Washing machine

Abstract

To improve operability of a washing machine in which a treatment agent tank and a treatment agent case are adjacently arranged, by reducing a rotation radius of a lid member openably and closably covering the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case from above.SOLUTION: A washing machine comprises an outer case 11, a water tub provided in the outer case 11, a treatment agent case 30 receiving a charge of a cleaning treatment agent for one run, and supplying the received treatment agent into the water tub, a treatment agent tank 40 which can store laundry treatment agents of an amount for multiple runs, a housing portion 21 which is provided in the outer case 11, is formed in a box shape, includes an opening on the upper side of the outer case 11, and can house the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 side by side, and a lid mechanism 50 which is rotatably provided on the outer case 11, opens and closes the opening by the rotation, and is configured to be folded and to rotate in a folded state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, for the convenience of users, a washing machine equipped with an automatic dosing device has been developed, which stores a plurality of doses of a washing treatment agent in advance in a treatment agent tank for automatic dosing and automatically doses the required amount from the treatment agent tank during each washing operation. On the other hand, there remains a need for users to manually add the treatment agent for each operation. Therefore, even in a washing machine equipped with an automatic dosing device, a conventional treatment agent case, that is, a treatment agent case for manual dosing for manually adding the washing treatment agent used in one operation for each operation, is provided.

[0003] Considering the workability and assemblability of the user, etc., the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case are preferably arranged at positions close to each other and on the upper surface of the washing machine. In this case, in consideration of the design of the upper surface of the washing machine, it is conceivable to provide a lid member for covering the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank. The lid member is configured to be openable and closable by rotation, and when closed, it covers the upper part of the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case and forms the upper surface of the washing machine.

[0004] However, in this case, since the lid member needs to cover both the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case, it tends to be large. And when the lid member becomes large, the turning radius becomes large, and the operability of the user decreases. Further, in general households, there are often shelves provided on the upper part of the washing machine for placing treatment agents, etc. Therefore, when the turning radius of the lid member becomes large, there is a possibility that it may contact the shelf arranged on the upper part of the washing machine and smooth opening and closing may not be performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, there is provided a washing machine in which a treatment agent tank and a treatment agent case are arranged adjacent to each other, and an operability can be improved by reducing a turning radius of a lid member that openably covers an upper portion of the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The washing machine according to the embodiment includes an outer case, a water tank provided in the outer case, a treatment agent case that receives an input of a washing treatment agent used in one operation and supplies the input washing treatment agent to the water tank, a treatment agent tank that can store a washing treatment agent used in a plurality of operations, a storage portion provided in the outer case, formed in a box shape, having an opening with an open upper surface side of the outer case, and capable of accommodating the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank side by side, and a lid mechanism that is rotatably provided on the outer case, opens and closes the opening by rotation, and is configured to be foldable and rotatable in a folded-out state.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0010] (First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the washing machine 10 includes an outer box 11, a water tank 12, a rotary tub 13, a rotary tub motor 14, a drainage mechanism 15, an operation panel 16, a water supply mechanism 17, and a detergent dispenser 20. In FIG. 1, the installation surface side of the washing machine 10, that is, the vertically downward side, is defined as the lower side of the washing machine 10, and the opposite side of the installation surface, that is, the vertically upward side, is defined as the upper side of the washing machine 10. Also, the left - right direction when the washing machine 10 is viewed from the front is defined as the left - right direction of the washing machine 10. The washing machine 10 is, for example, a drum - type washing machine of a horizontal - axis type in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 13 is horizontal or an inclined - axis type in which the rotation axis slopes downward toward the rear.

[0011] The washing machine 10 may or may not have a drying function such as a heat - pump type or a heater type. The outer box 11 is generally formed in a rectangular box shape by members such as steel materials or resin materials and constitutes the outer shell of the washing machine 10. In the case of this embodiment, the upper surface portion 111 of the outer box 11 is formed as a flat surface. The water tank 12 is disposed inside the outer box 11 and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The rotary tub 13 is rotatably disposed inside the water tank 12. In this case, the water tank 12 and the rotary tub 13 function as a washing tub for accommodating laundry. The rotary tub motor 14 is provided outside the water tank 12, is connected to the rotary tub 13, and rotates the rotary tub 13 by driving.

