Washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine which allows easy cleaning of the inside of a treatment agent tank and improves user convenience.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a water tub; and a treatment agent tank capable of storing a laundry treatment agent for multiple washing operations, and is equipped with an automatic charging device for automatically charging a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent into the water tub. The treatment agent tank has: a tank body formed in a container shape having an opening and a discharge port; and a tank cover for detachably closing the opening. The tank cover has an input port and a filter member. In a state where the tank cover is attached to the tank body, the input port communicates with the inside of the tank body and the outside. With the tank cover attached to the tank body, the filter member is arranged so as to divide a space in the treating agent tank into a first region communicating with the outside by the input port and a second region communicating with the outside by the discharge port. The filter member is removed from the tank body integrally with the tank cover or is mounted on the tank body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, in order to improve user convenience, washing machines have been developed that are equipped with an automatic dispenser that stores a plurality of times the amount of laundry treatment agent in a tank for automatic dispensing and automatically dispenses the required amount of laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent tank during each washing operation. For example, in Patent Document 1, a mesh-like filter member is provided inside the treatment agent tank to prevent dirt and the like contained in the laundry treatment agent from being dispensed.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the filter member is provided so as to span the bottom and back of the treatment tank. In this case, the filter member is entirely immersed in the laundry treatment agent, and therefore even if a user tries to remove the filter member when cleaning the treatment tank, the viscous laundry treatment agent makes the user's fingers slippery, making removal difficult. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-23506 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of this, a washing machine that makes it easy to clean the inside of the treatment agent tank and improves user convenience is provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The washing machine according to the embodiment includes a water tub, a treatment tank capable of storing a laundry treatment agent for multiple washing operations, and an automatic dosing device that automatically doses a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent into the water tub. The treatment tank includes a tank body formed in a container shape having an opening and a discharge port, and a tank cover that detachably closes the opening. The tank cover includes an input port and a filter member. When the tank cover is attached to the tank body, the input port communicates the inside of the tank body with the outside. When the tank cover is attached to the tank body, the filter member is arranged to divide the space in the treatment agent tank into a first region that communicates with the outside through the input port and a second region that communicates with the outside through the discharge port. The filter member is removed from the tank body together with the tank cover, or is attached to the tank body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a treatment agent tank in an example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a treatment agent tank in an example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded side view showing a schematic configuration of a treatment agent tank in an example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tank body in an example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a treatment agent tank of an example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment, taken along line VI-VI of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a process of attaching or detaching a tank cover to the processing agent tank shown in FIG. 6; [Figure 8] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a process of removing a tank cover according to a modified example of the first embodiment; [Figure 9]FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the area within circle IX in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the area within circle X in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which the filter member shown in FIG. 10 has been rotated. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a part of a tank cover in an example of a washing machine according to a second embodiment; [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a part of a tank cover of an example of a washing machine according to a third embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 6) showing a schematic configuration of a treatment agent tank in an example of a washing machine according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the side; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Washing machines according to several embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Elements that are substantially the same in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Each embodiment can be applied to both a horizontal-axis or diagonal-axis drum washing machine shown in FIG. 1 and a vertical-axis washing machine not shown.

[0009] (First embodiment) The first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 1, the washing machine 10 includes an outer box 11, a water tub 12, a rotating tub 13, a rotating tub motor 14, a water supply path 15, a water supply valve 16, a drainage path 17, a drainage valve 18, a water injection case 19, and an automatic insertion device 20.

[0010] The outer case 11 constitutes the outer shell of the washing machine 10 and is formed, for example, in a box shape. The water tub 12 is disposed within the outer case 11 and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The spin tub 13 is disposed rotatably within the water tub 12. In this case, the water tub 12 and the spin tub 13 function as a washing tub that accommodates laundry therein. The spin tub motor 14 drives the spin tub 13 to rotate.

