Washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine having a tank with a lowest profile.SOLUTION: A washing machine comprises a washing machine body, a water tank disposed inside the washing machine body, and an automatic feeding device which automatically feeds a specific quantity of a washing treatment agent during washing operation. The automatic feeding device has a treatment agent tank which can store the washing treatment agent for two or more washes and a tank housing part for detachably housing the treatment agent tank disposed in the washing machine body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in order to meet the demand for improved user convenience, washing machines have been developed that store multiple loads of laundry treatment agents such as detergent and fabric softener in a tank in advance and automatically add the required amount from the tank to the water tub during the wash operation. Considering the ease of operation when a user fills the tank with laundry treatment agents and cleans the tank, it is preferable that the tank is structured so that it can be removed from the washing machine body. However, since multiple loads of laundry treatment agents are stored in the tank, the tank filled with laundry treatment agents tends to be relatively heavy.

[0003] In this case, it is conceivable to provide a handle on the tank to make it easier for the user to operate the tank, but providing a handle on the tank would make the handle conspicuous in appearance, which would be a factor in reducing the design value of the washing machine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-11618 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine equipped with an automatic dispenser for laundry treatment agents, in which the handle portion and the like provided on the tank are made as inconspicuous as possible, and which has an excellent appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The washing machine according to the embodiment includes a washing machine main body, a water tub provided inside the washing machine main body, and an automatic dosing device that automatically doses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub during a washing operation. The automatic dosing device has a treatment agent tank that can store a plurality of laundry treatment agent loads, and a tank housing section that is provided in the washing machine main body and detachably houses the treatment agent tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment from the rear side; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the automatic loading device and its surroundings in a state where a tank lid is closed in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the automatic feeding device and its surroundings in a state where the tank lid is open in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing an automatic dosing device of a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a tank housing section of a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a rib regulating portion provided on a rear wall of a tank storage portion in a washing machine according to an embodiment, with the tank storage portion cut away; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a treatment agent tank from a lower rear side in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a treatment agent tank in an exploded view according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view of a washing machine according to an embodiment taken along line X11-X11 of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing an automatic dosing device with a tank lid open in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 13]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view (part 1) showing a process of inserting a treatment agent tank into a tank housing part in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view (part 2) showing a process of inserting a treatment agent tank into a tank housing part in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a process of inserting a treatment agent tank into a tank housing part in a washing machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a process of removing the treatment agent tank from the tank housing portion in the washing machine according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, a washing machine according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a washing machine main body 20, a water tub 11, a spinning tub 12, a motor 13, a drain valve 14, a water injection device 30, and an automatic insertion device 40. The left side of FIG. 1 is the front side of the washing machine 10, and the right side of FIG. 1 is the rear side of the washing machine 10. In this case, it is assumed that a user is usually located in front of the washing machine 10. The side of the installation surface of the washing machine 10, that is, the vertically lower side, is the lower side of the washing machine 10, and the opposite side of the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side, is the upper side of the washing machine 10. The direction perpendicular to the front-rear and up-down directions of the washing machine 10 is the width direction of the washing machine 10, that is, the left-right direction. The washing machine 10 is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the spinning tub 12 faces the vertical direction.

[0009] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, washing machine main body 20 has outer box 21, top cover 22, main body lid 23, and back cover 24. Outer box 21 constitutes the outer shell of washing machine 10. Outer box 21 is formed, for example, from a steel plate or the like into a substantially rectangular box shape, and is open at the top. Water tub 11 is accommodated inside washing machine main body 20, i.e., inside outer box 21. Rotating tub 12 is accommodated inside water tub 11. Water tub 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the top. Similarly, rotating tub 12 is also formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the top.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 1, the top cover 22 has an opening 221 and is configured in a rectangular ring shape. The top cover 22 is provided on the upper part of the outer box 21. The main body lid 23 is provided on the top cover 22 and opens and closes the opening 221 of the top cover 22. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the back cover 24 is configured in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction of the washing machine 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the back cover 24 is provided at the rear end of the upper part of the top cover 22.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the back cover 24 has an upper surface portion 241, a lower surface portion 242, and a vertical surface portion 243. The upper surface portion 241 constitutes the front surface of the back cover 24 and is located at the highest position on the top surface of the washing machine 10. The lower surface portion 242 constitutes the rear surface of the upper surface portion 241 and is located behind the upper surface portion 241 and lower than the upper surface portion 241. The vertical surface portion 243 is a surface that connects the upper surface portion 241 and the lower surface portion 242 and constitutes a vertical surface. As a result, on the top surface of the washing machine main body 20, a step portion 244 extending in the left-right direction of the washing machine 10, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the back cover 24, is formed by the upper surface portion 241, the lower surface portion 242, and the vertical surface portion 243. Note that the vertical surface portion 243 does not need to be strictly vertical and may be inclined.