[0012] The drainage mechanism 15 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of discharging the water stored in the water tank 12 to the outside of the washing machine 10. The drainage mechanism 15 includes a drainage path 151 and a drain valve 152. The drainage path 151 is composed of, for example, a flexible drainage hose. One end thereof is connected to the drain valve 152, and the other end is drawn out to the outside of the washing machine 10. The drain valve 152 is composed of, for example, an on - off valve for liquids that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. The drain valve 152 is provided between the drain port 121 provided at the bottom of the water tank 12 and the drainage path 151 and opens and closes the drainage path 151.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation panel 16 is provided at the front part of the upper surface of the outer box 11. Although not shown in detail in the figure, the operation panel 16 is provided with a power switch, a start key, and various operation keys for the user to set the washing operation course and the like. When executing the washing operation, the user can select and operate using the operation panel 16 whether to automatically add the washing treatment agent or manually add the washing treatment agent for one wash. In the present embodiment, the washing treatment agent is a concept including liquid or powder detergents, softener finishing agents, and fragrances, but is not limited to these as long as it is a chemical agent used in the washing operation.

[0014] The water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, at the upper left back part above the water tank 12 in the outer box 11. The water supply mechanism 17 supplies water into the water tank 12 by receiving water from a water supply source such as a water supply. The water supply mechanism 17 has, for example, a connection port 171, a water supply path 172, and a water supply valve 173 as shown in FIG. 2. The connection port 171 is provided on the upper surface of the outer box 11 so as to be exposed at the upper left back part. The connection port 171 is connected to an external water source such as a faucet of a water supply through a hose, for example.

[0015] The water supply path 172 is a path connecting from the connection port 171 to the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. The treatment agent input mechanism 20 is provided, for example, in the middle of the water supply path 172 and has a function of making the water flowing through the water supply path 172 contain the washing treatment agent and supplying it into the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the treatment agent input mechanism 20 includes a housing part 21, an input pump 22, a treatment agent case 30, a treatment agent tank 40, and a lid mechanism 50.

[0016] The housing part 21 is formed in a box or container shape by a resin or metal member and has an opening 211 with an open upper part. The housing part 21 is provided inside the outer box 11. The upper end of the housing part 21, that is, the opening 211, is located below the upper surface part 111. In the case of the present embodiment, the housing part 21 constitutes a part of the water supply path 172. In this case, the outlet of the water supply valve 173 is directly or indirectly connected to the housing part 21. And the housing part 21 is directly or indirectly connected to the water tank 12.

[0017] The input pump 22, together with the treatment agent tank 40, constitutes an automatic input device for automatically supplying the washing treatment agent into the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 during operation. The input pump 22 has a function of sucking a predetermined amount of the washing treatment agent from the treatment agent tank 40 during operation and injecting the sucked washing treatment agent into an intermediate portion of the water supply path 172. Thereby, the washing treatment agent supplied to the intermediate portion of the water supply path 172 rides on the flow of the water flowing in the water supply path 172 and is supplied into the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13. In this way, the washing machine 10 can automatically supply a predetermined amount of the washing treatment agent into the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 during operation.

[0018] The treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 are detachably accommodated in the accommodation portion 21. The treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 are arranged adjacent to each other in the accommodation portion 21 and are arranged linearly in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 are accommodated side by side in the front-rear direction in the accommodation portion 21. And the treatment agent case 30 is located on the front side of the treatment agent tank 40.

[0019] The treatment agent case 30 receives the input of the treatment agent used in one operation and is for supplying the treatment agent input before operation, for example, into the water tank 12 during operation. The treatment agent case 30 is made of, for example, resin and is configured in a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction and has an open upper portion in a container shape. The treatment agent case 30 has a case-side input port 301. The case-side input port 301 is a portion that receives the input of the washing treatment agent from the user and is formed by the opening at the upper portion of the container shape. The user inputs the washing treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30 through the case-side input port 301.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the treatment agent case 30 has a communication hole 302 formed at the bottom. The treatment agent case 30 receives the water supplied into the storage part 21 through the water supply valve 173. At this time, when a washing treatment agent is put into the treatment agent case 30, the washing treatment agent flows down from the communication hole 302 at the bottom together with the water supplied to the treatment agent case 30 and is supplied into the water tank 12.

