Washing machine treatment agent tank and washing machine

Abstract

To provide a treatment agent tank for washing machine capable of reducing the trouble related to a filter and capable of capturing a foreign substance more effectively, and to provide a washing machine.SOLUTION: A treatment agent tank for washing machine is used in a device for automatically inputting a predetermined amount of washing treatment agent into a water tub of a washing machine, at the time of a washing operation, and it can store a plurality of portions of washing treatment agent. The treatment agent tank for washing machine includes: a lead-out pipe capable of leading out the washing treatment agent inside the treatment agent tank to the outside; and a filter member for capturing a foreign substance in the washing treatment agent. The filter member is provided with respect to the lead-out pipe, and captures a foreign substance from the washing treatment agent passing the lead-out pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a treatment agent tank for a washing machine and a washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, to improve user convenience, washing machines have been developed that are equipped with an automatic dispenser that stores a plurality of loads of laundry treatment agent in a tank for automatic dispensing and automatically dispenses the required amount from the tank into the water tub during a wash cycle. In this type of washing machine, a filter that filters the laundry treatment agent is provided inside the tank to prevent foreign matter, such as solidified laundry treatment agent, from clogging the dispensing path between the tank and the water tub.

[0003] For example, in the automatic dispensing device of Patent Document 1, the tank is connected to an external dispensing path at its rear wall. The filter inside the tank is tilted so that its upper edge abuts the rear wall of the tank and can be attached and detached by the user. As a result, the filter is attached so as to separate the inside of the tank into a front side and a rear side, and can capture foreign objects so that they do not flow into the dispensing path at the rear of the tank. However, when attaching or detaching such a filter to or from the tank, the user must insert his or her fingers deep into the tank, and the filter attachment position is difficult to find, making the process time-consuming. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-37721 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a treatment agent tank for a washing machine and a washing machine that can reduce the effort required for a filter and capture foreign matter more effectively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The treatment agent tank for a washing machine in one embodiment is used in a device that automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the washing machine's tub during a wash cycle, and is capable of storing enough laundry treatment agent for multiple washes.It is equipped with an outlet pipe that can discharge the laundry treatment agent inside the treatment agent tank to the outside, and a filter member for capturing foreign matter in the laundry treatment agent.The filter member is attached to the outlet pipe and captures foreign matter from the laundry treatment agent passing through the outlet pipe. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] Schematic diagram to explain the internal structure of a washing machine [Figure 3] A perspective view of the processing agent tank from the rear side [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the processing agent tank [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member of a processing agent tank together with a discharge pipe. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the filter member of the second embodiment together with the outlet pipe. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member in the outlet pipe of the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a filter member according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an enlarged side view showing the filter member of the fifth embodiment together with the outlet pipe. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a filter member according to a sixth embodiment together with a lead-out pipe. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member in the vicinity of the outlet pipe of the seventh embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member in the vicinity of the outlet pipe of the eighth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member in the vicinity of the outlet pipe of the ninth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member in the vicinity of the outlet pipe according to the tenth embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member in the vicinity of the outlet pipe according to the eleventh embodiment; [Figure 16] 12 is a cross-sectional view of a treatment agent tank showing a first filter member and a second filter member according to a twelfth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that substantially the same components in the respective embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. First Embodiment A first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. A washing machine 1 of this embodiment is an example of a washing machine capable of performing predetermined processes on laundry, which in this case includes at least a washing process, a rinsing process, and a spin-drying process. As shown in Fig. 1, the washing machine 1 is a so-called horizontal-axis drum washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub 4 extends horizontally or in a direction inclined relative to the horizontal.

[0009] Washing machine 1 has a rectangular box-shaped outer casing 2 that forms the outer shell of the washing machine 1. Front surface 2a of outer casing 2 is formed in a slightly downward sloping shape, and front surface 2a is provided with a door 3 for opening and closing a laundry entrance (not shown). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer box 2 contains the rotating tub 4 and a water tub 5 that houses the rotating tub 4. Although not shown, the rotating tub 4 is a cylindrical drum with a bottom that can hold laundry, and its inner surface is provided with a well-known baffle for stirring up the laundry. The water tub 5 is a cylindrical drum with a bottom that can store water, and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown).

[0010] A washing machine motor 6, which is, for example, a DC brushless motor, is provided on the rear side of water tub 5. The rotating shaft of washing machine motor 6 passes through the rear side of water tub 5 and is connected to the rear side of rotatable tub 4, and rotatable tub 4 is directly rotated by washing machine motor 6. 2, washing machine 1 is equipped with water supply device 7 including water supply path 7a for supplying water into water tub 5, and drainage device 8 including drainage path 8a for draining water from water tub 5 to the outside of the machine. Water supply device 7 is configured to include water supply valve 7b (described later) and the like along water supply path 7a, which extends from a water source (not shown) such as a tap to water tub 5. Drainage device 8 is configured to include drainage valve 8b and the like along drainage path 8a, which extends from the bottom of water tub 5 to the outside of the machine.

