washing machine

Abstract

A washing machine has a detergent charging case that can be pulled out forward with respect to a washing machine body. The detergent charging case has a case body and a glass portion attached to the front surface of the case body. The glass portion (40) is provided with a C surface portion (40d) on the outer periphery of the end portion. The case body has a cover portion 32 having a shape along the C surface portion (40d).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine having a detergent dispenser case. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, washing machines equipped with a detergent dispenser case for storing detergent to be dispensed during washing have become widespread. Washing machines are provided with a detergent dispenser case inside the washing machine in consideration of design and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-42704 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-363 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The drum-type washing machine described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a detergent dispenser, which includes a detergent dispenser case into which detergent is dispensed and a detergent lid for opening and closing the detergent dispenser case. The detergent lid covers the detergent dispenser case and is therefore prone to detergent stains, so it is often made of resin for chemical resistance, which limits improvements in the design of the washing machine.

[0005] The drum-type washing machine described in Patent Document 2 includes a front frame with an opening and a detergent dispenser case stored in a storage compartment of the front frame, with the detergent dispenser case having a decorative panel that forms part of the front surface of the main body. In this drum-type washing machine, the decorative panel is designed to engage with a box provided in the detergent dispenser case, and because it needs to be formed into a complex shape, there is an issue in that the material for the decorative panel is limited.

[0006] The detergent lid is often part of the exterior of the housing, and it is possible to enhance the design of the housing by using a glass plate. However, when a glass plate is attached to the detergent dispenser case that is removed from the washing machine, there is a concern that the glass plate itself will be subjected to more impacts and may break.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a washing machine that can prevent component defects such as breakage or scratches on the glass portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The washing machine of the present invention is a washing machine having a detergent dispenser case that can be pulled out forward from the washing machine body, and the detergent dispenser case has a case body and a glass part attached to the front of the case body, the glass part having a C-shaped part on the outer periphery of the end, and the case body having a cover part shaped to fit the C-shaped part.

[0009] The washing machine of the present invention may be configured such that at the front end of the detergent dispenser case, the cover portion protrudes downwardly further than the glass portion, and when the detergent dispenser case is placed on a support surface, the glass portion does not contact the support surface, but the cover portion does contact the support surface.

[0010] In the washing machine according to the present invention, the C-surface portion may have the same size over the entire periphery of the edge of the glass portion.

[0011] In the washing machine of the present invention, the glass portion may be attached at an angle so that the lower end protrudes forward, and a chamfered portion that is smaller than the C-surface portion may be provided on the outer periphery of the end of the surface opposite the holding surface that contacts the cover portion.

[0012] In the washing machine of the present invention, the cover portion may have a contact portion that contacts the C-surface portion, a buffer portion provided along the contact portion, and an adhesive portion that is adhered to the glass portion, and the buffer portion may be configured so that a gap is provided between the buffer portion and the glass portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, by providing a C-face at the end, sharp parts in the glass part are eliminated, preventing component defects such as breakage or scratches, and by protecting the end, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of detergents, water, etc., and to avoid peeling between the glass part and the cover part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which the detergent dispenser case of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 is pulled out. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is an enlarged side view showing the vicinity of the front loading portion of the detergent dispenser case. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the cover portion as seen from the front. [Figure 8] 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the detergent dispenser case near the front loading section. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 with a detergent dispenser case pulled out.

[0017] Washing machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a drum-type washing machine having an inlet (not shown) for putting laundry in on the front of washing machine main body 11, and a front door 12 is provided to cover the inlet. Also, an operation panel 13 and a detergent dispenser case 20 are provided on the upper front surface of washing machine main body 11 (above front door 12). Operation panel 13 and detergent dispenser case 20 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of washing machine 10.

[0018] Operation panel 13 is a touch panel that receives operation inputs from the user for washing machine 10. The front surface of operation panel 13 is a glass surface.

[0019] The detergent dispenser case 20 is configured to be pulled out forward relative to the washing machine main body 11, and can be refilled with detergent and fabric softener while pulled out. In this embodiment, the detergent dispenser case 20 is push-open, and in the stored state shown in FIG. 1, this state is maintained by a locking mechanism. When the user pulls out the detergent dispenser case 20, the user pushes the front of the detergent dispenser case 20 backward, thereby releasing the lock provided by the locking mechanism. When the user then releases the detergent dispenser case 20, the detergent dispenser case 20 automatically moves forward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the detergent dispenser case 20 is slightly pulled out from the washing machine main body 11, reaching a pulled-out state. The pulled-out detergent dispenser case 20 can be easily pulled forward by, for example, hooking a user's finger. Furthermore, if the pulled-out detergent dispenser case 20 is pushed backward and then released, it returns to the stored state and is locked. For ease of explanation, the direction in which the detergent dispenser case 20 is pulled out and stored relative to the washing machine main body 11 may be referred to as the insertion / removal direction H.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a top view of the detergent dispenser case, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the detergent dispenser case.

[0021] The detergent dispenser case 20 has a case body 30 and a glass portion 40 attached to the front of the case body 30. The glass portion 40 is provided at the front end in the insertion / removal direction H. The case body 30 is provided with three detergent storage chambers 31 that store detergent, and a cover portion 32 that holds the glass portion 40. The detergent storage chambers 31 are arranged in three rows in the left-right direction behind the cover portion 32. The arrangement of the detergent storage chambers 31 is not limited to this, and the number and arrangement of the detergent storage chambers 31 may be changed. The glass portion 40 is attached to the front side of the cover portion 32 with double-sided tape, adhesive, or the like. The glass portion 40 is attached at an angle so that the lower end protrudes forward.

[0022] The detergent dispenser case 20 is structured so as to be removable from the washing machine main body 11 for cleaning or the like, and the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 4 represents the placement surface 100 on which the detergent dispenser case 20 is placed when removed from the washing machine main body 11. In this embodiment, the detergent dispenser case 20 comes into contact with the placement surface 100 at a front placement portion 30a, which is the front lower end in the insertion / removal direction H, and a rear placement portion 30b, which is the rear lower end in the insertion / removal direction H. The front placement portion 30a is part of the cover portion 32, and the rear placement portion 30b is part of the case main body 30. However, without being limited thereto, the case main body 30 may further have a portion that comes into contact with the placement surface 100 as long as the front placement portion 30a is not separated from the placement surface 100.

[0023] FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view showing the vicinity of the front placement portion of the detergent dispenser case.

[0024] 5, near the front mounting portion 30a of the detergent dispenser case 20, the lower end of the cover portion 32 contacts the mounting surface 100, while the lower end of the glass portion 40 (more specifically, the lower end surface 40b) does not contact the mounting surface 100. In other words, near the front mounting portion 30a, the cover portion 32 protrudes slightly downward more than the glass portion 40. In this way, when the detergent dispenser case 20 is removed from the washing machine body 11 and placed on the washing machine, the cover portion 32 contacts the mounting surface 100, thereby preventing the glass portion 40 from coming into contact with the mounting surface 100 and becoming scratched or broken.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the glass portion.

[0026] 6 shows only the glass portion 40 separated from the cover portion 32 as viewed from the side. The glass portion 40 has a holding surface 40c (on the right in FIG. 6) that contacts and is held by the cover portion 32, and a surface 40a (on the left in FIG. 6) that faces the holding surface 40c and corresponds to the front surface of the detergent dispenser case 20. Of the end surfaces of the glass portion 40, the lower surface may be referred to as the bottom end surface 40b.

[0027] The glass portion 40 has a chamfered surface 40d on the outer periphery of its end. Specifically, the chamfered surface 40d is formed on the holding surface 40c side. The chamfered surface 40d is the same size around the entire periphery of the end of the glass portion 40. By making the chamfered surface 40d the same size, processing becomes easier and processing errors can be prevented. Furthermore, the alignment of the glass portion 40 and the cover portion 32 becomes easier, improving productivity.

[0028] Furthermore, on the front surface 40a side of the glass portion 40, there is provided a chamfered portion 40e that is chamfered smaller than the C-face portion 40d. In this way, by providing the chamfered portion 40e on the surface 40a, which is likely to be touched by the user's hands, it is possible to prevent the user's hands from being injured and the glass portion 40 from being broken. Furthermore, by making the flat portion on the front surface 40a side of the glass portion 40 as large as possible, the glass portion 40 appears larger and the cover portion 32 becomes less visible, thereby improving the design.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a front view showing the cover portion as seen from the front.

