JPS63183094A - Detergent feeder of washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a detergent supply device for a washing machine, etc., for supplying detergent, particularly powdered detergent, to a detergent receiving section of a washing machine, etc.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, detergent supply devices such as washing machines used to supply this type of powdered detergent have been housed and stored in a hopper serving as a detergent storage section, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-43827, for example. There is a system that dispenses a fixed amount of powdered detergent, stores it, and then drains it and supplies it. However, with this product, there is a problem that the powder detergent tends to harden due to water and humidity, which is characteristic of washing machines and other water handling equipment, before it is supplied. This has resulted in the problem that the detergent often becomes clogged and the detergent cannot be supplied smoothly and reliably.

On the other hand, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 42-18769, for example, there is a system in which powdered detergent stored in a hopper is delivered by rotating a screw-like delivery member. According to this device, as described above, the powdered detergent that hardens easily can be fed while being rubbed and shredded by the screw-like delivery member, and therefore, it can be fed more smoothly, reliably, and more conveniently than the above-mentioned device.

However, even with this device, a considerable amount of melon detergent still adheres to the surface of the screw-like delivery member, and it is not possible to supply the detergent smoothly and reliably. Further, solidified powder detergent may be supplied as long as it is a small mass, but with the screw-shaped delivery member, even the slightly massed powder detergent tends to clog, making it difficult to supply the powder sufficiently. It was impossible. Further, the screw-shaped delivery member is difficult to clean, and detergent tends to remain stuck to every corner, which further causes the detergent to be deposited later.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, none of the conventional products can supply powdered detergent sufficiently smoothly and reliably, and furthermore, it is difficult to clean and it is difficult to remove residual powdered detergent. It also has the problem of easily occurring.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and therefore, its purpose is to enable powder detergent to be delivered sufficiently smoothly and reliably from a detergent reservoir, and to also enable easy and sufficient cleaning of the delivery member. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent detergent supply device for a washing machine or the like that can smoothly deliver even powdered detergent solidified inside a detergent delivery member.

[Configuration of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems)] The detergent supply device for a washing machine or the like of the present invention includes a coil in the detergent delivery section provided at the lower end of the detergent storage section that accommodates and stores powdered detergent. A detergent delivery member having a coil shape is accommodated and arranged, and the detergent delivery member having a coil shape is rotationally driven by a drive device to send powdered detergent from the detergent storage portion through the detergent delivery portion, further The detergent delivery member is characterized in that its diameter increases continuously or stepwise toward the outlet portion of the detergent delivery portion.

(Function) According to the above means, the detergent delivery member is configured to have a coil shape, so that the powdered detergent in the hopper can be delivered while being finely divided, and the contact area with the powdered detergent can be reduced.
Furthermore, if the powder detergent solidified in the detergent reservoir is smaller than the dimension between the coil wires of the detergent delivery member, it can be delivered by moving the inside of the detergent delivery member. It does not leave any powdered detergent attached to the surface of the detergent, and it can be easily cleaned by passing water through it, and powdered detergent that has solidified inside the detergent delivery section can be removed from the detergent delivery section. By keeping the detergent well separated, the inside of the detergent can be smoothly advanced and delivered to the outlet section of the detergent delivery section.

(Embodiment) An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a detergent supply device for a washing machine will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

First of all, the washing machine main body 1, whose entire structure is shown in FIG.
The top cover 3 is provided with a lid 4 pivotably mounted on the top cover 3 so that it can be opened and closed.
An operation panel 5 is provided at the front edge, and a platform 6 is provided at the rear edge. The platform part 6 is provided with an operating knob 7 for setting the water level at the right end in the figure, and an operating knob 8 for setting the amount of detergent on the left side thereof. and the platform 6
A hopper set port 9 is formed from the left side of the operation knob 8 to the left end, and a V-shaped cross section is formed below the hopper set port 9 as shown in FIG. A hopper receiving portion 10 is formed whose end is open as shown in FIG.

The hopper receiving part 10 houses a hopper 11, which is a detergent storage part whose lower part is formed in a V-shaped cross section to match the hopper receiving part 10 and whose both sides are also formed obliquely, through the hopper set opening 9. At the same time, the claw part 12 formed on the left side of the hopper 11 in FIG. It is elastically engaged with the right side edge of the mouth 9 to prevent the hopper 11 from falling off. On the other hand, hopper 1
A lid 15 is pivotally mounted on the top opening of the hopper 11 so that it can be opened and closed by a shaft 16 at the rear end (see FIGS. 3 and 4), and inside the hopper 11 there is a projection that protrudes in the front-rear direction. A stirring member 20 having a plurality of protrusions 17 protruding outward from the periphery and a number of stages of holes 19 is rotatably supported with a shaft 21 passing between the front and rear of the hopper 11. Further, at the lower end of the hopper 11, a detergent delivery part 22 is formed extending from the inside of the hopper 11 to a cylindrical part that protrudes outward to the right in FIG. It faces the detergent receiving portion 25 at the substantially central portion of the upper surface of the receiving plate 24 disposed in the upper surface thereof. The upper surface of the receiving plate 24 also serves as a water supply channel, and as shown in FIG. 4, it is provided so as to gradually descend toward a supply port 26 at the tip facing a washing tub (not shown) inside the outer box 2. A water supply valve 27 is disposed on the uppermost rear end portion.

