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US 10,753,131 B2Granted
Apparatus for processing laundry
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsSanghun Bae, Youngjoo Lee, Hongjun Cho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door for a home appliance includes four hinges which may be interchanged regarding a location on the door, and a series of interconnected arms that allow a pivot axis of the door to be changed from a first direction to a second direction by manipulation of a handle on the door.
Claims20
A laundry-treating apparatus comprising:
- a cabinet having an inlet formed therein;
- a door configured to open and close the inlet;
- first and second fasteners provided on the door, wherein the first and second fasteners are axially symmetrical to each other about a vertical centerline of the door;
- a first hinge including:
- a first shaft attached to the cabinet;
- a housing fixed to the door by the first fastener or the second fastener;
- and
- a first shaft receiving space defined in the housing, wherein the first shaft is configured to be received in the first shaft receiving space;
- a second hinge including:
- a second shaft coupled to the door, wherein the first and second shafts are coaxial and collectively define a first pivoting axis;
- and
- a third shaft arranged perpendicular to the second shaft wherein the third shaft defines a second pivoting axis about which the door pivots in a second direction different from the first direction;
- a third hinge including:
- a fourth shaft attached to the door, wherein the third and fourth shafts are coaxial and collectively define the second pivoting axis;
- a fourth shaft receiving space provided at the cabinet, wherein the fourth shaft receiving space is configured to receive the fourth shaft therein;
- and
- a receiving body provided at the cabinet and arranged below the fourth shaft receiving space;
- a handle including:
- a handle body pivotably secured to the door;
- and
- an input fixed to the handle body;
- a first linkage provided between the first fastener and the second fastener, wherein the first linkage includes first and second contact points,
- wherein when the handle body pivots when the housing is fixed by the first fastener, the input actuates the first contact point to allow the first linkage to move in a direction from the first fastener toward the second fastener, and
- wherein when the handle body pivots when the housing is fixed by the second fastener, the input actuates the second contact point to allow the first linkage to move in a direction from the second fastener toward the first fastener,
- a first shaft latch configured to secure the first shaft within the first shaft receiving space, wherein when the housing is fixed by the first fastener, the first shaft latch is fixed to a first free end of the first linkage that faces the first fastener, wherein when the housing is fixed by the second fastener, the first shaft latch is fixed to a second free end of the first linkage that faces the second fastener, and wherein the first shaft latch is configured to open or close the first shaft receiving space when the first linkage moves;
- and
- a second linkage, wherein when the first linkage moves the first shaft latch to open the first shaft receiving space, one of the first and second free ends of the first linkage opposite of the first shaft latch moves the second linkage toward the fourth shaft to insert the second linkage into a through hole provided in the receiving body to latch the fourth shaft into the fourth shaft receiving space.
24 more elements
A home appliance comprising:
- a cabinet having an inlet formed therein;
- a door configured to open and close the inlet;
- first and second fasteners provided on the door, wherein the first and second fasteners are axially symmetrical to each other about a vertical centerline of the door;
- a first hinge including:
- a first shaft attached to the cabinet;
- a housing fixed to the door by the first fastener or the second fastener;
- and
- a first shaft receiving space defined in the housing and configured to receive the first shaft therein;
- a second hinge including:
- a second shaft coupled to the door, wherein the first and second shafts are coaxial and collectively define a first pivoting axis;
- and
- a third shaft arranged perpendicular to the second shaft wherein the third shaft defines a second pivoting axis about which the door pivots in a second direction different from the first direction;
- a third hinge including:
- a fourth shaft attached to the door, wherein the third and fourth shafts are coaxial and collectively define the second pivoting axis;
- and
- a fourth shaft receiving space provided at the cabinet and configured to receive the fourth shaft therein;
- a first linkage provided between the first fastener and the second fastener and configured to move in a lateral direction between the first fastener and the second fastener, and
- a second linkage, configured to move toward the fourth shaft to lock the fourth shaft into the fourth shaft receiving space.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.