KR-20260063830-A - Laundry Treatment Apparatus

KR20260063830AKR 20260063830 AKR20260063830 AKR 20260063830AKR-20260063830-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothing processing device comprising: a cabinet having a first chamber providing a space for accommodating clothing and a second chamber separated from the first chamber; a storage unit provided inside the second chamber for storing water, a heating unit for heating water inside the storage unit to generate steam, and a steam generator having a supply pipe for supplying steam inside the storage unit to the first chamber; a water supply unit having a water supply tank for storing water and a water supply pump for moving water from the water supply tank to the storage unit; and a scale inhibition unit that neutralizes calcium ions or magnesium ions contained in the water stored in the water supply tank to prevent calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate from adhering to the surface of the heating unit.

Inventors

권혁진
임형규
윤태준
장주혁

Assignees

엘지전자 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241031

Claims (13)

A cabinet equipped with a first chamber providing a space for accommodating clothing and a second chamber separated from the first chamber; A steam generator having a storage unit provided inside the second chamber for storing water, a heating unit for heating the water inside the storage unit to generate steam, and a supply pipe for supplying the steam inside the storage unit to the first chamber; A water supply unit equipped with a water supply tank for storing water and a water supply pump for moving water from the water supply tank to the storage unit; and A clothing treatment device characterized by including a scale inhibition unit that neutralizes calcium ions or magnesium ions contained in the water stored in the above-mentioned water supply tank to prevent calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate from adhering to the surface of the above-mentioned heating unit.
In paragraph 1, A clothing treatment device characterized by the above scale prevention unit being equipped with a phosphate supply unit that neutralizes calcium ions by supplying phosphate to the water stored in the above water supply tank.
In paragraph 2, The above phosphate supply unit, A supply body providing a space for storing solid phosphate; and A clothing processing device characterized by including a supply body penetration hole provided to penetrate at least one surface of the supply body.
In paragraph 2, The above scale prevention unit is, A mounting body fixed inside the above-mentioned water supply tank; and A clothing processing device characterized by including a receiving groove provided in the mounting body and receiving the phosphate supply unit.
In paragraph 4, A clothing processing device characterized in that the above-mentioned mounting body is detachably mounted inside the above-mentioned water supply tank.
In paragraph 4, A clothing processing device further comprising a mounting body penetration hole provided to penetrate the mounting body and communicating the receiving groove and the inside of the water supply tank.
In paragraph 4, A clothing processing device characterized by further including a support body provided inside the above-mentioned water supply tank and providing a space for the mounting body to be fixed.
In Paragraph 7, The above support body is, A support surface provided with a shape capable of closing the above-mentioned receiving groove; A connecting surface that fixes the above support surface to the above water supply tank; A clothing processing device characterized by further including a support surface penetration hole provided to penetrate the support surface and communicating the receiving groove and the inside of the water supply tank.
In paragraph 8, A clothing processing device characterized by further including a connecting surface through hole that penetrates the connecting surface and communicates with the supporting surface through hole.
In any one of paragraphs 1 through 9, A tank drain provided on the bottom surface of the above-mentioned water supply tank for discharging water inside the above-mentioned water supply tank to the above-mentioned water supply pump; and It further includes a tank water supply port provided on the upper surface of the above water supply tank and capable of supplying water to the above water supply tank, and A clothing processing device characterized by the above-mentioned scale prevention unit being provided inside the water supply tank and located at a point closer to the tank drain than to the tank water supply port.
In any one of paragraphs 1 through 9, An inlet provided in the cabinet above to enable clothing to be inserted into the first chamber; It further includes a tank mounting portion provided in the cabinet to be located in front of the second chamber and providing a space for mounting the water supply tank. A clothing processing device characterized in that the above-mentioned water supply tank is detachably provided in the above-mentioned tank mounting part.
In Paragraph 11, A first water supply pipe provided to connect the tank mounting portion and the water supply pump; A second water supply pipe that guides the water discharged from the above water supply pump to the above storage unit; A tank drain through which water inside the above-mentioned water supply tank is discharged; and A clothing processing device further comprising: a water supply tank valve that, when the water supply tank is fixed to the tank mounting part, opens the tank drain to discharge the water inside the water supply tank into the first water supply pipe.
In Paragraph 11, A clothing processing device characterized in that the tank mounting portion is located at the lower part of the input port.

