Patent Description:
Generally, a laundry treatment apparatus is a generic term for an apparatus that washes laundry (i.e. objects to be washed or objects to be dried), an apparatus that dries laundry, and an apparatus that may perform both washing and drying of laundry.

Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses are classified into front loading type laundry treatment apparatuses configured such that laundry is introduced through an introduction opening formed in the front surface of the apparatus, and top loading type laundry treatment apparatuses configured such that laundry is introduced through an introduction opening formed in the upper surface of the apparatus.

A top loading type laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet, a tub provided inside the cabinet and having an introduction opening in the upper surface thereof, a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, and a door for opening and closing the introduction opening.

In the conventional laundry treatment apparatus having the configuration described above, the tub is fixed inside the cabinet using a tub support unit. However, a conventional tub support unit cannot effectively prevent the tub from vibrating in the height direction of the cabinet.

In addition, some conventional laundry treatment apparatuses are devised to have a minimum volume in order to wash only a very small amount of laundry. Such a laundry treatment apparatus having a minimum volume has the feature of a very small distance between the introduction opening and the upper end of the drum. Therefore, impurities, which are generated inside the tub when the drum is rotated to wash laundry, remain on the door.

The conventional laundry treatment apparatus having a minimum volume has a narrow space for fixing the tub inside the cabinet, thus suffering in that an operation for fixing the tub is very complicated and difficult.

In the conventional laundry treatment apparatus, the tub support unit is tilted relative to both the tub and the cabinet, thus occupying a relatively wide space between the tub and the cabinet, which makes it impossible to minimize the volume of the laundry treatment apparatus.

The conventional laundry treatment apparatus having a minimum volume problematically entails the possibility of a collision between the tub and the cabinet or the drawer when the tub vibrates.

Because the tub support unit is rigidly coupled to the tub, the conventional laundry treatment apparatus has a problem in that the vibration of the tub is wholly transmitted to the cabinet.

<CIT> relates to a suspension apparatus of a washing machine which supports a washing tub in a suspended state in a casing of the washing machine. The suspension apparatus includes suspension rods supporting the washing tub in the casing in a suspended state, damper bases installed at the lower ends of the suspension rods, damping force changing members fitted around the suspension rods so as to be compressed according to the variations in load of the washing tub and change the damping force, and elastic members installed between the damping force changing members and the damper bases.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a laundry treatment apparatus that substantially obviates one or more in problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus, which may effectively control vibration of a tub in which laundry is received.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus, which may ensure an easy operation of fixing a tub to a cabinet despite a minimum volume thereof.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus, which may minimize a space between a tub and a cabinet.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus, which may prevent a collision between the upper portion of a tub and the upper portion of a cabinet when the tub vibrates.

In addition, a further object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus, which may prevent vibration of a tub from being wholly transmitted to a cabinet through a tub support unit, which is movable relative to the tub.

These objects are achieved with the features of the claims.

Additional advantages, objects, and features 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. The objectives and other advantages 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, in accordance with the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus includes all the features of independent claim <NUM>. In the context of the present invention, the term "separably" means that the at least one first support member is removably coupled to the housing.

The connector may connect the first support member and the second support member to each other so as to be parallel to a side surface of the tub.

The housing may have a hexahedral shape, and the first support members may include two first brackets provided on one surface of the housing so as to be separably coupled to the housing, and two second brackets provided on a surface of the housing facing the surface on which the first brackets are provided.

The two first brackets and the two second brackets may be provided at respective corners of the housing.

The laundry treatment apparatus may further include two body separable-coupling pieces provided on the housing so that the two first brackets are separably coupled to the two body separable-coupling pieces.

The first brackets may be formed of a self-lubricating material.

According to the invention, the connector includes a first connection piece configured so as to be seated on the first support member, a second connection piece for supporting the second support member, and a bar for connecting the first connection piece and the second connection piece to each other, the bar forming a right angle with respect to a bottom surface of the housing.

The first connection piece and the second connection piece may be formed of a self-lubricating material.

The first support members may include a first bracket provided on the connector so as to be separably coupled to the housing, and a second bracket fixed to the housing.

The first bracket may include two first brackets separably coupled to a front surface of the housing, and the second bracket may include two second brackets provided on a rear surface of the housing.

