Laundry treating apparatus
By installing a detergent supply device outside the cabinet of the clothing treatment equipment and ensuring the stability of the device with the fastening tube and anti-extraction part, the problem of insufficient volume of the detergent box and vibration in the top loading equipment is solved, and efficient and convenient detergent management is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202280101760.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-11
- Filing Date
- 2022-12-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-20
AI Technical Summary
Existing automatic detergent supply equipment is difficult to increase the volume of the detergent box in top-loaded laundry treatment equipment, and there is a risk of separation of the detergent box from the shell due to vibration, and users need to operate frequently to check or replenish detergents.
A laundry treatment device is designed, with a detergent supply device installed by exposure to the outside of the cabinet and ensures stability and volume of the detergent chamber by fastening tubes and anti-pull-out sections, while allowing the remaining amount of detergent to be checked without removing the device.
While increasing the volume of detergent chambers in the top-loaded laundry treatment equipment, it reduces the risk of separation caused by vibration, simplifies user operation, and improves the convenience and efficiency of the equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN120187910A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus. Background Art
[0002] A laundry treatment apparatus for removing dirt from an object to be washed (such as laundry) using water includes: a tub in which water is stored; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub and storing laundry therein; a water supply device for supplying water to the tub; and a drainage device for discharging the water stored in the tub.
[0003] In order to easily remove dirt, among existing laundry treatment apparatuses, there are laundry treatment apparatuses equipped with a detergent supply device for supplying detergent to the tub. Among existing detergent supply devices, there is a detergent supply device including a drawer that can protrude from a cabinet of the laundry treatment apparatus and a detergent passage defined in the drawer for guiding the detergent to the tub.
[0004] In the above-described existing detergent supply device, the water supply device supplies water to the detergent passage. Therefore, when the water supply device is operated, the detergent introduced into the detergent passage is supplied to the tub together with the water (Publication No. 10-2020-0007549). However, the above-described detergent supply device may inject more detergent than required, and there is an inconvenience in that the user must inject detergent into the detergent passage every time washing is required.
[0005] To solve the above disadvantages, among existing detergent supply devices, there is a detergent supply device that automatically supplies detergent to the tub during washing.
[0006] Existing automatic detergent supply devices include: a detergent box (referred to as a cartridge) that is detachable from the laundry treatment apparatus and provides a space for storing detergent; and a conveyor that conveys the detergent to the tub when the cartridge is installed in the laundry treatment apparatus.
[0007] The above-described automatic detergent supply device can store a relatively large amount of detergent in the cartridge, and the controller can adjust the operation time point and operation duration of the conveyor so that not only an appropriate amount of detergent can be supplied to the tub, but also the inconvenience of the user supplying detergent to the tub when washing is required can be solved.
[0008] Generally, the cartridge provided in an existing automatic detergent supply device protrudes from the cabinet of the laundry treatment apparatus. That is, conventionally, the cartridge has a structure extending from a housing fixed to the cabinet to be located below the tub, a housing fixed to the cabinet to be located above the tub, or a housing fixed to the top surface of the cabinet and exposed to the outside of the laundry treatment apparatus (Publication No. 10-2018-0096008, Publication No. 10-2020-0120202).
[0009] Since large vibrations may be intermittently transmitted to the cabinet when the laundry treatment apparatus operates, the housing fixed inside the cabinet to be located below and above the tub has a low risk of the cartridge protruding from the cabinet.
[0010] However, since the cartridge in the housing disposed outside and exposed to the cabinet is highly likely to be separated from the housing when the laundry treatment apparatus vibrates, the existing automatic detergent supply apparatus has a structure in which the housing surrounds all surfaces of the cartridge except for one surface.
[0011] That is, the existing housing has a structure in which the top surface, two side surfaces, and the rear surface surrounding the cartridge except for the front surface where the outlet of the cartridge is provided. This is to minimize the risk of the cartridge being separated from the housing due to vibration.
[0012] However, the structure in which only one surface of the cartridge is exposed to the outside of the housing has the inconvenience that the user needs to extend the cartridge from the housing to supply detergent to the cartridge or check the remaining amount of detergent.
[0013] In addition, the structure of the automatic detergent supply apparatus is limited in that it is difficult to increase the volume of the cartridge when applied to a top-loading type laundry treatment apparatus.
[0014] The top-loading type laundry treatment apparatus is a laundry treatment apparatus that puts laundry into a drum through a laundry inlet defined in the top surface of the cabinet. Since the laundry inlet is located at the center of the space provided by the top surface of the cabinet, the cartridge must be installed in a space other than the space where the laundry inlet is located.
[0015] That is, the housing must be installed in a space in front of the laundry inlet or at the rear of the laundry inlet among the spaces provided by the top surface of the cabinet, and the cartridge is inserted into the housing by moving backward from the space in front of the laundry inlet (Publication No. 10-2018-0080013).
[0016] However, the rear space of the top surface of the cabinet has a vertical length (the length of the cabinet in the depth direction, the length of the rear space parallel to the cartridge insertion direction) smaller than the horizontal length (the length of the cabinet in the width direction), and a conveyor (such as a pump) for delivering the detergent of the cartridge to the tub must be installed inside the housing, making it difficult to design the cartridge to have a large storage capacity for the existing automatic detergent supply apparatus. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0018] The present disclosure provides a laundry treatment apparatus equipped with a detergent supply device installed in a state of being exposed to the outside of the cabinet.
[0019] In addition, the present disclosure provides a laundry treatment apparatus equipped with a detergent supply device that can not only store a large amount of detergent but also minimize the risk of separation from the cabinet due to vibration.
[0020] In addition, the present disclosure provides a laundry treatment apparatus that can introduce detergent into a detergent supply device mounted on a cabinet.
