U.S. patent application number 10/919254 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-23 for cabinet for home appliance.
Invention is credited to Ahn, Jeung Gie, Han, Il Tak, Hwang, Sung Gi.
Application Number | 20050134157 10/919254 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34675879 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050134157 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hwang, Sung Gi ; et
al. |
June 23, 2005 |
Cabinet for home appliance
Abstract
A cabinet for a dryer is disclosed. The cabinet includes a rear
panel which includes a plurality of reinforcement beads and a
recess area. The plurality of reinforcement beads is projected from
the rear panel so as to enhance an overall structural strength of
the rear panel. The recess area is recessed outward from the rear
panel for providing an additional space. The plurality of
reinforcement beads may be provided between the recess area and a
rim of the rear panel. Each reinforcement bead may include one or
more auxiliary reinforcement beads.
Inventors: |
Hwang, Sung Gi;
(Changwon-si, KR) ; Han, Il Tak; (Suwon, KR)
; Ahn, Jeung Gie; (Seoul, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCKENNA LONG & ALDRIDGE LLP
Song K. Jung
1900 K Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
34675879 |
Appl. No.: |
10/919254 |
Filed: |
August 17, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/265.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 39/12 20130101;
D06F 58/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/265.6 |
International
Class: |
A47B 047/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 20, 2003 |
KR |
P 2003-0094253 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cabinet for a home appliance, comprising: a rear panel
comprising at least one reinforcement bead which is projected from
the rear panel so as to enhance an overall structural strength of
the rear panel.
2. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcement
bead is provided to a fringe area of the rear panel.
3. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcement
bead is projected outward from the rear panel.
4. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the rear panel further comprises
a recess area recessed outward for providing an additional
space.
5. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the rear panel is
about 0.5 to 0.7 millimeters (mm).
6. A cabinet for a dryer, comprising: a rear panel comprising a
plurality of reinforcement beads projected from fringe areas of the
rear panel so as to enhance an overall structural strength of the
rear panel.
7. The cabinet of claim 6, wherein the plurality of reinforcement
beads is provided on upper and lower fringe areas of the rear
panel.
8. The cabinet of claim 6, wherein the plurality of reinforcement
beads is provided on lower left and lower right areas of the rear
panel.
9. The cabinet of claim 6, wherein the reinforcement beads are
provided on left and right fringe areas of the panel, and wherein
the reinforcement beads are elongated vertically.
10. The cabinet of claim 6, wherein the reinforcement beads are
provided on a plurality of corner areas of the rear panel and have
a perpendicular shape.
11. The cabinet of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality
of reinforcement beads comprises one or more auxiliary
reinforcement beads, each auxiliary reinforcement bead being
extended from a predetermined portion of the at least one
reinforcement bead.
12. The cabinet of claim 6, wherein the plurality of reinforcement
beads is projected outward from the rear panel.
13. A cabinet for a dryer, comprising: a rear panel comprising: a
plurality of reinforcement beads projected from the rear panel so
as to enhance an overall structural strength of the rear panel; and
a recess area recessed outward from the rear panel for providing an
additional space, wherein the plurality of reinforcement beads is
provided between the recess area and a rim of the rear panel.
14. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality
of reinforcement beads comprises one or more auxiliary
reinforcement beads, each auxiliary reinforcement bead being
extended from a predetermined portion of the at least one
reinforcement bead.
15. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein the plurality of reinforcement
beads is projected outward from the rear panel.
16. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein an air inlet louver is
provided on the recess area for receiving external air.
17. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein the rear panel further
comprises at least one additional reinforcement bead projected from
the recess area of the rear panel.
18. The cabinet of claim 17, wherein the at least one additional
reinforcement bead is projected inward from the recess area of the
rear panel.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application
No. P2003-094253, filed on Dec. 20, 2003, which is hereby
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a cabinet forming an
exterior of a home appliance, and more particularly, to a cabinet
for a home appliance having a reinforced rigidity
configuration.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a home appliance cabinet forms an exterior of a
home appliance such as a washing machine, dryer, and the like for
protecting various parts held inside. A dryer adopting the related
art home appliance cabinet equipped with the above function is
explained as follows. A dryer is an apparatus for drying an object
in a manner of supplying hot air to the drying object such as wet
clothes after washing. A dryer according to a related art consists
of a cabinet forming a dryer exterior and a drum provided within
the cabinet to hold a drying object therein.