[0011] An operation panel 9 is provided on the front portion of the top surface of the outer casing 2 shown in Fig. 1. Although detailed illustration of the operation panel 9 is omitted, it is provided with various operation keys such as a power switch, a start key, and a setting key for setting the washing operation course. Furthermore, the operation panel 9 allows the user to select whether to automatically dispense laundry treatment agent using an automatic dispenser 10 (described later) or to manually dispense one load of laundry treatment agent using a manual dispenser case (not shown) when performing a washing operation.

[0012] 1, the water supply device 7 is located, for example, in the left rear portion above the water tank 5 inside the outer box 2. The water supply device 7 includes a supply unit 7d in the middle of a water supply path 7a that extends from a hose connection port 7c connected to an external water source (not shown) to a connection port 5a (see FIG. 2) at the top of the water tank 5. The supply unit 7d is a part to which the laundry treatment agent is supplied by the automatic dispenser 10, and the water supply valve 7b is provided between the hose connection port 7c and the supply unit 7d. The water supply valve 7b is driven and controlled by a control device (not shown) that controls the entire washing machine 1, and opens and closes the water supply path 7a.

[0013] The automatic dispenser 10 is a device that stores a plurality of loads of laundry treatment agent in advance and automatically supplies a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent over a plurality of wash runs into the water tub 5. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the automatic dispenser 10 includes a treatment agent tank 11 for storing laundry treatment agents such as detergent and fabric softener, a tank housing section 12 and cover 14 for housing the tank, a dosing pump 13, etc. The treatment agent tank 11 is, for example, a container made of synthetic resin, and has a rectangular container shape that is long in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction. The treatment agent tank 11 has a capacity of, for example, at least several hundred mL to 2 L in order to store laundry treatment agent to be used for multiple operations. The automatic dispensing device 10 of this embodiment has, for example, two treatment agent tanks 11, 11 as shown in FIG. 1. Of these, one treatment agent tank 11 stores a detergent as a laundry treatment agent, and the other treatment agent tank 11 stores a fabric softener as a laundry treatment agent.

[0014] In a typical washing operation, the amount of detergent consumed is greater than the amount of fabric softener consumed, so of the two treatment agent tanks 11, 11, the treatment agent tank 11 for storing the detergent has a larger capacity than the treatment agent tank 11 for storing the fabric softener, as shown in Figure 1. However, the two treatment agent tanks 11, 11 may have the same capacity.

[0015] The automatic dosing device 10 has dosing pumps 13, 13 in numbers corresponding to the treatment agent tanks 11, 11, and Fig. 2 shows one of two sets of treatment agent tanks 11 and dosing pumps 13. In this embodiment, the treatment agent tanks 11 and dosing pumps 13 are paired on the left and right and have substantially the same configuration, so for simplicity of explanation, the treatment agent tanks 11, 11 for the detergent or fabric softener will also be referred to as "treatment agent tanks 11," and the dosing pumps 13, 13 for the detergent or fabric softener will also be referred to as "dosing pumps 13."

[0016] The dosing pump 13 is configured to draw in and discharge liquid by driving a piston with an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid. The dosing pump 13 has a pump connection 13a on the inlet side and is connected to the treatment agent tank 11 via the pump connection 13a. This allows the dosing pump 13 to draw in a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent, in this case the amount used for one run, from the treatment agent tank 11 and discharge the drawn laundry treatment agent into the supply portion 7d of the water supply path 7a. The dosing pumps 13, as driving means, are each controlled and driven by a control device that controls the washing operation.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the tank storage section 12 faces the opening 2b on the top surface of the outer casing 2 and has the shape of a rectangular box with an open top. The tank storage section 12 is sized so that, for example, two processing agent tanks 11 can be stored side by side inside the outer casing 2. The cover 14 of the tank storage section 12 is a rectangular lid that fits over the opening 2b. The cover 14 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 14a provided on the rear edge of the opening 2b to open and close the opening 2b.

[0018] Each processing agent tank 11 can be attached to or detached from the tank housing portion 12 through the opening 2b with the cover 14 open. Each processing agent tank 11 is provided with a handle 18 (see FIG. 3) on which a user can place their fingers when attaching or detaching the tank 11 to or from the tank housing portion 12, and is also provided with an outlet pipe 19 that can be attached to or detached from the pump connection portion 13a; the configuration of the tank 11, including the handle 18 and the outlet pipe 19, will be described in detail below.

[0019] The treatment agent tank 11 is mounted so as to be housed in the tank housing 12, and its outlet pipe 19 is connected to and fitted with the pump connection part 13a (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In this state, when the water supply valve 7b is opened, tap water supplied from the hose connection port 7c flows into the water supply path 7a and passes through the supply part 7d. A required amount of laundry treatment agent is automatically supplied to the supply part 7d by the operation of the dosing pump 13. Therefore, the laundry treatment agent supplied to the supply part 7d is supplied into the water tub 5 by the water supplied by the water supply valve 7b, or via the water supply path 7a together with the water. In this way, the automatic dosing device 10 automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub 5 during a washing operation.