Description

Laundry Treatment Apparatus The present invention relates to a clothing processing device. A clothing processing device can be understood as a concept that includes a washing machine for washing laundry (clothing, etc.), a dryer for drying items (clothing, etc.), and a clothing care device that removes odors or wrinkles by supplying steam or air (heated air, etc.) to the items to be processed (clothing, etc.). A garment processing device that uses steam to remove odors or wrinkles from clothing or to clean a heat exchanger is equipped with a steam generator, and conventional steam generators were generally composed of a storage space for storing water and a heating unit provided inside the storage space for heating the water. The heating element is provided as a bar-shaped metal and is equipped as a heating element that heats water through resistance generated when an electric current is supplied, and if ions (calcium ions, magnesium ions, etc.) are present in the water supplied to the storage space of the steam generator, scale may be formed on the surface of the heating element. Scale refers to salts (CaCO₃, MgCO₃, etc.), which are chemical compounds of ions, that precipitate due to a decrease in solubility caused by a rise in temperature and adhere to the surface of the heating element. Scale formed on the heating element lowers thermal conductivity, which can cause problems such as reduced efficiency of the heating section (increased energy consumption) and reduced durability of the heating element due to temperature imbalance. If the above-mentioned steam generator receives water from a water source installed outside the garment processing device, the formation of scale on the heating part can be reduced by installing a water softening device between the water source and the steam generator. However, in the case of a garment processing device that supplies water to the steam generator from a storage space not connected to a water source, such as a water tank, it is difficult to prevent the formation of scale on the heating part. Figure 1 illustrates an example of a clothing processing device. FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3 illustrate an example of a supply device provided in a clothing processing device. Figure 4 illustrates an example of a water supply tank. Figure 5 illustrates an example of a scale suppression section. Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Unless otherwise specifically defined, all terms in this specification shall have the same general meaning as understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. If a term used in this specification conflicts with the general meaning of such term, the definition used in this specification shall prevail. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a clothing processing device (100) may be configured to include a cabinet (1) forming an exterior, a first chamber (11, processing space) provided inside the cabinet and providing a space for receiving a processing object (hereinafter, clothing), a supply device (3, 4) for supplying a working fluid to the first chamber (11), and a second chamber (13, installation space) forming a space separated from the first chamber (11) and in which the supply device (3, 4) is installed. The processing space (11) and the installation space (13) may be separated from each other by a partition wall (15). The front surface (113) of the cabinet (1) is provided with an inlet (111) communicating with the processing space (11), and a tank mounting part (131) providing a space for at least one of a drainage part (5) and a water supply part (6) to be mounted. The water supply part (6) is provided to supply water to the supply device (3, 4), and the drainage part (5) may be provided to store water discharged from the supply device (3, 4). The tank mounting portion (131) may be provided as a mounting groove located in front of the installation space (13). In this case, the tank mounting portion (131) will be located at the bottom of the input port (111). The above-mentioned inlet (111) may be provided to be opened and closed by a door (17) rotatably fixed to the cabinet (1). The door (17) may be provided in a shape that allows only the inlet (111) to be opened and closed, or as shown in the drawing, it may be provided in a shape that enables the opening and closing of the inlet (111) and the exposure of the tank mounting part (131) (exposure of the drainage part and the water supply part). The upper surface (118) of the processing space (11) is provided with a hanger support (2) to which a garment or a hanger on which a garment is mounted is detachably fixed, and the partition wall (15) may be provided with a first communication hole (151), a second communication hole (152), and a third communication hole (153) connecting the processing space (11) and the installation space (13). The processing space (11) may be provided with a space forming par