Clothing treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothing treatment apparatus comprising: a cabinet; an accommodation unit including a tub provided inside the cabinet to provide a space in which water is stored, and a drum rotatably provided inside the tub to store clothing; a support body provided below the tub to support the tub; a lower weight balancer provided at the support body to reduce vibration of the tub; and an upper weight balancer provided at the upper portion of the tub to reduce vibration of the tub.

Description

Garment processing equipment

[0001] This application relates to a clothing treatment device.

[0002] A garment treatment device refers to a washing machine, which washes items like clothing through a washing cycle, and a dryer, which dries items through a drying cycle. While washing machines and dryers are typically installed as separate units, there are garment treatment devices that can perform both washing and drying simultaneously to overcome space constraints and enhance user convenience.

[0003] In order to execute the washing process, the clothing treatment device is provided with a cabinet, a tub for storing water, a drum providing a space for accommodating the subject of treatment, a driving unit fixed to the tub and rotating the drum, a support unit for supporting the tub, a water supply unit for supplying water to the tub, and a drain unit for draining water from the tub.

[0004] Meanwhile, in order to execute the drying process, the clothing treatment device is equipped with a flow path for extracting air from inside the tub and resupplying it to the tub, and a heat exchanger provided in the flow path for sequentially performing dehumidification and heating of the air.

[0005] That is, among the conventional clothing treatment devices, there were some that installed both devices for the washing cycle and devices for the drying cycle inside the cabinet, so that the user could selectively perform the washing cycle and the drying cycle according to his or her convenience.

[0006] Conventional garment treatment devices with the aforementioned structure have difficulties in applying them to commercial garment treatment devices that require frequent and rapid processing of large quantities of items. Specifically, commercial garment treatment devices require processing space capable of accommodating heavy, bulky garments, and a heat exchanger for rapid washing and drying. Consequently, a garment treatment device capable of simultaneously washing and drying items in a cabinet with limited space is difficult to apply.

[0007] Therefore, conventional commercial clothing treatment devices have placed a dryer on top of a washing machine to enable smooth washing and drying of heavy and bulky clothing.

[0008] Specifically, the conventional clothing treatment device was able to reduce vibration and noise that may occur during operation of the driving unit by increasing the weight by placing weight balancers at both the front and rear of the tub.

[0009] Furthermore, conventional garment treatment devices feature a dryer mounted above the washing machine, transferring the dryer's load to the washing machine. Therefore, conventional garment treatment devices were able to reduce upper tub vibration without requiring a separate weight balancer above the tub.

[0010] However, commercial dryers must perform washing and drying cycles for heavy, bulky garments. Therefore, the problem with commercial dryers is that their ability to reduce upper-tub vibration solely through the weight of the dryer installed above the washing machine is limited.

[0011] Furthermore, conventional garment treatment devices reduced the vibration of the lower part of the tub by a weight balancer, while the vibration of the upper part of the tub was reduced by the weight of the dryer. As a result, conventional garment treatment devices had the problem of a gap between the upper and lower vibrations, which actually increased vibration and noise.

[0012] In addition, conventional clothing treatment devices have multiple weight balancers installed at the front and rear of the tub, which makes it difficult to effectively disperse the vibration of the washing machine and may require more maintenance.

[0013] The present invention aims to solve the problem of reducing upper vibration and noise of a tub by placing an upper weight balancer on the upper part of the tub.

[0014] The present invention aims to solve the problem of reducing floor transmission force caused by vibration of a clothing treatment device by evenly disposing an upper weight balancer and a lower weight balancer at the upper and lower portions of a tub.

[0015] The present invention aims to solve the problem of reducing vibration and noise of a tub caused by the operation of a driving unit by arranging an upper weight balancer and a lower weight balancer in front of the tub.

[0016] The present invention aims to solve the problem of omitting a separate configuration for coupling the first and second fixing bands to each other by providing a device that can couple the first and second fixing bands to an upper weight balancer.

[0017] The present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a tightening force to a tub by only manipulating the fastening member, which includes a fastening member connecting a first upper weight balancer and a second upper weight balancer.

[0018] In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention may include a cabinet; a receiving part including a tub provided inside the cabinet to provide a space for storing water, and a drum rotatably provided inside the tub to store clothes; a support body provided below the tub to support the tub; a lower weight balancer provided on the support body to reduce vibration of the tub; and an upper weight balancer provided on the upper part of the tub to reduce vibration of the tub.

[0019] The above support body may include a front support body provided at the front of the tub to support the tub and a rear support body provided at the rear of the tub to support the tub.

[0020] The above lower weight balancer may be provided on at least one of the front support body and the rear support body.

[0021] The lower weight balancer may include a first lower weight balancer fixed to one side of the front support body and a second lower weight balancer fixed to the other side of the front support body. In addition, the first lower weight balancer and the second lower weight balancer may be provided with the same weight.

