Patent Publication Number: US-2009229315-A1

Title: Laundry treating apparatus

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0023570, filed on Mar. 13, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus, and more particularly to a laundry treating apparatus capable of removing moisture form the interior of the laundry treating apparatus after the completion of operation of the laundry treating apparatus, thereby preventing generation of an offensive odor and propagation of bacteria caused by moisture in the interior of the laundry treating apparatus. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     A laundry treating apparatus means a machine used to perform a treatment such as washing, drying, and regeneration. Typically, such a laundry treating apparatus means a washing machine having a function to wash laundry, a drying machine having a function to dry washed laundry, or a washing/drying machine having both the washing and drying functions. 
     Generally, such a conventional laundry treating apparatus is of a top loading type in which laundry is loaded into the laundry treating apparatus through the top of an outer case. In this case, accordingly, a top lid provided at the top of the outer case is opened when it is desired to load laundry into the laundry treating apparatus. The laundry treating apparatus operates under the condition in which the top lid is closed. In order to unload the laundry after the completion of the operation, the top lid is again opened. 
     Generally, the above-mentioned conventional laundry treating apparatus is maintained in a sealed state after the unloading of the laundry. For this reason, there is a problem in that the laundry treating apparatus get damp due to water left in the interior thereof after the completion of the operation. 
     In this case, a circuit board included in a control panel of the laundry treating apparatus may be short-circuited due to moisture. In addition, where the laundry treating apparatus is maintained in the sealed state for a prolonged period of time, there may be a sanitation problem in that an offensive odor may be generated, or mold or bacteria may propagate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a laundry treating apparatus that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treating apparatus, in which the interior of the laundry treating apparatus can communicate with the exterior of the laundry treating apparatus, to flow air therebetween, thereby being capable of preventing the interior of the laundry treating apparatus from getting damp. 
     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a laundry treating apparatus comprises: an outer case defining an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus; a washing tub arranged in the outer case, to receive laundry; a top lid mounted to a top of the outer case such that the top lid is openable and closeable; and an air flow assembly defining a passage communicating an interior of the outer case and an exterior of the outer case. 
     The air flow assembly may be arranged at a position deviated to one side of the top lid, to allow ambient air to enter and leave the air flow assembly during rotation of the washing tub. 
     The air flow assembly may comprise a ventilating member for allowing ambient air to enter and leave the air flow assembly, a filter unit separably installed over the ventilating member, and a cover member installed over the ventilating member, to define an appearance of the air flow assembly. 
     The filter unit may comprise a filter for removing foreign matter from the ambient air introduced into the outer case, and a housing for holding the filter. 
     The housing may be insert-molded in a state, in which the filter is held in the housing, such that the housing is integrally formed with the filter. 
     The housing may comprise upper and lower housings separably coupled to each other. 
     The filter may be interposed between the upper and lower housings. 
     The ventilating member may comprise bosses respectively provided at opposite sides of the ventilating member, to couple the filter unit to the ventilating member. 
     The housing may comprise cap-shaped boss guides respectively provided at opposite sides of the ventilating member such that the boss guides can receive the bosses, respectively. 
     Each boss guide may be upwardly protruded to a height corresponding to the cover member, to support a portion of the cover member. 
     The filter unit may be installed such that the filter unit is spaced apart from the ventilating member by a predetermined distance, to allow air to easily enter and leave the filter unit. 
     The filter unit may further comprise a rib downwardly protruded from the housing along a peripheral edge of the housing. 
     The housing may be provided with a grasping rib protruded from an upper surface of the housing, to allow the user to grasp the grasping rib when it is desired to separate the housing. 
     The cover member may comprise a decoration member coupled to an upper surface of the top lid, and formed with an opening, and a door mounted to the decoration member, to open and close the opening. 
     The door may be installed to be opened in an outward direction of the washing tub. 
     The door may be pivotally coupled to the decoration member by a hinge. 