The laundry treatment apparatus may further include a cabinet for providing a space in which the housing is received, and the housing may be configured so as to be discharged from the cabinet.

The tub may include a tub body for storing water, the second support member being provided on the tub body, a tub cover for forming an upper surface of the tub body, an introduction aperture formed in the tub cover, and a door for opening and closing the introduction aperture.

The laundry treatment apparatus may further include a rotating shaft provided so as to form a right angle with respect to a bottom surface of the tub body for rotating the drum, and an ejection unit for ejecting at least some of water, moved toward the tub cover by centrifugal force generated while the drum is rotated, to the door.

The first brackets and the body separable-coupling pieces may be coupled to each other via a fastening structure, and the fastening structure may include a fastening hole formed in each of the first brackets, a second fastening hole formed in each of the body separable-coupling piece, and a coupler configured so as to be inserted into the respective fastening holes.

The connector may include a bar forming a right angle with respect to a bottom surface of the housing, and each of the first brackets may include a receiving recess for supporting the first connection piece, a through-hole for penetration of the bar, and a connector cover for preventing the first connection piece, supported in the receiving recess, from being separated from the receiving recess.

Each of the second brackets may include a through-hole for penetration of the bar of the connector, a receiving recess for supporting the first connection piece, and a slit for allowing the bar to be inserted from an edge of the through-hole toward a center of the through-hole.

Each of the first brackets may be integrally formed with the connector.

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 present invention as claimed.

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the present invention. In the drawings:.

Meanwhile, the configuration of an apparatus or a control method of the apparatus, which will be described below, is merely given to describe the embodiments of the present invention, without being intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The same reference numerals used throughout the specification refer to the same constituent elements.

A laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a housing, a tub provided inside the housing for storing water therein, a drum rotatably provided inside the tub for storing laundry therein, and a tub support unit for allowing the tub to be supported inside the housing.

Although the housing may be configured as a cabinet defining a space, in which the tub may be received, therein, as exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the housing <NUM> may be configured as a drawer, which may be discharged from a cabinet <NUM>. The following description will focus on the case wherein the housing <NUM> is a drawer configured so as to be discharged from the cabinet <NUM>.

The cabinet <NUM> may serve to define the external appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>, and may simply be a space in which the housing <NUM> may be received. In any case, the cabinet <NUM> may be provided in the front surface thereof with an opening <NUM>, through which the housing <NUM> is inserted.

The housing <NUM> includes a housing body <NUM> configured to be inserted to the inside of the cabinet <NUM> through the opening <NUM>, a housing panel <NUM> fixed to the front surface of the housing body <NUM> for opening and closing the opening <NUM>, and a housing cover <NUM> for forming the upper surface of the housing body <NUM>.

Because the housing panel <NUM> is fixed to the front surface of the housing body <NUM>, the housing panel <NUM> may serve as a handle for discharging the housing body <NUM> from the cabinet <NUM>.

The housing panel <NUM> may be provided with a control panel <NUM>, which is used to input a control command associated with the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> and to notify a user of a message associated with the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>.

The housing body <NUM> may have any shape so long as it can be inserted into the cabinet <NUM> through the opening <NUM> and can provide a space in which a tub <NUM> is received. <FIG> illustrates the housing body <NUM> having an empty hexahedral shape by way of example.

The housing cover <NUM> has a first through-hole <NUM> and a second through-hole <NUM> for communicating the inside of the housing body <NUM> with the outside. The first through-hole <NUM> is provided for the introduction and discharge of laundry, and the second through-hole <NUM> is provided to supply water required to wash the laundry. A detailed description related thereto will follow.

As exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the tub <NUM> includes a tub body <NUM> located inside the housing body <NUM> for storing water therein, and a tub cover <NUM> for forming the upper surface of the tub body <NUM>. The tub body <NUM> may take the form of a cylinder having an open upper surface. The tub body <NUM> may be provided in the bottom surface thereof with a receiving portion <NUM> in which a heater <NUM> is received.

The receiving portion <NUM> communicates with the outside through a tub through-hole <NUM>. The heater <NUM> is inserted into a space between the bottom surface of the drum and the bottom surface of the tub through the tub through-hole <NUM>.

The tub cover <NUM> may have an introduction aperture <NUM> for communicating the inside of the tub body <NUM> with the outside of the tub body <NUM>, and a supply aperture <NUM> for introducing water into the tub body <NUM>.