[0022] The above upper weight balancer may be provided on at least one of the front part of the tub and the rear part of the tub.

[0023] The tub may include a first fixing band configured to surround at least a portion of the left circumference of the tub and a second fixing band configured to surround at least a portion of the right circumference of the tub. In addition, the first fixing band and the second fixing band may be provided spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

[0024] The upper weight balancer may include a first upper weight balancer configured to surround at least a portion of the first fixed band and a second upper weight balancer configured to surround at least a portion of the second fixed band. In addition, the first upper weight balancer and the second upper weight balancer may be provided spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

[0025] It may include a lateral support body provided at the bottom of the above tub and supporting the above tub.

[0026] In addition, one end of the first fixed band may be fixed to the left side of the lateral support body and the other end of the first fixed band may be fixed to the first upper weight balancer, and one end of the second fixed band may be fixed to the right side of the lateral support body and the other end of the second fixed band may be fixed to the second upper weight balancer.

[0027] The first upper weight balancer may include a first fixing portion for fixing the first fixing band, and the second upper weight balancer may include a second fixing portion for fixing the second fixing band. In addition, the first fixing band may be fixed to the first fixing portion, and the second fixing band may be fixed to the second fixing portion.

[0028] The tub may include a fastening member that is provided to connect the first upper weight balancer and the second upper weight balancer and fastens the first upper weight balancer and the second upper weight balancer, and the tub may receive a tightening force through the fastening member. At this time, the fastening member may be provided as a bolt and a nut.

[0029] The present invention has the effect of reducing upper vibration and noise of the tub by placing an upper weight balancer on the upper part of the tub.

[0030] The present invention has the effect of reducing floor transmission force caused by vibration of a clothing treatment device by evenly disposing an upper weight balancer and a lower weight balancer at the upper and lower portions of a tub.

[0031] The present invention has the effect of reducing vibration and noise of the tub caused by the operation of the driving unit by arranging the upper weight balancer and the lower weight balancer in front of the tub.

[0032] The present invention is provided so that the first fixing band and the second fixing band can be coupled to the upper weight balancer, thereby having the effect of omitting a separate configuration for coupling the first fixing band and the second fixing band to each other.

[0033] The present invention has the effect of providing a tightening force to a tub by only manipulating the fastening member, which includes a fastening member connecting a first upper weight balancer and a second upper weight balancer.

[0034] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate examples of a clothing treatment device.

[0035] Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate examples of the receiving portion.

[0036] Figure 6 illustrates an example of a power transmission unit.

[0037] Figure 7 illustrates an example equipped with an upper weight balancer and a lower weight balancer of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 8 illustrates an example of a fixed band attached to an upper weight balancer.

[0039] Figure 9 illustrates an example in which an upper weight balancer is connected by a fastening member.

[0040] The configuration or control method of the device described below is only for explaining an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and reference numbers used identically throughout the specification represent identical components.

[0041] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise," "include," or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and therefore, unless specifically defined, do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0042] Expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as "in which direction", "along which direction", "parallel", "perpendicularly", "centered", "concentric" or "coaxial", not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state of relative displacement with an angle or distance such that tolerance or the same function is obtained.

[0043] Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., used herein may be used to describe various components; however, these components are not limited by these terms, and these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

[0044] In addition, terms such as “front,” “rear,” “upper,” “lower,” “side,” “front end,” “rear end,” “top,” and “bottom” used in this specification are defined based on the drawings or defined based on the configuration or arrangement / arrangement state between configurations, and the shape and position of each configuration are not limited by these terms.

[0045] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a garment treatment device and its control method will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a clothing treatment device (100) may be provided to include a first treatment device (100a, treatment module, washing module) that provides a space for washing or drying a treatment target such as clothing, and a second treatment device (100b) that is detachably coupled to the first treatment device (100a, drying module, heat exchange module, detachable module) for drying a treatment target put into the first treatment device.

[0047] The first treatment device (100a) may be provided to include a cabinet (1), and the second treatment device (100b) may be provided to include a case (6). As shown in the drawing, the second treatment device (100b) may be provided to be positioned above the first treatment device (100a), and in this case, the exterior of the clothing treatment device (100) may be formed by the cabinet (1) and the case (6).

[0048] The cabinet (1) may be provided to include a front panel (11, first front panel) forming the front surface of the first processing device (100a), a side panel (12, first side panel) connected to the first front panel to form a side surface of the first processing device (100a), and a rear panel (13, first rear panel) provided at a position facing the first front panel (11) to form the rear surface of the first processing device (100a).

[0049] The first front panel (11) may be provided with a control panel (112) for controlling the clothing treatment device (100). The control panel (112) may be provided to control only one of the first treatment device (100a) and the second treatment device (100b), or may be provided to control both the first treatment device (100a) and the second treatment device (100b).

