CN111411484A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a washing machine with an automatic detergent feeding device, which can make the operation for replenishing detergent good and can solve the problem that a water supply path is relatively short. The washing machine is provided with: a water tank disposed in the main body for accumulating washing water; a water supply valve for supplying water from a water supply source to the water tank after passing through a water supply path; an automatic lotion feeding device having a lotion tank for storing a lotion, wherein a predetermined amount of the lotion is supplied from the lotion tank to a lotion supply section in the middle of the water supply path; and a manual detergent storage part which is arranged in the middle of the water supply path and can store detergent for 1 washing, wherein the water supply valve is arranged at the rear part of the upper part of the main body, the automatic detergent feeding device is arranged at the front part of the upper part of the main body, and the manual detergent storage part is arranged between the automatic detergent feeding device and the automatic detergent feeding device.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

Background

In a drum-type washing machine that automatically performs a washing operation, for example, a drawer-type detergent container is generally provided at the front of the upper portion of a main body, and a user stores a necessary amount of detergent and softener in the detergent container before starting washing, so that the detergent and softener are supplied into a water tank together with water supply during the washing operation. In recent years, in response to a desire for improvement in convenience for users, the following techniques are considered: in addition to the manual detergent storage case, an automatic detergent feeding device is provided which stores a large amount of detergent treatment agent such as detergent, softener, etc. in a tank (tank) and automatically feeds a necessary amount of detergent into a water tank from the tank during a washing operation (see, for example, patent documents 1 and 2).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-74080

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-11618

In the above prior art, the following configuration is adopted: the upper part of the main body is provided with a manual lotion storage box at the front part, an automatic lotion feeding device at the rear part and a water supply valve at the rear part. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, for example, when the tank is replenished with the washing treatment agent, the user has to perform the work by extending the arm largely to the rear of the washing machine, which results in poor workability. Further, the water supply path is formed to extend from the water supply valve at the rear portion of the main body to the lotion storage case at the front portion of the main body, and thus the water supply path is relatively long.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, the washing machine with the automatic detergent feeding device can be provided, which has good workability for replenishing detergent and can solve the problem that the water supply path is relatively short.

The washing machine of the embodiment comprises: a water tank disposed in the main body for accumulating washing water; a water supply valve for supplying water from a water supply source to the water tank after passing through a water supply path; an automatic lotion feeding device having a lotion tank for storing a lotion, wherein a predetermined amount of the lotion is supplied from the lotion tank to a lotion supply section in the middle of the water supply path; and a manual detergent storage part which is arranged in the middle of the water supply path and can store detergent for 1 washing, wherein the water supply valve is arranged at the rear part of the upper part of the main body, the automatic detergent feeding device is arranged at the front part of the upper part of the main body, and the manual detergent storage part is arranged between the automatic detergent feeding device and the automatic detergent feeding device.

The washing machine of the embodiment comprises: a water tank disposed in the main body for accumulating washing water; a water supply valve for supplying water from a water supply source to the water tank after passing through a water supply path; an automatic loading device having a tank for storing a washing agent and a pump for pumping up the washing agent from the tank, the automatic loading device supplying a predetermined amount of the washing agent from the tank to a supply part in the middle of the water supply path; and a manual storage unit provided in the middle of the water supply path and capable of storing a washing treatment agent for 1-time washing, wherein the water supply valve, the manual storage unit, and the automatic feeding device are arranged in this order from the rear to the front in the upper portion of the main body, and the automatic feeding device is configured to be capable of taking out the tank upward from an entrance provided in the upper surface of the main body.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a drum type washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the drum type washing machine.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the sink.

Fig. 4 is a left side view of the sink.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a water supply path portion.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a water supply path portion.

Fig. 7 is a left side view of the water supply path portion.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a main portion of the 1 st water supply path according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a main portion of the 2 nd water supply path.

Fig. 10 is a rear view of the water supply mechanism portion.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the 1 st water supply path portion.

Fig. 12 is a right side view of the main part.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an upper portion of the drum type washing machine from the rear side, showing embodiment 3.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an automatic loading device portion. .

Fig. 15 is a top view of the sink.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the automatic loading device according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the automatic loading device according to embodiment 5.

Detailed Description

(1) Embodiment 1

Hereinafter, embodiment 1 applied to a drum-type washing machine (washing and drying machine) having a drying function will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 7. Fig. 1 and 2 show the external appearance of the upper part of a drum-type washing machine as a washing machine according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 and 4 show an external appearance of the water tub in which the outer casing of the drum-type washing machine is removed.

Here, a main body (outer box) 1 of the drum-type washing machine has a substantially rectangular box shape, a circular entrance 2 for entrance and exit of laundry is provided at a substantially central portion of a front surface portion of the main body 1, and a door 3 is openably and closably attached to open and close the entrance 2. A power switch 4 and an operation panel 5 are provided in the right front portion of the upper surface portion of the main body 1. A water tank 6 having a substantially cylindrical shape with an open front surface, which is shown in fig. 3 and 4, is elastically supported by an elastic support mechanism (not shown) in the main body 1, communicates with the inlet/outlet 2, and stores washing water.

Although not shown in detail, a drum serving as a storage tank for storing laundry is provided in the water tank 6. The drum is formed in a cylindrical shape having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the water tank 6, and a drive mechanism such as a drum motor is connected to a central portion of a rear surface side of the drum to be rotationally driven. Further, a water supply mechanism 7 for supplying water into the water tank 6 is provided in the main body 1 on the upper left side of the water tank 6. The water supply mechanism 7 will be described later. Although not shown, a drain port is provided in the bottom of the rear portion of the water tank 6, and a drain pipe is connected to the drain port via a drain valve.

Although not shown, a drying mechanism for circulating and supplying warm air for drying is provided in the water tank 6 (drum) in the main body 1. The drying mechanism comprises: the drying air circulation duct is provided with a heat pump and an air blower for generating drying air by dehumidifying and heating circulation air, and forms an air passage outside the water tank 6 from an air outlet 8 (see fig. 3) on the right side of the upper surface of the water tank 6 to an air inlet on the left side of the back surface of the water tank 6. A filter unit 9 (see fig. 1 and 2) for capturing lint from the drying air is provided in a portion of the drying air circulation duct, which extends rearward from the right side edge portion of the upper portion in the main body 1 from the exhaust port 8.

The water supply mechanism 7 will be described with reference to fig. 5 to 7. As shown in fig. 3 to 7, the water supply mechanism 7 includes: a water supply valve unit 10 provided at the rear portion of the upper left portion in the main body 1, an automatic detergent dispenser 11 provided at the front portion of the upper left portion in the main body 1, a water injection box 12 and a manual storage box 13 provided therebetween, a main water supply path 14 connected from the water supply valve unit 10 to the water injection box 12, a water supply pipe 15 for supplying water from the water injection box 12 into the water tank 6, and the like. In the present embodiment, the detergent (liquid and powder) and the softener (softening agent) can be automatically and manually supplied into the water tank 6.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, and the like, the water supply valve unit 10 is configured to: a main water supply valve 16 and a softener water supply valve 17 that are electromagnetically opened and closed are assembled to the left and right of the frame 10 a. In addition, the water supply valve unit 10 is further provided with a pipe cleaning water supply valve 18 (see fig. 7) located below the main water supply valve 16. As shown in fig. 2, a connection port 19 is provided on the upper portion of the water supply valve unit 10 so as to be exposed to the upper surface of the main body 1, and a tap of a tap water pipe as a water supply source is connected to the connection port 19. The connection ports 19 are branched into 2 at the lower side and connected to the inlet portion of the main water supply valve 16 and the inlet portion of the softener water supply valve 17, respectively.

As shown in fig. 5, the outlet of the main water supply valve 16 is connected to the inlet of the main water supply path 14, and the outlet of the softener water supply valve 17 is connected to the inlet of the softener water supply path 20. The main water supply path 14 and the softener water supply path 20 will be described later. In addition, on the right side of the water supply valve unit 10, a water supply pump 21 for scooping up the remaining water and the like of the bath (Japanese: FENG ) is incorporated. The pipe cleaning water supply valve 18 is used to flush a part of the dry air circulation pipe (in the vicinity of the exhaust port 8).

