CN112195619B

CN112195619B - Clothes treating apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN112195619B
Application number: CN202010452909.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 森田宽之; 椎桥贞人
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2019-07-08
Filing date: 2020-05-26
Publication date: 2023-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 2040-05-26
Also published as: JP2021010647A; JP7391555B2; CN112195619A

Abstract

Provided is a laundry treatment device capable of suppressing a space required for loading and unloading a tank and easily performing a loading and unloading operation of the tank. The laundry treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment includes: an outer case; a clothes treatment tank arranged in the outer box for accommodating clothes; a tank storing a laundry treating agent for treating laundry; an automatic input unit for inputting the laundry treatment agent stored in the tank into the laundry treatment tank; and a tank housing unit in which the tank is detachably housed, wherein the tank is attached to and detached from the tank housing unit so that an arc-shaped track is drawn around a predetermined reference point.

Description

Clothes treating apparatus

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a laundry treatment apparatus.

Background

Conventionally, in a washing machine, which is an example of a laundry treatment apparatus that performs a predetermined process on laundry, in response to a demand for improving convenience for a user, a configuration has been developed that includes an automatic loading portion that stores a plurality of laundry treatment agents in a tank for automatic loading in advance, and automatically loads a required amount of laundry treatment agents in a washing operation from the tank into a water tank. In such a washing machine, the tank is housed in a tank housing portion provided in the water supply portion (see, for example, patent document 1).

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2019-42186

However, in the conventional structure, the can is pulled out from the can housing portion toward the user side and then lifted up, thereby being removed from the can housing portion. The can is mounted in the can housing by being inserted into the can housing and then being pushed inward. In such a conventional structure, the space required for loading and unloading the tank is large, and the size of the entire device is increased. In the conventional structure, the operation of pulling out and lifting up the can is required at the stage 2, and the operation of inserting and pushing in the can is required at the stage 2, so that the can is not easily handled.

Disclosure of Invention

The present embodiment provides a laundry treatment apparatus capable of suppressing a space required for loading and unloading a tank and easily performing a loading and unloading operation of the tank.

The laundry treatment apparatus of the present embodiment includes: an outer case; a clothes treatment tank arranged in the outer box for accommodating clothes; a tank storing a laundry treating agent for treating laundry; an automatic input unit for inputting the laundry treatment agent stored in the tank into the laundry treatment tank; and a tank housing unit in which the tank is detachably housed, wherein the tank is attached to and detached from the tank housing unit so that an arc-shaped track is drawn around a predetermined reference point.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of suppressing a space required for loading and unloading a tank and easily performing a loading and unloading operation of the tank

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view schematically showing an example of a configuration of a washing machine according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the water supply unit according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the can housing portion according to the present embodiment, and is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing an example of a state in which the can lid portion is rotated to the closed position.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the can housing portion according to the present embodiment, and is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing an example in which the can lid portion is rotated to the open position.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view (1) schematically showing an example of transition to a state in which a can is attached to or detached from a can accommodating portion according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view (2) schematically showing an example of transition to a state in which the can is attached to and detached from the can accommodating portion according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view (3) schematically showing an example of transition to a state in which the can is attached to and detached from the can accommodating portion according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the can housing portion according to the present embodiment, and is a plan view showing an example of a state in which the can lid portion is rotated to the open position.

Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the locking portion according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram showing a comparison between a locked state and an unlocked state.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the laundry treatment agent outflow portion and the connection portion according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram showing a comparison between a connected state and a disconnected state.

Description of the reference numerals

In the drawings, 1 denotes a washing machine (laundry treatment apparatus), 2 denotes an outer casing, 3 denotes a washing tub (laundry treatment tub), 11 denotes an automatic input unit, 15 denotes a laundry tank (can), 15d denotes a handle portion, 15e denotes an inclined surface portion (guide portion), 16 denotes a softener tank (can), 16d denotes a handle portion, 16e denotes an inclined surface portion (guide portion), 100 denotes a tank housing portion, 200 denotes a lock portion, 300 denotes a laundry treatment agent outflow portion, 301 denotes a connection portion, 304 denotes a check valve, 305 denotes a compression coil spring (urging member), and 500 denotes a chamfer portion (a portion along a tangential direction of an arcuate rail).

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the laundry treating apparatus will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The washing machine 1 illustrated in fig. 1 is an example of a laundry treatment apparatus capable of performing predetermined treatments, in this case, at least a kneading treatment, a rinsing treatment, and a dehydration treatment on laundry. Further, the washing machine 1 is a so-called drum type washing machine in which a rotation center axis of a rotation tub extends in a horizontal direction or in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

The washing machine 1 includes a washing tub 3 for washing laundry in an outer casing 2 having a rectangular box shape and an outer contour. The washing tub 3 is an example of a laundry treatment tub, and has a drum structure having a cylindrical shape with a bottom rotatably inside the tub. A large number of small holes are provided in the circumferential wall of the drum, and a baffle plate for supporting laundry is provided in the inner circumferential surface of the drum. The front opening of the washing tub 3 can be opened and closed by a door 5 provided in front of the outer casing 2. The user can take and put clothes into and out of the washing tub 3 through the front opening of the washing tub 3 by opening the door 5.