[0012] Motor 13 is provided on the outside of the bottom of water tub 11 and is connected to rotating tub 12 through water tub 11. Motor 13 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. Motor 13 rotates rotating tub 12.

[0013] Drain valve 14 is an electromagnetically actuable on-off valve for liquid, and is driven and controlled by a control device (not shown). The input side of drain valve 14 is connected to the inside of water tub 11, and the output side of drain valve 14 is connected to the outside of washing machine 10. Drain valve 14 opens and closes a drainage path for draining water stored in water tub 11 to the outside of the machine. When drain valve 14 is closed, water tub 11 is capable of storing water. When drain valve 14 is opened, water stored in water tub 11 can be drained to the outside of the machine.

[0014] The water injection device 30 is provided at the upper rear part of the washing machine main body 20, inside the top cover 22. The water injection device 30 has a water supply valve 31, a water injection case 32, a treatment agent case 33, and a water injection hose 34. The water injection device 30 is connected to an external water source, such as a water faucet (not shown), via a water supply hose 100.

[0015] The water supply valve 31 is an electromagnetically actuable on-off valve for liquid, and is driven and controlled by a control device (not shown). The input side of the water supply valve 31 is connected to an external water source such as a water main, and the output side of the water supply valve 31 is connected to a water supply case 32. The water supply valve 31 opens and closes a water supply path for supplying water from an external water source such as a water main to the water tank 11 via the water supply case 32.

[0016] The water injection case 32 constitutes the outer shell of the water injection device 30, and is made of, for example, resin and formed in a box shape. The upstream side of the water injection case 32 is connected to the water supply valve 31, and the downstream side of the water injection case 32 is connected to the water tank 11 via a water injection hose 34.

[0017] The treatment agent case 33 is, for example, a resin container, and is configured to be able to store the amount of detergent and fabric softener used in one washing operation. The treatment agent case 33 is configured, for example, so that it can be pulled out forward inside the top cover 22. When the treatment agent case 33 is housed in the water injection case 32, it is provided in a position to receive water supplied into the water injection case 32 via the water supply valve 31. With the treatment agent case 33 pulled out forward, the user pours detergent and fabric softener into the treatment agent case 33. The treatment agent stored in the treatment agent case 33 is flushed down into the water tub 11 together with the water injected into the water tub 11 via the water injection device 30.

[0018] The automatic dispenser 40 has a function of storing a plurality of times' worth of laundry treatment agent in advance and automatically supplying a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent to the water tub 11 over a plurality of washing operations. In the present embodiment, the automatic dispenser 40 is provided in the outer box 21 and above the water tub 11, toward one side in the left-right direction of the washing machine 10, for example, toward the left side, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0019] 1 and 6, the automatic dispenser 40 has a supply pump 41, a tank housing section 50, and a treatment agent tank 60. The tank housing section 50 is fixed to the washing machine main body 20, and detachably houses the treatment agent tank 60. The treatment agent tank 60 is configured to be able to store multiple loads of laundry treatment agent, and is attached to and detached from the tank housing section 50 by a user's operation.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 6, the tank housing portion 50 has a connection portion 51 that communicates between the inside and outside of the tank housing portion 50. The treatment agent tank 60 has a supply port portion 611 that communicates between the inside and outside of the treatment agent tank 60. When the treatment agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank housing portion 50 at the correct position, the supply port portion 611 is connected to the connection portion 51 at the position of the insertion end of the treatment agent tank 60, as shown in Fig. 6. This allows the laundry treatment agent stored in the treatment agent tank 60 to flow out of the treatment agent tank 60 and the tank housing portion 50 through the supply port portion 611 and the connection portion 51.

[0021] The supply pump 41 is, for example, a piston-type pump, and is provided outside the tank housing 50 and connected to the connection part 51. When the treatment tank 60 is housed in the tank housing 50 and the supply port part 611 is connected to the connection part 51, the supply pump 41 draws out a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent from the treatment tank 60 and feeds the drawn out laundry treatment agent into the above-mentioned water supply path. The washing machine 10 can feed the laundry treatment agent required for the washing operation into the water tub 11 on the water flowing through the water supply path by operating the supply pump 41 during water injection in the washing step or rinsing step of the washing operation, for example. The supply pump 41 may be provided in the treatment tank 60 or inside the tank housing 50.

[0022] Next, the details of the tank storage section 50 and the processing agent tank 60 will be described. In the following description, the front-rear, up-down, left-right or width directions of the tank storage section 50 and the processing agent tank 60 are based on the position where the user is expected to normally stand when using the washing machine 10. In other words, the front-rear, up-down, left-right or width directions of the tank storage section 50 and the processing agent tank 60 indicate the relative positional relationship between the user and the tank storage section 50 and the processing agent tank 60. Therefore, the front-rear, up-down, left-right or width directions of the tank storage section 50 and the processing agent tank 60 do not necessarily have to match the front-rear, up-down, left-right or width directions of the washing machine 10, but in this embodiment, for convenience of description, they are made to match the definition of the washing machine 10.