[0006] The cabinet for the dryer consists of a base, a front panel
having a lower end connected to a front end of the base to form a
front side of the cabinet, a pair of side panels connected to both
ends of a topside of the base to form both lateral sides of the
cabinet, respectively, a rear panel having a lower end connected to
a rear end of the base to form a rear side of the cabinet, and a
top panel connected to upper ends of the front, side, and rear
panels to form a topside of the cabinet. A control panel for
operating the dryer is provided to an upper part of the front
panel. An opening is formed at a central part of the front panel so
that a drying object can be received via the opening. And, a door
is provided to one side of the opening to open/close the
opening.
[0007] The rear panel 10 according to the related art is explained
by referring to FIG. 1 as follows. A recess 11 recessed backward at
a predetermined depth is provided to the rear panel 10 to form a
space for installing an inlet duct assembly for supplying hot air
to the drum. And, an intake grill 12 is provided to the recess 11
to let air flow in the cabinet. However, in the related art dryer,
vibration is generated when the drum is rotated to dry a laundry
and the like, whereby the rear panel is vulnerable to shaking or
transformation. Such a problem becomes more serious in lightening
the weight of the rear panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cabinet
for a home appliance that substantially obviates one or more of the
problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related
art.
[0009] An object of the present invention, which has been devised
to solve the foregoing problem, lies in providing a cabinet for a
home appliance, by which rigidity of a rear panel is reinforced to
prevent transformation caused by external weight or impact or
shaking caused by vibration.
[0010] Another object of the present invention, which has been
devised to solve the foregoing problem, lies in providing a cabinet
for a home appliance, by which a rigidity-reinforced rear panel can
be lightened.
[0011] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be
apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination
of the following or may be learned from a practice of the
invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention
will be realized and attained by the subject matter particularly
pointed out in the specification and claims hereof as well as in
the appended drawings.
[0012] To achieve these objects and other advantages in accordance
with the present invention, as embodied and broadly described
herein, a cabinet for a home appliance includes a rear panel
comprising at least one reinforcement bead which is projected from
the rear panel so as to enhance an overall structural strength of
the rear panel. The at least one reinforcement bead may be provided
to a fringe area of the rear panel. The at least one reinforcement
bead is projected outward from the rear panel. Herein, the rear
panel may. include a recess area recessed outward for providing an
additional space. And, a thickness of the rear panel is about 0.5
to 0.7 millimeters (mm).
[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, a cabinet for a
dryer includes a rear panel comprising a plurality of reinforcement
beads projected from fringe areas of the rear panel so as to
enhance an overall structural strength of the rear panel. Herein,
the plurality of reinforcement beads is provided on upper and lower
fringe areas of the rear panel. The plurality of reinforcement
beads is provided on lower left and lower right areas of the rear
panel.
[0014] Herein, the reinforcement beads are provided on left and
right fringe areas of the panel, and wherein the reinforcement
beads are elongated vertically. And, the reinforcement beads are
provided on a plurality of corner areas of the rear panel and have
a perpendicular shape. At least one of the plurality of
reinforcement beads may include one or more auxiliary reinforcement
beads, each auxiliary reinforcement bead being extended from a
predetermined portion of the at least one reinforcement bead.
Furthermore, the plurality of reinforcement beads is projected
outward from the rear panel.
[0015] In a further aspect of the present invention, a cabinet for
a dryer includes a rear panel including a plurality of
reinforcement beads projected from the rear panel so as to enhance
an overall structural strength of the rear panel, and a recess area
recessed outward from the rear panel for providing an additional
space, wherein the plurality of reinforcement beads is provided
between the recess area and a rim of the rear panel. At least one
of the plurality of reinforcement beads may include one or more
auxiliary reinforcement beads, each auxiliary reinforcement bead
being extended from a predetermined portion of the at least one
reinforcement bead.
