, and 836, the sound signal generated by the speaker 913 may not be transmitted to the outside of the housing 1. To solve this problem, the communication unit 837 can be further configured to allow the sound signal generated by the speaker 913 to enter the housing portions 833, 834, 835, and 836 by communicating the inside and outside of the housing portions 833, 834, 835, and 836. For example, Figure 7 illustrates that the communication unit 837 is disposed on the fourth surface 836.

[0092] The sound signal generated by the speaker 913 can enter the receiving portions 833, 834, 835, and 836 through the communication unit 837, and the sound signal entering the receiving portions 833, 834, 835, and 836 can be discharged to the outside of the housing 1 through the space formed between the through hole 152 on the front surface and the circumferential surface of the button 873. Therefore, this disclosure can transmit the sound signal discharged from the speaker 913 to the outside of the housing 1 without even forming a separate hole for discharging the sound signal on the front surface 15 of the body.

[0093] Unlike the previous description, speaker PCB 911 and speaker 913 can be fixed into receiving portions 833, 834, 835 and 836. In this case, the communication unit 837 can be omitted.

[0094] Since the speaker 913 is located above the horizontal line H that passes through the center of the front panel in the space provided by the front surface 15 of the body, the jitter generated can be minimized when the distance between the speaker 913 and the microphones 713 and 715 is short.

[0095] The speaker 913 can be configured to generate an audio signal indicating voice recognition failure when the voice recognition unit 71 has not converted the sound waves into an electrical signal. This is to guide the user to input control commands again by voice when voice recognition fails. Furthermore, the speaker 913 can be configured to generate an audio signal indicating that voice recognition has been completed when the voice recognition unit 71 has finished converting the sound waves into an electrical signal.

[0096] Although not shown, the speech recognition unit provided in this disclosure may also include a server located outside the housing 1 and a communication unit 19 (see FIG. 2) that allows the server to communicate with the analyzer 719. In this case, sound waves received by microphones 713 and 715 are transmitted to the analyzer 719, which transmits the sound waves to the server via the communication unit 19. The server converts the received sound waves into text or code and then transmits the converted text or code to the controller 17 via the communication unit 19.

[0097] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this specification may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of this specification. Therefore, the above embodiments should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive in all respects. The scope of this specification should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications falling within the equivalent scope of this specification are included within its scope.

Claims

1. A garment processing device, the garment processing device comprising: The housing (1) includes a front body surface (15) forming a front surface and an inlet (151) configured to pass through the front body surface (15). Door (5), the door comprising: a frame (51, 53) rotatably fixed to the housing, for opening or closing the inlet (151); a front panel (55) fixed to the frame and located on the front surface (15) of the body; and a through hole (551) configured to pass through the front panel (55); a roller (3) comprising a roller body (31) disposed inside the housing for storing clothing and a roller inlet (311) configured to pass through the roller body (31) and communicate with the inlet (151); a front surface through hole (152) configured to pass through the front surface (15) of the body and located in the area above a horizontal line (H) passing through the center of the front panel (55); and a switch (871) located inside the housing and configured to... The power circuit is set to turn on or off; a button (873) having one end inserted into the front surface through hole (152) and exposed to the outside of the front surface (15) of the body and the other end connected to the switch (871); a sound generator (91) disposed inside the housing (1) and in the area above the horizontal line (H); and a voice recognition unit (71) disposed in the door (5) and in the area below the horizontal line (H), which recognizes voice generated by the user and transmits control commands corresponding to the recognized voice to the controller (17), characterized in that the sound signal from the sound generator (91) is discharged to the outside of the housing (1) via the space formed between the front surface through hole (152) and the button (873).

2. The garment processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein, The voice recognition unit (71) includes a microphone located between the front panel (55) and the frame (51, 53) to convert sound waves entering the through hole (551) into electrical signals, and the through hole (551) is located in the area below the horizontal line (H) passing through the center of the front panel (55).

3. The garment processing equipment according to claim 2, wherein, The sound generator (91) includes a speaker PCB (911) and a speaker (913) fixed to the speaker PCB (911).

4. The garment processing device according to claim 3, further comprising: A housing (83), which is fixed to the front surface (15) of the body and located in the housing (1), having an open surface facing the front surface (15) of the body; and a power PCB (87), which is provided with the power circuit, wherein the power PCB (87) and the speaker PCB (911) are fixed to the housing (83).

5. The garment processing equipment according to claim 3, wherein, The speaker (913) generates an audio signal indicating the time when the voice recognition unit (71) begins recording.

6. The garment processing equipment according to claim 3, wherein, The speaker (913) generates an audio signal indicating that speech recognition has failed when the speech recognition unit (71) fails to convert the sound waves into electrical signals.

7. The garment processing equipment according to claim 4, wherein, The housing (83) includes: a base (832) fixed to the front surface (15) of the body; a receiving portion disposed in the base (832) to form a space for receiving the power supply PCB (87) and to maintain a gap between the base (832) and the front surface (15) of the body; a support (85) fixed to the base (832) and located outside the receiving portion, and configured to provide space for fixing the speaker PCB (911); and a communication unit (837) disposed through the receiving portion to allow sound signals emitted from the speaker (913) to enter the receiving portion.

8. The garment processing equipment according to claim 7, wherein, The receiving portion includes: a first surface (833) and a second surface (834), the first surface (833) and the second surface (834) being fixed to the base (832) to form both sides of the housing (83); a third surface (835) and a fourth surface (836), the third surface (835) and the fourth surface (836) being fixed to the base (832) to form the upper surface and the lower surface of the housing (83); and an open surface facing the base, and the communicating unit (837) is disposed in at least one of the first surface (833), the second surface (834), the third surface (835) and the fourth surface (836).

Citation Information

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