[0020] The treatment agent tank 11 of this embodiment is configured such that a filter member 20 for capturing foreign matter in the laundry treatment agent is provided in the outlet pipe 19. The configurations of the treatment agent tank 11 and the filter member 20 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. 3 and 4, the processing agent tank 11 includes a tank body 21, a cover 22 that covers the upper surface of the tank body 21, and a supply window 23 provided in the cover 22. The tank body 21 has a bottom wall 21a, and peripheral walls consisting of a front wall 21b, a rear wall 21c, and left and right side walls 21d, and as described above, has the shape of a rectangular container or a rectangular parallelepiped that is narrow in the left-right direction.

[0021] The cover 22 of the treatment agent tank 11 constitutes the upper wall of the tank body 21, and a supply port 22a is formed in the front half of the cover by cutting out the cover. As shown in Figure 4, a support shaft 23a is provided at the rear edge of the supply port 22a to support a supply window 23 that fits over the supply port 22a so that it can be opened and closed. This allows detergent to be replenished into the treatment agent tank 11 through the supply port 22a by opening the supply window 23.

[0022] A forward-hanging handle 18 is provided at the upper end of the front wall 21b of the tank body 21. When viewed from above the treatment agent tank 11, the front wall 21b and the handle 18 form a frame shape. This allows a user to insert their fingers into the handle 18, hook the handle 18 from the inside, and pull the treatment agent tank 11 upward to remove it from the tank housing part 12. As shown in FIG. 3, in tank body 21, a protruding portion 24 that protrudes rearward from the lower side of rear wall 21c is provided with outlet pipe 19 that is inserted into and connected to pump connection portion 13a of injection pump 13.

[0023] 4, the discharge pipe 19 has a horizontal section 19h extending inward from the rear wall 24c of the overhanging portion 24 as its base end, and a vertical section 19v extending downward from the tip of the horizontal section 19 toward the bottom wall 21a. Each of these sections is cylindrical, forming an inverted "L" shape overall. In this case, the discharge pipe 19 opens at the rear wall 24c side of the overhanging portion 24 as a base end opening 19b and at the bottom wall 21a side of the tank body 21 as a tip end opening 19a, connecting the pump connection section 13a to the interior of the treatment agent tank 11. The discharge pipe 19 is constructed by integrally molding the horizontal section 19h, the vertical section 19v, and the rear wall 24c of the discharge pipe 19 from the synthetic resin material. The outlet pipe 19 is assembled integrally to the tank body 21 by resin welding or vibration welding, with the horizontal portion 19h, the vertical portion 19v and the rear wall 24c being an integral part, but it may of course be molded integrally with the tank body 21.

[0024] A check valve 25 is provided in the bent portion of the outlet pipe 19 formed by the horizontal portion 19h and the vertical portion 19v. The check valve 25 has a valve element 25a that opens a valve port 25b in the bent portion when the pump connection portion 13a is inserted through the base end opening 19b, and a biasing member 25c that biases the valve element 25a in a direction that closes the valve port 25b.

[0025] As a result, when the treatment agent tank 11 is removed from the tank housing part 12 and the pump connection part 13a is not inserted into the base end opening 19b, the valve body 25a closes the valve opening 25b, preventing the laundry treatment agent inside the tank body 21 from leaking out through the base end opening 19b. On the other hand, when the pump connection part 13a is inserted into the base end opening 19b, the valve body 25a opens the valve opening 25b, allowing the dosing pump 13 to discharge and suck out the laundry treatment agent inside the tank body 21 through the discharge pipe 19.

[0026] The vertical portion 19v of the discharge pipe 19 extends to the vicinity of the bottom wall 21a inside the tank body 21, and the tip opening 19a of the vertical portion 19v faces the bottom wall 21a. The position of the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19 corresponds to the liquid level at which the laundry treatment agent can be sucked in when it becomes low inside the tank body 21. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 4, the dimension L1 of the gap between the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19 and the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 is set to a predetermined narrow dimension so as to form a relatively small gap.

[0027] A filter member 20 is disposed in the outlet pipe 19, positioned on the side of the distal end opening 19a. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 5, the filter member 20 integrally comprises, for example, a cylindrical frame 20b that fits around the outer periphery of the distal end opening 19a and a mesh-like body 20a stretched over the lower end of the frame 20b, forming a cap-like shape as a whole. The mesh body 20a is, for example, a stainless steel mesh or lattice-like body, and the filter member 20 is formed by insert molding using a relatively hard material such as polypropylene for the frame 20b. As a result, the filter member 20 is molded such that the mesh body 20a and the frame 20b are integrally formed.

[0028] 5, in this embodiment, the axial dimension L2 of the filter member 20 is set to be larger than the dimension L1 of the gap between the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19 and the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 (L2>L1). In this case, the filter member 20 is pre-assembled by fitting it onto the outer periphery of the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19, and is inserted and fixed to a position where the lower end of the tip opening 19a abuts against the mesh body 20a, as shown in the same figure.