The water filling box 12 is formed of plastic into a rectangular box shape slightly long in the lateral direction when viewed from the top surface, and the manual housing box 13 is placed on the top surface. As shown in fig. 4 and 7, the lower end of the water injection cartridge 12 is connected to the upper end, which is the base end of the water supply pipe 15, and the lower end, which is the tip end of the water supply pipe 15, is connected to the water supply port of the water tank 6.

As shown in fig. 5 and the like, the manual housing box 13 is made of plastic, and has a manual detergent housing part 13a and a manual softener housing part 13b, which are arranged in a left-right direction and are each formed into a thin container shape with an open upper surface. For example, 1 time of amount of a detergent (powder detergent) is stored in the manual detergent storage section 13a, and 1 time of amount of a softening processing agent (hereinafter, simply referred to as "softener") called a softener is stored in the manual softener storage section 13b as necessary. In this case, the configuration is: the manual detergent containing section 13a is larger than the manual softener containing section 13b, i.e., has a wider lateral width and a larger capacity.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, an opening corresponding to the upper surface of the manual storage case 13 is provided in the upper surface of the main body 1, and a cover 22 for opening and closing the opening is provided so as to be openable and closable. The user opens the lid 22 and manually stores the detergent and softener in an amount of 1 time of washing. At this time, as shown in fig. 5, a water injection port 23 is provided at the upper front end portion of the manual detergent storage section 13a, and a softener water injection port 24 is provided at the upper rear end portion of the manual softener storage section 13 b. Although not shown in detail, a drain hole for draining water to the water injection cartridge 12 is provided in the bottom of the manual detergent storage section 13a and the manual softener storage section 13 b.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, the main water supply path 14 extends substantially horizontally forward from an outlet portion of the main water supply valve 16 so as to pass through a left side portion of the water injection cartridge 12, is bent downward substantially at a right angle after passing beyond the water injection cartridge 12, and is bent at a lower end portion thereof substantially at a right angle to the right. Further, the structure is as follows: the water injection cartridge 12 extends rightward at the lower portion on the front surface side, is bent at a right end portion thereof at a substantially right angle, extends upward, and is connected to the water injection port 23. The rising portion of the main water supply path 14 connected to the water filling port 23 is configured to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the other portions, and is configured to raise the water supply up to the water filling port 23 in accordance with the water pressure.

Accordingly, when the main water supply valve 16 is opened, as shown by the thick arrows in fig. 5 to 7, the tap water supplied from the connection port 19 flows into the main water supply path 14, flows forward, flows downward, flows rightward in the lower front portion of the water injection cartridge 12, and rises to be supplied into the manual lotion storage section 13a from the water injection port 23. The water supplied to the manual washing agent storage section 13a flows into the water injection cartridge 12 below while being dissolved without being changed or while the washing agent is stored in the manual washing agent storage section 13a, and is supplied into the water tank 6 after passing through the water supply pipe 15 from the water injection cartridge 12.

At this time, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the central portion of the main water supply path 14 extending from left to right below the front portion of the water injection cartridge 12 is provided as the lotion supply portion 25 of the automatic lotion feeding device 11. Therefore, the lotion supply portion 25 is provided on the upstream side of the main water supply path 14, and the manual lotion storage portion 13a is provided on the downstream side thereof. As will be described later, the automatic detergent feeder 11 automatically feeds a required amount of the detergent or softener to the detergent feeder 25.

As shown in fig. 5, the softener water supply path 20 extends forward from the outlet of the softener water supply valve 17, and then rises to be connected to the softener water injection port 24. Accordingly, when the softener water supply valve 17 is opened as indicated by the hollow arrow in fig. 5, the tap water supplied from the connection port 19 is supplied from the softener water injection port 24 to the manual softener storage portion 13b after passing through the softener water supply path 20. The water supplied to the manual softener storage portion 13b flows into the water injection box 12 downward while dissolving the contained softener, and is supplied into the water tank 6 after passing through the water supply pipe 15 from the water injection box 12.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, the height position a of the water injection port 23, the height position B of the outlet of the main water supply valve 16, and the height position C of the lower portion (the lotion supply section 25) of the main water supply path 14 are in the relationship in which the height position a is the highest, and the height position B and the height position C are in this order. In the present embodiment, a drain path 26 is provided at the lowest portion of the main water supply path 14. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the drain path 26 is provided as a thin pipe line connecting the bottom portion of the left end of the main water supply path 14 to the lower portion of the water filling cartridge 12, for example, and is configured so that water is not accumulated in the main water supply path 14 when the main water supply valve 16 is closed.

As shown in fig. 2 to 4, the automatic detergent dispenser 11 includes, in the main body 1: a drawer-type tank 27 that can be inserted from the front surface side and a pump 28 disposed at the rear of the tank 27. The tank 27 has a rectangular box shape with an open upper surface and long in the front-rear direction, and is supported at the upper left portion in the main body 1 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. A front door 29 having a handle portion 29a is provided on the front surface of the slot case 27. The slot case 27 is provided between a storage position (see fig. 1 and the like) where the front door 29 closes an opening portion in the upper left portion of the front surface in the main body 1 and a pull-out position (see fig. 2) where the slot case is pulled out forward from the storage position.

In the tank case 27, a detergent tank 30 and a softener tank 31 are detachably provided in a left-right arrangement. Although not shown in detail, both the detergent tank 30 and the softener tank 31 are configured to: is in a slot shape elongated in the front-back direction, and a user can open the cover to replenish the lotion and the softener. In this case, the liquid detergent usable for washing is stored in the detergent tank 30 in a plurality of times, and the softener processing agent usable for washing is stored in the softener tank 31 in a plurality of times.

Although not shown in detail, the pump 28 is configured to: has 2 sets of suction ports and discharge ports 28a (see fig. 6), and uses a motor as a drive source. The pump 28 is configured to switch between a suction port for sucking liquid and a discharge port 28a for discharging liquid by switching the rotation direction (energization direction) of the motor. In this case, the structure is: one of the suction ports is connected to the side of the lotion tank 30, and the lotion is sucked up by the rotation of the motor in one direction and discharged from the one discharge port 28 a. The structure is as follows: the other suction port is connected to the softener tank 31 side, and the softener is sucked up by the rotation of the motor in the other direction and discharged from the other discharge port 28 a. As shown in fig. 5 to 7, the 2 discharge ports 28a of the pump 28 are disposed on the left and right sides above the lotion supply section 25 of the main water supply path 14. Further, the discharge amount of the detergent and softener, that is, the supply amount to the detergent supply unit 25 is controlled by the driving time of the pump 28.

Accordingly, the automatic detergent feeding device 11 can supply the detergent contained in the detergent tank 30 to the detergent supply unit 25 only in a required amount by driving the pump 28, and can supply the softener contained in the softener tank 31 to the detergent supply unit 25 only in a required amount. The discharge port 28a of the pump 28 is connected to the main water supply path 14, so that the entire supply path of the lotion becomes short, and the adhesion of the lotion in the supply path can be prevented. At this time, when the main water supply valve 16 is turned on and water is supplied to the main water supply path 14 in a state where the lotion or the softener is supplied to the lotion supply portion 25, the water flows while dissolving the lotion or the softener in the lotion supply portion 25. Since the discharge opening 28a can be flushed by supplying water, the adhesion of the lotion to the discharge opening 28a can also be prevented. The washing agent or softener is supplied from the water injection port 23 to the manual washing agent storage portion 13a together with the water supply, and further supplied into the water tank 6 after passing through the water supply pipe 15 from the water injection cartridge 12.

Although not shown, a control device for controlling the entire washing machine is provided in the main body 1, for example, by using a microcomputer as a main body. The control device controls the water supply valves 16, 17, 18 of the water supply valve unit 10, the pump 28 of the automatic detergent dispenser 11, the drum motor, the drain valve, the drying mechanism, and the like, based on input signals from the sensors and a control program stored in advance, in accordance with an operation process set by a user on the operation panel 5. Accordingly, the washing operation and the drying operation including the washing step, the rinsing step, and the dehydrating step are automatically performed. The details of the respective steps of the washing operation and the drying operation are well known, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted here.