[0011] The water supply path 15 is a water passage that runs from an external water source (not shown), such as a water faucet, to the water tank 12. The water supply valve 16 is provided midway along the water supply path 15 and has the function of opening and closing the water supply path 15. The water supply valve 16 is composed of an on-off valve for liquid that can be electromagnetically opened and closed, and opens and closes based on an electromagnetic command. The water supply valve 16 controls the water supply to the water tank 12. The upstream side of the water supply valve 16 is connected to an external water source (not shown), such as a water faucet. The downstream side of the water supply valve 16 is connected to the water tank 12, for example, via a water injection case 19.

[0012] Drain path 17 is a waterway leading from water tub 12 to the outside of the machine, and drains the water in water tub 12 to the outside of the machine. Drain valve 18 is provided midway along drain path 17 and has the function of opening and closing drain path 17. Drain valve 18 is composed of an on-off valve for liquid that can be electromagnetically opened and closed, and opens and closes based on an electromagnetic command. The upstream side of drain valve 18 is connected to water tub 12. The downstream side of drain valve 18 is connected to an external drain, for example.

[0013] The water injection case 19 is made of, for example, resin and is formed in a box shape having an internal space. The water injection case 19 is provided downstream of the water supply valve 16 in the middle of the water supply path 15. The water injection case 19 can be configured to have, for example, one or more treatment agent storage sections 191. The treatment agent storage sections 191 are used when the user manually adds the laundry treatment agent for each wash run.

[0014] The treatment agent storage unit 191 is formed in a container shape and configured to be insertable into or detachable from the water supply case 19, for example, and receives, for example, a liquid or powder laundry treatment agent from the user. When the water supply valve 16 is opened with the laundry treatment agent added to the treatment agent storage unit 191, the laundry treatment agent added to the treatment agent storage unit 191 is flushed down into the water tub 12 together with the water supplied from the water supply valve 16 to the water supply case 19.

[0015] The automatic dispenser 20 has a function of automatically dispensing a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub 12 at a predetermined timing during a washing operation. The automatic dispenser 20 automatically and selectively dispenses, for example, a plurality of types of laundry treatment agent into the water tub 12. The automatic dispenser 20 has a plurality of treatment agent tanks 21 (two in this case), a selection valve 22, and a dispensing pump 23.

[0016] The treatment agent tanks 21 are configured to be able to store liquid laundry treatment agent in an amount used for multiple washing operations, for example. The shapes and capacities of the treatment agent tanks 21 may be the same or different. The treatment agent tanks 21 are configured to be able to be inserted into and removed from the outer box 11, or to be detachable. In this case, the outer box 11 has a tank housing section 111. The tank housing section 111 is formed in a box shape with at least a portion open, and is provided, for example, on the upper part of the outer box 11. The user can insert and remove each treatment agent tank 21 from the tank housing section 111, or attach and detach each treatment agent tank 21. When each treatment agent tank 21 is placed at a predetermined position in the tank housing section 111, it is connected to a middle part of the water supply path 15 via a selection valve 22 and an input pump 23.

[0017] The selection valve 22 is configured, for example, as an electromagnetically operable on-off valve for liquid, and has a function of opening and closing a path between each treatment agent tank 21 and the input pump 23. The selection valve 22 selectively opens one of two paths connecting each treatment agent tank 21 and the input pump 23. This prevents the laundry treatment agent from being sucked out of each treatment agent tank 21 and mixing of multiple types of laundry treatment agents when the input pump 23 is driven.

[0018] The dosing pump 23 is provided downstream of each treatment agent tank 21, in this case downstream of the selection valve 22. The dosing pump 23 has a function of sucking a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent tank 21 and dosing it into the water tub 12. The dosing pump 23 can be configured, for example, as a syringe pump driven by an electric motor. The dosing pump 23 sucks a certain amount of laundry treatment agent from each treatment agent tank 21 whose path has been opened by the selection valve 22, and discharges it downstream of the water supply path 15.