[0050] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the first front panel (11) may be provided with a first panel body (113) and a second panel body (114). The first panel body (113) may be provided as a panel fixed to the first processing device (100a) to form a mounting space for the control panel (112), and the second panel body (114) may be provided as a panel detachable from the first processing device (100a).

[0051] The first panel body (113) is provided to include a cabinet penetration hole (111) that communicates with the inside of the first processing device (100a), and the second panel body (114) can be provided at a position where at least some of the components provided inside the first processing device (100a) can be exposed to the outside of the first processing device (100a).

[0052] FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the first panel body (113) forms the upper region of the first front panel (11), and the second panel body (114) forms the lower region of the first front panel (11).

[0053] The first side panel (12) may be provided to include a left panel (121, first left panel) forming the left side of the first processing device (100a) (part of the left side of the garment processing device), and a right panel (122, first right panel) forming the right side of the first processing device (100a) (part of the right side of the garment processing device).

[0054] The first processing device (100a) may be provided with a mounting space (15) to which the second processing device (100b) is fixed. The mounting space (15) may be provided as an open space formed on the upper surface of the cabinet (1). FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the mounting space (15) is formed by the upper portion of the first front panel (11), the upper portion of the first left panel (121), the upper portion of the first right panel (122), and the upper portion of the first rear panel (13).

[0055] The height of the first front panel (11) and the height of the first rear panel (13) can be set higher (H) than the height of the first left panel (121) and the height of the first right panel (122). When the heights of the first front panel (11) and the first rear panel (13) are set higher than the side panels (121, 122), not only is it advantageous for positioning and fixing the second treatment device (100b) when mounting it in the mounting space (15), but there is also an effect of reducing the height of the entire garment treatment device (100).

[0056] In addition, if the first front panel (11) is set higher than the side panels (121, 122), it will be possible to minimize the increase in the height of the clothing treatment device (100) while forming a space in which other devices (devices such as detergent storage units) can be installed in the first front panel (11).

[0057] A first control unit (19) for controlling at least one of the first processing device (100a) and the second processing device (100a) may be provided inside the cabinet (1). The first control unit (19) may be provided to receive a control signal from the input unit of the control panel (112) or to transmit a control signal requesting the display of information on the display unit of the control panel (112). It may be fixed to the first rear panel (13).

[0058] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a receiving portion (2) forming a washing space and a drying space for the subject matter may be provided inside the cabinet (1). FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which the receiving portion (2) is provided with a tub (2a) forming a space for water and a movement path for air, and a drum (2b) rotatably provided inside the tub to form a space for receiving the subject matter.

[0059] The above tub (2a) may be provided to include a tub body (21) that provides a space for storing water and is fixed inside the cabinet (1) via a tub support member (23).

[0060] The above tub body (21) may be provided in a cylindrical shape with an empty interior. The tub body (21) may be provided to include a tub front surface (21a) provided in a direction facing the first front panel (11), a tub rear surface (21b) provided in a direction facing the first rear panel (13), and a tub circumference (21c) connecting the front surface and the rear surface of the tub body.

[0061] The front surface (21a) of the tub may be provided with an inlet (211) communicating with the inside of the drum (2b), and a mounting pipe (212) that is provided in a shape that surrounds the inlet (211) and protrudes from the front surface (21a) of the tub toward the cabinet penetration hole (111).

[0062] That is, the mounting pipe (212) is provided as a cylinder protruding from the front surface (21a) of the tub toward the first front panel (11), and the inlet (211) is provided as a hole penetrating the front surface (21a) of the tub, but may be provided so as to be located inside the mounting pipe (212).

[0063] The above-mentioned mounting pipe (212) not only provides a mounting space for the injection unit or tub air supply unit (24a) to be described later, but can also serve as a means for guiding the treatment target fed into the drum (2b) through the cabinet penetration hole (111) to the inlet (211).

[0064] The above-mentioned inlet (211) can be opened and closed by a door (22) rotatably fixed to the front surface (21a) of the tub. Since the door (22) is not rotatably fixed to the first front panel (11) but is rotatably fixed to the tub body (21), it is preferable that the cabinet penetration hole (111) be provided in a size and position that does not interfere with the rotation of the door (22) (rotation for opening or closing the inlet).

[0065] That is, when the input port (211) is closed, the door (22) remains exposed to the outside of the cabinet (1) through the cabinet penetration hole (111). However, when the input port (211) is opened, the door (22) can rotate toward the outside of the cabinet (1) through the cabinet penetration hole (111).

[0066] As illustrated in Fig. 3, in order to fix the door (22) to the front surface (21a) of the tub, the tub (2a) may be provided with a door mounting portion (224). The door mounting portion (224) may be provided to include a first mounting cover (225) that is fixed to the front surface (21a) of the tub and surrounds the mounting pipe (212), and a second mounting cover (226) that is fixed to the first mounting cover (225) and to which the hinge (227) of the door is mounted. In order to prevent the inlet (211) from being closed by the door mounting portion (224), the door mounting portion (224) may be provided with an inlet communication hole (228).

