Clothes treating apparatus

Abstract

A garment treating apparatus is disclosed. A laundry treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet, a laundry receiving portion, and a door, in which the door includes: a door base having a rear end rotatably coupled to an upper surface portion and configured to rotate into either an open state or a closed state of a laundry input port; a door panel coupled to an upper surface of the door base; and a grip member coupled to a front end of the door base and positioned below the door panel, in which the grip member includes a grip upper surface facing a lower surface of the door panel and a support rib protruding upward from the grip upper surface, and the door panel is spaced upward from the grip upper surface and supported by the support rib.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus, and more particularly, to a laundry treating apparatus including a door that opens and closes a laundry inlet. Background Art

[0002] The laundry processing device is a device for processing laundry (such as clothes and bedding) put into a drum. For example, the laundry processing device can perform various processing processes of the laundry, such as washing and drying.

[0003] A laundry treatment device for performing a laundry washing process may perform processes such as washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and drying. The laundry treatment device may include a cabinet forming its exterior, a tub disposed inside the cabinet, and a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and accommodating laundry therein.

[0004] When the drum is rotated by the motor while water is stored in the tub and wash water is supplied to laundry contained in the drum, contaminants may be removed from the laundry by friction between the drum and the wash water.

[0005] In one example, clothes treating apparatuses may be classified into a front loading type and a top loading type based on a scheme of putting clothes into a drum.

[0006] In the front loading type, the clothing inlet defined in the cabinet can face the front where the user can be located, and the barrel and the drum can also be opened forward so that the clothing inserted through the clothing inlet can be accommodated in the drum, and the drum can rotate around a rotation axis extending generally in the front-to-rear direction.

[0007] In the top loading type, the clothing inlet defined in the cabinet can be defined in the top surface facing the ceiling, and the barrel and the drum can also be opened upward so that the clothing inserted through the clothing inlet can be accommodated in the drum, and the drum can rotate around a rotation axis extending roughly in the height direction of the cabinet.

[0008] Related document KR 10-2014-0038252A1 discloses a top-loading type laundry treating apparatus having a laundry inlet defined in a top surface of a cabinet and a door for opening and closing the laundry inlet on the top surface.

[0009] In one example, the door can be configured to pivot when a user lifts its front end while its rear end is pivotally coupled to the cabinet. For example, a user can hold the front end of the door and lift it to open the laundry entrance and insert laundry, then hold the front end of the door again and lower it to close the laundry entrance.

[0010] However, the door may include various components such as panels and may be subject to deformation, such as when a user holds the front end of the door and applies force upward or downward or due to vibration caused by the rotation of the drum, which temporarily increases the gap between the components.

[0011] Deformation may cause noise in the door or reduce structural stability and may cause discomfort to the user.

[0012] Therefore, even when a user applies force to the door to pivot the door or vibration caused by the rotation of the drum is transmitted to the door, suppressing changes in gaps between components constituting the door to reduce noise generation, etc. is an important task in this technical field. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Technical issues

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a clothes treating apparatus having a gripping portion on a door that a user may grip.

[0015] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a clothes treating apparatus that can suppress noise from occurring at a grip portion of a door.

[0016] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a clothes treating apparatus that can suppress the generation of gaps between components of a door.

[0017] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a clothes treating apparatus having improved structural stability when components of a door are stably coupled to each other.

[0018] Technical Solution

[0019] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the door handle may have ribs formed thereon to support the door glass. One or more ribs may protrude toward the glass on the seating surface of the door handle, thereby supporting the door glass, which is seated on the seating surface.

[0020] The rib may extend from a step formed on the front surface of the door handle toward the rear surface. One or more ribs may be formed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the width direction of the door handle. The door handle may be formed so that the length in the front-to-rear direction becomes smaller from the center to the side, and the length of the rib formed at the center may be smaller than the length of the center of the door handle.

[0021] The clothes treating apparatus according to this embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet, a clothes receiving portion, and a door.

[0022] The cabinet includes a top surface defining a laundry inlet. A laundry receiving portion is disposed inside the cabinet and configured to receive laundry introduced through the laundry inlet. A door is disposed on the top surface and opens and closes the laundry inlet.

[0023] The door may include a door base, a door panel, and a gripping member. The door base may have a rear end pivotally coupled to the top surface and may pivot to be in one of an open state and a closed state of the laundry inlet.

[0024] The door panel may be coupled to a top surface of the door base. A gripping member may be coupled to a front end of the door base and may be positioned below the door panel.

[0025] The gripping member includes a gripping top surface and a support rib. The gripping top surface faces the bottom surface of the door panel. The support rib protrudes upward from the gripping top surface. The door panel is upwardly spaced from the gripping top surface and supported by the support rib.

[0026] The gripping member may extend along the width direction of the cabinet, and the door panel may have a front end supported by a support rib. The support rib may extend rearward from the front end of the gripping member and may include a plurality of support ribs spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the cabinet.

