CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0020459, filed on Feb. 19, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus, and relates to a laundry treating apparatus including a first treating apparatus on an upper side and a second treating apparatus on a lower side.

BACKGROUND

A laundry treating apparatus is an apparatus that puts laundry such as clothes, bedding, and the like into a drum to perform treatment necessary for the laundry, such as to remove contamination from the laundry or to dry the laundry.

When the laundry treating apparatus is designed to remove the contamination from the laundry, the laundry treating apparatus may perform processes such as washing, rinsing, dehydration, drying, and the like. The laundry treating apparatuses may be classified into a top loading type laundry treating apparatus and a front loading type laundry treating apparatus based on a scheme of putting the laundry into the drum.

The laundry treating apparatus may include a cabinet forming an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus, a tub accommodated in the cabinet, a drum that is rotatably mounted inside the tub and into which the laundry is put, and a detergent feeder that feeds detergent into the drum.

When the drum is rotated by a motor while wash water is supplied to the laundry accommodated in the drum, dirt on the laundry may be removed by friction with the drum and the wash water.

The detergent feeder has a detergent feeding function to improve a washing effect. Herein, the detergent means a substance, such as fabric detergent, fabric softener, fabric bleach, and the like, that enhances the washing effect. Detergent in a powder form and detergent in a liquid form may be used as the detergent.

In one example, when the laundry treating apparatus is designed to dry the laundry, the laundry treating apparatus may remove moisture from the laundry by supplying dry air to the laundry.

The laundry treating apparatus may include a cabinet, a drum rotatably disposed inside the cabinet, heating means for heating or drying the air supplied to the laundry, and the like.

As the dry air is supplied to the laundry accommodated in the drum, the moisture present in the laundry may be evaporated and removed by the dry air, and water may be removed from the laundry.

In one example, a laundry treating apparatus is equipped with a plurality of treating apparatuses. The laundry treating apparatus includes a first treating apparatus on an upper side and a second treating apparatus on a lower side. In addition, a structure in which each of the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus has a manipulation unit and a display is disclosed.

However, the laundry treating apparatus discloses the structure in which the plurality of treating apparatuses distinguished from each other have respective manipulation units and respective displays. In this case, a user must respectively identify states of the respective plurality of treating apparatuses, and must respectively manipulate the plurality of treating apparatuses. In addition, it may be disadvantageous for the user to operate the plurality of treating apparatuses in conjunction with each other.

Further, the plurality of treating apparatus may contain water used or generated in the process of processing the laundry. In addition, there is a possibility that the water may flow down or invade the manipulation unit and the display arranged on each of the plurality of treating apparatuses and controlling each of the plurality of treating apparatuses. In this case, serious damage may occur to the manipulation unit or the display, which may include an electronic controller.

Therefore, in the laundry treating apparatus equipped with the plurality of treating apparatuses, it is an important task to improve convenience of the user in identifying or manipulating operation states of the plurality of treating apparatuses, to effectively prevent damage to a device caused by the water or the like that may exist in each treating apparatus, and to present an effective arrangement relationship and a stable and effective coupling relationship between the components for the plurality of treating apparatuses.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treating apparatus including an efficient arrangement and coupling structure of a control panel for simultaneously identifying or controlling a plurality of treating apparatuses for treating laundry.

In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may effectively prevent damage to a control panel caused by water or the like that may be generated by the laundry treating apparatus.

In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a laundry treating apparatus that effectively improves coupling stability between components and has excellent space utilization.

A laundry treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may define a drain passage in a top face of a control panel that is connected to both of a first treating apparatus and a second treating apparatus, thereby effectively securing safety of the control panel even in a situation in which water falls onto the control panel.

Specifically, the laundry treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a plurality of treating apparatuses. The first treating apparatus may dry laundry, and the second treating apparatus may wash the laundry.

The first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus may have a structure stacked together in a vertical direction. That is, the first treating apparatus may be disposed on the second treating apparatus.

Each of the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus has a laundry inlet into which the laundry is inserted defined at a front face thereof, and each drum for accommodating therein the laundry inserted into each cabinet through each laundry inlet may be in a front loader form whose rotation axis direction is parallel to a front and rear direction.