[0067] The above tub (2a) can be connected to the second treatment device (100b) via the tub air supply part (24a) and the tub exhaust part (25). That is, the second treatment device (100b) can be detachably connected to the tub air supply part (24a) and the tub exhaust part (25).

[0068] The above tub air supply unit (24a) may be provided to supply air into the inside of the tub body (21) through the mounting pipe (212), and the above tub exhaust unit (25) may be provided to discharge air inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the tub through the tub circumference (21c).

[0069] The above tub air supply unit (24a) may be provided to include a first air supply hole (241) and a second air supply hole (242) provided in the mounting pipe (212), and a distribution pipe (243) that guides air to each of the air supply holes (241, 242).

[0070] The first air supply hole (241) and the second air supply hole (242) may be provided to pass through the mounting pipe (212) and communicate with the inlet (211). The distribution pipe (243) may be provided to include a connection pipe (243a) connected to the second treatment device (100b), a first branch pipe (243b) that guides some of the air introduced into the connection pipe (243a) to the first air supply hole (241), and a second branch pipe (243c) that guides some of the air introduced into the connection pipe (243a) to the second air supply hole (242).

[0071] In order for the above-mentioned clothing treatment device (100) to perform washing or drying of a large number of items to be treated, the volume of the tub body (21) and the volume of the drum (2b) need to be designed to be large. Since the drum (2b) must be supported by the rear surface (21b) of the tub and be rotatable within the body (21), the durability of the tub body (21) is important in order to design the volume of the drum (2b) to be large. Therefore, the tub body (21) may be formed of a metal material.

[0072] When the tub body (21) is made of a metal material, it is preferable that the mounting pipe (212) is also made of a metal material, but the distribution pipe (243) may be made of a different material from the mounting pipe (212). The distribution pipe (243) provided with the first branch pipe (243b) and the second branch pipe (243c) described above may be advantageous in terms of cost and time to be formed of a material such as plastic rather than metal. Therefore, when the distribution pipe (243) and the mounting pipe (212) are made of different materials, the first treatment device (100a) may further include a bracket (244) that connects the distribution pipe (243) to the mounting pipe (212).

[0073] The above distribution pipe (243) may be provided as a flow path protruding from the above mounting pipe (212) toward the second processing device (100b). Meanwhile, the free end (the portion to which the second processing device is connected) of the connection pipe (243a) may be provided so as to be exposed to the outside of the first processing device (100a) through the mounting space (15) of the cabinet (1). That is, the free end of the connection pipe (243a) may be provided so as to be positioned higher than the upper end of the first front panel (11). This is to facilitate the coupling of the first processing device (100a) and the second processing device (100b).

[0074] The above tub exhaust part (25) may be provided as an exhaust pipe protruding from the tub circumference (21c) toward the second processing device (100b). That is, the above tub exhaust part (25) may be provided as an exhaust pipe protruding toward the mounting space (15) formed on the upper surface of the above first processing device (100a).

[0075] The free end (the portion to which the second treatment device is connected) of the above tub exhaust section (25) may be positioned higher than the upper end of the side panel (12), or may be positioned lower than the upper end of the side panel (12). The former has the effect of facilitating the coupling of the first treatment device (100a) and the second treatment device (100b), and the latter has the effect of reducing the height of the clothing treatment device (100).

[0076] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the door (22) may be provided to include a door frame (221) rotatably fixed to the hinge (227), a door frame penetration hole (222) provided to penetrate the door frame, and a door window (223) fixed to the door frame (221) to close the door frame penetration hole.

[0077] The above door frame penetration hole (222) is provided at a position corresponding to the input port (211) (a position connected to the input port), and the door window (223) may be provided with a light-transmitting material. In this case, the user will be able to check the inside of the drum (2b) from the outside of the first processing device (100a).

[0078] The above door window (223) may be provided to include a first window (223a) fixed to the door frame (221) so as to be exposed to the outside through the cabinet penetration hole (111), and a second window (223b) fixed to the door frame (221) so as to be located inside the mounting pipe (212).

[0079] The first window (223a) may be provided with glass that is positioned in the cabinet penetration hole (111) and forms a part of the first front panel (11), and the second window (223b) may be provided with glass that protrudes from the door frame (221) toward the inlet (211).

[0080] The above tub body (21) is supplied with water through the water supply unit (4), and the water inside the tub body (21) can be discharged to the outside of the clothing treatment device (100) through the drain unit (28).

[0081] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the drainage unit (28) may be provided with a drainage pipe (281) that guides water inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the cabinet (1). The drainage pipe (281) may be provided with one end fixed to the lower space of the tub circumference (21c) (an area of ​​the tub circumference located below a horizontal line passing through the center of the inlet) and the other end provided as a hose that penetrates the first rear panel (13).