[0021] The treatment agent tank 40 is configured to be able to store an amount of treatment agent used for multiple operations. The treatment agent tank 40 is made of, for example, resin, and is a hollow container in a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, and can store a liquid washing treatment agent. The treatment agent tank 40 has a sufficient capacity to store an amount of washing treatment agent used in multiple operations. In this case, the capacity of the treatment agent tank 40 is not particularly limited, but considering the convenience of the user, it is preferably set to at least about several hundred mL to 2 L.

[0022] The treatment agent tank 40 has a tank-side inlet 401 and a tank lid 402. The tank-side inlet 401 is formed on the upper surface of the treatment agent tank 40 and communicates the inside and outside of the treatment agent tank 40. The tank lid 402 is attached to the upper surface of the treatment agent tank 40 via, for example, a hinge, and is configured to be able to open and close the tank-side inlet 401. The user can put the washing treatment agent into the treatment agent tank 40 from the tank-side inlet 401 with the tank lid 402 opened to expose the tank-side inlet 401.

[0023] In the case of this embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes a detergent case 31 and a finishing agent case 32 as the treatment agent case 30 as shown in Fig. 3 and the like. The detergent case 31 is for receiving an amount of detergent used for one operation from the user and supplying the detergent into the water tank 12. The finishing agent case 32 is for receiving an amount of finishing agent used for one operation from the user and supplying the finishing agent into the water tank 12.

[0024] Also, in the case of this embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes a detergent tank 41 and a finishing agent tank 42 as the treatment agent tank 40. The detergent tank 41 stores an amount of detergent, in this case liquid detergent, for use in multiple runs. The finishing agent tank 42 stores an amount of finishing agent, in this case liquid finishing agent, for use in multiple runs.

[0025] The detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are collectively arranged on one side with respect to the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42. In the case of this embodiment, the detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are arranged on the user side, that is, the front side, with respect to the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42. In this case, the detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are formed in a horizontally long shape that is long in the left-right direction. Therefore, the detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Also, the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42 are formed in a vertically long shape that is long in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0026] The lid mechanism 50 is rotatably provided on the outer box 11 and opens and closes the opening 211 of the storage portion 21 by rotation, and is configured to be foldable and rotatable in a folded-out state. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 7 etc., the lid mechanism 50 is rotatably attached to the upper surface portion 111 of the outer box 11 and is configured to be able to open and close the opening 211 of the storage portion 21. The lid mechanism 50 is configured to be foldable into at least two parts. And the lid mechanism 50 is configured to be able to open and close the opening 211 by rotating in a state of being folded into at least two parts.

[0027] In the case of this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 is formed in a shape that conforms to the shape of the opening 211 of the housing portion 21. The lid mechanism 50 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction as a whole in a state where it closes the entire opening 211, that is, in a state where it is not bent. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50 is defined as the front-rear direction of the lid mechanism 50, and the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and along the upper surface portion 111 is defined as the width direction of the lid mechanism 50. In this case, the front-rear direction of the lid mechanism 50 coincides with the front-rear direction of the washing machine 10, and the width direction of the lid mechanism 50 coincides with the left-right direction of the washing machine 10. Also, the surface of the lid mechanism 50 is located on the same plane as the upper surface portion 111 of the outer box 11. That is, the upper surface portion 111 of the outer box 11 and the surface of the lid mechanism 50 are formed as a flat surface without a step as a whole. Thereby, the upper surface of the washing machine 10 is formed as a flat surface without a step as a whole.

[0028] In the case of this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 is configured to be foldable into two parts on the valley-fold side in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50. Note that the lid mechanism 50 may be configured to be foldable into two parts by mountain folding, for example, or may be configured to be foldable into three or more parts by valley folding or mountain folding. In the case of this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 has a first lid portion 60 and a second lid portion 70, and the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 are connected to be rotatable relative to each other. And the lid mechanism 50 is configured to be bendable on the valley-fold side at the connection portion between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70.

[0029] Note that in this embodiment, valley folding means that the tip side of the second lid portion 70 bends in a direction away from the housing portion 21, that is, upward from the connection portion between the second lid portion 70 and the first lid portion 60, which is the apex portion of the bend. Also, mountain folding means that the connection portion between the second lid portion 70 and the first lid portion 60, that is, the apex portion of the bend, bends in a direction away from the housing portion 21, that is, upward from the tip side of the second lid portion 70.