In the present embodiment, when the user performs the washing operation, the user can select whether to automatically feed the detergent and the softener by the automatic detergent feeding device 11 or to manually feed the detergent and the softener 1 time by using the manual storage case 13 on the operation panel 5. When the user selects the manual input, the lid 22 is opened in advance to store a necessary amount of the lotion (powdered lotion) in the manual lotion storage portion 13a of the manual storage case 13 at the start of the washing operation. In the case of using a softener, a required amount of the softener is put into the manual softener storage portion 13b together with the above.

When the automatic feeding of the detergent and the softener is selected, the control device supplies a required amount of the detergent to the detergent supply unit 25 by the automatic detergent feeding device 11 before starting the water supply in the washing step, and then turns on the main water supply valve 16 to supply the water. Before the final rinsing step, a required amount of the softener is supplied to the detergent supply unit 25 by the automatic detergent feeding device 11, and then the main water supply valve 16 is opened to supply water. On the other hand, when the manual input of the detergent and the softener is selected, the automatic detergent input device 11 is not operated, and the main water supply valve 16 is used to supply water for the washing step. Then, at the time of water supply in the final rinsing step for rinsing with accumulated water, the softener water supply valve 17 is opened instead of the main water supply valve 16 to supply water.

Next, the operation and effect of the washing machine configured as described above will be described. In preparation for using the automatic detergent dispenser 11, the user stores the detergent in the detergent tank 30 and the softener in the softener tank 31. The operations of storing and replenishing the washing agent and the softening agent in the tanks 30 and 31 can be performed as follows. That is, the user holds the finger on the handle portion 29a of the front door 29 on the front surface of the main body 1, and pulls out the slot case 27 in the storage position to the front. At the pull-out position of the tank case 27, the detergent tank 30 or the softener tank 31 is taken out upward, and the replenishing operation of the detergent and the softener to the tanks 30 and 31 is performed. After the replenishing operation, the tanks 30 and 31 are returned to the tank case 27, and the tank case 27 is pushed in to be returned to the storage position. Further, the configuration may be such that: a lid is provided on the upper surface of each tank 30, 31, and the tank case 27 is pulled out and the lid is opened (without taking out the tanks 30, 31), and the replenishing operation of the detergent and the softener is performed.

When the washing machine performs a washing operation, the user operates the power switch 4 to turn on the power supply, and stores the laundry in the drum. Along with this, the operation course is selected by the operation panel 5. At this time, when the manual input of the detergent and the softener is selected, the user opens the cover 22 on the upper surface of the main body 1, stores a necessary amount of the detergent in the manual detergent storage portion 13a of the manual storage case 13, and inputs a necessary amount of the softener to the manual softener storage portion 13b to start the washing operation. When the automatic feeding of the detergent and the softener is selected, the washing operation can be started as it is.

When the washing operation is started, the control device controls each mechanism of the washing machine to automatically execute the washing operation composed of each known step of washing, rinsing, and dewatering. In this case, in the washing step, first, water is supplied into the water tank 6 up to a predetermined water level, but if automatic feeding of the detergent is selected, the pump 28 of the automatic detergent feeding device 11 is controlled before the water supply is started, so that a required amount of the detergent is supplied to the detergent supply unit 25. In the water supply operation, the main water supply valve 16 is opened.

When the main water supply valve 16 is opened, water from the water supply source (tap water pipe) flows through the main water supply path 14 as indicated by the thick arrows in fig. 5 to 7, passes through the portion of the detergent supply unit 25, rises, and is injected from the water injection port 23 into the manual detergent storage unit 13a of the manual storage box 13. When the washing agent is automatically supplied to the washing agent supply unit 25, the washing agent is made to flow while being dissolved, and after passing through the water injection cartridge 12 and the water supply pipe 15 in order from the manual washing agent accommodation unit 13a, the washing water containing the washing agent is supplied into the water tank 6, and the washing step is performed.

On the other hand, when the manual input of the lotion is selected, the lotion is not present in the lotion supply section 25, and therefore the water flowing through the main water supply path 14 passes through the lotion supply section 25 as it is, and is injected from the water injection port 23 into the manual lotion housing section 13 a. Then, the washing water flows into the water injection box 12 while dissolving the washing agent previously contained in the manual washing agent containing portion 13a, passes through the water supply pipe 15, and is supplied into the water tank 6, thereby performing the washing step.

Thereafter, when the automatic feeding of the detergent is selected before the water supply in the final rinsing step, the pump 28 of the automatic detergent feeding device 11 is driven, and the required amount of the softener is supplied to the detergent supply unit 25 this time. Thereafter, the main water supply valve 16 is opened, and the water flowing through the main water supply path 14 flows through the detergent supply portion 25 while dissolving the softener, and is then poured into the manual detergent storage portion 13a of the manual storage case 13 from the water pouring port 23 after rising. The washing water containing the softener is supplied into the water tank 6 after passing through the water supply box 12 and the water supply pipe 15 in sequence, and the final water storage rinsing process is performed.

On the other hand, when the manual input is selected, the water supply in the final rinsing step for retaining water is performed by opening the softener water supply valve 17 instead of the main water supply valve 16. By opening the softener water supply valve 17, water flows through the softener water supply path 20 and is injected into the manual softener storage part 13b from the softener water injection port 24, as indicated by the hollow arrow in fig. 5. Then, the softener stored in the manual softener storage portion 13b in advance is dissolved and flows into the water injection box 12, and the washing water containing the softener is supplied into the water tank 6 through the water supply pipe 15, and the final water storage rinsing process is performed.

Here, in the present embodiment, the following configuration is adopted: in the water supply mechanism 7, a water supply valve unit 10 (main water supply valve 16) is provided at the rear part of the main body 1, an automatic detergent dispenser 11 is provided at the front part of the main body 1, and a manual storage case 13 is provided therebetween. Since the automatic detergent dispenser 11 is provided on the front side of the upper part of the main body 1, the user can easily take out the detergent tank 30 and the softener tank 31 and easily perform the work of replenishing the detergent and the softener to these tanks 30 and 31, as compared with the case of disposing the automatic detergent dispenser at the rear part. In particular, when the tanks 30 and 31 are taken out and the washing agent and the softener are replenished, the tanks 30 and 31 may become heavy, but since the tanks 30 and 31 are located on the near side, the mounting becomes easier.

Further, since the distance from the water supply valve unit 10 to the manual lotion storage section 13a of the manual storage case 13 is short, the length of the water supply path therebetween can be reduced, and accordingly, since the distance from the main water supply valve 16 of the water supply valve unit 10 to the lotion supply section 25 of the automatic lotion feeding device 11 is short, the distance can be reduced by setting the distance slightly before the manual storage case 13. Therefore, the length of the main water supply path 14 as a whole can be made relatively short. In addition, the length of the softener water supply path 20 can be reduced.

As a result, according to the present embodiment, in the washing machine including the automatic detergent dispenser 11, the following excellent effects can be obtained: the workability of replenishing the lotion and the softener in the grooves 30 and 31 can be improved, and the water supply paths 14 and 20 can be relatively shortened as a whole. In this case, in the present embodiment, the lotion supply unit 25 is disposed on the rear end side of the automatic lotion feeding device 11, and thus a water supply path can be provided on the side (periphery in front view) of the automatic lotion feeding device 11. Therefore, the automatic detergent feeding device 11 can be arranged compactly, in other words, the capacities of the detergent tank 30 and the softener tank 31 can be increased.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the lotion supply section 25 of the automatic lotion feeding device 11 is provided on the upstream side of the main water supply path 14, and the manual lotion storage section 13a is provided on the downstream side thereof. This makes it possible to share the main water supply path 14 with the automatic detergent dispenser 11 and the manual detergent storage unit 13a, and also share the main water supply valve 16, thereby making it possible to eliminate the need for a mechanism for switching the water supply path. Therefore, the structure and control can be greatly simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

In addition, even when the manual lotion storage section 13a is used, the supplied water passes through the lotion supply section 25, and accordingly, even when the automatic lotion feeding device 11 is used, the supplied water passes through the manual lotion storage section 13 a. This enables the cleaning agent supply unit 25 and the manual cleaning agent storage unit 13a to be cleaned at each water supply.