[0082] The above drain pipe (281) may be provided to discharge water inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the cabinet (1) using gravity, or may be provided to discharge water inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the cabinet (1) through a drain pump. Fig. 4 illustrates the former case as an example, and in this case, the drain unit (28) may further be provided with a drain valve (282) that controls the opening and closing of the drain pipe (281) according to a control signal of the first control unit (19).

[0083] The above drainage unit (28) may further be equipped with a drainage filter that filters water flowing into the drainage pipe (281), and the drainage filter may be provided so as to be detachable from the drainage pipe (281). The drainage valve (282) and the drainage filter may be provided at a location exposed to the outside when the second panel body (114) is separated from the first treatment device (100a).

[0084] As shown in Fig. 5, the drum (2b) may include a drum body (26) having a cylindrical shape with an empty interior and positioned inside the tub body (21).

[0085] The front surface of the drum body (26) may be provided with a drum inlet (261) that communicates with the inlet (211), and a plurality of drum penetration holes (263) that communicate the inside of the drum body with the inside of the tub body (21) may be provided on the circumferential surface of the drum body (26).

[0086] A lifter (262) may be further provided inside the drum body (26). The lifter (262) is a means for causing the processing object to repeatedly rise and fall inside the drum when the drum body (26) rotates, and the lifter (262) may protrude from the drum body (26) toward the center of rotation of the drum body (26).

[0087] The drum body (26) can be rotated by a drum shaft (264) and a driving unit (27). The drum shaft (264) is fixed to the rear surface of the drum body (26) and is provided to penetrate the rear surface (21b) of the tub, and the driving unit (27) can be provided to be positioned on the outside of the tub body (21) and to rotate the drum shaft (264).

[0088] The above driving unit (27) may be provided to include a bearing housing (272) that is fixed to the rear surface (21b) of the tub and rotatably fixes the drum shaft (264) to the tub body (21), a motor (273) fixed to the tub support (23), and a power transmission unit that transmits the power of the motor to the drum shaft (264). The motor (273) may be provided to be controlled by the first control unit (19).

[0089] The above bearing housing (272) can be fixed to the rear surface (21b) of the tub via a driving unit support body (271). The driving unit support body (271) can be provided to include a hub to which the bearing housing (272) is fixed, and a plurality of hub fixing bars radially arranged from the hub.

[0090] The rear surface (21b) of the above tub is provided with a tub rear surface through hole, and the hub is provided with a hub through hole connected to the tub rear surface through hole. The drum shaft (264) is exposed to the outside of the tub body (21) through the tub rear surface through hole and the hub through hole, and the drum shaft (264) exposed to the outside of the tub body (21) is rotatably fixed to the hub through the bearing housing (272).

[0091] As shown in FIG. 6, the power transmission unit may be provided to include a first pulley (275) fixed to the rotational axis (274) of the motor, a second pulley (276) fixed to the drum axis (264), and a belt (277) connecting the two pulleys.

[0092] Unlike what is shown in the drawing, the power transmission unit may be provided with a first gear fixed to the rotational shaft (274) of the motor and a second gear fixed to the drum shaft (264). Furthermore, the power transmission unit may be provided to further include a third gear that is provided to connect the first gear and the second gear and sets the rotational speed of the drum body (26) (sets the rotational speed of the second gear).

[0093] As mentioned above, the tub body (21) is fixed inside the cabinet (1) through the tub support (23) and is supplied with water through the water supply unit (4).

[0094] The above tub support (23) may be provided to include a lower support (231) that forms the bottom surface of the garment treatment device (100), and a support body (235) that provides a space in which the tub body (21) is fixed and is located on the upper portion of the lower support (231).

[0095] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the support body (235) may include a front support body (235a) located at the front of the tub (2a), a rear support body (235b) located at the rear of the tub (2a), and a side support body (235c) located at the side of the tub (2a).

[0096] The above tub body (21) can be fixed to the support body (235) via a fixing band (236), and the fixing band (236) can be provided to include a first fixing band (236a) and a second fixing band (236b) that fix the tub circumference (21c) to the support body (235).

[0097] The first fixing band (236a) may be provided to wrap around the left circumference of the tub (2a), and the second fixing band (236b) may be provided to wrap around the right circumference of the tub (2a).

[0098] In addition, the fixing band (236) may be provided to wrap around the circumference of the tub (2a), and at least one may be provided. For example, the fixing band (236) may be provided to wrap around at least one of the front region and the rear region of the tub circumference (21c). The fixing band (236) may be provided to be fixed to the support body (235). Specifically, the first fixing band (236a) may be fixed to the side support body (235c) provided on the left side of the tub (2a), and the second fixing band (236b) may be fixed to the side support body (235c) provided on the right side of the tub (2a).

[0099] In addition, in order to reduce vibration of the tub body (21), the first processing device (100a) may be equipped with at least one of a lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) and an upper weight balancer (238, 239).