[0030] The first lid portion 60 is provided at a position covering the treatment agent tank 40 in the open state of the lid mechanism 50. Further, the first lid portion 60 is formed in a substantially square shape in plan view. The first lid portion 60 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in which the dimension in the left - right direction is slightly longer than the dimension in the front - rear direction in plan view. That is, the dimension in the width direction of the lid mechanism 50 in the first lid portion 60 is set to be slightly longer than the longitudinal dimension of the lid mechanism 50. Also, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 etc., the first lid portion 60 is formed in a container shape in which the upper side, that is, the front side is flat and the accommodation portion 21 side, that is, the lower side, that is, the back side is shallow in the closed state.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 8, the first lid portion 60 has a first rotation axis 601 and is rotatably connected to the outer box 11 or the accommodation portion 21 via the first rotation axis 601. In this case, the treatment agent case 30 is disposed on the side opposite to the first rotation axis 601 with respect to the treatment agent tank 40. The first rotation axis 601 is composed of, for example, a columnar member protruding laterally to the left and right from the left and right side surfaces of the first lid portion 60. In the case of this embodiment, the first rotation axis 601 is the rotation center of the first lid portion 60 and also the rotation center of the entire lid mechanism 50. Therefore, when the first lid portion 60 rotates about the first rotation axis 601, the second lid portion 70 also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first lid portion 60. In this case, the user can operate the first lid portion 60 to rotate the entire lid mechanism 50, or can operate the second lid portion 70 to rotate the entire lid mechanism 50. In this embodiment, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50, the first rotation axis 601 is the base end side of the lid mechanism 50, and the side opposite to the first rotation axis 601 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50 is the tip side of the lid mechanism 50.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 5 - 7 and 9, the first lid portion 60 has a first handle portion 62. The first handle portion 62 is a portion where the user can hang and operate their fingers when operating the first lid portion 60 to open and close the lid mechanism 50. The first handle portion 62 can be formed, for example, by recessing the surface on the second lid portion 70 side among the peripheral end surfaces of the first lid portion 60.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 etc., the second lid portion 70 is provided at a position that covers the treatment agent case 30 when the lid mechanism 50 is in the closed state. That is, in the case of this embodiment, the second lid portion 70 constitutes the front side portion of the lid mechanism 50. In this case, the first lid portion 60 constitutes the rear side portion of the lid mechanism 50. The second lid portion 70 is formed, for example, in a square shape or a rectangular shape in which the dimension in the left - right direction is slightly longer than the dimension in the front - rear direction in a plan view. In the case of this embodiment, the dimension in the width direction of the second lid portion 70 in the lid mechanism 50 is set to be slightly longer than the longitudinal dimension in the lid mechanism 50.

[0034] In this case, the dimension in the front - rear direction of the first lid portion 60 is set to be equal to or slightly longer than the dimension in the front - rear direction of the second lid portion 70. Also, the width dimension of the first lid portion 60 and the width dimension of the second lid portion 70 are equal. Further, in the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 etc., the second lid portion 70 is formed in a container shape in which the upper side, that is, the front side is flat and the accommodating portion 21 side, that is, the lower side, that is, the rear side is shallow in the closed state.

[0035] The second lid portion 70 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the first lid portion 60. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the first lid portion 60 has support portions 61. The support portions 61 are provided at two locations on both the left and right sides on the front - end side of the first lid portion 60, that is, on the second lid portion 70 side. The support portions 61 are provided within the range of the thicknesses of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, that is, within the range of the thickness of the lid mechanism 50. Also, the two support portions 61 are located on the inner side in the width direction with respect to both edge portions in the width direction of the second lid portion 70, that is, both the left and right edge portions. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid mechanism 50 does not have portions that protrude outward from the left and right side surfaces of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70. For this reason, the left and right side surfaces of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 are continuous flat surfaces without steps along the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 11, the support portion 61 has a second rotating shaft 602. The second rotating shaft 602 can be formed of a cylindrical member protruding from the left and right side surfaces of the support portion 61 to the left and right sides, for example, similar to the first rotating shaft 601. The second rotating shaft 602 is inserted, for example, into the inner wall portion of the second lid portion 70. This allows the second lid portion 70 to rotate with respect to the first lid portion 60, with the second rotating shaft 602 as the rotation center. In this case, the second lid portion 70 can rotate independently without rotating the first lid portion 60. Then, when the second lid portion 70 is opened with the first lid portion 60 closed, the case-side inlet 301 of each treatment agent case 30 is exposed, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 10, the support portion 61 is formed in a so-called L-shape bent toward the first lid portion 60 or a U-shape opened toward the first lid portion 60 when viewed from the side. The support portion 61 has an inner portion bent into this L-shape or U-shape as a relief portion 611. As shown in FIG. 9, when the second lid portion 70 is in the open state, the relief portion 611 can receive the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70, i.e., the end portion 71 on the first lid portion 60 side, inwardly and allow it to escape. That is, when the second lid portion 70 rotates and opens relative to the first lid portion 60, the end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 on the first lid portion 60 side slips under the support portion 61, i.e., under the second rotation shaft 602.