[0023] The movement direction of the treatment agent tank 60 when the supply port 611 is connected to the connection portion 51 in the correct posture is defined as the connection direction. In this embodiment, the connection direction of the supply port 611 to the connection portion 51, i.e., the insertion direction of the treatment agent tank 60 into the tank storage portion 50, is set so that the vertical vector component is larger than the horizontal vector component. In this case, the connection direction is set downward along the direction of gravity. Note that the connection direction is not limited to downward, and may be diagonally downward. In this case, when the connection direction is diagonally downward, it is preferable that it descends toward the rear of the washing machine 10. Note that the connection direction does not necessarily need to include a vertical vector component, and may be a horizontal direction that does not include a vertical vector component.

[0024] The tank housing part 50 is provided in the washing machine main body 20 as shown in Fig. 1. In the present embodiment, the tank housing part 50 is provided below the back cover 24 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The tank housing part 50 is made of, for example, resin, and is configured in the overall shape of a rectangular container as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, the tank accommodation section 50 has a connection section 51, an accommodation section bottom section 52, accommodation section peripheral wall sections 53, 54, 55, and two sets of four rib regulating sections 56. The accommodation section bottom section 52 constitutes the bottom of the tank accommodation section 50. The accommodation section peripheral wall sections 53, 54, 55 constitute the peripheral wall of the tank accommodation section 50 and are arranged to surround the accommodation section bottom section 52. In this case, the tank accommodation section 50 is formed in a container shape with the tank bottom section 612 as the bottom and the opposite side of the tank bottom section 612 being open. This opening of the tank accommodation section 50 is called an insertion opening 57. The bottom of the tank accommodation section 50 means the bottom relative to the insertion opening 57, i.e., the wall portion constituting the surface of the tank accommodation section 50 opposite to the insertion opening 57, and is not necessarily limited to the lower side in the gravity direction.

[0026] Among the storage section peripheral walls 53, 54, 55, the storage section peripheral wall 53 arranged on the front side of the tank storage section 50 is referred to as the storage section front wall 53. The storage section peripheral wall 54 arranged on the rear side of the tank storage section 50 is referred to as the storage section rear wall 54. The storage section peripheral wall 55 arranged on both the left and right sides of the tank storage section 50 are referred to as the storage section side wall 55. In this case, the storage section front wall 53 and the storage section rear wall 54 face each other in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the height dimension H1 of the storage section rear wall 54 based on the storage section bottom 52 is smaller than the height dimension H2 of the storage section front wall 53 based on the storage section bottom 52. The two left and right storage section side walls 55, 55 face each other in the left-right direction, that is, in the width direction, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0027] The storage unit front wall 53 is slightly inclined in a direction approaching the connection unit 51 side with respect to the insertion direction of the treatment agent tank 60 as it moves from the insertion opening 57 side of the tank storage unit 50 toward the connection unit 51 side. The inclination angle of the storage unit front wall 53 with respect to the connection direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclination portion 616 with respect to the connection direction. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the storage unit front wall 53 is 4° or less, and is set to, for example, about 1° to 3°. The inclination angle of the inclination portion 616 is 4° or more, and is set to, for example, about 5°.

[0028] 7 and 8, the accommodation section rear wall 54 has a guide receiving portion 541. The guide receiving portion 541 is a region that constitutes part of the inner surface of the accommodation section rear wall 54, and is provided in a region of the inner surface of the accommodation section rear wall 54 on the insertion opening 57 side, i.e., the region opposite the tank bottom 612. The guide receiving portion 541 is formed on a surface along the connection direction, i.e., a surface parallel to the up-down direction.

[0029] The rib restricting portion 56 is provided in the region of the storage portion rear wall portion 54 below the guide receiving portion 541, i.e., in the region on the connection portion 51 side. The rib restricting portion 56 is configured integrally with the storage portion rear wall portion 54. The rib restricting portion 56 is configured in a rod or plate shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the storage portion rear wall portion 54 toward the center in the front-rear direction of the tank storage portion 50 (in this case, toward the front). As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the rib restricting portion 56 is configured as one set by two rib restricting portions 56 provided at a distance from each other. The two sets of rib restricting portions 56 are provided at a distance in the width direction of the tank storage portion 50.

