CN113818217A

CN113818217A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN113818217A
Application number: CN202110399385.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 远藤裕士; 西村博司
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2020-06-19
Filing date: 2021-04-14
Publication date: 2021-12-21
Also published as: JP2022000122A; JP7561528B2

Abstract

The invention provides a washing machine with an automatic feeding treating agent tank which is easy to clean by a user. The washing machine includes a tub for storing laundry therein and an automatic input device for automatically inputting a predetermined amount of washing treatment agent into the tub. The automatic loading device comprises: a tank capable of storing an amount of a washing treatment agent for a plurality of washing operations and having an opening opened to the outside; a discharge unit provided in the tank, for communicating the inside of the tank with the outside of the tank, and for discharging the cleaning agent stored in the tank to the outside of the tank; and a filter member which is detachably provided in the tank without using a tool, and which partitions a region on the discharge portion side and a region on the opening portion side, and which can remove foreign matter contained in the washing treatment agent when the washing treatment agent introduced from the opening portion flows toward the discharge portion side. The filter member has a plurality of transmission sections through which the washing treatment agent can be transmitted, and a handle section to which a user's finger can be hooked from a region on the opening section side.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

Background

In recent years, a washing machine has been developed which has an automatic input unit for storing laundry treatment agents such as detergent and softener in a tank for automatic input a plurality of times in advance and automatically inputting a necessary amount from the tank into a water tub during operation.

Prior art documents:

patent documents:

patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-74081

Disclosure of Invention

In the tank for automatic charging, a stock solution of a washing treatment agent is stored for a relatively long time. Therefore, the washing treatment agent may be solidified at the bottom of the tank due to concentration or the like caused by evaporation of water. The solidified detergent treatment is not simply removed by rinsing the tank with water.

Therefore, a washing machine having an automatically feeding treating agent tank which is easy to clean by a user is provided.

The washing machine of the embodiment is provided with a water bucket for containing clothes inside and an automatic input device for automatically inputting a specified amount of washing treatment agent into the water bucket. The automatic loading device comprises: a tank capable of storing a washing treatment agent in an amount corresponding to a plurality of times of washing operations and having an opening opened to the outside; a discharge unit provided in the tank, the discharge unit being capable of communicating the interior of the tank with the exterior of the tank and discharging the washing treatment agent stored in the tank to the exterior of the tank; and a filter member that is detachably provided in the tank without using a tool, and that partitions a region on the discharge portion side and a region on the opening portion side, and that is capable of removing foreign matter contained in the washing treatment agent when the washing treatment agent injected from the opening portion flows toward the discharge portion side. The filter member has a plurality of transmission sections through which the washing treatment agent can be transmitted, and a handle section to which a user's finger can be hooked from a region on the opening section side.

The invention has the following effects:

according to the washing machine of the present embodiment, the user can easily clean the treatment agent tank for automatic charging.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of an example of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a part of a configuration of an example of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of a top cover with respect to an example of the washing machine of the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of a tank as an example of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a tank of an example of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the tub shown in fig. 5 a-a, regarding an example of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of X7 in fig. 6, showing an example of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of X8 in fig. 6, showing an example of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the tank shown in a-a of fig. 5, in relation to an example of the washing machine according to the other embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … washing machine, 11 … tub, 40 … automatic input device, 60 … can, 611 … discharge part, 614 … back wall part, 615 … bottom part, 616 … opening part, 70 … filter part, 71 … upper part, 72 … side part, 74 … penetrating part, 75 … rib, 76 … handle part, 81 … first limiting part, 82 … second limiting part, opening part side region … A1, discharge part side region … A2

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a washing machine according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to fig. 1, a schematic configuration of the washing machine 1 will be described. The washing machine 1 includes a washing machine main body 10, a water tub 11, a rotary tub 12, a motor 13, a drain valve 14, a water filling device 30, and an automatic charging device 40. The left side of fig. 1 is the front side of the washing machine 1, and the right side of fig. 1 is the rear side of the washing machine 1. In this case, it is assumed that the user is generally located at the front side of the washing machine 1. The vertical lower side, which is the installation surface side of washing machine 1, is set as the lower side of washing machine 1, and the vertical upper side, which is the opposite side to the installation surface, is set as the upper side of washing machine 1. Directions perpendicular to the front-back direction and the vertical direction of the washing machine 1 are defined as the lateral direction, which is the width direction of the washing machine 1.

The washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 12 is oriented in the vertical direction. The washing machine 1 is not limited to a vertical type washing machine, and may be a drum type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the tub is horizontal or inclined. The washing machine 1 may or may not have a drying function.

As shown in fig. 1, the washing machine main body 10 includes an outer casing 21, a top cover 22, a main body cover 23, and a rear cover 24. The outer case 21 constitutes an outer casing of the washing machine 1. The outer box 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, for example, by a steel plate or the like, and has an open upper side. The tub 11 is accommodated inside the washing machine main body 10, i.e., inside the outer cabinet 21. The tub 12 is accommodated inside the tub 11. The tub 11 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an upper side opened.

