CN112301674A - Clothes treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a clothes treating device, which can solve the problem related to leakage from the outlet side of a container for automatically feeding clothes treating agent. The clothes treatment device of the embodiment comprises: an outer box; a laundry treating drum disposed inside the outer box; and an automatic loading device for automatically loading a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent into the laundry treatment drum during operation, the automatic loading device including a treatment agent container capable of storing a required amount of the laundry treatment agent for a plurality of operations, and a driving mechanism driven to load the laundry treatment agent in the treatment agent container into the laundry treatment drum, wherein a connection member connected to an outlet port outside the treatment agent container is provided in a loading path for guiding the laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent container to the laundry treatment drum by driving of the driving mechanism, and a receiving portion capable of receiving the laundry treatment agent leaked from the connection portion is provided around an outer periphery of a connection portion between the connection member and the outlet port or below the connection portion.

Description

Clothes treating device

Technical Field

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

Background

In a recent washing machine, which is an example of a laundry treatment apparatus for performing a predetermined treatment on laundry, the following structure has been developed to meet a demand for improvement in user convenience: a container for automatic loading stores a washing treatment agent such as a detergent or a softener required for a plurality of times of washing in advance, and a water tub is automatically loaded with a required amount of the washing treatment agent from the container during operation (see, for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2019-37722

Disclosure of Invention

However, the automatic feeding container is provided with a pump or the like which is driven when the detergent in the container is fed into the water tub. In the discharge port portion of the pump, that is, the lead-out port portion outside the container, it is desired to completely eliminate leakage caused by deterioration of the seal member over time. However, if the washing treatment agent leaks from the outlet side due to, for example, deterioration over time or vibration of the pump, the washing treatment agent may contact or adhere to an electrical component for automatic use.

In view of this, the present embodiment provides a laundry treating apparatus capable of solving the problem related to the leakage from the delivery port side of the container for automatically feeding the laundry treating agent.

The clothes treatment device according to the embodiment comprises: an outer box; a laundry treating drum disposed inside the outer case; and an automatic input device which automatically inputs a prescribed amount of the laundry treatment agent into the laundry treatment drum during operation, and which includes: the laundry machine includes a treating agent container capable of storing a required amount of a laundry treating agent for a plurality of operations, and a driving mechanism driven to throw the laundry treating agent in the treating agent container into the laundry treating drum, wherein a connection member connected to a lead-out port outside the treating agent container is provided in a throw-in path for guiding the laundry treating agent from the treating agent container to the laundry treating drum by driving of the driving mechanism, and a receiving portion capable of receiving the laundry treating agent leaked from the connection portion is provided around an outer periphery of a connection portion between the connection member and the lead-out port or below the connection portion.

According to the above configuration, the receiving portion can prevent the laundry treatment agent from flowing out to the periphery, and the laundry treatment agent can be prevented from contacting with the electric components of the automatic loading device including the lead wire of the drive mechanism or other electric components in the outer case.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal side view schematically showing a configuration example of a washing machine according to embodiment 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of arrangement of the treating agent container in the upper part of the outer box.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the automatic charging device together with the water supply path.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the automatic loading device together with the water supply path.

Fig. 5 is a left side view showing the automatic throw-in apparatus together with the water supply path.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the water supply path around the automatic loading device is covered with the cover member.

Fig. 7 is a left side view schematically showing the structure of the outlet port of the container for detergent and the receiving portion of the connecting member.

FIG. 8 is a right side view showing a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the outlet port and the receiving portion of the container for conditioner.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the structure in the vicinity of the receiving portion together with the inner wall of the outer box.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the upper half of the connecting member formed with the receiving portion.

Fig. 11 is a left side view schematically showing the structure of the outlet port and the receiving portion of the container according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 12 is a right side view schematically showing the structure of the outlet and the receiving portion of the container according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 13 is a side view schematically showing a configuration example of a washing machine according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the automatic loading device according to embodiment 4 and its peripheral portions.

Fig. 15 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of a receiving unit and its peripheral portion according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of a receiving unit and its peripheral portion according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 17 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of a receiver according to a modification example of embodiment 4 (fig. 1).

Fig. 18 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of a receiving unit according to a modification example of embodiment 4 (fig. 2).

Description of the reference numerals

1. 101 … washing machine (laundry treatment device); 2. 102 an outer box 102 …; 5. 103 … water drum (laundry treatment drum); 17. 18 … container (treating agent container); 19. 107 … automatic input device; 23. 24, 109, 110 … pump (drive mechanism); 23b, 24b, 50b, 60b, 109a, 109b … outlet port (lead-out port); 25. 25 a', 111 … throw-in path; 35. 59 … connecting member; 37. 52, 62 … receiving portions (recesses); 37a, 37b, 37c, 52a, 52b, 62a, 62b, 62c … guide walls; 112 … mixing chamber forming part (connecting part); 120 … a receiving portion; 121 … guide ribs (guide portions); 122 … guide wall portions (wall portions); 123. 123, 123b, 124 … notches; 125 … relay guide (additional guide); 126 … relay the guide ribs (guide walls).

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the laundry treatment apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals and the like are given to substantially the same constituent portions in the respective embodiments, and the description thereof is omitted.

< embodiment 1 >

Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 10. The washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is an example of a laundry treatment apparatus capable of performing a washing operation including a predetermined treatment for laundry as laundry, and in this case, includes at least a water washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process. As shown schematically in fig. 1, the washing machine 1 is a so-called horizontal-axis drum-type washing machine in which the rotation center axis 5a of the rotary drum extends in the horizontal direction or in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

In the washing machine 1, an outer casing 2 constituting an outer contour thereof has a rectangular box shape. A front surface 2a of the outer box 2 is formed in an inclined shape with a slightly lowered front side, and a door 3 for opening and closing a laundry entrance not shown is provided in the front surface 2 a. In fig. 2, for convenience of explanation, only the upper surface portion 2b and the left side surface portion 2c are shown in the outer box 2.

The rotary drum and a water drum 5 (shown only in fig. 1) for storing the rotary drum are provided inside the outer box 2. Although not shown in the drawings, the rotary drum is a drum formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and capable of storing laundry therein, and a well-known baffle plate for raising the laundry is provided on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The water tube 5 is a bottomed cylindrical tube capable of storing water.

The washing machine 1 includes: a water supply device 6 including a water supply path for supplying water into the water tub 5; and a drainage device (not shown) including a drainage path for discharging water in the water tub 5 to the outside of the machine. The water supply device 6 is configured to: a water supply valve unit 21 described later is provided in the middle of a water supply path extending from a water source (not shown) such as a tap water pipe to the water tube 5. The drain device is configured to include a drain valve and the like in the middle of a drain path extending from the bottom of the water tank 5 to the outside of the machine.