The washing machine 1 further includes a water supply portion 4 for supplying water into the washing tub 3, and a drain portion 6 for draining water in the washing tub 3 to the outside. The water supply unit 4 is configured to include a water supply valve unit 10 and the like described later in the middle of a water supply path extending from a water source such as tap water and the like not shown to the washing tank 3. The drain portion 6 is configured to include a drain valve 7 or the like in the middle of a drain path extending from the bottom of the washing tub 3 to the outside. When the water supply unit 4 supplies water into the washing tank 3 with the drain valve 7 closed, a predetermined amount of water is stored in the washing tank 3. Further, the drain valve 7 is opened, so that the water in the washing tub 3 is discharged to the outside through the drain line.

As shown in fig. 2, the water supply unit 4 includes a water supply valve unit 10, an automatic input unit 11, a water injection box 12, and the like, in the middle of a water supply path extending from a water source, not shown, to the washing tub 3. The inlet of the water feed valve unit 10 is connected to a water source, not shown, such as tap water. Further, the water feed valve unit 10 has at least 2

water feed valves

10a, 10b. The water feed valve 10a is an example of a manual water feed valve, and is connected to the water injection cartridge 12 via a manual supply line 13 a. The water feed valve 10b is an example of an automatic water feed valve, and is connected to the water injection cartridge 12 via an automatic supply line 13 b. Hereinafter, the water feed valve 10a will be referred to as a manual water feed valve 10a, and the water feed valve 10b will be referred to as an automatic water feed valve 10b. The outlet of the water injection box 12 is connected to the washing tank 3 via a water supply hose 14.

The automatic loading unit 11 includes a washing liquid tank 15 and a softener tank 16. The laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16 are detachably disposed to the water supply unit 4. Specifically, the laundry detergent tank 15 and the softener tank 16 are detachably disposed in the tank housing portion 100 constituting the water supply portion 4. The configuration examples of the can housing portion 100 and the peripheral portion thereof will be described later.

In the laundry liquid tank 15, a laundry treatment agent, in this case, a laundry liquid for washing laundry in the washing tub 3, can be stored in an amount that is operated a plurality of times. On the other hand, the softener tank 16 can store a laundry treatment agent in an amount that is operated a plurality of times, in this case, a softener for softening laundry in the washing tub 3.

The laundry liquid tank 15 is connected to the automatic supply line 13b via a laundry liquid metering pump 17. The metering pump 17 for liquid laundry detergent is configured to suck and send out liquid by driving a piston by an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid. The liquid laundry detergent metering pump 17 sucks a predetermined amount of liquid laundry detergent, in this case, an amount of liquid laundry detergent used for 1 operation, from the liquid laundry detergent tank 15, and sends the sucked liquid laundry detergent into the automatic supply line 13 b. The laundry detergent fed into the automatic feed path 13b is then introduced into the water injection box 12 together with the water supplied from the automatic feed valve 10b of the feed valve unit 10. Then, the laundry detergent introduced into the water filling box 12 is supplied into the washing tub 3 together with the water introduced into the water filling box 12 as well through the water supply hose 14. Thereby, the laundry detergent is automatically poured from the laundry detergent tank 15 into the washing tub 3. The metering pump 17 for liquid laundry detergent is not limited to sucking liquid, and may be used to squeeze out liquid, for example.

The softener tank 16 is connected to the automatic supply line 13b via a softener metering pump 18. The metering pump 18 for the softener is configured to suck and send out the liquid by driving the piston by an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid. The softener is sucked by the metering pump 18 from the softener tank 16 by a predetermined amount, in this case, by an amount used for 1 operation, and the sucked softener is sent into the automatic supply line 13 b. Then, the softener fed into the automatic feed line 13b is introduced into the water injection cartridge 12 together with the water supplied from the automatic feed valve 10b of the feed valve unit 10. Then, the softener introduced into the water injection case 12 is supplied into the washing tub 3 together with the water introduced into the water injection case 12 as well via the water supply hose 14. Thus, the softener is automatically introduced into the washing tank 3 from the softener tank 16. The metering pump 18 for the softener is not limited to sucking the liquid, and may be configured to squeeze out the liquid, for example.

Further, a manual feed cartridge 12a is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 12 so as to be able to be inserted and removed. A manual laundry detergent loading unit (not shown) for loading laundry detergent by a user's hand and a manual softener loading unit (not shown) for loading softener by a user's hand are provided in the manual loading cartridge 12a. The liquid laundry detergent fed to the manual liquid laundry detergent feeding portion or the softener fed to the manual softener feeding portion is fed into the washing tub 3 through the water feed hose 14 together with the water fed from the water feed valve unit 10 into the water injection box 12 through the manual feed line 13 a.