[0021] In addition, the present disclosure provides a laundry treatment apparatus that can check the remaining amount of detergent without removing the detergent supply device from the cabinet.
[0022] Technical Solution
[0023] There is provided a laundry treatment apparatus including: a cabinet having a lid forming a top surface and a laundry inlet extending through the lid; a tub provided inside the cabinet to provide a space for storing water; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub and storing laundry introduced into the laundry inlet therein; a mounting portion including a hub fixed to the lid and a first mounting groove and a second mounting groove provided to face each other along the width direction of the lid, wherein the hub is inserted between the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove; a first detergent tank storing detergent to be supplied to the tub and capable of sliding along the width direction of the lid from an edge of the first mounting groove toward the hub; and a second detergent tank storing the detergent to be supplied to the tub and capable of sliding along the width direction of the lid from an edge of the second mounting groove toward the hub.
[0024] The mounting portion may include: a first fastening pipe protruding from the hub along the width direction of the lid and connecting the tub to the first detergent tank; and a second fastening pipe protruding from the hub along the width direction of the lid and connecting the tub to the second detergent tank.
[0025] The first detergent tank may include: a first storage body storing the detergent; and a first detergent discharge port into which the first fastening pipe is inserted when the first storage body is inserted into the first mounting groove along the width direction of the lid, and the second detergent tank may include: a second storage body storing the detergent; and a second detergent discharge port into which the second fastening pipe is inserted when the second storage body is inserted into the second mounting groove along the width direction of the lid.
[0026] When the first fastening tube is inserted into the first detergent discharge port, the first storage body may be prohibited from moving in the height direction and the front-rear direction of the lid, and when the second fastening tube is inserted into the second detergent discharge port, the second storage body may be prohibited from moving in the height direction and the front-rear direction of the lid.
[0027] The laundry treating apparatus may further include: a first anti-pulling-out part that prevents the first fastening tube from being pulled out of the first detergent discharge port when the first fastening tube is inserted into the first detergent discharge port; and a second anti-pulling-out part that prevents the second fastening tube from being pulled out of the second detergent discharge port when the second fastening tube is inserted into the second detergent discharge port.
[0028] The first anti-pulling-out part may prohibit the first storage body from moving in a direction away from the hub along the width direction of the lid, and the second anti-pulling-out part may prohibit the second storage body from moving in a direction away from the hub along the width direction of the lid.
[0029] The first storage body may be configured such that at least two surfaces of the first storage body are exposed to the outside of the first installation space, and the second storage body may be configured such that at least two surfaces of the second storage body are exposed to the outside of the second installation space.
[0030] At least one of the surfaces exposed to the outside of the first installation groove of the first storage body may be made of a transparent material entirely or partially.
[0031] At least one of the surfaces exposed to the outside of the second installation groove of the second storage body may be made of a transparent material entirely or partially.
[0032] The laundry treating apparatus may further include: a first detergent inlet defined in a surface of the first storage body located outside the first installation groove to enable introduction of the detergent into the first storage body; and a second detergent inlet defined in a surface of the second storage body located outside the second installation groove to enable introduction of the detergent into the second storage body.
[0033] The first detergent inlet may be defined in a top surface of the first storage body parallel to the lid, and the first detergent discharge port may be provided on a surface of the first storage body facing the hub. The second detergent inlet may be defined in a top surface of the second storage body parallel to the lid, and the second detergent discharge port may be provided on a surface of the second storage body facing the hub.
[0034] The laundry treating apparatus may further include a conveyor configured to convey the detergent introduced into the first fastening pipe and the second fastening pipe to the tub.
[0035] The laundry treating apparatus may further include: a tub inlet defined in the tub below the laundry inlet; a water supply passage including a passage body fixed to the cabinet and a chamber provided inside the passage body and guiding water supplied from a water supply source to the tub inlet; and a conveyor guiding the detergent introduced into the first fastening pipe and the second fastening pipe to the chamber.
[0036] The laundry treating apparatus may further include: a drawer capable of protruding from the chamber; and a detergent passage defined in the drawer and guiding the detergent supplied to the drawer to the chamber.
[0037] The laundry treating apparatus may further include a connection chamber protruding from one surface of the passage body in an insertion direction of the drawer or in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the drawer, wherein the connection chamber communicates with the chamber, and the conveyor may include a first conveyor and a second conveyor. The first conveyor moves the detergent introduced into the first fastening pipe to the connection chamber, and the second conveyor moves the detergent introduced into the second fastening pipe to the connection chamber.
[0038] The laundry treating apparatus may further include a dispenser provided inside the chamber and on the drawer, wherein the dispenser guides some of the water in the water introduced into the chamber to the detergent passage and the remaining water to the connection chamber.
[0039] Advantageous Effects
[0040] The present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus equipped with a detergent supply device installed in a state of being exposed to the outside of the cabinet.
[0041] In addition, the present disclosure provides a laundry treatment apparatus equipped with a detergent supply device that can not only store a large amount of detergent but also minimize the risk of separation from the cabinet due to vibration.
[0042] In addition, the present disclosure can provide a laundry treatment apparatus that can introduce detergent into a detergent supply device mounted on a cabinet.
[0043] In addition, the present disclosure can provide a laundry treatment apparatus that can check the remaining amount of detergent without removing the detergent supply device from the cabinet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] Figure 1 and Figure 2 show an example of a laundry treatment apparatus.
[0045] Figure 3 show an example of the internal structure of a laundry treatment apparatus.
[0046] Figure 4 show an example of a detergent supply device provided in a laundry treatment apparatus.
[0047] Figure 5 show an example of an automatic detergent supply device (second supply device).
