FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus.

BACKGROUND

A laundry treatment apparatus includes an apparatus that washes laundry such as clothes, an apparatus that dries laundry, and an apparatus that performs both washing and drying of laundry.

The laundry treatment apparatus may include a cabinet, a tub provided in the cabinet for storing water therein, and a drum provided in the tub for storing laundry therein. Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses are classified into front loading type laundry treatment apparatuses configured such that laundry is introduced into a drum through an introduction aperture formed in the front surface of the apparatus and top loading type laundry treatment apparatuses configured such that laundry is introduced into a drum through an introduction aperture formed in the upper surface of the apparatus.

Some conventional laundry treatment apparatuses are configured such that a tub can be discharged from a cabinet. In this case, when the tub is discharged from the cabinet or is inserted into the cabinet, a water supply unit for supplying water to the tub and a discharge unit for discharging water from the tub out of the cabinet may be entangled or twisted.

Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses may include a drain unit for draining water from the tub. The drain unit may include a drain pump and a drain channel for draining water from the tub.

In conventional laundry treatment apparatuses, a predetermined amount of wash water is generally collected in the drain unit in order to prevent the introduction of bad smells from a sewer pipe connected to the drain unit.

In conventional laundry treatment apparatuses, however, it is not possible to completely drain wash water from the drain unit.

Additionally, in conventional laundry treatment apparatuses, wash water collected in the drain unit may be frozen, with the result that the drain unit may be frozen to burst in winter.

Additionally, in the case in which a drain channel of the drain unit is located parallel to the ground, wash water may be collected in the drain channel, with the result that the drain channel may be frozen to burst in winter.

In addition, wash water remaining in the drain channel, which is located parallel to the ground, may not be completely drained, with the result that the drain channel may be frozen to burst in winter.

Additionally, in the case in which conventional laundry treatment apparatuses are configured such that a drawer is discharged forward from a cabinet, and a tub is received in the drawer, a flow channel for discharging wash water from the tub may have a complex structure, whereby wash water may remain in the drain channel, with the result that the drain channel may be frozen to burst in winter.

Additionally, in the case in which it is necessary to minimize the volume of the drawer type laundry treatment apparatus, the drain pump may be attached to the rear surface of the drawer. In this case, the drain channel, which is connected to the drain pump, may be located relatively high, with the result that the drain channel may be frozen to burst in winter.

Additionally, in the case in which the drain channel of the drawer type laundry treatment apparatus is located higher than the bottom surface of the tub, with the result that the drain channel may be frozen to burst in winter.

Additionally, in the case in which the drawer type laundry treatment apparatus is an auxiliary laundry treatment apparatus, which assists a main laundry treatment apparatus, it is necessary to minimize the volume of the drawer type laundry treatment apparatus. In order to minimize the volume of the auxiliary laundry treatment apparatus, it is necessary to minimize the space between the bottom surface of the drawer and the cabinet. To this end, the drain pump of the auxiliary laundry treatment apparatus may not be located lower than the bottom surface of the tub but may be attached to the rear surface of the drawer. In this case, wash water may remain in the drain channel for discharging water from the tub and the drain pump, with the result that the drain channel may be frozen to burst in winter.

In addition, conventional laundry treatment apparatuses may be configured such that wash water is intentionally collected in the drain pump and the drain channel (i.e. there is a water trap in the drain pump and the drain channel) in order to prevent the introduction of bad smells from the sewer pipe to the tub. However, the water trap may be frozen to burst in winter.

Additionally, in conventional laundry treatment apparatuses, a portion of the drain pump may be located lower than the bottom surface of the tub, with the result that the drain pump may be frozen to burst in winter.

In addition, conventional laundry treatment apparatuses do not include a means for forcibly draining water remaining in the drain pump and the drain channel.

SUMMARY

In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a laundry treatment apparatus including a cabinet having an opening; a drawer dischargeable from the cabinet through the opening; a receiving unit provided in the drawer for receiving water and laundry; a drain pump for discharging water from the receiving unit; a drain channel extending through a reference point set to be higher than a highest level of water that can be stored in the receiving unit, the drain channel being located outside the cabinet; and a connection channel located in the cabinet for connecting the drain pump and the drain channel to each other, wherein at least a portion of the drain pump is located lower than a bottom surface of the receiving unit.

The foregoing and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more of the following features, alone or in combination. In particular, one embodiment includes all the following features in combination. Water stored in the drain channel between a reference point set to be higher than an upper surface of the receiving unit and the drain pump flows to the drain pump by gravity. The drain pump comprises a drain chamber fixed to a rear surface of the drawer, a chamber communication pipe for allowing the drain chamber and the receiving unit to communicate with each other, an impeller provided in the drain chamber, and a motor fixed to an outside of the drain chamber for rotating the impeller, at least a portion of the drain chamber being located lower than the bottom surface of the receiving unit. A portion of the connection channel is located lower than the bottom surface of the receiving unit. The connection channel comprises: a first connection channel connected to the drain pump; and a second connection channel for connecting the first connection channel and the drain channel to each other, and a point at which the first connection channel and the second connection channel are connected to each other is located higher than the bottom surface of the receiving unit.