[0029] As will be described in detail later, various means can be used to fix the filter member 20, such as providing a means for engaging the filter member 20 with the outlet pipe 19 or fixing the outlet pipe 19 and the filter member 20 with a screw-type engaging means. However, even if a configuration is adopted in which the filter member 20 is simply fitted into the outlet pipe 19 and held therein, due to the above-mentioned relationship of dimensions L2>L1, and also because the filter member 20 is made of a relatively hard material, the filter member 20 is unlikely to shift in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 19 and is unlikely to come off the outlet pipe 19. In this way, the filter member 20 is positioned at the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19 so as to separate the inside from the outside, and can capture foreign matter on the tip opening 19a side of the laundry treatment agent that is discharged from the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19 to the base opening 19b by the dosing pump 13.

[0030] Here, the outlet pipe 19 faces downward, with the distal end opening 19a facing downward, making it difficult for foreign matter to accumulate on the filter member 20. This minimizes the need for the user to clean the filter member 20 and even eliminates the need for the user to attach and detach the filter member 20. Even if the filter member 20 were to fall off the outlet pipe 19 due to vibration during spin-drying or when the user removed the treatment agent tank 11 and washed it with water, the filter member 20 would only shift downward by the gap dimension L1. That is, even in this case, the inner circumferential surface of the frame 20b of the filter member 20 is held against the outer circumferential surface of the outlet pipe 19, and only a shift occurs in the axial direction (see the dashed line in Figure 5). This maintains the filter member 20's ability to capture foreign matter, preventing it from being lost.

[0031] As described above, the treatment agent tank 11 of this embodiment is provided with an outlet pipe 19 that can discharge the laundry treatment agent inside to the outside, and a filter member 20 for capturing foreign matter in the laundry treatment agent, and the filter member 20 is provided to the outlet pipe 19 and captures foreign matter from the laundry treatment agent passing through the outlet pipe 19.

[0032] According to this, in the treatment agent tank 11, the filter member 20 is provided for the discharge pipe 19, and therefore, by orienting the discharge pipe 19 downward as in this embodiment, for example, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from accumulating on the filter member 20 and reduce the effort required for cleaning the filter member 20. Furthermore, according to this, as the laundry treatment agent passes through the discharge pipe 19, foreign matter is captured by the filter member 20 of the discharge pipe 19, which can be said to capture foreign matter more effectively.

[0033] The discharge pipe 19 connects the inside of the treatment agent tank 11 with the outside, and is extended so that the bottom wall 21a inside the treatment agent tank 11 faces the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19. The filter member 20 is formed in the shape of a cap that fits into the tip opening 19a, and is formed so that the axial dimension L2 of the filter member 20 is larger than the dimension L1 of the gap between the tip opening 19a and the bottom wall 21a.

[0034] With this, even if an external force acts on the filter member 20 to cause it to come off the outlet pipe 19 and cause the filter member 20 to shift in the axial direction, the filter member 20 is unlikely to come off from the gap between the bottom wall 21 a. This reduces the risk of the filter member 20 coming off the outlet pipe 19 accidentally or being lost, and also reduces the risk of foreign matter being discharged to the outside from the outlet pipe 19 as much as possible.

[0035] Unlike the present embodiment, in a conventional configuration in which a filter is arranged to divide the tank into a front side and a back side, the remaining amount in the back of the tank is blocked by the filter, and the tank appears smaller. In contrast, by configuring the filter member 20 to be cap-shaped and fit into the tip opening 19a, it is possible to arrange it so that the area of ​​the mesh body 20a, which is the filter area, is not taken up, and the filter member 20 does not make the treatment agent tank 11 appear smaller, and does not interfere with visual confirmation of the remaining amount of laundry treatment agent.

[0036] Also, as will be described in other embodiments below, the outlet pipe 19 can be appropriately changed including its position and shape. Although illustration is omitted, for example, in the outlet pipe 19, the vertical portion 19v is made into a horizontal portion, and the entire outlet pipe 19 is arranged closer to the bottom wall 21a side, and extends so that the peripheral wall which is the inner wall inside the treatment agent tank 11 and the tip opening of the horizontal portion face each other. Further, the filter member 20 is formed in a cap shape that fits into the tip opening of the horizontal portion, and its axial dimension L2 is formed to be larger than the gap between the tip opening of the horizontal portion and the inner wall of the treatment agent tank 11. Even in this configuration, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained, such as suppressing the deposition of foreign matter on the filter member 20.

[0037] <Other Embodiments> Figures 6 to 16 show the second to twelfth embodiments of the present invention. Hereinafter, points that are substantially different from the above-described embodiments will be described.

[0038] The filter member 20' of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is different from the filter member 20 of the first embodiment in the following points. That is, the axial dimension L2' of the cylindrical frame 20b' in the filter member 20' is set to be smaller than the dimension L1 of the gap below the tip opening 19a of the outlet pipe 19 (L2' < L1). Therefore, the filter member 20' can be passed through the gap between the tip opening 19a and the bottom wall 21a.