[0030] In this embodiment, the rib restricting portion 56 is formed in a triangular plate shape that is inclined so as to approach the connecting portion 51 as it approaches the connecting portion 51 in the connection direction when viewed from the left and right storage portion side walls 55. In other words, the rib restricting portion 56 is inclined so as to approach the front as it approaches the downward direction. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, the vertical length dimension of the guide receiving portion 541, i.e., the dimension H11 along the connection direction, is smaller than the vertical length dimension of the rib restricting portion 56, i.e., the dimension H12 along the connection direction.

[0031] As shown in Figs. 7 to 11, the treatment agent tank 60 has a tank body 61, a frame member 62, and a tank lid 63. The tank body 61 is made of, for example, resin, and is configured in the shape of a rectangular container as a whole. As shown in Fig. 10, the tank body 61 is open on the side opposite to the connection direction, in this case the upper side. The tank body 61 has a tank bottom 612 and a supply port 611.

[0032] The tank bottom 612 constitutes the bottom of the inside of the treatment agent tank 60, and is inclined downward from the periphery to the center of the tank bottom 612. The supply port 611 is provided in the center of the tank bottom 612, in this case, at the lowest part of the tank bottom 612, and communicates the outside and the inside of the treatment agent tank 60. As shown in FIG. 11, the supply port 611 is provided on the center P1 in the left-right direction, i.e., the width direction, when viewed from above, in a plan view of the treatment agent tank 60. The supply port 611 is also provided closer to the front than the center P2 in the front-rear direction when viewed from above, i.e., closer to the opposite side to the inclined portion 616. In this case, the supply port 611 is located on a vertical line J passing through the center of gravity of the treatment agent tank 60 in a state in which the laundry treatment agent is stored in the treatment agent tank 60.

[0033] Although not shown in detail, the supply port 611 has a valve mechanism that opens and closes communication between the inside and outside of the processing agent tank 60. This valve mechanism has the function of maintaining communication between the inside and outside of the processing agent tank 60 closed when the processing agent tank 60 is not attached to the tank housing part 50 in the correct position, and opening communication between the inside and outside of the processing agent tank 60 when the processing agent tank 60 is attached to the tank housing part 50 in the correct position. This makes it possible to prevent the processing agent stored in the processing agent tank 60 from leaking out from the supply port 611 when the processing agent tank 60 is not attached to the tank housing part 50.

[0034] The tank body 61 has tank peripheral wall portions 613, 614, 615 which constitute the peripheral wall of the treatment agent tank 60. The tank peripheral wall portions 613, 614, 615 are arranged so as to surround the periphery of the tank bottom portion 612, so that the tank body 61 is formed in the shape of a container with the tank bottom portion 612 as the bottom and the opposite side of the tank bottom portion 612 being open.

[0035] Of the tank peripheral walls 613, 614, 615, the tank peripheral wall 613 disposed on the front side of the processing agent tank 60 is referred to as the tank front wall 613. Additionally, the tank peripheral wall 614 disposed on the rear side of the processing agent tank 60 is referred to as the tank rear wall 614. Additionally, the tank peripheral walls 615 disposed on both the left and right sides of the processing agent tank 60 are referred to as the tank side walls 615. In this case, the tank front wall 613 and the tank rear wall 614 face each other in the front-rear direction. Additionally, the two left and right tank side walls 615, 615 face each other in the left-right direction, i.e., in the width direction.

[0036] The tank body 61 has at least one inclined portion 616, at least one rib 617, and a first guide portion 618. In this embodiment, the tank body 61 has two inclined portions 616 and two ribs 617. The tank inner wall portion 614 is configured in a stepped shape recessed at a midpoint in the connection direction, in this case the lower end portion of the first guide portion 618. The rib 617 is provided below the first guide portion 618. The first guide portion 618 faces the guide receiving portion 541 and is formed parallel to the connection direction.

[0037] The inclined portion 616 is provided on the outer side of the tank peripheral wall portions 613, 614, 615, and in this embodiment, on the outer side of the tank inner wall portion 614. The inclined portion 616 is inclined relative to the insertion direction of the treatment agent tank 60 so as to taper in a direction approaching the supply port portion 611 as it moves from the opening side of the tank body 61 toward the supply port portion 611.

[0038] In this embodiment, the inclined portion 616 is integral with the rib 617. The rib 617 is provided on the outside of the tank peripheral wall portions 613, 614, 615, in this case, on the outside of the tank rear wall portion 614. The rib 617 is formed in a plate shape that protrudes outward from the tank rear wall portion 614 and extends along the insertion direction. In this case, the thickness direction of the rib 617 coincides with the width direction of the treatment agent tank 60.

[0039] 9, the end face of the rib 617 opposite to the tank inner wall portion 614 is inclined from the opening side of the tank body 61 toward the supply port portion 611, that is, from the top to the bottom, so as to approach the supply port portion 611. Therefore, the end face of the rib 617 functions as the inclined portion 616. That is, the rib 617 has the inclined portion 616 integrally therewith.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 11, the two ribs 617 are positioned so as to fit between each of the two rib regulating portions 56 of each set provided on the inner surface of the tank accommodating portion 50 when the processing agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank accommodating portion 50.