Next, the water supply device 6 will be described with reference to fig. 2 to 6. The water supply device 6 includes a water supply box 10 in a water supply path 7 extending from a hose connection port 7a (see fig. 2 and 3) connected to an external water source (not shown) to a connection port 7b (see the two-dot chain lines in fig. 3 and 5) on the upper portion of the water tub 5. As shown in fig. 3, 5, and the like, the water filling box 10 is formed in a rectangular box shape elongated in the front-rear direction of the washing machine 1, and includes a water filling box main body 11 and a container housing 12. The cartridge main body 11 and the container storage 12 are made of, for example, synthetic resin, and the cartridge main body 11 and the container storage 12 are integrally molded.

In the water injection cartridge 10, a water injection cartridge main body portion 11 constituting a main body portion is formed in a substantially rectangular container shape. As shown in fig. 5, the bottom of the cartridge main body 11 is inclined from the front side to the rear side, and the bottom portion thereof is connected to the connection port 7b at the upper portion of the water tub 5 via the water supply hose 13. The container housing section 12 is integrally provided at an upper portion of the cartridge main body section 11 near the rear.

A manual feed cassette 14 is housed inside the water pouring cassette main body portion 11 and on the tip end side thereof. The manual feed box 14 is configured as a so-called drawer-type manual feed portion that is housed in the inside of the water pouring box main body portion 11 so as to be able to be taken in and out in the front-rear direction.

As shown in the plan view of fig. 6, a detergent input portion 15 and a softener input portion 16 are provided in the manual input cartridge 14 so as to be arranged in the left-right direction. In this case, a detergent treatment agent such as a detergent is put into the detergent putting portion 15 located at the front left portion in the manual putting-in cartridge 14 by a manual operation of the user. On the other hand, by a manual operation of the user, for example, a detergent treatment agent such as a softener is introduced into the softener introduction portion 16 located at the right front portion in the manual introduction cartridge 14.

The container housing portion 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape with an open upper surface side. A pair of containers, for example, a detergent container 17 and a softener container 18, which are a plurality of treatment agent containers, are detachably stored in the container storage section 12. In this case, as illustrated in fig. 2, both the detergent container 17 and the softener container 18 are attached to and detached from the container housing portion 12 from above through an opening 2d formed in the upper surface portion 2b of the outer box 2.

That is, the water supply device 6 is disposed at the upper left side in the outer box 2, the manual feed box 14 is in a form facing the opening (see fig. 1 and 2) of the front surface portion 2a of the outer box 2, and the container housing portion 12 is in a form facing the opening 2d of the upper surface portion 2b of the outer box 2. The opening 2d of the upper surface portion 2b is formed in a rectangular shape having a size corresponding to the container housing portion 12, and is configured to be openable and closable by a lid 8 fitted thereto.

The detergent container 17 stores detergent as a washing treatment agent for washing the laundry in the water tub 5. The detergent container 17 is formed in a rectangular container-like treatment agent container having a size and shape capable of storing a required amount of detergent for a plurality of operations therein. The detergent in the detergent container 17 can be replenished by opening a replenishment port (replenishment window 17a shown in fig. 6 and the like) provided in the upper part of the container 17.

Further, the softener container 18 stores a softener as a washing treatment agent for performing a softening treatment of the laundry in the water tub 5. The softener container 18 is formed into a size and shape capable of storing a required amount of softener for a plurality of runs in the interior thereof, and is a rectangular container-shaped treating agent container. The softener in the softener container 18 can be replenished by opening a replenishment port (replenishment window 18a) provided in the upper part of the container 18.

The detergent container 17 and the softener container 18 are housed in the container housing portion 12 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction of the washing machine 1, and are housed in the container housing portion 12 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction.

In the water supply device 6, the detergent container 17 and the softener container 18 described above constitute an automatic feeding device 19 together with pumps 23 and 24, and the pumps 23 and 24 are driven to feed the cleaning treatment agent in the containers 17 and 18 to the water tub 5, respectively.

Specifically, the metering pump 23 for a detergent shown in fig. 4 to 6 and the like is a pump 23 having the following configuration: the piston is driven by an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid to suck and send out the liquid. The detergent metering pump 23 sucks a predetermined amount of detergent, which is used for 1 operation in this case, from the detergent container 17, and sends the sucked detergent into the automatic loading path 25.

Similarly, the softener metering pump 24 is a pump 24 of the following structure: the piston is driven by, for example, a motor, a solenoid, or the like, to suck the liquid and send it out. The softener is sucked by the metering pump 24 from the softener container 18 by an amount used for 1 operation, and the sucked softener is sent out into the automatic inlet path 25.

The detergent metering pump 23 and the softener metering pump 24 each correspond to a drive mechanism that is driven and controlled by a control device (not shown) that controls the entire washing machine 1 (that is, a control device that controls the above-described washing operation).

The automatic feeding path 25 is connected to the detergent metering pump 23 and the softener metering pump 24 via a connection member 35 on the base end side 25a shown in fig. 5, and is connected to the bottom of the water supply cassette 10 on the tip end side 25 b. In this case, the front end side 25b of the automatic input path 25 is connected to: the water pouring box main body 11 is located below the bottom surface of the manual insertion box 14.

Thus, a predetermined amount of the detergent drawn out of the detergent container 17 by the detergent metering pump 23 or a predetermined amount of the softener drawn out of the softener container 18 by the softener metering pump 24 is supplied into the water injection cartridge 10 via the connection member 35 and the automatic supply path 25 in this order, and is automatically supplied into the water tub 5 from the water injection cartridge 10 via the water supply hose 13.

The structure of the connection member 35 on the proximal end side 25a of the automatic loading path 25 will be described later.

The water supply device 6 includes a water supply path portion 20, a water supply valve unit 21, a shower water pump 22, and the like in addition to the automatic charging device 19 and the automatic charging path 25 described above.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the water supply path portion 20 integrally includes a plurality of paths such as a main water supply path 31, a soft water supply path 32, and a bath water supply path 33. The main water filling path 31, the soft water filling path 32, and the bath water filling path 33 are all manual input paths, and constitute a water filling path for supplying water to the manual input cartridge 14 in the water filling cartridge 10.

The main water supply path 31 is a water supply path for supplying water, such as tap water, supplied from the hose connection port 7a to the detergent supply portion 15 in the manual supply cartridge 14. The soft water injection path 32 is a water injection path for injecting water supplied from the hose connection port 7a into the softener-adding portion 16 in the manual-adding cartridge 14. The bath water supply path 33 is a supply path for supplying bath water supplied from a water source outside the washing machine 1 such as a bathtub to the detergent supply portion 15 in the manual supply box 14.

The water supply valve unit 21 is constituted by, for example, a liquid on-off valve that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. Although not shown in detail, water supply valve unit 21 is integrally provided with, for example, 4 water supply valves 21a to 21d (see fig. 4 to 6).

The distal end of the water supply valve 21a is connected to and communicates with the proximal end side of the main water filling path 31, and when the water supply valve 21a is opened, water supplied from the hose connection port 7a is introduced into the main water filling path 31. The main water supply path 31 extends to guide the introduced water to the front left portion of the upper portion of the water supply cartridge main body 11. That is, as shown in fig. 3, 4, and 6, the front end of the main water supply path 31 is positioned above the detergent input portion 15 of the manual input cartridge 14 housed in the water supply cartridge main body 11, and the bottom wall of the main water supply path 31 has a plurality of water supply holes 31a (see fig. 4) for supplying water introduced into the water supply path 31 from above to the detergent input portion 15.