As shown in fig. 1, the top cover 22 has a top cover opening 221 and is formed in a rectangular ring shape. The top cover 22 is provided on the upper portion of the outer box 21. The main body cover 23 is provided on the top cover 22 and opens and closes the top cover opening 221. The rear cover 24 is formed in a rectangular shape elongated in the left-right direction of the washing machine 1. The rear cover 24 is provided at a rear end portion of an upper portion of the top cover 22.

The motor 13 is disposed outside the bottom of the tub 11, and is connected to the tub 12 through the tub 11. The motor 13 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The motor 13 rotates the rotary tub 12.

The water discharge valve 14 is an electromagnetically drivable opening/closing valve for liquid, and is driven and controlled by a control device, not shown. An input side of the drain valve 14 is connected inside the tub 11, and an output side of the drain valve 14 is connected to the outside of the laundry machine 1. The drain valve 14 opens and closes a drain path for draining the water stored in the tub 11 to the outside of the washing machine 1. If the drain valve 14 is closed, the water inside the tub 11 is in a state capable of storing water. In addition, if the drain valve 14 is opened, the water stored in the tub 11 can be drained to the outside of the machine.

The water filling device 30 is provided at the upper rear portion inside the washing machine main body 10 and inside the top cover 22. As shown in fig. 2, the water filling device 30 includes a water supply valve 31, a water filling cartridge 32, a treatment agent cartridge 33, and a water filling hose 34. The water filling device 30 is connected to an external water source such as a tap of a tap water pipe not shown through a water supply hose 100.

The water supply valve 31 is an electromagnetically drivable opening/closing valve for liquid, and is driven and controlled by a control device, not shown. The input side of the water supply valve 31 is connected to an external water source such as a water supply line, and the output side of the water supply valve 31 is connected to the water filling cartridge 32. The water supply valve 31 opens and closes a water supply path for supplying water from an external water source such as a tap water pipe into the tub 11 via the water filling box 32.

The water filling cartridge 32 constitutes a housing of the water filling device 30, and is made of, for example, resin, and is formed in a box shape. The upstream side of the water filling cartridge 32 is connected to the water supply valve 31, and the downstream side of the water filling cartridge 32 is connected to the tub 11 via a water filling hose 34.

The treatment agent cartridge 33 is, for example, a resin container, and is configured to be able to contain a washing treatment agent such as a detergent and a softener in an amount used in one washing operation. The treatment agent case 33 is configured to be drawn out forward inside the top cover 22, for example. The treatment agent cartridge body 33 is provided at a position to receive water supplied into the water filling cartridge 32 via the water supply valve 31 in a state of being accommodated in the water filling cartridge 32. When a user manually introduces a washing treatment agent into the tub 11, the user introduces the washing agent and the softener into the treatment agent case 33 while drawing out the treatment agent case 33 forward. The washing treatment agent stored in the treatment agent cartridge 33 falls into the tub 11 together with the water injected into the tub 11 via the water injection device 30.

The automatic loading device 40 stores a predetermined amount of the washing treatment agent for a plurality of times of the washing operation in advance, and has a function of automatically supplying a predetermined amount of the washing treatment agent into the water tub 11 in a plurality of times of the washing operation. In the case of the present embodiment, the automatic loading device 40 is located in the outer cabinet 21 and above the tub 11, and is disposed near one side of the washing machine 1 in the left-right direction, for example, near the left side, as shown in fig. 3.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the automatic loading device 40 includes a supply pump 41, a tank storage unit 50, and a tank 60. The tank housing 50 is provided in the washing machine body 10 and detachably houses the tank 60. The tank 60 is configured to store a plurality of amounts of the washing treatment agent, and is attached to and detached from the tank housing portion 50 by a user operation.

As shown in fig. 2, the tank housing portion 50 includes a connecting portion 51 that connects the inside and the outside of the tank housing portion 50. The tank 60 has a discharge portion 611 that communicates the inside of the tank 60 with the outside. When the tank 60 is inserted at the correct position in the tank housing portion 50, the discharge portion 611 is connected to the connection portion 51 of the tank housing portion 50 at the end of the tank 60 on the insertion side. Thus, the washing treatment agent stored in the tank 60 can flow out of the tank 60 and the tank housing portion 50 through the discharge portion 611 and the connection portion 51.

The supply pump 41 is, for example, a piston-type pump, and is provided outside the tank housing portion 50 and connected to the connection portion 51. The supply pump 41 sucks a predetermined amount of the cleaning agent from the tank 60 in a state where the tank 60 is housed in the tank housing portion 50 and the discharge portion 611 is connected to the connection portion 51, and feeds the sucked cleaning agent to the water supply path. The washing machine 1 can add the detergent treatment agent required for the washing operation to the water flowing through the water supply path and feed the detergent treatment agent into the tub 11 by operating the supply pump 41 during the water supply in the washing step and the rinsing step of the washing operation, for example. The supply pump 41 may be provided in the tank 60 or in the tank housing portion 50.