     The door may be installed such that an opening inclination of the door can be selectively adjusted. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view illustrating an inner configuration of a laundry treating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view illustrating an air flow assembly according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the air flow assembly; and 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are perspective views illustrating a configuration of a filter unit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     The present invention is applied, in an exemplary embodiment thereof, to a washing machine for washing laundry loaded therein. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this application. The present invention is applicable to any laundry treating apparatus as long as the laundry treating apparatus is configured to treat laundry therein, using water supplied from the outside thereof. 
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view illustrating an inner configuration of a laundry treating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the laundry treating apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention includes an outer case  10  defining an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus, a water tub  20  arranged in the outer case  10 , to receive wash water, and a washing tub  30  arranged in the water tub  20 , to perform washing and spin-drying operations for laundry. The laundry treating apparatus also includes a pulsator  35  mounted to a bottom of the washing tub  30  within the washing tub  30 , to generate a flow of water in accordance with rotation thereof, and thus to wash the laundry, and a driving unit  40  connected to the pulsator  35 , to rotate the pulsator  35 . 
     A water supply unit  50  is installed at a top of the water tub  20 , to supply wash water to the water tub  20 . At a bottom of the water tub  20 , a draining unit  60  is installed to externally drain wash water. The laundry treating apparatus further includes a top lid  80  mounted to a top of the outer case  10  such that it can be opened and closed. 
     In addition to the washing tub  30 , various devices for performing operations for treatment of laundry are installed in the outer case  10 . The outer case  10  defines the appearance of the laundry treating apparatus while protecting the devices installed therein. 
     A top cover  70  is mounted to the top of the outer case  10 . A control panel  90  for controlling the laundry treating apparatus is mounted to an upper surface of the top cover  70 , in addition to the top lid  80 . 
     The control panel  90  may include various operating elements  92  for allowing the user to control operation of the laundry treating apparatus. A separate display  91  may also be provided at the control panel  90 , to display contents of operation of the laundry treating apparatus. 
     The top lid  80  may be mounted to the top cover  70  by a connecting member such as a hinge such that it can be opened and closed. Accordingly, the user can load laundry into the washing tub  30  or unload washed laundry from the washing tub  30  after opening the top lid  80 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the top lid  80  is pivotally connected to a rear portion of the top cover  70  by a hinge. The top lid  80  is mounted such that it is upwardly pivoted about the hinge from a front side, to open and close the laundry treating apparatus. 
     In order to allow the user to easily open and close the top lid  80 , a grip  85  may be formed at a front portion of the top lid  80 . More preferably, the top lid  80  may be folded at a central portion thereof, in order to allow the user to open and close the top lid  80  by lifting the top lid  80  along a track having a small radius. 
     Meanwhile, the laundry treating apparatus may further include an air flow assembly  100  for forming a passage communicating the interior of the outer case  10  and the exterior of the outer case  10 . The air flow assembly  100  may be installed at the top of the top lid  80 . 
     In a general laundry treating apparatus, which treats laundry, using wash water supplied from the outside of the laundry treating apparatus, a certain amount of water may be left on an inner wall of a water tub containing the wash water and in a draining passage, even after the wash water is drained upon completion of operation of the laundry treating apparatus. 
     For this reason, if the interior of the laundry treating apparatus is completely sealed from the exterior of the laundry treating apparatus, it may be maintained in a high humid state due to the left water. In this case, a circuit board included in a control panel of the laundry treating apparatus may be short-circuited due to moisture. In addition, where the laundry treating apparatus is maintained in the sealed state for a prolonged period of time, there may be a sanitation problem in that an offensive odor may be generated, or mold or bacteria may propagate. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to communicate the interior of the laundry treating apparatus and the exterior of the laundry treating apparatus, using the air flow assembly  100 , as in the illustrated embodiment. 
     In this case, the laundry treating apparatus is provided with a passage allowing ambient air to enter and leave the interior of the laundry treating apparatus. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that moisture present in the interior of the laundry treating apparatus can be naturally discharged to the exterior of the laundry treating apparatus. 
