KR100673443B1 - Laundry treatment machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Laundry processing apparatus according to the present invention, the front and the laundry opening is formed to allow the laundry; A door for opening and closing the opening of the cabinet; A vertical guide mechanism connected between an upper end of the door and a cabinet to allow the upper end of the door to be moved substantially vertically along the front surface of the cabinet when the door is opened and closed; A door support mechanism connected between the door and the cabinet to support the door to be opened while the lower end of the door moves in a substantially horizontal direction toward the front when the door is opened; By including the automatic opening and closing mechanism for automatically opening and closing the door by lifting and lowering along the vertical guide mechanism, the door can be easily opened even when the laundry treatment device is installed in a narrow place, the door is automatically opened By closing it is possible to further improve the convenience of the user.

Cabinet, Door, Cradle, Vessel, Door Window, Roller, Guide, Motor, Pinion, Rack

Description

Laundry treatment machine {Laundry treatment machine}

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional laundry treatment apparatus,

2 is a schematic view showing a door opening state of a conventional laundry treatment apparatus,

3 is a perspective view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a partially enlarged cutaway perspective view,

4 is an exploded perspective view of a door part of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a side schematic view showing a door opening state of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention,

7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E are perspective views sequentially illustrating a door opening state of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a perspective view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

9 is a lateral cross-sectional view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

10 is a perspective view of a door of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a closed state;

11 is a perspective view of a door of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention in an open state;

12 is a perspective view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention,

13 is a lateral schematic view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10 cabinet 11 opening

12: cabinet body 13: base

14: top cover 15: front cover

19: lower cover 29: gasket

30: door 31: door frame

32: side part 33, 34: curved part

35: door window 36: window frame

37: container type window 39: handle

40: vertical guide mechanism 41: vertical guide

41a: guide groove 41b: rack

42, 43: curved portion 45: guide assembly

46: motor bracket 47: pinion

48: fixing nut 49: bracket pin

50: door support mechanism 51: support rod

55: hinge bolt 60: automatic opening and closing operation mechanism

61: automatic door opening button 62: automatic door closing button

65: rotational power generating mechanism 66: motor

67 motor control mechanism 68, 69 limit switch

70: door lifting mechanism 80: electric wire

141: friction member 147: friction roller

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, and more particularly, to a laundry treatment apparatus that can be utilized as a holder of laundry in a state in which a door is opened downward.

In the conventional laundry treatment apparatus, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a tub 3 and a tub opening positioned in a substantially horizontal direction are formed in the front of the cabinet 1, and an opening 3 is formed in the drum, and the door 3 can be opened and closed. (5) is installed.

The door 5 is configured to pull open, push and close the handle located on the other side with one side connected to the opening 3 side of the cabinet 1 via the hinge mechanism 7.

The door 5 is provided with a door window 5b on a circular door frame 5a. The door window 5b is generally made of a transparent glass material, and generally has a convex structure inside the laundry treatment apparatus so as to contact the gasket 9 installed in the cabinet 1.

However, since the door of the conventional laundry treatment apparatus as described above is configured to open in a lateral direction to open and close the door when the laundry treatment apparatus 1 is installed in close contact with the wall (W) as shown in FIG. There is a problem that (5) does not open completely. When the door 5 is not completely opened in this way, the convex door window 5b is positioned at the opening 3 side of the laundry treatment apparatus, thereby causing an inconvenience when the user inserts or removes the laundry.

In addition, when the laundry is normally completed, the user takes out the laundry from the laundry treatment apparatus. At this time, the laundry is entangled with each other, and thus the laundry falls to the floor in the process of taking out the laundry. Thus, the laundry falls on the floor. If so, there is a problem to be washed again.

In addition, in order to shake off foreign matters such as lint and the like attached to the laundry during the washing process, take out the laundry one by one from the laundry treatment device, and then take out the laundry, and then shake the other laundry in a state in which the turn laundry is put in a separate container again In this case, there is a problem in that a container for storing laundry separately is needed, and the user feels inconvenience in the process of taking out the laundry.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, when the laundry treatment apparatus is installed in a narrow place by configuring the door to move up and down to open and close the door and to utilize the laundry rack when opening the door. In order to provide a laundry treatment apparatus that can easily open the door, and also the laundry can be conveniently put or removed to improve the convenience of the user.