[0039] In the filter member 20', at least the frame 20b' is formed using a relatively soft material such as rubber. Further, the filter member 20' can be attached and held to the outer periphery of the tip opening 19a of the outlet pipe 19 so as to be fitted from the gap on the bottom wall 21a side. In attaching and detaching this filter member 20', it is difficult to break due to the elasticity or flexibility of the rubber, and the frame 20b' can be deformed by slightly bending it, so that attachment and detachment can be performed relatively easily. Further, due to the flexibility of the filter member 20', by fitting and holding the filter member 20' to the tip opening 19a, a simple configuration that does not require separate fixing means can be achieved.

[0040] As described above, the filter member 20' of the second embodiment is formed in the shape of a cap that fits into the tip opening 19a, and is formed so that the axial dimension L2 of the filter member 20' is smaller than the dimension L1 of the gap between the tip opening 19a and the bottom wall 21a. This allows the filter member 20' to pass through the gap on the side of the bottom wall 21a, which is the inner wall of the treatment agent tank 11, making it relatively easy to attach and detach the filter member 20' to and from the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19.

[0041] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member 30 according to the third embodiment. The filter member 30 has the same mesh or lattice structure as the mesh body 20a. The filter member 30 is integrated with the outlet pipe 19 at the lower end of the distal end opening 19a of the outlet pipe 19, for example, by insert molding. Here, "integrated" means that the filter member 30 and the outlet pipe 19 can be treated as an integrated unit by molding the filter member 30 and the outlet pipe 19 with resin or by fixing them to each other so that the filter member 30 does not come off the outlet pipe 19. Therefore, the mesh body 20a as the filter member 30 may be made of resin instead of stainless steel. In this case, a pre-formed mesh body 20a may be joined at the lower end of the distal end opening 19a by vibration welding or the like, or the mesh body 20a and the outlet pipe 19 may be molded as a single component by resin molding.

[0042] As described above, the filter member 30 of the third embodiment is configured to be integrated with the outlet pipe 19, thereby preventing the filter member 30 from coming off from the outlet pipe 19. This makes it possible to further reduce the risk of the filter member coming off or problems that occur when the filter member is not properly attached, such as foreign matter being led out of the outlet pipe 19 or the filter member being lost.

[0043] FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a filter member 31 of the fourth embodiment. The filter member 31 includes a mesh body 20a, a support shaft 32 positioned and erected on the outer periphery of the mesh body 20a, and frame bodies 33a and 33b supported by the support shaft 32. The support shaft 32 is configured to rotatably support the two-piece frame bodies 33a and 33b, which are combined into a cylindrical shape, like a hinge, as shown in Fig. 8. When combined with each other, the frame bodies 33a and 33b have the same dimensions and shape as, for example, the cylindrical frame body 20b shown in Fig. 5, and their axial dimension is set to L2.

[0044] The frames 33a and 33b rotate between a fixed position in which the combined frame members 33a and 33b form a cap-like shape as a whole as shown in FIG. 8, and an open position in which the frames 33a and 33b are open to each other in the direction of the arrow 34 in the same figure. As a result, when attaching the filter member 31 to the tip opening 19a of the discharge pipe 19, the frame bodies 33a, 33b are placed in the open position, and the filter member 31 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the discharge pipe 19, i.e., the axial direction of the vertical portion 19v, to position the mesh body 20a at the lower end of the tip opening 19a, and then the frame bodies 33a, 33b can be simply returned to their fixed positions to attach the filter member 31 so that it covers the tip opening 19a from the side. Furthermore, when removing the filter member 31, when the filter member 31 is pulled out laterally from the tip opening 19a, the frames 33a and 33b automatically open to the open position, so that the filter member 31 can be easily attached to and detached from the outlet tube 19.

[0045] As described above, the filter member 31 can be attached in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 19. This allows the filter member 31 to be easily attached in a direction intersecting the outlet pipe 19 even if the dimension L1 of the gap between the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 and the outlet pipe 19 is small. It should be noted that the "direction intersecting the axial direction" of the outlet pipe 19 includes a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0046] FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view showing a filter member 35 of the fifth embodiment. The filter member 35 is integrally formed with a frame 36 having a narrow axial dimension L3 and the mesh body 20a, and is molded into a disk shape as a whole. The frame 36 of the filter member 35 fits watertightly into an attachment portion 37 provided on the outlet pipe 19.

[0047] That is, as shown in Figure 9, the frame 36 of the filter member 35 has an outer shape corresponding to the outer periphery of the outlet pipe 19, and the right half of the frame 36 in the figure is stepped, with a step 36a that is slightly recessed so that it can fit into the mounting portion 37. In contrast, a mounting portion 37 is provided by cutting out a portion of the vertical portion 19v of the outlet pipe 19 in the horizontal direction. The mounting portion 37 has a recessed portion 37a corresponding to the outer shape of the frame 36 on the inner peripheral surface in the right half of FIG. 9, and a cutout portion 37b exposing the outer periphery of the frame 36 so as to be continuous with the outer periphery of the outlet pipe 19 in the left half.