[0019] The detailed configuration of the processing agent tank 21 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 11. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the processing agent tank 21 has a tank body 30 and a tank cover 40. The tank body 30 constitutes the outer shell of the processing agent tank 21, and is formed in the shape of a container with an opening on the upper surface. The tank cover 40 opens and closes the opening of the tank body 30. The tank cover 40 is configured to be detachable from the tank body 30 by a user or an operator during cleaning or maintenance.

[0020] In this embodiment, the tank body 30 is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a front portion 31, left and right side portions 32, a rear portion 33, a bottom portion 34, and an opening 35. The front portion 31, the left and right side portions 32, and the rear portion 33 form the peripheral portion of the container shape of the tank body 30. The bottom portion 34 forms the bottom surface of the container shape of the tank body 30. The opening 35 is an opening formed on the upper surface, and is surrounded by the front portion 31, the left and right side portions 32, and the rear portion 33, which are the sides of the container shape of the tank body 30. The tank body 30 can be made of, for example, a transparent or translucent synthetic resin. This makes it easier for the user to visually check the amount of laundry treatment agent stored in the treatment agent tank 21 and the state inside the treatment agent tank 21 from the outside.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the tank body 30 has a discharge port 36 and a pipe section 37. The discharge port 36 is formed by penetrating the peripheral surface section (in this case, the back surface section 33) of the tank body 30 in the thickness direction. The discharge port 36 communicates the inside and outside of the treatment agent tank 21, and serves as an outlet for the laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent tank 21. The pipe section 37 is formed in a tubular shape, and the upstream side extends to the vicinity of the bottom surface section 34, and the downstream side is connected to the discharge port 36. A leakage prevention valve 371 is provided inside the pipe section 37, and prevents the laundry treatment agent stored inside the treatment agent tank 21 from leaking to the outside through the discharge port 36 when the treatment agent tank 21 is removed from the tank storage section 111.

[0022] The tank cover 40 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The tank cover 40 includes a cover body 41, a lid member 42, and a filter member 50. The cover body 41 is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape in a plan view, and constitutes the outer shell of the tank cover 40. The cover body 41 has an inlet 411. The inlet 411 is an opening formed by penetrating the cover body 41 in a thickness direction, in this case, in the vertical direction, and communicates the inside and outside of the treatment agent tank 21 when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30. The inlet 411 serves as an inlet to the treatment agent tank 21 for the laundry treatment agent when the laundry treatment agent is injected into the treatment agent tank 21 by the user. The inlet 411 is provided at a position horizontally spaced from the discharge port 36 when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30. In this embodiment, the inlet 411 is provided near the front end of the tank cover 40.

[0023] The lid member 42 is rotatably fixed to the outer periphery of the inlet 411 by a hinge 421, in this case to the rear of the outer periphery, to open and close the inlet 411. With the lid member 42 open, a user can refill the tank body 30 with laundry treatment agent through the inlet 411. A part or all of the tank cover 40 including the cover body 41 and the lid member 42 may be made of, for example, a transparent or semi-transparent synthetic resin. This makes it easier for a user to visually check the amount of laundry treatment agent stored in the treatment agent tank 21 from the outside without opening the lid member 42.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the tank body 30 has an engaged portion 38, and the tank cover 40 has an engaging portion 43. The engaged portion 38 is provided on the outer surface of the peripheral portion of the tank body 30. The engaging portion 43 is formed extending downward from the peripheral edge of the cover body 41. In this embodiment, the engaged portion 38 is provided at the upper part of the back surface portion 33 so as to protrude outward from the tank body 30. The engaging portion 43 is formed extending downward from the rear edge of the cover body 41. Although details are omitted, when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the engaging portion 43 and the engaged portion 38 are engaged. In this state, the relative movement of the tank cover 40 in the direction away from the tank body 30 is restricted. As a result, the tank cover 40 is fixed to the tank body 30.