[0027] One of the plurality of support ribs may have a length extending rearward from a front end of the grip member that is different from a length of another support rib.The plurality of support ribs may include a first support rib and a second support rib.

[0028] The first support rib may extend rearwardly from the front end of the gripping member by a first length.The second support rib may extend rearwardly from the front end of the gripping member by a second length greater than the first length.

[0029] The second support rib may be located farther from a center of the grip member than the first support rib based on the width direction.The second support rib may include a plurality of second support ribs respectively provided on both sides of the first support rib in the width direction.

[0030] The front end of the gripping member may include a front limiting portion positioned in front of the door panel and configured to limit forward movement of the door panel. The front limiting portion may protrude upward from the gripping top surface and support the front end of the door panel rearward.

[0031] The support rib may extend rearward from the front limiting portion.The gripping top surface may include a first top surface and a second top surface positioned rearward of the first top surface, and the second top surface may be formed in a stepped manner so as to be positioned lower than the first top surface.

[0032] The plurality of support ribs may include a first support rib having a rear end positioned on the first top surface and a second support rib having a rear end positioned on the second top surface.

[0033] The first support rib may extend from the front limiting portion to the rear end of the first top surface, and the second support rib may extend from the front limiting portion to the rear end of the second top surface.

[0034] The second supporting rib may include a pair of second supporting ribs, the first supporting rib may be provided on the first top surface between the pair of second supporting ribs, and a grip coupling portion coupled with the door base may be defined in the second top surface.

[0035] The front limiting portion may have a curved shape, with both ends of the curved shape positioned rearward of the center based on the width direction of the cabinet, the second support rib may include a plurality of second support ribs spaced apart from each other along the width direction, and the extension length of the second support rib may decrease in a direction away from the center of the front limiting portion.

[0036] The door base may include a door opening facing the laundry inlet, and the door panel may include a light-transmitting portion covering the door opening and allowing light to pass therethrough.

[0037] The door base may include a door opening facing the laundry inlet, and an upwardly open base space may be defined in at least a portion of a periphery around the door opening.

[0038] The gripping member may cover at least a portion of the base space.The gripping member may cover a front portion of the base space located in front of the door opening.

[0039] The door may further include a side member covering a side portion of the base space on each of both sides of the door opening.

[0040] The door base may include a lower protrusion protruding toward the grip member in the base space, and the grip member may include an upper protrusion protruding toward and coupled to the lower protrusion.

[0041] The lower protrusion may include a first lower protrusion and a second lower protrusion positioned rearward of the first lower protrusion, and the upper protrusion may include a first upper protrusion contacting the first lower protrusion and a second upper protrusion positioned rearward of the first upper protrusion and contacting the second lower protrusion.

[0042] The front end of the door base may be recessed rearwardly below the gripping member to define a gripping space for a user to grip. The front end of the door base may include a gripping bottom surface that is spaced downwardly from the front end of the gripping member and protrudes forward to define a gripping space between the gripping bottom surface and the gripping member for the user to grip together with the gripping member.

[0043] Beneficial effects

[0044] Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a clothes treating apparatus having a gripping portion on a door that a user may grip.

[0045] Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a clothes treating apparatus that can suppress noise occurring at a grip portion of a door.

[0046] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a clothes treating apparatus that can suppress generation of gaps between components of a door.

[0047] In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a clothes treating apparatus having improved structural stability when components of a door are stably coupled to each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a top surface of a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a top surface of a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a door in a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating a door in a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 7 is a side view illustrating a door in a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a door panel covering a door opening of a door base in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of a door in a clothes treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 10 It is a perspective view showing a grip member of a door in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] Figure 11 is a top view showing a grip member of a door in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 12 It is along Figure 11A cross-sectional view of the gripping member taken along line AA in FIG.

[0060] Figure 13 It is along Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the gripping member taken along line BB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail so as to be easily practiced by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0062] However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and may not be limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly illustrate the present disclosure in the drawings, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are given similar reference numerals throughout this document.

[0063] In this document, redundant descriptions of the same components are omitted.

[0064] Furthermore, in this document, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” to another element, the element can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may be present. Conversely, in this document, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0065] Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

[0066] Furthermore, in this document, a singular expression may include a plural expression unless it indicates a meaning clearly different from the context.

[0067] In addition, terms such as “including” or “having” used herein are intended to indicate the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof used in the following description, and therefore it should be understood that the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more different features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof is not excluded.

[0068] In addition, in this document, the term "and / or" includes a plurality of listed items or a combination of any of the plurality of listed items. In this document, "A or B" may include "A", "B" or "both A and B".

[0069] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows an outer appearance of a laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet 10 .

[0070] The cabinet 10 may form an exterior of the clothes treating apparatus 1 and may have a space defined therein for embedding components such as the tub 20 and the drum 30. The cabinet 10 may include a top surface 11 in which a clothes inlet 12 is defined.