The introduction aperture <NUM> may be provided so as to communicate with the first through-hole <NUM> provided in the housing cover <NUM>, and the supply aperture <NUM> may be provided so as to communicate with the second through-hole <NUM> provided in the housing cover <NUM>. That is, the introduction aperture <NUM> may be located under the first through-hole <NUM>, and the supply aperture <NUM> may be located under the second through-hole <NUM>.

The introduction aperture <NUM> serves to allow laundry to be introduced into the tub body <NUM>, or to allow the laundry inside the tub body <NUM> to be discharged to the outside of the tub body <NUM>. The introduction aperture <NUM> is opened and closed by a door <NUM>.

As exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the door <NUM> may include a frame <NUM> rotatably coupled to the tub cover <NUM> via a hinge <NUM>, a window <NUM> provided in the frame <NUM>, and a door handle <NUM> for separably coupling the frame <NUM> to the tub cover <NUM>.

The window <NUM> may be formed of a transparent material to allow the user to view the inside of the tub body <NUM>.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent the water inside the tub body <NUM> from being discharged to the outside of the tub body <NUM> through the introduction aperture <NUM>, any one of the frame <NUM> and the tub cover <NUM> may be provided with a sealing unit <NUM> for hermetically sealing a space between the frame <NUM> and the introduction aperture <NUM> when the door <NUM> closes the introduction aperture <NUM>.

The drum <NUM>, which is provided inside the tub <NUM>, may include a cylindrical drum body <NUM> having an opening <NUM> formed in the upper surface thereof. Because the opening <NUM> is located below the introduction aperture <NUM>, the laundry supplied through the introduction aperture <NUM> may be supplied to the drum body <NUM> through the opening <NUM>.

As exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, a plurality of drum through-holes <NUM> may be provided in a bottom surface <NUM> and a circumferential surface <NUM> of the drum body <NUM> for communicating the inside of the drum body <NUM> with the tub body <NUM>.

The drum body <NUM> may be rotated inside the tub body <NUM> by a drive unit. The drive unit may include a stator M1 located outside the tub body <NUM> and fixed to the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM>, a rotor M2 configured to be rotated by a rotating magnetic field provided by the stator M1, and a rotating shaft M3 penetrating the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM> for connecting the bottom surface <NUM> of the drum <NUM> and the rotor M3 to each other. In this case, the rotating shaft M3 may form a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM>.

The tub <NUM> having the configuration described above may be coupled to the housing body <NUM> via a tub support unit <NUM>. According to the invention, the tub support unit <NUM> includes a first support member <NUM> provided at the housing body <NUM>, a second support member <NUM> provided at the tub body <NUM>, and a connector <NUM> for connecting the first support member <NUM> and the second support member <NUM> to each other.

As exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, according to the invention, the connector <NUM> includes a first connection piece <NUM> configured so as to be seated in the first support member <NUM>, a second connection piece <NUM> for supporting the second support member <NUM>, and a bar <NUM> for connecting the first connection piece <NUM> and the second connection piece <NUM> to each other.

The first connection piece <NUM> may be shaped so as to be movable in the first support member <NUM> while being seated in the first support member <NUM>. The second connection piece <NUM> may be shaped so as to support the second support member <NUM> and to be movable in the second support member <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates the first connection piece <NUM> and the second connection piece <NUM>, which have a semispherical surface in contact with the respective support members <NUM> and <NUM> by way of example, and <FIG> illustrates the first connection piece <NUM> and the second connection piece <NUM>, which have a spherical shape by way of example.

Meanwhile, as exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the respective support members <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided at a position so that the bar <NUM> forms a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the cabinet <NUM> (i.e. a position so that the bar <NUM> forms a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the housing <NUM>).

In the present invention, because at least three tub support units <NUM> are provided to couple the tub body <NUM> to the housing body <NUM> and the bars <NUM> form a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the housing body <NUM>, the distance between the tub cover <NUM> and the housing cover <NUM> may be increased compared to the case where the bars <NUM> are tilted by a prescribed angle relative to the Z-axis (S1>S2).

Accordingly, the tub support units <NUM> provided in the present invention may reduce the possibility of the tub cover <NUM> colliding with the housing cover <NUM> even if the tub body <NUM> vibrates inside the housing body <NUM>.