[0048] Figure 6 and Figure 7 show an example of a first detergent tank provided in the second supply device.
[0049] Figure 8 and Figure 9 show an example of a second detergent tank provided in the second supply device.
[0050] Figure 10 show an example of a mounting portion.
[0051] Figure 11 show a combined structure of a detergent tank and a mounting portion.
[0052] Figure 12 show an example of a conveyor.
[0053] Figure 13 、 Figure 14 and Figure 15 show examples of a water supply passage and a manual detergent supply device (first supply device).
[0054] Figure 16 Briefly show the passage through which detergent is supplied to the tub. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0055] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a laundry treating apparatus and a control method thereof will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0056] As Figure 1 shown, the laundry treating apparatus 100 includes a cabinet 1 and treating parts 2 and 3 defined inside the cabinet to provide a space for receiving laundry.
[0057] As Figure 2 shown, the cabinet 1 may include a housing 11 and a lid 12. The housing 11 provides a space for accommodating the treating parts, and the lid 12 closes the open top surface of the housing.
[0058] The lid 12 may include a lid body 121 fixed to the housing 11 to form the top surface of the laundry treating apparatus, and a laundry inlet 124 defined to extend through the lid body 121. The laundry inlet 124 may be closed by a door 13 pivotally coupled to the lid body 121.
[0059] The lid body 121 may include a front space (first space) 122 in front of the laundry inlet 124 and a rear space (second space) 123 at the rear of the laundry inlet 124. The front space 122 may have a control panel 125, and the control panel 125 may include an input device 126 for receiving control commands from a user and a display 127 for displaying information related to the laundry treating apparatus.
[0060] As Figure 3 shown, the treating part may include a tub 2 for storing water and a drum 3 disposed inside the tub for storing objects to be washed (such as laundry) supplied through the laundry inlet 124.
[0061] Since the tub 2 has to be formed in a structure capable of storing water, the tub 2 may be formed as a cylindrical hollow tub body 21.
[0062] The tub body 21 is fixed to the cabinet 1 via a tub support 23. The tub support 23 may be formed as a rod, one end of which is fixed to the lid 12 or the housing 11, and the other end of which is fixed to the circumferential surface of the tub body 21. The top surface of the tub body 21 has a tub inlet 22 located below the laundry inlet 124.
[0063] The tub body 21 may receive water via a water supply device S, and the water inside the tub body 21 may be discharged to the outside of the cabinet 1 via a drainage device 25.
[0064] The water supply device S may include a water supply pipe 4 connected to a water supply source, a water supply valve 5 that controls the opening and closing of the water supply pipe 4 in response to a control signal from a controller (first controller), and a water supply passage 6 that guides the water supplied from the water supply pipe 4 to the tub 2. Figure 3The situation where the water supply passage 6 guides water into the tub body 21 via the tub inlet 22 is shown.
[0065] The drainage device 25 may include a drain pipe 251 that guides the water inside the tub body 21 to the outside of the cabinet 1, and a drain valve 252 that controls the opening and closing of the drain pipe in response to a control signal from the first controller.
[0066] As a device located inside the tub body 21 and providing a space for storing clothes, the drum 3 may be formed as a cylindrical hollow drum body 31.
[0067] The top surface of the drum body 31 may have a drum inlet 32 located below the tub inlet 22. Thus, the user can put clothes into the drum body 31 via the clothes inlet 124, the tub inlet 22, and the drum inlet 32. A communication hole 33 that allows the internal spaces of the tub body 21 and the drum body 31 to communicate may be defined in the circumferential surface, the bottom surface, etc. of the drum body 31.
[0068] An agitator 34 that is arranged to be rotatable inside the drum body and can form a water flow inside the drum body 31 may be further provided on the bottom surface of the drum body 31.
[0069] The drum body 31 and the agitator 34 can be rotated by a driver. The driver may include a motor 35 fixed to the bottom surface of the tub body 21 and located outside the tub body 21, a drum shaft 36 that connects the motor to the drum body 31, and an agitator shaft 37 that connects the motor to the agitator 34.
[0070] The agitator shaft 37 may be arranged to extend through the drum shaft 36 and directly connect the rotor of the motor 35 to the agitator 34. In this case, a gear 38 that connects the agitator shaft 37 to the drum shaft 36 and a clutch 39 that controls the connection between one end of the drum shaft 36 and the rotor may be provided inside the drum shaft 36.
[0071] As Figure 4 shown, the clothes processing device 100 may have a detergent supply device 7 and 8 for supplying detergent to the tub 2.
[0072] The detergent supply device may include a first supply device (manual detergent supply device) 7 and a second supply device (automatic detergent supply device) 8. The first supply device 7 receives detergent from the user and supplies the detergent to the tub 2, and the second supply device 8 supplies an appropriate amount of detergent to the tub 2 at a set time point under the control of the first controller.
[0073] The first supply device 7 can be formed as a drawer 71, and the drawer 71 can protrude from a water supply passage 6 defined in the lid 12. The drawer 71 can protrude from the water supply passage 6 along the direction (+X-axis direction) where the center of the clothing inlet 124 is located.
[0074] The drawer 71 can include a first detergent passage 72 and a second detergent passage 74, and the first detergent passage 72 and the second detergent passage 74 guide the detergent provided by the user to the water supply passage 6.
[0075] The first detergent passage 72 and the second detergent passage 74 must define separate passages. The first detergent passage 72 can be connected to the water supply passage 6 via a first outlet 73, and the second detergent passage 74 can be connected to the water supply passage 6 via a second outlet (not shown).