[0071] Specifically, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet 10 may include a body 15 and a top surface 11. The body 15 may be formed in a box shape with an open top surface, and may include the drum 30 and the tub 20 therein.

[0072] The top surface 11 may be provided at an upper portion of the body 15. The top surface 11 may be provided to cover an open top surface of the body 15, and may form an exterior appearance of the clothes treating apparatus 1 together with the body 15.

[0073] The top surface 11 may form a top surface of the laundry treating apparatus 1 and may include a laundry inlet 12. The laundry inlet 12 may be an opening allowing the inside and outside of the cabinet 10 to communicate with each other, and a user may put laundry into the cabinet 10 via the laundry inlet 12.

[0074] The laundry inlet 12 may be defined in a top surface of the cabinet 10 defined by the top surface 11. That is, the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a top loading type in which the laundry inlet 12 is defined in the top surface and the rotation axis of the drum 30 is substantially perpendicular to the ground.

[0075] In addition to the clothes inlet 12, the top surface 11 may further include a control panel 13 and / or a rear portion 14. For example, the control panel 13 may be located in front of the clothes inlet 12 on the top surface 11, and the rear portion 14 may be located at the rear of the clothes inlet 12.

[0076] However, the position of the control panel 13 may not necessarily be limited to the position in front of the laundry inlet 12 , and when the control panel 13 is positioned at the rear of the laundry inlet 12 , the front may be defined in front of the laundry inlet 12 .

[0077] The control panel 13 may be configured to provide information to the user or receive commands from the user. For example, the control panel 13 may include an output unit that can output various information such as images and sounds, and an input unit that can receive user commands in various ways, such as a touch panel, mechanical buttons, touch-type buttons, and a microphone.

[0078] The rear portion 14 may cover various components provided at the rear side of the top surface 11. For example, a rear space in which various components are embedded may be defined at the rear side of the top surface 11, and the rear portion 14 may be coupled to the rear side of the top surface 11 to shield the rear space.

[0079] In one example, the door 100 may be provided on the top surface 11. The door 100 may be pivotally coupled to the top surface 11 and may open and close the laundry inlet 12. The door 100 may be pivoted to be in an open state pivoted away from the laundry inlet 12 or in a closed state pivoted to be in close contact with the laundry inlet 12.

[0080] The door 100 may be disposed between the control panel 13 and the rear portion 14 , a rear end 220 thereof may be pivotably coupled to the top surface 11 , and a front end thereof may be pivoted to move away from or closer to the laundry inlet 12 .

[0081] Figure 2 FIG. 1 shows the interior of the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 , an internal configuration of the clothes treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described as follows.

[0082] The tub 20 may have a cylindrical shape with a space defined therein. The tub 20 may contain water therein and may include a tub inlet 25 open toward the laundry inlet 12 defined in a top surface thereof.

[0083] The laundry put into the cabinet 10 via the laundry inlet 12 can be moved into the tub 20 via the tub inlet 25. The tub 20 can be fixed in place inside the cabinet 10 via the tub support 80.

[0084] However, the tub support 80 may include an elastic body to reduce the transmission of vibration from the tub 20 to the cabinet 10, such as a suspension. Due to the tub support 80, the tub 20 can be positioned without contacting the cabinet 10 and can be formed in a suspended form via the tub support 80.

[0085] The drum 30 may be provided inside the tub 20. The drum 30 may have a cylindrical shape defining a space therein, and may have a drum inlet 35 opened toward the tub inlet 25 and the laundry inlet 12 in a top surface thereof.

[0086] The laundry put in through the laundry inlet 12 can pass through the tub inlet 25 and the drum inlet 35 and be accommodated in the drum 30. A plurality of holes can be defined in the circumferential surface of the drum 30, so that the water stored in the tub 20 can be shared within the drum 30 and provided to the laundry. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drum 30 can be referred to as a laundry accommodation portion because it accommodates the laundry therein.

[0087] The drum 30 may be rotatably provided within the tub 20. The drum 30 may be connected to the driver 70 via a driving shaft, and a driving force of the driver 70 may be transmitted to rotate the drum 30.

[0088] The driver 70 may be provided outside and below the tub 20 and connected to the drum 30. The driver 70 may include a motor generating a driving force and a transmission device connected to the motor and regulating a rotational force.

[0089] A drive shaft may connect the driver 70 with the drum 30, and embodiments of the present disclosure may be of the top loading type, where the drive shaft is generally perpendicular to the ground.

[0090] The water supplier 40 may be connected to an external water supply source provided outside the cabinet 10 and supplying water. The water supplier 40 may supply water delivered from the external water supply source to the detergent unit 50 and / or the tub 20. The water supplier 40 may be provided on the top surface 11 or the body 15 described above.