A control panel that is signally connected to the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus may be disposed between the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus. The control panel may form a portion of a front face of the laundry treating apparatus. For example, the control panel may be disposed between a first front panel of the first treating apparatus and a second front panel of the second treating apparatus, so that a front face of the control panel may be exposed forward.

An embodiment of the present disclosure may control the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus through one control panel. The control panel may include a display for displaying operating states of the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus, and a manipulation unit for a user to control the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus.

A top face of the control panel is located beneath a first front panel of the first treating apparatus, and a drain passage extending in a lateral direction is defined, so that water existing on the top face does not flow down to a front face or a rear face of the control panel, but flows to both sides and is drained.

An opening may be defined in the top face of the control panel, and the opening may be surrounded by an inflow prevention rib that prevents the water from flowing into the opening, thereby effectively preventing the water that has fallen onto the top face from flowing into the opening.

Particular implementations of the present disclosure provide a laundry treating system that includes first and second treating apparatuses and a control panel. The first treating apparatus has a first front panel and a first drum disposed inside the first treating apparatus that is configured to accommodate a first laundry therein. The second treating apparatus is disposed beneath the first treating apparatus and supports the first treating apparatus. The second treating apparatus has a second front panel and a second drum disposed inside the second treating apparatus that is configured to accommodate a second laundry therein. The control panel is disposed between the first front panel and the second front panel. The control panel is configured to communicate with the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus. The control panel has a top face facing the first front panel and defining a drain passage that extends along a first direction at the top face to thereby allow water delivered to the top face to flow in the first direction along the drain passage and be drained from the top face.

In some implementations, the system can optionally include one or more of the following features. The control panel may have a front face connected to the top face. An upper end of the front face may protrude upward from the top face. The top face may include a passage rib protruding upward and extending in the first direction. The passage rib may be disposed at a rear end of the top face. The drain passage may be defined by the upper end of the front face and the passage rib of the top face. The control panel may have side faces. Upper ends of the side faces may protrude upward from the top face. Lateral ends of the passage rib may be respectively spaced apart from the side faces of the control panel to thereby define a drainage between each of the upper ends of the side faces of the control panel and each of the lateral ends of the passage rib. The drainage may be in fluid communication with the drain passage. The top face of the control panel may include at least one panel supporting portion located at the drain passage. The at least one panel supporting portion may protrude upward and supports a bottom of the first front panel. The top face of the control panel may include at least one panel fastening portion located at the drain passage. The at least one panel fastening portion may protrude upward and be inserted into the bottom of the first front panel. A protruding height of the at least one panel fastening portion may be greater than a protruding height of the at least one panel supporting portion. The first front panel may include a lower end bending portion extending rearward from a lower end of the first front panel. The at least one panel supporting portion of the control panel may support the lower end bending portion of the first front panel. The at least one panel fastening portion of the control panel may penetrate the lower end bending portion of the first front panel. The at least one panel supporting portion may include a plurality of panel supporting portions. The at least one panel fastening portion may include a plurality of panel fastening portions. The plurality of panel supporting portions and the plurality of panel fastening portions may be alternately arranged with each other along the first direction. The top face of the control panel may define an opening in a vertical direction. The top face of the control panel may include a fastening elastic portion that extends from an inner face of the opening and intersects with the opening. The at least one panel fastening portion of the control panel may be disposed at the fastening elastic portion of the control panel. The top face of the control panel may include an inflow prevention rib extending around the opening and protruding upward from the top face of the control panel. The inflow prevention rib may be configured to block the water in the drain passage from flowing into the opening. The first treating apparatus may include a lower frame being coupled to the control panel behind the control panel and fixing the control panel. The lower frame of the first treating apparatus may include a main frame face extending along the first direction. The main frame face may be disposed behind the control panel and define an interior of the first treating apparatus from the control panel. The lower frame of the first treating apparatus may include an upper end extension extending frontward from an upper end of the main frame face, and a top coupling portion protruding upward from the upper end extension and coupled to the bottom of the first front panel. The top face of the control panel may be inserted between the upper end extension and the first front panel. The top face of the control panel may include a coupling portion receiving groove being opened rearward. The top coupling portion may be inserted rearwardly into the coupling portion receiving groove. A portion of the passage rib of the control panel may extend along the coupling portion receiving groove to thereby restrict the water from flowing into the coupling portion receiving groove. The first direction may be a direction along which the control panel extends between opposite sides of the laundry treating system. The first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus may have a same horizontal width. The first treating apparatus may include opposing first side panels, and the second treating apparatus may include opposing second side panels that are flush with the first side panels.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, a laundry treating apparatus includes a first treating apparatus having a first front panel disposed on a front face thereof and a first drum disposed therein for accommodating laundry therein, a second treating apparatus disposed beneath the first treating apparatus to support the first treating apparatus, wherein the second treating apparatus has a second front panel disposed on a front face thereof and a second drum disposed therein for accommodating the laundry therein, and a control panel disposed between the first front panel and the second front panel, wherein the control panel is signally connected to the first treating apparatus and the second treating apparatus.