[0041] When the processing agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank housing section 50, the end faces of the ribs 617, i.e., the inclined portions 616, move while contacting the inner surface of the housing section rear wall portion 54, thereby guiding the processing agent tank 60 to the correct position in the front-rear direction. Also, each of the ribs 617 fits between the two rib restricting portions 56, and thus the processing agent tank 60 is restricted from shifting in the connection direction, i.e., from moving in the width direction, by the action of the ribs 617 and the rib restricting portions 56. This determines the widthwise position of the processing agent tank 60 relative to the tank housing section 50 so that the widthwise center of the processing agent tank 60 coincides with the widthwise center P1 of the tank housing section 50.

[0042] The tank front wall 613 and the tank rear wall 614 are also slightly inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the processing agent tank 60 so as to taper in the direction approaching the supply port 611 as they move from the opening side of the tank body 61 toward the supply port 611. In this case, the inclination angle of the tank front wall 613 and the tank rear wall 614 with respect to the insertion direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclined portion 616.

[0043] The frame member 62 is made of resin, for example, and is provided on the opening side of the tank body 61. As shown in FIG. 9, the frame member 62 integrally has an inlet 621, a shaft portion 622, a second guide portion 623, and a handle portion 624. As shown in FIG. 10, the inlet 621 is an opening penetrating the frame member 62 in the thickness direction, and communicates the inside and outside of the treatment agent tank 60. The laundry treatment agent is put into the tank body 61 through the inlet 621. The shaft portion 622 is a portion that serves as a fulcrum for the rotation of the tank lid 63. That is, the shaft portion 622 is rotatably attached to the tank lid 63 and the shaft portion 622 to open and close the inlet 621. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, when the tank lid 63 is closed, the outer surface of the tank lid 63 becomes a surface that is continuous with the upper surface portion 241 of the back cover 24.

[0044] The second guide portion 623 is provided on the innermost surface of the periphery of the frame member 62. That is, the second guide portion 623 is the outer surface of the innermost surface of the frame member 62, and is formed parallel to the connection direction. When the processing agent tank 60 is housed in the tank housing portion 50, the second guide portion 623 faces the guide receiver 541. The second guide portion 623 is a surface continuing to the first guide portion 618, and functions as a guide portion together with the first guide portion 618.

[0045] In this case, the combined vertical length of the first guide portion 618 and the second guide portion 623 is set to be equal to or less than the vertical length H11 of the guide receiving portion 541. The distance between the front outer surface of the frame member 62 and the outer surfaces of the guide portions 618, 623 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the distance between the inner surface of the storage portion front wall portion 53 and the inner surface of the storage portion rear wall portion 54.

[0046] The handle portion 624 is used by the user to operate the processing agent tank 60, and as shown in Fig. 6, the upper surface of the frame member 62, i.e., the upper surface of the processing agent tank 60, is formed in a concave shape recessed toward the inside of the processing agent tank 60. The handle portion 624 is formed in a shape that is further recessed toward the user side, i.e., the front side, on the inside side of the processing agent tank 60. In this case, the handle portion 624 is formed so as to slip under the tank lid 63.

[0047] 2 to 5, handle portion 624 is provided behind upper step surface portion 241 constituting step portion 244 provided on the top surface of washing machine body 20, that is, behind vertical surface portion 243, and below upper step surface portion 241. In this case, handle portion 624 is provided so as to recess a surface continuing to lower step surface portion 242 of back cover 24, as shown in Fig. 3. This handle portion 624 does not protrude outward from lower step surface portion 242, which is the surface of washing machine body 20, but is formed in a shape recessed toward the inside of washing machine body 20.

[0048] The handle may be provided on vertical surface portion 243 or rear surface portion 245, so long as it is behind and below upper surface portion 241. In this case as well, the handle does not protrude outward from vertical surface portion 243 or rear surface portion 245, but is formed in a shape recessed toward the inside of washing machine body 20, and is provided on a surface continuing to vertical surface portion 243 or rear surface portion 245.

[0049] According to the embodiment described above, the washing machine 10 includes the washing machine main body 20, the water tub 11 provided inside the washing machine main body 20, and the automatic dosing device 40 that automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub 11 during a washing operation. The automatic dosing device 40 includes a treatment agent tank 60 capable of storing a plurality of loads of laundry treatment agent, and a tank housing section 50 that is provided in the washing machine main body 20 and detachably houses the treatment agent tank 60. The tank housing section 50 includes a connection section 51 that communicates between the inside and outside of the tank housing section 50.