In the water supply section 4 configured as described above, the manual supply route 13a constitutes a supply route for supplying the laundry treatment agent such as the laundry detergent or the softener manually input by the user into the washing tub 3. The automatic supply route 13b is configured to supply the laundry treatment agent such as the laundry detergent or the softener automatically supplied from the automatic supplying unit 11 into the washing tub 3.

Next, a configuration example of the can housing portion 100 and its peripheral portion will be described. As shown in fig. 3, the tank housing portion 100 is configured in a substantially rectangular box shape, and in this case, is integrally provided on the upper portion of the water injection case 12 that configures the water supply portion 4. An opening 101 that opens in a substantially rectangular shape is provided at the upper portion of the can housing portion 100. The bottom of the tank housing 100 communicates with the inside of the water filling box 12.

The opening 101 of the can housing portion 100 is configured to be openable and closable by a substantially rectangular plate-like can lid portion 102. The can lid 102 is provided so as to be rotatable between a closed position illustrated in fig. 3 and an open position illustrated in fig. 4, around a rotation shaft 103 provided at the rear of the opening 101. The can lid 102 rotated to the closed position sets the opening 101 to the closed state. The can lid 102 rotated to the open position opens the opening 101. In this case, the rotatable angle of the can lid 102, that is, the angle between the closed position and the open position is at least 90 degrees or more.

As also illustrated in fig. 8, the laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16 are detachably housed in the tank housing portion 100. That is, as illustrated in fig. 4 to 7, the user can rotate the lid 102 to the open position to open the opening 101, and can store the laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16 in the tank storage part 100 or take out the laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16 from the tank storage part 100 through the opening 101.

That is, as illustrated in fig. 5 to 7, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, a predetermined reference point K is set for attaching and detaching the

tanks

15 and 16. In this case, the reference point K is set at a position above the rear surface of the tank housing portion 100 and facing the rear surface of the upper portions of the

tanks

15 and 16. More specifically, in this case, the reference point K is set at a position where the upper end of the rear surface of the tank housing portion 100 abuts against the rear surfaces of the upper portions of the

tanks

15 and 16.

When the

cans

15 and 16 are taken out from the can housing portion 100, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the user rotates the

cans

15 and 16 upward so as to draw an arc-shaped track R around the reference point K. At this time, the user can easily perform an operation of rotating the

cans

15 and 16 by placing his or her hands on the

grip portions

15d and 15d provided at the upper portions of the front surfaces of the

cans

15 and 16. Then, as shown in fig. 7, the user can take out the

cans

15 and 16 upward.

On the other hand, when the

cans

15 and 16 are mounted in the can housing portion 100, the user inserts the

cans

15 and 16 into the can housing portion 100 from above as in the example shown in fig. 7, and brings the rear surfaces of the upper portions of the

cans

15 and 16 into contact with the upper portions of the rear surfaces of the can housing portion 100 as in the example shown in fig. 6. The contact point becomes a reference point K. Then, as illustrated in fig. 6 and 5, the user rotates the

cans

15 and 16 downward so as to draw an arc-shaped orbit R around the reference point K. At this time, the user can easily perform an operation of rotating the

cans

15 and 16 by placing his or her hands on the

grip portions

15d and 15d of the

cans

15 and 16. As a result, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the

cans

15 and 16 can be stored in the can storage portion 100 at predetermined mounting positions.

As described above, according to the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the

cans

15 and 16 can be taken out from the can housing portion 100 so as to draw the circular arc-shaped rail R around the reference point K, and can be mounted in the can housing portion 100 so as to draw the circular arc-shaped rail R around the reference point K.

Next, a specific example of the structure of the

tanks

15 and 16 will be described. As shown in fig. 8, the laundry liquid tank 15 is provided with a laundry liquid replenishment port 15a. In this case, the liquid laundry detergent replenishment port 15a is a substantially rectangular opening portion, and is provided in the front portion of the upper surface of the liquid laundry detergent tank 15. The liquid laundry detergent replenishment port 15a is provided with a liquid laundry detergent replenishment port cover portion 15b for opening and closing the liquid laundry detergent replenishment port 15a. The liquid laundry detergent replenishment port cover portion 15b is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape.

In this case, the rotatable angle of the liquid laundry detergent replenishment cover portion 15b, that is, the angle between the closed position and the open position is at least 90 degrees or more. The rotatable angle of the liquid laundry detergent replenishment cover portion 15b may be the same as or different from the rotatable angle of the tank cover portion 102. The rotation direction of the liquid laundry replenishment lid 15b is the same as the rotation direction of the lid 102, and in this case, the front-rear direction of the washing machine 1 is rotated toward the closed position by the forward rotation and toward the open position by the rearward rotation.