[0016] Herein, the plurality of reinforcement beads is projected
outward from the rear panel. An air inlet louver is provided on the
recess area for receiving external air. Furthermore, the rear panel
may include at least one additional reinforcement bead projected
from the recess area of the rear panel. The at least one additional
reinforcement bead may be projected inward from the recess area of
the rear panel.
[0017] It is to be understood that both the foregoing explanation
and the following detailed description of the present invention are
exemplary and illustrative and are intended to provide further
explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention. In the drawings:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a layout of a rear panel forming a rear side of a
cabinet for a dryer according to a related art;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram of a dryer provided with
a cabinet according to the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 3 is a layout of a rear panel forming a rear side of a
cabinet for a dryer according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings,
like elements are indicated using the same or similar reference
designations where possible.
[0023] As one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a
cabinet for a dryer is explained in detail by referring to FIGS. 2
and 3 as follows. A dryer includes a cabinet 100 forming a dryer
exterior and a drum 200 provided within the cabinet 100 to hold a
drying object therein. The cabinet 100 of the dryer includes a base
110, a front panel 120 having a lower end connected to a front end
of the base 110 to form a front side of the cabinet 100, a pair of
side panels (not shown) connected to both ends of a topside of the
base 110 to form both lateral sides of the cabinet 100,
respectively, a rear panel 130 having a lower end connected to a
rear end of the base 110 to form a rear side of the cabinet, and a
top panel 140 connected to upper ends of the front plate, side
plates, and back cover to form a topside of the cabinet.
[0024] A control panel (not shown) for operating the dryer is
provided to an upper part of the front panel 120. A cabinet opening
(not shown) is formed at a central part of the front panel 120 so
that a drying object can be received in the drum 200 via the
cabinet opening. And, a door 121 is provided to one side of the
cabinet opening to open/close the cabinet opening. The drum 200 is
configured to rotate by being connected to a belt 310 connected to
a drive motor 300 provided to a lower space of the cabinet 100. For
this, a belt groove (not shown) is formed on an outer circumference
of the drum 200.
[0025] An inlet duct assembly 400 for supplying hot air to the drum
is provided in rear of the drum 200 to provide hot air to the drum
via an air inlet 210 provided to a rear side of the drum. And, a
heater 410 is provided under the inlet duct assembly 400 to heat
air flowing in the inlet duct assembly 400. An exhaust duct
assembly 500 is connected to a front side of the drum 200 to guide
the air discharged from the drum 200 outside the cabinet. And, a
blower 510 is provided on a passage of the exhaust duct assembly
500 to drive a flow of air. Preferably, the blower 510 is rotated
by the drive motor 300 connected to the belt 310.
[0026] The rear panel 130 of the cabinet according to the present
invention is explained by referring to FIG. 3 as follows. A recess
(or recess area) 131 is formed in a middle part of the rear panel
130 to provide a space for installing the inlet duct assembly 400
for supplying hot air to the drum 200. By drawing processing, an
inside of the recess 131 is recessed in a rear direction and an
outside of the recess 131 is projected in the rear direction. An
intake louver (or inlet louver) 132 is provided to a predetermined
part of the recess 131, and more particularly, to a left lateral
part of the recess 131 to suck external air into the cabinet. And,
the inlet duct assembly 400 is accommodated between a right lateral
part of the recess 131 and the drum 200.
[0027] Moreover, an air outlet 133 is provided to a lower part of
the rear panel 130, and more particularly, under the recess 131 to
be connected to the exhaust duct assembly 500 for discharging air
outside the cabinet 100. Meanwhile, the rear panel 130 includes a
reinforcement means for preventing transformation or distortion
caused by external weight or impact and shaking generated from
vibration. The reinforcement means includes a plurality of
reinforcement beads 134, 135, and 136 projected from a surface of
the rear panel 130. Each of the reinforcement beads 134, 135, and
136 is formed in a manner of recessing one side of the rear panel
130 to project the other side of the rear panel 130.
[0028] The above-configured reinforcement beads 134, 135, and 136
are projected from a fringe area of the rear panel 130, and more
particularly, between the recess 131 and a rim of the rear panel
130. Specifically, the reinforcement beads 134, 135, and 136
include an upper bead 134 provided to an upper fringe area of the
rear panel 130 and a pair of lower beads 135 and 136 provided to a
lower fringe area of the rear panel 130.