[0100] The lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) can be fixed to the front support body (235a), and the upper weight balancer (238, 239) can have the tub (2a) provided on the upper side.

[0101] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, since the driving unit (27) operates at the rear surface (21b) of the tub, it is preferable that both the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) and the upper weight balancer (238, 239) be located at the front area of ​​the tub body (21) to reduce vibration and noise caused by the driving unit (27).

[0102] The above water supply unit (4) is a means for guiding water provided from a water source located outside the garment treatment device (100) to the tub body (21). The water supply unit (4) may be provided as a path that directly connects the water source and the tub body (21), or may be provided as a path that supplies detergent together with water supplied from the water source to the tub body (21). Fig. 6 illustrates the latter case as an example.

[0103] The above water supply unit (4) may be provided to include a detergent storage unit (41) forming a space where detergent is stored, a storage unit water supply pipe (42) supplying water supplied from the water source to the detergent storage unit (41), a water supply valve (44, see FIG. 3) controlling the opening and closing of the storage unit water supply pipe (42) according to a control signal of the first control unit (19), and a tub supply pipe (46) supplying liquid (water, or a mixture of water and detergent) discharged from the detergent storage unit (41) to the tub body (21).

[0104] In addition, the first processing device (100a) may be provided with a communication part (29, external air communication part) that can supply external air into the inside of the tub body (21) or supply external air to the tub body (21).

[0105] Water may remain in the tub body (21) and drum body (26), and the clothing treatment device (100) equipped with the communication part (29) has the effect of enabling hygienic management of the tub (2a) and the drum (2b) by reducing the possibility of water remaining in the tub body (21) and drum body (26).

[0106] In addition, the clothing treatment device (100) equipped with the above-mentioned connecting portion (29) can prevent the inside of the tub body (21) from being sealed even when the door (22) closes the input port (211). Therefore, the clothing treatment device (100) can prevent an accident that may occur due to the tub body (21) being sealed.

[0107] In order to prevent the fluid (water, foam, foreign matter) inside the tub body (21) from being discharged to the outside of the cabinet (1) through the above-mentioned communication portion (29), the first treatment device (100a) may be provided with a connecting portion (5) that connects the flow path formed by the water supply portion (4) and the flow path formed by the communication portion (29).

[0108] In addition, the tub supply pipe (46) may be fixed to an area higher than the horizontal line (L1) passing through the drum shaft (264) among the rear surface (21b) of the tub. When water starts to be supplied inside the tub body (21), the pressure in an area higher than the horizontal line (L1) will be lower than the pressure in an area lower than the horizontal line (L1) among the internal space of the tub body (21). Therefore, it is preferable that one end of the tub supply pipe (46) be fixed to a point higher than the horizontal line (L1). Since vibration when the drum body (26) rotates can be transmitted to the tub body (21) and the connecting body (51), at least a portion of the tub supply pipe (46) may be provided as a corrugated pipe.

[0109] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the upper weight balancer (238, 239) is provided on the upper portion of the tub (2a) to reduce upper vibration of the tub (2a). In addition, the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) is provided on the support body (235) to reduce lower vibration of the tub (2a).

[0110] The above support body (235) may include at least one of a front support body (235a), a rear support body (235b), and a side support body (235c). However, the support body (235) is intended to support the load of the tub (2a), and it is preferable that all of the front support body (235a), the rear support body (235b), and the side support body (235c) be provided.

[0111] In addition, the support body (235) may be provided as an integral part. For example, the support body (235) may be manufactured by injection molding the front, rear, and side. However, considering the convenience of maintenance and replacement, it is preferable that the support body (235) be provided by dividing into a front support body (235a), a rear support body (235b), and a side support body (235c).

[0112] The front support body (235a) is provided at the front of the tub (2a) and can support the tub (2a). The rear support body (235b) is provided at the rear of the tub (2a) and can support the tub (2a), and the side support body (235c) is provided at the side of the tub (2a) and can support the tub (2a).

[0113] The above-mentioned lateral support bodies (235c) may be provided on the left and right sides, respectively, with respect to the front surface (21a) of the tub. The left lateral support bodies and the right lateral support bodies do not necessarily have to be provided with the same shape or material, but it is preferable that they be provided with the same shape and material to prevent tilting and reduce vibration of the tub (2a).

[0114] The above lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) may be provided on at least one of the front support body (235a) and the rear support body (235b).

[0115] However, if the lower weight balancers (237a, 237b) are both provided on the front support body (235a) and the rear support body (235b), the weight of the garment treatment device may increase, causing inconvenience in movement. In addition, since multiple lower weight balancers are provided, the number of maintenance and parts replacements may increase, which may cause problems.

[0116] Therefore, as illustrated in Fig. 7, it is preferable that the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) be provided on the front support body (235a). Since the driving unit (27) is provided on the rear surface (21b) of the tub and operates, the torque received by the front portion of the tub (2a) increases, and thus the tub (2a) may be subjected to large vibrations. Therefore, it is preferable that the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) be provided on the front support body (2351).