As shown in fig. 8, the softener tank 16 is provided with a softener replenishment port 16a. In this case, the softener replenishment port 16a is a substantially rectangular opening, and is provided at the front part of the upper surface of the softener tank 16. The softener replenishment port 16a is provided with a softener replenishment port cover 16b for opening and closing the softener replenishment port 16a. The softener replenishment cover portion 16b is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape.

In this case, the pivotable angle of the softener replenishment cover portion 16b, that is, the angle between the closed position and the open position is at least 90 degrees or more. The rotatable angle of the softener replenishment cover portion 16b may be the same as or different from the rotatable angle of the tank cover portion 102. The direction of rotation of the softener replenishment cover portion 16b is the same as the direction of rotation of the tank cover portion 102, and in this case, the front-rear direction of the washing machine 1 is rotated toward the closed position by the forward rotation and toward the open position by the rearward rotation.

Further, a protruding portion 15c for placing a hand when the user opens and closes the liquid laundry replenishment flap portion 15b is provided at the front end portion of the liquid laundry replenishment flap portion 15b. In this case, the protruding portion 15c is provided at a substantially central portion of the front end portion of the liquid laundry replenishment lid portion 15b, and the upper surface thereof is flat. As shown in fig. 3, the protruding portion 15c is a component protruding upward from the upper surface of the liquid-washing tub 15 by a predetermined amount in a state where the liquid-washing replenishment lid portion 15b is rotated to a closed position where the liquid-washing replenishment lid 15a is closed.

Further, a protruding portion 16c for placing a hand when a user opens and closes the softener replenishment flap portion 16b is provided at the front end portion of the softener replenishment flap portion 16b. In this case, the convex portion 16c is provided at a substantially central portion of the front end portion of the softener replenishment cover portion 16b, and the upper surface thereof is flat. As shown in fig. 3 and the like, the protruding portion 16c is a component protruding upward from the upper surface of the softener tank 16 by a predetermined amount in a state where the softener replenishment port cover portion 16b is rotated to a closed position where the softener replenishment port 16a is closed.

Then, as shown in fig. 3, in a state where the lid 102 closes the opening 101 of the tank housing 100, the upper surface of the convex portion 15c of the laundry liquid tank 15 and the upper surface of the convex portion 16c of the softener tank 16 are respectively brought into contact with the lower surface of the lid 102. That is, the convex portion 15c of the laundry liquid tank 15 and the convex portion 16c of the softener tank 16 each function as an example of an abutting portion that abuts against the tank lid portion 102 that closes the tank accommodating portion 100.

The laundry tub 15 is provided with a handle portion 15d for a user to place a hand when the laundry tub 15 is attached and detached. In this case, the handle portion 15d is provided on the front side of the laundry liquid tank 15 opposite to the reference point K in a state where the laundry liquid tank 15 is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion 100. The handle portion 15d is provided so as to protrude forward from an upper portion of the front surface of the laundry liquid tank 15 in a state where the laundry liquid tank 15 is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion 100. The handle portion 15d has a substantially rectangular frame shape with an open upper surface when viewed from above, and has a planar front surface and left and right side surfaces. The lower surface of the handle portion 15d is a sloped surface portion 15e sloped in a straight line from the front to the rear. A through hole 15f penetrating the bottom surface of the handle portion 15d is provided on the upper end side of the inclined surface portion 15e. The user can easily perform the operation of attaching and detaching the washing liquid tank 15 by putting a finger into the handle portion 15d.

The softener tank 16 is provided with a handle portion 16d for a user to place his or her hand when the softener tank 16 is attached and detached. In this case, the handle portion 16d is provided on the front side of the softener tank 16 opposite to the reference point K in a state where the softener tank 16 is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion 100. The handle portion 16d is provided so as to protrude forward from an upper portion of the front surface of the softener tank 16 in a state where the softener tank 16 is accommodated in the tank accommodation portion 100. The handle portion 16d has a substantially rectangular frame shape with an open upper surface when viewed from above, and has a planar front surface and left and right side surfaces. The lower surface of the handle portion 16d is a sloped surface portion 16e sloped in a straight line from the front to the rear. A through hole 16f penetrating the bottom surface of the handle portion 16d is provided on the upper end side of the inclined surface portion 16e. The user can easily attach and detach the softener tank 16 by putting a finger into the grip portion 16d.

The

inclined surface portions

15e, 16e of the

tanks

15, 16 function as an example of the guide portion. That is, for example, when the

cans

15 and 16 are mounted in the can housing portion 100, the

handles

15d and 16d of the

cans

15 and 16 may climb up to the upper end portion of the front face of the opening 101 of the can housing portion 100 in the transition from the state of fig. 6 to the state of fig. 5. At this time, however, the

inclined surface portions

15e, 16e of the

handle portions

15d, 16d are abutted against the upper end portion of the front surface of the opening 101 of the can housing portion 100. Therefore, the

inclined surface portions

15e and 16e of the

handle portions

15d and 16d slidably move with respect to the upper end portion of the front surface of the opening 101 of the can housing portion 100, so that the

cans

15 and 16 can be guided toward the inside of the can housing portion 100.