[0076] The first outlet 73 can be defined as a hole extending through the rear surface of the first detergent passage 72, and the second outlet (not shown) can be defined as a siphon passage (or water trap), and when a certain amount or more of liquid (water or liquid detergent) is supplied to the second detergent passage 74, the siphon passage discharges the liquid to the water supply passage 6. In this case, the first detergent passage 72 will be able to be used as a supply passage for the powder detergent or liquid detergent required for washing, and the second detergent passage 74 will be able to be used as a supply passage for the liquid detergent or powder detergent introduced at a specific time (rinsing cycle, dehydration cycle, etc.).
[0077] As described above, the lid body 121 can include a front space 122 located in front of the clothing inlet 124 and a rear space 123 located at the rear of the clothing inlet 124. The second supply device 8 can be located in the rear space 123. Different from what is shown in the drawings, the control panel 125 can be provided in the rear space 123, and the second supply device 8 can be provided in the front space 122.
[0078] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the second supply device 8 can include: a detergent box 81 that provides a space for storing detergent; a mounting portion 82 that is fixed to the rear space 123 and to which the detergent box 81 is detachably fixed; and a conveyor 83 that extracts detergent from the detergent box 81 coupled to the mounting portion 82 and allows the detergent to flow to the water supply passage 6.
[0079] As Figure 5 shown, the detergent box 81 can include a first detergent box 81a and a second detergent box 81b that are detachably fixed to the mounting portion 82.
[0080] The first detergent tank 81a may include a storage body (first storage body) 811 that provides a space for storing detergent, a detergent inlet (first detergent inlet) 812 defined to extend through one surface of the first storage body, and a detergent tank door (first detergent tank door) 813 that can open and close the first detergent inlet.
[0081] As Figure 6 shown, the first detergent inlet 812 may be defined to extend through the top surface of the first storage body 811, and the first detergent tank door 813 may be pivotally fixed to the top surface of the first storage body 811.
[0082] As Figure 7 shown, the bottom surface of the first storage body 811 may have a detergent discharge port (first detergent discharge port) 814, and the first detergent discharge port 814 may have a check valve (first check valve) 814a.
[0083] The bottom surface 814c of the first storage body 811 may have a guiding channel (first guiding channel) 814b that guides the detergent within the first storage body 811 to the first detergent discharge port 814. In this case, the first detergent discharge port 814 may be located on a surface (a surface facing the +Z axis direction, a surface facing the hub of the mounting portion) facing the direction in which the second storage body 815 is located in the space provided by the first guiding channel 814b.
[0084] As Figure 8 shown in, the second detergent tank 81b may include a storage body (second storage body) 815 that provides a space for storing detergent, a detergent inlet (second detergent inlet) 816 defined to extend through one surface of the second storage body, and a detergent tank door (second detergent tank door) 817 that can open and close the second detergent inlet.
[0085] The second detergent inlet 816 may be defined to extend through the top surface of the second storage body 815, and the second detergent tank door 817 may be pivotally fixed to the top surface of the second storage body 815.
[0086] As Figure 9 shown, the bottom surface 818c of the second storage body 815 may include a detergent discharge port (second detergent discharge port) 818, and the second detergent discharge port 818 may have a check valve (second check valve) 818a.
[0087] The bottom surface of the second storage body 815 may have a guiding channel (second guiding channel) 818b that guides the detergent within the second storage body 815 to the second detergent discharge port 818. In this case, the second detergent discharge port 818 may have a surface facing the direction in which the first storage body 811 is located in the space provided by the second guiding channel 818b (a surface facing the -Z axis direction, a surface facing the hub of the mounting portion).
[0088] As Figure 10 shown, the mounting portion 82 may include a mounting body 82a and a hub 82b. The mounting body 82a is fixed to the cover body 121 and is located in the rear space 123 of the cover. The hub 82b is provided on the mounting body 82a, and the first detergent tank 81a and the second detergent tank 81b are fixed to the hub 82b. As an example, Figure 10 it shows a case where the hub 82b is positioned between the first detergent discharge port 814 and the second detergent discharge port 818 to fix the discharge ports 814 and 818.
[0089] The mounting body 82a has a first mounting space 821 and a second mounting space 822. The first mounting space 821 and the second mounting space 822 are arranged to face each other, and the hub 82b is inserted between the first mounting space 821 and the second mounting space 822. The first mounting space 821 is a space for mounting the first detergent tank 81a, and the second mounting space 822 is a space for mounting the second detergent tank 81b.
[0090] The first mounting space 821 may be defined in a direction away from the second mounting space 822 (-Y axis direction) along the width direction of the cover body 121 from the hub 82b, and the second mounting space 822 may be defined in a direction away from the first mounting space 821 (+Y axis direction) along the width direction of the cover body 121 from the hub 82b.
[0091] The first mounting space 821 may be defined as a groove (first mounting groove) that houses the bottom surface of the first storage body 811, and the second mounting space 822 may be defined as a groove (second mounting groove) that houses the bottom surface of the second storage body 815.
[0092] For example, the first mounting space 821 may be defined as a groove that houses the entire edge of the bottom surface of the first storage body 811, and the second mounting space 822 may be defined as a groove that houses the entire edge of the bottom surface of the second storage body 815.
[0093] In addition, the bottom surfaces of the first installation space 821 and the second installation space 822 may be formed in a shape that slopes downward toward the hub 82b. In this case, the bottom surfaces 814c or 818c of each of the storage bodies 811 and 815 are preferably inclined to correspond to the shape of the installation space corresponding thereto.
[0094] The installation portion 82 may include a first fastening tube 823 that protrudes from the hub 82b in a direction away from the hub 82b (-Y-axis direction) along the width direction of the lid body 121, and a second fastening tube 824 that protrudes in a direction away from the hub (+Y-axis direction) along the width direction of the lid body 121.