In addition, the present invention is provided with a motor provided on the door side and a rotating body that moves up and down along the vertical guide while rotating by the motor to automatically move the door up and down to open and close the laundry treatment to improve the user's convenience The purpose is to provide a device.

In addition, the present invention is configured to allow the wire to pass through the support rod for supporting the door to be closed in a substantially vertical direction and open in a horizontal direction, the laundry treatment to easily supply power to various power consumption means such as a motor provided in the door The purpose is to provide a device.

Laundry processing apparatus according to the present invention for realizing the above object is a cabinet formed with an opening to allow the laundry in and out front; A door for opening and closing the opening of the cabinet; A vertical guide mechanism connected between an upper end of the door and a cabinet to allow the upper end of the door to be moved substantially vertically along the front surface of the cabinet when the door is opened and closed; A door support mechanism connected between the door and the cabinet to support the door to be opened while the lower end of the door moves in a substantially horizontal direction toward the front when the door is opened; And an automatic opening and closing mechanism for automatically opening and closing the door by automatically raising and lowering the door along the vertical guide mechanism.

The vertical guide mechanism is composed of a vertical guide erected in a vertical direction on both sides of the cabinet, and a guide assembly protruding from both sides of the door to move up and down along the vertical guide;

The automatic opening and closing mechanism is provided on the door side to generate a rotational force, a rotational force generating mechanism, a rotating body provided on the guide assembly is rotated along the vertical guide by the rotational force generating mechanism, the vertical guide is provided in the It is configured to include a rotary contact member made to move up and down while the rotor is in contact.

The rotation force generating mechanism is configured to include an electric motor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the rotating body is a pinion to be rotated by the rotational force generating mechanism, the rotating contact member is composed of a rack provided in the vertical guide.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the rotating body is a friction roller rotated by the rotational force generating mechanism, the rotating contact member is composed of a friction member provided in the vertical guide.

The vertical guide is formed with a guide groove into which the rotating body is inserted, and the rotary contact member is provided on one side of the guide groove.

The other side of the vertical guide is formed to minimize the occurrence of friction when the rotor is in contact.

The door supporting mechanism is configured to pass a wire for supplying power to the automatic opening and closing mechanism.

The door support mechanism is a hollow support rod rotatably connected to both ends of the cabinet and the door, and the automatic opening and closing mechanism includes a rotation force generating mechanism for generating a rotational force by electricity applied to the door side;

Inside the support rod is configured to pass a wire to apply power to the rotational force generating mechanism.

The door is provided with power consumption means, and the door support mechanism is configured to pass a wire for supplying power to the power consumption means.

The automatic opening and closing mechanism is provided on the outer surface of the cabinet to generate a door opening and closing signal according to the user's operation, and power to raise and lower the door by supplying power in accordance with the operation of the automatic opening and closing operation mechanism Rotational power generating mechanism for generating a; and a door lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the door by the power generated by the rotational power generating mechanism provided in the vertical guide mechanism.

In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention for realizing the above object is a cabinet with an opening formed in the front to allow the laundry to enter and; A door for opening and closing the opening of the cabinet; A vertical guide mechanism connected between an upper end of the door and a cabinet to allow the upper end of the door to be moved substantially vertically along the front surface of the cabinet when the door is opened and closed; A door support mechanism connected between the door and the cabinet to support the door to be opened while the lower end of the door moves in a substantially horizontal direction toward the front when the door is opened; Power consumption means provided in the door; And a wire connected through the door support mechanism to supply power to the power consumption means in the cabinet.

The door support mechanism is composed of a hollow support rod rotatably connected to both the cabinet and the door, the wire is characterized in that configured to pass through the interior of the support rod.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above is configured to be opened and closed by automatically moving the door in a vertical direction, and to be used as a laundry holder at the time of opening the door. Even when the device is installed, the door can be easily opened, and the laundry can be easily added or removed, thereby providing an effect of improving user convenience.

In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention is configured to allow the electric wire to pass through the support rod for supporting the door to be closed in a substantially vertical direction and open in a horizontal direction, thereby easily powering various power consumption means such as a motor provided in the door. It will provide a supplyable effect.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 to 6 are views showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the laundry treatment apparatus, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the door, Figure 5 is a side of the laundry treatment apparatus 6 is a lateral schematic view showing the door open state of the laundry treatment apparatus.