In the present embodiment, the lotion supply portion 25 of the automatic lotion feeding device 11 is located at a position lower than the height of the main water supply valve 16, and the main water supply path 14 is configured to: the water is supplied from the water inlet 25 above the manual lotion storage section 13a while rising downstream of the lotion supply section 25. Thus, since the portion of lotion supply section 25 in main water supply path 14 is at a position lower than the position of the outlet section of main water supply valve 16, water can be prevented from flowing backward to main water supply valve 16. Further, the main water supply path 14 is configured to: since the water is poured from above the manual lotion storage section 13a while rising downstream of the lotion supply section 25, the water can be strongly poured into the manual lotion storage section 13a from above, and the powdery lotion in the manual lotion storage section 13a can be efficiently flowed, that is, can flow out without flowing.

In the present embodiment, a drain passage 26 for discharging water when main water supply valve 16 is stopped is provided in the lowest portion of main water supply passage 14. In consideration of the fact that water accumulates in the portion of main water supply path 14 from the outlet portion of main water supply valve 16 to detergent supply portion 25 when main water supply valve 15 is stopped, water accumulation in this portion can be prevented by providing drain path 26. By preventing the water from being accumulated, the water in the water supply path can be prevented from freezing.

(2) Embodiment 2 and other embodiments

Next, embodiment 2 will be described with reference to fig. 8 to 14. Note that the same portions as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and new drawings and detailed description are omitted, and the description will be centered on differences from embodiment 1. The embodiment 2 differs from the embodiment 1 in the configuration of the water supply mechanism 41, the number of water supply valves provided, and the specific configuration of the water supply path.

That is, the water supply mechanism 41 includes: a water supply valve unit 42 provided at the rear portion of the left upper portion in the main body 1, an automatic detergent dispenser 11 provided at the front portion of the left upper portion in the main body 1, a water injection cartridge 12 and a manual storage cartridge 43 provided therebetween, 3 water supply paths 44, 45, and 46 described later and connected from the water supply valve unit 42 to the water injection cartridge 12, and a water supply pipe 15 for supplying water from the water injection cartridge 12 into the water tank 6.

As shown in fig. 10 and the like, the water supply valve unit 42 includes an automatic water supply valve 47, a manual water supply valve 48, a manual softener water supply valve 49, and a pipe washing water supply valve 18 that are electromagnetically opened and closed on a frame 42 a. Not shown in detail, a connection port for connecting a tap water pipe as a water supply source is branched into 4, and connected to the inlet portions of the water supply valves 47, 48, 49, and 18, respectively. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the outlet of the automatic water supply valve 47 is connected to the inlet of the 1 st water supply path 44, and the outlet of the manual water supply valve 48 is connected to the inlet of the 2 nd water supply path 45. An outlet portion of the manual softener water supply valve 49 is connected to an inlet portion of the softener water supply path 46.

The manual housing box 43 is placed on the upper surface of the water injection box 12, and further includes a manual detergent housing part 43a for housing 1 time of amount of the detergent (powder detergent) and a manual softener housing part 43b for housing 1 time of amount of the softener as needed, which are arranged in a left-right direction and integrated. At this time, as shown in fig. 9, a washing water inlet 50 is provided at the upper rear end portion of the manual washing agent containing portion 43a, and a softener water inlet 51 is provided at the upper rear end portion of the manual softener containing portion 43 b.

As shown in fig. 8 and 11, the 1 st water supply path 44 extends forward from the outlet of the automatic water supply valve 47, extends substantially horizontally forward so as to pass through the left side portion of the water injection cartridge 12, is bent downward substantially at a right angle after passing beyond the water injection cartridge 12, and is bent rightward substantially at a right angle at its lower end portion. Then, the lower portion on the front surface side of the water injection cartridge 12 extends rightward and is connected to the inside of the water injection cartridge 12 at the right end portion thereof. At this time, the central portion of the 1 st water supply path 44 extending from left to right below the front portion of the water injection cartridge 12 is set as the lotion supply unit 25 of the automatic lotion feeding device 11.

As shown in fig. 9 and 12, the 2 nd water supply path 45 is configured to: the water supply valve 48 extends rightward from the outlet port, is bent at a right angle, extends horizontally forward, is bent at a substantially right angle at the rear portion of the water injection cartridge 12, extends upward, and is connected to the water injection port 50 for washing agent. As shown in fig. 8, the softener water supply path 46 is configured to: the outlet port of the manual softener water supply valve 49 extends forward, is bent at a substantially right angle at the rear of the water injection cartridge 12, extends upward, and is connected to the softener water injection port 51.

Accordingly, when the automatic water supply valve 47 is opened, water from the water supply source (tap water pipe) passes through the 1 st water supply path 44 as shown by the thick arrow in fig. 8 and 11, and when the detergent or softener is supplied to the detergent supply unit 25, the water flows while dissolving the detergent or softener, passes through the water injection cartridge 12 and the water supply pipe 15 in order, and is supplied into the water tank 6. Therefore, when the automatic feeding of the washing agent is selected, the washing agent and the softener are automatically fed into the water tank 6 together with the water supply by the control of the automatic washing agent feeding device 11 and the control of the automatic water supply valve 47.

On the other hand, when the manual water supply valve 48 is opened, water from the water supply source (tap water pipe) passes through the 2 nd water supply path 45 as indicated by a thin arrow in fig. 9 and 12, and then water is vigorously injected into the manual lotion storage section 43a from the upper lotion water injection port 50. When a detergent (powder detergent) is stored in the manual detergent storage portion 43a, the detergent drops into the water injection cartridge 1 while being dissolved, and is supplied into the water tank 6 after passing through the water supply pipe 15.

When the manual softener water supply valve 49 is opened, the softener water is supplied from the softener water injection port 51 to the manual softener storage portion 43b through the softener water supply path 46 as indicated by an open arrow in fig. 8. The water supplied to the manual softener storage portion 43b flows into the water injection box 12 while dissolving the contained softener, and is supplied into the water tank 6 after passing through the water supply pipe 15. Therefore, when the manual input of the detergent is selected, the detergent and the softener, which are input and placed in the manual storage case 43 by the user, can be supplied into the water tank 6 together with the water supply at an appropriate timing by controlling the manual water supply valve 48 and the manual softener water supply valve 49.

According to embodiment 2, since the automatic detergent dispenser 11 is disposed at the front part of the main body 1 and the manual storage case 43 is disposed at the rear part thereof, the user can easily take out the detergent tank 30 and the softener tank 31 and easily perform the work of replenishing the detergent and the softener to the tanks 30 and 31, as in embodiment 1. Further, since the water supply path may not be provided at the side portion (periphery in front view) of the automatic lotion feeding device 11, the automatic lotion feeding device 11 can be arranged compactly, in other words, the capacities of the lotion tank 30 and the softener tank 31 can be increased.

In this case, the 1 st water supply path 44 between the automatic water supply valve 47 and the detergent supply unit 25 and the 2 nd water supply path 45 between the manual water supply valve 48 and the manual detergent storage unit 43a can be connected to each other at short distances, and the configuration can be simplified and the space can be saved. In addition, the lotion can be flowed to the lotion supply section 25 and the manual lotion storage section 43a in an optimum manner, i.e., in a state where no lotion remains.

Further, although not described in detail, in the configuration of embodiment 2, it is also possible to perform control for simultaneously opening the automatic water supply valve 47 and the manual water supply valve 48 when supplying water to the water tank 6. This can increase the amount of water supplied to water tank 6 per unit time, and can reduce the time required for water supply.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the following modifications can be made as the configuration of the automatic lotion feeding device, for example. That is, the pump used for the transfer of the lotion may be a device using a piston pump, or a device that supplies the lotion by opening and closing an electromagnetic valve. The lotion tank 30 and the like are drawn out forward and taken out, but the lotion tank may be drawn out upward, or the lotion tank may be fixed and the lid may be opened to fill and replenish the lotion. The structure including the detergent tank 30 and the softener tank 31 is adopted, but a structure in which only the detergent is automatically supplied may be adopted.