[0091] The detergent unit 50 may store detergent supplied by the user. The detergent unit 50 may supply the detergent stored by the user to the tub 20 together with water or separately during the washing process of the laundry. The detergent unit 50 may be provided on the top surface 11 described above.

[0092] The drain device 60 may be connected to the tub 20 and selectively drain water stored in the tub 20 to the outside of the cabinet 10. The drain device 60 may include a drain pipe connected to the tub 20 and a drain pump provided on the drain pipe.

[0093] Figure 3 shows a top surface 11 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of the top surface 11 is shown.

[0094] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The top surface 11 may define the top surface of the cabinet 10 as described above, and may include a control panel 13, a door 100, a rear portion 14, and the like.

[0095] Specifically, the top surface 11 may include a top surface base 1100 coupled with the body 15 of the cabinet 10, and the top surface base 1100 may form the body of the top surface 11. The control panel 13, the door 100, the rear portion 14, etc. may be coupled to the top surface base 1100.

[0096] The top surface base 1100 may include a receiving portion formed below the control panel 13. The receiving portion may receive therein various electrical components provided on the control panel 13, and the control panel 13 may be coupled to the top surface base 1100 to shield the receiving portion.

[0097] The top surface base 1100 may include a rear space defined below the rear portion 14. Various components such as the above-described detergent unit 50 may be accommodated in the rear space, and the rear portion 14 may be coupled to the top surface base 1100 to shield the rear space.

[0098] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the door 100 of the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 6 A top view of door 100 is shown.

[0099] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the door 100 may be provided on the top surface 11 as described above to open and close the laundry inlet 12. The rear end of the door 100 may be pivotally coupled to the top surface 11, and thus, the front end of the door 100 may be pivoted to move away from or close to the top surface 11.

[0100] The door 100 may include various components. The door 100 may include a door base 200 forming the main body of the door 100. The door base 200 may have a rear end 220 pivotally coupled to the top surface 11. A door panel 300 for forming the exterior of the door 100 may be provided on the top surface of the door base 200, and a grip member 400, side members 500, etc. may be provided around the perimeter of the door base 200.

[0101] Figure 7 A side view of the door 100 is shown. Figure 7 As described above, the rear end 220 of the door base 200 may be pivotably coupled to the top surface base 1100 of the top surface 11 or the like, and the front end 210 thereof may include a grip portion 260 for a user to grip.

[0102] Specifically, except when laundry is added, the door 100 may be pivoted to be in close contact with the top surface 11 and maintained in a closed state. However, the user may pivot the door 100 to add laundry or take out laundry.

[0103] In this regard, the user may grasp and lift the front end 210 of the door base 200, which faces the user and is located on the opposite side of the pivot axis in the door 100. The door 100 may include a grip portion 260 formed to be easily grasped by the user.

[0104] The gripping portion 260 may include a gripping space 262 recessed rearward from the front end 210 of the door base 200 , and may include at least a portion of the gripping member 400 disposed on the gripping space 262 .

[0105] The gripping space 262 may be defined by being recessed rearward at a position below the gripping member 400. Therefore, the user may conveniently pivot the front end 210 of the door base 200 by inserting a finger or the like into the gripping space 262 and lifting the front end 430 of the gripping member 400 upward.

[0106] The front end 430 of the door base 200 may include a gripping bottom surface 264 spaced downward from the front end of the gripping member 400 and protruding forward to define a gripping space 262 therebetween for a user to grip.

[0107] Specifically, the front end 210 of the door base 200 may include a gripping bottom surface 264 that is positioned below the gripping space 262 and protrudes forward. The user can lift the front end 210 of the door base 200 by inserting a finger between the front end 430 of the grip member 400 and the gripping bottom surface 264.

[0108] Figure 8 A door panel 300 is shown having a front end 310 supported by a grip panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] Specifically, the door base 200 may include a door opening 230 facing the laundry inlet 12. The door opening 230 may at least partially overlap with the laundry inlet 12 and may be opened upward.

[0110] The door panel 300 may be coupled to the top surface of the door base 200 and shield the door opening 230. The door panel 300 may include a light-transmitting portion that covers the door opening 230 and allows light to pass therethrough.

[0111] For example, the door panel 300 may be configured such that at least a portion of the area overlapping the door opening 230 allows light to pass therethrough, allowing a user to visually inspect the laundry contained in the cabinet 10 (e.g., in the drum 30) even when the door 100 is closed.

[0112] The door panel 300 may include a panel made of a material such as glass or plastic and having light-transmitting properties, and the remaining area except the light-transmitting portion may be printed on the panel to have a non-light-transmitting property, or an opaque film may be attached to the remaining area except the light-transmitting portion to have a non-light-transmitting property. However, the entire door panel 300 may have light-transmitting properties.

[0113] In one example, the gripping member 400 may be provided at the front end 210 of the door base 200 as described above to form a portion of the gripping portion 260. Additionally, the gripping member 400 may be provided below the front end 310 of the door panel 300 to support the front end 310 of the door panel 300.