Meanwhile, when the bars <NUM> are provided so as to form a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the housing body <NUM>, some of the first support members <NUM> may be separably coupled to the housing body <NUM>.

When at least three tub support units <NUM> are provided and the first support members <NUM> are not separable from the housing body <NUM>, a worker who attempts to fix the tub body <NUM> to the housing body <NUM> first needs to insert the tub body <NUM> into the housing body <NUM> so as to prevent the first support members <NUM> from interfering with the second support members <NUM>, and thereafter needs to rotate the tub body <NUM> so that the second support members <NUM> and the first support members <NUM> are located on the vertical axis, in order to couple the first connection pieces <NUM> to the first support members <NUM>.

Although the feature by which the bars <NUM> of the tub support units <NUM> form a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the housing <NUM> serves to minimize the distance between the outer circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM> and the inner circumferential surface of the housing body <NUM> (S3<S4) so as to minimize the volume of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>, the strength of assembly of the first connection pieces <NUM> and the first support members <NUM> may be deteriorated while the process described above is performed. This problem may be solved by making some of the first support members <NUM> be separable from the housing body <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates the case where four tub support units <NUM> are provided by way of example. In this case, the first support members <NUM> may include a pair of first brackets <NUM> arranged on the surface on which the housing panel <NUM> is located (i.e. the front surface of the housing <NUM>), and a pair of second brackets <NUM> arranged on the rear surface of the housing <NUM>. When the housing body <NUM> has a hexahedral shape, the two first brackets <NUM> and the two second brackets <NUM> may be provided at the respective corners of the housing body <NUM>.

Alternatively, the pair of first brackets <NUM> may be arranged on the left side surface of the housing body <NUM>, and the pair of second brackets <NUM> may be arranged on the right side surface of the housing body <NUM>.

In any case, at least one pair of the first brackets <NUM> and the second brackets <NUM> may be separably coupled to body separable coupling pieces <NUM> fixed to the housing body <NUM> (when three tub support units <NUM> are provided, at least one first support member <NUM> may be separably coupled to the housing body <NUM>).

<FIG> illustrates, by way of example, the case where the pair of first brackets <NUM> is separable from the housing body <NUM>, but the pair of second brackets <NUM> is not separable from the housing body <NUM>.

When the first brackets <NUM> are separably coupled to the body separable coupling pieces <NUM>, the coupling of the tub body <NUM> and the housing body <NUM> may be performed as follows.

The worker couples the connectors <NUM> to the four second support members <NUM> provided on the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM>, and then couples a pair of connectors <NUM>, selected from among the four connectors <NUM>, to the second brackets <NUM> arranged on the rear surface of the housing <NUM>.

Once a pair of the first connection pieces <NUM> is seated on the respective second brackets <NUM>, the worker may couple the tub body <NUM> and the housing body <NUM> to each other by coupling the first brackets <NUM> to the two remaining connectors <NUM>, and then fixing the first brackets <NUM> to the body separable coupling pieces <NUM>.

In this way, the present invention may prevent the possibility of deterioration in the strength of assembly of the tub body <NUM> and the housing body <NUM> by arranging the connectors <NUM> so as to form a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the housing <NUM>.

In order to improve the strength of assembly of the tub body <NUM> and the housing body <NUM>, the first brackets <NUM> may be integrally formed with the connectors <NUM>. That is, when the worker attempts to assembly the tub body <NUM> and the housing body <NUM> with each other, the first brackets <NUM> coupled to the first connection pieces <NUM> may be provided to the worker.

Each of the first brackets <NUM> may include a receiving recess for supporting the first connection piece <NUM>, a through-hole for the penetration of the bar <NUM>, and a connector cover for preventing the first connection piece <NUM> supported in the receiving recess from being separated from the receiving recess.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure that the tub body <NUM> coupled via the tub support units <NUM> described above is movable in the X-Y plane, each of the second brackets <NUM> may include a through-hole 615c for the penetration of the bar <NUM> of the connector <NUM>, a receiving recess 615a for supporting the first connection piece <NUM>, and a slit 615b for allowing the bar <NUM> to be inserted toward the center of the through-hole 615c from the edge of the through-hole 615c.