     The introduction of ambient air through the air flow assembly  100  may be promoted by a differential pressure generated during rotation of the washing tub  30 . 
     When a spin-drying operation is carried out as a final process in a washing cycle, ambient air is positively introduced into the washing tub  30  in accordance with a high-speed rotation of the washing tub  30 , and then outwardly ejected from the washing tub  30 . Thus, the ambient air performs a function to take off wash water left on the inner wall of the water tub  30 . As a result, the amount of water left on the water tub  30  after the completion of operation of the laundry treating apparatus is considerably reduced. 
     Where a laundry drying operation is performed after the completion of the washing operation in the laundry treating apparatus, under the condition in which the washing tub  30  rotates, humid air produced during the laundry drying operation can be exchanged with ambient dry air in accordance with the rotation of the washing tub  30 . In this case, accordingly, an enhancement in laundry drying efficiency is achieved. 
     When the deviation of the installation position of the air flow assembly  100  on the top lid  80  from the center of the washing tub  30  increases, the amount of ambient air introduced into the washing tub  30  during rotation of the washing tub  30  increases. Accordingly, it is desirable to form the air flow assembly at a position deviated to one side of the top lid  80 . 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view illustrating the air flow assembly  100 .  FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the air flow assembly  100 . Hereinafter, the air flow assembly  100  will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the air flow assembly  100  includes a ventilating member  110  for allowing ambient air to enter and leave the air flow assembly  100 , a filter unit  130  installed over the ventilating member  110 , and a cover member  120  installed over the filter unit  130 , to define an appearance of the air flow assembly  100 . 
     The ventilating member  110  may include a plurality of ventilating holes  111  to allow air present in the interior of the outer case  10  to be exchanged with ambient air. 
     The ventilating member  110  is preferably mounted at a position downwardly stepped from an upper surface of the top lid  80 . This is because it is undesirable for the structure of the ventilating member  110  to be outwardly exposed, in terms of appearance beauty. Also, it is possible to secure an installation space for the filter unit  130  when the ventilating member  110  is mounted at the above-described position. 
     The ventilating member  110  may be directly installed on the top lid  80  in the form of a step. Of course, it is preferred that the ventilating member  110  be integrally formed with the cover member  120  while being downwardly stepped from the upper surface of the top lid  80  such that the air flow assembly  100  can be mounted to the top lid  80  after being separately manufactured, as in the illustrated embodiment. 
     Meanwhile, the cover member  120  may be exposed at the upper surface of the top lid  80 , to define an appearance of the air flow assembly  100  while protecting the ventilating member  110  and filter unit  130 . An opening  122  is formed through the cover member  120 , to allow air to flow through the cover member  120 . A decoration member  121  may also be provided at the outside of the cover member  120 . The decoration member  121  is coupled with the upper surface of the top lid  80 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a seat  81  is provided at the upper surface of the top lid  80  such that it is stepped from the upper surface of the top lid  80  to a certain depth while extending along an upper edge of the ventilating member  110 . In this case, the decoration member  121  of the cover member  120  is seated on the seat  81 . 
     Preferably, the depth of the seat  81  stepped from the upper surface of the top lid  80  corresponds to the thickness of the decoration member  121 . In this case, an enhancement in appearance beauty is achieved because the decoration member  121  is flush with the upper surface of the top lid  80  while being protruded from the upper surface of the top lid  80 . 
     Meanwhile, it is preferred that the opening  122  of the cover member  120  be formed to have an area larger than the area of the filter unit  130 . This is because, when it is necessary to outwardly take out the filter unit  130 , it is desirable for the filter unit  130  to be outwardly taken out through the opening  130  in that the filter unit  130  is separably installed over the ventilating member  110  (The configuration of the filter unit  130  will be described in detail later.). 