[0038] As a result, in a configuration in which the support portion 61 does not protrude laterally from the left and right sides of the lid mechanism 50, the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 can be brought as close as possible to the front end portion 63 on the surface side of the first lid portion 60 while avoiding interference between the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 and the first lid portion 60. Therefore, when the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the gap between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 can be made as small as possible. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, when the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the boundary portion 51 between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 that appears on the upper surface portion 111 of the outer box 11 is formed in a straight line extending in the left-right direction, that is, in a straight line without any bends.

[0039] Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the first lid portion 60 has an inclined surface 631. The inclined surface 631 is provided at the front end portion of the first lid portion 60 and is formed in a shape that descends toward the second lid portion 70 in a cross section viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the inclined surface 631 is inclined so as to descend toward the support portion 61 side, that is, toward the tip side of the lid mechanism 50. In the case of the present embodiment, the angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631 with respect to the surface of the first lid portion 60 is set to about 70° to 80°. The inclined surface 631 has a function of making surface contact with the surface of the second lid portion 70 when the second lid portion 70 rotates with respect to the first lid portion 60 and restricting the rotation of the second lid portion 70. In this case, the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 is defined by the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631. In this case, the angle formed by the surface of the second lid portion 70 and the surface of the first lid portion 60 coincides with the inclination angle of the inclined surface 631. And in the case of the present embodiment, the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 with respect to the first lid portion 60 is, for example, a value larger than 90° and is set to 110° to 120°.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the like, the lid mechanism 50 can rotate about the first rotation axis 601 in a state where the second lid portion 70 is rotated to the maximum with respect to the first lid portion 60, that is, in a state of being bent to the maximum angle. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the distance L2 from the first rotation axis 601 to the back surface tip portion 702 of the second lid portion 70 is larger than the distance L1 from the first rotation axis 601 to the back surface base end portion 701 of the second lid portion 70. Therefore, the rotation radius of the lid mechanism 50 in the state where the second lid portion 70 is bent is the distance L2 from the first rotation axis 601 to the back surface tip portion 702 of the second lid portion 70.

[0041] Further, the second lid portion 70 has a second handle portion 72. The second handle portion 72 is a portion where a user can hang a finger when the user operates the second lid portion 70 to open and close the lid mechanism 50. The second handle portion 72 is configured by inclining the tip side of the peripheral end surface of the second lid portion 70 to an inclined surface.

[0042] Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the washing machine 10 further includes a first restricting portion 81 and a second restricting portion 82. The first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82 are so-called lock mechanisms that require a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value when switching the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 from the closed state to the open state, respectively. The first restricting portion 81 corresponds to the first lid portion 60, and the second restricting portion 82 corresponds to the second lid portion 70.

[0043] That is, when the first lid portion 60 is in the closed state, the first restricting portion 81 restricts the rotation of the first lid portion 60 in the opening direction and maintains the first lid portion 60 in the closed state when the force in the opening direction of the first lid portion 60 acting on the first lid portion 60 is less than a predetermined value. Further, when the first lid portion 60 is in the closed state, the first restricting portion 81 releases the restriction on the rotation of the first lid portion 60 in the opening direction when the force in the opening direction of the first lid portion 60 acting on the first lid portion 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0044] Similarly, when the second lid portion 70 is in the closed state, the second restricting portion 82 restricts the rotation of the second lid portion 70 in the opening direction and maintains the second lid portion 70 in the closed state when the force in the opening direction of the second lid portion 70 acting on the second lid portion 70 is less than a predetermined value. Further, when the second lid portion 70 is in the closed state, the second restricting portion 82 releases the restriction on the rotation of the second lid portion 70 in the opening direction when the force in the opening direction of the second lid portion 70 acting on the second lid portion 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, the user may apply a force to the second lid portion 70 by directly acting on the second lid portion 70, or may indirectly apply a force to the second lid portion 70 by operating the first lid portion 60.