Next, the tank housing portion 50 and the tank 60 will be described in detail. In the following description, the front-back, up-down, left-right, or width directions of the tank housing portion 50 and the tank 60 are based on a position where a user is supposed to stand normally when the user uses the washing machine 1. That is, the front-back, up-down, left-right, or width directions of the tank housing portion 50 and the tank 60 do not necessarily coincide with the front-back, up-down, left-right, or width directions of the washing machine 1, but in the present embodiment, for convenience of description, the definitions thereof coincide with the respective directions of the washing machine 1.

As shown in fig. 3, the tank housing portion 50 includes a housing portion main body 52 and a slide case 53. The housing portion body 52 constitutes an outer shell of the tank housing portion 50. The housing portion body 52 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, and one surface thereof is open forward in this case. Although not shown in detail, the connecting portion 51 is provided at the rear portion opposite to the opening of the housing portion body 52.

The slide case 53 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape having an open upper portion, and is accommodated in the accommodating portion body 52 so as to be able to be drawn out. The moving direction of the slide case 53 when the slide case 53 is taken out of and put into the housing portion body 52 is referred to as the inserting and removing direction of the slide case 53 or the can 60. In the present embodiment, the insertion and removal direction of the slide case 53 or the can 60 is the front-rear direction. The moving direction of the slide case 53 when the slide case 53 is drawn out from the housing portion body 52 is referred to as the drawing direction of the slide case 53 or the tank 60. The moving direction of the slide case 53 when the slide case 53 is pushed back to the housing portion body 52 is referred to as the insertion direction of the slide case 53 or the tank 60.

The housing portion body 52 has a receiving portion 54. The receiving portion 54 is formed in a groove shape in which the left and right inner walls of the receiving portion body 52 are recessed toward the outside of the receiving portion body 52, and linearly extends in the insertion and extraction direction of the slide case 53. The slide case 53 has a guide rail 55. The guide rails 55 are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the slide case 53, respectively, and extend linearly in the insertion/removal direction of the slide case 53, i.e., the front-rear direction in this case. The guide rail 55 is accommodated in the receiving portion 54 of the accommodating portion body 52 and is slidable in the insertion and extraction direction of the slide case 53, that is, in this case, in the front-rear direction. The housing portion body 52, the slide case 53, and the guide rail 55 are made of, for example, resin.

The slide case 53 can house a plurality of, in this case, two tanks 60 inside. In the present embodiment, the two tanks 60 are accommodated in the slide case 53 in a left-right direction.

The tank 60 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, is formed of a rectangular hollow container that is long in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, and can store a liquid detergent. In this case, the tank 60 has a sufficient capacity for storing the washing treatment agent used in the plurality of washing operations. In this case, the capacity of the tank 60 is not particularly limited, but is preferably set to at least about several hundred mL to 2L in consideration of user convenience. In the present embodiment, the automatic loading device 40 includes two tanks 60. In this case, one of the two tanks 60 is used to store detergent as a washing treatment agent. In addition, the other of the two tanks 60 is used to store a softener as a washing treatment agent. The capacities of the two tanks 60 may be the same or different.

As shown in fig. 4, the tank 60 includes a tank main body 61, a lid member 62, a suction pipe 63, and a leak prevention valve 64. The tank main body 61 constitutes an outer shell of the tank 60.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, 4, 6, and the like, the entire tank main body 61 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a front wall portion 612, a side wall portion 613, a back wall portion 614, and a bottom portion 615. The front wall portion 612 constitutes the front face of the tank main body 61. The side wall portion 613 constitutes a side surface of the tank main body 61. The back wall portion 614 constitutes the back surface of the tank main body 61. The bottom portion 615 constitutes the bottom surface of the tank main body 61. The tank main body 61 has an opening 616. The opening 616 is an opening provided in the upper portion of the tank main body 61, that is, an opening surrounded by the front wall 612, the side wall 613, and the back wall 614, and exposes the inside of the tank main body 61 to the outside of the tank main body 61.

As shown in fig. 4, 5, and the like, the lid member 62 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape and is detachably attached to the upper portion of the tank main body 61 to close the opening 616. The lid member 62 includes a lid member main body 621, an inlet 622, and an opening/closing lid 623. The cover member main body 621 constitutes a housing of the cover member 62. The cover member main body 621 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape and has a feed opening 622 in a part thereof. The inlet 622 is an opening through which the user introduces the cleaning agent when storing the cleaning agent in the tank 60. In this case, the inlet 622 is provided at a portion of the cover member main body 621 close to the end portion in the drawing direction, that is, the distal end portion. The opening/closing cover 623 is rotatably provided to the cover member main body 621 via a hinge portion 624, and opens and closes the inlet 622. The hinge 624 is provided on the insertion direction side of the inlet 622.

When the user injects the washing treatment agent into the tank 60, first, the washing treatment agent is drawn out from the tank storage portion 50 in accordance with the slide case 53 as shown in fig. 3. Then, the opening/closing lid 623 is opened, and the washing treatment agent is introduced into the tank 60 through the inlet 622. After the user has put the washing treatment agent in a predetermined amount, the opening/closing cover 623 is closed, and the tank 60 is pushed back to the tank housing portion 50 again by the slide case 53. Alternatively, the user may remove the lid member 62 from the tank main body 61 and put the cleaning agent into the opening 616.