In one implementation, the control panel may have a top face facing toward the first front panel, and a drain passage extending along a lateral direction may be defined in the top face, so that water delivered to the top face may flow in the lateral direction along the drain passage and be drained.

In one implementation, the control panel may have a front face connected to the top face, an upper end of the front face may protrude upwards from the top face, the top face may include a passage rib protruding upward and extending in the lateral direction disposed at a rear end thereof, and the drain passage may be defined by the upper end of the front face and the passage rib.

In one implementation, the control panel may have side faces respectively disposed on both sides in the lateral direction, upper ends of the respective side faces may protrude upwards from the top face, and both ends in the lateral direction of the passage rib may be respectively spaced apart from the side faces respectively facing thereto, so that each drainage in communication with the drain passage may be defined between the upper end of each side face and the passage rib.

In one implementation, the top face may include a panel supporting portion located within the drain passage, wherein the panel supporting portion protrudes upwards to support a bottom of the first front panel.

In one implementation, the top face may further include a panel fastening portion located within the drain passage, wherein the panel fastening portion protrudes upwards to be inserted into the bottom of the first front panel.

In one implementation, a protruding height of the panel fastening portion may be larger than a protruding height of the panel supporting portion.

In one implementation, the first front panel may include a lower end bending portion extending rearward from a lower end of the first front panel, the panel supporting portion may support the lower end bending portion, and the panel fastening portion may penetrate the lower end bending portion.

In one implementation, the panel supporting portion and the panel fastening portion may respectively include a plurality of panel supporting portions and a plurality of panel fastening portions, and the panel supporting portion and the panel fastening portion may be alternately arranged with each other along the lateral direction in a repeated manner.

In one implementation, the top face may include an opening opened in a vertical direction and a fastening elastic portion extending from an inner face of the opening to intersect the opening, and the panel fastening portion may be disposed on the fastening elastic portion.

In one implementation, the top face may further include an inflow prevention rib extending to surround the opening and protruding upward to block the water in the drain passage from flowing into the opening.

In one implementation, the first treating apparatus may further include a lower frame coupled to the control panel at the rear of the control panel to fix the control panel.

In one implementation, the lower frame may include a main frame face extending along the lateral direction, wherein the main frame face divides an interior of the first treating apparatus from the control panel.

In one implementation, the lower frame may further include an upper end extension extending frontward from an upper end of the main frame face, and a top coupling portion protruding upward from the upper end extension and coupled to the bottom of the first front panel.

In one implementation, the top face of the control panel may be inserted between the upper end extension and the first front panel, and the top face may include a coupling portion receiving groove opened rearward, wherein the top coupling portion is rearwardly inserted into the coupling portion receiving groove.

In one implementation, a portion of the passage rib may extend along the coupling portion receiving groove to prevent the water from flowing into the coupling portion receiving groove.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide the laundry treating apparatus including the efficient arrangement and coupling structure of the control panel for simultaneously identifying or controlling the plurality of treating apparatuses for treating the laundry.

In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide the laundry treating apparatus that may effectively prevent the damage to the control panel caused by the water or the like that may be generated by the laundry treating apparatus.

In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide the laundry treating apparatus that effectively improves the coupling stability between the components and has the excellent space utilization.