[0045] In the case of this embodiment, the first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82 are each constituted by claw portions 64, 73 and receiving portions 112, 113 as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 12, etc., and function as a so-called snap fit. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 12, the claw portions 64, 73 are provided on both side surfaces in the width direction, that is, the left and right sides, in the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, respectively. Further, in the case of this embodiment, the claw portions 64, 73 are provided on the front side of the center in the front-rear direction of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, respectively. That is, the claw portions 64, 73 are provided on the tip side of the center of the lid mechanism 50 in the longitudinal direction in each of the lid portions 60, 70. Further, the receiving portions 112, 113 are configured to be able to lock the claw portions 64, 73, and are provided, for example, at positions corresponding to the claw portions 64, 73 of the outer box 11.

[0046] When the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 are each pushed in the closed state, the claw portions 64, 73 are locked to the receiving portions 112, 113. Thereby, the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 are each locked and cannot be opened with a force less than a predetermined value. Further, when a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value in the opening direction acts on the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, the claw portions 64, 73 are elastically deformed and detached from the receiving portions 112, 113, whereby the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 are in a rotatable state.

[0047] In this configuration, the user can open only the second lid portion 70 as shown in FIG. 5, for example, by rotating only the second lid portion 70 with the first lid portion 60 closed. Thereby, only the treatment agent case 30 among the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 can be exposed. Therefore, the user can pour the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30 without completely opening the lid mechanism 50 by opening only the second lid portion 70.

[0048] Furthermore, with the second lid portion 70 open and the first lid portion 60 closed, the user can open the entire lid mechanism 50 by placing a finger on the first handle portion 62 of the first lid portion 60 and rotating the first lid portion 60. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the treatment agent tank 40 is also exposed to the outside, and the user can pour the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent tank 40 while the treatment agent tank 40 is placed in the storage portion 21, or remove the treatment agent tank 40 from the storage portion 21.

[0049] In the embodiment described above, the washing machine 10 includes an outer box 11, a water tub 12, a treatment agent case 30, a treatment agent tank 40, a storage portion 21, and a lid mechanism 50. The water tub 12 is provided inside the outer box 11. The treatment agent case 30 is for receiving the input of the laundry treatment agent used in one operation and supplying the input treatment agent to the water tub 12. The treatment agent tank 40 is configured to be able to store the laundry treatment agent used in a plurality of operations. The storage portion 21 is provided inside the outer box 11, is formed in a box shape, has an opening 211 with the upper surface side of the outer box open, and is configured to be able to accommodate the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 side by side. And the lid mechanism 50 is rotatably provided on the outer box 11 to open and close the opening 211 by rotation, and is configured to be foldable and rotatable in the folded state.

[0050] According to this, since the lid mechanism 50 can rotate in the folded state, the rotation radius when rotating the lid mechanism 50 can be made smaller than the overall length of the lid mechanism 50. As a result, the operability of the user is improved, and even when, for example, a shelf or the like is installed above the washing machine 10, it is possible to prevent the lid mechanism 50 from interfering with the shelf when rotating the lid mechanism 50.

[0051] The treatment agent case 30 has a case-side inlet 301 for receiving the input of the laundry treatment agent from the user, and is arranged on the side opposite to the first rotating shaft 601 with respect to the treatment agent tank 40. Further, the lid mechanism 50 has a first lid portion 60 and a second lid portion 70. The first lid portion 60 has a function of covering the treatment agent tank 40 in the closed state of the lid mechanism 50. The second lid portion 70 is rotatably or foldably attached to the first lid portion 60, and has a function of covering the case-side inlet 301 of the treatment agent case 30 in the closed state of the lid mechanism 50. And the lid mechanism 50 is configured such that the case-side inlet 301 of the treatment agent case 30 is exposed when the first lid portion 60 is in the closed state and the second lid portion 70 is opened.

[0052] According to this, the user can expose the case-side inlet 301 and input the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30, for example, by opening only the second lid portion 70 with the first lid portion 60 closed. That is, when the user inputs the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30, for example, the user can expose the case-side inlet 301 only by rotating the second lid portion 70 without rotating the entire relatively long lid mechanism 50. Thereby, the operability and convenience of the user can be further improved.