[0030] 7 shows only cover portion 32 from which glass portion 40 has been separated, as viewed from the front. Cover portion 32 has a contact portion 32a that contacts C-face portion 40d, a buffer portion 32b provided along contact portion 32a, an adhesive portion 32c that is adhered to glass portion 40, and a holding portion 32d that holds holding surface 40c of glass portion 40. The positional relationship between each portion of cover portion 32 and holding surface 40c of glass portion 40 will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0031] The contact portion 32a is provided around the entire outer periphery of the end of the cover portion 32. The buffer portion 32b is provided inside the contact portion 32a when viewed from the front, and is provided to surround the adhesive portion 32c located further inside. Furthermore, the retaining portion 32d is provided in the center of the cover portion 32 when viewed from the front. That is, the contact portion 32a and the buffer portion 32b are provided along the outer periphery of the cover portion 32, and the adhesive portion 32c and the retaining portion 32d occupy a wide area in the center of the cover portion 32. Note that, within the range occupied by the adhesive portion 32c and the retaining portion 32d, the adhesive portion 32c may be provided along the buffer portion 32b so as to surround the outside. Inside the range, the retaining portion 32d may be divided and disposed, with the adhesive portion 32c provided between the divided retaining portions 32d. A double-sided sticker or adhesive may be attached to the adhesive portion 32c for adhesion to the glass portion 40.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the detergent dispenser case near the front placement portion.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the detergent dispenser case 20 with the glass portion 40 attached to the cover portion 32. The contact portion 32a has a slope on the front side that conforms to the curved surface 40d. That is, the contact portion 32a is shaped to fit the curved surface 40d, and substantially the entire curved surface 40d contacts the contact portion 32a. By providing the curved surface 40d at the end, the glass portion 40 is free of sharp edges, preventing component defects such as breakage or scratches. Protecting the end prevents the intrusion of detergent, water, and the like, and prevents separation between the glass portion 40 and the cover portion 32. A gap is provided between the buffer portion 32b and the glass portion 40. Specifically, the gap between the buffer portion 32b and the holding surface 40c of the glass portion 40 is approximately 0.2 mm. A gap is provided between the adhesive portion 32c and the glass portion 40, and this gap is filled with, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive. The gap between adhesive portion 32c and holding surface 40c of glass portion 40 is approximately 0.7 mm, and is recessed further rearward than buffer portion 32b. Holding portion 32d contacts holding surface 40c of glass portion 40.

[0034] Incidentally, when bonding to glass portion 40, variations in adhesive thickness and bending can cause distortion around the periphery. If buffer portion 32b were not provided and a portion that directly contacts glass portion 40 were provided outside adhesive portion 32c, glass portion 40 could be pushed by that portion and separated. Therefore, in this embodiment, distortion caused by bonding to glass portion 40 is alleviated by the gap in buffer portion 32b, preventing separation between abutting portion 32a and C-face portion 40d and ensuring reliable retention of glass portion 40.

[0035] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims. Furthermore, all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims are included.

[0036] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-158705, filed on September 23, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, all references cited herein are specifically incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10. Washing Machine 11 Washing machine body 20 Detergent dispenser 30 Case body 31 Detergent Storage Room 32 Cover part 32a Contact part 32b Buffer 32c Adhesive part 32d holding part 40 Glass section 40a surface 40b Bottom end surface 40c holding surface 40d C side part 40e chamfered part 100 Placement surface H Insertion / extraction direction

Claims

1. A washing machine having a detergent dispenser case that can be pulled out forward relative to the washing machine body, The detergent dispenser case has a case body and a glass portion attached to a front surface of the case body, The glass portion has a C-surface portion on the outer periphery of the end portion, the case body has a cover portion shaped to fit along the C-surface portion, the cover portion has a contact portion that contacts the C-surface portion, a buffer portion provided along the contact portion, and an adhesive portion that is adhered to the glass portion, A gap is provided between the buffer portion and the glass portion. A washing machine characterized by:

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, At a front end of the detergent dispenser case, the cover portion protrudes downward beyond the glass portion, When the detergent dispenser case is placed on a placement surface, the glass portion does not contact the placement surface, and the cover portion contacts the placement surface. A washing machine characterized by:

3. The washing machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, The C-surface portion has the same size around the entire edge of the glass portion. A washing machine characterized by:

4. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The glass portion is attached at an angle so that its lower end protrudes forward, and a chamfered portion that is smaller than the C-surface portion is provided on the outer periphery of the end of the surface that faces the holding surface that contacts the cover portion. A washing machine characterized by:

Images