3 and 4, the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 having an opening 11 formed to form an outline of the laundry treatment apparatus and to put or withdraw laundry thereon.

Inside the cabinet 10, devices for washing are installed. As main components, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the cabinet 10 is supported in the cabinet 10 by a spring 21, a damper 22, and the like. Tub 23 for storing wash water, a drum 25 positioned inside the tub 23 to rotate the laundry, and a driving motor 27 for rotating the drum 25 are installed. do.

In addition, the opening 11 of the cabinet 10 is configured to communicate with the opening of the tub 23 and the drum 25 to enable the laundry 25 to be introduced or withdrawn into the drum 25. Gasket 29 is installed between the opening of the tub 23 and the tub 23 so that the washing water does not enter the cabinet 10 during the washing process.

The cabinet 10 is preferably formed in a substantially hexahedral shape, the configuration of the cabinet body 12 forming both sides and the back, the base 13 forming the bottom surface, and the top cover 14 forming the upper surface and The front cover 15 includes the opening 11 having a front surface.

Above the front cover 15 is a control panel 17 including various operation switches for operating the laundry treatment apparatus and a display device for indicating an operation state of the laundry treatment apparatus. The control panel 17 may be installed at other positions, such as the top cover 14 side, which is the upper surface of the cabinet 10, depending on the design conditions of the laundry treatment apparatus.

Here, the control panel 17 is provided with a door automatic opening button 61 and a door automatic closing button 62 for automatically opening and closing the door 30 to be described later.

One side of the control panel 17 may be a drawer detergent dispenser 18 that can be dispensed detergent.

A lower cover 19 coupled to the cabinet body 12 and the base 13 is formed below the front cover 15.

In particular, the front of the front cover 15 is provided with a door 30 for opening and closing the opening (11). Here, the front cover 15 is the control panel 17 and the lower portion such that the outer surface when the door 30 is closed has the same height as the outer surface of the control panel 17 and the lower cover 19. It is installed to be coupled to the cabinet body 12, the control panel 17 and the lower cover 19 at a position that enters the inside of the cabinet 10 relative to the cover 19.

A ring-shaped opening 16 forming the opening 11 is formed at the center of the front cover 15, and the gasket 29 is connected to the opening 16. The opening frame 16 may be formed by bending the front cover 15 integrally, or may be manufactured and installed as a separate ring-shaped member.

The door 30 has a substantially rectangular structure in the same shape as the front cover 15. The door 30 is formed in a rectangular plate shape and is provided with a door frame 31 matching the front shape of the front cover 15, a central portion of the door frame 31, and an inside of the opening of the cabinet 10. Convexly protruded into a container-shaped door window 35 in close contact with the gasket (29).

The door frame 31 is bent in an 'L' shape such that both sides thereof form a side surface of the door to form a side portion 32. Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the side part 32 are formed with curved parts 33 and 34 to prevent interference with the vertical guide 41 and the lower cover 19 which will be described later when opening or closing the door.

The door window 35 is formed in a container shape to be in contact with the gasket 29 and to hold laundry in an open state of the door 30. The door window 35 has a ring-shaped window frame 36 mounted to the door frame 31 and a container-shaped window 37 which is formed in a concave container shape to hold laundry, and coupled to the window frame 36. It consists of.

Here, the window frame 36 is formed of a metal material or a synthetic resin material, and the container-type window 37 is preferably formed of a transparent member such as glass so that the inside of the laundry treatment apparatus can be seen.

The door 30 is provided with a handle 39 to be gripped by the user when the door is opened and closed manually. Here, the handle 39 may be installed side by side two (39U) (39D) up and down.

The door 30 as described above is opened so that the front surface of the door 30 faces upward so that the laundry can be temporarily stored when the laundry is taken out. Therefore, the door 30 is configured to open while moving downward of the cabinet 10 and close while moving upward.

Opening and closing guide mechanisms are installed at both positions of the door between the front cover 15 and the door 30 of the cabinet to enable the opening and closing operation of the door 30 as described above. The opening and closing guide mechanism includes a vertical guide mechanism 40 for guiding the upper end of the door 30 to move up and down along the front surface of the front cover 15, and the door is approximately horizontal when the door 30 is opened. The door support mechanism 50 supports to open in a direction.

The vertical guide mechanism 40 includes two vertical guides 41 vertically installed on both front surfaces of the front cover 15, and protrudes from the door 30 to move up and down along the vertical guides 41. Consisting of two pairs of guide combinations 45.