[0053] Further, the first lid portion 60 has a handle portion 62 on the second lid portion 70 side where the user can hook a finger. According to this, when the user bends the second lid portion 70 with respect to the first lid portion 60, the user can hook a finger on the handle portion 62 provided on the first lid portion 60 and operate it, so that the operability can be improved. In this case, the lid mechanism 50 has a plurality of handle portions according to the folding mode of the lid mechanism 50. In the case of the present embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 has a first handle portion 62 provided on the first lid portion 60 and a second handle portion 72 provided on the second lid portion 70. And the user can selectively use the first handle portion 62 and the second handle portion 72 according to the folding state of the lid mechanism 50.

[0054] The washing machine 10 also has a first restricting part 81 and a second restricting part 82. When the first lid part 60 is in a closed state, the first restricting part 81 has a function of restricting the rotation of the first lid part 60 in the opening direction and maintaining the first lid part 60 in the closed state when the force acting on the first lid part 60 in the opening direction is less than a predetermined value. Further, when the force acting on the first lid part 60 in the opening direction is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the first restricting part 81 has a function of releasing the restriction on the rotation of the first lid part 60 in the opening direction.

[0055] Also, when the second lid part 70 is in a closed state, the second restricting part 82 has a function of restricting the rotation of the second lid part 70 in the opening direction and maintaining the second lid part 70 in the closed state when the force acting on the second lid part 70 in the opening direction is less than a predetermined value. Further, when the force acting on the second lid part 70 in the opening direction is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the second restricting part 82 has a function of releasing the restriction on the rotation of the second lid part 70 in the opening direction.

[0056] That is, according to the present embodiment, the washing machine 10 is provided with restricting parts 81 and 82 corresponding to the rotatable lid parts 60 and 70 respectively. According to this, during the operation of the washing machine 10, by restricting the rotation of each lid part 60 and 70 by each restricting part 81 and 82, it is possible to prevent, for example, each lid part 60 and 70 from being jolted by vibrations or the like during the operation of the washing machine 10. As a result, it is possible to reduce noises or the like generated by the jolting of each lid part 60 and 70.

[0057] Further, the first lid portion 60 has a support portion 61. The support portion 61 rotatably supports the second lid portion 70. And the end portion 71 on the first lid portion 60 side in the second lid portion 70 gets under the support portion 61 when the second lid portion 70 is bent with respect to the first lid portion 60. According to this, in a configuration where the support portion 61 does not protrude laterally from the left and right sides of the lid mechanism 50, while avoiding the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 from interfering with the first lid portion 60, the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 can be brought as close as possible to the front end portion 63 of the first lid portion 60. For this reason, in a state where the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the gap between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 can be made as small as possible. As a result, it is possible to suppress foreign matters or the like from entering the gap between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, and the appearance of the surface of the lid mechanism 50 can be made good.

[0058] And in a state where the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the boundary portion 51 between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 that appears on the upper surface portion 111 side of the outer box 11 is formed in a straight line. Thereby, the appearance of the surface of the lid mechanism 50 can be made even better.

[0059] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. In the second embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631 of the first lid portion 60 and the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 with respect to the first lid portion 60 are different from those in the first embodiment. The inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631 in the second embodiment is set to an angle smaller than 70°. That is, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 631 in the second embodiment is set to an angle at which the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 with respect to the first lid portion 60 becomes larger than 110° to 120°.

[0060] In this case, the distance L2 from the first rotation axis 601 to the back end tip portion 702 of the second lid portion 70 is smaller than the distance L1 from the first rotation axis 601 to the back end base portion 701 of the second lid portion 70. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the rotation radius of the lid mechanism 50 in a state where the second lid portion 70 is bent is the distance L1 from the first rotation axis 601 to the back end base portion 701 of the second lid portion 70.

[0061] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the second lid portion 70 is bent compared to the first embodiment, the turning radius of the lid mechanism 50 can be further reduced. As a result, it is possible to more effectively suppress the lid mechanism 50 from interfering with the shelf when the lid mechanism 50 is rotated.

