# US 12,180,645 B2 · Clothes care apparatus

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- Number: US 12,180,645 B2
- Document ID: US12180645B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/661,146
- Filed: 2022-04-28
- Published: 2022-08-11
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-28
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Woojin Kim; Jinbaek Kim; Eungryeol Seo; Geonung Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180645B2

## CPC

- D06F 73/00: Apparatus for smoothing or removing creases from garments or other textile articles by formers, cores, stretchers, or internal frames, with the application of heat or steam (combined with external pressure means D06F71/00)
- D06F 58/10: Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
- A61L 2/07: Steam
- D06F 73/02: having one or more treatment chambers
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a clothes care apparatus. The clothes care apparatus includes a main body including a clothes care compartment, a machine compartment, a steam generator provided in the machine compartment configured to generate steam, a steam injector including a steam injection nozzle configured to receive the steam from the steam generator and inject the steam into the clothes care compartment, at least one air injection hole configured to allow air to be injected into the clothes care compartment in order to change a direction of the steam injected from the steam injector, a regulation device configured to regulate a flow rate or a wind direction of the air injected from the at least one air injection hole, and a controller configured to control the regulation device and change the direction of the steam by regulating the air injected from the at least one air injection hole.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A clothes care apparatus comprising:
a main body comprising a clothes care compartment and a machine compartment;
a steam generator provided in the machine compartment and configured to generate steam;
a steam injector comprising a steam injection nozzle and configured to receive the steam from the steam generator and inject the steam into the clothes care compartment;
at least one air injection hole configured to allow air to be injected into the clothes care compartment in order to change a direction of the steam injected from the steam injector;
a regulation device configured to regulate a flow rate or a wind direction of the air injected from the at least one air injection hole and comprising a valve connected to the at least one air injection hole; and
a controller configured to control the regulation device and change the direction of the steam by regulating the air to be injected from the at least one air injection hole.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air injection hole is provided adjacent to the steam injection nozzle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one air injection hole comprises:
a first injection hole disposed adjacent to a left side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a rightward direction towards the steam injection nozzle, and
a second injection hole disposed adjacent to a right side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a leftward direction towards the steam injection nozzle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the regulation device comprises:
a guide duct connected to the at least one air injection hole, and
a fan configured to forcibly blow air into the clothes care compartment through the guide duct.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the regulation device further comprises a damper rotatably provided in the guide duct to adjust an area of a flow path in the guide duct.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the at least one air injection hole comprises:
a first injection hole disposed adjacent to a left side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a rightward direction towards the steam injection nozzle, and
a second injection hole disposed adjacent to a right side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a leftward direction towards the steam injection nozzle; and
the regulation device comprises:
a first guide duct configured to guide the air to the first injection hole, and
a second guide duct configured to guide the air to the second injection hole.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:
the regulation device further comprises a damper rotatably provided between the first guide duct and the second guide duct, the damper configured to open or close the first guide duct and the second guide duct, and
the damper is configured to rotate clockwise to open the first guide duct and rotate counterclockwise to open the second guide duct.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor provided in the clothes care compartment and configured to detect a position of clothes in the clothes care compartment.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the flow rate or the wind direction of the air with the regulation device depending on information output from the sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the at least one air injection hole comprises:
a first injection hole disposed adjacent to a left side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a rightward direction towards the steam injection nozzle, and
a second injection hole disposed adjacent to a right side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a leftward direction towards the steam injection nozzle; and
the regulation device comprises a bidirectional fan configured to:
rotate in a first direction to blow the air into a first guide duct and the first injection hole, and
rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to blow the air into a second guide duct and the second injection hole.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a position input device configured to receive information on a position of clothes in the clothes care compartment from a user,
wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the flow rate or the wind direction of the air with the regulation device depending on the information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the at least one air injection hole comprises:
a first injection hole disposed adjacent to a left side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a rightward direction towards the steam injection nozzle, and
a second injection hole disposed adjacent to a right side of the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air in a leftward direction towards the steam injection nozzle, and
the clothes care apparatus further comprises a first valve connected to the first injection hole, and a second valve connected to the second injection hole.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an airflow inlet provided in the clothes care compartment, the airflow inlet configured to allow the air in the clothes care compartment to be sucked; and
an airflow outlet provided in the clothes care compartment, the airflow outlet configured to allow the air to be discharged,
wherein the at least one air injection hole comprises the airflow outlet, and
wherein the regulation device comprises a wind direction regulator configured to regulate a direction of an airflow to be injected from the airflow outlet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:
the wind direction regulator comprises a rotation shaft and a rotation bar coupled to the rotation shaft for rotation, and
the rotation bar comprises a connection bar configured to connect the rotation bar to additional rotation bars.

### Claim 15

A clothes care apparatus comprising:
a main body comprising a clothes care compartment and a machine compartment;
a steam generator provided in the machine compartment and configured to generate steam;
a steam injector comprising a steam injection nozzle and configured to receive the steam from the steam generator and inject the steam into the clothes care compartment;
a first injection hole spaced apart from the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject air toward the steam injection nozzle;
a second injection hole spaced apart from the steam injection nozzle and configured to inject the air toward the steam injection nozzle, the second injection hole being positioned on an opposite side of the first injection hole with the steam injection nozzle interposed therebetween;
a regulation device configured to regulate a flow rate or a wind direction of the air to be injected from the first and second injection holes; and
a controller configured to control the regulation device and change a direction of the steam by regulating the air to be injected from the first and second injection holes,
wherein the regulation device comprises a bidirectional fan configured to rotate in a first direction to blow the air into the first injection hole and rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to blow the air into the second injection hole.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the regulation device comprises:
a guide duct connected to the first and second injection holes; and
a fan configured to forcibly blow the air into the clothes care compartment through the guide duct.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the regulation device comprises:
a damper rotatably provided in the guide duct, the damper configured to adjust an area of a flow path in the guide duct;
a first guide duct configured to guide the air to the first injection hole; and
a second guide duct configured to guide air to the second injection hole.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The clothes care apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:
a position input device configured to receive information on a position of clothes in the clothes care compartment from a user,
wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the flow rate or the wind direction of the air with the regulation device depending on the information.