The distal end of the water supply valve 21b is connected to and communicates with the base end side of the soft water injection passage 32, and when the water supply valve 21b is opened, the water supplied from the hose connection port 7a is introduced into the soft water injection passage 32. The soft water supply path 32 extends to guide the guided water to the right front of the upper portion of the cartridge main body 11. That is, as shown in fig. 3, 4, and 6, the tip of the soft water filling path 32 is positioned above the softener input portion 16 of the manual-input cartridge 14 housed in the water injection cartridge main body 11, and the bottom wall of the soft water filling path 32 has a plurality of water filling holes 32a (see fig. 4) for supplying water introduced into the water filling path 32 from above to the softener input portion 16.

The distal end portion of the water supply valve 21c is connected to and communicates with the connection member 35 via a communication portion 34 described later with reference to fig. 8, and the connection member 35 is connected to the detergent metering pump 23 and the softener metering pump 24. When the water supply valve 21c is opened, the water supplied from the hose connection port 7a is introduced into the connection member 35 through the communication portion 34. The detergent fed into the connection member 35 by the detergent metering pump 23 or the softener fed into the connection member 35 by the softener metering pump 24 is introduced into the water injection cartridge 10 through the automatic inlet path 25 by the water supplied from the water supply valve 21c (or together with the water). In this way, the detergent or softener introduced into the water filling cartridge 10 is supplied into the water tub 5 through the water supply hose 13 together with the water supplied from the water supply valve 21 c.

The front end of the water supply valve 21d is connected to a not-shown pipe provided in the washing machine 1 as a water supply valve for supplying washing water for washing the pipe.

The front end of the bath water pump 22 is connected to and communicates with the base end of the bath water supply path 33, and the bath water is pumped by driving the pump 22 and the pumped bath water is introduced into the bath water supply path 33. The shower water pouring path 33 extends in front of the upper portion of the water pouring box main body 11. In this case, as shown in fig. 4, the front end of the bath water supply path 33 is located behind the front end of the main water supply path 31 and the front end of the soft water supply path 32, extends linearly in the left-right direction, and has a plurality of water supply holes 33a in the bottom wall of the bath water supply path 33.

Further, in the path 25 for automatic feeding that guides the detergent sent out from the detergent container 17 by the detergent metering pump 23 or the softener sent out from the softener container 18 by the softener metering pump 24 to the water drum 5, it is particularly desirable to completely eliminate the liquid leakage at the portion of the connecting member 35.

However, if the detergent leaks from the discharge port 23b due to, for example, shortage of a sealing member 41a (see fig. 7 described later) between the connection member 35 in the automatic input path 25 and the discharge port 23b of the detergent metering pump 23, deterioration with age, vibration when the pump 23 is driven, or the like, the detergent may contact and adhere to an electrical component for automatic input. In view of this, in the present embodiment, the connection member 35 in the automatic loading path 25 is provided with the receiving portion 37 capable of receiving the detergent or the like, so as to solve the problem of liquid leakage.

The configuration of the outlet port (i.e., the connection portion) including the automatic introduction path 25 of the connection member 35 and the discharge port 23b of the detergent metering pump 23 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 7 to 10.

For convenience of description, the automatic supply path 25 will be referred to as a "supply path 25", the detergent metering pump 23 and the softener metering pump 24 will be referred to as a "pump 23" and a "pump 24", respectively, and the detergent container 17 and the softener container 18 will be referred to as a "container 17" and a "container 18", respectively.

For convenience, fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along VII-VII of fig. 6, schematically showing the container 17 and the pump 23 for the detergent, and fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along VIII-VIII of fig. 6, showing the container 18 and the pump 24 for the softener in an enlarged manner, and showing a connecting portion of the connecting member 35.

The pumps 23 and 24 and the containers 17 and 18 are configured in the same manner as described above.

That is, first, as shown in the schematic diagram of fig. 7, the pump 23 for the detergent is located outside the container housing section 12 and on the rear wall 12a side of the housing section 12. In the pump 23 for the detergent, a suction port 23a is provided to protrude forward so as to be connected to the container 17, and a discharge port 23b is provided to protrude downward so as to be connected to the connection member 35. The discharge port 23b corresponds to a discharge port for discharging the detergent in the container 17 to the outside by driving the pump 23.

As shown in fig. 8, the softener pump 24 is disposed outside the rear wall 12a of the container storage section 12 so as to be arranged in the left-right direction with respect to the detergent pump 23. In the softener pump 24, a suction port 24a projects forward to be connected to the container 18, and a discharge port 24b projects downward to be connected to the connecting member 35. The discharge port 24b corresponds to a discharge port for discharging the softener in the container 18 to the outside by driving the pump 24.

As shown in fig. 5 and 8, the connection member 35 is provided at the rear portion of the cartridge main body 11 to connect the communication portion 34 communicating with the water supply valve 21c and the hose 25h constituting the input path 25.

The connecting member 35 is composed of two members of a lower half 35D and an upper half 35U which are vertically combined (see fig. 8 to 10). In the connecting member 35, the lower half portion 35D and the upper half portion 35U thereof are each composed of a synthetic resin material (for example, PP), and the lower half portion 35D and the upper half portion 35U are combined and joined to each other. Thereby, inside the connecting member 35, there are formed: a space (introducing path 25') through which water, detergent, or softener supplied from water supply valve 21c flows (see fig. 8 and 10).

As shown in fig. 8, a cylindrical upstream-side connecting portion 40 connected to the communicating portion 34 is integrally formed in the upper half portion 35U of the connecting member 35 so as to be located on the base end side (upstream side which is the rear side). Further, a cylindrical downstream side connection portion 43 (see fig. 5) connected to the hose 25h is integrally formed in the lower half portion 35D of the connection member 35 so as to be positioned on the front end side (downstream side as the front side) as shown in fig. 9.

In the upper half 35U of the coupling member 35, the coupling portion 41 is integrally formed at a position corresponding to the discharge port 23b of the pump 23 for detergent as shown in fig. 7, and the coupling portion 42 is integrally formed at a position corresponding to the discharge port 24b of the pump 24 for softener as shown in fig. 8 (see fig. 9).

Here, fig. 10 is a perspective view of the upper half 35U of the connecting member 35 in an enlarged manner. As shown in the figure, each of the connecting portion 41 for the detergent and the connecting portion 42 for the softener is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes upward. The connection member 35 is connected to the discharge port 23b via a seal member 41a (see fig. 7) at a connection portion 41 for detergent, and is connected to the discharge port 24b via a seal member 42a (see fig. 8) at a connection portion 42 for softener.

As shown in fig. 8 to 10, the connection member 35 extends in the front-rear direction from the upstream side connection portion 40 to the softener connection portion 42, extends in the left-right direction from the softener connection portion 42 to the downstream side connection portion 43, and is formed to be bent in an L shape as a whole. In this case, the connecting member 35 extends from the connecting portion 42 for the softener to the downstream side connecting portion 43 so as to extend toward the inner wall of the left side surface portion 2c of the outer box 2 (see fig. 9).