[0025] By releasing the engagement between the engaging portion 43 and the engaged portion 38, the restriction on the relative movement of the tank cover 40 with respect to the tank body 30 is released. When removing the tank cover 40 from the tank body 30, the user can release the engagement between the engaging portion 43 and the engaged portion 38 by pulling the engaging portion 43 toward the outside of the tank body 30. Furthermore, when attaching or detaching the tank cover 40 from the tank body 30, the user can rotate the rear edge portion 413 of the cover body 41 in a direction perpendicular to the short side direction of the cover body 41, using the front edge portion 412 of the cover body 41 as a fulcrum of rotation.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the filter member 50 is formed in a substantially plate-like shape and divides the space in the tank body 30 into a first area A1 near the inlet 411 and a second area A2 near the discharge port 36. As a result, the filter member 50 captures foreign matter such as dirt and dust contained in the laundry treatment agent when the laundry treatment agent refilled from the inlet 411 to the treatment agent tank 21 is sucked out of the discharge port 36 by the input pump 23 through the tube portion 37. The filter member 50 is located at least partially or entirely behind the inlet 411 and at least partially or entirely in front of the discharge port 36 in a plan view. In this embodiment, the filter member 50 is located entirely behind the inlet 411 and entirely in front of the discharge port 36 in a plan view.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 6 etc., the filter member 50 has a frame portion 51 and a filter portion 52. The frame portion 51 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape, constitutes an outer shell of the filter member 50, and surrounds the filter portion 52. The frame portion 51 is a portion that maintains the outer shape of the filter member 50, forms a contact point with the treatment agent tank 21, and is held by the user. The filter portion 52 is formed, for example, in a mesh shape including a large number of minute holes 521, and has a function of collecting foreign matter.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 7 to 9, etc., the tank body 30 has one or more grooves 39. The grooves 39 are formed on the inner surface of the peripheral portion, recessed toward the outside of the tank body 30 and extending in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the tank body 30 is formed on the inner surfaces of the left and right side portions 32 facing each other. When the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the grooves 39 receive the frame portions 51 therein.

[0029] The groove portion 39 is formed by being sandwiched on both the front and rear sides by protruding portions 391. The protruding portions 391 are formed to protrude from the left and right side portions 32 toward the inside of the tank body 30 and extend in the vertical direction.

[0030] The grooves 39 may be formed in a portion of the left and right side surface portions 32 in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the grooves 39 are provided in the lower portions of the left and right side surface portions 32, i.e., on the bottom surface portion 34 side. For example, the length dimension of the grooves 39 can be set to about 25% to 75% of the height dimension of the tank body 30. This allows the filter member 50 to be stably maintained in its position, and allows a certain degree of freedom when inserting the filter member 50 into the grooves 39, making it easy to attach the filter member 50.

[0031] The tank body 30 may have a groove in the bottom surface portion 34 for receiving the lower end of the filter member 50 .

[0032] The filter member 50 is attached to the underside of the cover body 41. In this case, the filter member 50 is attached to the cover body 41 in a manner that does not anticipate removal under normal use conditions. Therefore, the filter member 50 is removed from or attached to the tank body 30 together with the tank cover 40. That is, the filter member 50 is pulled out of the tank body 30 by removing the tank cover 40 from the tank body 30, and is inserted into the tank body 30 by attaching the tank cover 40 to the tank body 30.

[0033] In this embodiment, the filter member 50 is rotatably supported by the cover body 41. The filter member 50 has an axis portion 53. The axis portion 53 is formed along the upper edge portion of the frame portion 51. The filter member 50 rotates around the axis portion 53 as a rotation axis. The tank cover 40 has a support portion 44. The support portion 44 is formed on the lower surface of the cover body 41, rearward of the input port 411. The support portion 44 rotatably supports the axis portion 53. In this embodiment, the support portion 44 is formed by recessing the lower surface of the cover body 41 upward. The cross section of the support portion 44 forms a part of an approximate circle having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the axis portion 53.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 7, when attaching the tank cover 40 to the tank body 30, the user first inserts the lower end of the filter member 50 into the upper end of the groove 39. As shown in an enlarged view in Fig. 9, the upper ends of the two protrusions 391 may have corners 391a on opposite sides that form smooth curved surfaces. This allows the lower end of the filter member 50 to move smoothly along the curved surfaces of the corners 391a, making it easier for the filter member 50 to be inserted into the groove 39.

[0035] 7, since the filter member 50 rotates, the interior angle formed by the filter portion 52 of the filter member 50 and the cover body 41 can be any angle. Therefore, with the lower end of the filter member 50 inserted into the groove portion 39, the attitude and position of the cover body 41 have a certain degree of freedom. Therefore, when attaching the tank cover 40 to the tank body 30, the user does not necessarily need to keep the attitude of the cover body 41 horizontal or keep the horizontal position of the cover body 41 in a position where the support portion 44 abuts directly above the groove portion 39.

[0036] 7, when the tank cover 40 is to be removed from the tank body 30, the rear edge 413 of the tank cover 40 is held and rotated with the front edge 412 as a fulcrum, whereby the filter member 50 is extracted from the groove 39. Thereafter, the tank cover 40 can be removed from the tank body 30 by pulling the tank cover 40 upward.

[0037] The front and rear protrusions do not have to have the same length. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the length of the front protrusion 391, i.e., the side closer to the rotation shaft of the tank cover 40, can be set shorter than the length of the rear protrusion 391, i.e., the side farther from the rotation shaft of the tank cover 40. In this case, the upper end of the front protrusion 391 is located lower than the upper end of the rear protrusion 391, so that the filter member 50 can rotate without being hindered by the front protrusion 391.

[0038] 6 and other figures, when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the inner angle between the filter member 50 and the cover body 41 is approximately 90°. The width direction of the groove portion 39 is set to be somewhat larger than the thickness dimension of the filter member 50, taking into consideration the draft angle during molding, manufacturing tolerances, and the ease of inserting the filter member 50. Therefore, when the filter member 50 is in a rotatable state, there is a risk that foreign matter will move into the second area A2 through the gap between the bottom surface portion 34 and the filter member 50.

[0039] The tank cover 40 has a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is a mechanism that reversibly fixes the position of the filter member 50 so that the inner angle between the filter member 50 and the cover body 41 is 90°. That is, the locking mechanism takes a locked state and an unlocked state, and fixes the inner angle between the filter member 50 and the cover body 41 to 90° in the locked state, and allows the filter member 50 to rotate relative to the cover body 41 in the unlocked state. As a result, when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the filter member 50 is fixed in a position in which the inner angle between the filter member 50 and the cover body 41 is 90°. Therefore, the occurrence of a gap between the bottom surface portion 34 and the filter member 50 is suppressed, and thus the movement of foreign matter to the second area A2 is suppressed.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the filter member 50 has a protrusion 54. The protrusion 54 is formed, for example, at the upper end of the shaft portion 53 so as to protrude upward. The cover body 41 also has a claw portion 441, a receiving portion 442, and a recess 443. In this case, the two front and rear claw portions 441 are provided near the upper end of the support portion 44. The claw portion 441 restricts the rotation of the filter member 50 by contacting with the protrusion 54. The receiving portion 442 is a recess formed between the two claw portions 441 by recessing the shaft portion 53 radially outward, in this case, upward. The protrusion 54, the claw portion 441, the receiving portion 442, and the recess 443 constitute a locking mechanism.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 54 is received by the receiving portion 442 at a position where the angle between the filter member 50 and the cover main body 41 is 90°. In this state, if no large external force is applied, the movement of the protrusion 54 is restricted by the claws 441 formed on both sides of the receiving portion 442, and the filter member 50 is fixed. The recess 443 is formed on the outer side with respect to the rotation direction of the filter member 50 with respect to the claws 441. The recess 443 is formed by recessing the support portion 44 toward the radially outer side of the shaft portion 53. As shown in FIG. 11, when the protrusion 54 overcomes the claws 441 due to an external force, the protrusion 54 is received by the recess 443, and the filter member 50 can be rotated. Also, when the protrusion 54 overcomes the claws 441 due to an external force in the opposite direction, the protrusion 54 is received by the receiving portion 442, and the filter member 50 is fixed again.