The vertical guide 41 is formed in a 'U'-shaped structure on the inner side and at the same time formed with a guide groove 41a provided with a rack 41b to be described later, both sides of the front cover 15 made of a separate member It is also possible to be integrally formed by bending at both ends of the front cover 15 in a 'U' shaped structure. The vertical guide 41 is protruded in a curved surface so that the upper end and the lower end thereof correspond to the curved portions 33 and 34 of the door frame 31, so that the upper surface and the lower cover 19 of the control panel 17 are closed. It is preferable that the curved portions 42 and 43 are formed to be connected to the upper surface, respectively.

The guide assembly 45 is composed of a pinion 47 which is engaged with the rack 41b provided in the vertical guide 41 and moves up and down while rotating. The pinion 47 is an electric motor 66 to be described later. Driven by rotation.

The pinion 47 is connected to the motor bracket 46 installed at the upper end of the door frame 31. The motor bracket 46 is connected to the fixing nut 48 installed on the side part 32 of the door frame 31 by a bracket pin 49 so as to be rotatable at least within a predetermined angle. Therefore, when the door 30 is moved in the vertical direction, the motor bracket 46 rotates about the bracket pin 49 so that the pinion 47 can move up and down smoothly along the vertical guide 41. Will help.

The door support mechanism 50 is composed of a rod-shaped support rod 51 rotatably connected to both ends of the cabinet 10 and the door frame 31. The support rods 51 are preferably installed on each side of each of the doors 30 one by one. In particular, the support rods 51 are formed in a hollow structure so that the electric wires 80 to supply electric power to the electric motor 66 can pass therethrough. do.

The upper end of the support rod 51 is connected to the hinge 52 in the side portion 32 of the door frame 31. The connection part of the door frame 31 and the support rod 51 is a fixing nut 53 fixed to the inside of the side portion 32 of the door frame 31 by welding or the like, as shown in FIG. Connection using washers 54 located on both sides of the rod 51 and a hinge bolt 55 and the like, which pass through the washer 54 and the support rod 51 and are fastened to the fixing nut 53. do. Here, the inner bent portion of the side portion 32 of the door frame 31 may be formed in a shape in which a portion of the support rod is moved so as not to interfere with the support rod 51.

The lower end of the support rod 51 is connected to a hinge bracket 56 installed on the upper portion of the lower cover 19 forming the cabinet 10. The connecting portion of the support rod 51 and the hinge bracket 56 is connected using components such as a hinge bolt 57, a nut 58, and a washer 59.

The laundry treatment apparatus as described above is provided with an automatic opening and closing mechanism for automatically opening and closing the door 30 by lifting.

The automatic opening and closing mechanism is provided in the control panel 17 as described above, the automatic opening and closing operation mechanism 60 consisting of the automatic door opening button 61 and the automatic door closing button 62 so that the user can directly operate; A rotary power generating mechanism 65 for supplying electric power to the electric motor 66 to raise and lower the door 30 according to the operation of the automatic opening and closing operation mechanism 60, and the rotary power generating mechanism And a door lifting mechanism 70 made up of the rotating body and the rotating contact member to raise and lower the door by the power generated at 65.

The automatic opening and closing operation mechanism 60 is preferably provided with both the door automatic opening button 61 and the door automatic closing button 62, it is also possible to comprise only one of the two if necessary. In addition, in the present embodiment has been described with reference to what is provided in the control panel 17 provided on the front of the cabinet 10, other positions of the laundry treatment apparatus, that is, the upper surface or the side of the cabinet 10, if necessary It is also possible to install in.

Referring to FIG. 6, the rotational power generating mechanism 65 includes the electric motor 66 installed in the motor bracket 46 of the door 30 to drive the pinion 47, and the automatic opening and closing operation. And a motor control mechanism 67 for controlling the electric motor 66 to be turned on / off or forward / backward in accordance with the operation of the mechanism 60.

Here, the motor control mechanism 67 is generally installed together with a controller that controls the overall operation of the laundry treatment apparatus, and all devices such as a motor driving circuit for driving the electric motor 66 are installed in the controller. Can be.

The electric motor 66 is configured as a bidirectional small motor so as to generate a rotational force in the forward and reverse directions according to the operation of the motor control mechanism 67 and to easily move up and down along the door.

In addition, on the upper and lower door movement paths of the front cover 15, the fully open and fully closed positions of the doors 30 are sensed to send a signal to the electric motor control mechanism 67 to operate the electric motor 66. Limit switches 68 and 69 are preferably provided to stop the operation.

The door lifting mechanism 70 is composed of a pinion (47), which is a rotating body rotated by the electric motor as described above, and a rack (41b), which is a rotary contact member provided on the vertical guide (41), The guide groove 41a of the vertical guide 41 preferably has a rack 41b formed on one inner surface thereof, and a smooth surface formed on the other inner surface thereof so that resistance does not occur when the pinion 47 rotates. Do.

The electric motor 66, the pinion 47, and the rack 41b are preferably installed at both sides of the door 30 as in the present embodiment. It is also possible to configure 30 to automatically lift up and down.

On the other hand, the electric wire 80, which is a power connection means, is connected between the cabinet 10 and the door 30 so as to supply electric power to the electric motor 66 provided in the door 30.

The wire 80 is connected to the electric motor 66 installed in the door 30 from the motor control mechanism 67 or the power supply mechanism through the hollow support rod 51 as described above to supply power. Done.

In the present embodiment described above, only the electric motor 66 is supplied with electric power. However, when the electric power consumption means such as a light bulb or a controller is installed in the door 30, the electric wire is connected through the support rod 51. It is possible to configure the connection.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the support rod 51 is formed to be hollow so that the wire 80 is connected to the inside, but is not necessarily limited thereto, but the wire is along the outer surface of the support rod 51. It is also possible to be connected to supply power to the power consumption means on the door 30 side.

Referring to the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E are perspective views sequentially illustrating a door opening state of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In order to automatically open the door 30 in the state in which the door 30 is closed, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the door auto release button 61 provided in the front of the cabinet 10 is pressed, the motor control mechanism receives the signal ( As the motor 66 is driven in accordance with the control signal of the 67, the pinion 47 is rotated, so that the pinion 47 is moved downward along the rack 41b of the vertical guide 41, the door 30 ) Is automatically moved downward to open. At this time, the door 30 is opened as shown in FIG. 7E while the upper end moves downward while the processes of FIGS. 7B, 7C, and 7D move downward.

That is, the upper end of the door 30 moves the pinion 47 downward along the rack 41b of the vertical guide 41 as the motor 66 is driven, and the support rod 51 is vertical. As the door 30 is moved in the upright state as the door 30 moves in the forward direction of the laundry treatment apparatus while the door 30 is opened so that the lower end of the door 30 moves horizontally forward. .

As described above, the user can inject laundry into the drum 25 through the opening of the cabinet 10 while the door 30 is opened, and at the same time, the laundry can be taken out of the drum 25. If necessary, the user can store the laundry taken out of the drum 25 in the door window 35 of the container structure.

After removing the laundry in the state that the door 30 is opened as described above, if the laundry is stored in the door window 35, after moving the laundry to another place, the door automatic closing button (to close the door 30) ( When 62 is pressed, the motor 66 is driven in the reverse direction according to the control signal of the motor control mechanism 67, so that the pinion 47 engaged with the rack 41b of the vertical guide 41 is in the opposite direction. By rotating, the door 30 is closed while automatically moving upward.

In this case, as opposed to the process of opening the door 30, the upper end of the door 30 moves upward along the vertical guide 41, and the lower end of the door 30 moves in the horizontal direction toward the laundry treatment apparatus, and then the door 30 is closed while being in close contact with the front cover 15 together with the upper end.

Meanwhile, in the above, the operation of automatically opening and closing the door 30 by using the door automatic opening button 61 and the door automatic closing button 62 has been described, but the handle provided in the door 30 according to the user's needs. It is also possible to open and close the door 30 by holding 39.

At this time, when the door 30 is opened, the lower handle 39D is pulled downward to open the door, and when the door 30 is closed, the upper handle 39U is grasped and pushed upwards to close the door.

Hereinafter, in describing the second to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components as those of the above-described first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

8 and 9 are views showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 is a perspective view of the laundry treatment apparatus, Figure 9 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the laundry treatment apparatus.

In the laundry treatment apparatus according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the vertical guide in the state in which the guide assembly 45 of the door 30 is inserted into the front cover 15. It is configured to be able to move up and down along 41.