The first bracket <NUM> may have the same shape as the second bracket <NUM>. That is, as exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the first bracket <NUM> may include a through-hole 611c for the penetration of the bar <NUM> of the connector <NUM>, a receiving recess 611a for supporting the first connection piece <NUM>, and a slit 611b for allowing the bar <NUM> to be inserted toward the center of the through-hole 611c from the edge of the through-hole 611c.

The first bracket <NUM> may be coupled to the body separable coupling piece <NUM> via a fastening structure. The fastening structure may include a first fastening hole 611d formed in the first bracket <NUM>, a second fastening hole <NUM> formed in the body separable coupling piece <NUM>, and a coupler C inserted through the respective fastening holes.

As exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, each of the second support members <NUM> provided at the tub body <NUM> may include a receiving recess <NUM> configured so as to be seated on the second connection piece <NUM>, a through-hole <NUM>, into which the bar <NUM> of the connector <NUM> is inserted, and a slit <NUM> for allowing the bar <NUM> to be inserted toward the center of the through-hole <NUM> from the edge of the through-hole <NUM>.

Because the first support member <NUM> and the second support member <NUM> described above serve as support points for the connector <NUM> when the tub body <NUM> vibrates, the lower amount of friction between the first support member <NUM> and the first connection piece <NUM> and the lower amount of friction between the second support member <NUM> and the second connection piece <NUM> may be more advantageous. Accordingly, the first support member <NUM> and the second support member <NUM> may be formed of a self-lubricating material.

However, in consideration of the fact that the first support member <NUM> is formed of the same material as the housing body <NUM> via injection molding and that the second support member <NUM> is formed of the same material as the tub body <NUM> via injection molding, only the first connection piece <NUM> and the second connection piece <NUM> may be formed of a self-lubricating material, or only the first bracket <NUM>, the first connection piece <NUM>, and the second connection piece <NUM> may be formed of a self-lubricating material.

Meanwhile, as exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the second support members <NUM> protrude from the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM>. At least one 63A of the second support members <NUM> may protrude from the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM> in a direction F2 that is parallel to a direction F1 in which the heater <NUM> is inserted into the receiving portion <NUM> (i.e. a direction in which the heater <NUM> is separated from the receiving portion <NUM>).

When the second support member 63A protrudes in a direction that is not parallel to the direction F1 in which the heater <NUM> is assembled into the receiving portion <NUM>, it may be difficult to manufacture the tub body <NUM> via injection molding, or it may be necessary to increase the number of cores provided in a mold.

In order to provide any one 63A of the second support members in the direction parallel to the direction in which the heater <NUM> is assembled, it is necessary to set the protruding direction F2 of the second support member 63A to the assembly direction F1 of the heater <NUM>, or to set the assembly direction F1 of the heater <NUM> to the protruding direction F2 of the second support member 63A.

In order to support the tub body <NUM> in the most stable state, the second support members <NUM> need to be radially arranged on the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM> and need to be spaced apart from one another by the same angle. That the second support members <NUM> are radially arranged on the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM> means that all of the second support members <NUM> are provided at symmetrical positions about the rotating shaft M3, which is located at the center of the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM>. Accordingly, when all of the second support members <NUM> are radially arranged on the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM>, the assembly direction of the heater <NUM> may be the direction F3 in which the heater <NUM> is assembled toward the rotation center of the drum <NUM>.

In the case described above, when the assembly direction of the heater <NUM> is set to the direction in which the second support member <NUM> protrudes from the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM>, the length of the receiving portion <NUM> in which the heater <NUM> is received is limited by the stator M1, which is fixed underneath the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM>.

Because the height that the receiving portion <NUM> may protrude from the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM> is limited (i.e. the thickness of the heater <NUM> is limited) when the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> has a minimum volume, it is difficult to configure the heater <NUM> to have a long length when the length of the receiving portion <NUM> is reduced, which may make it difficult to mount a heater having a high heat emission capacity per unit time.

Although the above-described limitation disappears when the receiving portion <NUM> does not protrude from the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM> unlike the illustration of <FIG>, it is inevitable that the receiving portion <NUM> protrudes from the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM> in consideration of the fact that the receiving portion <NUM> serves to prevent overheating of the heater <NUM> by allowing water introduced into the tub body <NUM> to first be supplied to the heater <NUM> and also serves to prevent damage to the heater <NUM> by the bottom surface <NUM> of the drum <NUM> during rotation of the drum <NUM>.