As described above, the

inclined surface portions

15e and 16e functioning as an example of the guide portion are disposed as part of the

handle portions

15d and 16d in this case. Accordingly, these

inclined surface portions

15e and 16e are also provided on the front side of the

cans

15 and 16 opposite to the reference point K in a state where the

cans

15 and 16 are accommodated in the can accommodating portion 100, similarly to the

handle portions

15d and 16d.

As shown in fig. 3 and the like, the

tanks

15 and 16 have a chamfer 500. In this case, the chamfer 500 is provided at the lower part of the front part of the

cans

15, 16, and forms a so-called C-plane inclined in a straight line. The chamfer 500 is a portion along the tangential direction of the arcuate track R. The chamfer 500 may not be entirely along the tangential direction of the arcuate path R, and may be at least partially along the tangential direction of the arcuate path R.

As shown in fig. 3 and the like, a lock portion 200 is provided inside the can housing portion 100. The lock portion 200 is provided in the tank housing portion 100 below a portion where the tank lid 102 contacts the convex portion 15c of the laundry liquid tank 15 and the convex portion 16c of the softener tank 16. The concept of "under the portion where the lid 102 is in contact with the convex portion 15c of the liquid-washing tank 15 and the convex portion 16c of the softener tank 16" refers not only to the region immediately under the portion where the lid 102 is in contact with the convex portion 15c of the liquid-washing tank 15 and the convex portion 16c of the softener tank 16, but also to the region having a range of a certain extent. In the present embodiment, the lock portion 200 is provided at a position on the rear side of the protruding portion 15c of the laundry liquid tank 15 and the protruding portion 16c of the softener tank 16, which are in contact with the tank cover 102, by a predetermined amount, and is located vertically below them.

The position of the lock portion 200 in the can housing portion 100 is a position on the opposite side of the reference point K in the state where the

cans

15 and 16 are housed in the can housing portion 100, and is a position on the front side in this case. That is, according to the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the lock portion 200 and the

handle portions

15d and 16 are located on the opposite side, i.e., the front side of the reference point K.

As shown in fig. 9, the locking portion 200 protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the can housing portion 100, and has a pair of locking piece portions 200a at the tip end portion thereof. The pair of locking piece portions 200a are configured to be elastically deformable to some extent. On the other hand, a locked portion 201 is provided below the laundry detergent tank 15 and the softener tank 16. In this case, the locked portion 201 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the front sides of the laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16, and has a locked end portion 201a that bulges in a substantially circular cross section at the front end portion. As shown in fig. 3, the dimension of the locked portion 201 in the front-rear direction is longer than the dimension of the locked portion 200 in the front-rear direction.

The laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16 stored in the tank storage part 100 are pushed into the tank storage part 100 in a predetermined direction, in this case, in the downward direction, whereby the locked part 201 is fitted into the locking part 200. Thus, the laundry detergent tank 15 and the softener tank 16 are locked at predetermined mounting positions in the tank housing portion 100.

As shown in fig. 3, a laundry treatment agent outflow portion 300 for allowing the laundry treatment agent inside to flow out is provided at the rear of the lower portion of the laundry liquid tank 15 and the rear of the lower portion of the softener tank 16, respectively. On the other hand, 2 connection portions 301 corresponding to the laundry liquid tank 15 and the softener tank 16 are provided at the rear portion of the lower portion of the tank housing portion 100. The connection portion 301 corresponding to the laundry liquid tank 15 is connected to the laundry liquid metering pump 17. The connection portion 301 corresponding to the softener tank 16 is connected to the softener metering pump 18.

The laundry treating agent outflow portion 300 and the connection portion 301 are provided below the portion where the reference point K is set. The concept of "below the portion where the reference point K is set" refers not only to the region immediately below the portion where the reference point K is set, but also to a region having a range of a certain degree. That is, the laundry treating agent outflow portion 300 and the connection portion 301 are provided in a lower region having a range of a certain degree below the portion defined as the set reference point K.

Further, inside the

tanks

15 and 16, a screen 400 is provided at a position inside the laundry treatment agent outflow part 300. The screen 400 captures foreign matter contained in the laundry treating agent stored in the

tanks

15, 16, and prevents the foreign matter from entering the laundry treating agent outflow portion 300 side. Further, inside the

tanks

15 and 16, a float 401 is provided inside the screen 400. The float 401 rotates in the up-down direction according to the amount of the laundry treatment agent in the

tanks

15 and 16, and has a magnet, not shown, in the tip portion thereof. The control device (not shown) that controls the entire operation of the washing machine 1 senses the magnetic force of the float 401 by a reed switch (not shown) disposed outside the tank housing portion 100, and thereby can sense the position of the float 401, in other words, the remaining amount of the laundry treatment agent in the

tanks

15 and 16.