That is, slits 15a are formed on both sides of the front cover 15 to extend in the vertical direction so that the guide assembly 45 can be inserted and moved, and racks are formed inside the slits 15a. The vertical guide 41 provided with 41b is comprised.

In addition, the door 30 has a motor bracket 46 inserted into the cabinet 10 through the slit 15a to move up and down along the vertical guide 41 through the slit 15a and the motor. The electric motor 66 and the pinion 47 mounted to the bracket 46 are installed.

On the other hand, the electric wire 80 for supplying power to the electric motor 66 is not connected via a support rod, unlike the first embodiment described above, the cabinet 10 is directly connected to the electric motor 66 from the inside Can be configured. At this time, the wire 80 is preferably configured to have a certain length in consideration of the distance that the electric motor 66 moves.

In the laundry treatment apparatus of the second embodiment according to the present invention as described above, the door 66 is automatically opened and closed by operating the door auto release button 61 and the door auto close button 62. As the door 30 moves up and down by driving, the electric motor 66 and the pinion 47 inserted into the cabinet 10 through the slit 15a move up and down along the vertical guide 41. And, the support rod 51 is to support the opening and closing operation of the door 30 as in the first embodiment described above.

Therefore, the laundry treatment apparatus of the second embodiment as described above is installed so that the electric motor 66, the pinion 47, the vertical guide 41, etc. are located inside the cabinet 10 without being exposed to the outside. The front of the can be beautiful.

Since the configuration and operation of this second embodiment are similar to the configuration and operation of the first embodiment described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

10 and 11 are perspective views of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a door being closed, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a door being opened.

In the laundry treatment apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, an electric motor 66 and a pinion 47 are directly installed on the side surfaces of the door 30, and a support rod ( 51 is configured to be installed on the bottom surface of the cabinet (10).

That is, vertical guides 41 protruding at the same height as the front surface of the door 30 are installed at both front surfaces of the front cover 15, and the door 30 is positioned inside the vertical guide 41. In addition, the electric motor 66 and the pinion 47 are installed directly on the side surface 32 of the upper end of the door 30 without a separate motor bracket so that the rack 41b formed on the vertical guide 41 is formed. It is configured to move up and down along.

In addition, the support rod 51 has a lower end inside the cabinet 10 through the front cover 15 and the lower cover 19 while the upper end is rotatably connected to the side portion 32 of the door 30. It extends to be rotatably connected to the base 13 forming the bottom surface of the cabinet 10.

Of course, the base 13 is provided with a pair of hinge brackets 56 so that the support rod 51 is connected. In addition, the front cover 15 and the lower cover 19 are formed with slits 15s and 19s extending in the vertical direction so as to operate freely in a state where the support rod 51 penetrates.

The support rod 51 is formed in a hollow structure as in the first embodiment described above so that the electric wire 80 capable of supplying electric power to the electric motor 66 passes therethrough.

12 and 13 are views showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a door opening state of the laundry treatment apparatus, and FIG. 13 is a lateral schematic view of the laundry treatment apparatus.

In the laundry treatment apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the above-described first embodiment, the rotating body of the door lift mechanism 70 is composed of a pinion 47. Unlike the rotating contact member made of the rack 41b, the rotating body is composed of the friction roller 147 and the rotating contact member is composed of the friction member 141.

Here, the friction member 141 is preferably formed of an elongated sheet-like structure is attached to one inner surface of the vertical guide 41 is configured.

Therefore, in the laundry treatment apparatus of the present embodiment, as the electric motor 66 is driven, the friction roller 147 rotates, and the friction roller 147 is the friction member 141 provided in the vertical guide 41. While moving up and down along the vertical guide 41 by the frictional force with and to enable the lifting and lowering of the door 30.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention configured and operated as described above is configured to be opened and closed while moving the door in a vertical direction, so that laundry can be conveniently put or withdrawn in either direction of the laundry treatment apparatus. At the same time, even when the laundry treatment apparatus is installed in a narrow place, since the door is completely opened, there is an advantage that laundry can be easily introduced or withdrawn without interference by the door.

In addition, the present invention, because the door window of the container structure is installed on the door, when the door is fully open and positioned in the horizontal direction, the floor in the process of withdrawing the laundry so that the laundry does not fall on the floor in the process of taking out the laundry in the process of withdrawing the laundry There is also an advantage that can solve the inconvenience of having to wash the laundry again dropped.