[0042] When the filter member 50 is inserted into the groove portion 39 and the tank cover 40 is attached in the correct position, the filter member 50 receives an external force from the front and rear protrusions 391, and the convex portions 54 can climb over the claw portions 441. Once the convex portions 54 climb over the claw portions 441, with the tank cover 40 attached to the tank body 30, the orientation of the filter member 50 is maintained in a state in which the interior angle between the filter member 50 and the cover body 41 is 90°.

[0043] Furthermore, when the tank cover 40 is removed from the tank body 30, the cover body 41 rotates about the front edge 412 as a fulcrum, and the filter member 50, whose relative movement is restricted, also starts to rotate. The filter member 50 immediately hits the protrusion 391 and receives an external force from the protrusion 391. As a result, the convex portion 54 climbs over the claw portion 441, and the filter member 50 is allowed to rotate relative to the cover body 41. Figure 11 shows a state in which the convex portion 54 climbs over the claw portion 441 and the filter member 50 is able to rotate relative to the cover body 41.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 6, 9, and 10, the cover body 41 has a rib 45. The rib 45 is formed on the lower surface of the cover body 41 between the input port 411 and the support portion 44, protruding downward. The rib 45 is formed across the width of the lower surface of the cover body 41 in the short direction (in this case, the left-right direction). The rib 45 has a function of preventing the laundry treatment agent attached to the filter member 50 from dripping and leaking out of the input port 411 when the tank cover 40 is in an upside-down position. That is, the rib 45 serves as a barrier when the laundry treatment agent moves from the filter member 50 side toward the input port 411 side.

[0045] A protruding length L1 of the rib 45 from the lower surface of the cover body 41 is set to be equal to or greater than a protruding length L2 of the shaft portion 53 from the lower surface of the cover body 41. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, the protruding length L1 is set to be greater than the protruding length L2. For example, the protrusion L1 can be set within a range of 5 mm to 10 mm.

[0046] Here, it is conceivable to fix the filter member with small claws provided on the tank body. In this case, when cleaning the inside of the tank, it is necessary to remove the filter member from the tank body. At this time, since the filter member is wet with the laundry treatment agent, the user's hands may be slippery, which may take time and effort to remove the filter member from the tank body, or the claws may become deformed due to aging over a long period of use or excessive repeated attachment and detachment, making it impossible to fix the filter member.

[0047] The washing machine 10 of the present embodiment described above includes a water tub 12 and an automatic dispenser 20. The automatic dispenser 20 has a treatment agent tank 21 capable of storing a laundry treatment agent for multiple washing operations, and automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub 12. The treatment agent tank 21 includes a tank body 30 formed in a container shape having an opening 35 and a discharge port 36, and a tank cover 40 that detachably closes the opening 35. The tank cover 40 includes an inlet 411 and a filter member 50. When the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the inlet 411 communicates between the inside of the tank body 30 and the outside. When the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the filter member 50 is arranged to divide the space in the treatment agent tank 21 into a first area A1 that communicates with the outside through the inlet and a second area A2 that communicates with the outside through the discharge port 36. The filter member 50 can be removed from the tank body 30 together with the tank cover 40 or can be attached to the tank body 30 .

[0048] According to this, by removing the tank cover 40 from the tank body 30, the filter member 50 can also be removed from the tank body 30 at the same time, making it easier to remove the filter member 50. Also, since the user does not need to touch the filter member 50 that is wet with the laundry treatment agent, user convenience is improved. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the filter member from becoming unable to be fixed due to deformation. This provides a washing machine 10 that makes it easy to clean the inside of the treatment agent tank 21 and improves user convenience.