As shown in fig. 4, the discharge portion 611 is provided at the rear portion of the tank main body 61, in this case, the back wall portion 614. The suction pipe 63 is connected to the discharge portion 611, and extends vertically downward to the vicinity of the bottom portion 615 of the tank main body. The lower end of the suction pipe 63 is located at a position slightly spaced apart from the bottom 615 of the tank main body 61. The inner surface of the tank main body 61 of the bottom portion 615 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. That is, the bottom portion 615 is slightly inclined so as to descend rearward. The suction pipe 63 is inclined in the left-right direction so as to be lowered toward a position facing the lower end portion of the suction pipe. Thereby, the washing treatment agent easily flows to a position facing the lower end of the suction pipe 63.

The leakage prevention valve 64 is provided between the discharge portion 611 and the suction pipe 63. The leakage prevention valve 64 has a function of preventing the washing treatment agent stored in the tank main body 61 from leaking from the discharge portion 611 to the outside of the tank main body 61 when the tank 60 is removed from the tank housing portion 50 and the discharge portion 611 is not connected to the connection portion 51. The leakage prevention valve 64 opens a path between the discharge portion 611 and the suction pipe 63 when the connection portion 51 is connected to the discharge portion 611. Thereby, the supply pump 41 can suck out the washing treatment agent stored in the tank main body 61. On the other hand, when the connection portion 51 is not connected to the discharge portion 611, the leakage prevention valve 64 closes the path between the discharge portion 611 and the suction pipe 63, thereby preventing the detergent inside the tank main body 61 from flowing out from the discharge portion 611 to the outside.

Further, as shown in fig. 4, the tank 60 further includes a filter member 70. As shown in fig. 6, the filter member 70 is provided in the tank main body 61, and partitions a region a1 on the side of the mouth 616 and a region a2 on the side of the discharge portion 611 where the suction pipe 63 is provided in the internal space of the tank main body 61. Thus, the filter member 70 has a function of collecting foreign matter such as dust contained in the cleaning agent injected into the tank main body 61 from the injection port 622 when the cleaning agent is sucked into the supply pump 41 from the suction pipe 63.

The filter member 70 is formed by bending a plate material into an L-shape. Therefore, the filter member 70 has an upper surface portion 71 and a side surface portion 72. The upper surface portion 71 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the horizontal direction, and constitutes an upper surface of the filter member 70. The side surface portion 72 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the vertical direction, and constitutes a side surface, in this case, a front surface, of the filter member 70. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the rear end portion, i.e., the insertion direction side end portion of the upper surface portion 71 substantially abuts against the inner surface of the back wall portion 614 of the tank main body 61. Specifically, the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 substantially abuts on the center portion of the back wall portion 614 of the tank main body 61 in the vertical direction and is positioned below the upper end portion of the back wall portion 614. As shown in fig. 6 and 8, the lower end of the side surface portion 72 is also in contact with the vicinity of the central portion in the front-rear direction of the bottom portion 615 of the tank main body 61. Specifically, the lower end of the side surface portion 72 is brought into contact with the vicinity of the central portion of the bottom portion 615 in the front-rear direction. In the present specification, "substantially abutting" does not necessarily mean complete abutting, but means some clearance is allowed.

As shown in fig. 4, the filter member 70 has a plurality of, in this case, four transmission portions 74 and a frame portion 73. The frame 73 constitutes a housing of the filter member 70 over the entire surfaces of the upper surface portion 71 and the side surface portion 72. The frame 73 has a lattice shape formed by connecting a plurality of rectangular rings over the entire surfaces of the upper surface portion 71 and the side surface portion 72 of the filter member 70. In this case, the frame portion 73 has four lattices formed in the upper surface portion 71, four lattices formed in the side surface portion 72, and a total of 8 lattices.

The plurality of transmission portions 74 are provided so as to cover the inside of the plurality of cells of the frame portion 73. Each of the transmitting portions 74 has a plurality of small holes 741, which allow the passage of the cleaning agent but prevent the transmission of foreign matter. This allows the filter member 70 to collect foreign matter by the plurality of transmission portions 74.

In addition, the filter member 70, as shown in FIG. 4, has one or more ribs 75. The rib 75 is provided to protrude from the upper surface portion 71 or the side surface portion 72 in the vertical direction. In this case, the rib 75 protrudes toward the area a1 on the opening 616 side with respect to the filter member 70. That is, the rib 75 protrudes upward from the upper surface portion 71 or forward, that is, in the drawing direction, from the side surface portion 72. Further, the rib 75 is provided along the frame 73. That is, the rib 75 is provided at a position avoiding the transmission portion 74.

In the present embodiment, the ribs 75 are provided with 4 ribs 75 on the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70, and 4 ribs 75 on the side surface portion 72. Of the ribs 75 provided on the upper surface portion 71, 3 extend parallel to the front-rear direction, i.e., the pulling direction, and 1 extends parallel to the left-right direction. Ribs 75 provided on the upper surface portion 71 and extending parallel to the insertion and extraction direction are provided along the frame portions 73 located at both left and right end portions and a central portion in the left and right direction of the upper surface portion 71. The rib 75 provided on the upper surface portion 71 and extending in parallel to the left-right direction is provided along the frame portion 73 located at the center portion in the insertion/removal direction of the upper surface portion 71.

Among the ribs 75 provided on the side surface portion 72, 3 ribs extend in parallel to the vertical direction, and 1 rib extends in parallel to the horizontal direction. The ribs 75 provided on the side surface portion 72 and extending in parallel to the vertical direction are provided along the frame portion 73 located at both left and right end portions and a central portion in the left and right direction of the side surface portion 72. The rib 75 provided on the side surface portion 72 and extending in parallel to the left-right direction is provided along the frame portion 73 located at the central portion in the vertical direction of the side surface portion 72. In the present embodiment, the 3 ribs 75 extending parallel to the insertion and extraction direction provided on the upper surface portion 71 and the 3 ribs 75 extending parallel to the vertical direction provided on the side surface portion 72 are connected to the portions where the upper surface portion 71 and the side surface portion 72 are provided, but may not be connected in other embodiments.

The ribs 75 have a function of reinforcing the filter member 70. That is, since the plurality of small holes 741 are provided in the transmissive portion 74, the filter member 70 is inferior in mechanical strength and rigidity against load and bending stress as compared with a case where there is no small hole. The ribs 75 increase the mechanical strength of the filter member 70 and are not easily deformed.

Next, a mechanism for assembling the filter member 70 to the tank main body 61 will be described. The tank main body 61 further includes a recessed portion 65, a protruding portion 66, a groove portion 67, and a support member 68. The recessed portion 65 is formed by partially recessing the rear portion, i.e., the end portion in the insertion direction, of the left and right side wall portions 613 toward the center of the tank main body 61. In this case, the recessed portion 65 extends from a position in contact with the bottom portion 615 to a position above the center portion and below the upper end portions of the left and right side wall portions 613 in the vertical direction of the left and right side wall portions 613. The protruding portion 66 is formed with a protruding line that protrudes from the left and right side wall portions 613 toward the center of the tank main body 61 and extends linearly in the vertical direction. The protruding strip 66 is provided with a slight space from the tip end of the recessed portion 65, i.e., the end on the drawing direction side.

The groove portion 67 is formed in a groove shape that opens toward the center of the can body 61 between the step formed in the left and right side wall portions 613 at the front end of the recessed portion 65 and the ridge portion 66. That is, the groove portion 67 is formed in a straight line shape extending in the vertical direction, and is provided on a surface extending in the vertical direction of the tank main body 61, in this case, the left and right side wall portions 613. In this case, the groove portion 67 is provided in the vicinity of the central portion of the side wall portion 613 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the pulling direction.

The groove portion 67 accommodates therein both right and left end portions of the side surface portion 72 of the filter member 70 slidably. That is, when the filter member 70 is attached to the tank main body 61, both right and left end portions of the side surface portion 72 of the filter member 70 slide downward inside the groove portion 67. In a state where the filter member 70 is attached to the tank main body 61, both right and left end portions of the side surface portion 72 are accommodated in the groove portions 67. In this case, the upper surface portion 71 is brought into contact with the steps formed in the left and right side wall portions 613 at the upper end portion of the recessed portion 65 from above.

The support member 68 is formed in a rectangular shape extending in the horizontal direction, and protrudes below the filter member 70 from the back wall portion 614 toward the center side of the tank main body 61. The support member 68 abuts on the lower side of the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70 in a state where the filter member 70 is attached to the tank main body 61.

As shown in fig. 6 to 8, the tank main body 61 further includes a first restricting portion 81 and a second restricting portion 82. The first restricting portion 81 is provided on a surface of the tank main body 61 extending in the vertical direction, in this case, the back wall portion 614. The first restriction portion 81 is provided near the center of the back wall portion 614 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the first restricting portion 81 is provided above the center portion of the back wall portion 614 and below the upper end portion of the back wall portion 614 in the vertical direction. The first restriction portion 81 is provided in the center of the back wall portion 614 in the lateral direction. The first restriction portion 81 has a function of being locked to the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70 to restrict upward movement of the filter member 70. Specifically, the first restricting portion 81 is locked to a rear end portion, i.e., an end portion on the insertion direction side, of the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70. In the case of the present embodiment, the first restricting portion 81 engages the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70 by so-called snap fit (snap fit).

In this case, the first restricting portion 81 forms a ridge that extends linearly in the left-right direction and protrudes from the back wall portion 614 toward the center side of the tank main body 61. The first restricting portion 81 abuts on the upper side of the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70 in a state where the filter member 70 is attached to the tank main body 61.

Also, the tank main body 61 has one or more, in this case three, guide portions 69. The guide portion 69 is formed in a rectangular shape extending in the vertical direction, and is provided above the first restriction portion 81 so as to protrude forward from the back wall portion 614. As shown in fig. 4 and 7, the guide portion 69 is inclined at an upper portion. That is, the guide portion 69 changes so that the depth, which is the length dimension in the insertion and extraction direction, in the front-rear direction becomes smaller at the upper portion and larger at the lower portion. The depth of the lower end portion of the guide portion 69 is set to be the same as the depth that is the longitudinal dimension in the front-rear direction, i.e., the pulling direction, of the first regulating portion 81. The upper end of the guide portion 69 is smoothly connected to the back wall portion 614, and the lower end of the guide portion 69 is smoothly connected to the upper surface of the first restriction portion 81. That is, the first restricting portion 81 is provided integrally with the guide portion 69.

The guide portion 69 functions as a guide for facilitating the rear end portion of the filter member 70 to pass over the first limiting portion 81 when the filter member 70 is provided to the tank main body 61. That is, the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70 slides from top to bottom on the front surface of the guide portion 69, and the filter member 70 presses the guide portion 69 and the back wall portion 614 in the backward direction, i.e., the insertion direction, and thus the back wall portion 614 flexes in the backward direction. This makes it easier for the upper surface portion 71 to pass over the first restricting portion 81. The guide portion 69 is provided at the center portion of the back wall portion 614 in the left-right direction, so that the back wall portion 614 is easily bent when the filter member 70 is attached. The first restricting portion 81, the guide portion 69, the protruding portion 66, and the support member 68 are integrally formed with the tank main body 61.

The second restricting portion 82 is provided at the bottom portion 615 of the tank main body 61. The second restricting portion 82 is locked to the side surface portion 72 of the filter member 70, and restricts movement of the filter member 70 in a direction along the bottom portion 615. Specifically, the second restriction portion 82 restricts the movement of the filter member 70 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the insertion and extraction direction. The second restricting portion 82 is locked to one end portion of the filter member 70, in this case, the lower end portion of the side surface portion 72. In this case, the second limiting portion 82 has a linear groove shape extending in the left-right direction with the bottom portion 615 being recessed downward and opened upward. The second restricting portions 82 sandwich the lower end portions of the side surface portions 72 of the filter member 70 inside the groove shape.

The filter member 70 also has a handle portion 76. The handle 76 is provided on the frame 73 and is formed to protrude from or be recessed in the frame 73. The handle portion 76 is configured to be hooked by a finger of a user from a region a1 on the opening 616 side. That is, the handle portion 76 has a function of being easily operated by hooking a finger when the user removes the filter member 70 from the tank main body 61.

In the present embodiment, the handle portion 76 is formed to protrude from the frame portion 73 toward the region a1 on the opening 616 side. In this case, the handle 76 is formed to protrude from the upper surface portion 71 or the side surface portion 72 in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface portion 71 or the side surface portion 72. In the present embodiment, the handle portion 76 protrudes upward from the upper surface portion 71. In another embodiment, the handle 76 may be formed by projecting the side surface portion 72 forward, i.e., in the drawing direction, for example.

In this case, the handle portion 76 is provided at the center of the four transmission portions 74 in the upper surface portion 71. Specifically, the handle 76 is provided integrally with the rib 75 provided on the frame 73. The handle portion 76 has a plate-shaped first portion 761 extending parallel to the back wall portion 614 and a plate-shaped second portion 762 extending parallel to the side wall portion 613, and is formed in a T-shape in plan view. Thus, the rear side of the first portion 761 is formed flat, and a region for hooking a finger is secured, so that it is easy for a user to operate the first portion 761 from behind with a finger hooked, for example. In this case, the number of fingers hooked to the first portion 761 may be 1, or may be 2 or more. In addition, in this case, the second portion 762 has a function of supporting a load applied to the first portion 761 and preventing breakage of the first portion 761.

In addition, although the second portion 762 is not provided behind the first portion 761 in this embodiment, the second portion 762 may be provided in front of and behind the first portion 761 in another embodiment, and the handle 76 may be formed in a cross shape in a plan view. In another embodiment, the second portion 762 may be provided at the rear of the first portion 761, and the handle portion 76 may be formed in a T-shape in a plan view. Further, the user may also operate by pinching the second part 762 with 2 or 3 fingers, for example.

A case will be described where the user removes the filter member 70 from the tank main body 61 in order to clean the tank 60 and the like. First, the user takes out the can 60 from the can housing portion 50. Then, the user removes the lid member 62 from the tank main body 61. Next, the user can remove the filter member 70 from the tank main body by hooking a finger to the handle portion 76.

At this time, first, the user hooks a finger to the handle portion 76. Then, the user pulls the handle 76 forward, elastically deforms the filter member 70, and releases the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 from the locked state of the first restricting portion 81. At this time, the user can hook a finger to the first portion 761 from behind, for example. Further, the user may hook a finger not hooked on the first part 761 to the near side of the first part 761, and may hold the first part 761 with the finger and pull the finger to the near side. Further, the user may hook a finger not hooked on the first portion 761 on the side surface portion 72 of the filter member 70, or may not hook the finger at any position.