[0048] 9, the filter member 35 can be attached laterally, intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 19, from the side of the notched portion 37b of the attachment portion 37. In this case, when the filter member 35 is inserted into the attachment portion 37 so as to be guided by the recessed portion 37a until it abuts against the stepped portion 36a, the filter member 35 is attached and held watertight to the outlet pipe 19.

[0049] As described above, the filter member 35 of the fifth embodiment is also configured to be attachable from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 19. This provides the same advantages as the above-described embodiments, such as the ability to easily attach the filter member 35 to the outlet pipe 19 from a lateral direction, regardless of the dimension L1 of the gap between the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 and the outlet pipe 19. Furthermore, as in the fifth embodiment, when the filter member 35 is configured to be inserted in the intersecting direction in the mounting portion 37, the filter member 35 can be held in place so that it does not shift in the axial direction of the outlet pipe 19.

[0050] 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the lead-out pipe 39 of the sixth embodiment together with the filter member 41. The lead-out pipe 39 of the sixth embodiment differs from the lead-out pipe 19 of the above embodiment in the following points. 10, the outlet pipe 39 has a generally rectangular cylindrical shape and is provided with a pair of left and right locking portions 40a, 40b located on the side of the tip opening 39a. The locking portions 40a, 40b are used to lock the filter member 41, and are formed as ridges extending horizontally on the outer circumferential surface of the outlet pipe 39. In this case, the side of the tip opening 39a of the outlet pipe 39 is a vertical portion extending up and down, and the locking portions 40a, 40b extend in a direction intersecting the vertical portion of the outlet pipe 39.

[0051] The filter member 41 has a mesh body 41a with external dimensions that match the tip opening 39a, and its frame body 42. The frame body 42 integrally includes a peripheral edge portion 42c of the mesh body 41a, a pair of locked portions 42a, 42b that extend horizontally corresponding to the locking portions 40a, 40b, and a connecting portion 42d that interconnects the locked portions 42a, 42b and the peripheral edge portion 42c. 10, filter member 41 can be attached from the side so that locked portions 42a, 42 are aligned with locking portions 40a, 40b of outlet pipe 39. In this case, when filter member 41 is inserted to a position where connecting portion 42d abuts against outlet pipe 39, with locked portions 42a, 42 guided by locking portions 40a, 40b, mesh body 41a is watertightly attached to outlet pipe 39, and the entire filter member 41 is held in place.

[0052] As described above, the filter member 41 of the sixth embodiment is also configured to be attachable from a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 39. This allows the filter member 41 to be easily attached to the outlet pipe 39 from a direction intersecting the outlet pipe 39 even if the dimension L1 of the gap between the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 and the outlet pipe 39 is small. Furthermore, as in the sixth embodiment, when the locking portions 40a, 40b are configured to lock the filter member 41 attached from the intersecting direction, the filter member 41 can be held in place so that it does not shift in the axial direction of the outlet pipe 39.

[0053] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the outlet pipe 45 together with the filter member 46 in the seventh embodiment. In the seventh embodiment, the discharge pipe 45 is formed near the lower end of the overhanging portion 24 at the rear of the tank body 21. As shown in FIG. 11 , the discharge pipe 45 is a horizontal cylindrical portion extending outward and rearward from the rear wall 24c of the overhanging portion 24 as its base end. In this case, the discharge pipe 45 opens at the rear wall 24c as a base end opening 45b and at its tip end as a tip end opening 45a. Although not shown, the pump connection 13a is disposed at the lower end of the tank body 21 at a position corresponding to the discharge pipe 45, and the discharge pipe 45 communicates between the pump connection 13a and the interior of the treatment agent tank 11.

[0054] The filter member 46 is cap-shaped and made up of a mesh body 46a and a frame body 46b, similar to the filter member 20 of the first embodiment, but is sized to fit inside the outlet pipe 45. In this case, the filter member 46 is inserted into the outlet pipe 45 so that the mesh body 46a faces the base end opening 45b, and the outer peripheral surface of the frame body 46b fits into the inner peripheral surface of the outlet pipe 45. As in the above-described embodiments, the filter member 46 is provided to the discharge pipe 45, and therefore, by orienting the discharge pipe 45 horizontally as in the seventh embodiment, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from accumulating on the filter member 46, thereby reducing the effort required for cleaning the filter member 46. Furthermore, as the laundry treatment agent passes through the discharge pipe 45, foreign matter is captured by the filter member 46 of the discharge pipe 45, and therefore, the same effects as in the above-described embodiments can be achieved, such as effective capture of foreign matter.