[0049] The tank body 30 has peripheral surface portions 31, 32, 33 and a groove portion 39. The groove portion 39 is formed by partially recessing the peripheral surface portions 31, 32, 33, 34 toward the outside of the tank body 30. The groove portion 39 receives at least a portion of the filter member 50 when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30. The filter member 50 has a shaft portion 53 and is supported rotatably with respect to the tank cover around the shaft portion.

[0050] According to this, since the filter member 50 rotates relative to the tank cover 40, the movement direction of the filter member 50, i.e., the surface direction of the filter member 50 and the surface direction of the tank cover 40, is unrelated, so that the user is less likely to be prevented from inserting the filter member 50 into the groove portion 39 even if he or she does not always keep the tank cover 40 exactly in a horizontal direction. This makes it even easier to clean the inside of the treatment agent tank 21.

[0051] The tank cover 40 has a locking mechanism that fixes the angle between the filter member 50 and the tank cover 40 at 90 degrees in a locked state, and allows the filter member 50 to rotate in an unlocked state.

[0052] According to this, when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, the locking mechanism restricts the movement of the filter member 50 from a state in which the inner angle between the filter member 50 and the tank cover 40 is 90 degrees, so no gap is created through which foreign matter can pass, and foreign matter is prevented from being sucked into the input pump 23. This makes it even easier to clean the inside of the treatment agent tank 21.

[0053] The tank cover 40 has a rib 45 formed between the filter member 50 and the input port 411 so as to protrude toward the tank body 30 and extend in the width direction of the filter member 50 .

[0054] The ribs 45 act as a barrier to prevent the laundry treatment agent from entering the inlet 411 side, so that even if, for example, the tank cover 40 removed from the tank body 30 is placed upside down on the outer box 11, the laundry treatment agent can be prevented from adhering to the lid member 42, the upper surface of the cover body 41, and even the outer box 11 through the inlet 411.

[0055] Second embodiment A second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In this embodiment, the tank cover 40 has a restricting portion 55 instead of a locking mechanism. The restricting portion 55 is provided on the filter member 50 and restricts the range of rotation of the filter member 50.

[0056] The restricting portion 55 protrudes from the filter member 50 in a direction away from the pivot point of the tank cover 40. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 55 is formed to protrude rearward from the shaft portion 53. The restricting portion 55 abuts against the lower surface of the cover body 41. Therefore, the filter member 50 is not allowed to rotate rearward from a position perpendicular to the cover body 41 as shown in FIG. 11. In other words, the rotation range of the filter member 50 is limited to within 90° forward from a position perpendicular to the cover body 41.

[0057] This embodiment also provides the same effects as the above embodiment.

[0058] According to the washing machine 10 of the present embodiment, the filter member 50 has a restricting portion 55 that restricts the rotation range of the filter member 50 and the tank cover 40 to an internal angle between 0° and 90°.

[0059] According to this, when the tank cover 40 is attached to the tank body 30, excessive rotation of the filter member 50 is restricted, so that the filter member 50 does not wobble, and the user can stably attach the tank cover 40 including the filter member 50 to the tank body 30. In addition, when attached to the tank body 30, the inner angle between the filter member 50 and the tank cover is fixed to 90 degrees by the restricting portion 55, so that the occurrence of a gap between the filter member 50 and the bottom surface portion 34 of the tank body 30 through which foreign matter can pass can be restricted.

[0060] Third embodiment A third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In this embodiment, the tank cover 40 has a rib 56 instead of the rib 45. When the tank cover 40 is detached from the tank body 30 and turned upside down, the rib 56 prevents the laundry treatment agent dripping from the filter part 52 from leaking out toward the inlet 411.