[0114] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gripping member 400 may extend along the width direction Y of the cabinet 10 and may include a support rib 420 protruding upward. The front end 310 of the door panel 300 may be supported by the support rib 420.

[0115] In addition, the front end of the grip member 400 may include a front limiting portion 435 protruding upward to rearwardly support the front end of the door panel 300. The front limiting portion 435 will be described in detail later.

[0116] Figure 9 1. An exploded perspective view of the door 100 is shown. The door 100 may include the aforementioned door base 200, the door panel 300, and the gripping member 400.

[0117] The door base 200 may have a rear end 220 pivotally coupled to the top surface 11 and thus may pivot to either open or close the laundry inlet 12. The door panel 300 may be coupled to the top surface of the door base 200 and shield the door opening 230.

[0118] The grip member 400 may be coupled to the front end 210 of the door base 200 and may be positioned below the door panel 300. Here, the front end 210 of the door base 200 may be defined as including at least a region where the grip member 400 is located.

[0119] The door base 200 may include a door opening 230 facing the laundry inlet 12 , and a base space 240 opened upward may be defined in at least a portion of a periphery around the door opening 230 .

[0120] The base space 240 may reduce the load of the door base 200 by defining a space inside the door base 200 , and may provide a space in which components for coupling the grip member 400 and the like may be disposed.

[0121] The grip member 400 may cover at least a portion of the base space 240. For example, the grip member 400 may cover a front portion 241 of the base space 240 located in front of the door opening 230.

[0122] In one example, the door 100 may further include a side member 500. The side member 500 may cover the side portions 243 positioned on both sides of the door opening 230 in the base space 240.

[0123] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the door base 200 may have a base space 240 defined in front of and beside the door opening 230. That is, the base space 240 may include a front portion 241 positioned in front of the door opening 230 and side portions 243 positioned on both sides of the door opening 230 in the periphery of the door opening 230.

[0124] The front portion 241 may be shielded by the grip member 400, and the side portion 243 may be shielded by the side member 500. The side member 500 may be at least partially disposed toward the outside of the door panel 300 to form a portion of the exterior appearance of the door 100.

[0125] Figure 10 1 shows a gripping member 400 of the laundry treating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10 , the gripping member 400 may include a gripping top surface 410 and support ribs 420 .

[0126] The grip top surface 410 may be positioned to face the bottom surface of the door panel 300 as the top surface of the grip member 400. That is, the grip top surface 410 may be shielded from the outside by the front end 310 of the door panel 300.

[0127] The support rib 420 may protrude upward from the grip top surface 410. The upper end of the support rib 420 may contact the bottom surface of the door panel 300 and may upwardly support the door panel 300. Therefore, the door panel 300 may be upwardly spaced apart from the grip top surface 410 and supported by the support rib 420.

[0128] As described above, the gripping member 400 may form the gripping portion 260 for the user to grip. Therefore, the user may apply force to the gripping member 400 and pivot the door 100.

[0129] In one example, the grip member 400 may be coupled to the front end 210 of the door base 200 and may support the front end 310 of the door panel 300. When there is a gap between the grip member 400 and the bottom surface of the door panel 300, noise caused by impact or friction between components may occur due to increase and recovery of the gap when a user applies force to the grip member 400.

[0130] In addition, the gap between the gripping member 400 and the door panel 300 may also create a gap in the connection structure between the gripping member 400 and the door base 200, and therefore, during the process of the user applying force to the gripping member 400 for pivoting the door 100, the gripping member 400 may produce noise, which may cause inconvenience in use.

[0131] The embodiment of the present disclosure supports the bottom surface of the door panel 300 via the support ribs 420 instead of the gripping top surface 410 of the gripping member 400, thereby realizing a line support or point support structure instead of a surface support structure of the door panel 300. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the gap between the gripping member 400 and the door panel 300, thereby suppressing an increase in the gap or the occurrence of noise caused thereby.

[0132] Figure 111 shows a top view of a gripping member 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 The support rib 420 may extend rearward from the front end 430 of the grip member 400 and may include a plurality of support ribs spaced apart from each other along the width direction Y of the cabinet 10 .

[0133] Specifically, the support rib 420 may extend in a direction intersecting the width direction Y of the cabinet 10 . For example, the support rib 420 may extend rearward from the front end 430 of the grip member 400 .

[0134] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the support rib 420 may extend along the front-rear direction X of the cabinet 10 to stably support the front end 310 of the door panel 300 .

[0135] In one example, one of the plurality of support ribs 420 may have a length extending rearward from the front end 430 of the gripping member 400 that is different from a length of another support rib. Thus, a composite support structure of the door panel 300 may be formed, and formability of the gripping member 400 may be improved.