The point at which the first connection channel and the second connection channel are connected to each other is located higher than a reference level of water formed in the receiving unit as the water stored between the reference point and the drain pump moves to the receiving unit by gravity. The first connection channel is inclined downward from the second connection channel toward the drain pump. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a valve for preventing a siphon phenomenon from occurring in the drain channel. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a channel connection unit located at the point at which the first connection channel and the second connection channel are connected to each other for fixing the second connection channel to a rear surface of the drawer and for allowing the second connection channel to rotate about a shaft perpendicular to a bottom surface of the drawer. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a channel connection unit located at the point at which the first connection channel and the second connection channel are connected to each other for connecting the first connection channel and the second connection channel to each other such that one of the connection channels is rotatable in a circumferential direction of the other connection channel.

The drain pump comprises: a drain chamber fixed to a rear surface of the drawer; and a chamber communication pipe provided at a lower end of the drain pump for allowing the drain pump and the receiving unit to communicate with each other, the connection channel comprises: a first connection channel connected to the drain pump; and a second connection channel for connecting the first connection channel and the drain channel to each other, and the first connection channel is connected to the drain pump at a position higher than the bottom surface of the receiving unit and is located lower than the bottom surface of the receiving unit such that water stored between a point higher than an upper surface of the receiving unit and the drain pump flows to the drain pump by gravity. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a residual water drain unit for discharging wash water from the drain pump, the residual water drain unit being exposed outside the cabinet. The residual water drain unit comprises a residual water drain pipe communicating with the drain pump, the residual water drain pipe extending from the drain pump toward a front of the drawer. The drawer comprises a drawer body dischargeable from the cabinet and a drawer panel provided at the drawer body for closing the opening, and a free end of the residual water drain pipe is separably provided at the drawer body or the drawer panel.

The free end of the residual water drain pipe is separably provided at the drawer body, and the free end of the residual water drain pipe is provided with a drain pipe opening and closing part for opening and closing the residual water drain pipe. The free end of the residual water drain pipe is separably provided at the drawer body, and the drawer panel is provided with an opening and closing protrusion protruding from a rear surface of the drawer panel for opening and closing the free end of the residual water drain pipe, the free end of the residual water drain pipe being separably coupled to the opening and closing protrusion. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a fixed body provided at the drawer body; a fixed body through-hole formed through the fixed body for defining a space in which the residual water drain pipe is received; and a gateway for allowing the fixed body through-hole to communicate with an outside of the fixed body and for defining a passage through which the residual water drain pipe is inserted into the fixed body through-hole or is discharged from the fixed body through-hole. The laundry treatment apparatus comprises a drain pipe support part provided at the drawer body for supporting the residual water drain pipe such that the residual water drain pipe does not contact an inner circumferential surface of the cabinet.

The drawer body is further provided with an introduction aperture, the receiving unit comprises: a tub provided in the drawer body for storing wash water therein; a drum rotatably provided in the tub; and a tub introduction aperture provided in the tub for allowing the introduction aperture and the drum to communicate with each other, and the fixed body is located in a space between the drawer panel and the introduction aperture. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a guide comprising a first body rotatably coupled to the cabinet and a second body having one end rotatably coupled to the first body and the other end rotatably coupled to the drawer; and a water supply unit for guiding water supply from a water source to the receiving unit, the water supply unit being supported by the guide. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a drain connection pipe provided in the first body for defining a movement path of water, wherein the second connection channel allows the first connection channel and the drain channel to communicate with each other via the drain connection pipe. The second connection channel comprises a first drain pipe for connecting the first connection channel and the drain connection pipe to each other and a second drain pipe for connecting the drain connection pipe and the drain channel to each other. The laundry treatment apparatus further comprises a water supply connection pipe provided in the first body for defining a movement path of water, the water supply connection pipe being separate from the drain connection pipe, wherein the water supply unit comprises a first water supply channel for connecting the water supply connection pipe to the water source and a second water supply channel for guiding water in the water supply connection pipe to the receiving unit, the second water supply channel being supported by the second body. The connection channel is inclined downward toward the drain pump. The portion of the connection channel located lower than the bottom surface of the receiving unit is inclined downward toward the drain pump.

The subject matter described in this specification includes implementations that realize one or more of the following advantages. For example, a laundry treatment apparatus may drain remaining water in a drain channel when a drain pump stops while water is being drained. The laundry treatment apparatus may prevent water in the drain channel from flowing backwards or freezing in the drain channel.

The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter of this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