Further, the connecting member 35 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 44, and the plurality of screw holes 44 protrude outward of the upper half portion 35U as shown in fig. 10. The connecting member 35 is attached and fixed by inserting a screw 46 (see fig. 9) inserted into each threaded hole 44 from below into a boss portion (not shown) of the water injection box main body portion 11. In this case, the entire connecting member 35 (including the upper surface of the upper half 35U) is: the mounting state gradually inclines downward toward the inner wall side (the left downstream side in fig. 9) of the outer box 2.

A receiving portion 37 for receiving liquid is integrally formed in the upper half portion 35U of the connecting member 35. As shown in fig. 10, the receiving portion 37 is formed in a shape surrounding the connecting portions 41 and 42 as connecting portions connected to the respective discharge ports 23b and 24b, and is capable of receiving the liquid leaked from any of the connecting portions 41 and 42.

Specifically, the receiving portion 37 is groove-shaped, and includes: a bottom wall 37a formed on an upper surface (upper wall) of the upper half portion 35U extending outward of the respective connecting portions 41, 42; a front wall 37b erected on an edge of the bottom wall 37 a; a rear wall 37 c; and a right wall 37 d. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the front wall 37b, the rear wall 37c, and the right wall 37d are rib-like members that protrude upward. The height of the right wall 37d is set to be higher than the upper ends of the respective connecting portions 41 and 42, but the height of the front wall 37b and the rear wall 37c may be set to be higher than the upper ends of the respective connecting portions 41 and 42.

As shown in fig. 9, in the receiving portion 37, a front wall 37b and a rear wall 37c extend from the outer periphery of each of the connecting portions 41 and 42 along the upper half portion 35U toward the inner wall of the left side surface portion 2c of the outer case 2. The receiving portion 37 has no left wall, that is, the left side surface 2c of the outer box 2 has an open inner wall, and the entire receiving portion 37 including the bottom wall 37a is inclined downward toward the inner wall.

As shown in fig. 10, the raised portion 45 in the bottom wall 37a of the receiving portion 37 is formed so as to bulge upward to secure the feeding path 25' inside. The bottom wall 37a of the receiving portion 37 can be said to have a form in which the area is expanded to the outside of the ridge portion 45 (the input path 25') as shown in the figure. In particular, since the receiving portion 37 is formed such that at least a part of the peripheral walls 37b to 37d (the front wall 37b as illustrated in fig. 7 and 8) is in close contact with the rear wall 12a of the container housing portion 12, it is possible to suppress leakage of the liquid between the two walls 37b and 12a and to receive the leaked liquid even in a narrow installation space.

The bottom wall 37a of the receiving portion 37 may be formed in a cross-sectional shape, for example, a mountain shape, of the ridge portion 45 perpendicular to the input path 25', so that the liquid is directed toward the front wall 37b and the rear wall 37 c. In short, even if the detergent leaks from the connecting portion 41 or the softener leaks from the connecting portion 42, the front wall 37b, the rear wall 37c, or the bottom wall 37a of the receiving portion 37 functions as a guide wall for guiding the detergent or the softener toward the inner wall side of the left side surface portion 2c of the outer case 2 along the extending direction thereof.

On the other hand, in the outer box 2 shown in fig. 1, a sponge 48 is provided on a platen constituting the bottom surface portion 2d, and a discharge hole 49 penetrating the bottom surface portion 2d is provided.

The sponge 48 is a liquid absorbing member having water absorption property for absorbing liquid such as detergent or softener. In this case, the sponge 48 is disposed below the receiving portion 37 in the outer box 2 and close to the inner wall of the left side portion 2c, and can absorb the liquid flowing down along the inner wall of the left side portion 2 c.

The discharge hole 49 is located near the sponge 48, and is formed as a discharge hole capable of discharging liquid to the outside of the machine. Therefore, even if the sponge 48 cannot absorb the liquid below the receiving portion 37, the liquid is not stored in the bottom portion 2d and can be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 49.

As described above, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the connection member 35 connected to the discharge ports 23b, 24b outside the containers 17, 18 is provided in the supply paths 25, 25' for guiding the washing treatment agent such as the detergent, the softener, and the like from the containers 17, 18 to the water tub 5 by the driving of the pumps 23, 24 as the driving mechanism, and the receiving portion 37 capable of receiving the washing treatment agent leaked from the connection portions 41, 42 is provided around the outer periphery of the connection portion between the connection member 35 and the discharge ports 23b, 24b (that is, the portion of the connection portions 41, 42).

Thus, even if the washing treatment agent leaks from the connection portions 41 and 42 due to, for example, shortage or deterioration with age of the sealing members 41a and 42a at the connection portions 41 and 42 of the connection member 35, or vibration during driving of the pumps 23 and 24, the leaked washing treatment agent can be received by the receiving portion 37. Thus, the receiving portion 37 can prevent the washing treatment agent from flowing out to the periphery, and the washing treatment agent can be prevented from contacting the electric components of the automatic loading device 19 including the lead wires of the pumps 23 and 24, other electric components in the outer box 2, and the like.

The receiving portion 37 has a groove shape capable of receiving the washing treatment agent. This enables the receiving portion 37 to have a shape that effectively receives or guides the liquid.

The receiving portion 37 has a guide wall (e.g., the aforementioned front wall 37b, rear wall 37c, or bottom wall 37a) extending from the outer periphery of the connecting portions 41 and 42 toward the inner wall of the outer box 2, and guides the washing treatment agent toward the inner wall of the outer box 2 along the extending direction of the guide wall. Thus, even if the amount of the washing treatment agent leaking from the connection portions 41 and 42 is large, the washing treatment agent can be guided toward the inner wall of the outer case 2 by the front wall 37b, the rear wall 37c, or the bottom wall 37a of the receiving portion 37, and can flow down along the inner wall.

Further, a sponge 48 is disposed below the receiving portion 37 and in a position close to the inner wall side of the outer box 2 in the bottom surface portion 2d of the outer box 2, and a discharge hole 49 penetrating the bottom surface portion 2d is provided. Therefore, even if the washing treatment agent is guided to the inner wall side of the outer case 2 by the receiving portion 37 and flows down along the inner wall, the liquid flowing down can be absorbed by the sponge 48 without storing the liquid in the bottom surface portion 2d, or the liquid which cannot be absorbed by the sponge 48 can be discharged to the outside of the machine through the discharge hole 49.

The receiving portion 37 is formed as: the connection portions 41 and 42 extend from the outer peripheries thereof toward the inner wall of the outer box 2, and are inclined downward toward the inner wall of the outer box 2. Thus, the detergent leaking from the connection portions 41 and 42 can be guided to the inner wall side of the outer box 2 by the inclination of the receiving portion 37, and the detergent can be prevented from being stored or adhering to the receiving portion 37.

Since the receiving portion 37 is provided integrally with the connecting member 35, the receiving portion 37 can be provided without increasing the number of components in the input paths 25 and 25'.