[0055] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the filter member 48 of the eighth embodiment, and for convenience of explanation, the filter member 48 as seen from the axial direction of the outlet pipe 45' is shown at the top of the figure, along with a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outlet pipe 45'. The filter member 48 is integral with the mesh body 46a and a rectangular frame body 48b formed flush with the mesh body 46a, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape as a whole. The outlet pipe 45' of the eighth embodiment differs from the outlet pipe 45 of the sixth embodiment in that a base end opening 45b' side thereof extends so as to slightly protrude into the tank body 21, and an attachment part 49 is located on the inner wall side of the rear wall 24c of the tank body 21.

[0056] The mounting portion 49 has a notch 49a on the base end opening 45b' side of the outlet tube 45' into which the filter member 48 can be inserted along the inner wall of the rear wall 24c, and a recessed portion 49b recessed to accommodate the lower edge of the frame body 48b. 12, the filter member 48 can be attached from the side of the notched portion 49a of the mounting portion 49 along the inner wall of the rear wall 24c, that is, in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 45'. In this case, the filter member 48 is guided by the inner wall of the rear wall 24c, and when the lower edge of the frame body 48b is inserted into the recessed portion 49b, the filter member 48 is attached and held watertight to the outlet pipe 45'. In this way, the filter member 48 of the eighth embodiment can also be attached in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 45', and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

[0057] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the outlet pipe 50 together with the filter member 51 in the ninth embodiment. In the ninth embodiment, the discharge pipe 50 is formed near the rear end of the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21. As shown in FIG. 13 , the discharge pipe 50 is a vertical cylindrical portion extending downward and outward from the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 as its base end. In this case, the discharge pipe 50 opens with a base end opening 50b on the bottom wall 21a side and a tip opening 50a on its lower end side. Although not shown, the pump connection portion 13a is disposed upward corresponding to the position of the discharge pipe 50 on the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21, and the discharge pipe 50 communicates between the pump connection portion 13a and the interior of the treatment agent tank 11.

[0058] The filter member 51 is composed of a cap-shaped mesh body 51a and a frame body 51b, similar to the filter member 46 of the seventh embodiment. The filter member 51 is inserted into the outlet pipe 50 with the mesh body 51a facing the base-end opening 50b, and the outer peripheral surface of the frame body 51b fits into the inner peripheral surface of the outlet pipe 50. The filter member 51 is provided on the discharge pipe 50 on the bottom wall 21a located at the lowest part of the tank body 21, so that foreign matter contained in the laundry treatment agent can be efficiently captured by the filter member 51 as it passes through the discharge pipe 50, thereby reducing the effort required for cleaning the inside of the tank body 21. Since the discharge pipe 50 is formed at the lowest part of the tank body 21 and facing upward, it goes without saying that the laundry treatment agent can be discharged without remaining in the tank body 21. Furthermore, like the filter member 46 of the seventh embodiment, the filter member 51 of the ninth embodiment can be attached to and detached from the outlet pipe 50 from either the outside or the inside of the tank body 21, and can be easily assembled.

[0059] FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a lead-out pipe 50' of the tenth embodiment. The discharge pipe 50' of this tenth embodiment differs from the discharge pipe 50 of the ninth embodiment in that its base end opening 50b' extends so as to protrude slightly into the tank body 21 and has an attachment portion 52 positioned on the inner wall side of the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21. The mounting portion 52 has a notch 52a on the base end opening 50b' side of the outlet tube 50' into which the filter member 48 can be inserted along the inner wall of the bottom wall 21a, and a recessed portion 52b recessed to accommodate the rear edge of the frame body 48b.

[0060] 14, the filter member 48 can be attached from the side of the notched portion 52a of the mounting portion 52 along the inner wall of the bottom wall 21a, that is, in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 50'. In this case, the filter member 48 is guided by the inner wall of the bottom wall 21a, and when the rear edge of the frame body 48b is inserted into the recessed portion 52b, the filter member 48 is attached and held watertight to the outlet pipe 50'. In this way, in the tenth embodiment, the filter member 48 can also be attached in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe 50', and the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be achieved.

[0061] FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a filter member 55 of the eleventh embodiment. 7, and is integrated with the outlet pipe 50 at the base end opening 50b of the outlet pipe 50. As described above, the integration of the filter member 55 and the outlet pipe 50 refers to molding the filter member 55 and the outlet pipe 50 integrally in the tank body 21 by, for example, resin molding, and can be configured so that the filter member 55 does not come off the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21 or the outlet pipe 50. Therefore, according to the filter member 55 of the eleventh embodiment, it is possible to reduce the risk of losing this, and the same effects as the above-described embodiments are achieved.

[0062] Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the treatment agent tank 11 showing a filter member 56 of the twelfth embodiment together with the filter member 20. As is clear from a comparison of Fig. 16 with Fig. 4, the filter member 56 corresponds to the second filter member when the filter member 20 is the first filter member. That is, inside the tank body 21, the filter member 20 is provided on the discharge pipe 19, and a filter member 56 is provided at an angle to separate the space at the bottom at the rear where the discharge pipe 19 is present from the remaining space. The filter member 56 integrally comprises a rectangular frame body 57 made of synthetic resin and a mesh body 56a made of synthetic resin or stainless steel stretched over the frame body 57.