In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing machine with a drying function, but the present invention may be applied to a so-called vertical axis type washing machine, or may be applied to a washing machine without a drying function. The drain passage 26 in embodiment 1 may be provided as needed, and the other end of the drain passage may be connected to an intermediate portion of the water supply pipe 15 or directly connected to the water tank 6. The shape and structure of the manual storage case, the configuration of the water supply path, and the like can be variously modified.

(3) Embodiment 3

Hereinafter, embodiment 3 applied to a drum-type washing machine (washing and drying machine) will be described with reference to fig. 13 to 15. Fig. 13 shows an external appearance of an upper portion of a drum-type washing machine as a washing machine according to the present embodiment. Fig. 14 shows an external configuration of an automatic loading device, and fig. 15 shows an external configuration of a water tub in which an outer casing of a drum-type washing machine is removed.

Here, the main body (outer casing) 101 of the drum-type washing machine has a substantially rectangular box shape. Although not shown, a circular entrance for entrance and exit of laundry is provided at a substantially central portion of the front surface portion of the main body 101, and a door for opening and closing the entrance is openably and closably attached. A power switch 103 and an operation panel 104 are provided in the right front portion of the upper surface portion of the main body 101. As shown in fig. 15, a water tank 106 having a substantially cylindrical shape with an opening 105 in a front surface thereof, communicating with the inlet and outlet, and storing washing water is elastically supported and provided in the main body 101 via an elastic support mechanism (not shown).

Although not shown in detail, a drum serving as a storage tank for storing laundry is provided in the water tank 106. The drum is cylindrical with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the water tank 106, and is connected to a drive mechanism such as a drum motor at the center of the back surface side thereof and is rotationally driven. Further, a water supply mechanism 107 for supplying water into the water tank 106 is provided in the main body 101 on the upper left side of the water tank 106. The water supply mechanism 107 will be described later. Although not shown, a drain port is provided at the bottom of the rear portion of the water tank 106, and a drain pipe is connected to the drain port via a drain valve.

Although not shown, a drying mechanism for circulating and supplying warm air for drying is provided in the water tank 106 (drum) in the main body 101. The drying mechanism includes a drying air circulation duct forming an air passage outside the water tank 106 from an air outlet 108 (see fig. 15) on the right side of the upper surface of the water tank 106 to an air inlet on the left side of the back surface of the water tank 106, and a heat pump and an air blower for dehumidifying and heating the circulation air to generate drying air are provided in the intermediate portion thereof. A filter unit 109 (see fig. 13) for capturing lint from the drying air is provided in a portion of the drying air circulation duct, which extends rearward from the right side edge portion of the upper portion in the main body 101 from the exhaust port 108.

The water supply mechanism 107 will be described. As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the water supply mechanism 107 includes: a water supply valve unit 110 provided at a rear portion of an upper left portion in the main body 101, an automatic loading device 111 provided at a front portion of the upper left portion in the main body 101, a water filling box 112 and a housing box 113 serving as a manual storage unit provided therebetween, a water supply path (only a part of a main water supply path 114 is illustrated) connected from the water supply valve unit 110 to the water filling box 112, a water supply pipe (not illustrated) for supplying water from the water filling box 112 into the water tank 106, and the like. In the present embodiment, the washing agent (liquid or powder) and the softener (softening agent) as the washing treatment agent can be automatically and manually supplied into the water tank 106.

As shown in fig. 14, water supply valve unit 110 includes a plurality of water supply valves electromagnetically opened and closed on a frame. In the present embodiment, an automatic water supply valve 116, a manual detergent water supply valve 117, a manual softener water supply valve 118, and a tube washing water supply valve (not shown) are provided. As shown in fig. 13 and 15, a connection port 119 is provided in the upper portion of water supply valve unit 110 so as to be exposed to the upper surface of main body 101, and a faucet of a tap water line as a water supply source is connected to connection port 119. Although not shown in detail, the connection ports 119 are branched into 4 at the lower side and connected to the inlet portions of the water supply valves 116 to 118, respectively.

The outlet portions of the water supply valves 116 to 118 are connected to the water supply path. The details of the water supply path will be described later. In addition, on the right side of the water supply valve unit 110, a water supply pump 121 for scooping up the remaining water and the like of the bath (Japanese: FENG ) is incorporated. Further, although not shown, the outlet portion of the pipe-cleaning water supply valve is connected to one end of a pipe water supply pipe, and the other end side of the pipe water supply pipe is connected to a part of the dry air circulation pipe (the vicinity of the exhaust port 108), and the inside of the pipe is flushed with water.

The water filling case 112 is formed of plastic in a rectangular box shape slightly long in the lateral direction when viewed from the top surface, and the storage case 113 is placed on the top surface thereof. Although not shown, an upper end portion, which is a base end portion of the water supply pipe, is connected to a lower end portion of the water filling cartridge 112, and a lower end portion, which is a tip end portion of the water supply pipe, is connected to a water supply port of the water tank 106. Accordingly, as indicated by arrow D in fig. 14, the water and the cleaning solution (the solution in which the cleaning agent and the softening agent are dissolved) supplied into the water injection cartridge 112 are supplied to the water tank 106 through the water supply pipe.

As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the storage case 113 is made of plastic, and integrally includes a manual lotion storage portion 113a and a manual softener storage portion 113b, which are arranged in a left-right manner and each of which has a thin container shape with an open upper surface. For example, 1 time of the amount of the lotion (powder lotion) is stored in the manual lotion storage section 113a, and 1 time of the amount of the softener called a softener is stored in the manual softener storage section 113b as necessary. In this case, the manual lotion storage section 113a is configured to: is larger than the manual softener storage part 113b, namely, has wider transverse width and larger capacity.

Further, although not shown, a drain hole for draining water to the water filling cartridge 112 is provided at the bottom of the manual detergent storage section 113a and the manual softener storage section 113 b. As shown in fig. 13, an opening corresponding to the upper surface of the storage case 113 is provided in the upper surface of the main body 101, and covers 122 and 122 for opening and closing the upper surface openings of the manual detergent storage portion 113a and the manual softener storage portion 113b are provided so as to be openable and closable. The user opens the covers 122, 122 and manually stores the detergent and softener in an amount of 1 time of washing.

Here, the water supply path will be described. As shown in fig. 14 and 15, an automatic water injection port 123 is provided at the upper front end of the manual lotion storage section 113a, and a manual water injection port 124 is provided at the upper rear end of the manual lotion storage section 113 a. Further, a water injection port 125 for the manual conditioner is provided at the upper rear end portion of the manual conditioner accommodating portion 113 b. The water supply path includes, though not shown in detail as a whole, a main water supply path 114 connected from the outlet of the automatic water supply valve 116 to the automatic water injection port 123, a 2 nd water supply path connected from the outlet of the manual washing water supply valve 117 to the manual washing water injection port 124, a 3 rd water supply path connected from the outlet of the manual softener water supply valve 118 to the manual softener water injection port 125, and the like.

As shown in fig. 14, the main water supply path 114 is configured to include: the water injection port 123 is connected to the automatic water supply valve 116, and extends upward from the outlet of the automatic water supply valve 116, passes below the water injection cartridge 112, further passes below the tank of the automatic loading device 111, and reaches the right supply unit 115 of the tank, and passes through the supply unit 115 and then extends to the right of the front of the water injection cartridge 112. The rising portion of the main water supply path 114, which is connected to the automatic water filling port 123, has a smaller cross-sectional area than the other portions, and is configured such that the supplied water rises to the automatic water filling port 123 by the water pressure.

Accordingly, when the automatic water supply valve 116 is opened, the tap water supplied from the connection port 119 flows into the main water supply path 114 as indicated by an arrow a in fig. 14, passes through the supply unit 115 in the middle, and then rises to be supplied from the automatic water injection port 123 into the storage case 113 (manual lotion storage unit 113 a). The water flows from the storage case 113 into the lower water pouring case 112, and is supplied into the water tank 106 after passing through the water supply pipe from the water pouring case 112.

At this time, as will be described later, the required amount of the detergent or softener is automatically supplied to the supply unit 115 by the automatic supply device 111. Therefore, when the detergent or softener is supplied to the supply unit 115, the water supplied to the main water supply path 114 flows while dissolving the detergent or softener, passes through the storage case 113 and the water injection case 112, and is supplied into the water tank 106.

When the manual washing water supply valve 117 is opened, water from the water supply source passes through the 2 nd water supply path as shown by arrow B in fig. 14, and water is vigorously injected into the manual washing water storage unit 113a of the storage case 113 from the manual washing water injection port 124 above. When the manual detergent storage section 113a stores a detergent (powder detergent), the detergent drops into the water filling cartridge 112 while being dissolved, and is supplied into the water tank 106.

When the manual softener supply valve 118 is opened, water from the water supply source passes through the 3 rd water supply path as indicated by an arrow C in fig. 14, and is forcefully injected into the manual softener storage part 113b of the storage case 113 from the upper manual softener water injection port 125. When the softener is stored in the manual softener storage portion 113b, the softener falls into the water injection cassette 112 while being dissolved, and is supplied into the water tank 106.

The automatic loading device 111 will be described. As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the automatic loading device 111 includes a tank 127 provided on the front side of the storage case 113 (water filling case 112) and a pump 128 disposed on the right side of the tank on the side thereof. The tank box 127 has a rectangular box shape with an open upper surface and a slightly long front-rear direction, and a detergent tank 130 and a softener tank 131 are provided in the tank box 127 so as to be arranged in the left-right direction and to be removable upward.

In this case, the softener groove 131 is formed in a rectangular groove shape elongated in the front-rear direction, but is formed slightly shorter than the length of the washing agent groove 130 (groove box 127) in the front-rear direction, and is housed in the rear portion of the groove box 127 with a gap therebetween, whereas the washing agent groove 130 is formed in a rectangular groove shape elongated in the front-rear direction, and is formed in an upper surface L shape whose rear end portion is bent rightward and at right angles, and accordingly, the washing agent groove 130 is disposed in the groove box 127 on the left side and the rear portion of the softener groove 131.

In this case, a liquid detergent usable for washing a plurality of times is stored in the detergent tank 130, and a softener usable for washing a plurality of times is stored in the softener tank 131. The detergent tank 130 is configured to have a larger storage capacity than the softener tank 131. As shown in fig. 13, an access opening 132 corresponding to the upper surface of the tank 127 is provided in the upper surface of the main body 101, and a cover 133 for opening and closing the access opening 132 is provided. The user can perform the replenishing operation of the detergent and the softener by opening the cover 133 and taking out the detergent tank 130 and the softener tank 131 upward.

Although not shown in detail, the pump 128 is configured to: has 2 sets of suction ports 128a and discharge ports 128b, and uses a motor as a driving source. The pump 128 is configured to switch between a suction port 128a for sucking liquid and a discharge port 128b for discharging liquid by switching the rotation direction (current supply direction) of the motor. At this time, the one suction port 128a is connected to the side of the lotion tank 130 (the bent portion at the rear end), and is configured to suck the lotion by rotation of the motor in one direction and then discharge the same from the one discharge port 128 b. The other suction port 128a is connected to the softener tank 131 side, and is configured to suck up the softener by rotation of the motor in the other direction and discharge the softener from the other discharge port 128 b. The 2 discharge ports 128b of the pump 128 are disposed above the supply portion 115 of the water supply path 114. Further, the discharge amount of the detergent and the softener, that is, the supply amount to the supply unit 115 is controlled by the driving time of the pump 128.

Accordingly, the automatic loading device 111 can supply the required amount of the detergent contained in the detergent tank 130 to the supply portion 115 by driving the pump 128, and can supply the required amount of the softener contained in the softener tank 131 to the supply portion 115. As described above, when the automatic water supply valve 116 is turned on to supply water to the main water supply path 114 in a state where the detergent or the softener is supplied to the supply unit 115, the water flows through the supply unit 115 while dissolving the detergent or the softener, passes through the water injection cartridge 112, and is supplied into the water tank 106.

Further, although not shown, a control device for controlling the entire washing machine is provided in the main body 101, for example, by using a microcomputer as a main body. The control device controls the water supply valves 116, 117, and 118 of the water supply valve unit 110, the pump 128 of the automatic charging device 111, the drum motor, the drain valve, the drying mechanism, and the like, based on input signals from the sensors and a control program stored in advance, according to an operation procedure set by a user on the operation panel 104. Accordingly, the washing operation and the drying operation including the washing step, the rinsing step, and the dehydrating step are automatically performed. The details of the respective steps of the washing operation and the drying operation are well known, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted here.

In the present embodiment, when the user performs the washing operation, the user can select on the operation panel 104 whether to automatically feed the detergent and softener by the automatic feeding device 111 or to manually feed the detergent and softener 1 time by using the storage case 113. When the user selects the manual input, the cover 122 is opened in advance to store a necessary amount of the detergent (powder detergent) in the manual detergent storage portion 113a of the storage case 113 at the start of the washing operation. When a softener is used, a required amount of the softener is put into the manual softener storage section 113b together with the detergent.

When the automatic supply of the detergent and the softener is selected, the controller supplies a required amount of the detergent to the supply unit 115 by the automatic supply device 111 before starting the water supply in the washing step, and then turns on the automatic water supply valve 116 to supply the water. Before the final rinsing step, the softener is supplied to the supply portion 115 in a required amount by the automatic supply device 111, and then the automatic water supply valve 116 is opened to supply water. On the other hand, when the manual input of the detergent and the softener is selected, the water supply in the washing step is performed by the manual detergent water supply valve 117 without operating the automatic input device 111. In the final water supply in the rinsing step, the manual softener supply valve 118 is opened to supply water.

Next, the operation and effect of the washing machine configured as described above will be described. In preparation for using the automatic loading device 111, the user stores the detergent in the detergent tank 130 and the softener in the softener tank 131. The operations of storing and replenishing the washing agent and the softener in the grooves 130 and 131 can be performed as follows. That is, the user opens the lid 133 on the upper surface of the main body 101, takes out the detergent tank 130 or the softener tank 131 upward, and performs the work of replenishing the detergent and the softener to the tanks 130 and 131. After the replenishing operation, the tanks 130 and 131 are returned to the tank case 127, and the lid 133 is closed.

When the washing machine performs a washing operation, the user operates the power switch 4 to turn on the power supply, and stores the laundry in the drum. Accordingly, the operation procedure is selected through the operation panel 104. At this time, when the manual input of the detergent and the softener is selected, the user opens the covers 122 and 122 on the upper surface of the main body 101, stores a necessary amount of the detergent in the manual detergent storage portion 113a of the storage case 113, and inputs a necessary amount of the softener to the manual softener storage portion 113b, thereby starting the washing operation. In contrast, when the automatic feeding of the detergent and the softener is selected, the washing operation can be started as it is.

When the washing operation is started, the control device controls each mechanism of the washing machine to automatically execute the washing operation composed of each known step of washing, rinsing, and dewatering. In this case, in the washing step, first, water is supplied to the water tank 106 up to a predetermined water level, but when automatic feeding of the detergent is selected, a necessary amount of the detergent is supplied to the supply unit 115 by controlling the pump 128 of the automatic feeding device 111 before the water supply is started. In the water supply operation, the automatic water supply valve 116 is opened.

When the automatic water supply valve 116 is opened, water from a water supply source (tap water pipe) flows through the main water supply path 114 as shown by an arrow a in fig. 14, passes through the supply portion 115, rises, and is injected into the manual lotion storage portion 113a of the storage case 113 through the automatic water injection port 123. When the washing agent is automatically supplied to the supply unit 115, the washing agent is made to flow while being dissolved, and after passing through the water injection cartridge 112 and the water supply pipe 15 in order from the manual washing agent accommodation unit 113a, the washing water containing the washing agent is supplied into the water tank 106, and the washing step is performed.