The receiving portion 37 is a groove-shaped recess provided on the upper surface side of the connecting member 35. That is, the portion of the bottom wall 37a recessed from the upper surface of the upper half 35U of the connecting member 35 can be grasped as a groove-shaped recess. This makes it possible to obtain the same effects as those described above, such as a simple and inexpensive structure of the receiving unit 37 and no increase in the number of components.

< embodiment 2 >

Fig. 11 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion near a connection portion between the discharge port 50b of the detergent pump 50 according to embodiment 2 and the connection portion 51 of the connection member 35.

As shown in the drawing, the pump 50 for detergent according to embodiment 2 is different from the pump 23 according to embodiment 1 in that the discharge port 50b is directed in the horizontal direction. Although not shown, the pump for conditioner of embodiment 2 is also configured such that the discharge port is directed in the horizontal direction.

A connecting portion 51 is provided at a position corresponding to a discharge port 50b of the detergent pump 50, and a connecting portion is provided at a position corresponding to a discharge port of a softener pump, not shown, on a side surface portion of the connecting member 35. In this case, the discharge port 50b for the detergent is connected to the connection portion 51 via the seal member 41a (not shown in fig. 11), and the discharge port for the softener is also connected to the connection portion via the seal member 42a (not shown in fig. 11). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, both the former discharge port 50b and the latter discharge port are referred to as "respective discharge ports 50 b", and both the former connection portion 51 and the latter connection portion are referred to as "respective connection portions 51".

A receiving portion 52 having an L shape in fig. 11 is integrally formed on a side surface portion of the connecting member 35 below each connecting portion 51. The receiving portion 52 integrally has: a bottom wall 52a projecting laterally (forward) from a side surface of the connection member 35; and a front wall 52b formed to be folded back upward from a front edge of the bottom wall 52 a.

In the receiving portion 52, the bottom wall 52a and the front wall 52b are formed in a recessed groove shape (recessed portion) protruding forward from the front end of each connecting portion 51, and can receive the detergent leaked from each connecting portion 51. In the receiving portion 52, a bottom wall 52a and a front wall 52b thereof are formed in a groove shape extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of fig. 11, and are provided so as to extend from a position below each connecting portion 51 toward the inner wall side of the left side surface portion 2c of the outer box 2. That is, the bottom wall 52a and the front wall 52b of the receptacle 52 function as guide walls for guiding the detergent treatment agent toward the inner wall of the outer case 2 along the extending direction thereof, as in embodiment 1. The receiving portion 52 is formed to be entirely inclined downward toward the inner wall of the outer box 2.

As described above, in the washing machine 1 according to embodiment 2, the receiving portion 52 capable of receiving the washing treatment agent leaked from each connection portion 51 is provided below each connection portion 51, which is a connection portion between the connection member 37 and each discharge port 50b (lead-out port). Thus, even if the washing treatment agent leaks from each connection portion 51 and flows down, the washing treatment agent leaking and flowing down can be received by the lower receiving portion 52.

The receiving portion 52 has a bottom wall 52a and a front wall 52b as guide walls extending from the lower side of each connecting portion 51 toward the inner wall side of the outer case 2, and guides the washing treatment agent toward the inner wall side of the outer case 2 along the extending direction of the guide walls. Thus, even if the amount of the washing treatment agent leaking from each connection portion 51 is large, the washing treatment agent can be guided toward the inner wall of the outer case 2 by the bottom wall 52a or the front wall 52b of the receiving portion 52 and can flow down along the inner wall.

The receiving portion 52 is formed so that the entire portion thereof is inclined downward toward the inner wall of the outer box 2, but the inclination may be provided at least on the bottom wall 52 a. In this case, the same effects as those of embodiment 1 can be achieved, for example, by guiding the washing treatment agent to the inner wall side of the outer box 2 by the inclination of the bottom wall 52 a.

< embodiment 3 >

Fig. 12 is an enlarged schematic view of the vicinity of the pump 60 and the connection member 59 for the conditioner in embodiment 3, and the connection member 61 is disposed above the pump 60.

That is, in the softener pump 60, the suction port 60a projects forward so as to be connected to the tank 18, while the discharge port 60b projects upward so as to be connected to the connection member 59. Although not shown, the pump for detergent according to embodiment 3 also has the suction port directed horizontally and the discharge port directed vertically.

A connecting portion 61 is provided at a position corresponding to a discharge port 60b of the softener pump 60 and a connecting portion is provided at a position corresponding to a discharge port of a detergent pump, not shown, in a lower surface portion of the connecting member 59. In this case, the discharge port 60b for the softener is connected to the connection portion 61 via the seal member 42a (not shown in fig. 12), and the discharge port for the detergent is also connected to the connection portion via the seal member 41a (not shown in fig. 11). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, both the former discharge port 60b and the latter discharge port are referred to as "respective discharge ports 60 b", and both the former connecting portion 61 and the latter connecting portion are referred to as "respective connecting portions 61".

A groove-shaped receiving portion 62 as shown in fig. 12 is disposed below each connection portion 61 and below the pump 60. Although not shown in detail, the receiver 62 is provided at a lower portion of the water injection case main body 11 and extends from a position below the pump 60 toward an inner wall side (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of fig. 12) of the left side portion 2c of the outer case 2.

Specifically, the receiving unit 62 integrally includes: a bottom wall 62a formed to have an area larger than the outer shape of the pump 60; a front wall 62b formed at an edge portion of the bottom wall 62 a; a rear wall 62 c; and a right wall 62d, the inner wall side (left side) of which is open. Accordingly, the bottom wall 62a, the front wall 62b, the rear wall 62c, and the right wall 62d are groove-shaped recesses in the receiving portion 62, and the detergent leaked from the connecting portions 61 can be received below the pump 60. In addition, as in the above-described embodiment, the receiving portion 62 is formed such that at least the bottom wall 62a, the front wall 62b, and the rear wall 62c function as guide walls for guiding the washing treatment agent to the inner wall side of the outer box 2, or at least the bottom wall 62a is inclined downward toward the inner wall side of the outer box 2.

As described above, in the washing machine 1 according to embodiment 3, the receiving portion 62 capable of receiving the detergent leaked from each connection portion 61 is provided below each connection portion 61, which is a connection portion between the connection member 59 and each discharge port 60b (outlet port). Thus, even if the washing treatment agent leaks from each connection portion 61 and flows down, the washing treatment agent leaking and flowing down can be received by the lower receiving portion 62.

Further, the receiving portion 62 has a bottom wall 62a, a front wall 62b, and a rear wall 62c as guide walls which are provided extending from the lower side of each connecting portion 51 toward the inner wall side of the outer case 2 and guide the washing treatment agent toward the inner wall side of the outer case 2 along the extending direction of the guide walls. This can achieve the same effects as those of the above embodiment, for example, by guiding the washing treatment agent toward the inner wall of the outer case 2 through the guide wall and allowing the washing treatment agent to flow down along the inner wall.

< modification examples of embodiment 1, embodiment 2 and embodiment 3 >

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the outlet port is not limited to the discharge ports 23b, 24b, 50b, and 60b described above, and may be any outlet port as long as it is a discharge portion capable of discharging the washing treatment agent in the container to the outside of the container 17 or 18. That is, the outlet port may not be a discharge port of the pumps 23 and 24, and the type of the pump may be changed as appropriate, and may be an outlet port for discharging the cleaning agent to the outside of the containers 17 and 18 by a driving mechanism other than the pump (for example, a driving mechanism configured to push out a liquid).

The receiving portions 37, 52, 62 are not limited to the groove shape described above, and may be formed in a size shape capable of receiving the detergent leaked from the connecting portion. For example, one side (inner wall side of the outer box 2) of the peripheral walls of the receiving portions 37, 52, 62 is opened, but may be configured to surround the entire periphery. Further, each peripheral wall of the receiving portion is formed to surround to a position higher than the connecting portion.

In the container housing portion 12, the containers 17 and 18 can be mounted in the left-right direction of the washing machine 1. The shape of the containers 17 and 18 is not limited to a cubic shape, and various shapes can be applied, and the shape, size, and the like of one container 17 may be different from those of the other container 18.

The treatment agent container is not limited to the containers 17 and 18 for storing the detergent and the softener, and any container may be used as long as it is a container for storing various treatment agents for performing any treatment during the washing operation. The plurality of containers stored in the container storage unit 12 may be containers for storing the same type of treatment agent, or 1 container may be stored in the container storage unit 12.

The connecting member may be any member that is connected to the outlet port according to the form of the container or the form of the outlet port, and the arrangement, shape, and the like of the connecting member are not limited to the connecting members 35 and 59. Further, the connecting member may be constituted not by two members of the lower half portion 35D and the upper half portion 35U but by one member.

In addition, in the above embodiments, the present invention can be applied to a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation center axis of the spin basket extends in the vertical direction, or can be applied to a washing machine having a drying function, or a washing machine not having a drying function. In any of the washing machines, by providing at least one of the sponge 48 and the drain hole 49 in the bottom portion 2d of the outer casing 2, the washing treatment agent flowing down can be prevented from being stored in the bottom portion 2d or the inner casing 2.

< embodiment 4 >

The washing machine 101 illustrated in fig. 13 is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation center axis of the rotary drum extends in the vertical direction. The washing machine 101 is an example of a laundry processing apparatus capable of performing predetermined processing on laundry, in this case, washing processing for washing the laundry, rinsing processing for rinsing the laundry, dehydration processing for dehydrating the laundry, and the like, and includes a water drum 103 inside an outer case 102 constituting an outer contour of an apparatus main body. The water tub 103 is an example of a laundry treatment tub for storing laundry, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper portion. A rotary cylinder, not shown, having a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper portion is rotatably provided inside the water cylinder 103. A stirrer, not shown, for stirring the laundry in the rotary drum and the water in the water drum 103 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the rotary drum. Further, a balance ring, not shown, for suppressing vibration of the water tube 103 is provided on the upper portion of the water tube 103. The inner lid may or may not be provided in the upper surface opening of the water tube 103.

The outer box 102 is configured such that a top cover 102B is attached to an upper portion of a substantially rectangular box-shaped outer box main body portion 102A having an open upper portion. A clothes inlet 104 for taking in and out clothes is provided at a substantially central portion of the top cover 102B. The laundry entrance 104 is opened and closed by a cover 105 rotatably provided on the upper portion of the outer box 102. Further, a machine chamber 106 is provided in the top cover 102B behind the laundry entrance 104. The machine chamber 106 houses therein: the automatic loading device 107, a water filling cartridge, a water supply valve unit, and other components of the drive system. The automatic charging device 107 is a device for automatically charging a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent into the water drum 103 together with water supplied from the water supply valve unit during a well-known washing operation for washing laundry, for example.

Next, a configuration example of the automatic loading device 107 will be described in detail. As illustrated in fig. 14, the automatic loading device 107 is disposed on the left side of the rear portion in the top cover 102B, more specifically, on the left side in the machine room 106. In the machine chamber 106, a water injection cartridge and a water supply valve unit, not shown, are disposed on the right side of the automatic input unit 107.

The automatic loading device 107 includes a substantially rectangular box-shaped cassette housing section 108 having an open front surface. The cassette housing section 108 is fixed to a bottom plate 106a made of, for example, metal, which constitutes the bottom surface of the machine chamber 106. The front surface opening of the box housing 108 is fixed to the rear wall of the laundry entrance 104, and opens forward in the rear wall of the laundry entrance 104. A not-shown box having a substantially rectangular box shape with an open upper surface is housed in the box housing portion 108 so as to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction of the washing machine 101. A detergent container and a softener container, not shown, are detachably stored in the cartridge.

In the detergent container, a detergent for washing the laundry in the water drum 103 is stored as an example of the laundry treating agent. The detergent container is formed into a size and shape capable of storing detergent required by multiple operations in the detergent container, and is a treating agent container with a roughly rectangular container shape. The supply of the detergent to the detergent can be performed by opening a supply port provided in an upper portion of the container. In the softener container, softener for performing softening treatment on the laundry in the water drum 103 is stored as an example of the laundry treatment agent. The softener container is formed into a treating agent container which is a roughly rectangular container shape and has a size and shape capable of storing a required amount of softener in the interior of the softener container for multiple runs. The softener in the softener container is supplied by opening a supply port provided at the upper part of the container.

The automatic loading device 107 includes a detergent metering pump 109 and a softener metering pump 110 at the rear of the cassette housing section 108. The detergent metering pump 109 is a pump configured to pump liquid by driving a piston with an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid and to discharge the liquid. The detergent metering pump 109 sucks a predetermined amount of detergent, which is required for 1 operation in this case, from the detergent container housed in the cartridge housing section 108, and feeds the sucked-out detergent into the automatic loading path 111 through the outlet 109 a. The outlet 109a is provided to be directed downward from the lower portion of the detergent metering pump 109.

The softener metering pump 110 is a pump configured to pump and discharge a liquid by driving a piston by a motor, a solenoid, or the like, for example. The softener is sucked by the metering pump 110 in a predetermined amount, which is the amount required for 1 operation in this case, from the softener container stored in the cartridge storage section 108, and the sucked softener is sent out from the outlet port 110a into the automatic loading path 111. The outlet 110a is provided to be directed downward from the lower portion of the softener metering pump 110.

The detergent metering pump 109 and the softener metering pump 110 are examples of drive mechanisms controlled by a control device, not shown, that controls the entire operation of the washing machine 101.

The automatic charging path 111 constitutes a charging path connected to a water filling cartridge, not shown, via a mixing chamber forming member 112 from a water supply valve unit, not shown. The mixing chamber forming part 112 is an example of a connecting part, and is provided below the detergent metering pump 109 and the softener metering pump 110 described above. The mixing chamber forming member 112 has a space therein, and the space is provided as a mixing chamber for mixing water and the laundry treatment agent. The mixing chamber forming member 112 includes a plurality of, in this case, two connection ports 112a and 112b in an upper portion thereof, which communicate with the mixing chamber. The connection ports 112a and 112b are provided so as to be directed upward from the upper portion of the mixing chamber forming member 112.

