Fluid dosing units and washing machines

Abstract

To provide a liquid agent feeding unit and a washing machine that can reduce the risk of water leakage with a reduced number of pipes that are connected to a water inlet valve.SOLUTION: A liquid agent feeding unit 10 includes liquid agent tanks (a detergent tank 110 and a softener tank 120) each of which contains a liquid agent which is automatically fed into a washing drum, a manual feeding case 130 into which liquid agents that are fed into the washing drum can be manually fed, and a main case body 100 that contains the liquid agent tanks and the manual feeding case 130 therein. The main case body 100 is connected to a water inlet valve 20 via water supply passages (a first water supply passage P1 and a second water supply passage P2) and includes inflow ports (a first inflow port 101 and a second inflow port 102) through which water supplied via the water supply passage is sent into the manual feeding case 130, a discharge port 104 through which water with a liquid agent dissolved therein is discharged into the washing drum, and a water flow passage 103 via which water is sent from the manual feeding case 130 towards the discharge port 104. A liquid agent tank can discharge a liquid agent onto the water flow passage 103.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the dispensing of a liquid agent into a washing tub, and more particularly to a liquid agent dispensing unit capable of both automatic and manual dispensing, and a washing machine equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Washing machines equipped with a liquid agent dispensing unit for automatically dispensing liquid agents such as liquid detergent and fabric softener into the washing tub are known. Some of these liquid agent dispensing units have an automatic dispensing function that automatically dispenses liquid agents stored in a liquid agent tank (detergent tank or fabric softener tank) into the washing tub, and a manual dispensing function that allows a user to manually dispense liquid agents (or powder detergent) into a manual dispensing section into the washing tub.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a washing machine having a first pipe for supplying water from a water supply valve to a liquid agent dispensing unit when liquid agent is automatically dispensed, and a second pipe for supplying water from the water supply valve to the liquid agent dispensing unit when liquid agent (or powder detergent) is manually dispensed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6553550 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The washing machine of Patent Document 1, for example, requires two pipes from the water supply valve to enable both automatic and manual dispensing of liquid detergent. Furthermore, two more pipes are required to enable both automatic and manual dispensing of fabric softener. This additional pipe from the water supply valve increases the risk of water leakage at the pipe connections, which is a problem.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a liquid agent dispensing unit that can reduce the number of pipes from a water supply valve and reduce the risk of water leakage, and a washing machine equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a liquid agent dispensing unit that is provided in a washing machine and that allows both automatic and manual dispensing of liquid agent into the washing tub by receiving water from a water supply valve. The liquid agent dispensing unit includes a liquid agent tank that stores the liquid agent to be automatically dispensed into the washing tub, a manual dispensing case that allows manual dispensing of the liquid agent to be dispensed into the washing tub, and a case body that houses the liquid agent tank and the manual dispensing case. The case body is connected to the water supply valve via a water supply path formed by piping and has an inlet that allows water supplied from the water supply path to flow into the manual dispensing case, an outlet that discharges water in which the liquid agent has been dissolved toward the washing tub, and a flow channel that allows water to flow from the manual dispensing case toward the outlet, and is characterized in that the liquid agent can be discharged from the liquid agent tank onto the flow channel.

[0008] With the above configuration, the water flow path within the liquid agent dispensing unit is common for both automatic and manual dispensing of the same type of liquid agent. That is, the water flow path within the liquid agent dispensing unit can be limited to a flow path connecting the inlet, manual dispensing case, water flow channel, and outlet in this order. For manual dispensing, the liquid agent can be dispensed into the washing tub by placing it in the manual dispensing case. For automatic dispensing, the liquid agent can be dispensed into the washing tub by discharging it from the liquid agent tank onto the water flow channel. As a result, the water supply path from the water supply valve to the liquid agent dispensing unit can be common for both automatic and manual dispensing of the same type of liquid agent. Reducing the number of pipes from the water supply valve reduces the risk of water leaks at the pipe connections.

[0009] The liquid agent dispensing unit may also have, as the liquid agent tanks, a first tank for storing liquid detergent and a second tank for storing a clothing treatment agent other than liquid detergent, and the manual dispensing case may have a first manual dispensing section into which liquid detergent or powder detergent can be manually dispensed, and a second manual dispensing section into which clothing treatment agent can be dispensed, and the inlet may be configured to include a first inlet connected to the water supply valve via a first water supply path and allowing water supplied from the first water supply path to flow into the first manual dispensing section, and a second inlet connected to the water supply valve via a second water supply path and allowing water supplied from the second water supply path to flow into the second manual dispensing section.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when liquid detergent and laundry treatment agent (e.g., fabric softener) can be automatically and manually dispensed as liquid agents, the number of pipes from the water supply valve for each of the liquid detergent and laundry treatment agent can be reduced.

[0011] The liquid supply unit can also be configured to be attached so as to penetrate the wall of the case body and to include a shower nozzle positioned inside the case body opposite the liquid discharge portion from the liquid tank.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the discharge portion of the liquid agent from the liquid agent tank can be cleaned by the shower water supplied from the shower nozzle, and the solidification of the liquid agent at the discharge portion can be prevented.

[0013] The liquid agent supply unit may be configured such that a discharge portion for discharging the liquid agent from the liquid agent tank is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with water flowing through the water flow channel.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the discharge portion of the liquid agent from the liquid agent tank can be washed with the water flowing through the water flow channel, and the solidification of the liquid agent at the discharge portion can be prevented.

[0015] In order to solve the above problem, a washing machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized by including the liquid agent dosing unit described above.

[0016] The washing machine may be configured such that the water supply path is branched midway and the branched water supply path is connected to the shower nozzle.

[0017] According to the above configuration, by branching the water supply path and connecting it to the shower nozzle, the discharge part is cleaned at the same time as the liquid agent is dispensed, and there is no need to install a separate water supply path independent of the water supply valve for cleaning the discharge part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The liquid agent dispensing unit and washing machine of the present invention have the advantage that, for the same type of liquid agent, the water supply path from the water supply valve to the liquid agent dispensing unit can be made common for both automatic and manual dispensing, and by reducing the number of pipes from the water supply valve, the risk of water leakage at the pipe connections can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a liquid agent dosing unit and a water supply valve, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a liquid agent dispensing unit and a water supply valve. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a washing machine using a liquid agent dispensing unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing only the case body extracted from the liquid drug dispensing unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the liquid drug supply unit from which the case body has been removed and the remaining members viewed from below. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a liquid drug dispensing unit according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] First Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a liquid agent dispensing unit 10 and a water supply valve 20 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 and the water supply valve 20. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a washing machine 1 using the liquid agent dispensing unit 10. The liquid agent here refers to a liquid agent dispensed from the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 into the washing tub of the washing machine 1, and refers to a clothing treatment agent such as a liquid detergent or fabric softener. Furthermore, while the washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 3 is a drum-type washing machine, the present invention is not limited to this, and the washing machine to which the present invention is applied may also be a vertical washing machine. Furthermore, the washing machine 1 may also be a washer-dryer.

[0021] The liquid agent dosing unit 10 is used by being connected to a water supply valve 20 by piping. That is, the liquid agent dosing unit 10 performs automatic and manual dosing of the liquid agent by receiving water from the water supply valve 20. However, in Figs. 1 and 2, the piping connecting the water supply valve 20 and the liquid agent dosing unit 10 is not shown, and the water supply paths (first water supply path P1 and second water supply path P2) formed by the piping are simply indicated by thick dashed lines.

[0022] The liquid agent dispensing unit 10 can accommodate (attach) a detergent tank (first tank) 110, a fabric softener tank (second tank) 120, and a manual dispensing case 130 in a case main body 100. The detergent tank 110 and the fabric softener tank 120 are liquid agent tanks for containing liquid agents to be automatically dispensed into the washing tub of the washing machine 1, with the detergent tank 110 containing liquid detergent and the fabric softener tank 120 containing fabric softener or other clothing treatment agent. The manual dispensing case 130 is a case for a user to manually dispense liquid agents, and has a detergent dispenser (first manual dispenser) 131 and a fabric softener dispenser (second manual dispenser) 132. However, not only liquid detergent but also powder detergent can be dispensed into the detergent dispenser 131.

[0023] The liquid agent dispensing unit 10 is disposed inside the washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 3 near the upper left side when viewed from the front side (the side where the door 2 is located). Lids 3 and 4 are disposed on the top surface of the washing machine 1. When the lid 3 is opened, the detergent dispenser 131 and fabric softener dispenser 132 of the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 are exposed, allowing the user to manually dispense the liquid agent. When the lid 4 is opened, the detergent tank 110 and fabric softener tank 120 are exposed, allowing the user to insert or remove the detergent tank 110 or fabric softener tank 120 into or from the washing machine 1. This allows the user to remove the detergent tank 110 or fabric softener tank 120 and refill the liquid agent.

[0024] In the washing machine 1, the water supply valve 20 is disposed behind the liquid agent dispensing unit 10. The water supply valve 20 has a water supply port 21 for introducing tap water to be supplied to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10. The water supply valve 20 is also provided with a plurality of electromagnetic valves, and by appropriately controlling the opening and closing of these plurality of electromagnetic valves, tap water can be supplied to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 through different routes. When the water supply valve 20 is attached to the washing machine 1, the water supply port 21 is exposed near the rear of the top surface of the washing machine 1 (see FIG. 3). This allows the water supply valve 20 to receive tap water by connecting the water supply port 21 to a water faucet with a hose.

[0025] Furthermore, water supply valve 20 has a first outlet 22 and a second outlet 23 connected to liquid drug dispensing unit 10 via piping. Specifically, first outlet 22 is connected to a first inlet 101 (see FIG. 6) formed on one side surface of case body 100 via a first water supply path P1 formed by piping. Furthermore, second outlet 23 is connected to a second inlet 102 formed on the other side surface of case body 100 via a second water supply path P2 formed by piping.

[0026] The side surface on which first inlet 101 is provided faces the side surface of detergent dispenser 131 in manual dispenser case 130, and the side surface of detergent dispenser 131 also has an inlet (not shown) provided at a position facing first inlet 101. This allows water supply valve 20 to supply water from first outlet 22 to detergent dispenser 131 via first water supply path P1 and first inlet 101.

[0027] Similarly, the side surface on which the second inlet 102 is provided faces the side surface of the fabric softener dispenser 132 in the manual dispenser case 130, and the side surface of the fabric softener dispenser 132 also has an inlet (not shown) provided at a position facing the second inlet 102. This allows the water supply valve 20 to supply water from the second outlet 23 to the fabric softener dispenser 132 via the second water supply path P2 and the second inlet 102.

[0028] An opening 131a (see FIG. 2) is provided at the bottom of detergent input section 131, and water supplied to detergent input section 131 drops from opening 131a to the bottom of case body 100. At this time, if detergent has been input into detergent input section 131, the water supplied to detergent input section 131 flows from detergent input section 131 to case body 100 while dissolving the detergent. In addition, a siphon structure 132a (see FIG. 2) is provided at the bottom of fabric softener input section 132, and water supplied to fabric softener input section 132 drops to the bottom of case body 100 via siphon structure 132a. At this time, if fabric softener has been input into fabric softener input section 132, the water supplied to fabric softener input section 132 flows from fabric softener input section 132 to case body 100 while dissolving the fabric softener.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a plan view of case body 100. Case body 100 has flow channel 103 (shown by diagonal hatching in Fig. 4) at its bottom. Flow channel 103 has an inclined surface that allows water to flow in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 4, and a discharge port 104 is provided at the downstream end of flow channel 103 to discharge water in which detergent or fabric softener is dissolved into the washing tub.

[0030] Water dropping from detergent dispenser 131 or fabric softener dispenser 132 to the bottom of case body 100 falls onto flow channel 103 in first drop region R1 on the upstream side of flow channel 103. The water that has fallen into first drop region R1 flows through flow channel 103 and is supplied to the washing tub from outlet 104.

[0031] That is, detergent manually dispensed into detergent dispenser 131 is dispensed into the washing tub together with water flowing in the order of first outlet 22, first water supply path P1, detergent dispenser 131, water flow path 103, and outlet 104. Also, fabric softener manually dispensed into fabric softener dispenser 132 is dispensed into the washing tub together with water flowing in the order of second outlet 23, second water supply path P2, fabric softener dispenser 132, water flow path 103, and outlet 104.

[0032] Next, a method for automatically dispensing detergent or fabric softener in the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 with the case body 100 removed and the remaining components viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 5, in the liquid agent dispensing unit 10, a dispensing control plate 140 is disposed below the liquid agent tanks (detergent tank 110 and fabric softener tank 120), and the liquid agent tanks attached to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 are placed on the dispensing control plate 140. On the dispensing control plate 140, a first solenoid valve 141 is provided within the placement area for the detergent tank 110, and a second solenoid valve 142 is provided within the placement area for the fabric softener tank 120. The first solenoid valve 141, the second solenoid valve 142, and the area below them form the liquid agent discharge portion.

[0033] Meanwhile, a liquid agent outlet (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface of the liquid agent tank, and by attaching the liquid agent tank to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 (by placing the liquid agent tank on the dispensing control plate 140), the liquid agent outlet of the liquid agent tank is connected to the first solenoid valve 141 or the second solenoid valve 142. That is, the liquid agent outlet of the detergent tank 110 is connected to the first solenoid valve 141, and the liquid agent outlet of the fabric softener tank 120 is connected to the second solenoid valve 142. In addition, a water stop valve is provided at the liquid agent outlet of the liquid agent tank, and this water stop valve opens when the liquid agent tank is attached to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 and closes when the liquid agent tank is removed from the liquid agent dispensing unit 10.