[0062] In each of the above embodiments, an example in which the lid mechanism 50 is configured to be foldable by valley folding has been described. However, the lid mechanism 50 may be configured to be foldable by mountain folding. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the lid mechanism 50 has the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 and is configured to be foldable into two parts. However, the lid mechanism 50 may have three or more lid portions and be foldable into three or more parts. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the restricting portions 81 and 82 are configured as so-called snap fits. However, for example, they may be configured with magnets and the rotational movement of each lid portion 60 and 70 may be restricted by utilizing the attracting force of the magnets.

[0063] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 are arranged in the front-rear direction, and the lid mechanism 50 is also configured to be openable and closable in the front-rear direction with the rear portion of the lid mechanism 50 as a fulcrum. However, the arrangement of the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 and the opening / closing direction of the accessory mechanism 50 are not limited to those described above. For example, the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction. In this case, the lid mechanism 50 can be configured to be long in the left-right direction, for example, and openable and closable with one end portion in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0064] Although some 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, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0065] 10… Washing machine, 11… Outer case, 12… Water tank, 21… Storage part, 211… Opening, 30… Treatment agent case, 301… Case-side inlet, 31… Detergent case (treatment agent case), 32… Finishing agent case (treatment agent case), 40… Treatment agent tank, 41… Detergent tank (treatment agent tank), 42… Finishing agent tank (treatment agent tank), 50… Cover mechanism, 51… Boundary part, 60… First cover part, 61… Support part, 62… First handle part (handle part), 70… Second cover part, 701… Rear surface base end part, 702… Rear surface tip end part, 71… End part on the first cover part side, 81… First regulating part (regulating part), 82… Second regulating part (regulating part)

Claims

1. An outer case, a water tank provided inside the outer case, a treatment agent case that receives the input of a laundry treatment agent used in one operation and supplies the input laundry treatment agent to the water tank, a treatment agent tank capable of storing a laundry treatment agent used in multiple operations, a storage portion provided inside the outer case, formed in a box shape and having an opening with the upper surface side of the outer case open, and capable of accommodating the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank side by side, a lid mechanism provided rotatably on the outer case about a first rotation axis, opening and closing the opening by rotation, and configured to be foldable and rotatable in a folded state, comprising, the treatment agent case is disposed on the side opposite to the first rotation axis with respect to the treatment agent tank, the end portion on the first rotation axis side of the upper surface of the treatment agent tank is located on the treatment agent case side with respect to the first rotation axis, the lid mechanism has a first lid portion rotatably connected to the outer case or the storage portion, and a second lid portion rotatably attached to the first lid portion, when the first lid portion is in a closed state, if the force in the opening direction of the first lid portion acting on the first lid portion is less than a predetermined value, rotation in the opening direction of the first lid portion is restricted to maintain the first lid portion in the closed state, and if the force in the opening direction of the first lid portion acting on the first lid portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, a first restricting portion that releases the restriction on the rotation of the first lid portion in the opening direction is further provided, a washing machine.

2. the treatment agent case has a case-side input port for receiving the input of the laundry treatment agent from the user, the first lid portion covers the treatment agent tank in the closed state of the lid mechanism, the second lid portion covers the treatment agent case in the closed state of the lid mechanism, the case-side input port is exposed when the first lid portion is in the closed state and the second lid portion is opened, the washing machine according to Claim 1.

3. the first lid portion has a handle portion where the user can hang a finger on the second lid portion side, the washing machine according to Claim 2.

4. When the second lid portion is in a closed state, if the force in the opening direction of the second lid portion acting on the second lid portion is less than a predetermined value, rotation in the opening direction of the second lid portion is restricted to maintain the second lid portion in the closed state, and if the force in the opening direction of the second lid portion acting on the second lid portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, a second restricting portion that releases the restriction on the rotation of the second lid portion in the opening direction is further provided, the washing machine according to Claim 2 or 3.

5. The first lid portion has a support portion that rotatably supports the second lid portion. An end portion of the second lid portion on the side of the first lid portion is configured to slide under the support portion when the second lid portion is bent. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4. **Claim 6** When the lid mechanism is in a closed state, a boundary portion between the first lid portion and the second lid portion appearing on the upper surface side of the outer box is formed in a straight line. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5. **Claim 7** The second lid portion is configured to be rotatable relative to the first lid portion to a position where a distance from the rotation axis of the lid mechanism to the tip end portion of the back surface of the second lid portion is smaller than a distance from the rotation axis of the lid mechanism to the base end portion of the back surface of the second lid portion. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

Images