On the other hand, when the manual input of the lotion is selected, the manual lotion supply valve 117 is opened, and water from the water supply source (tap water pipe) passes through the 2 nd water supply path as shown by arrow B in fig. 14, and then is injected into the manual lotion storage section 113a from the manual lotion water injection port 124. Then, the washing water flows into the water injection box 112 while dissolving the washing agent contained in the manual washing agent containing portion 113a in advance, and after the water supply pipe 15 passes through, the washing water containing the washing agent is supplied into the water tank 106, and the washing step is performed.

Thereafter, when the automatic addition of the detergent is selected before the water supply in the final rinsing step, the pump 128 of the automatic addition device 111 is driven to supply the required amount of the softener to the supply unit 115. Thereafter, the automatic water supply valve 116 is opened, and the water flowing through the water supply path 114 flows through the supply portion 115 while dissolving the softener, and is then poured into the manual detergent storage portion 113a of the storage case 113 through the automatic water pouring port 123 after rising. The washing water containing the softener is supplied into the water tank 106 after the water supply cartridge 112 passes through, and the final water storage rinsing process is performed.

On the other hand, when the manual input is selected, the water supply in the final rinsing step for retaining water is performed by opening the manual softener water supply valve 118. By opening the manual conditioner water supply valve 118, water flows through the 3 rd water supply path as indicated by an arrow C in fig. 14, and then is injected into the manual conditioner housing portion 113b from the manual conditioner water injection port 125. Then, the softener stored in advance in the manual softener storage portion 113b is dissolved and flows into the water injection box 112, and the washing water containing the softener is supplied into the water tank 106, and the final water storage rinsing process is performed.

In the present embodiment, the water supply mechanism 107 provided at the upper portion of the main body 101 is provided with a water supply valve unit 110 (such as an automatic water supply valve 116), a storage case 113, and an automatic loading device 111 in this order from the rear to the front, and the automatic loading device 111 is provided so as to be able to take out a detergent tank 130 and a softener tank 131 upward from an inlet/outlet 132 provided at the upper surface of the main body 101. In this case, since the grooves 130 and 131 of the automatic loading device 111 are positioned on the near side and the grooves 130 and 131 can be taken out upward, the grooves 130 and 131 can be taken out more easily than in the case of being disposed on the rear side, and the work of replenishing the washing agent and the softening agent to the grooves 130 and 131 can be performed easily.

As a result, according to the present embodiment, in the washing machine including the automatic detergent and softener feeding device 111, the effect of improving the workability for replenishing the detergent and softener can be obtained. Further, since the storage case 113 for manual input is located behind the automatic input device 111, the distance from the water supply valve unit 110 to the storage case 113 can be reduced, and the distance from the water supply valve unit 110 to the pump 128 can be reduced (slightly before the storage case 113). Therefore, a secondary effect can be obtained that the water supply path including the main water supply path 114 as a whole can be made short, i.e., solvable.

In this case, in the present embodiment, the automatic loading device 111 is configured such that the pump 128 is disposed on the side of the tanks 130 and 131 (tank box 127). Thus, the three of the water supply valve unit 110, the storage case 113, and the automatic loading device 111 can be arranged compactly in the front-rear direction, as compared with the case where the pump 128 is arranged at any one of the front and rear of the tank case 127. In other words, the grooves 130 and 131 can be made large in the front-rear direction.

The tank is provided with 2 tanks, namely, a washing agent tank 130 for storing a washing agent as a washing treatment agent and a softener tank 131 for storing a softener as a washing treatment agent, and the 2 tanks 130 and 131 can be independently taken out. This makes it possible to solve the problem that 1 groove 130, 131 is relatively small, i.e., light, and thus, the workability when replenishing the lotion or softener alone can be improved.

Further, in particular, in the present embodiment, the configuration is such that: the pump 128 is provided for 1 of the 2 tanks 130 and 131, and the detergent or the softener can be selectively supplied to the supply section 115 by the switching operation of the pump 128. Thus, 1 pump 128 is sufficient. Compared with the case of arranging a plurality of pumps, the cost reduction, the space saving, the simplification of the control and the like caused by the reduction of the number of components can be realized.

(4) Embodiment 4

Next, embodiment 4 will be described with reference to fig. 16. Note that the same portions as those in embodiment 3 are given the same reference numerals, and new drawings and detailed description are omitted, and the description will be centered on differences from embodiment 3. The 4 th embodiment is different from the 3 rd embodiment mainly in the structure of the automatic loading device 141. In this case, the automatic loading device 141 and the automatic loading device 111 according to embodiment 3 are configured to be symmetrical to each other.

That is, the automatic loading device 141 includes a tank 142 provided at a position in the upper left portion of the main body 101 and in front of the water supply valve unit 110 and the storage case 113 (water injection case 112), and a pump 143 disposed at a side portion of the tank 142 on the left side and behind the tank 142. the tank 142 has a rectangular box shape with an open upper surface and a slightly long front and rear side, and in the tank 142, a detergent tank 144 and a softener tank 145 are provided in a left-right array, and each of the tanks 144 and 145 is provided so as to be able to be taken out upward from the inlet/outlet 132 in the upper surface of the main body 101. the softener tank 145 on the left side is formed to be slightly short, and the detergent tank 144 on the right side is formed into an upper surface L shape bent at a right angle.

The pump 143 is further configured as follows: the liquid discharge device has 2 sets of suction ports 143a and discharge ports 143b, and switches between a suction port 143a for sucking liquid and a discharge port 143b for discharging liquid by switching the rotation direction (current carrying direction) of the motor. At this time, one suction port 143a is connected to the lotion tank 144 side (the bent portion at the rear end), and the other suction port 143a is connected to the softener tank 145 side. The 2 discharge ports 143b of the pump 143 are disposed above the supply portion 146 of the main water supply path. As shown by arrow a', the main water supply path is configured as follows: the water flows from the outlet of the automatic water supply valve 116 of the water supply valve unit 110, passes below the water filling cartridge 112, reaches the left supply unit 146 of the tank cartridge 142, passes through the supply unit 146, extends upward in the front of the water filling cartridge 112, and is connected to the automatic water filling port 123.

Accordingly, the automatic loading device 141 can supply the required amount of the detergent contained in the detergent tank 144 to the supply unit 146 by driving the pump 143, and can supply the required amount of the softener contained in the softener tank 145 to the supply unit 146. When the automatic water supply valve 116 is turned on to supply water to the main water supply path in a state where the detergent or the softener is supplied to the supply unit 146, the water flows through the supply unit 146 while dissolving the detergent or the softener, passes through the water injection cartridge 112, and is supplied into the water tank 106.

In the 4 th embodiment, the water supply valve unit 110, the storage case 113, and the automatic loading device 141 are arranged in this order from the rear to the front on the upper portion of the main body 101, and the automatic loading device 141 is provided so that the detergent tank 144 and the softener tank 145 can be taken out upward from the inlet/outlet 132 provided on the upper surface of the main body 101. Therefore, the washing machine including the automatic detergent and softener feeding device 141 has an effect that workability for replenishing the detergent and softener can be improved, as in embodiment 3.

In the present embodiment, the pump 143 is disposed on the left side, which is the outer side of the left and right side portions of the tank case 142 that is separated from the water tank 106 in the main body 101. Thus, even if water tank 106 vibrates during the washing operation, water tank 106 is prevented from coming into contact with pump 143. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the space for preventing contact between the water tank 106 and the pump 143, which is advantageous in terms of space and can further save space.

(5) Embodiment 5 and other embodiments

Fig. 17 shows embodiment 5, and the configuration of the automatic loading device 151 is different from those of embodiments 3 and 4. That is, the automatic loading device 151 includes a tank 152 provided at a position in the upper left portion of the main body 101 and in front of the water supply valve unit 110 and the storage case 113 (water filling case 112), and a pump 153 disposed at a position below the tank 152 and in a rear direction. The tank 152 has a rectangular box shape with an open upper surface and a slightly long front-rear direction, and a detergent tank 154 and a softener tank 155 both long in the front-rear direction are arranged side by side, and the tanks 154 and 155 are provided so as to be able to be taken out upward from the inlet/outlet 132 in the upper surface of the main body 101.