[0034] Automatic dispensing of the liquid agent includes controlling the opening and closing of the first solenoid valve 141 or the second solenoid valve 142. That is, when liquid detergent is automatically dispensed, the first solenoid valve 141 is opened for a predetermined time, and a predetermined amount of liquid detergent is discharged (dropped) from the detergent tank 110 to the bottom of the case body 100. When fabric softener is automatically dispensed, the second solenoid valve 142 is opened for a predetermined time, and a predetermined amount of fabric softener is discharged from the fabric softener tank 120 to the bottom of the case body 100. At this time, the area into which the liquid agent discharged from the liquid agent tank falls is the second drop area R2 in the water flow channel 103.

[0035] Furthermore, when liquid detergent is automatically dispensed, as with the manual detergent dispense, water is supplied from first outlet 22 of water supply valve 20, and water flows in the order of first outlet 22, first water supply path P1, detergent dispenser 131, water flow channel 103, and outlet 104. When fabric softener is automatically dispensed, as with the manual softener dispense, water is supplied from second outlet 23 of water supply valve 20, and water flows in the order of second outlet 23, second water supply path P2, softener dispenser 132, water flow channel 103, and outlet 104. This water flow causes the liquid agent discharged into water flow channel 103 to be dispensed into the washing tub together with water.

[0036] 4, the width of the water flow channel 103 narrows from upstream to downstream midway along the channel, and the flow rate increases in this section. The second drop region R2 is provided at a location in the water flow channel 103 where the flow rate increases. As a result, the liquid agent discharged from the liquid agent tank into the water flow channel 103 is carried by the water with an increased flow rate, and is entirely poured into the washing tub without adhering to the bottom of the case body 100.

[0037] As described above, the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 has a common water flow path for the same type of liquid agent, whether it is dispensed automatically or manually. As a result, the water supply path from the water supply valve 20 to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 can also be common for the same type of liquid agent, whether it is dispensed automatically or manually. Specifically, the first water supply path P1 is used in common for liquid detergents, whether it is dispensed automatically or manually. Similarly, the second water supply path P2 is used in common for fabric softeners, whether it is dispensed automatically or manually.

[0038] This allows the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 to combine the piping from the water supply valve 20 into one for automatic and manual dispensing of the liquid agent, thereby reducing the risk of water leakage at the piping connections. Furthermore, because the water supply operation from the water supply valve 20 to the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 is the same during automatic and manual dispensing of the liquid agent, there is no need to change the control program for the solenoid valve inside the water supply valve 20 (the control program for the water supply valve 20) between automatic and manual dispensing, which has the advantage of simplifying the control program for the water supply valve 20.

[0039] In the above-described liquid agent supply unit 10, the liquid agent is supplied from the liquid agent tank by free fall while the first solenoid valve 141 or the second solenoid valve 142 is open. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the liquid agent may be supplied from the liquid agent tank using a liquid agent supply pump (hereinafter referred to as pump). In this case, the pump is disposed between the liquid agent tank and the discharge portion, and the liquid agent is supplied from the liquid agent tank in the following order: stop valve of the liquid agent tank → pump → discharge portion.

[0040] The location of the pump in the liquid agent dispensing unit 10 is not particularly limited, and the pump can be provided to the side of the liquid agent tank or below the liquid agent tank. When the pump is provided to the side of the liquid agent tank, for example, a pump dispensing unit 150 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) equipped with a pump therein can be disposed between the liquid agent tank (detergent tank 110 and fabric softener tank 120) and the manual dispensing section (detergent dispensing section 131 and fabric softener dispensing section 132). When the pump is provided below the liquid agent tank, for example, the pump can be provided as part of the dispensing control plate 140. Of course, when the liquid agent is automatically dispensed by the pump, the first solenoid valve 141 and the second solenoid valve 142 can be omitted from the liquid agent discharge section from the liquid agent tank.

[0041] Second Embodiment In the liquid drug dispensing unit 10, the water flow path is common to both automatic and manual dispensing of the same type of liquid drug, and the liquid drug is discharged along the flow path during automatic dispensing. At this time, if the undiluted liquid drug adheres to the liquid drug discharge portion (such as the first solenoid valve 141 or the second solenoid valve 142) of the dispensing control plate 140 and solidifies, there is a risk that the liquid drug will not be discharged normally into the flow path. For this reason, in the second embodiment, a configuration that can prevent the liquid drug from solidifying at the discharge portion will be described.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a liquid agent dispensing unit 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, this liquid agent dispensing unit 10 is provided with a shower nozzle 105 that penetrates the wall surface (the side surface on the same side as the first inlet 101) of the case body 100. The first water supply path P1 branches into two paths along the way, one of which is connected to the first inlet 101 as in the first embodiment, and the other of which is connected to the shower nozzle 105.