[0050] The treatment agent tank 60 has a supply port 611, tank peripheral wall portions 613, 614, 615 constituting the outer peripheral surface of the treatment agent tank 60, an inclined portion 616, and guide portions 618, 623. The supply port 611 is provided on the tank bottom portion 612 and communicates the outside and the inside of the treatment agent tank 60. The supply port 611 is connected to the connection portion 51 at its insertion end in a state where the treatment agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank storage portion 50. The inclined portion 616 is provided on the outside of the tank peripheral wall portions 613, 614, 615, and is inclined so as to approach the supply port 611 side as it moves toward the supply port 611 side with respect to the connection direction of the supply port 611 to the connection portion 51. The guide portions 618, 623 are provided on the opposite side of the inclined portion 616 to the supply port 611, and are formed along the connection direction.

[0051] Here, for example, if the outer surface of the processing agent tank 60 is configured with no gap against the inner surface of the tank housing part 50, when the processing agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank housing part 50, the processing agent tank 60 is not allowed to move in any direction other than the connection direction. That is, in this case, the user must strictly control the insertion direction of the processing agent tank 60 into the tank housing part 50 in a direction along the inner surface of the tank housing part 50. Therefore, for example, in a case where the processing agent tank 60 is inserted and removed in the vertical direction from the tank housing part 50, if the tank housing part 50 is disposed on the rear side of the washing machine 10, the user must reach out to the rear of the washing machine 10 to insert and remove the processing agent tank 60 vertically, which makes the work very difficult.

[0052] On the other hand, if a gap is formed between the outer surface of the treatment agent tank 60 and the inner surface of the tank storage section 50, which allows movement such as rotation of the treatment agent tank 60, the user can insert or remove the treatment agent tank 60 at a certain angle relative to the tank storage section 50, thereby eliminating the need to perform precise operations in the direction along the inner surface of the tank storage section 50, making it easier to insert and remove the treatment agent tank 60.

[0053] However, in this configuration, when the treatment agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank storage section 50, the treatment agent tank 60 moves in an unwanted direction within the tank storage section 50, and the positions of the supply port section 611 and the connection section 51 are not accurately determined, resulting in a poor connection, which in turn can result in poor outflow of the laundry treatment agent.

[0054] In contrast, according to this embodiment, the processing agent tank 60 has an inclined portion 616 and guide portions 618, 623. According to this, when inserting the processing agent tank 60 into the tank storage portion 50, the user can first insert the processing agent tank 60 into the tank storage portion 50 in a diagonal position inclined with respect to the connection direction of the supply port portion 611 and the connection portion 51, in this case, the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 13. Then, the user further inserts the processing agent tank 60 while abutting and aligning the inclined portion 616 of the processing agent tank 60 against the inner surface of the tank storage portion 50, in this case, the storage portion rear wall portion 54. Then, the processing agent tank 60 rotates along the inclined portion 616 so that the supply port portion 611 faces the connection portion 51 side, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0055] Then, when the user further inserts the processing agent tank 60, the guide portions 618, 623 come into contact with the inner surface of the tank housing portion 50, in this case, the guide receiving portion 541 of the housing portion rear wall portion 54, and the position of the processing agent tank 60 in the front-to-rear direction within the tank housing portion 50 is determined. As a result, the processing agent tank 60 is housed in the correct position in the tank housing portion 50, and the supply port portion 611 and the connection portion 51 are correctly connected.

[0056] Thus, according to this embodiment, the inclined portion 616 allows the treatment agent tank 60 to be inserted and removed in an inclined position relative to the tank housing portion 50, improving operability for the user. Furthermore, when inserting the treatment agent tank 60 into the tank housing portion 50, the guide portions 618, 623 allow the treatment agent tank 60 to be housed in the correct position in the tank housing portion 50, so that the positions of the supply port portion 611 and the connection portion 51 can be accurately determined. As a result, it is possible to prevent connection failures and thus outflow failures of the laundry treatment agent while improving operability for the user.

[0057] The treatment agent tank 60 has a rib 617. The rib 617 is formed in a rod or plate shape that protrudes outward from the tank peripheral walls 613, 614, 615 (in this case, the tank rear wall 614) and extends along the connection direction between the supply port 611 and the connection part 51. The inclined part 616 is provided on an end face of the rib 617. That is, in this embodiment, the end face of the rib 617 that faces the inner surface of the tank accommodation part 50 is made into the inclined part 616.

[0058] This makes it possible to minimize the area where the inclined portion 616 comes into contact with the inner surface of the tank accommodating portion 50 (in this case, the tank rear wall portion 614).As a result, it is possible to reduce friction caused by sliding between the inclined portion 616 and the tank rear wall portion 614, and it is possible to insert the treatment agent tank 60 more smoothly.