[0117] In addition, the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) may include a first lower weight balancer (237a) fixed to one side of the front support body (235a) and a second lower weight balancer (237b) fixed to the other side of the front support body (235a).

[0118] Specifically, the upper portion of the front support body (235a) may be provided in an arc shape to support the tub (2a). In addition, the lower portion of the front support body (235a) may be provided parallel to the support surface to prevent vibration and noise from occurring due to the tub (2a) being tilted. In addition, the side of the front support body (235a) may be combined with the side support body (235c) to support the tub (2a) together.

[0119] The lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) may be provided on at least one of the left side of the front support body (235a) and the right side of the front support body (235a). However, the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) is intended to reduce vibration of the tub (2a) equally on both the left and right sides, and it is preferable that the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) be provided on both the left and right sides of the front support body (235a). That is, it is preferable that the first lower weight balancer (237a) and the second lower weight balancer (237b) are provided close to both sides of the front support body (235a).

[0120] In addition, if the first lower weight balancer (237a) and the second lower weight balancer (237b) have different weights, the tub (2a) will tilt and vibration cannot be effectively reduced. Therefore, it is preferable that the first lower weight balancer (237a) and the second lower weight balancer (237b) have the same weight.

[0121] The upper weight balancer (238, 239) may be provided on at least one of the front part of the tub (2a) and the rear part of the tub (2a).

[0122] The conventional clothing treatment device has a drying module installed on the upper portion of the tub (2a), which can reduce the vibration of the upper portion of the tub (2a) due to the weight of the drying module. The upper weight balancer (238, 239) can reduce the vibration of the upper portion of the tub (2a) like the drying module of the conventional clothing treatment device. In order to further reduce the vibration of the tub (2a), the upper weight balancer (238, 239) can be installed together with the drying module.

[0123] Accordingly, the upper weight balancer (238, 239) may be provided on the upper portion of the tub (2a). That is, the upper weight balancer (238, 239) may be provided on at least one of the front portion of the tub (2a) and the rear portion of the tub (2a). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of the upper weight balancers (238, 239) may be provided on the upper portion of the tub (2a).

[0124] It is preferable that the number and position of the upper weight balancers (238, 239) be selected so as to minimize vibration of the tub (2a) within a range where deformation of the tub (2a) due to the load of the upper weight balancers (238, 239) does not occur.

[0125] As with the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b), the driving unit (27) is provided on the rear surface (21b) of the tub and operates, so that the torque received by the front portion of the tub (2a) increases, which may cause significant vibration. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper weight balancer (238, 239) be provided on the front portion of the tub (2a) to prevent vibration and noise. Fig. 7 illustrates the preferred positions of the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b) and the upper weight balancer (238, 239).

[0126] The above garment treatment device is equipped with both the upper weight balancer (238, 239) and the lower weight balancer (237a, 237b), so that the floor transmission force due to vibration of the garment treatment device can be reduced, and the vibration and noise of the tub (2a) can be reduced.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 8, the fixing band (236) may include a first fixing band (236a) provided to wrap around the left circumference of the tub (2a) and a second fixing band (236b) provided to wrap around the right circumference of the tub (2a).

[0128] In addition, the upper weight balancer (238, 239) may include the first upper weight balancer (238) that is provided to wrap at least a portion of the first fixed band (236a) and the second upper weight balancer (239) that is provided to wrap at least a portion of the second fixed band (236b).

[0129] The first fixed band (236a) can be fixed to the first upper weight balancer (238), and the second fixed band (236b) can be fixed to the second upper weight balancer (239).

[0130] When the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239) are fastened by a fastening member (240a) to be described below, the first fixing band (236a) and the second fixing band (236b) can be pulled in opposite directions along the circumference, and the tub (2a) can receive a tightening force by the fixing band (236). The fixing band (236) can be provided with an elastic body so as to provide a tightening force.

[0131] Accordingly, the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239) may be provided spaced apart from each other by a certain distance, and similarly, the first fixed band (236a) and the second fixed band (236b) may be provided spaced apart from each other by a certain distance.

[0132] The first upper weight balancer (238) may include a first fixing portion (238c) for fixing the first fixing band (236a), and the second upper weight balancer (239) may include a second fixing portion (239c) for fixing the second fixing band (236b).

[0133] The first fixing band (236a) can be fixed to the first fixing portion (238c), and the second fixing band (236b) can be fixed to the second fixing portion (239c).

[0134] Specifically, the first fixing portion (238c) may be provided so that it can be fixed including the other end of the first fixing band (236a), and the second fixing portion (239c) may be provided so that it can be fixed including the other end of the second fixing band (236b).

[0135] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, one end of the first fixing band (236a) can be fixed to the lateral support body (235c) provided on the left side of the tub (2a), and one end of the second fixing band (236b) can be fixed to the lateral support body (235c) provided on the right side of the tub (2a).