[0136] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of support ribs 420 spaced apart from each other along the width direction Y may include a first support rib 421 and a second support rib 422. The first support rib 421 may extend rearward from the front end 430 of the gripping member 400 by a first length D1, and the second support rib 422 may extend rearward from the front end 430 of the gripping member 400 by a second length D2 greater than the first length D1.

[0137] That is, in the present disclosure, the plurality of support ribs 420 may have different extension lengths. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of support ribs 420 having different extension lengths may be appropriately arranged to achieve an effective support structure of the door panel 300.

[0138] Only the first support rib 421 and the second support rib 422 are described above, but support ribs 420 having various lengths may be provided if necessary, for example, third support ribs 420 having a third length and fourth support ribs 420 having a fourth length.

[0139] In one example, the gripping top surface 410 of the gripping member 400 can have various shapes. For example, the gripping top surface 410 can include a first top surface 412 extending rearward from the front end 430 of the gripping member 400, a second top surface 416 positioned rearward of the first top surface 412, and a step surface 414 connecting the first top surface 412 and the second top surface 416.

[0140] That is, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gripping top surface 410 may form a stepped surface via the step surface 414. The second top surface 416 may be positioned lower than the first top surface 412. The stepped gripping top surface 410 may have increased structural rigidity and improved formability.

[0141] Specifically, the grip member 400 may have a front restriction portion 435 , and a molding material such as resin may be introduced from the injection gate G at the rear end shielded by the door panel 300 rather than the front end 430 exposed to the outside.

[0142] That is, during the molding process of the grip panel, the injection gate G may be positioned at the rear end of the grip panel, and the molding material may be transferred from the rear end to the front end 430 of the grip panel.

[0143] However, the front end 430 of the grip panel, which is relatively far from the injection gate G, may not completely fill the interior of the mold with the molding material due to the reduced injection pressure compared to the injection pressure at the rear end, and may have flow marks on its surface due to the reduced flow rate of the molding material.

[0144] Embodiments of the present disclosure may step the grip top surface 410 to reduce defects that may occur during molding, such as reduced injection pressure, poor filling of the molding material, and the occurrence of flow marks.

[0145] Specifically, the second top surface 416 positioned lower than the first top surface 412 in the grip top surface 410 may have a reduced thickness compared to the thickness of the first top surface 412, which may be advantageous for maintaining the injection pressure of the molding material passing through the second top surface 416. Therefore, defects such as decreased injection pressure, poor filling of the molding material, and the occurrence of flow marks may be effectively reduced.

[0146] In one example, the first length D1 of the first support rib 421 and the second length D2 of the second support rib 422 can be determined in various ways. For example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first support rib 421 can extend from the front limiting portion 435 to the rear end of the first top surface 412, and the second support rib 422 can extend from the front limiting portion 435 to the rear end of the second top surface 416.

[0147] Therefore, unnecessary increase in the length of the support rib 420 may be prevented, effective support of the door panel 300 may be achieved, and structural rigidity of the grip panel may be ensured and formability thereof may be improved.

[0148] Specifically, when the injection gate G is located at the rear end of the first support rib 421 having the first length D1 smaller than the second length D2 of the second support rib 422 , the level of flow obstruction of the molding material by the support rib 420 may be reduced.

[0149] For example, when the injection gate G is located at the rear end of the second support rib 422 , the flow of the molding material supplied from the injection gate G may be blocked by the second support rib 422 , which may deteriorate molding quality.

[0150] That is, the embodiment of the present disclosure may have the first support rib 421 positioned to be spaced forward from the rear end of the grip member 400 so that the effective placement position of the injection gate G may be fixed.

[0151] In one example, based on the width direction Y, the second support rib 422 may be located farther from the center of the gripping member 400 than the first support rib 421 , that is, the first support rib 421 may be located closer to the center of the gripping member 400 than the second support rib 422 .

[0152] In other words, the second support rib 422 may include a plurality of second support ribs on each of both sides of the first support rib 421 along the width direction Y. Therefore, the injection gate G may be positioned at the rear of the center of the gripping member 400, and the formability of the gripping member 400 may be effectively improved.

[0153] In one example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second support rib 422 may include at least one pair of support ribs, the first support rib 421 may be disposed between the pair of second support ribs 422 on the first top surface 412, and the gripping connection portion 440 connected to the door base 200 may be disposed on the second top surface 416.

[0154] The grip coupling portion 440 may be formed in a shape recessed downward from the second top surface 416 and may be coupled with the door base 200. The grip coupling portion 440 may be coupled to the door base 200 when a coupling member extends through the grip coupling portion 440.

[0155] The embodiment of the present disclosure may effectively secure a space in which the grip coupling portion 440 may be defined in the second top surface 416 via the first support rib 421 positioned in front of the second top surface 416 .

[0156] In one example, the gripping connection portion 440 may include a plurality of gripping connection portions, as described above, at least some of the plurality of gripping connection portions 440 may be positioned at the rear of the first support rib 421 provided at the center of the gripping member 400, and the remainder of the plurality of gripping connection portions 440 may be positioned between the second support ribs 422 at positions spaced apart from the center of the gripping member 400 along the width direction Y.