[0059] Here, by making the thickness of the guide parts 618, 623 in the connection direction thicker, rattling during insertion of the processing agent tank 60 can be reduced and movement can be stabilized. However, since the guide parts 618, 623 are configured to be as close as possible to the guide receiver 541 in order to obtain accuracy in positioning in the front-rear direction, the gap between the guide parts 618, 623 and the guide receiver 541 is small. For this reason, the thicker the guide parts 618, 623 are, the more difficult it becomes for air accumulated below the processing agent tank 60 to escape between the guide parts 618, 623 and the inner surface of the tank storage part 50. Then, the air compressed in the processing agent tank 60 generates a repulsive force, requiring a large force for insertion.

[0060] In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the tank housing section 50 has two sets of rib regulating portions 56. The two ribs 617 are provided at positions where they fit between the two sets of rib regulating portions 56 provided on the inner surface of the tank housing section 50 when the processing agent tank 60 is inserted into the tank housing section 50. With each rib 617 fitting between the two sets of rib regulating portions 56, the processing agent tank 60 is restricted from shifting in the connection direction, i.e., from moving in the width direction, by the action of the ribs 617 and the rib regulating portions 56. As a result, the width direction position of the processing agent tank 60 relative to the tank housing section 50 is determined so that the center of the width direction of the processing agent tank 60 coincides with the center of the width direction of the tank housing section 50. This allows the width direction position of the processing agent tank 60 relative to the tank housing section 50 to be accurately determined.

[0061] Therefore, according to this embodiment, not only can the guide parts 618, 623 and the guide receiving part 541 accurately determine the position in the front-rear direction, but also the position in the width direction. Therefore, the movement direction when inserting and removing the processing agent tank 60 is stable, so the thickness of the guide parts 618, 623 in the connection direction, i.e., the up-down direction, can be made thin. As a result, air that has accumulated below the processing agent tank 60 can easily escape between the guide parts 618, 623 and the inner surface of the tank housing part 50. This makes it possible to prevent the air from being compressed at the tank bottom part 612 of the processing agent tank 60, and the processing agent tank 60 can be inserted into the tank housing part 50 with a small force.

[0062] The connection direction between the connection portion 51 and the supply port 611, i.e., the movement direction of the treatment agent tank 60 when connecting the supply port 611 to the connection portion 51, is set so that the vertical vector component is greater than the horizontal vector component. In the case of this embodiment, the connection direction is set to the vertical direction. According to this, when inserting the treatment agent tank 60 into the tank storage portion 50, a force in the connection direction is applied by the weight of the laundry treatment agent stored in the treatment agent tank 60. This allows the user to insert the treatment agent tank 60 into the tank storage portion 50 and connect the supply port 611 to the connection portion 51 without pushing the treatment agent tank 60 with a large force.

[0063] Here, by providing the inclined portion 616 to the treatment agent tank 60, the tank becomes asymmetric when viewed in the front-rear direction, and the center of gravity of the treatment agent tank 60 when the laundry treatment agent is stored therein shifts forward from the center of the treatment agent tank 60 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the supply port portion 611 is provided on the opposite side of the inclined portion 616, i.e., toward the front, with respect to the center of the treatment agent tank 60. This allows the supply port portion 611 to be located closer to a vertical line J passing through the center of gravity of the treatment agent tank 60 when the laundry treatment agent is stored therein. A larger downward force due to the weight of the laundry treatment agent in the treatment agent tank 60 acts on the supply port portion 611, and therefore the supply port portion 611 and the connection portion 51 can be reliably connected with less force.

[0064] In this embodiment, the treatment agent tank 60 has a handle portion 624. The handle portion 624 is provided behind and below the upper stage portion 241 constituting the step portion 244 provided on the top surface of the washing machine main body 20.

[0065] According to this, the handle portion 624 can be hidden by the step portion 244 and made difficult to see by the user. As a result, the handle portion 624 can be made inconspicuous, and the design of the entire washing machine 10 can be improved.

[0066] Handle portion 624 is formed in a concave shape recessed toward the inside of washing machine body 20 without protruding outward from the surface of washing machine body 20. In this case, handle portion 624 does not protrude from any of upper surface portion 241, lower surface portion 242, and vertical surface portion 243 of back cover 24, and is formed in a concave shape recessed toward the inside of back cover 24. This can make handle portion 624 less noticeable, and can further improve the design of washing machine 10 as a whole.

[0067] The handle portion 624 is formed in a shape that is further recessed toward the user side, i.e., the front side, inside the processing agent tank 60. In this case, the handle portion 624 is formed so as to recess under the tank lid 63. This allows the user to place their hand on the portion of the handle portion 624 that is further recessed toward the front side to pull out the processing agent tank 60, thereby improving operability.