     It is also preferred that the cover member  120  be formed to prevent the inside of the opening  122  from being outwardly exposed. This is because the ventilating member  110  and filter unit  130  arranged inside the opening  122  do not have a beautiful appearance, and there may be a possibility that foreign matter may be introduced into the opening  122 , thereby interfering with a flow of air. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, accordingly, the cover member  120  may further include a member to shield the opening  122 . More preferably, the shield member may comprise a door configured to selectively open the opening  122 , and thus to allow the filter unit  130  to be outwardly taken out, as described above. 
     Preferably, the door  123  is arranged over the opening  122 , and is pivotably connected to the decoration member  121  by a hinge. Accordingly, the door  123  shields the inside of the air flow assembly  100  in a closed state thereof, while allowing the filter unit  130  to be outwardly taken out in an opened state thereof. 
     The door  123  may be configured to allow air to flow through the air flow assembly  100  in the closed state thereof. To this end, the shield member  123  may have an area smaller than the opening  122  such that it is spaced apart from the decoration member  121  by a certain distance even in the closed state thereof. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the door  123  includes coupling portions  124  extending forwardly from a lower surface of the door  123  in a bent state. Preferably, the coupling portions  124  are pivotally connected to a lower portion of the decoration member  121  by hinges. In this case, there is an improvement in appearance beauty because the coupling portions  124  are not outwardly exposed. However, it is preferred that the coupling portions  124  be mounted to a lower end of the decoration member  121  adjacent to the opening  122 , in order to allow the door  123  to be completely upwardly opened. 
     More preferably, the door  123  is configured to selectively adjust an opening inclination thereof, namely, an opening degree thereof, and thus to adjust the amount of ambient air introduced through the door  123 . 
     To this end, it is preferred that the coupling portions  124  be configured to pivot stepwise about the portion of the decoration member  121 , to which the coupling portions  124  are coupled, in order to adjust the opening inclination angle of the door  123 . 
     Ambient air introduced during rotation of the washing tub is directed to a rotational center of the washing tub. To this end, it is preferred that the door  123  is installed to be openable in an outward direction of the washing tub  30  such that it guides ambient air introduced in an opened state thereof toward the rotational center of the washing tub  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     Meanwhile, the filter unit  130  functions to filter air introduced into the laundry treating apparatus after passing through the air flow assembly  100 , to remove foreign matter from the air. 
     Preferably, the filter unit  130  includes a filter  132  for removing foreign matter from air, and a housing  131  for holding the filter  132 . 
     It is also preferred that the housing  131  be formed to have an opening sufficiently opened to prevent a flow of air through the ventilating holes  111  from being restricted. In the illustrated embodiment, accordingly, the housing  131  has, at the inside thereof, a shape corresponding to a shape formed by the ventilating holes  111  of the ventilating member  110 . 
     Preferably, the filter unit  130  is installed such that it can be upwardly separated over the top lid  80 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . When foreign matter is excessively accumulated on the filter unit  130  due to the use of the filter unit  130  for a prolonged period of time, the flow of air through the air flow assembly  100  may be restricted. In this connection, it is possible to easily replace the filter unit  130  by a new one, and to easily clean the filter unit  130  because the filter unit  130  is separably installed in accordance with the illustrated embodiment. 
     Preferably, the filter unit  130  is installed such that it is seated on the ventilating member  110 . In particular, where the filter unit  140  is seated on the ventilating member  110 , it is possible to identify the state of the filter unit  130  through the cover member  120  even in a closed state of the top lid  80 . Also, it is possible to easily upwardly separate the filter unit  130 . Thus, it is possible to easily check the state of the filter unit  130 , if necessary, and to immediately perform cleaning and replacement of the filter unit  130  when it is checked that an abnormality has occurred. 
     In detail, as shown in  FIG. 4 , bosses  112  are provided at opposite sides of the ventilating member  110 , to fix the position of the filter unit  130 . Cap-shaped boss guides  133  are provided at opposite sides of the housing  131  of the filter unit  130 . The boss guides  133  are coupled with the bosses  122  over the bosses  122 . 
