# US 12,000,079 B2 · Clothes treatment apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,079 B2 - Document ID: US12000079B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/805,198 - Filed: 2020-02-28 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-19 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sunghoo Park; Youngjin Doh; Hyoungsup Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000079B2 ## CPC - D06F 58/203: {Laundry conditioning arrangements} - D06F 34/14: Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters - D06F 58/206: {Heat pump arrangements} - D06F 73/02: having one or more treatment chambers - D06F 58/10: Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means - D06F 58/20: General details of domestic laundry dryers (D06F59/00 takes precedence) - D06F 58/24: Condensing arrangements - D06F 58/34: characterised by the purpose or target of the control - D06F 2103/18: Washing liquid level - D06F 2103/58: related to condensation, e.g. condensate water level - D06F 2103/62: related to systems for water or steam used for conditioning or finishing - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES ## Abstract A clothes treatment apparatus includes a cabinet, a door, and a steam unit. The clothes treatment apparatus further includes a heat pump unit that is located in the cycle chamber and that is configured to circulate and condition air in the treatment chamber. The clothes treatment apparatus further includes a water supply tank that is installed in the tank installation space, that is connected to the steam unit, and that is configured to supply water to the steam unit. The clothes treatment apparatus further includes a drainage tank that is separably installed in the tank installation space, that is configured to store condensed water generated in at least one of the treatment chamber or the heat pump unit. The clothes treatment apparatus further includes a water supply level sensor. The clothes treatment apparatus further includes a drainage level sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A clothes treatment apparatus comprising: a cabinet defining an opening at a front side; a door that is configured to open and close the opening at the front side of the cabinet; a treatment chamber that is located inside the cabinet and that is configured to receive hung clothes; a cycle chamber located below the treatment chamber inside the cabinet; a tank module frame that is located forward of the cycle chamber inside the cabinet and that defines a tank installation space in which a water supply tank is received, wherein a bottom of the tank installation space supports the water supply tank based on the water supply tank being received in the tank installation space; a projected portion extending vertically upward from a front portion of the bottom of the tank installation space; a steam unit that is located in the cycle chamber and that is configured to supply steam to the treatment chamber; and a heat pump unit that is located in the cycle chamber and that is configured to condition and circulate air in the treatment chamber, wherein the water supply tank is separably received in the tank installation space, is connected to the steam unit, and is configured to define a first water-storing space for supplying water to the steam unit, wherein, based on the door being open, at least a part of a front of the water supply tank is exposed to an outside of the cabinet, and wherein the water supply tank further comprises: a first extension part and a second extension part that (i) protrude relative to a bottom side of the water supply tank, (ii) are arranged along a width-direction of the cabinet, and (iii) are configured to, based on the water supply tank being received in the tank installation space, support the water supply tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first extension part and the second extension part are located behind the projected portion based on the water supply tank being placed in the tank installation space. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a front lower portion of the water supply tank faces an upper face of the projected portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the water supply tank comprises a first grip that is located at an upper side of the water supply tank and that is concaved from the front of the water supply tank to a rear of the water supply tank, and the water supply tank is configured to separate from the tank installation space by rotation around a lower front end of the water supply tank based on the first grip being pulled. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a drainage tank defining a second water-storing space for storing condensed water generated in the treatment chamber or the heat pump unit, wherein: the bottom of the tank installation space supports the drainage tank based on the drainage tank being received in the tank installation space, at least a part of a front of the drainage tank is exposed to an outside of the cabinet, the drainage tank comprises a second grip that is located at the upper side of the drainage tank and that is concaved from the front of the drainage tank to a rear of the drainage tank, and the drainage tank is configured to separate from the tank installation space by rotation around a lower front end of the drainage tank based on the second grip being pulled. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water supply tank and the drainage tank are individually provided, and the drainage tank is separably received in the tank installation space. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, based on the door being open, the first grip is exposed to the outside of the cabinet and the water supply tank is removable from and insertable into the tank module frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper rear side of the water supply tank is round such that, based on the water supply tank being separated from or installed in the tank module frame, interference between the water supply tank and the tank module frame is reduced. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: a drainage tank is separably received in the tank installation space and is configured to define a second water-storing space for storing condensed water generated in the treatment chamber or the heat pump unit, the bottom of the tank installation space supports the drainage tank based on the drainage tank being received in the tank installation space, at least a part of a front of the drainage tank is exposed to an outside of the cabinet, the drainage tank comprises a second grip that is located at the upper side of the drainage tank and that is concaved from the front of the drainage tank to a rear of the drainage tank, and an upper rear side of the drainage tank is round such that, based on the drainage tank being separated from or installed in the tank module frame, interference between the drainage tank and the tank module frame is reduced. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, based on the door being open, the second grip is exposed to the outside of the cabinet and the drainage tank is removable from and insertable into the tank module frame. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: the water supply tank further comprises: a first water hole that is located at the round upper side of the water supply tank; and a first water hole cover that is configured to open and close the first water hole, and the drainage tank further comprises: a second water hole that is located at the round upper side of the drainage tank; and a second water hole cover that is configured to open and close the second water hole. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the first water hole cover has a round shape that corresponds to the round upper side of the water supply tank, and the second water hole cover has a round shape that corresponds to the round upper side of the drainage tank. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the water supply tank further comprises: a first tank body that defines an opening at a front, a first tank cover that is coupled to the front of the first tank body and that defines the first water-storing space with the first tank body, and a check valve located at a lower side of the first tank body, connected to the steam unit, and configured to supply water to the steam unit, and wherein the check valve is hidden by the first tank cover based on the water supply tank being installed in the tank module frame. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first extension part and the second extension part protrude relative to a bottom side of the first tank body, and wherein the first extension part and the second extension part are located behind the projected portion based on the water supply tank being placed in the tank installation space. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: the water supply tank further comprises a first decorative cover coupled to the first tank cover, and the drainage tank further comprises a second decorative cover coupled to a second tank cover. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the tank module frame is located in front of an inlet duct that is configured to guide air from the treatment chamber to the cycle chamber and that is configured to partition the tank installation space and the cycle chamber, a drainage tank is separably received in the tank installation space and is configured to define a second water-storing space for storing condensed water generated in the treatment chamber or the heat pump unit, the bottom of the tank installation space supports the drainage tank based on the drainage tank being received in the tank installation space, at least a part of a front of the drainage tank is exposed to an outside of the cabinet, and the water supply tank and the drainage tank are each separably mounted in the tank installation space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, based on the door being closed, the water supply tank and the drainage tank are parallel to each other and the front of the water supply tank and the front of the drainage tank face an inner side of the door. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a front lower portion of the drainage tank faces an upper face of the projected portion.