[0068] 6, when the processing agent tank 60 is accommodated in the tank accommodation section 50, there is a gap S1 between the end of the tank peripheral wall section 614 on the supply port section 611 side, on which the inclined section 616 is provided, and the tank accommodation section 50. That is, when the processing agent tank 60 is accommodated in the tank accommodation section 50, there are gaps S1 and S2 formed between the lower end portion of the tank peripheral wall section 614 and the accommodation section inner wall section 54, and between the lower end portion of the rib 617 and the accommodation section inner wall section 54, respectively.

[0069] This ensures a space for rotating the processing agent tank 60 when removing the processing agent tank 60 from the tank housing part 50, avoiding interference between the tank rear wall part 614 and the lower end part of the rib 617 and the housing part rear wall part 54. This allows the user to rotate the processing agent tank 60 towards the user at an earlier stage. As a result, the operability when removing the processing agent tank 60 from the tank housing part 50 can be improved.

[0070] 7, of the storage section peripheral walls 53, 54, 55, the storage section rear wall 54, which is the storage section peripheral wall on the rear side as seen from the user, has a smaller height dimension from the storage section bottom 52 than the storage section front wall 53, which is the storage section peripheral wall on the front side as seen from the user. In other words, the height dimension H1 of the storage section rear wall 54 based on the storage section bottom 52 is smaller than the height dimension H2 of the storage section front wall 53 based on the storage section bottom 52.

[0071] 16, when the processing agent tank 60 is pulled out from the tank storage section 50, the lower end of the tank rear wall section 614 passes above the upper end of the storage section rear wall section 54 faster than the lower end of the tank front wall section 613 passes above the upper end of the storage section front wall section 53. Therefore, the processing agent tank 60 can be rotated significantly toward the front side with the upper end of the storage section front wall section 53 as a fulcrum, as the lower end of the tank rear wall section 614 passes above the upper end of the storage section rear wall section 54. This allows the user to pull the processing agent tank 60 out toward the front more quickly, resulting in further improvement in operability.

[0072] Of the storage section peripheral walls 53, 54, 55, the storage section front wall 53, which is the storage section peripheral wall on the front side as viewed from the user, is inclined in the connection direction so as to approach the connection section 51 as it approaches the storage section bottom 52. According to this, when the treatment agent tank 60 is inserted into or removed from the tank storage section 50, the tank storage section 50 moves along the inclined storage section front wall 53. This makes it easier to attach and detach the treatment agent tank 60 to and from the tank storage section 50.

[0073] In the above embodiment, a so-called vertical washing machine has been described, but this embodiment is not limited to a vertical washing machine and may also be a so-called horizontal axis drum washing machine in which the rotation axis of the spin tub is horizontal or inclined downward toward the rear. In the above embodiment, the tank body 61 and the frame member 62 may be integrally formed. In this case, the first guide portion 618 and the second guide portion 623 become one guide portion. In addition, the number of ribs 617 and rib restriction portions 56 is not limited to those described above. For example, the tank body 61 may be configured to have one rib 617, and the tank accommodating portion 50 may be configured to have a set of two rib restriction portions 56 corresponding to the one rib 617.

[0074] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] In the drawings, 10 indicates a washing machine, 11 indicates a water tub, 20 indicates a washing machine body, 241 indicates an upper surface portion, 244 indicates a step portion, 40 indicates an automatic dispensing device, 50 indicates a tank storage portion, 51 indicates a connection portion, 53 indicates a front wall portion of the storage portion (circumferential wall portion of the storage portion), 54 indicates a rear wall portion of the storage portion (circumferential wall portion of the storage portion), 55 indicates a side wall portion of the storage portion (circumferential wall portion of the storage portion), 60 indicates a treatment agent tank, 611 indicates a supply port portion, 613 indicates a front wall portion of the tank (circumferential wall portion of the tank), 614 indicates a rear wall portion of the tank (circumferential wall portion of the tank), and 615 indicates a side wall portion of the tank (circumferential wall portion of the tank).

Claims

1. A washing machine body having a top cover and a body lid for opening and closing an opening of the top cover; A water tub provided inside the washing machine body; and an automatic dispenser for automatically dispensing a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub during a washing operation. The automatic insertion device is A treatment tank capable of storing a plurality of times of laundry treatment agent; a tank housing portion that is provided in the washing machine main body and that detachably houses the treatment agent tank, The processing agent tank and the tank housing are provided behind the main body lid, the treatment agent tank has an inlet that communicates the inside and the outside of the treatment agent tank, and a tank lid that opens and closes the inlet, The washing machine body has a lower surface portion constituting a horizontal surface behind and below the upper surface of the tank lid. washing machine.

2. The washing machine body has a portion protruding rearward from an upper surface of the tank lid, The lower surface portion is provided on an upper surface of the protruding portion. The washing machine according to claim 1.

3. The main body lid is inclined in a downward direction from the rear to the front, The upper surface of the tank lid is provided above the main body lid. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

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