Thereafter, the user pulls the filter member 70 upward to release the lower end portion of the side surface portion 72 from the locked state of the second restricting portion 82. The left and right end portions of the side surface portion 72 slide in the groove portions 67, and the user can remove the filter member 70 from the tank main body 61. In this way, the user can remove the filter member 70 from the tank main body 61 without using tools.

After the inside of the tank main body 61 is cleaned, the filter member 70 is attached to the tank main body 61 in the reverse order. In this case, first, the user fits both left and right end portions of the side surface portion 72 into the groove portions 67 and slides the same downward in the groove portions 67. The user presses the filter member 70 downward until the lower end of the side surface portion 72 fits into the second restriction portion 82.

Thereafter or simultaneously, the user pushes the upper surface portion 71 downward until the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 passes over the first restriction portion 81 by the guide portion 69. At this time, the user may pull the upper portion 71 forward, i.e., in the pull-out direction, with or without hooking the finger to the handle portion 76. As described above, since the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 slides on the inclined surface of the guide portion 69 and the back wall portion 614 flexes, the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 easily passes over the first limiting portion 81. Then, the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 passes over the first regulating portion 81, whereby the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 is locked by the first regulating portion 81. In this way, the user can fix the filter member 70 to the tank main body 61 by locking the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 with the first restricting portion 81 and locking the lower end portion of the side surface portion 72 with the second restricting portion 82.

Here, for example, when the automatic loading device 40 is not used for a long time, the detergent remaining in the tank main body 61 may be concentrated and solidified at the bottom portion 615. As described above, the bottom portion 615 is inclined so as to descend toward the suction pipe 63 in order to collect the washing treatment agent around the suction pipe 63. Therefore, if the amount of the residual detergent in the tank main body 61 is small, the detergent is likely to accumulate in the area a2 on the discharge portion 611 side, which is the area where the suction pipe 63 exists, and as a result, the detergent is more likely to dry and solidify around the suction pipe 63. However, the region a2 on the side of the discharge portion 611 is normally separated from the region a1 on the side of the opening 616 by the filter member 70, and it is difficult to clean the solidified washing treatment agent unless the filter member 70 is removed from the tank main body 61.

On the other hand, since the filter member 70 is firmly assembled to the tank main body 61 so as not to be detached by vibration or the like during the cleaning operation, even if the user wants to clean the region a2 on the discharge portion 611 side of the tank main body, it is not easy to remove without a special tool.

In contrast, the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment described above includes the tub 11 that accommodates laundry therein and the automatic loading device 40 that automatically loads a predetermined amount of the washing treatment agent into the tub 11. The automatic loading device 40 includes a tank 60, a discharge unit 611 provided in the tank 60, and a filter member 70 detachably provided in the tank 60 without using a tool. The tank 60 can store a washing treatment agent in an amount corresponding to a plurality of times of washing operations, and has an opening 616 opened to the outside. The discharge unit 611 allows the interior and exterior of the tank 60 to communicate with each other, and discharges the washing treatment agent stored in the tank to the exterior of the tank.

The filter member 70 partitions the region a2 on the side of the discharge portion 611 and the region a1 on the side of the opening 616, and can remove foreign matter contained in the detergent when the detergent injected from the opening 616 flows toward the discharge portion 611. The filter member 70 includes a plurality of transmission portions 74 through which the washing treatment agent can be transmitted, and a handle portion 76 to which a user's finger can be hooked from a region a1 on the opening 616 side.

Accordingly, since the filter member 70 can be easily removed without a special tool by hooking a finger to the handle portion 76, the convenience of the user during the tank cleaning can be improved.

Further, the handle portion 76 protrudes from the filter member 70 toward the region a1 on the opening 616 side. Accordingly, the handle portion 76 projects toward the user side, so that the user can easily operate the same, and the filter member 70 can be easily removed from the tank main body 61.

The filter member 70 includes an upper surface portion 71 extending horizontally and a side surface portion 72 extending vertically. The tank 60 has a first restriction portion 81 and a second restriction portion 82. The first restricting portion 81 is provided on the side surface portion 72 of the tank 60, is locked to the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70, and restricts upward movement of the filter member 70. The second regulating portion 82 is provided on the bottom portion 615 of the tank 60, is locked to the side surface portion 72 of the filter member 70, and regulates the movement of the filter member 70 in the direction along the bottom portion 615. The handle 76 is provided on at least one of the upper surface 71 and the side surface 72.

Accordingly, the handle 76 is provided on the closer side as viewed from the user, that is, the upper surface 71 or the side surface 72 which is easily accessible to the user. Therefore, the user can easily hook the finger to the handle portion 76, and the user's convenience is further improved.

The first restricting portion 81 is provided to protrude from a back wall portion 614, which is a surface extending in the vertical direction of the tank 60, and has a function of locking an end portion of the upper surface portion 71. Accordingly, the rear end portion of the upper surface portion 71 is locked by the first restricting portion 81, and upward movement is restricted. In contrast, the user can pull the handle portion 76 provided on the upper surface portion 71 forward to release the restriction of the first restriction portion 81, and then move the filter member 70 upward. In this way, the convenience of the user in cleaning the tank 60 can be improved with a relatively simple configuration.