[0043] The shower nozzle 105 is disposed inside the case body 100 at a position facing the liquid agent discharge portion of the dispensing control plate 140. Therefore, when dispensing detergent (automatic dispensing of liquid detergent or manual dispensing of detergent), water is supplied to the detergent dispenser 131 via the first water supply path P1, and at the same time, shower water is supplied from the shower nozzle 105 into the case body 100. This shower water supply can clean the first solenoid valve 141 and the second solenoid valve 142 in the discharge portion, preventing the liquid agent from adhering to the discharge portion. Furthermore, in the liquid agent dispensing unit 10, by branching the first water supply path P1 and connecting it to the shower nozzle 105, the discharge portion is always cleaned when detergent is dispensed, eliminating the need to install a separate water supply path independent of the water supply valve 20 for cleaning the discharge portion.

[0044] Third Embodiment In this third embodiment, another configuration that can prevent the solidification of the liquid agent at the discharge portion will be described. In this third embodiment, the position of the discharge portion is lowered (closer to the bottom of the case body 100) in the dispensing control plate 140 of the liquid agent dispensing unit 10, and the discharge portion is arranged so that the water comes into contact with the water when the water flows through the water flow channel 103. In this configuration, the discharge portion can be washed by the water flowing through the water flow channel 103.

[0045] The configuration of the third embodiment, unlike the configuration of the second embodiment, does not require shower nozzle 105, and the piping of liquid agent dispensing unit 10 and first water supply path P1 can be simplified. Another advantage is that the discharge part can be cleaned not only when detergent is dispensed but also when fabric softener is dispensed.

[0046] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 washing machine 2-door 3 Lid 4 Lid 10 Fluid dosing unit 100 case body 101 1st inlet 102 2nd inlet 103 Waterway 104 Outlet 105 shower nozzle 110 Detergent tank (first tank) 120 Fabric softener tank (second tank) 130 Manual Insertion Case 131 Detergent dispenser (first manual dispenser) 131a aperture 132 Fabric softener dispenser (second manual dispenser) 132a Siphon structure 140 Input control board 141 First solenoid valve (discharge part) 142 Second solenoid valve (discharge section) 20 Water supply valve 21 Water supply outlet 22 1st outlet 23 2nd outlet P1 First water supply route P2 Second water supply route R1 1st fall area R2 2nd fall area

Claims

1. A liquid agent dispensing unit provided in a washing machine, which can dispense liquid agents into a washing tub both automatically and manually by supplying water from a water supply valve, A liquid agent tank that stores a liquid agent to be automatically added to the washing tub; A manual dispenser case that allows manual dispensing of the liquid agent to be dispensed into the washing tub; a case body that accommodates the liquid agent tank and the manual injection case therein, The case body includes: an inlet connected to the water supply valve via a water supply path formed by piping, for allowing water supplied from the water supply path to flow into the manual input case; An outlet for discharging the water containing the liquid agent into the washing tub; a water flow channel for flowing water from the manual insertion case toward the discharge port, The liquid agent can be discharged from the liquid agent tank onto the flow channel, A liquid agent supply unit characterized by comprising a shower nozzle attached so as to penetrate the wall surface of the case body and positioned inside the case body opposite the liquid agent discharge portion from the liquid agent tank.

2. The liquid drug dispensing unit according to claim 1, The liquid agent tank includes a first tank for storing a liquid detergent and a second tank for storing a laundry treatment agent other than the liquid detergent, The manual dispenser case has a first manual dispenser section into which liquid detergent or powder detergent can be manually dispensed, and a second manual dispenser section into which a laundry treatment agent can be dispensed, The liquid agent dispensing unit is characterized in that the inlet includes: a first inlet connected to the water supply valve via a first water supply path, and allowing water supplied from the first water supply path to flow into the first manual dispensing unit; and a second inlet connected to the water supply valve via a second water supply path, and allowing water supplied from the second water supply path to flow into the second manual dispensing unit.

3. A washing machine comprising the liquid agent dosing unit according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A washing machine equipped with the liquid agent dosing unit according to claim 1, The washing machine is characterized in that the water supply path is branched midway, and the branched water supply path is connected to the shower nozzle.

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