[0061] The rib 56 is formed on the upper part of the frame portion 51 of the filter member 50. The rib 56 protrudes from the frame portion 51 in a direction toward the insertion opening 411 (in this case, forward) and extends in the width direction of the filter member 50 (in this case, the left-right direction). The rib 56 is formed across the entire width of the frame portion 51 in the width direction. The protruding length of the rib 56 from the frame portion 51 can be set within a range of 5 mm to 10 mm, for example.

[0062] This embodiment also provides the same effects as the above-described embodiments.

[0063] According to the washing machine 10 of the present embodiment, the filter member 50 has, on the surface facing the input port 411, the rib 56 formed so as to protrude toward the input port 411 and extend in the width direction of the filter member 50.

[0064] As a result, the ribs 56 act as a barrier to prevent the laundry treatment agent from entering the inlet 411 side, so that even if, for example, the tank cover 40 removed from the tank body 30 is placed upside down on the outer box 11, the laundry treatment agent can be prevented from adhering to the lid member 42, the upper surface of the cover body 41, and even the outer box 11 through the inlet 411.

[0065] (Fourth embodiment) The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. A filter member 50 of this embodiment is formed integrally with a cover body 41. In the filter member 50 of this embodiment, a frame portion 51 is formed integrally with the cover body 41. Therefore, the filter member 50 does not rotate with respect to the cover body 41.

[0066] The filter member 50 is formed integrally with the tank cover 40 .

[0067] This embodiment also provides the same effects as the above-mentioned embodiments. In addition, according to this embodiment, since a configuration for rotation or locking is not required, the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, since the mold cost and the assembly man-hours can be reduced, it is possible to provide a washing machine 10 having a treatment agent tank that is easy to clean while suppressing manufacturing costs.

[0068] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10... washing machine, 12... water tub, 20... automatic dispenser, 21... treatment agent tank, 30... tank body, 31... front portion (periphery), 32... side portion (periphery), 33... rear portion (periphery), 35... opening, 36... discharge port, 39... groove, 40... tank cover, 411... dispense port, 44... receiving portion, 441... claw portion (locking mechanism), 442... receiving portion (locking mechanism), 443... recess (locking mechanism), 45... rib, 50... filter member, 53... shaft portion, 54... protrusion (locking mechanism), 55... restriction portion, 56... rib

Claims

1. Aquarium and a treatment agent tank capable of storing a quantity of the laundry treatment agent for a plurality of washing operations, and an automatic dosing device for automatically dosing a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent into the water tub; the treatment agent tank includes a tank body formed in a container shape having an opening and a discharge port, and a tank cover detachably closing the opening, The tank cover has an inlet and a filter member, When the tank cover is attached to the tank body, the inlet communicates with the inside and the outside of the tank body, the filter member is disposed so as to divide a space within the treatment agent tank into a first area communicating with the outside through the inlet and a second area communicating with the outside through the outlet, when the tank cover is attached to the tank body; The filter member is detached from the tank body together with the tank cover, or is attached to the tank body. washing machine.

2. The tank body has a peripheral surface portion and a groove portion that is formed by recessing a part of the peripheral surface portion toward an outside of the tank body and extends in a vertical direction, the groove portion receives at least a portion of the filter member when the tank cover is attached to the tank body, The filter member has a shaft portion and is supported to be rotatable around the shaft portion with respect to the tank cover. The washing machine according to claim 1.

3. The tank cover has a locking mechanism that fixes an angle between the filter member and the tank cover at 90 degrees in a locked state and allows rotation of the filter member in an unlocked state. The washing machine according to claim 2.

4. The filter member has a restriction portion that restricts the rotation range of the filter member and the tank cover to an internal angle between the filter member and the tank cover of 0° to 90°. The washing machine according to claim 2.

5. The tank cover has a rib formed between the filter member and the inlet, the rib protruding toward the tank body and extending in the width direction of the filter member. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The filter member has a rib formed on a surface facing the input port, the rib protruding toward the input port and extending in a width direction of the filter member. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The filter member is integrally formed with the tank cover. The washing machine according to claim 1.

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