One of the connection ports 112a is connected to a lead-out port 109a of the detergent metering pump 109, and the other connection port 112b is connected to a lead-out port 110a of the softener metering pump 110. Thus, the detergent led out from the outlet port 109a of the detergent metering pump 109 is introduced into the mixing chamber from the connection port 112a, and the softener led out from the outlet port 110a of the softener metering pump 110 is introduced into the mixing chamber from the connection port 112 b.

The mixing chamber forming member 112 further includes: an upstream side connecting portion 112c provided above, and a downstream side connecting portion 112d provided below. The upstream connecting portion 112c is connected to a water supply valve unit, not shown. The downstream side connection portion 112d is connected to a water injection cartridge, not shown. The water supplied from the water supply valve unit flows into the mixing chamber of the mixing chamber forming member 112 from the upstream side connecting portion 112c, and then flows out to the water filling cartridge from the downstream side connecting portion 112 d. In this way, in the process of the water supplied from the water supply valve unit flowing to the water filling cartridge through the mixing chamber forming part 112, the water flowing in from the water supply valve unit is mixed with the laundry treating agent supplied from the detergent metering pump 109 and the softener metering pump 110 in the mixing chamber of the mixing chamber forming part 112. Thereby, the water mixed with the laundry treating agent is supplied into the water filling box. Then, the water containing the laundry treating agent supplied to the water filling cartridge is supplied from the water filling cartridge into the water drum 103.

As described above, the automatic loading device 107 is configured to automatically load a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent into the water tub 103 together with water supplied from the water supply valve unit during a well-known washing operation for washing laundry, for example. Further, a manual input portion into which a user manually inputs a laundry treatment agent such as a detergent or a softener is stored in the water injection box so as to be able to be taken out and put in. The water supply valve unit is also connected to the water injection cartridge, and is configured to supply water to the water injection cartridge. Thus, the washing machine 101 is configured to supply the laundry treatment agent manually input by the user into the water tub 103 together with water.

The washing machine 101 configured as described above further includes a receiving unit 120 as illustrated in fig. 15 and 16. The receiving portion 120 is provided integrally with the mixing chamber forming member 112 in an upper portion of the mixing chamber forming member 112 in this case. The receiving portion 120 may be formed as a separate member from the mixing chamber forming member 112. The receiving part 120 is configured to: at least below the detergent metering pump 109 and the softener metering pump 110.

More specifically, the receiving unit 120 is configured to: and is located below the connection portion between the outlet port 109a of the metering pump 109 for detergent and the connection port 112a of the mixing chamber forming member 112, and the connection portion between the outlet port 110a of the metering pump 110 for softener and the connection port 112b of the mixing chamber forming member 112. Thus, if the detergent leaks from the connection portion between the outlet 109a of the detergent metering pump 109 and the connection port 112a of the mixing chamber forming member 112, the receiving portion 120 can receive the leaked detergent. Further, if it is assumed that the softener leaks from the connection portion between the outlet port 110a of the softener metering pump 110 and the connection port 112b of the mixing chamber forming member 112, the receiving portion 120 can receive the leaked softener.

The receiving portion 120 is further provided with guide ribs 121. The guide rib 121 is an example of a guide portion, and is a component for guiding the received laundry treatment agent to flow toward the water drum 103 when the receiving portion 120 receives the laundry treatment agent. That is, the guide rib 121 includes a guide wall portion 122 provided to surround the outer peripheral portion of the receiving portion 120. The guide wall portion 122 is an example of a wall portion, and is provided so as to surround the outer peripheries of the connection ports 112a and 112b and the upstream connection portion 112c at the upper portion of the receiving portion 120. The guide rib 121 includes at least 1 or more notch portions in a part of the guide wall portion 122.

The guide rib 121 includes a plurality of, in this case, two, notch portions 123, 124. One of the notch portions 123 is formed as a main notch portion, and is provided as: the guide wall portion 122 is located at a front portion that is a position closer to the water tube 103 side and at a right portion that is a position closer to the center side of the water tube 103 in the left-right direction. Further, the other notch portion 124 is formed as a sub-notch portion, and provided as: the guide wall portion 122 is located on the left side portion of the guide wall portion at a position close to the outer end side in the left-right direction of the water tube 103. Further, the bottom surface of the receiving portion 120, in other words, the upper surface of the mixing chamber forming member 112 is: the inclined surface gradually descends toward a part of the plurality of notches 123 and 124, in this case, toward the notch 123. That is, the bottom surface of the receiving portion 120 is configured to have a gentle inclined surface of the notch portion 123 at the lowest position.

According to the receiving unit 120 configured as described above, when the receiving unit 120 receives the laundry treatment agent, the received laundry treatment agent can be made to flow to the cutout 123 on the bottom surface of the receiving unit 120, and can be made to flow out of the receiving unit 120 from the cutout 123. In particular, when the detergent leaks from the connection portion between the outlet 109a of the detergent metering pump 109 and the connection port 112a of the mixing chamber forming member 112, the leaked detergent can be discharged to the outside of the receiving portion 120 from the notch portion 124.

Further, washing machine 101 is further provided with relay guide 125, and relay guide 125 is located below mixing chamber forming member 112, in other words, below guide rib 121. The relay guide 125 is an example of an additional guide additionally provided to further guide the laundry treatment agent guided to the water tub 103 side by the guide rib 121 to the water tub 103 side.

The relay guide 125 is formed in a substantially planar shape, and has a relay guide rib 126 on an upper surface thereof. Relay guide rib 126 is an example of a guide wall additionally provided to washing machine 101 in addition to guide rib 121 described above, and includes upstream portion 126a and downstream portion 126 b. The upstream portion 126a extends rightward from the left side of the rear portion of the relay guide portion 125, and extends to the water tub 103 side as it goes rightward. The downstream portion 126b extends from the right end of the upstream portion 126a toward the water tube 103, and extends so that the flow path becomes narrower toward the water tube 103. The upstream portion 126a and the downstream portion 126b are connected to each other in a smooth arc shape.

Further, the upper surface of the relay guide 125 is an inclined surface as follows: the upstream portion 126a of the intermediate guide rib 126 on the guide rib 121 side gradually descends and inclines toward the downstream portion 126b of the intermediate guide rib 126 on the water tube 103 side. The upper surface of the relay guide 125 thus inclined is: an example of an additional inclined surface provided in addition to the bottom surface of the receiving portion 120 in the washing machine 101 is described.

According to the washing machine 101 exemplified above, in the automatic supply path 111 for guiding the laundry treatment agent such as detergent and softener from the container to the water tub 103 by driving the pumps 109 and 110, the receiving portion 120 capable of receiving the laundry treatment agent leaked from the connection portion is provided below the connection portion between the outlet port 109a of the detergent metering pump 109 and the connection port 112a of the mixing chamber forming member 112 and the connection portion between the outlet port 110a of the softener metering pump 110 and the connection port 112b of the mixing chamber forming member 112.