The second restricting portion 82 is formed by recessing the bottom portion 615 of the tank 60 into a groove shape, and has a function of clamping the lower end portion of the side surface portion 72 inside the groove shape to lock the lower end portion of the side surface portion 72. Accordingly, since the movement of the filter member 70 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the insertion and extraction direction, can be restricted by the second restricting portion 82, the filter member is sufficiently fixed to the tank main body 61 even when vibration or the like occurs during the cleaning operation.

The filter member 70 has no structure for attachment to the tank 60 other than the filter member 70, and the end of the filter member 70 is directly locked to the first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82. Accordingly, since the filter member 70 itself is not provided with the claw portion or the like, the filter member 70 can be smoothly detached when the locked state of the first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82 of the tank is released. In addition, since the shape of the filter member 70 can be simplified, the manufacturing performance of the filter member 70 and the manufacturing performance of the washing machine 1 can be improved.

The filter member has a rib 75 provided at a position avoiding the transmission portion 74, and the rib 75 has a function of reinforcing the filter member 70. The handle portion 76 is provided integrally with the rib 75. Accordingly, since the handle portion 76 is provided integrally with the reinforcing rib 75, the reinforcing effect of the rib 75 can be further improved. Further, since the handle portion 76 is provided at a position avoiding the penetration portion 74, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the filtering function of the penetration portion 74 with respect to the washing treatment agent.

In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, the filter member 70 may have a handle portion 77 instead of the handle portion 76. The handle portion 77 may be formed by recessing the upper surface portion 71 or the side surface portion 72 toward the region a2 on the discharge portion 611 side. That is, the handle portion 77 may be formed by recessing the upper surface portion 71 downward or recessing the side surface portion 72 rearward, i.e., in the insertion direction. In the embodiment shown in fig. 9, the handle portion 77 is provided on the upper portion 71, and is formed by recessing the upper portion 71 downward. In this case, the user can easily remove the filter member 70 from the tank main body 61 by hooking a finger to the handle portion 77, and therefore the same effect as described above can be obtained.

The first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82 are not necessarily required to be provided at both sides, and only one of them may be provided. In this case, the user can easily remove the filter member 70 from the tank main body 61 by hooking a finger to the handle portion 76.

In the above-described embodiment, the first restricting portion 81 restricts the movement of the filter member 70 by snap-fitting, but the movement restricting method is not limited to this. For example, the first restricting portion 81 may have a concave shape or a convex shape formed to correspond to a convex shape or a concave shape provided at an end portion of the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70, and may restrict upward movement of the filter member 70 by fitting to each other.

Further, the following manner is also possible: instead of the first regulating portion 81, the lid member 62 is provided with a projecting shape projecting downward, and the upper surface portion 71 of the filter member 70 is pressed downward by the projecting shape, thereby regulating the movement of the filter member 70 in the vertical direction.

It should be noted that the drawings are illustrated for ease of understanding when referred to in conjunction with the above description and are not necessarily shown on a fixed scale or at a precise angle.

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. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A washing machine is provided with:

a tub accommodating laundry therein; and

an automatic input device for automatically inputting a predetermined amount of washing treatment agent into the water tank,

the automatic loading device comprises:

a tank capable of storing the washing treatment agent in an amount corresponding to a plurality of washing operations and having an opening opened to the outside;

a discharge unit provided in the tank, the discharge unit being capable of communicating the interior of the tank with the exterior of the tank and discharging the washing treatment agent stored in the tank to the exterior of the tank; and

a filter member that is detachably provided in the tank without using a tool, separates a region on the discharge portion side from a region on the opening portion side, and removes foreign matter contained in the cleaning agent when the cleaning agent injected from the opening portion flows toward the discharge portion side,

the filter member has a plurality of transmission sections through which the washing treatment agent can be transmitted, and a handle section to which a user's finger can be hooked from a region on the opening section side.

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

the handle portion protrudes from the filter member toward a region on the opening portion side.

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

the filter member has an upper surface portion extending horizontally and a side surface portion extending vertically,

the tank has:

a first regulating portion provided on a surface of the tank extending in a vertical direction, and locked to the upper surface portion of the filter member to regulate upward movement of the filter member; and

a second regulating portion provided at a bottom portion of the tank and locked to the side surface portion of the filter member to regulate movement of the filter member in a direction along the bottom portion,

the handle portion is provided on at least one of the upper surface portion and the side surface portion.

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

the first restricting portion is provided to protrude from a surface of the tank extending in the vertical direction, and has a function of locking an end portion of the upper surface portion.

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

the second restricting portion is formed by recessing the bottom portion of the tank into a groove shape, and has a function of clamping an end portion of the side surface portion inside the groove shape to lock the end portion of the side surface portion.

6. The washing machine according to any one of claims 3 to 5,

the filter member does not have a structure for attachment to the tank other than the filter member, and an end portion of the filter member is directly locked to the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion.

7. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the filter member has a rib provided at a position avoiding the transmission portion and having a function of reinforcing the filter member,

the handle portion is provided integrally with the rib.