[0095] As Figure 11 shown, the first fastening tube 823 may be inserted into the first detergent discharge port 814 of the first detergent tank, and the second fastening tube 824 may be inserted into the second detergent discharge port 818 of the second detergent tank.
[0096] When the first detergent tank 81a is inserted into the first installation space 821, the first fastening tube 823 is inserted into the first detergent discharge port 814, so that the first check valve 814a will open the first detergent discharge port 814. When the second detergent tank 81b is inserted into the second installation space 822, the second fastening tube 824 is inserted into the second detergent discharge port 818, so that the second check valve 818a will open the second detergent discharge port 818.
[0097] As Figure 12 shown, the conveyor 83 may include a first conveyor 83a and a second conveyor 83b. The first conveyor 83a allows the detergent flowing into the first fastening tube 823 to flow to the tub body 21, and the second conveyor 83b allows the detergent flowing into the second fastening tube 824 to flow to the tub body 21.
[0098] The first conveyor 83a may include a first detergent pump 831 installed in the rear space 123 of the lid body, a first supply passage 832 connecting the inlet of the first detergent pump to the first fastening tube 823, and a first discharge passage 833 connecting the outlet of the first detergent pump to the water supply passage 6.
[0099] The second conveyor 83b may include a second detergent pump 834 installed in the rear space 123, a second supply passage 835 connecting the inlet of the second detergent pump to the second fastening tube 824, and a second discharge passage 836 connecting the outlet of the second detergent pump to the water supply passage 6.
[0100] Since the open top surface of the rear space 123 is closed by the mounting body 82a, the first conveyor 83a and the second conveyor 83b installed in the rear space 123 are not exposed to the outside of the lid through the mounting body 82a.
[0101] In addition, the conveyors 83a and 83b are arranged so as not to interfere with the space where the detergent tanks 81a and 81b are installed. That is, the first conveyor 83a and the second conveyor 83b are arranged in the rear space 123 independently of the installation spaces 821 and 822, rather than being arranged at the rear of the two detergent tanks 81a and 81b, so that the laundry processing apparatus 100 is conducive to designing the storage bodies 811 and 815 provided in the corresponding detergent tanks to have a large volume.
[0102] The above-mentioned first controller (not shown) is a device for controlling at least one of the input device 126, the display 127, the motor 35, the water supply valve 5, and the drain valve 252. The first detergent pump 831 and the second detergent pump 834 provided in the conveyor 83 can operate in response to a control signal from the first controller (not shown). However, as Figure 12 shown, the first detergent pump 831 and the second detergent pump 834 can operate in response to a control signal from a second controller (pump controller) 9 separate from the first controller.
[0103] When the second controller 9 is separated from the first controller, the first controller and the second controller 9 must be connected to each other to achieve communication between them, and it is desirable that the second controller 9 controls the two detergent pumps based on the control commands (the operation time point and the operation duration of the pumps) requested by the first controller. The second controller 9 is preferably fixed inside the rear space 123.
[0104] When the first controller and the second controller 9 are configured as described above, the above-mentioned second supply device 8 can be modularized (applicable to various laundry processing apparatuses with different structures), and the load on the first controller can be reduced, so that the possibility of operation errors in the laundry processing apparatus can be minimized.
[0105] As described above, the water supply device S may include a water supply pipe 4, a water supply valve 5, and a water supply passage 6.
[0106] The water supply pipe 4 may include a first water supply pipe 41 connected to a water supply source that supplies water at a first temperature, and a second water supply pipe 42 connected to a water supply source that supplies water at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.
[0107] The first water supply pipe 41 can be branched into a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe via a branch unit 54. In this case, the water supply valve 5 can be composed of a first valve 51 that controls the opening and closing of the first branch pipe, a second valve 52 that controls the opening and closing of the second branch pipe, and a third valve 53 that controls the opening and closing of the second water supply pipe 42.
[0108] As Figure 13 shown, the water supply passage 6 can include a passage main body 61 fixed to the cabinet 1 via a cover main body 121, and a chamber 611 provided in the passage main body 61 and guiding the water supplied from the water supply pipe 4 to the tub inlet 22. One surface of the passage main body 61 (the surface facing the center of the laundry inlet, etc.) has a chamber outlet 612 that discharges the liquid flowing into the chamber 611 to the tub inlet 22.
[0109] The chamber 611 is connected to the water supply valve 5 via an inlet 63. The inlet 63 can include a first inlet port 634, a second inlet port 635, and a third inlet port 636 provided on the passage main body 61 and connected to the upper space of the chamber 611.
[0110] As Figure 12 shown, the first inlet port 634 can be connected to the first valve 51 via a first valve connecting pipe 631, the second inlet port 635 can be connected to the second valve 52 via a second valve connecting pipe 632, and the third inlet port 636 can be connected to the third valve 53 via a third valve connecting pipe 633.
[0111] As Figure 13 shown, the drawer 71 of the first supply device can protrude from the chamber 611 via the chamber outlet 612. In this case, the first outlet 73 and the second outlet of the drawer must discharge the detergent into the chamber 611.
[0112] In addition, a passage through which the detergent or water can flow must be defined between the bottom surface 613 of the chamber 611 and the bottom surface of the drawer 71 so that the detergent discharged from the drawer 71 into the chamber 611 can flow to the tub 2. As an example, Figure 13 the case where the bottom surface 613 of the chamber is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the chamber outlet 612 to define the passage is shown.
[0113] The passage main body 61 can further include a connecting portion 84 that guides the detergent supplied from the conveyor 83 to the bottom surface 613 of the chamber.