[0157] In one example, the front limiting portion 435 may be formed to protrude upward from the front end of the first top surface 412 of the grip member 400. The front limiting portion 435 may be disposed in front of the door panel 300 and support the door panel 300 rearward.

[0158] Therefore, in a process in which the door panel 300 is coupled to the door base 200 , the front limiting portion 435 may guide a coupling position of the door panel 300 and may improve structural stability of the door panel 300 in the door 100 .

[0159] In addition, when the door panel 300 may have a sharp edge like a glass material, the front limiting portion 435 can cover the front end of the door panel 300, thereby preventing injury to the user. In addition, the front limiting portion 435 can effectively suppress the front end of the door panel 300 from being damaged by impact.

[0160] The front limiting portion 435 may have a curved shape such that both ends are located rearward relative to the center with respect to the width direction Y of the cabinet 10. That is, the gripping member 400 may have a cross-sectional shape in which the center protrudes most forward.

[0161] The second supporting rib 422 may include a plurality of second supporting ribs spaced apart from each other along the width direction Y, and extension lengths of the plurality of second supporting ribs may become smaller in a direction away from the center of the front limiting portion 435 .

[0162] Specifically, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second support rib 422 may extend from the forward movement limiting portion of the gripping member 400 (i.e., the front end of the gripping member 400) to the rear end of the second top surface 416 (i.e., the rear end of the gripping member 400).

[0163] As described above, when the front limiting portion 435 or the front end of the grasping member 400 has a shape that is bent backward from the center toward both ends, the distance between the front and rear ends of the grasping member 400 can become smaller in the direction away from the center of the grasping member 400 in the width direction Y, and thus the extension length of the second support rib 422 can become smaller in the direction away from the center of the grasping member 400.

[0164] Figure 12 Shown along Figure 11A cross section of the gripping member 400 cut along line AA. Figure 12 The second support rib 422 among the plurality of support ribs 420 is illustrated, but for convenience of description, the door panel 300 and the door base 200 are illustrated together with the grip member 400 .

[0165] Reference Figure 12 , the front limiting portion 435 may be provided at the front end 430 of the gripping member 400 and positioned in front of the door panel 300. Therefore, the front limiting portion 435 may limit the forward movement of the door panel 300 and guide the coupling position of the door panel 300.

[0166] The front limiting portion 435 may protrude upward from the grip top surface 410 and rearwardly support the front end of the door panel 300. The support rib 420 may extend rearward from the front limiting portion 435. The protruding height of the support rib 420 may be less than that of the front limiting portion 435.

[0167] As described above, the grip top surface 410 may include the first top surface 412 and the second top surface 416 positioned rearward of the first top surface 412 , and the second top surface 416 may be formed in a stepped manner so as to be positioned lower than the first top surface 412 .

[0168] The rear end of the second support rib 422 may be positioned on the second top surface 416. The rear end of the second support rib 422 may be positioned at the rear end of the second top surface 416. The rear end of the second support rib 422 may be positioned at the rear end of the grip member 400.

[0169] Figure 13 Shown along Figure 11 A cross section of the gripping member 400 cut along line BB. Figure 13 A first support rib 421 among the plurality of support ribs 420 is illustrated, but for convenience of description, the door panel 300 and the door base 200 are illustrated together with the grip member 400 .

[0170] refer to Figure 13 , the rear end of the first support rib 421 may be positioned on the first top surface 412. The rear end of the first support rib 421 may be positioned forward of the rear end of the first top surface 412, or may be positioned at the rear end of the first top surface 412.

[0171] The rear end of the first support rib 421 may be positioned on the step surface 414. The protruding height of the first support rib 421 may be kept constant along the extension direction. The height of the first support rib 421 may be equal to the protruding height of the second support rib 422, or may be changed differently in consideration of the shape of the door panel 300.

[0172] The coupling structure of the door base 200 and the grip member 400 will be described below.

[0173] The door base 200 may include a lower protrusion 250 protruding toward the grip member 400 in the base space 240. The lower protrusion 250 may serve to support and fix the grip member 400 upward.

[0174] The gripping member 400 may include an upper protrusion 450 that protrudes toward the lower protrusion 250 and is coupled to the lower protrusion 250. The gripping member 400 may be supported on the lower protrusion 250 via the upper protrusion 450.

[0175] Each of the lower protrusion 250 and the upper protrusion 450 may protrude in the form of a rib or a protrusion. The upper protrusion 450 may be formed in a shape simply placed on the lower protrusion 250, or may be formed in a hook coupling manner using a hook or the like.

[0176] For example, one of the upper protrusion 450 and the lower protrusion 250 may include a hook groove or a hook hole into which the hook is inserted, and the other of the upper protrusion 450 and the lower protrusion 250 may include a hook.