     In order to prevent the filter unit  130  from being separated from the ventilating member  110  when the top lid  80  is opened or closed, it is preferred that each boss guide  133  be provided, at a lower surface thereof, with a groove having the same size as the boss  122  such that the corresponding boss  122  can be fitted in the groove. 
     Preferably, each boss guide  133  is protruded to a height corresponding to the cover member  120  such that it supports a portion of the cover member  120 , namely, the door  123 . 
     The door  123  is pivotally connected to the decoration member  121  by a hinge while being spaced apart from the filter unit  130  arranged therebeneath by a certain distance. When an external force is applied to the door  123 , the connecting portions of the door  123  and decoration member  121  may be broken. Also, if there is no structure supporting the door  123 , the door  123  may be downwardly hung in a closed state thereof. Thus, there may be undesirable results in terms of appearance beauty. 
     To this end, in the illustrated embodiment, each boss guide  133  is protruded to a height corresponding to the cover member  120 , to support the door  123 . Accordingly, the door  123  is in contact with the upper surfaces of the boss guides  133 , so that it can be stably seated on the upper surfaces of the boss guides  133 . Where the door  123  is seated in the above-described manner, it can be flush with the upper surface of the top lid  80 . Accordingly, a stable appearance can be provided. 
     Meanwhile, a grasping rib  134  may be upwardly protruded from the upper surface of the housing  131 . In this case, the user can easily separate the housing  131 , using the grasping rib  134 . 
     It is preferred that the filter unit  130  be installed such that it is spaced apart from the ventilating member  110  by a certain distance, to allow air to easily pass through the air flow assembly  100 . This is because, if the filter unit  130  is installed to be in contact with the upper surface of the ventilating member  110 , the passage, through which air flows, may be restricted. 
     In order to secure a desired ventilation, in the illustrated embodiment, it is preferred that a rib  135  be downwardly protruded from the peripheral edge of the housing  131 . In this case, although the filter unit  130  is seated on the boss  112 , it is possible to secure a sufficient passage because the filter unit  130  is spaced apart from the ventilating member  110  by the height of the rib  135 . Of course, it may be possible to secure the passage by forming the bosses  112  such that they have a height larger than the depth of the grooves of the boss guides  133 , without using the rib  135 . 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate the filter unit of the air flow assembly according to the illustrated embodiment. 
     As described above, the filter unit  130  includes the filter  132 , which removes foreign matter from air, and the housing  131 , which holds the filter  132 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the filter  132  is integrally formed with the housing  131 . That is, the filter unit  130  may be configured such that the filter is integrally formed with the housing  131  by molding the housing  131  under the condition in which the filter  132  is disposed in a mold for the housing  131 , using an insert molding process. 
     Of course, this structure is intended only for illustrative purposes. In another example, the housing  131  and filter  132  may be configured to be separable from each other. Also, the housing  131  may be configured to be divided into an upper housing  131   a  and a lower housing  131   b , as shown in  FIG. 6B . In this case, the filter  132  may be interposed between the upper and lower housings  131   a  and  131   b . In this case, there is an advantage in that it is possible to replace only the filter  132  by a new one, as compared to the filter unit shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     Thus, the filter unit of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and the technical idea of the present invention can be implemented using various filter units other than the above-described filter unit. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     The laundry treating apparatus according to the present invention prevents moisture from staying in the interior of the laundry treating apparatus for a prolonged period of time, even in a closed state of the top lid. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a failure of the laundry treating apparatus, generation of an offensive odor and propagation of bacteria in the interior of the laundry treating apparatus. 
     In addition, since the filter is installed in a region where air flows, it is possible to prevent external foreign matter from being introduced into the laundry treating apparatus. Also, there is an advantage in that easy cleaning and replacement of the filter can be achieved because the filter is separably installed.