Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet having a detergent opening defined a front surface thereof, a tub located inside the cabinet, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, and a storage for storing detergent to be supplied to the tub therein. The storage is retracted into or extended out of the cabinet through the detergent opening. The storage includes a storage frame having a detergent storage space defined therein for storing the detergent therein, where a top surface of the storage frame is opened such that the detergent storage space is opened, a cover seat portion formed on the storage frame and formed along a perimeter of the detergent storage space, and a cover detachably coupled to the cover seat portion to shield at least a portion of an open top surface of the detergent storage space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines a detergent opening at a front surface thereof;   a tub located inside the cabinet and configured to receive wash water;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to receive laundry; and   a detergent storage configured to be inserted into and withdrawn from the cabinet through the detergent opening and to receive detergent to be supplied to the tub, the detergent storage comprising:
 a storage frame that defines a detergent storage space configured to store the detergent therein, the storage frame having an open top surface defined at a frame top surface of the storage frame and a rear outer wall disposed at a rear side of the storage frame, 
 a cover seat portion that is disposed at the storage frame and extends along a perimeter of the detergent storage space, 
 a cover configured to detachably couple to the cover seat portion and to cover at least a portion of the open top surface of the detergent storage space, 
 a detecting sensor disposed at the rear side of the storage frame and configured to detect an amount of the detergent stored in the detergent storage space, and 
 a sensor rib that protrudes from the rear side of the storage frame toward the detergent storage space and extends across an exposed surface of the detecting sensor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the front surface of the detecting sensor is exposed to the detergent storage space. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the detecting sensor comprises sensor electrodes disposed at a front surface of the detecting sensor and configured to detect the amount of the detergent stored in the detergent storage space. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor electrodes comprise two different terminals. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the detergent storage further comprises a detergent valve that passes through the rear outer wall and that is disposed below the two different terminals. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the detergent valve is located at a position biased toward one terminal among the two different terminals. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the detergent valve is located at a position biased toward one side with respect to a center of the sensor rib. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor rib surrounds upper and side portions of the terminals of the sensor electrodes. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor rib is inclined downward to induce the detergent at an upper portion of the sensor rib. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor rib protrudes toward the detergent storage space and extends across the front surface of the detecting sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor rib supports the detecting sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the detecting sensor comprises a sensor electrode, and
 wherein the at least a portion of the sensor rib is positioned upward and laterally outward relative to the sensor electrode and configured to block the detergent flowing from the rear outer wall toward the sensor electrode.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor rib is formed to cross the detecting sensor and extend from the rear outer wall excluding the detecting sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the detecting sensor is integrally formed with the storage frame through injection molding. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage frame comprises:
 a frame bottom surface,   a frame partition wall that extends upward from the frame bottom surface and divides the detergent storage space into a plurality of storage spaces, and   a frame outer wall that extends upward from edges of the frame bottom surface to the frame top surface to thereby define the detergent storage space,   wherein the cover seat portion is disposed at top portions of the frame outer wall and the frame partition wall.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the frame outer wall further comprises:
 a front outer wall disposed at a front surface of the storage frame facing the detergent opening of the cabinet, and   a first side outer wall and a second side outer wall that are disposed at side surfaces of the storage frame.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the cover comprises:
 a cover base that extends parallel to the frame bottom surface and is configured to cover the open top surface of the detergent storage space, and   a cover coupling portion that extends along a perimeter of the cover base and is configured to couple to a portion of the first side outer wall or the second side outer wall, the cover coupling portion comprising (i) a coupling insertion portion configured to receive the cover seat portion and (ii) a cover handle that extends from the portion of the first side outer wall or the second side outer wall outward relative to the coupling insertion portion in a direction away from the frame partition wall.   
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the frame partition wall comprises:
 an auxiliary storage partition wall that is spaced apart from each of the front outer wall and the rear outer wall and surrounds a portion of the detergent storage space,   a front partition wall that connects the front outer wall to the auxiliary storage partition wall, and   a rear partition wall that connects the rear outer wall to the auxiliary storage partition wall.   
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the detergent storage space comprises:
 a first storage space defined between the first side outer wall and the frame partition wall,   a second storage space defined between the second side outer wall and the frame partition wall, and   a third storage space surrounded by the auxiliary storage partition wall.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the cover comprises:
 a first cover configured to cover a first open top surface of the first storage space, and   a second cover configured to cover a second open top surface of the second storage space.