In particular, since the present invention is configured to automatically open and close the door by using a pinion and a rack rotated by a motor, there is an advantage of further improving the convenience of the user.

In addition, since the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention is configured to supply power to the power consumption means provided in the door through a support rod connecting the door and the cabinet, it is possible to easily supply the necessary power to an electric motor installed in the door. There is an advantage to that.

Claims (15)

A cabinet having an opening formed at a front thereof to allow access to laundry; A door for opening and closing the opening of the cabinet; A vertical guide mechanism connected between an upper end of the door and a cabinet to allow the upper end of the door to be moved substantially vertically along the front surface of the cabinet when the door is opened and closed; A door support mechanism connected between the door and the cabinet to support the door to be opened while the lower end of the door moves in a substantially horizontal direction toward the front when the door is opened; And an automatic opening and closing mechanism for automatically opening and closing the door by automatically raising and lowering the door along the vertical guide mechanism. The method of claim 1, The vertical guide mechanism is composed of a vertical guide erected in a vertical direction on both sides of the cabinet, and a guide assembly protruding from both sides of the door to move up and down along the vertical guide; The automatic opening and closing mechanism is provided on the door side to generate a rotational force, a rotational force generating mechanism, a rotating body provided on the guide assembly is rotated along the vertical guide by the rotational force generating mechanism, the vertical guide is provided in the Laundry treatment apparatus comprising a rotary contact member made to move up and down while the rotor is in contact. The method of claim 2, The rotation force generating mechanism laundry treatment apparatus comprising an electric motor. The method of claim 2, The rotating body is a pinion rotated by the rotation force generating mechanism, The rotary contact member is a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the rack provided in the vertical guide. The method of claim 2, The rotating body is a friction roller rotated by the rotation force generating mechanism, The rotary contact member is a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the friction member provided in the vertical guide. The method of claim 2, The vertical guide is a laundry treatment apparatus characterized in that the guide groove is formed is inserted into the rotating body, the rotary contact member is provided on one side of the guide groove. The method of claim 6, The other side of the vertical guide is laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the friction is formed to minimize the contact when the rotating body is in contact. The method of claim 1, The door support mechanism is laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that configured to pass through the wire for supplying power to the automatic opening and closing mechanism. The method of claim 8, The door support mechanism is a hollow support rod rotatably connected to both ends of the cabinet and the door, and the automatic opening and closing mechanism includes a rotation force generating mechanism for generating a rotational force by electricity applied to the door side; The laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the electric wire passes through the support rod to apply electric power to the rotational force generating mechanism. The method of claim 1, The door is provided with power consumption means, The door support mechanism is a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that configured to pass the electric wire for supplying power to the power consumption means. The method of claim 1, The automatic opening and closing mechanism is provided on the outer surface of the cabinet to generate a door opening and closing signal according to the user's operation, and power to raise and lower the door by supplying power in accordance with the operation of the automatic opening and closing operation mechanism And a door lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the door by the power generated by the rotary power generator and provided in the vertical guide mechanism. The method of claim 11, The rotating power generating mechanism is a laundry comprising a motor installed in the door to drive the door lifting mechanism and the motor control mechanism for controlling the operation of the motor in accordance with the operation of the automatic opening and closing operation mechanism Processing unit. The method of claim 11, The door lifting mechanism includes a rotating body provided in the guide assembly and rotated along the vertical guide by the rotational force generating mechanism, and a rotating contact member provided in the vertical guide to move up and down while contacting the rotating body. Laundry processing apparatus, characterized in that configured. A cabinet having an opening formed at a front thereof to allow access to laundry; A door for opening and closing the opening of the cabinet; A vertical guide mechanism connected between an upper end of the door and a cabinet to allow the upper end of the door to be moved substantially vertically along the front surface of the cabinet when the door is opened and closed; A door support mechanism connected between the door and the cabinet to support the door to be opened while the lower end of the door moves in a substantially horizontal direction toward the front when the door is opened; Power consumption means provided in the door; And a wire connected through the door support mechanism to supply power to the power consumption means in the cabinet. The method of claim 14, The door support mechanism is composed of a hollow support rod rotatably connected to both ends of the cabinet and the door, The wire is laundry treatment device, characterized in that configured to pass through the interior of the support rod.

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