Next, a configuration example of the laundry treatment agent outflow part 300 and the connection part 301 will be described. As shown in fig. 10, the laundry treating agent outflow portion 300 has a 1 st outflow portion 302 extending in the up-down direction and a 2 nd outflow portion 303 extending in the horizontal direction in a state where the

tanks

15, 16 are mounted at predetermined mounting positions. One end of the 2 nd outlet 303, in this case, an end on the inner side of the

tanks

15 and 16, is connected to the upper end of the 1 st outlet 302. The lower end of the 1 st flow outlet portion 302 is slightly separated from the upper surface of the bottom of the

tanks

15 and 16. The other end of the 2 nd outlet 303 is connected to the lower part of the rear wall of the

tanks

15 and 16.

Then, a check valve 304 is provided inside the connection portion between the 1 st flow outlet portion 302 and the 2 nd flow outlet portion 303. The check valve 304 is biased toward the other end of the 2 nd flow outlet portion 303 by, for example, a compression coil spring 305. Thereby, the check valve 304 is biased in a direction to close the outflow hole 306 provided in the 2 nd outflow hole 303.

On the other hand, the connection portion 301 is provided in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in a straight line, and has a flow passage 301a through which the laundry treating agent flows in the center portion thereof. In the process of attaching the

cans

15 and 16 to a predetermined attachment position in the can housing portion 100, the connection portion 301 is inserted into the 2 nd outlet portion 303 from the other end side of the 2 nd outlet portion 303. Then, when the

cans

15 and 16 are mounted at predetermined mounting positions in the can housing portion 100, the check valve 304 is pushed in by the distal end portion of the connecting portion 301. Accordingly, the check valve 304 moves toward one end side of the 2 nd outlet portion 303 in the 2 nd outlet portion 303 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 305, and the outlet hole 306 is opened. As a result, the laundry treatment agent in the

tanks

15 and 16 is attracted by the

pumps

17 and 18, and can flow out of the

tanks

15 and 16 through the 1 st outlet 302 and the 2 nd outlet 303.

According to the above configuration, the laundry treatment agent outflow portion 300 of the laundry liquid tank 15 is appropriately connected to the corresponding connection portion 301 by the laundry liquid tank 15 being mounted at a predetermined mounting position in the tank housing portion 100. This enables the automatic input unit 11 to automatically input the laundry detergent in the laundry detergent tank 15. Further, since the softener tank 16 is mounted at a predetermined mounting position in the tank housing portion 100, the laundry treatment agent outflow portion 300 of the softener tank 16 is appropriately connected to the corresponding connection portion 301. This enables the automatic loading unit 11 to automatically load the softener in the softener tank 16.

In the above configuration example, the direction in which the laundry treatment agent outflow portion 300 is connected to the connection portion 301 coincides with the tangential direction of the arcuate rail R drawn when the

cans

15 and 16 are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100. The movement direction of the check valve 304 during the connection of the laundry treating agent outflow portion 300 to the connection portion 301 also coincides with the tangential direction of the arcuate rail R drawn when the

cans

15 and 16 are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100.

The compression coil spring 305 functions as an example of a biasing member. That is, in a state where the

cans

15 and 16 are mounted at predetermined mounting positions in the can housing portion 100, the compression coil springs 305 are pushed in by the check valves 304 to be in a compressed state, and a restoring force is applied to the

cans

15 and 16. Then, the

cans

15 and 16 are biased in a predetermined direction, in this case, toward the front side in the can housing portion 100 by receiving the force supplied from the compression coil spring 305.

As a result, the

cans

15 and 16 are pushed forward in the can accommodating portion 100, and as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the front portions of the

cans

15 and 16, in this case, the front portions of the

handle portions

15d and 16d are brought into contact with the inner surface of the upper portion of the can accommodating portion 100, while a gap G having a predetermined size is formed between the inner surface of the can accommodating portion 100 and the outer surfaces of the

cans

15 and 16 at the rear portions of the

cans

15 and 16, that is, at the side of the portion where the reference point K is set. That is, the compression coil spring 305 biases the

cans

15 and 16 toward the front side in the predetermined direction in the can housing portion 100, thereby forming a predetermined gap G on the rear side opposite to the predetermined direction. The size of the gap G may be at least several mm or more, and may be appropriately changed.

As shown in fig. 8, the liquid-detergent replenishment port cover 15b may have a size of at least half of the size of the liquid-detergent tank 15 in the front-rear direction in a state where the liquid-detergent replenishment port 15a is closed. The softener replenishment port cover 16b may have a size of at least half of the size of the softener tank 16 in the front-rear direction in a state where the softener replenishment port 16a is closed.