[0063] 16, a convex locking portion 58a and a concave locking portion 58b are provided on the rear wall 21c and the bottom wall 21a of the tank body 21. As a result, the filter member 56 is detachably locked in an inclined position, with the upper side of the frame body 57 acting as a locked portion that is locked with the locking portion 58a and the lower side of the frame body 57 acting as a locked portion that is locked with the locking portion 58b. In contrast, the filter member 20 of the outlet pipe 19 is not intended to be attached or detached by the user, and therefore can retain its function of capturing foreign matter even when the filter member 56 is removed from the tank body 21. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, if both filter members 20, 56 are disposed in the tank body 21, it is possible to more reliably prevent foreign matter from flowing out toward the pump connection portion 13a.

[0064] It goes without saying that the above-described embodiments can also be applied to a vertical axis type washing machine (not shown).Furthermore, the embodiments can also be implemented in combination. For example, instead of the outlet pipe 19 and filter member 20 in Fig. 16, various outlet pipes and filter members exemplified in Fig. 5 to Fig. 15 may be provided to change the combination of the first filter member and the second filter member. Furthermore, the outlet pipe is not limited to the cylindrical or rectangular tubular shapes described above, and may be formed into a polygonal tubular shape other than a rectangular tubular shape, and the presence or absence of a check valve 25 may also be changed as appropriate.

[0065] 12, a convex or concave engaged portion may be integrally provided at each corner of the frame body 48b of the filter member 48. In this case, by providing an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion at a position on the mounting portion 49 corresponding to the frame body 48b, the filter member 48 can be attached more reliably.

[0066] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples. These novel embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. , and can be implemented in various other forms, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made. These embodiments and modifications are within the scope of the invention. Patent applications that fall within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the claims and their equivalents. It can be enjoyed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] In the drawings, 1 indicates a washing machine, 5 indicates a water tank, 10 indicates an automatic dispensing device, 11 indicates a treatment agent tank, 13 indicates a dispensing pump (driving means), 19, 39, 45, 45', 50, 50' indicate outlet pipes, 19a, 39a indicate tip openings, 21a indicates a bottom wall, and 20, 20', 30, 31, 35, 41, 46, 48, 51, 55 indicate filter members.

Claims

1. A treatment tank for a washing machine, which is used in a device that automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into a washing machine tub during a washing operation, and which can store enough laundry treatment agent for multiple washes, A treatment agent tank is configured by combining a tank body having an open top surface and capable of storing a plurality of loads of laundry treatment agent, and a cover that covers the open opening on the top surface of the tank body, an outlet pipe that communicates the inside of the treatment agent tank with the outside and is integrally provided on the wall portion of the tank body so as to penetrate the wall portion, and that can discharge the laundry treatment agent inside the treatment agent tank to the outside; a filter member for capturing foreign matter in the laundry treatment agent, the cover has a supply window for supplying laundry treatment agent to the inside of the tank body, The discharge pipe is formed inside the tank body so that the tip opening of the discharge pipe faces downward, and the filter member is arranged to block the tip opening of the discharge pipe, thereby capturing foreign matter from the laundry treatment agent passing through the discharge pipe.

2. the outlet pipe extends so that the bottom wall of the tank body faces the tip opening, 2. The treatment agent tank for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter member is formed in a cap shape that fits into the tip opening, and the axial dimension of the filter member is formed to be larger than the dimension of the gap between the tip opening and the bottom wall.

3. the outlet pipe extends so that the bottom wall of the tank body faces the tip opening, 2. The treatment agent tank for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter member is formed in a cap shape that fits into the tip opening, and the axial dimension of the filter member is formed to be smaller than the dimension of the gap between the tip opening and the bottom wall.

4. 2. The treatment agent tank for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter member is configured so as to be attachable in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet pipe.

5. 2. The treatment agent tank for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter member and the outlet pipe are integrated together to prevent the filter member from coming off the outlet pipe.

6. Aquarium and A washing machine is provided with an automatic dispenser that automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub during a washing operation, the automatic dispenser having a treatment agent tank that can store a plurality of loads of laundry treatment agent, and a drive means that is driven to dispense the laundry treatment agent in the treatment agent tank into the water tub, The treatment agent tank is configured by combining a tank body having an open top surface and capable of storing the laundry treatment agent for multiple loads, and a cover that covers the open opening on the top surface of the tank body, an outlet pipe that communicates the inside of the treatment agent tank with the outside and is integrally provided on the wall portion of the tank body so as to penetrate the wall portion, and that can discharge the laundry treatment agent inside the treatment agent tank to the outside; a filter member for capturing foreign matter in the laundry treatment agent, the cover has a supply window for supplying laundry treatment agent to the inside of the tank body, The discharge pipe is formed inside the tank body so that the tip opening of the discharge pipe faces downward, and the filter member is arranged to block the tip opening of the discharge pipe, thereby capturing foreign matter from the laundry treatment agent passing through the discharge pipe.

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