Laundry processing apparatus

Abstract

A laundry processing apparatus is disclosed. A laundry processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cabinet; a tub provided in the cabinet and receiving water; a drum provided in the tub and receiving clothes; a water supply tube which is provided in the cabinet and through which water provided from an external water supply source flows; and a detergent pipe which is provided in the cabinet and through which detergent discharged from a detergent storage unit in which the detergent is stored flows, wherein the cross-sectional area of the water supply tube decreases along the flow direction of the water and then increases again to form a neck unit, and the detergent pipe is connected to the neck unit to provide detergent into the water supply tube through the neck unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet and accommodating water therein;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and accommodating laundry therein;   a water supply pipe disposed in the cabinet, wherein water supplied from an external water source flows through the water supply pipe; and   a detergent pipe disposed in the cabinet, wherein detergent discharged from a detergent storage where the detergent is stored flows through the detergent pipe,   wherein the water supply pipe includes a neck where a cross-sectional area thereof decreases and then increases again along a flow direction of water,   wherein the detergent pipe is connected to the neck to provide the detergent into the water supply pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the neck is located downwardly of the detergent storage and connected to the detergent pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a detergent outlet disposed in the cabinet, wherein the detergent outlet is connected to the water supply pipe downstream of the neck based on a flow of water to receive water and the detergent, wherein the detergent outlet discharges water and the detergent into the tub. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the water supply pipe is connected to the tub and supplies water and the detergent into the tub together. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the detergent storage includes a first detergent storage and a second detergent storage,
 wherein the detergent pipe includes:
 a first detergent pipe allowing detergent discharged from the first detergent storage to flow therethrough; and 
 a second detergent pipe allowing detergent discharged from the second detergent storage to flow therethrough, 
   wherein the first detergent pipe and the second detergent pipe are connected to the neck of the water supply pipe.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the detergent pipe includes a plurality of detergent pipes,
 wherein the plurality of detergent pipes are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the neck and connected to the neck.   
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of detergent valves respectively connected to the plurality of detergent pipes to regulate detergent flows in the respective plurality of detergent pipes,
 wherein at least a portion of the neck extends parallel to an arrangement direction of the plurality of detergent valves and is connected to the plurality of detergent pipes.   
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the detergent pipe includes a plurality of detergent pipes,
 wherein the plurality of detergent pipes are connected to points with the same water pressure inside the neck.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of detergent pipes are connected to the neck at the same location based on a longitudinal direction of the neck. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water supply valve connected to the water supply pipe to regulate a flow of water; and   a pressure regulator connected to a point of the water supply pipe between the water supply valve and the neck, and configured to regulate a pressure within the water supply pipe.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the pressure regulator allows gas outside the water supply pipe to flow into the water supply pipe and blocks water inside the water supply pipe from flowing out of the water supply pipe, thereby resolving a negative pressure inside the water supply pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a detergent detector connected to a point of the water supply pipe downstream of the neck, and configured to detect the detergent. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the detergent detector includes a pair of electrodes exposed into the water supply pipe. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a controller connected in a signal manner to the detergent detector, and configured to determine whether the detergent is present via a value measured by the pair of electrodes.