[0114] The connection part 84 may include a connection chamber 841 protruding from the channel body 61 and communicating with the chamber 611, a first detergent supply pipe 842 connecting the first discharge channel 833 of the conveyor to the connection chamber 841, and a second detergent supply pipe 843 connecting the second discharge channel 836 of the conveyor to the connection chamber 841.
[0115] The connection chamber 841 may protrude along the direction of inserting the drawer 71 (-X axis direction) or along the width direction of the drawer (Y axis direction, a direction perpendicular to the direction of inserting the drawer).
[0116] When the detergent stored in the detergent box 81 is supplied via the top surface of the chamber 611 instead of the connection chamber 841, the detergent discharged from the conveyor 83 will be supplied to the tub 2 via the first detergent channel 72 or the second detergent channel 74 defined in the drawer 71 and the bottom surface 613 of the chamber. Since the flow path of the detergent as described above is longer than the path for the detergent to flow to the tub 2 via the connection chamber 841 and the bottom surface 613 of the chamber, the detergent cannot be completely supplied to the tub and the possibility of the detergent remaining in the flow path increases. The connection chamber 841 is a device for solving this problem.
[0117] Inside the chamber 611, a dispenser 62 may be further provided. The dispenser 62 is located on the drawer 71 and guides the water flowing into the chamber 611 to the first detergent channel 72 and the second detergent channel 74 of the drawer. The dispenser 62 may guide some of the water flowing into the chamber 611 to the detergent channels 72 and 74, and guide the remaining water to the connection chamber 841.
[0118] The dispenser 62 may include a dispenser body 621 fixed inside the chamber 611 and located on the drawer 71, and a partition wall 622 that divides the dispenser body 621 into a first distribution space 623 located on the first detergent channel 72 of the drawer and a second distribution space 625 located on the second detergent channel 74.
[0119] As Figure 14 shown, the first distribution space 623 may have a first supply hole 624 extending through the first distribution space 623, and the second distribution space 625 may have a second supply hole 626 extending through the second distribution space 625.
[0120] The water discharged from the first water supply pipe 41 via the first valve 51 will be supplied to the first detergent channel 72 of the drawer via the first inlet port 634 and the first supply hole 624, and the water discharged from the first water supply pipe 41 via the second valve 52 will be supplied to the second detergent channel 74 of the drawer via the second inlet port 635 and the second supply hole 626.
[0121] The dispenser 62 may further include a guide member 627 that facilitates the flow of some of the water supplied to the dispensing body 621 toward the connection chamber 841.
[0122] The guide member 627 may be formed as a plate extending from the rear end of the dispensing body 621 toward the connection chamber 841. In this case, the guide member 627 may include a first guide through-hole 628 and a second guide through-hole 629.
[0123] The first guide through-hole 628 is a device for allowing the detergent discharged from the first detergent supply pipe 842 to flow to the bottom surface of the connection chamber 841 without disturbing the guide member, and the second guide through-hole 629 is a device for allowing the detergent discharged from the second detergent supply pipe 843 to flow to the bottom surface of the connection chamber 841 without disturbing the guide member. As shown in the figure, the second guide through-hole 629 may be defined as a groove in which the free end of the guide member 627 is recessedly bent.
[0124] As Figure 15 shown, the laundry treatment apparatus equipped with the guide member 627 can guide some of the water into the chamber 611 during the water supply toward the connection chamber 841, so that the possibility of the detergent remaining on the bottom surface of the connection chamber 841 can be minimized (a set amount of detergent can be completely supplied to the tub).
[0125] As Figure 16 shown, when the water supply valve 5 is operated, the laundry treatment apparatus having the above structure supplies water to the drawer 71 via the water supply pipe 4, and the detergent in the drawer 71 is supplied to the tub body 21 via the chamber outlet 612 after being discharged into the chamber 611 together with the water.
[0126] In one example, when the conveyor 83 operates, the detergent stored in the detergent tank 81 flows into the connection chamber 841, and the detergent in the connection chamber 841 is supplied to the tub body 21 via the chamber outlet 612.
[0127] As Figure 1 shown, the above laundry treatment apparatus 100 has a structure in which a first detergent tank 81a and a second detergent tank 81b protrude from the top surface of the lid 12.
[0128] Considering that the top surface of the top-loading type laundry treatment apparatus 100 is generally positioned higher than the top surface of the front-loading type laundry treatment apparatus, when the laundry treatment apparatus 100 operates, the vibration amplitude of the above first detergent tank 81a and second detergent tank 81b may be greater than the vibration amplitude of the detergent tank (detergent storage space) located at the upper part of the front-loading type washing machine.
[0129] That is to say, when the drum 3 rotates, large vibrations may occur in the first detergent box 81a and the second detergent box 81b. When the two detergent boxes are not firmly fixed to the cabinet 1 via the mounting part 82, there is a possibility that the detergent box may be separated from the mounting part 82 during the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus 100.
[0130] To minimize the above risks, the first detergent box 81a is formed such that when the first storage body 811 is inserted into the first installation space 821 along the width direction (+Y-axis direction) of the lid 12, the first fastening pipe 823 is coupled to the first detergent discharge port 814.
[0131] When the first fastening pipe 823 is inserted into the first detergent discharge port 814, the movement of the first storage body 811 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) and the depth direction (X-axis direction, front-back direction of the lid) of the lid 12 is prohibited, so that the laundry treatment apparatus 100 can suppress the vibration of the first detergent box 81a in two directions only by using the positions of the first fastening pipe 823 and the first detergent discharge port 814.
[0132] In addition, in the laundry treatment apparatus 100, the first conveyor 83a that allows the detergent stored in the first detergent box 81a to flow into the tub is located in the outer space (the rear space 123 of the lid) of the mounting part 82, so that the volume of the first storage body 811 can be maximized.