[0136] Additionally, the other end of the first fixing band (236a) can be fixed to the first fixing portion (238c), and the other end of the second fixing band (236b) can be fixed to the second fixing portion (239c).

[0137] Accordingly, the first upper weight balancer (238) can move the first fixed band (236a) along the circumference, and the second upper weight balancer (239) can move the second fixed band (236b) along the circumference. At this time, the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239) can move along the circumference in opposite directions.

[0138] As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the upper weight balancer (238, 239) is fastened with the fastening member (240a) and can move along the circumference of the tub (2a). At this time, the fixing band (236) is fixed to the upper weight balancer (238, 239) and can move together. Accordingly, the tub (2a) can receive a tightening force to reduce vibration.

[0139] The first fixed band (236a) can be fixed to the first upper weight balancer (238), and the second fixed band (236b) can be fixed to the second upper weight balancer (239).

[0140] Accordingly, the first processing device (100a) can omit a separate joining member for joining the first fixing band (236a) and the second fixing band (236b) to each other.

[0141] That is, since the upper weight balancer (238, 239) can fix the fixed band (236), the tub (2a) may not require a separate member for combining the first fixed band (236a) and the second fixed band (236b).

[0142] As mentioned above, the tub (2a) can be provided with a tightening force by the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239). In order for the tub (2a) to be provided with a tightening force, the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239) may require a fastening member (240a) or the like that can pull each other.

[0143] Accordingly, the upper weight balancer (238, 239) may include the fastening member (240a). The fastening member (240a) may be provided with a bolt and a nut. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any structure capable of pulling the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239) in opposite directions may be used.

[0144] The distance between the first upper weight balancer (238) and the second upper weight balancer (239) can be shortened when the fastening member (240a) is fastened. Accordingly, the distance between the first fixing band (236a) and the second fixing band (236b) can be shortened, and the tub (2a) can receive tightening force from the first fixing band (236a) and the second fixing band (236b) to reduce vibration.

[0145] The present invention may be implemented in various modified forms, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, if a modified embodiment includes elements of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Cabinet; A receiving section including a tub provided inside the cabinet to provide a space for storing water, and a drum rotatably provided inside the tub to store clothes; A support body provided at the lower portion of the above tub to support the above tub; A lower weight balancer provided on the above support body to reduce vibration of the tub; and A garment treatment device characterized by including an upper weight balancer provided on the upper portion of the tub to reduce vibration of the tub.

2. In paragraph 1, The above support body A clothing treatment device characterized by including a front support body provided in front of the tub to support the tub and a rear support body provided in the rear of the tub to support the tub.

3. In paragraph 2, The above lower weight balancer A clothing treatment device characterized in that at least one of the front support body and the rear support body is provided.

4. In paragraph 2, A garment processing device characterized in that the lower weight balancer is provided on the front support body.

5. In paragraph 4, The above lower weight balancer It includes a first lower weight balancer fixed to one side of the front support body and a second lower weight balancer fixed to the other side of the front support body. A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the first lower weight balancer and the second lower weight balancer are provided with the same weight.

6. In either of paragraphs 1 and 5, The above upper weight balancer A clothing treatment device characterized in that it is provided in at least one of the front part of the tub and the rear part of the tub.

7. In either of paragraphs 1 and 5, The above upper weight balancer A clothing treatment device characterized by being provided at the front part of the above tub.

8. In paragraph 7, It includes a first fixing band provided to wrap at least a part of the left circumference of the tub and a second fixing band provided to wrap at least a part of the right circumference of the tub. A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the first fixed band and the second fixed band are provided at a set distance apart from each other.

9. In paragraph 8, The above upper weight balancer It comprises a first upper weight balancer provided to wrap at least a part of the first fixed band and a second upper weight balancer provided to wrap at least a part of the second fixed band, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the first upper weight balancer and the second upper weight balancer are provided at a set distance apart from each other.

10. In paragraph 9, The above support body Further comprising a side support body provided on the side of the above tub to support the above tub; One end of the first fixed band is fixed to the left side of the lateral support body, and the other end of the first fixed band is fixed to the first upper weight balancer. A clothing treatment device, characterized in that one end of the second fixed band is fixed to the right side of the lateral support body and the other end of the second fixed band is fixed to the second upper weight balancer.

11. In paragraph 9, The first upper weight balancer includes a first fixing portion for fixing the first fixed band, The second upper weight balancer includes a second fixing portion for fixing the second fixed band, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the first fixing band is fixed to the first fixing portion, and the second fixing band is fixed to the second fixing portion.

12. In paragraph 9, It includes a fastening member that is provided to connect the first upper weight balancer and the second upper weight balancer and fastens the first upper weight balancer and the second upper weight balancer, A garment treatment device characterized in that the above tub receives tightening force through the above fastening member.

13. In paragraph 12, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the above fastening member is provided with a bolt and a nut.

Images