According to the washing machine 1 described above, the

cans

15 and 16 are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100 so that the arcuate track R is drawn around the reference point K. According to this configuration, the space required for attaching and detaching the

tanks

15 and 16 can be suppressed, and the operation of attaching and detaching the

tanks

15 and 16 can be easily performed, as compared with the conventional configuration.

In the washing machine 1, the direction in which the laundry treating agent outflow portion 300 is connected to the connection portion 301 coincides with the tangential direction of the arcuate path R drawn when the

cans

15 and 16 are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100. With this configuration, the laundry treatment agent outflow portion 300 can be smoothly attached to and detached from the connection portion 301 in response to the attachment and detachment of the

tanks

15 and 16.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, the laundry treatment agent outflow portion 300 is provided with the check valve 304 provided so as to be movable in the tangential direction of the arcuate rail R drawn when the

cans

15, 16 are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100. With this configuration, the check valve 304 can be smoothly moved in response to the attachment and detachment of the

tanks

15 and 16. Accordingly, by attaching the

cans

15 and 16 to the can housing portion 100, the check valve 304 can be smoothly moved to easily make a state in which the laundry treatment agent can flow out, and by removing the

cans

15 and 16 from the can housing portion 100, the check valve 304 can be smoothly moved to make a state in which the laundry treatment agent cannot flow out.

In addition, according to the washing machine 1, when the

inclined surface portions

15e, 16e provided to the

cans

15, 16 are mounted in the can housing portion 100, even if the

grip portions

15d, 15d climb up to the upper end portion of the front surface of the opening portion 101 of the can housing portion 100, the

cans

15, 16 can be guided to the inside of the can housing portion 100. According to this configuration, even when the

handle portions

15d, 15d climb up to the upper end portion of the front face of the opening 101 of the can housing portion 100, the

cans

15, 16 can be easily and smoothly mounted in the can housing portion 100.

In the washing machine 1, the

tanks

15 and 16 have the

handle portions

15d and 16d on the opposite sides of the reference point K. According to this configuration, the user can easily perform the operation of attaching and detaching the

cans

15 and 16 along the arcuate path R by placing his/her hands on the

grip portions

15d and 16d.

In the washing machine 1, the lock portion 200 and the

handle portions

15d and 16d are located on opposite sides of the reference point K in a state where the

cans

15 and 16 are accommodated in the can accommodating portion 100. According to this configuration, the user can insert the locked portion 201 into the locking portion 200 by placing his or her hand on the

grip portions

15d, 16d and pushing the

cans

15, 16 downward along the arcuate rail R with the reference point K as the center. That is, the user can easily lock the

cans

15 and 16 by holding the

handle portions

15d and 16d. The user can remove the locked portion 201 from the locking portion 200 by placing a hand on the

grip portions

15d, 16d and pulling the

cans

15, 16 upward along the arcuate path R around the reference point K. That is, the user can easily unlock the

cans

15 and 16 by holding the

handle portions

15d and 16d. In this way, the user can easily perform locking and unlocking of the

cans

15 and 16 in the can housing portion 100 by placing the hands on the

handle portions

15d and 16d.

In addition, according to the washing machine 1, the

cans

15 and 16 include the chamfering portion 500, and the chamfering portion 500 includes a portion along a tangential direction of the arcuate rail R drawn when the

cans

15 and 16 are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100. According to this configuration, the

cans

15 and 16 moving along the arcuate path R when the cans are attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100 can be prevented from contacting the inner surface of the can housing portion 100, and the

cans

15 and 16 can be more easily attached and detached. Further, the space required for attaching and detaching the

tanks

15 and 16 can be further suppressed, and the capacity of the

tanks

15 and 16 can be increased.

In the washing machine 1, the

tanks

15 and 16 are accommodated in the tank accommodation portion 100, and a gap G having a predetermined size is formed between the inner surface of the tank accommodation portion 100 and the outer surfaces of the

tanks

15 and 16 on the same side of the reference point K. With this configuration, a space for moving the

tanks

15 and 16 along the arcuate rail R can be made sufficient when the

tanks

15 and 16 are attached and detached, and the

tanks

15 and 16 can be attached and detached more easily.