[0029] In this case, a pair of the lower beads 135 and 136 provided
to the lower fringe area of the rear panel 130 are a left lower
bead 135 and right lower bead 136 provided to left and right parts
of the lower fringe area, respectively. It is a matter of course
that the reinforcement beads 134, 135, and 136 can be connected in
one body. Moreover, first auxiliary reinforcement beads 134a, 135a,
and 136a extend from predetermined portions of the reinforcement
beads 134, 135, and 136, respectively. Furthermore, second
auxiliary reinforcement beads 135b and 136b can be added to the
above configuration in directions vertical to the reinforcement
beads 134, 135, and 136, respectively. The reinforcement beads may
extend long on both lateral fringe areas of the rear panel 130 in
top-to-bottom direction, respectively, or may have right-angled
shapes on corner areas of the rear panel 130, respectively.
[0030] Meanwhile, it is preferable that an inner reinforcement bead
137 is provided to the recess 131. Specifically, the inner
reinforcement bead 137 is projected on an upper fringe part of the
recess 131 and a fringe part of the recess 131 failing to have the
intake louver 132 formed thereon. Moreover, the inner reinforcement
bead 137 can be variously modified according to a design condition
to have such a shape as a one-bodied configuration, separated
configuration, and so on. In the reinforcement beads 134 to 137
including the auxiliary reinforcement beads 134a, 134a, 135b, 136a,
and 136b, the upper bead 134, lower beads 135 and 136, and
auxiliary reinforcement beads 134a, 134a, 135b, 136a, and 136b are
projected outward from the rear panel 130. And, the inner
reinforcement bead 137 is projected inward from the rear panel 130.
Yet, the configurations of the reinforcement beads can be variously
modified overall. By providing the reinforcement beads 134, 135,
136, and 137 and the auxiliary reinforcement beads 134a, 134a,
135b, 136a, and 136b, the rear panel 30 can be decreased more in
thickness to lighten the cabinet in weight.
[0031] In the related art cabinet, the rear panel is transformed or
distorted by the external weight or impact or is shaken or bent by
the vibration generated from a rotation of the drum despite having
a sufficient thickness. By providing the reinforcement beads 134,
135, 136, and 137, the present invention enables to prevent the
transformation or shaking of the rear panel 130 even if the
thickness of the rear panel 130 is in the range of 0.5 to 0.7
millimeters (mm). Meanwhile, the reinforcement means may include
reinforcement ribs (not shown) protruding from a surface of the
rear panel.
[0032] An operation of the dryer according to the present invention
is explained as follows. First of all, a drying object such as
clothes is put in the drum 200 via the cabinet opening, the door
121 is closed, and the control panel is operated to actuate the
dryer. The blower 510 provided to the exhaust duct assembly is
rotated by the drive motor 300 to generate air suction so that
external air is sucked into the cabinet via the intake louver 132
of the rear panel 130. The air sucked into cabinet is heated by the
heater 410 and then flows in the drum 200 via the inlet duct
assembly 400. In doing so, while the drum 200 is rotated by the
drive motor 300 via the belt 310 to dry the drying object well, the
hot air having flown in the rotating drum 200 removes water
contents from the drying object to flow in the exhaust duct
assembly 500. The air having flown in the exhaust duct assembly 500
is discharged outside the cabinet via the air outlet 133 connected
to the rear panel 130. The cabinet provided with the
above-configured rear panel 130 is applicable to various home
appliances such as a washing machine and the like as well as the
dryer.
[0033] Accordingly, a cabinet for a dryer according to the present
invention has the following advantages or effects. First of all,
the reinforcement beads prevent the transformation and shaking of
the rear panel, whereby product endurance is prolonged and noise of
the driven dryer is reduced. Secondly, the reinforcement beads
supplement the rigidity of the rear panel, whereby the thickness of
the real panel can be reduced. Therefore, the product cost of the
rear panel is reduced. Moreover, the rear panel can lose its weight
to facilitate production, maintenance, and repair.
[0034] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications
and variations, provided they come within the scope of the appended
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *