CN112301673A

CN112301673A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN112301673A
Application number: CN202010735011.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 堀田浩平; 椎桥贞人; 池田阳祐; 森田宽之
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2019-08-02
Filing date: 2020-07-28
Publication date: 2021-02-02
Also published as: JP2021023506A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing machine having an automatic detergent feeding device, and having an excellent effect of preventing leakage of a detergent to the outside when a container for storing the detergent is taken out. The washing machine is provided with an automatic feeding device which automatically feeds a washing treatment agent into a water drum provided in a main body, wherein the automatic feeding device is provided with: a container housing portion provided in the main body; a container for storing a cleaning agent and detachably attached to the container housing section; and a pump for pumping up the washing treatment agent from the container, wherein a connection port connected to a suction port of the pump when the washing treatment agent is assembled to the container housing portion is provided as a peripheral wall portion located above a bottom portion of the container.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Background

For example, in a drum-type washing machine, a drawer-type storage box for detergent or the like is generally provided at an upper front portion of a main body, and a user stores a required amount of detergent or softener in the storage box for detergent or the like before starting washing, so that the detergent is supplied into a water tub together with supply water during a washing operation. In recent years, in response to a demand for improvement in user convenience, the following automatic insertion device is provided: in addition to a storage case for a manual detergent or the like, a required amount of a detergent or a softening agent or the like is stored in a container in advance, and the automatic loading device automatically loads the required amount of the detergent into a water tub from the container by driving a pump during a washing operation (see, for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-74082

Disclosure of Invention

In the automatic loading device, a container for storing the washing treatment agent is detachably provided in the container housing section, and the container can be detached when the washing treatment agent is replenished or the like. In a state of being mounted on the container housing section, an outlet section of the washing treatment agent provided at the bottom of the container is connected to a suction port of the pump. In this case, the structure is: a check valve is provided at an outlet portion of the container, and the valve is opened in an assembled state of the container and closed so as not to leak the washing treatment agent when detached.

However, with the above-described structure, the function of the check valve is impaired when the cleaning treatment agent adheres to the check valve and is fixed, when foreign matter is caught in the check valve, or the like, with long-term use. Therefore, when the container is removed, there is a possibility that the detergent remaining in the container may leak to the outside.

Therefore, the present invention provides a washing machine having an automatic detergent feeding device, which has an excellent effect of preventing leakage of a detergent to the outside when a container for storing the detergent is taken out.

The washing machine of the embodiment is provided with an automatic feeding device which automatically feeds a washing treatment agent into a water drum arranged in a main body, wherein the automatic feeding device is provided with: a container housing portion provided in the main body; a container for storing a cleaning agent and detachably attached to the container housing section; and a pump for pumping up the washing treatment agent from the container, wherein a connection port connected to a suction port of the pump when the washing treatment agent is assembled to the container housing portion is provided as a peripheral wall portion located above a bottom portion of the container.

According to the above configuration, since the automatic washing treatment agent feeding device is provided and the connection port is located at a high position, the following excellent effects can be obtained: the effect of preventing the detergent from leaking to the outside when the container for storing the detergent is taken out is excellent.

Drawings

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

Fig. 2 is a left side view of the water supply mechanism portion.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the water supply mechanism portion shown in a state where the storage case is drawn out.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the detergent container viewed from the rear.

FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the detergent container portion in longitudinal section.

FIG. 6 is a vertical right side view of the detergent container portion showing the situation where the annunciating level is reached.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical right side view of the connection port portion.

Description of reference numerals:

1 … a body; 8 … water supply mechanism; 12 … water supply valve unit; 13 … a water injection box; 14 … automatic water supply path; 15 … manual water supply path; 17 … automatic input device; 18, 18 … storage box; 19 … manual feed mechanism; 20 … manual softener water supply valve; 21 … automatic water supply valve; 22 … manual detergent water supply valve; 23 … connecting tube; 29 … container box (container housing part); a 30 … pump; 30a, 30b … suction ports; 31 … detergent container (container); 32 … softener container (container); 33 … inlet and outlet; 34 … a cover; 39 … a cover; port 41 …; 42 … dip tube; 43 … horizontal tube section; 43a … opening; 44 … depending down the tube portion; 45 … a cover member; 46 … check valve; 49 … residual amount detection means; 50 … swing lever; 50a … float portion; 51 … magnetic sensor; 52 … permanent magnet.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment applied to a drum type washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an external appearance of a drum-type washing machine as a washing machine according to the present embodiment. Here, a main body 1 constituting an outer box of the drum type washing machine is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, a circular entrance 2 through which laundry enters and exits 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 on the front right portion of the upper surface portion of the main body 1. Although not shown, the operation panel 5 is provided with various operation keys such as an open key and a setting for a user to execute a washing operation program. At this time, when the washing operation is performed, the user can select, on the operation panel 5, a washing treatment agent, i.e., a washing agent and a softening agent, which is automatically input by an automatic input device 17 described later, or a washing agent and a softening agent, which are manually input by the manual supply mechanism 19 by a required amount for 1 time. The operation panel 5 is provided with a display unit 6, and a washing program, a washing operation time, and the like of a washing operation to be executed are displayed on the display unit 6, although not shown. The display unit 6 also notifies the user of a small remaining amount of the detergent and softener in the

containers

31 and 32, which will be described later, by a character display.

Although not shown, a water tank formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an open front surface and communicating with the inlet/outlet 2 to store the washing water is elastically supported in the main body 1 by an elastic support mechanism. A drum as a storage drum for storing laundry is provided in the water tub. The drum is formed in a cylindrical shape having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the water tub, and a drive mechanism such as a drum motor is connected to the center portion of the rear surface side of the drum to be driven and rotated. Further, a water supply mechanism 8 is provided in the main body 1, which is positioned at the upper left portion of the water tube and supplies water into the water tube. The water supply mechanism 8 will be described later. The bottom of the water cylinder is provided with a water outlet, and the water outlet is connected with the water outlet through a water discharge valve.

Although not shown, a drying mechanism for circulating and supplying warm air for drying is provided in the water drum or the drum in the main body 1. The drying mechanism is provided with a drying air circulation duct forming an air passage outside the water cylinder, and a drying unit for dehumidifying and heating the circulation air to generate the drying air is provided in the middle part of the drying mechanism. The drying unit is configured to incorporate a heat pump and an air blower, for example, in a casing. Various sensors such as a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the water tub, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the drum, and a rotation sensor for detecting the rotation position of the drum motor are provided in the main body 1.

Here, the water supply mechanism 8, the automatic charging device 17, and the manual charging mechanism 19 will be described. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the water supply mechanism 8 includes: a water supply valve unit 12 provided at the rear of the left upper portion in the main body 1, a water filling box 13 provided at the front of the left upper portion in the main body 1, an automatic water supply path 14 and a manual water supply path 15 connected from the water supply valve unit 12 to the water filling box 13, a water supply hose 16 for supplying water from the water filling box 13 into the water tub, and the like.

An automatic feeding device 17 is provided in the upper left portion of the main body 1 together with the water supply mechanism 8, and the automatic feeding device 17 automatically feeds a liquid detergent as a detergent treatment agent and a softener into the water tub through the water injection box 13. In the present embodiment, a manual input mechanism 19 is incorporated, and when a user inputs a required amount of detergent (liquid, powder) and softener as a detergent treatment agent to a storage case 18 as a manual storage unit in advance for 1 operation, the manual input mechanism 19 supplies the detergent, softener, and supply water into a water tank together.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the water supply valve unit 12 includes a plurality of water supply valves electromagnetically opened and closed in a frame 12 a. In the present embodiment, the automatic water supply valve 21 and the manual detergent water supply valve 22 provided on the left and right sides are located on the upper layer of the frame 12a (see fig. 3), and the manual softener water supply valve 20 (see fig. 2) is provided on the lower layer. As shown in fig. 1, a connection pipe 23 is provided on the upper portion of the water supply valve unit 12 so as to be exposed on the upper surface of the main body 1, and a tap of tap water as a water supply source is connected to the connection pipe 23. Although not shown in detail, the connection pipes 23 are branched into 3 pieces at the lower side and connected to the inlet portions of the water supply valves 20 to 22, respectively.

The outlet of the automatic water supply valve 21 is connected to the inlet of the automatic water supply path 14. The outlet of the manual detergent supply valve 22 is connected to the inlet of the detergent flow path in the manual water supply path 15, and the outlet of the manual softener supply valve 20 is connected to the inlet of the softener flow path in the manual water supply path 15. The automatic water supply path 14 and the manual water supply path 15 will be described later. As shown in fig. 3, a bath water pump 24 for pumping up surplus hot water and the like of the bath is assembled to the right side of the water supply valve unit 12.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the water pouring box 13 is formed of plastic in a rectangular box shape having an open upper surface, and is disposed at a left end portion on the upper front surface side in the main body 1. A flow path forming member 25 constituting the manual water supply path 15 is disposed at an upper surface opening of the water filling cartridge 13. In fig. 3, although not shown, the upper surface of the flow passage forming member 25 is covered with a cover member. The bottom of the water injection cartridge 13 is gently inclined downward toward the rear, the front end of the water supply hose 16 is connected to the lower portion of the rear end of the water injection cartridge 13, and the rear end of the water supply hose 16 is connected to a water supply port of a water tank, not shown. An opening for inserting and removing the storage case 18 is provided in the front surface of the water pouring case 13, and faces the opening in the upper left portion of the front surface in the main body 1.

As shown in fig. 3, the storage case 18 integrally includes a manual detergent storage part 18a and a manual softener storage part 18b arranged in the left-right direction, which are made of plastic and each of which is formed in a thin container shape having an open upper surface and being slightly long in the front-rear direction. For example, a required amount of detergent, in this case, a liquid detergent or a powder detergent, is stored in the manual detergent storage 18a for 1 operation, and a required amount of softener, which is called a softener, is stored in the manual softener storage 18b for 1 operation as needed. Although not shown in detail, the rear end of the manual detergent storage 18a is open and serves as a detergent discharge portion. The manual softener storage unit 18b has a so-called siphon type discharge unit.

The storage case 18 is provided in a so-called drawer type structure inside the water filling case 13 so as to be able to be inserted from the front surface side. At this time, as shown in fig. 1, the front door 26 having the handle portion 26a is coupled to the front end portion of the storage case 18. The storage case 18 is movable between a storage position (see fig. 1) where the front door 26 closes an opening on the upper left portion of the front surface in the main body 1 and a withdrawal position (see fig. 3) where the storage case is withdrawn forward from the storage position. In this storage position, the storage case 18 is disposed at an upper portion in the water injection case 13.

As shown in fig. 3, the manual water supply path 15 is provided with: the water supply valve unit 12 extends rightward from the front thereof, extends forward so as to bypass the right side of the container housing section of the automatic loading device 17, and is bent leftward to reach the upper portion of the water filling box 13. As described above, the manual water supply path 15 is configured to have 2 flow paths, i.e., the detergent flow path 27 and the softener flow path 28, by partitioning the upper surface of the plastic flow path forming member 25 by the ribs.

The flow path 27 for the detergent has an inlet portion 27a connected to an outlet portion of the manual detergent supply valve 22, extends to a left side portion of the upper portion of the water pouring box 13, i.e., above the manual detergent storage portion 18a of the storage box 18, and has a plurality of small-diameter water spray holes 27b arranged in the front-rear direction on the left and right portions. The softener flow path 28 has an inlet 28a connected to the outlet of the manual softener water supply valve 20, extends to the right of the upper part of the water injection cartridge 13, i.e., above the manual softener storage part 18b of the storage cartridge 18, and has 3 water injection holes 28b arranged in the front-rear direction and slightly larger than the front-rear direction.

With the above configuration, the manual supply mechanism 19 is configured. In the manual supply mechanism 19, when the manual detergent supply valve 22 is opened, the tap water supplied from the connection pipe 23 passes through the detergent flow path 27 of the manual water supply path 15, and is injected into the manual detergent storage portion 18a of the storage case 18 in a shower-like state from the water injection hole 27 b. The water supplied to the manual detergent storage 18a flows toward the bottom of the water injection box 13 while dissolving the stored detergent, and is supplied into the water tub through the water supply hose 16.

In the manual supply mechanism 19, when the manual softener supply valve 20 is opened, the tap water supplied from the connection pipe 23 passes through the softener flow path 28 of the manual water supply path 15 and is injected from the water injection hole 28b into the manual softener storage part 18b of the storage case 18. The water supplied to the manual softener storage 18b is supplied from the water injection cassette 13 into the water cylinder through the water supply hose 16 while dissolving the stored softener.

Here, the automatic loading device 17 will be described. As shown in fig. 2, 3, and the like, the automatic loading device 17 includes: a container case 29 as a container housing part provided at the rear side of the water injection case 13; and a pump 30 provided at the rear of the container box 29. Container box 29 is formed in an approximately rectangular box shape with an open upper surface and a slightly long front-rear direction, and as shown in fig. 1, detergent container 31 and softener container 32, both of which are formed in a rectangular box shape elongated in the front-rear direction, are arranged in the left-right direction and are removable upward, that is, detachably provided in container box 29.

In this case, a liquid detergent usable for a plurality of times of washing is contained in detergent container 31, and a softener usable for a plurality of times of washing is contained in softener container 32. As shown in fig. 1, an access 33 corresponding to the upper surface of the container box 29 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 1, and a cover 34 for opening and closing the access 33 is provided. The user can perform a detergent and softener replenishing operation by opening the lid 34 and taking out the detergent container 31 and the softener container 32 upward. The detailed structure of the detergent container 31 and the softener container 32 will be described later.

As shown in fig. 3, the pump 30 has 2

suction ports

30a and 30b on the left and right facing the front, and 2 discharge ports (not shown) on the left and right facing the lower side, and is configured to have a motor as a drive source. The pump 30 is configured to switch between

suction ports

30a and 30b for sucking liquid and a discharge port for discharging liquid by switching the rotation direction (current supply direction) of the motor. The 2 discharge ports of the pump 30 are disposed above a discharge portion in the middle of the automatic water supply path 14, which will be described later.

At this time, the left suction port 30a, which is one side of the pump 30, is connected to the detergent container 31 side, and is configured to suck up the detergent in the detergent container 31 by the rotation of the motor in one direction and discharge the detergent from the left discharge port, which is one side. The other side of the pump 30, i.e., the right suction port 30b, is connected to the softening agent container 32 side, and is configured to suck up the softening agent in the softening agent container 32 by the rotation of the motor in the other direction and discharge the softening agent from the other side, i.e., the right discharge port. The discharge amount of the detergent and the softener, that is, the supply amount to the discharge portion in the middle of the automatic water supply path 14 is controlled according to the driving time of the pump 30. The connection structure between the

suction ports

30a and 30b of the pump 30 and the

containers

31 and 32 will be described later.

As shown in fig. 2 and the like, the automatic water supply path 14 includes a first joint member 35, a second joint member 36, and a connection hose 37 connecting the first joint member 35 and the second joint member 36. The first joint member 35 includes: a case portion 35a provided at a lower portion between the water supply valve unit 12 and the container case 29 and formed in a rectangular box shape slightly longer in the left-right lateral direction and thinner in the up-down direction; an inlet pipe 35 b; and an outlet pipe portion 35 c.

At this time, although not shown, the discharge port of the pump 30 is connected to the upper surface of the housing portion 35a, and the washing treatment agent drops into the housing portion 35a, and the housing portion 35a is formed as a discharge portion, which forms a mixing space 38 for mixing the washing treatment agent and water. The inlet pipe 35b extends upward from a rear end portion on the right side of the upper surface of the housing portion 35a, and an inlet end portion of the automatic water supply path 14, which is an upper end portion thereof, is connected to an outlet portion of the automatic water supply valve 21. The outlet pipe portion 35c is provided to protrude forward from the left end portion of the front surface of the housing portion 35 a.

Thus, the mixing space 38 of the housing 35a, which is a discharge portion of the washing treatment agent by the pump 30, is disposed at a position lower than the inlet end portion of the upper end of the inlet pipe 35 b. In the present embodiment, the outlet pipe portion 35c is configured to have a larger flow passage diameter than the inlet pipe 35 b. Although not shown in detail, the inner bottom of the case portion 35a is gently inclined downward toward the outlet pipe portion 35c at the left front portion, and all the liquid in the mixing space 38 is discharged from the outlet pipe portion 35 c.

The second joint member 36 is formed in an L shape when viewed from the top, and has one end connected to a connection hole provided in a lower portion of a left side wall portion, which is a peripheral wall portion of the water filling box 13, thereby forming an outlet end portion of the automatic water supply path 14. Although not shown, the connection hole is located below the storage case 18. The other end side of the second joint member 36 is disposed rearward along the side wall of the water injection cartridge 13, and the outlet tube portion 35c of the first joint member 35 and the other end side of the second joint member 36 are connected by the connection hose 37, as shown in fig. 2. The second joint member 36 is provided at a position slightly lower than the outlet pipe portion 35c, and the connection hose 37 is gently inclined downward toward the front.

Thus, in the automatic water supply path 14, when the automatic water supply valve 21 is opened, the tap water supplied from the connection pipe 23 flows into the housing portion 35a, i.e., the mixing space 38, from the inlet pipe 35b of the first joint member 35, and when the detergent or the softening agent is supplied to the discharge portion, the tap water is mixed with the detergent or the softening agent. The mixed washing water is discharged from the outlet pipe portion 35c, passes through the connection hose 37, and flows into the lower portion of the inside of the water injection cartridge 13 from the connection hole 13a through the second joint member 36. The washing water is made to flow rearward below the storage case 18 and is supplied into the water tub through the water supply hose 16.

Thus, the automatic loading device 17 can supply the detergent contained in the detergent container 31 to the discharge unit by a required amount by driving the pump 30, and can supply the softener contained in the softener container 32 to the discharge unit by a required amount. When the automatic water supply valve 21 is opened to supply water to the automatic water supply path 14 in a state where the detergent or the softener is supplied to the discharge part by driving of the pump 30, the water is mixed with the detergent or the softener at the discharge part, flows as washing water while dissolving the detergent or the softener, and is supplied into the water tub through the water injection cartridge 13.

The detergent container 31 and the softener container 32 will be described with reference to fig. 4 to 7. The detergent container 31 and the softener container 32 have the same structure, and have different widths, that is, the capacity of the detergent container 31 is slightly larger than that of the softener container 32. Accordingly, fig. 4 to 7 representatively illustrate the detergent container 31, and the detergent container 31 will be described below.

The detergent container 31 is formed of, for example, plastic into an approximately rectangular box shape having sides close to each other in the forward direction and a slightly smaller width dimension. As shown in fig. 4 to 6, a supplementary opening 31a located at the front is formed in the upper surface of the detergent container 31, and a lid 39 for opening and closing the opening 31a is attached so as to be openable and closable. Further, a detachable handle portion 40 is integrally provided at an upper end portion of the front surface side of the detergent container 31. Thus, the user can perform the following operations: the lid 34 of the main body 1 is opened, the detergent container 31 is detached upward from the container box 29 by grasping the handle portion 40, the lid 39 is opened to replenish the detergent from the opening 31a, and then the lid 39 is closed and mounted on the container box 29 again.

As shown in fig. 4 to 6, a lower half portion of the detergent container 31, which is a rear surface side of the peripheral wall portion, is provided with a bulging portion 31b projecting rearward, and a connection port 41 is provided at a portion of the bulging portion 31b near an upper portion. In the assembled state of the detergent container 31 to the container box 29, the front end of the suction port 30a of the pump 30 is inserted into and connected to the connection port 41 in a facing manner. Therefore, the connection port 41 is provided as a peripheral wall portion located above the bottom of the detergent container 31. In this case, as shown in fig. 6, the connection port 41 is provided at a position higher than a notification liquid level L described later. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, a mesh-like filter member 53 is provided in the detergent container 31 to prevent the pump 30 from sucking in garbage and the like contained in the detergent.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, a dip tube 42 for allowing the pump 30 to dip up the detergent inside the detergent container 31 is provided inside the detergent container 31. The dip tube 42 is formed in an inverted L-shape or T-shape, one end side thereof is connected to the connection port 41, the other end side thereof extends toward the bottom portion of the detergent container 31, and the lower end thereof is open near the bottom portion. More specifically, as shown in fig. 7, the dip tube 42 is configured to integrally include: a horizontal pipe portion 43 extending horizontally from a front end portion connected to the connection port 41 toward the inside, i.e., the front of the detergent container 31; and a hanging pipe part 44 which communicates with the horizontal pipe part 43 and extends downward from the front lower surface of the horizontal pipe part 43 to the vicinity of the bottom in the detergent container 31.

At this time, as shown in fig. 7, the end portion of the horizontal tube portion 43 opposite to the connection port 41, that is, the distal end portion is formed as an opening portion 43a, and a cylindrical cover member 45 for closing the opening portion 43a is detachably attached to the distal end portion of the horizontal tube portion 43. In this case, the lid member 45 is provided with a plurality of engaging holes 45a in the outer peripheral wall thereof, and the lid member 45 is attached to the distal end portion of the horizontal tube portion 43 by engaging the engaging holes 45a with a plurality of claw portions 43b provided on the outer peripheral surface of the horizontal tube portion 43, respectively.

In the present embodiment, a check valve 46 for preventing liquid from leaking from the inside of the detergent container 31 to the outside is incorporated in the horizontal tube portion 43 of the dip tube 42. At this time, the horizontal pipe portion 43 is provided with a partition wall 47, and the partition wall 47 has an opening 47a so as to divide the inside of the horizontal pipe portion 43 into two in the front-rear direction. The check valve 46 includes: a valve body 46a that moves in the front-rear direction to open and close the opening 47 a; and a coil spring 48 that biases the valve body 46a in a direction to close the opening 47a rearward. The coil spring 48 is provided between the valve body 46a and the cover member 45. The valve body 46a integrally includes a press-fitting pin 46b extending rearward.

Thus, when the detergent container 31 is removed from the container case 29, that is, when the suction port 30a of the pump 30 is not connected to the connection port 41, the valve body 46a of the check valve 46 is pressed against the partition wall 47 by the elastic force of the coil spring 48 to close the opening 47a, thereby cutting off the communication between the horizontal pipe portion 43 and the downward pipe portion 44. In contrast, in a state where the detergent container 31 is mounted on the container box 29 and the suction port 30a of the pump 30 is connected to the connection port 41, the suction port 30a pushes the push-in pin 46b forward, and the valve body 46a of the check valve 46 moves forward against the elastic force of the coil spring 48 to open the opening 47a, thereby communicating the horizontal pipe portion 43 and the downward pipe portion 44.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, a remaining amount notifying device 49 is provided, and the remaining amount notifying device 49 detects the liquid level of the detergent in the detergent container 31 and notifies that when the liquid level is lowered to a notification liquid level L, which is a liquid level at which replenishment should be recommended. In the present embodiment, the remaining amount notifying device 49 is configured to: a swing lever 50 is provided in the detergent container 31, and a magnetic sensor 51 is provided at the bottom of the container box 29. The upper end of the swing lever 50 is pivotally supported at a rear upper end portion of a side wall portion in the detergent container 31 so as to be rotatable, and the lower portion of the swing lever 50 extends diagonally forward. A rectangular plate-shaped float portion 50a is integrally provided at a lower end portion of the swing lever 50, and a permanent magnet 52 is attached to the float portion 50 a.

The float portion 50a functions as a float that floats on the liquid surface of the detergent so that the liquid surface is at the center portion thereof, and thereby the swing lever 50 swings between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the imaginary line in fig. 5 in accordance with the height of the liquid surface of the detergent in the detergent container 31. In this case, as shown in fig. 5, when the liquid level of the detergent in the detergent container 31 is equal to or higher than the liquid level L0, the swing lever 50 stops at a position where the float portion 50a contacts the front wall. When the detergent in the detergent container 31 drops below the liquid level L0, the float 50a descends, and as shown in fig. 6, when the detergent drops below the notification liquid level L, which is a liquid level at which replenishment of the detergent should be recommended, the magnetic sensor 51 detects the permanent magnet 52. At this time, a detection signal of the magnetic sensor 51 is input to a control device not shown.

Thus, the remaining amount notification device 49 detects whether or not the detergent in the detergent container 31 has fallen below the notification level L at which the replenishment of the detergent should be recommended, and notifies the user, for example, a display for prompting the replenishment of the detergent on the display unit 6 in response to the detection. Further, as described above, the connection port 41 is provided at a position higher than the notification liquid level L. Although not shown in the drawings and described in the drawings, the softener container 32 has a structure similar to the detergent container 31, and the suction port 30b of the pump 30 is connected to a connection port 41 provided at a position higher than the reported liquid level L of the softener container 32, and when the liquid level of the softener in the softener container 32 is lowered to the reported liquid level L, the softener is reported by the remaining amount reporting device 49.

The control device is configured to control the entire washing machine mainly by a microcomputer, for example. The control device controls the

water supply valves

20, 21, and 22 of the water supply valve unit 12, the pump 30 of the automatic charging device 17, the drum motor, the drain valve, the drying unit, and the like based on input signals from various sensors, a control program stored in advance, and the like in accordance with an operation program set by a user on the operation panel 5. Thereby, the washing operation and the drying operation including the water washing process, the rinsing process and the dehydrating process are automatically executed. Since the details of the respective steps of the washing operation and the drying operation are well known, the description thereof will be omitted. As described above, when the remaining amount notification device 49 detects that the detergent or the softener has dropped below the notification liquid level L, the control device notifies the user, that is, displays the notification on the display unit 6.

In the present embodiment, when the washing operation is performed, the user performs a selection operation on the operation panel 5 to automatically feed the detergent and the softener by the automatic feeding device 17 or manually feed the required amount of the detergent and the softener 1 time by the storage case 18 of the manual feeding mechanism 19. When the automatic input of the detergent and the softener is selected, the controller supplies a required amount of the detergent to the discharge unit by the automatic input device 17 before the water supply in the washing stroke is started, and then opens the automatic water supply valve 21 to supply the water. Before the final rinsing stroke, a required amount of the softener is supplied to the supply portion by the automatic charging device 17, and then the automatic water supply valve 21 is opened to supply water. Further, water is supplied based on the cloth amount detection result in the drum in such a manner that the water level in the water tub corresponds to the cloth amount.

Next, the operation and effect of the washing machine having the above-described configuration will be described. As a preparation for using the automatic loading device 17, the user stores the detergent in the detergent container 31 and the softener in the softener container 32 in advance. When a washing operation is performed in the washing machine, a user operates the power switch 4 to turn on the power, thereby storing laundry in the drum. Further, the operation program is selected by the operation panel 5. At the same time, any one of the automatic and manual input of the detergent and the softener can be selected. When the washing operation is started, the control device controls each mechanism of the washing machine to automatically execute the washing operation including each course of washing, rinsing and dewatering, which are well known.

At this time, when the automatic detergent supply is selected, the pump 30 of the automatic supply device 17 is controlled to suck the detergent in the detergent container 31 from the suction port 30a before the water supply in the washing stroke is started. At this time, the suction port 30a of the pump 30 is connected to the connection port 41 of the detergent container 31, that is, the suction port 30a of the pump 30 is inserted into the connection port 41 of the detergent container 31, whereby the press-fitting pin 46b is pressed so that the check valve 46 is opened, the detergent is drawn from the lower end of the hanging pipe portion 44 of the draw-up pipe 42 at the bottom of the detergent container 31, and the detergent is sucked in through the horizontal pipe portion 43. The required amount of detergent is supplied to the mixing space 38, which is a discharge part in the automatic water supply path 14, by driving the pump 30 for a predetermined time.

When the automatic water supply valve 21 is opened, water from the water supply source is supplied to the automatic water supply path 14. At this time, the water flows into the mixing space 38 of the housing portion 35a from the inlet pipe 35b of the first joint member 35 and is mixed with the detergent supplied to the discharge portion. The mixed washing water flows from the outlet pipe portion 35c through the connection hose 37 and the second joint member 36 into the lower portion of the inside of the water filling box 13 from the connection hole 13 a. Then, the water flows rearward below the storage case 18 and is supplied into the water tube through the water supply hose 16. Thus, the washing water with detergent dissolved in the water is automatically supplied to the water drum to execute the washing stroke.

Thereafter, when the stroke is executed and before the water supply in the rinsing stroke is finally performed, the pump 30 of the automatic charging device 17 is driven in the reverse direction when the automatic charging is selected, and the softener in the softener container 32 is sucked from the suction port 30b through the dip tube 42 in the same manner. The required amount of the softener is supplied to the mixing space 38, which is a discharge portion in the middle of the automatic water supply path 14, by driving the pump 30 for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the automatic water supply valve 21 is opened, the water flowing through the automatic water supply path 14 flows while dissolving the softener in the mixing space 38, the washing water containing the softener is supplied into the water tub through the water injection cartridge 13, and finally the rinsing stroke is performed. Thereafter, a dehydration stroke and the like are performed.

Here, when the process of performing the washing operation while automatically feeding the detergent and the softener is repeatedly performed by the automatic feeding device 17, the detergent in the detergent container 31 and the softener in the softener container 32 are gradually reduced. As described above, when the remaining amount notification device 49 detects that the detergent in the detergent container 31 has fallen below the notification level L at which the replenishment of the detergent should be recommended, the display unit 6 displays a message prompting the replenishment of the detergent and notifies the user. Even when the liquid level of the softener in the softener container 32 is lowered to the notification liquid level L, the display unit 6 displays a prompt to replenish the softener.

When the user sees a notification prompting the user to replenish the washing treatment agent on the display unit 6, or when the user feels that replenishment is required immediately by experience, the user performs the operation of replenishing the washing treatment agent in the

containers

31 and 32. In the prior art, when a user supplies detergent to the detergent container 31, the lid 34 on the upper surface of the main body 1 is opened, the detergent container 31 is detached upward, the lid 39 is opened, and the detergent is supplied, and then the detergent container is mounted on the container box 29 again. In this case, the connection port 41 of the detergent container 31 is not located at the bottom of the container 31, but is located at a peripheral wall portion located above the bottom of the container 31, that is, at a high position.

Therefore, when the detergent container 31 is detached from the container case 29, even if the detergent remains in the detergent container 31, the liquid level is hardly higher than the position of the connection port 41, and in most cases, the liquid level of the detergent is lower than the position of the connection port 41. This prevents the detergent from leaking from the connection port 41. In addition, in a state where the detergent container 31 is detached from the container box 29, the suction port 30a of the pump 30 is deviated from the connection port 41 so that the check valve 46 is in a closed state, and therefore, leakage can be more effectively prevented. In the case of the softener container 32, the replenishing operation can be similarly performed, and similarly, the softener can be effectively prevented from leaking from the connection port 41.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the connection port 41, which is the outlet of the cleaning agent, of the

containers

31 and 32 of the automatic loading device 17 is configured as follows: the peripheral wall portion is not provided at the bottom of the

container

31, 32, but is provided above the bottom of the

container

31, 32. As a result, according to the present embodiment, since the automatic detergent feeding device 17 is provided and the connection port 41 is located at a high position, the following excellent effects can be obtained: the effect of preventing the detergent from leaking to the outside when the

containers

31 and 32 for storing the detergent are taken out is excellent.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the following structure is provided: a remaining amount notifying device 49 is provided, the remaining amount notifying device 49 detects the liquid level of the washing treatment agent in the

containers

31, 32, notifies that when the liquid level is lowered to a notification liquid level L at which replenishment is recommended, and the connection port 41 is provided at a position higher than the notification liquid level L. Therefore, in many cases, when the liquid level of the washing treatment agent is lower than the position of the connection port 41, the user takes out the

containers

31 and 32, and the effect of preventing the washing treatment agent from leaking from the connection port 41 can be further improved.

In the present embodiment, a dip tube 42 is provided in the

containers

31 and 32, one end side of the dip tube 42 is connected to the connection port 41, and the other end side of the dip tube 42 extends toward the bottom in the

containers

31 and 32. Thus, even if the connection port 41 is located at a high position in the

containers

31 and 32, the washing treatment agent at the bottom in the

containers

31 and 32 can be pumped up by the pump 30 through the pump line 42. Even more, the internal volume of the

containers

31, 32 can be fully used.

In the present embodiment, a check valve 46 for preventing liquid from leaking from the inside of the

containers

31 and 32 to the outside is provided inside the dip tube 42. This can also expect the leakage prevention effect by the check valve 46, and therefore the leakage prevention effect can be further improved. In the case where only the check valve 46 prevents leakage, the function of the check valve may be impaired when the cleaning treatment agent adheres to the check valve and is solidified and foreign matter is caught in the check valve with long-term use. However, in the present embodiment, since the leakage prevention effect can be achieved by the structure of the connection port 41 itself, the leakage prevention effect can be added by providing the check valve 46.

In this case, the present embodiment is configured as follows: an opening 43a is provided on the side of the horizontal tube portion 43 of the dip tube 42 opposite to the connection port 41, and the opening 43a is detachably closed by a cover member 45. Accordingly, the cover member 45 is removed to facilitate maintenance of the inside of the horizontal tube 43, and specifically, repair and replacement of the check valve 46 can be easily performed in response to a failure such as damage of the packing.

In the above embodiment, the detergent container and the softener container are formed in a rectangular box shape having a small width, and the shape, structure, and the like of the container can be variously modified. The connection port may be provided on any of the front, rear, left, and right peripheral wall portions of the container. The structure of the dip tube may be variously modified, and the dip tube may not include a check valve. Although the structure is provided with the detergent container and the softener container, the structure may be such that only the detergent as the washing treatment agent or only the softener is automatically supplied. The remaining amount detecting device may be configured by using an optical sensor, an electrostatic capacity sensor, or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, the horizontal pipe portion 43 is provided so as to extend horizontally, but the horizontal pipe portion means a pipe in the horizontal direction, and may extend obliquely to the horizontal direction. The entire configuration of the automatic loading device is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, a piston pump may be used as a pump for transferring the detergent, or a configuration in which the detergent is supplied by opening and closing an electromagnetic valve may be used. Various modifications are possible to the structure of the automatic water supply path. 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, or may be a washing machine without a drying function.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described new embodiment may be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above-described 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 equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A washing machine having an automatic charging device for automatically charging a washing treatment agent into a water tub provided in a main body,

the automatic loading device is provided with:

a container housing portion provided in the main body;

a container for storing a cleaning agent and detachably attached to the container housing section; and

a pump drawing the laundry treatment agent from the container,

in the container, a connection port connected to the suction port of the pump when the container is mounted on the container housing portion is provided as a peripheral wall portion located above a bottom portion of the container.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein,

the washing machine is provided with a residual quantity informing device which detects the liquid level of the washing processing agent in the container and informs the situation when the liquid level is reduced to the liquid level which is recommended to be supplemented,

the connection port is provided at a position higher than the liquid level at which replenishment should be recommended.

3. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2,

a dip tube having one end side connected to the connection port is provided in the container, and the other end side of the dip tube extends toward the bottom in the container.

4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein,

a check valve for preventing liquid from leaking from the inside of the container to the outside is provided inside the dip tube.

5. The washing machine according to claim 3 or 4,

the dip tube is configured to have: a horizontal pipe portion extending horizontally from a distal end portion connected to the connection port toward an inside of the container; and a hanging pipe part extending downward from the horizontal pipe part,

an opening is provided at an end of the horizontal pipe portion opposite to the connection port, and the opening is detachably closed by a cover member.