Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a drawer that is retracted or extended into or out of the cabinet, and a laundry receiving portion provided in the drawer and configured to accommodate laundry, the drawer includes a front portion and a drawer button provided on the front portion and manipulated by a user, and an extending-out device configured to move the front portion forward to extend out the drawer in the retracting-in state when the drawer button is manipulated is provided in the cabinet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising a cabinet with a front surface in which an opening is formed;
 a drawer that is at least partially retracted or extended into or out of the cabinet through the opening;   a laundry receiving portion provided in the drawer and configured to accommodate laundry;   a front portion configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet in a retracting-in state in which the drawer is inserted into the cabinet;   a drawer button provided in the front portion and manipulated by a user; and   an extending-out device provided in the cabinet and configured to move the front portion forward to extend out the drawer in the retracting-in state from the cabinet when the drawer button is manipulated.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, when the drawer button is manipulated, at least a portion of the extending-out device protrudes forward from the opening and pushes the front portion forward. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the extending-out device is coupled to an internal surface of the cabinet and includes a push portion configured to push the front portion forward. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the extending-out device is coupled to an upper surface of the internal surface of the cabinet, and when the drawer button is manipulated, the push portion protrudes forward beyond the opening and pushes the front portion forward. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the extending-out device includes a body portion coupled to the cabinet and a push portion protruding forward from the body portion. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein, when the drawer button is manipulated, an amount of protrusion of the push portion increases, and the extending-out device pushes the front portion. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein a body opening that is open forward is provided at a front end of the body portion, and
 the push portion is extended out forward from the body portion through the body opening.   
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the body opening is located on the same plane as the opening of the cabinet. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the body portion includes a receiving space formed to accommodate the push portion, and includes an extending-out driver configured to provide power for protrusion of the push portion. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein, when the drawer button is manipulated, the push portion is extracted out forward from the body portion, and when a certain time elapses after the push portion is extended out, the body portion is retracted back into the body portion. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer button and the extending-out device receive power from different control modules. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first control module connected to the drawer button and configured to receive a user manipulation signal for the drawer button; and   a second control module connected to the extending-out device and operating the extending-out device when the drawer button is manipulated.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein, when a manipulation signal of the drawer button is generated, the first control module switches the second control module from a minimum power consumption state to a normal power consumption state, and
 the extending-out device receives power through the second control module in the normal power consumption state.   
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the extending-out device does not operate while treating laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer includes a main body portion that is located at a rear side of the front portion and is retracted into the cabinet, and on which the laundry receiving portion is located,
 the front portion includes an upward protrusion that protrudes upward from the main body portion, and   the extending-out device is configured to push the upward protrusion forward.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the upward protrusion includes:
 a first upward protrusion protruding upward from the main body portion and pressed forward by the extending-out device; and   a second upward protrusion protruding upward from the first upward protrusion and including an upper groove that has a rear surface recessed forward and is open upward.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second upward protrusion further includes:
 a forward protrusion located at a front side of the upper groove; and   a lateral protrusion provided at each of both sides of the upper groove and connected to the forward protrusion, and   the upper groove is defined by the forward protrusion and the lateral protrusion.   
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein a handle portion including a recessed groove is provided on an external surface of the lateral protrusion, which is externally exposed. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein a handle groove recessed forward and extending in a lateral direction of the cabinet is provided on a rear surface of the forward protrusion, which faces the upper groove. 
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the cabinet is provided to upwardly support an additional treating apparatus located above the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry, and
 a portion of a lower portion of the additional treating apparatus is located in the upper groove in a retracting-in state of the drawer.   
     
     
         21 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a rail support body is provided on each of both sides of the drawer,
 a rail portion on which the rail support body is accommodated to slide forward or backward is provided on an internal surface of the cabinet, and   the rail portion includes a retracting-in guider configured to move the rail support body located in a guide section defined in the rail portion backward.   
     
     
         22 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the extending-out device pushes the front portion such that the rail support body is located ahead of the guide section. 
     
     
         23 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer button is provided in a touch manner and configured to receive a touch signal of the user. 
     
     
         24 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tub provided on the drawer and configured to accommodate water,   wherein the laundry receiving portion is located inside the tub and rotated about a rotation axis perpendicular to a ground.   
     
     
         25 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a controller provided inside the cabinet and configured to control rotation of the laundry receiving portion to treat laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion, and   wherein the controller treats the laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion based on information transmitted from an external device located outside the cabinet.   
     
     
         26 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the external device includes an additional treating apparatus provided outside the cabinet to accommodate laundry, and
 the controller treats the laundry accommodated in the laundry receiving portion based on information determined through a manipulation unit provided in the additional treating apparatus and manipulated by the user.   
     
     
         27 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet is provided to upwardly support an additional treating apparatus located above the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry, and
 a front panel of the additional treating apparatus and the front portion of the drawer are located vertically and on the same plane.