[0133] The second detergent box 81b is formed such that when the second storage body 815 is inserted into the second installation space 822 along the width direction (-Y-axis direction) of the lid 12, the second fastening pipe 824 is inserted into the second detergent discharge port 818.
[0134] When the second fastening pipe 824 is inserted into the second detergent discharge port 818, the movement of the second storage body 815 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) and the depth direction (front-back direction of the lid, X-axis direction) of the lid 12 is prohibited, so that the laundry treatment apparatus can suppress the vibration of the second detergent box 81b in two directions only by using the positions of the second fastening pipe 824 and the second detergent discharge port 818.
[0135] Furthermore, in the laundry treatment apparatus 100, the second conveyor 83b that allows the detergent stored in the second detergent box 81b to flow into the tub is located in the outer space (the rear space 123 of the lid) of the mounting part 82, so that the volume of the second storage body 815 can be maximized.
[0136] In one example, the edge of the first storage body 811 can be inserted into the first installation space 821, and the edge of the second storage body 815 can be inserted into the second installation space 822. Therefore, the laundry treating apparatus 100 can also suppress the vibration of each detergent box in the width direction (Y-axis direction) and the depth direction (X-axis direction) of the lid.
[0137] As Figure 7 and Figure 9 shown, in order to more effectively suppress the vibration of the detergent boxes 81a and 81b, the second supply device 8 may further include a fixing part 85. The fixing part 85 may include a first anti-pulling-out part 851 provided on the first storage body 811 and a second anti-pulling-out part 854 provided on the second storage body 815.
[0138] As Figure 7 shown, the first anti-pulling-out part 851 may be formed to prohibit the first detergent box 81a from moving in the width direction (-Y-axis direction) of the lid when the first fastening pipe 823 is inserted into the first detergent discharge port 814.
[0139] The first anti-pulling-out part 851 may be formed as a rod that can reciprocate in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the first detergent box 81a. When the first detergent box 81a is placed in the first installation space 821, the free end of the first anti-pulling-out part 851 may be withdrawn from the first detergent box 81a to contact the edge of the first installation space 821. The first anti-pulling-out part 851 may be moved into the first detergent box 81a through a first lever 853 provided on the first storage body 811.
[0140] As Figure 9 shown, the second anti-pulling-out part 854 may be formed to prohibit the second detergent box 81b from moving in the width direction (+Y-axis direction) of the lid when the second fastening pipe 824 is inserted into the second detergent discharge port 818.
[0141] The second anti-pulling-out part 854 may be formed as a rod that can reciprocate in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the second detergent box 81b. When the second detergent box 81b is placed in the second installation space 822, the free end of the second anti-pulling-out part 854 may be withdrawn from the second detergent box 81b to contact the edge of the second installation space 822. The second anti-pulling-out part 854 may be moved into the second detergent box 81b through a second lever 856 provided on the second detergent box 81b.
[0142] The fixing part 85 may further include a first main body fixing part 852 provided in the first detergent box 81a and a second main body fixing part 855 provided in the second detergent box 81b.
[0143] The first main body fixing portion 852 may be formed as a protrusion protruding from the edge of the first detergent box 81a toward the first detergent discharge port 814, and the second main body fixing portion 855 may be formed as a protrusion protruding from the edge of the second detergent box 81b toward the second detergent discharge port 818.
[0144] In this case, the mounting body 82a preferably has a first fixing groove 825 and a second fixing groove 826. The first main body fixing portion 852 is inserted into the first fixing groove 825, and the second main body fixing portion 855 is inserted into the second fixing groove 826. When the first detergent box 81a is coupled to the first mounting space 821, the first main body fixing portion 852 will be inserted into the first fixing groove 825, and the second main body fixing portion 855 will be inserted into the second fixing groove 826.
[0145] The first main body fixing portion 852 and the first fixing groove 825 prevent the first detergent box 81a from moving in the depth direction (X-axis direction), height direction (Z-axis direction) of the lid 12, and the direction of the hub 82b (+Y-axis direction). The second main body fixing portion 855 and the second fixing groove 826 can prevent the second detergent box 81b from moving in the depth direction (X-axis direction), height direction (Z-axis direction) of the lid 12, and the direction of the hub 82b (-Y-axis direction).
[0146] The first detergent box 81a and the second detergent box 81b are fixed to the mounting portion 82 such that at least two of the plurality of surfaces constituting the first storage main body 811 are exposed to the outside of the first mounting space 821, and at least two of the plurality of surfaces constituting the second storage main body 815 are exposed to the outside of the second mounting space 822. However, the first detergent box 81a and the second detergent box 81b can be stably fixed to the cabinet 1 via the above-mentioned fastening pipes 823 and 824, detergent discharge ports 814 and 818, and fixing portions 85.
[0147] One surface of the first storage main body 811 that is exposed to the outside of the first mounting space 821 (the surface facing the direction of the clothing inlet, etc.) may be made of a transparent material entirely or partially. This is to allow the user to check the remaining amount of detergent without separating the first detergent box from the mounting portion 82. For the same reason, one surface of the second storage main body 815 that is exposed to the outside of the second mounting space 822 (the surface facing the direction of the clothing inlet, etc.) may be made of a transparent material entirely or partially.
[0148] The first detergent inlet 812 may be defined in a surface of the first storage body 811 that is outside the first installation space 821, and the second detergent inlet 816 may be defined in a surface of the second storage body 815 that is outside the second installation space 822. This is to enable the detergent to be injected into each detergent tank without separating the first and second detergent tanks from the installation part 82. As an example, Figure 4 A case is shown where the first detergent inlet 812 is defined in the top surface of the first storage body 811 and the second detergent inlet 816 is defined in the top surface of the second storage body 815.
[0149] Since the structure and control method of the above-described laundry treatment apparatus describe examples of the present disclosure, the scope of the rights of the present disclosure cannot be limited to the above structure and control method.
Claims
1. A clothing treatment device, the clothing treatment device comprising: Cabinet, the cabinet having a lid forming a top surface and a clothing inlet extending through the lid; Bucket, the bucket being disposed inside the cabinet to provide a space for storing water; Drum, the drum being rotatably disposed inside the bucket and configured to store clothing introduced into the clothing inlet; Mounting portion, the mounting portion including a hub fixed to the lid and a first mounting groove and a second mounting groove, the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove being arranged to face each other along the width direction of the lid, wherein the hub is inserted between the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove; First detergent box, the first detergent box being configured to store detergent to be supplied to the bucket and being able to slide along the width direction of the lid from the edge of the first mounting groove towards the hub; And Second detergent box, the second detergent box being configured to store the detergent to be supplied to the bucket and being able to slide along the width direction of the lid from the edge of the second mounting groove towards the hub.
2. The clothing treatment device according to claim 1, wherein, The mounting portion includes: First fastening pipe, the first fastening pipe protruding from the hub along the width direction of the lid and connecting the bucket to the first detergent box; and Second fastening pipe, the second fastening pipe protruding from the hub along the width direction of the lid and connecting the bucket to the second detergent box.
3. The clothing treatment device according to claim 2, wherein, The first detergent box includes: a first storage body storing the detergent; and a first detergent discharge port, when the first storage body is inserted into the first mounting groove along the width direction of the lid, the first fastening pipe is inserted into the first detergent discharge port, wherein, the second detergent box includes: a second storage body storing the detergent; and a second detergent discharge port, when the second storage body is inserted into the second mounting groove along the width direction of the lid, the second fastening pipe is inserted into the second detergent discharge port.
4. The clothing treatment device according to claim 3, wherein, When the first fastening pipe is inserted into the first detergent discharge port, the first storage body is prohibited from moving in the height direction of the lid and the front-rear direction of the lid, wherein, when the second fastening pipe is inserted into the second detergent discharge port, the second storage body is prohibited from moving in the height direction of the lid and the front-rear direction of the lid.
5. The clothing treatment device according to claim 4, the clothing treatment device further comprising: First anti-pulling-out portion, when the first fastening pipe is inserted into the first detergent discharge port, the first anti-pulling-out portion prevents the first fastening pipe from being pulled out of the first detergent discharge port; and Second anti-pulling-out portion, when the second fastening pipe is inserted into the second detergent discharge port, the second anti-pulling-out portion prevents the second fastening pipe from being pulled out of the second detergent discharge port.
6. The clothing treatment device according to claim 5, wherein, The first anti-pulling-out portion prohibits the first storage body from moving in the direction away from the hub along the width direction of the lid, wherein, the second anti-pulling-out portion prohibits the second storage body from moving in the direction away from the hub along the width direction of the lid.
7. The clothing treatment device according to claim 3, wherein, The first storage body is configured such that at least two surfaces of the first storage body are exposed to the outside of the first installation space. Wherein, the second storage body is configured such that at least two surfaces of the second storage body are exposed to the outside of the second installation space.
8. The clothing treatment device according to claim 7, wherein, At least one of the surfaces exposed to the outside of the first installation groove of the first storage body is made of a transparent material entirely or partially.
9. The clothing treatment device according to claim 7, wherein, At least one of the surfaces exposed to the outside of the second installation groove of the second storage body is made of a transparent material entirely or partially.
10. The clothing treatment device according to claim 3, the clothing treatment device further comprising: A first detergent inlet defined in a surface of the first storage body located outside the first installation groove to enable introduction of the detergent into the first storage body. And A second detergent inlet defined in a surface of the second storage body located outside the second installation groove to enable introduction of the detergent into the second storage body.
11. The clothing treatment device according to claim 10, wherein, The first detergent inlet is defined in a top surface of the first storage body parallel to the lid, and the first detergent discharge port is provided on a surface of the first storage body facing the hub. Wherein, the second detergent inlet is defined in a top surface of the second storage body parallel to the lid, and the second detergent discharge port is provided on a surface of the second storage body facing the hub.
12. The laundry treatment device according to claim 3, the laundry treatment device further comprising: A conveyor configured to convey the detergent introduced into the first fastening pipe and the second fastening pipe to the tub.
13. The laundry treatment device according to claim 3, the laundry treatment device further comprising: A tub inlet defined in the tub below the laundry inlet. A water supply passage including a passage main body fixed to the cabinet and a chamber provided inside the passage main body and configured to guide water supplied from a water supply source to the tub inlet. And A conveyor configured to guide the detergent introduced into the first fastening pipe and the second fastening pipe to the chamber.
14. The laundry treatment device according to claim 13, the laundry treatment device further comprising: A drawer that can extend from the chamber. And A detergent passage defined in the drawer and configured to guide the detergent supplied to the drawer into the chamber.
15. The laundry treatment device according to claim 14, the laundry treatment device further comprising a connection chamber that protrudes from one surface of the channel body in the insertion direction of the drawer or in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the drawer, wherein, The connection chamber communicates with the chamber. Wherein, the conveyor includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor. The first conveyor is configured to move the detergent introduced into the first fastening pipe to the connection chamber, and the second conveyor is configured to move the detergent introduced into the second fastening pipe to the connection chamber.
16. The laundry treatment device according to claim 15, the laundry treatment device further comprising a dispenser disposed inside the chamber and on the drawer, wherein, The dispenser guides some of the water in the water introduced into the chamber to the detergent passage and the remaining water to the connection chamber.