The pump 153 is also configured as follows: the liquid discharge port 153b has 2 sets of suction ports and discharge ports 153b, and switches between a suction port for sucking the liquid and a discharge port 153b for discharging the liquid by switching the rotation direction (current carrying direction) of the motor. At this time, one suction port is connected to the rear portion of the lotion tank 154, and the other suction port is connected to the rear portion of the softener tank 155. The 2 discharge ports 153b of the pump 153 are disposed to face rearward and are disposed in the supply portion 156 of the main water supply path. As shown by arrow a ″, the main water supply path is configured as follows: the water supply unit 156 passes below the water injection cartridge 112 from the outlet of the automatic water supply valve 116 of the water supply valve unit 110, reaches the lower rear portion of the tank cartridge 152, passes through the water supply unit 156, extends upward in the front portion of the water injection cartridge 112, and is connected to the automatic water injection port 123.

Accordingly, the automatic loading device 151 can supply the required amount of the detergent contained in the detergent tank 154 to the supply portion 156 by driving the pump 153, and can supply the required amount of the softener contained in the softener tank 155 to the supply portion 156. When the automatic water supply valve 116 is turned on to supply water to the main water supply path in a state where the detergent or the softener is supplied to the supply portion 156, the water flows through the supply portion 156 while dissolving the detergent or the softener, passes through the water injection cartridge 112, and is supplied into the water tank 106.

In embodiment 5, the water supply valve unit 110, the storage case 113, and the automatic loading device 151 are arranged in this order from the rear to the front on the upper portion of the main body 101, and the automatic loading device 151 is provided so that the detergent tank 154 and the softener tank 155 can be taken out upward from the inlet/outlet 132 provided on the upper surface of the main body 101. Therefore, in the washing machine including the automatic detergent and softener feeding device 151 as in embodiment 3, the washing machine can obtain an effect of improving workability for replenishing the detergent and softener.

In the present embodiment, the pump 153 is disposed below the tank 152, and the suction port is disposed at the rear of the tank 152. Accordingly, as compared with the case where the pump 153 is disposed on one of the front, rear, left, and right sides of the tank 152, the three of the water supply valve unit 110, the storage case 113, and the automatic loading device 151 can be compactly disposed in the front, rear, and left-right directions. In other words, the grooves 154 and 155 can be made large in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

In each of the above embodiments, the lotion tank for storing the lotion and the softener tank for storing the softener are configured to be separable and removable, but the following configuration is also possible: the lotion tank and the softener tank were provided so as to be integrally connected, and these 2 tanks were taken out integrally. Therefore, it is desired to improve convenience in the case of replenishing a lotion and a softener at a time. Further, since the number of grooves is only 1, the number of components can be reduced.

The configuration of the automatic loading device is not limited to the above embodiments, and the following modifications may be made. That is, the pump used for the transfer of the lotion may be a device using a piston pump, or a device that supplies the lotion by opening and closing an electromagnetic valve. The structure including the detergent tank and the softener tank is adopted, but a structure in which only the detergent as the cleaning treatment agent is automatically supplied may be adopted. In addition, although the above embodiment is applied to a drum-type washing machine with a drying function, the present invention may be applied to a so-called vertical axis type washing machine, and may be applied to a washing machine without a drying function. The shape and structure of the storage box (manual storage portion), the structure of the water supply path, and the like can be variously modified.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Description of the symbols

In the drawings, 1 and 101 denote bodies, 6 and 106 denote water tanks, 7, 41 and 107 denote water supply mechanisms, 10, 42 and 110 denote water supply valve units, 11 denotes an automatic detergent input device, 111, 141 and 151 denote automatic input devices, 12 and 112 denote water injection cartridges, 13 and 43 denote manual storage cartridges, 113 denotes a storage cartridge (manual storage portion), 13a, 43a and 113a denote manual detergent storage portions, 13b, 43b and 113b denote manual softener storage portions, 14 and 114 denote main water supply paths (water supply paths), 15 denote water supply pipes, 16 denote main water supply valves (water supply valves), 17 and 49 denote softener supply valves, 115, 146 and 156 denote supply portions, 117 denote manual detergent supply valves, 118 denotes manual softener connection ports, 19 and 119 denote water supply valves, 20 and 46 denote softener supply paths, 23 denote water injection ports, 123 denotes an automatic water injection port, 24, 51, 124 denotes a softener water injection port, 25 denotes a detergent supply unit, 26 denotes a drain path, 125 denotes a manual softener water injection port, 27, 127, 142, 152 denote tank boxes, 28, 128, 143, 153 denote pumps, 29 denotes a front door, 30, 130, 144, 154 denote detergent tanks, 31, 131, 145, 155 denote softener tanks, 44 denotes a 1 st water supply path, 45 denotes a 2 nd water supply path, 47, 116 denote automatic water supply valves, 48 denotes a manual water supply valve, 50 denotes a detergent water injection port, 132 denotes an inlet and an outlet, and 133 denotes a cover.

Claims (12)

1. A washing machine is provided with:

a water tank disposed in the main body for accumulating washing water;

a water supply valve for supplying water from a water supply source to the water tank after passing through a water supply path;

an automatic lotion feeding device having a lotion tank for storing a lotion, wherein a predetermined amount of the lotion is supplied from the lotion tank to a lotion supply section in the middle of the water supply path; and

a manual detergent containing section provided in the middle of the water supply path and capable of containing a detergent for 1 washing,

the water supply valve is provided at a rear portion of an upper portion of the main body, the automatic detergent feeding device is provided at a front portion of the upper portion of the main body, and the manual detergent storage unit is provided between the water supply valve and the automatic detergent feeding device.

2. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the automatic lotion feeding device has a lotion supply section provided in the water supply path, and the manual lotion storage section is provided downstream of the lotion supply section.

3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein,

the automatic lotion feeding device is configured such that a lotion supply section of the automatic lotion feeding device is located at a position lower than the height of the water feed valve, and the water feed path is configured to be raised downstream of the lotion supply section and to be fed with water from above the manual lotion storage section.

4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein,

a drain path for discharging water when the water supply valve is stopped is provided at a lowest portion of the water supply path.

5. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply valve is configured to be provided with an automatic water supply valve and a manual water supply valve, wherein the water passing through the automatic water supply valve reaches the lotion supply part of the automatic lotion feeding device after passing through the 1 st water supply path, and the water passing through the manual water supply valve is injected from the upper part of the rear part of the manual lotion storage part after passing through the 2 nd water supply path.

6. A washing machine is provided with:

a water tank disposed in the main body for accumulating washing water;

a water supply valve for supplying water from a water supply source to the water tank after passing through a water supply path;

an automatic loading device having a tank for storing a washing agent and a pump for pumping up the washing agent from the tank, the automatic loading device supplying a predetermined amount of the washing agent from the tank to a supply part in the middle of the water supply path; and

a manual storage part which is arranged in the middle of the water supply path and can store the washing processing agent for 1 time of washing,

the water supply valve, the manual storage unit, and the automatic loading device are arranged in this order from the rear to the front in the upper part of the main body,

the automatic loading device is configured to be able to take out the groove upward from an access opening provided in an upper surface of the main body.

7. The washing machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein,

the pump of the automatic loading device is disposed on either the left or right side of the tank.

8. The washing machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein,

the pump of the automatic loading device is disposed below the tank, and a suction port of the pump is located at a rear portion of the tank.

9. The washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8,

the pump is disposed outside the main body after being separated from the water tank.

10. Washing machine according to one of claims 6 to 9,

the tank is provided in such a manner that 2 tanks, a tank for storing a detergent as a cleaning treatment agent and a tank for storing a softener as a cleaning treatment agent, are connected integrally, and the 2 tanks are provided so as to be integrally removable.

11. Washing machine according to one of claims 6 to 9,

the tank is provided with 2 tanks of a tank for storing a washing agent as a washing treatment agent and a tank for storing a softener as a washing treatment agent, and the 2 tanks are provided so as to be individually removable.

12. The washing machine as claimed in claim 10 or 11,

the number of the pumps is 1 with respect to the 2 tanks, and the lotion or the softener can be selectively supplied to the supply portion by switching operation of the 1 pump.

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