[0177] In one example, the lower protrusion 250 may include a first lower protrusion 251 and a second lower protrusion 253 positioned rearward of the first lower protrusion 251 .

[0178] The upper protrusion 450 may include a first upper protrusion 451 in contact with the first lower protrusion 251 and a second upper protrusion 453 positioned rearward of the first upper protrusion 451 and in contact with the second lower protrusion 253 .

[0179] The first lower protrusion 251 and the first upper protrusion 451 may together form a recessed surface of the gripping portion 260 . That is, front surfaces of the first lower protrusion 251 and the first upper protrusion 451 may be exposed to the gripping space 262 .

[0180] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper protrusion 450 and the lower protrusion 250 may be spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, so that a coupling structure of the grip panel may be stably implemented.

[0181] While the present disclosure has been shown and described with respect to the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be variously improved and modified without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure as provided by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clothes processing device, comprising: a cabinet including a top surface having a clothing inlet defined therein; a clothes receiving portion provided inside the cabinet and configured to receive clothes introduced through the clothes inlet therein; as well as a door disposed on the top surface and configured to open and close the laundry inlet, wherein the door comprises: a door base having a rear end that is pivotally coupled to the top surface and configured to pivot to be in one of an open state and a closed state of the clothing inlet; a door panel coupled to the top surface of the door base; and a gripping member coupled to a front end of the door base and positioned below the door panel. wherein the gripping member comprises: a gripping top surface facing the bottom surface of the door panel; and a support rib protruding upward from the gripping top surface, wherein the door panel is spaced upwardly from the grip top surface and supported by the support ribs.

2. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The gripping member extends along the width direction of the cabinet, Wherein, the door panel has a front end supported by the supporting rib.

3. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The support rib extends rearward from a front end of the grip member and includes a plurality of support ribs spaced apart from each other along a width direction of the cabinet.

4. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: One of the plurality of support ribs has a length extending rearward from the front end of the grip member that is different from a length of another support rib. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein: The plurality of support ribs include: a first support rib extending rearwardly from the front end of the grip member by a first length; and a second support rib extending rearwardly from the front end of the gripping member to a second length greater than the first length; wherein the second support rib is positioned farther from a center of the gripping member than the first support rib based on the width direction. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein: The second support rib includes a plurality of second support ribs respectively disposed on both sides of the first support rib in the width direction.

7. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A front end of the grip member includes a front restricting portion positioned in front of the door panel and configured to restrict forward movement of the door panel.

8. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: The front limiting portion protrudes upward from the grip top surface and supports the front end of the door panel rearward.

9. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: The support rib extends rearward from the front limiting portion.

10. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The gripping top surface includes a first top surface and a second top surface positioned rearward of the first top surface, wherein the second top surface is formed in a stepped manner so as to be positioned lower than the first top surface, Wherein, the support rib includes a plurality of support ribs, Wherein, the plurality of support ribs include: a first support rib having a rear end positioned on the first top surface; and A second support rib has a rear end positioned on the second top surface. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein: The first support rib extends from the front limiting portion to the rear end of the first top surface, Wherein, the second supporting rib extends from the front limiting portion to the rear end of the second top surface.

12. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein The second supporting ribs include a pair of second supporting ribs, wherein the first support rib is provided on the first top surface between the pair of second support ribs, and a grip coupling portion coupled with the door base is defined in the second top surface.

13. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein The front limiting portion has a curved shape, both ends of which are positioned rearward of the center based on the width direction of the cabinet. The second support ribs include a plurality of second support ribs spaced apart from each other along the width direction, and an extension length of the second support ribs decreases in a direction away from a center of the front limiting portion.

14. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The door base includes a door opening facing the laundry inlet, The door panel includes a light-transmitting portion, which covers the door opening and allows light to pass through the light-transmitting portion.

15. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The door base includes a door opening facing the laundry inlet, wherein an upwardly open base space is defined in at least a portion of a periphery around the door opening, Wherein, the gripping member covers at least a portion of the base space.

16. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the gripping member covers a front portion of the base space in front of the door opening, The door further includes side members covering side portions of the base space located on each of two sides of the door opening.

17. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein The door base includes a lower protrusion protruding toward the grip member in the base space, wherein the gripping member includes an upper protrusion protruding toward the lower protrusion and coupled to the lower protrusion.

18. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein The lower protrusion includes a first lower protrusion and a second lower protrusion positioned rearward of the first lower protrusion, The upper protrusions include a first upper protrusion in contact with the first lower protrusion and a second upper protrusion positioned rearward of the first upper protrusion and in contact with the second lower protrusion.

19. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The front end of the door base is recessed rearwardly below the gripping member to define a gripping space for a user to grip.

20. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The front end of the door base includes a gripping bottom surface that is spaced downward from the front end of the gripping member and protrudes forward to define a gripping space therebetween for a user to grip together with the gripping member.

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