According to this configuration, even if the laundry treatment agent leaks from the connection portion due to, for example, shortage of the sealing member at the connection member, deterioration with age, or vibration generated when the pumps 109 and 110 are driven, the leaked laundry treatment agent can be received by the receiving portion 120. Thus, the receiving portion 120 can prevent the laundry treatment agent from flowing out from the periphery, and the laundry treatment agent can be prevented from adhering to or coming into contact with the electric components of the automatic loading device 107 including the lead wires of the pumps 109 and 110, other electric components in the casing 102, and the like.

Further, according to the washing machine 101, the guide rib 121 is provided to guide the laundry treatment agent received by the receiving portion 120 to flow toward the water tub 103. With this configuration, the laundry treatment agent received by the receiving unit 120 can be efficiently guided to the water tub 103, which is a component that is not so tight even when the laundry treatment agent is in contact with the washing machine 101, and adhesion of the laundry treatment agent to electrical components, wires, and the like can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the washing machine 101, the guide rib 121 is configured to have notches 123 and 124 in the guide wall portion 122. With this configuration, the position and direction of the laundry treatment agent flowing out from the receiving portion 120 can be limited to a specific position and direction, and in this case, the position and direction can be easily directed toward the water tub 103, and thus the laundry treatment agent can be more accurately led out to the water tub 103.

Further, according to the washing machine 101, the guide rib 121 has: the lowest position has the inclined surface of the notch 123. According to the structure, the laundry treating agent received by the receiving portion 120 can easily flow to the notch portion 123 side, and the flow of the laundry treating agent from the receiving portion 120 to the water drum 103 side can be further promoted.

Further, according to the washing machine 101, the relay guide 125 is further provided below the guide rib 121, i.e., on the water tub 103 side. According to this configuration, the laundry treatment agent flowing out of the receiving portion 120, more specifically, the notch 123 and the notch 124 of the guide rib 121, can be received by the relay guide portion 125 and flow toward the water tub 103. This enables the laundry treatment agent to flow out from the receiving portion 120 to the water tub 103 more reliably. Further, the laundry treatment agent flowing out of the receiving portion 120 can be prevented from adhering to or coming into contact with an electric component or a lead wire provided below the receiving portion 120.

Further, according to the washing machine 101, the relay guide 125 has the relay guide rib 126, and the relay guide rib 126 guides the laundry treatment agent flowing out from the receiving portion 120, more specifically, the laundry treatment agent flowing out from the notch 123 and the notch 124 of the guide rib 121, to the water tub 103 side. According to this configuration, the laundry treatment agent received by the relay guide 125 can be made to flow out to the water tub 103 side along the relay guide rib 126, and thus the laundry treatment agent can be made to flow out to the water tub 103 side more efficiently.

In addition, according to the washing machine 101, the upper surface of the relay guide 125 is: the inclined surface gradually descends from the upstream portion 126a of the intermediate guide rib 126 on the guide rib 121 side toward the downstream portion 126b of the intermediate guide rib 126 on the water tube 103 side. According to this configuration, the laundry treatment agent received by the relay guide 125 easily flows toward the water tub 103, and thus the flow of the laundry treatment agent from the relay guide 125 to the water tub 103 can be further promoted.

Further, according to the washing machine 101, the receiving portion 120 is provided at a position lower than at least the pumps 109, 110. In this configuration, the laundry treatment agent leaking from the pumps 109 and 110 travels downward by gravity, and even if the laundry treatment agent leaks from the pumps 109 and 110, the laundry treatment agent can be reliably received by the receiving portion 120.

As illustrated in fig. 17, the guide rib 121 may be configured without the notch 124. According to the structure, the laundry treating agent received by the receiving portion 120 can be made to flow out from the notch portion 123 collectively.

As illustrated in fig. 18, the guide rib 121 may be further provided with notches 123a and 123b in the right and rear portions. According to the configuration, the laundry treatment agent can be made to flow out from the plurality of surfaces of the receiving portion 120, and thus the laundry treatment agent can be discharged quickly.

Further, the relay guide 125 may be provided with a through hole through which the laundry treatment agent flows out. Further, the surface of the receiving unit 120 and the surface of the relay guide unit 125 may be provided with: surface processing for making the laundry treatment agent flow easily, for example, hydrophobic processing for coating a hydrophobic material, oleophobic processing for coating an oleophobic material, and the like.

< other embodiments >

The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be expanded or modified as follows, for example. For example, the above-described plurality of configuration examples can be combined as appropriate.

Further, the present embodiment can also be applied to a washing machine having a drying function. Further, the present embodiment can also be applied to a washing machine having no drying function. The present embodiment is not limited to a horizontal-axis type washing machine or a vertical-axis type washing machine, and can be applied to other types of washing machines. In the present embodiment, any device that performs any treatment on laundry, such as deodorization, sterilization, bleaching, etc., can be applied to various laundry treatment devices.

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

Claims (12)

1. A clothes treating apparatus, characterized in that,

the clothes treatment device is provided with:

an outer box;

a laundry treating drum disposed inside the outer case; and

an automatic loading device for automatically loading a predetermined amount of a laundry treating agent into the laundry treating drum during operation, the automatic loading device comprising: a treating agent container capable of storing a required amount of the laundry treating agent for a plurality of operations, and a driving mechanism driven to throw the laundry treating agent in the treating agent container into the laundry treating drum,

a connection member connected to an outlet port outside the treatment agent container is provided in a path for introducing the laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent container to the laundry treatment drum by driving of the driving mechanism,

a receiving portion capable of receiving the laundry treatment agent leaked from the connection portion is provided at an outer periphery of a connection portion between the connection member and the outlet port or at a lower side of the connection portion.

2. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1,

the receiving part has a groove shape capable of receiving the laundry treating agent.

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

the receiving portion has a guide wall extending from a position on the outer periphery or the lower side of the connecting portion toward the inner wall of the outer box, and guides the laundry treatment agent toward the inner wall of the outer box along the extending direction of the guide wall.

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

the receiving section is formed to: the connecting portion extends from the outer periphery or the lower side of the connecting portion to the inner wall side of the outer box, and is inclined downward toward the inner wall side of the outer box.

5. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the receiving portion is provided integrally with the connecting member.

6. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the receiving portion is a groove-shaped recess provided on the upper surface side of the connecting member.

7. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the laundry treatment apparatus includes a guide unit that guides the laundry treatment agent received by the receiving unit so that the laundry treatment agent flows toward the laundry treatment drum.

8. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 7,

the guide section includes:

a wall portion provided to surround an outer peripheral portion of the receiving portion; and

and a notch portion provided in the wall portion and guiding the laundry treating agent received by the receiving portion to the laundry treating drum side.

9. The laundry treating apparatus according to claim 8,

the guide portion has an inclined surface having the notch portion at a lowermost position.

10. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9,

an additional guide part is also arranged below the guide part,

the additional guide part has a guide wall that guides the laundry treating agent received from the guide part to the laundry treating drum side.

11. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9,

an additional guide part is arranged below the guide part,

the additional guide part comprises: an additional inclined surface descending from the guide part side to the clothes processing drum side.

12. The laundry treating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11,

the receiving portion is provided at a position at least below the driving mechanism.

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