In the washing machine 1, the compression coil spring 305 biases the

cans

15 and 16 in the can housing portion 100 toward the front side in the predetermined direction, so that the gap G can be formed on the rear side which is the opposite side to the predetermined direction. With this configuration, the gap G can be formed more reliably by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 305. Further, a gap G is formed on the rear side with respect to a user who is supposed to be located on the front side of the washing machine 1 when the washing machine 1 is in use. Therefore, the user can press the

cans

15 and 16 into the circular arc shape while pushing them from the user side toward the rear side, and the

cans

15 and 16 can be more easily attached and detached, particularly, removed. Further, the

cans

15 and 16 are biased toward the front side in the can housing portion 100, and the front surfaces of the

cans

15 and 16, in this case, the front surfaces of the

handle portions

15d and 16d can be pressed against the front surface of the can housing portion 100. This makes it possible to easily position the

cans

15 and 16 in the can housing portion 100, particularly in the front-rear direction.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, as a biasing member for forming such a gap G, a compression coil spring 305 that biases the check valve 304 is used. According to this configuration, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated biasing member for forming the gap G, and an increase in the number of component parts can be suppressed, thereby simplifying the structure.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the position of the predetermined reference point K can be set and changed as appropriate. That is, the reference point K can be set appropriately at an optimum position where the

cans

15 and 16 are easily rotated in an arc shape, for example, depending on the shape and size of the

cans

15 and 16, the shape and size of the can housing portion 100, and the like. In the course of rotating the

cans

15 and 16 so as to draw an arc-shaped orbit, when the position of the reference point K is changed, the

cans

15 and 16 may be rotated along a new arc-shaped orbit centered on the changed reference point K. Further, instead of the reference point K, a reference region having a certain area may be set, and the

cans

15 and 16 may be attached to and detached from the can housing portion 100 so that an arc-shaped track is drawn around the reference region.

The

tanks

15 and 16 may be provided with dedicated components as guide portions, separately from the

handle portions

15d and 16d, instead of providing a part of the

handle portions

15d and 16d as guide portions. The chamfer 500 is not limited to the so-called C-plane shape, and may be of any shape having a portion along the tangential direction of the arcuate track R, and various shapes such as the so-called R-plane shape can be applied.

The locking portion 200 is not limited to the above-described fitting type structure, and may be, for example, a sliding type structure, as long as it can lock the

tanks

15 and 16 at a predetermined attachment position. The size and shape of the can lid 102 and the sizes and shapes of the

replenishment lid sections

15b and 16b can be changed as appropriate.

The tank is not limited to the laundry liquid tank 15 storing the laundry liquid or the softener tank 16 storing the softener, and any tank may be used as long as it is a tank storing various kinds of treatment agents capable of performing a certain treatment on laundry, such as a deodorant tank storing a deodorant, a degerming agent tank storing a degerming agent, and the like. The plurality of tanks provided in the water supply unit 4 may be tanks for storing the same type of treatment agent, or may be tanks for storing different types of treatment agent. The washing machine 1 may have a configuration in which 1 tank is provided in the water supply unit 4, or may have a configuration in which 3 or more tanks are provided. The liquid laundry detergent metering pump 17 and the softener metering pump 18 are not limited to sucking liquid, and may be, for example, squeezing liquid.

The present embodiment is also applicable to a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation center axis of the spin basket extends in the vertical direction. The present embodiment can also be applied to a washing machine having a drying function. The present embodiment can also be applied to a washing machine having no drying function. The present embodiment is applicable to various laundry treatment apparatuses as long as the laundry is subjected to a certain treatment such as deodorization, sterilization, and the like.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other modes, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A clothes treatment device is provided with:

an outer case;

a clothes treatment tank arranged in the outer box for accommodating clothes;

a tank storing a laundry treating agent for treating laundry;

an automatic input unit for inputting the laundry treatment agent stored in the tank into the laundry treatment tank; and

a tank accommodating part for detachably accommodating the tank,

the tank is attached to and detached from the tank housing portion so that an arc-shaped track is drawn around a predetermined reference point,

the tank is provided with a laundry treatment agent outflow part for outflow of the internal laundry treatment agent,

the tank housing part is provided with a connecting part connected with the clothes treating agent outflow part,

the direction in which the laundry treating agent flowing-out portion is connected to the connecting portion is identical to the tangential direction of the arcuate rail,

the reference point is set at a position opposite to the rear of the upper part of the tank,

the laundry treating agent outflow part is provided at the rear of the lower part of the tank at a position lower than the reference point.

2. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the laundry treating agent outflow portion includes a check valve provided so as to be movable in a tangential direction of the arcuate rail.

3. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the canister has a guide on the opposite side of the datum,

the guide portion guides the can to the inside of the can housing portion when the can is mounted in the can housing portion.

4. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the canister has a handle portion on the opposite side of the datum point for a user to place his or her hand.

5. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

further comprises a locking part for locking the tank accommodated in the tank accommodating part,

the lock portion and the handle portion are located on opposite sides of the reference point in a state where the can is accommodated in the can accommodating portion.

6. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the tank has a portion along a tangential direction of the arcuate track.

7. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

in a state where the can is accommodated in the can accommodating portion, a gap is formed between an inner surface of the can accommodating portion and an outer surface of the can on the same side as the reference point.

8. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

further comprises a biasing member for biasing the can accommodated in the can accommodating portion in a predetermined direction,

the urging member urges the can in a predetermined direction in the can housing portion, thereby forming the gap on the opposite side of the predetermined direction.