Laundry treating apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional laundry treating apparatuses face challenges in efficiently removing wrinkles and unpleasant smells from laundry while minimizing space and preventing fabric damage, with existing solutions either requiring extensive space or not effectively addressing fabric protection.

Innovation Solution

A laundry treating apparatus with a treating chamber that includes a supply device for heated air or steam and a hanger bar with a hanger groove of varying widths, allowing for the accommodation of different hanger types and enabling efficient wrinkle removal and deodorization through a driving mechanism that reciprocates the hanger bar, thereby optimizing space usage and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the driving part is mounted inside the treating chamber, then the space utility of the treating chamber is reduced, but the overall apparatus length in width direction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreating chamber spaceVSAvoidapparatus width
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The driving part is extracted from the treating chamber and mounted on the outside, specifically on the rear surface of the cabinet. This separates the driving function from the treating space, allowing the treating chamber to maintain its full internal volume while the driving mechanism occupies external space, thus resolving the contradiction between chamber space utility and overall apparatus width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The driving part is positioned on the rear surface of the cabinet, utilizing the depth dimension rather than the width dimension. This spatial reconfiguration allows the driving mechanism to be accommodated without increasing the apparatus width, while the treating chamber maintains its full internal volume for laundry treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a conventional hanger groove design is used, then only specific hanger types can be accommodated, but the apparatus cannot effectively serve various laundry needs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehanger type compatibilityVSAvoidtreating chamber space
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The hanger groove is segmented into multiple steps with different widths, creating distinct accommodation zones for different hanger types. This segmentation allows small, medium, and large hangers to be positioned at different steps, ensuring each hanger type has adequate support without requiring a single large groove that would waste space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the hanger groove have different widths to match different hanger types. The groove transitions from narrower steps for small hangers to wider steps for large hangers, providing locally optimized support for each hanger size while maintaining overall space efficiency in the treating chamber.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The apparatus effectively dries, deodorizes, and sterilizes laundry while minimizing fabric damage and power consumption, accommodating various hanger types and improving the efficiency of wrinkle removal and deodorization processes.

Implementation Method 1

a supply device to supply at least one of heated air and steam to the treating chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

a supply device to supply at least one of heated air and steam to the treating chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSteam generation: Phase Change

Implementation Method 3

a driving part to generate a rotational force, wherein the hanger bar comprises a hanger groove having a hanger hung thereon

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRotational force generation:

Data Source

PatentEP2389476B1Laundry treating apparatus
Publication Date: 2017.10.04 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2389476B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2389476B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2389476B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A laundry treating apparatus is disclosed. The laundry treating apparatus (100) includes a treating chamber (110) to accommodate laundry; a supply device (120) to supply at least one of heated air and steam to the treating chamber (110); a hanger bar (150) provided in the treating chamber; and a driving part (113) to generate a rotational force, wherein the hanger bar (150) comprises a hanger groove (151) having a hanger (200) hung thereon and the hanger groove (151) is configured of plural steps having different widths (W1, W2), respectively.