In consideration of the state described above, the receiving portion <NUM> may protrude from the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM> so as not to extend toward the center of rotation of the drum <NUM> (i.e. the position at which the rotating shaft M3 is located), and any one 63A of the second support members <NUM> may protrude from the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM> in the direction F2, which is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion <NUM> (i.e. the direction F1 in which the heater <NUM> is assembled and which forms a right angle with respect to the tub through-hole <NUM>).

In this way, the length of the receiving portion <NUM> may not be limited by the position of the stator M1, and the tub body <NUM> may be easily manufactured via injection molding.

The tub body <NUM> may have any of various configurations, as illustrated in <FIG>, for ensuring that the heater <NUM> is assembled in the direction F1 so as not to extend toward the center of the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM> (i.e. toward the position at which the rotating shaft M3 is located) and that any one 63A of the second support members <NUM> protrudes from the direction, which is parallel to the assembly direction F2 of the heater <NUM>.

The laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> having the configuration described above may supply water to the tub <NUM> via a water supply unit <NUM>, and may discharge water stored in the tub <NUM> to the outside of the cabinet <NUM> via a drain unit <NUM>.

As exemplarily illustrated in <FIG>, the water supply unit <NUM> may include a first water supply pipe <NUM> connected to the supply aperture <NUM> formed in the tub cover <NUM>, a second water supply pipe <NUM> connected to a water supply source, which is located at the outside of the cabinet <NUM>, and a connection pipe <NUM> fixed to the tub cover <NUM> for connecting the first water supply pipe <NUM> and the second water supply pipe <NUM> to each other.

The first water supply pipe <NUM> may connect the supply aperture <NUM> and the connection pipe <NUM> to each other through the second through-hole <NUM> provided in the housing cover <NUM>. The first water supply pipe <NUM> may be a corrugated pipe in order to prevent the first water supply pipe <NUM> from being separated from the connection pipe <NUM> when the tub <NUM> vibrates (see <FIG>).

In addition, the second water supply pipe <NUM> may also be a corrugated pipe in order to prevent the second water supply pipe <NUM> from being separated from the connection pipe <NUM> when the housing <NUM> is discharged from the cabinet <NUM>. The second water supply pipe <NUM> may be opened and closed by a water supply valve <NUM>, which is controlled by a controller (not illustrated).

Alternatively, unlike the illustration of <FIG>, the water supply unit <NUM> may include a single water supply pipe for connecting a water supply source (not illustrated), which is located at the outside of the cabinet <NUM>, to the supply aperture <NUM> provided in the tub cover <NUM>. In this case, the water supply pipe may be a corrugated pipe.

The drain unit <NUM> may include a drain pump <NUM> fixed to the housing body <NUM>, a first drain pipe <NUM> for guiding water inside the tub body <NUM> to the drain pump <NUM>, and a second drain pipe <NUM> for guiding water discharged from the drain pump <NUM> to the outside of the cabinet <NUM>. In this case, the second drain pipe <NUM> may be a corrugated pipe.

In the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> having the configuration described above, after laundry is introduced into the drum <NUM> and water and detergent are supplied to the tub <NUM>, the drum <NUM> is rotated via the drive unit so as to wash the laundry.

Because a water stream is generated inside the tub <NUM> while the drum <NUM> is rotated, there is the possibility that bubbles, which are generated as the detergent is dissolved, or contaminants discharged from the laundry during washing may remain on the door <NUM> after the washing is completed.

When the bubbles or contaminants remain on the inner surface of the door <NUM> despite the completion of washing, the user may misjudge that the washing of laundry is not completed or may suspect the failure of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>.

To solve the problem described above, the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> of the present invention may further include an ejection unit for removing impurities (bubbles, contaminants or the like) remaining on the door <NUM>.

The ejection unit provided in the present invention may include any one of an ejection unit <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and an ejection unit <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>, or may include both the ejection units <NUM> and <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>.

The ejection unit <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> serves to wash the door <NUM> using centrifugal force generated while the drum <NUM> is rotated.

In the drum <NUM> provided in the present invention, because the rotating shaft M3, which forms the center of rotation, forms a right angle with respect to the bottom surface of the tub body <NUM>, water inside the tub <NUM> is moved upward along the circumferential surface of the tub body <NUM> by centrifugal force while the drum <NUM> is rotated, and thereafter is moved to the introduction aperture <NUM> along the tub cover <NUM>.

The ejection unit <NUM> in accordance with the present embodiment serves to discharge the water, moved to the tub cover <NUM> by centrifugal force, in the direction in which the door <NUM> is located, thereby washing the door <NUM>.

The ejection unit <NUM> of <FIG> may include a guide <NUM> extending from the edge of the tub cover <NUM> toward the introduction aperture <NUM>, and a discharge structure <NUM> and <NUM> for discharging the water, moved along the guide <NUM>, in the direction in which the door <NUM> is located.

The discharge structure may include a barrier <NUM> protruding from the tub cover <NUM> toward the drum <NUM>, and a discharge hole <NUM> formed in the barrier <NUM> for the discharge of water toward the door <NUM>.

The barrier <NUM> may be provided so as to surround the entire introduction aperture <NUM>, or may be provided so as to intermittently surround the introduction aperture <NUM>. The expression "to intermittently surround" means that a plurality of barriers is spaced apart from one another along the edge of the introduction aperture.

<FIG> illustrates the case where the barrier <NUM> surrounds the entire introduction aperture <NUM>. In this case, the barrier <NUM> may protrude from the edge of the introduction aperture <NUM> toward the drum <NUM>.

Meanwhile, when the door <NUM> is rotatably coupled to the upper surface of the tub cover <NUM> so that the inner surface of the door <NUM> (i.e. one surface of the door <NUM> in contact with water) is located higher than the discharge hole <NUM>, the discharge hole <NUM> may be inclined by a prescribed angle so as to allow water to be discharged toward the door <NUM>.

In addition, when the door <NUM> includes the window <NUM> formed of a transparent material, because the user will attempt to check whether impurities remain through the window <NUM>, the discharge hole <NUM> may be inclined so as to allow water to be discharged to the window <NUM>.

The guide <NUM> may include a first guide 915a and a second guide 915b. The first guide 915a guides water, moved to the edge of the tub cover <NUM>, to the discharge hole <NUM> when the drum <NUM> is rotated in the clockwise direction. The second guide 915b guides water, moved to the edge of the tub cover <NUM>, to the discharge hole <NUM> when the drum <NUM> is rotated in the counterclockwise direction.

In the case where the discharge hole <NUM> is a single hole formed in the barrier <NUM>, the respective guides 915a and 915b may guide water to the same discharge hole <NUM>. However, in the case where the discharge hole <NUM> includes a first discharge hole 913a and a second discharge hole 913b formed in the barrier <NUM>, the first guide 915a may guide water to the first discharge hole 913a, and the second guide 915b may guide water to the second discharge hole 913b.

Because the direction in which water moves along the first guide 915a is opposite to the direction in which water moves along the second guide 915b, the ejection unit <NUM> provided in the present invention may wash the door <NUM> regardless of the direction in which the drum <NUM> is rotated so long as the number of revolutions per minute of the drum <NUM> is a predetermined reference number of revolutions per minute (i.e. the number of revolutions per minute by which the water inside the tub body <NUM> is moved upward to the tub cover <NUM>).

In addition, the respective discharge holes 913a and 913b may be inclined at a prescribed angle so that the path of water discharged from the first discharge hole 913a and the path of water discharged from the second discharge hole 913b cross each other. This serve to increase the washing range of the discharge structure.

The ejection unit <NUM> having the configuration described above may be provided in a plural number along the edge of the introduction aperture <NUM>, and the ejection units <NUM> may be arranged so as to surround the introduction aperture <NUM>. In addition, at least two of the ejection units <NUM> may be arranged so as to face each other. This serves to increase the ability of washing by the discharge structure <NUM>.

The ejection unit <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> has the feature of ejecting water supplied to the tub <NUM> to the door <NUM> so as to wash the door <NUM>. The ejection unit <NUM> in accordance with the present embodiment includes a chamber <NUM> for guiding water, supplied to the supply aperture <NUM> provided in the tub cover <NUM>, toward the introduction aperture <NUM>, and a chamber discharge hole <NUM> for discharging water introduced into the chamber <NUM> to the door <NUM>.

The chamber <NUM> includes an inlet chamber 931a located under the supply aperture <NUM>, and a connection chamber 931b for guiding water introduced into the inlet chamber 931a to the chamber discharge hole <NUM>.

The inlet chamber 931a may have a communication hole 931e connected to the supply aperture <NUM>. In order to increase the pressure of water to be discharged through the chamber discharge hole <NUM>, the cross-sectional area of the connection chamber 931b may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inlet chamber 931a. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the chamber discharge hole <NUM> may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the connection chamber 931b.

The connection chamber 931b may be tilted by a prescribed angle so that water ejected from the chamber discharge hole <NUM> is supplied to the door <NUM>, which is located above the introduction aperture <NUM>.

However, in the case where the door <NUM> includes the window <NUM>, the tilt angle of the connection chamber 931b may be set to an angle at which water ejected from the chamber discharge hole <NUM> may be supplied to the window <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the inlet chamber 931a may further include an inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM> for ejecting some of the water inside the inlet chamber 931a into the drum <NUM>.

The inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM> may be provided so as to eject water toward the bottom surface <NUM> of the drum body, or may be provided so as to eject water toward the circumferential surface <NUM> of the drum body.

When the inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM> is provided so as to eject water toward the bottom surface <NUM> of the drum body, the inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM> may serve to remove bubbles generated inside the drum <NUM> by ejecting water into the drum <NUM> during washing.

That is, when the controller controls the water supply valve <NUM> during washing to supply water to the chamber <NUM>, bubbles generate inside the tub <NUM> during washing are removed, which may prevent impurities, including the bubbles, from remaining on the door <NUM>.

On the other hand, when the inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM> is provided so as to eject water toward the circumferential surface <NUM> of the drum body, the inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM> may serve to wash the circumferential surface <NUM> of the drum <NUM>.

That is, when the controller controls the water supply valve <NUM> so as to supply water to the chamber <NUM> after washing is completed and also rotates the drum <NUM>, impurities remaining on the surface of the drum <NUM> may be washed by water discharged from the inlet chamber discharge hole <NUM>.

In addition, the connection chamber 931b may further have a connection chamber discharge hole <NUM> for discharging water to the drum <NUM>.

At least two connection chamber discharge holes <NUM> may be provided. In this case, one connection chamber discharge hole <NUM> may be provided so as to discharge water toward the bottom surface <NUM> of the drum body, and the other connection chamber discharge hole <NUM> may be provided so as to discharge water toward the circumferential surface <NUM> of the drum body.

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus, which may effectively control vibration of a tub in which laundry is received.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus, which may prevent impurities, generated inside a tub during washing, from remaining on a door, which is used to open and close an introduction opening.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus, which may ensure an easy operation of fixing a tub to a cabinet despite a minimum volume thereof.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus, which may minimize a space between a tub and a cabinet.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus, which may prevent a collision between the upper portion of a tub and the upper portion of a cabinet when the tub vibrates.

Claim 1:
A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a housing (<NUM>);
a tub (<NUM>) provided inside the housing (<NUM>) for providing a space for storage of water;
a drum (<NUM>) rotatably provided inside the tub (<NUM>) for receiving laundry therein; and
three or more tub support units (<NUM>) for coupling the tub (<NUM>) to the housing (<NUM>),
wherein each of the tub support units (<NUM>) includes:
a first support member (<NUM>) provided at the housing (<NUM>);
a second support member (<NUM>) provided at the tub (<NUM>); and
a connector (<NUM>) provided for connecting the first support member (<NUM>) and the second support member (<NUM>) to each other, wherein the connector (<NUM>) includes a first connection piece (<NUM>) configured so as to be seated in the first support member (<NUM>), a second connection piece (<NUM>) for supporting the second support member (<NUM>), and a bar (<NUM>) for connecting the first connection piece (<NUM>) and the second connection piece (<NUM>) to each other, and wherein the first connection piece (<NUM>) is shaped so as to be movable in the first support member (<NUM>) while being seated in the first support member (<NUM>),
characterized in that at least one of a plurality of the first support members (<NUM>) is separably coupled to the housing (<NUM>) and the remaining of the plurality of the first support members (<NUM>) is not separable from the housing (<NUM>).