A coil-shaped detergent delivery member 28 is rotatably housed in the detergent delivery unit 22 over its entire length as shown in FIG. one is engaged with the detergent delivery member 28.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5 as well as FIG. 1, the detergent delivery member 28 is directed toward the outlet 23 portion of the detergent delivery portion 22 (toward the right side in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 5). The hopper receiving portion 10 and the detergent delivery portion 22 are also formed to continuously increase in diameter toward the outlet 23. A transmission shaft 29 is engaged with the end of the detergent delivery member 28 opposite to the outlet 23 side, and this transmission shaft 29 is connected to the detergent delivery section 2.
2 on the opposite side from the outlet 23, and a connector 30 is attached to the protruding end thereof. Corresponding to the connector 30, a motor 31 as a drive device is attached to the inner surface of the left side of the platform 6 in FIG.
Transmission pins 33 arranged at right angles at the ends of the connectors 2 are removably engaged with the connector 30.

Now, in the case of a double series structure, in order to use it, first open the lid 15 of the hopper 11 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. After that, close the lid 15 and use the powder detergent 3.
4 is stored in the hopper 11. When the necessary switches on the operation panel 5 for washing are operated, the motor 31 is energized prior to the start of washing, and the energized motor 31 starts, so that the rotational force is transferred from the rotating shaft 32. It is transmitted to the transmission shaft 29 via the engagement structure between the transmission bottle 33 and the connector 30, and further transmitted from the transmission shaft 29 to the detergent delivery member 28. In this way, the detergent delivery member 28 is driven to rotate, particularly in a so-called spiral direction, and the detergent delivery member 28, which has been rotationally driven in this manner, moves while contacting the powdered detergent 34 in the hopper 11, thereby discharging the powder. The detergent 34 is pulverized and rolled in the central cavity formed by the coiled shape as it advances through the detergent dispensing section 22 toward the outlet 23 and from the outlet 23 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Take it out as shown by arrow A in the figure. The powdered detergent 34 thus dispensed is received by a detergent receiver 25 on the receiving plate 24, and is supplied to the detergent receiver 25 through a water supply valve 27 as shown by arrow B in FIG. It is flushed with water, and is supplied together with the water from the supply port 26 into a washing tub (not shown). Incidentally, when the detergent delivery member 28 is rotationally driven as described above, the stirring portion 4-20 in which one of the protrusions 18 is engaged with the detergent delivery member 28 is rotated.
rotates so that its protrusions 18 are sequentially engaged with the detergent delivery member 28, thereby stirring the powdered detergent 34 in the hopper 11, loosening any lumps of the powdered detergent 34, and displacing the detergent delivery unit 22. The introduction of the system is now proceeding smoothly.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the powdered detergent 34 accommodated and stored in the hopper 11 is transferred to the coiled detergent delivery member 2.
Of course, the powder detergent 34 can be delivered in small pieces by contact with the rotating detergent delivery member 28, and in particular, the detergent delivery member 28 has a hollow portion in the center. By forming a coil shape, the contact area with the powder detergent 34 is extremely small compared to a conventional screw-like delivery member in which a flat plate is spirally wound around a shaft, and therefore the powder detergent 34 adheres to its surface. The amount of powdered detergent 34 to be supplied is very small, and even if there is no powdered detergent 34, the supply can be carried out sufficiently smoothly and reliably without clogging the powdered detergent 34. In addition, since the detergent delivery member 28 has a coil shape, the detergent can freely move inside the cavity formed in the center of the detergent delivery member 28. Therefore, even if there is some clumps, the detergent delivery member 28 can dislodge it. It can be delivered like a conveyor by action. On the other hand, in a conventional screw-shaped delivery member that moves in a private space surrounded by walls, solidified powder detergent is difficult to move and becomes a clogged product. In addition, since the detergent delivery member 28 has a small contact area with the powdered detergent 34 as described above, the delivery force of the powdered detergent 34 based on the contact is smaller than that of a conventional screw-shaped delivery member, but this is due to the fact that the detergent delivery member 28 This can be easily and sufficiently compensated for by increasing the rotational speed, and since the sending force is small, it is basically possible to supply small quantities in a scattered manner, avoiding supplying a large amount at once. can be conveniently supplied and its dissolution can be faster and more uniform.

Furthermore, in this case, since the above-mentioned dispersion-like supply form is adopted, even fine adjustment of the delivery amount can be made as desired. Cleaning of the detergent delivery member 28 is easier because the powdered detergent 34 does not adhere to and remain in every corner compared to the conventional screw-shaped delivery member. Water can also be passed through the interior, making it easy to clean. Therefore, the problem of new adhesion and accumulation of powdered detergent 34 due to the remaining adhesion does not occur.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the detergent delivery member 2
8 is formed in a coil shape so that the diameter becomes continuously larger particularly toward the outlet 23 portion of the detergent delivery portion 22.
For example, when the detergent delivery member 2 has not been used for a long time,
Even when the powdered detergent 34 hardens within the detergent delivery unit 8, the solidified powdered detergent 34 is transferred from the detergent delivery member 28 to the detergent delivery unit 2.
2 in the direction of the outlet 23, the delivery of the powder detergent 34 can be made smoother, and clogging of the powder detergent 34 can be more reliably prevented.

Further, in this case, the diameter of the detergent delivery member 28 is reduced at the base of the detergent delivery member 28, contrary to the above, and there is a space between the detergent delivery member 28 and the inner surface of the portion opposite to the outlet 23 of the detergent delivery portion 22. This also has the effect of preventing the powder detergent 34 from clogging there.

FIG. 6 shows a different embodiment of the present invention, in which the detergent delivery member 28 is replaced by a detergent delivery member 28 whose diameter gradually increases toward the outlet 23 portion (right side in the figure) of the detergent delivery portion 22. A detergent delivery member 35 formed as shown in FIG. . In this case, the detergent delivery member 35 may have a large diameter with several or multiple steps instead of one step.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings; for example, the stirring member 20 may be provided only if it is necessary; The drive device for rotationally driving the detergent delivery member 28 is not limited to the motor 31, and may be a water wheel or the like that operates in a water supply channel, for example. Further, the detergent receiving portion is not limited to the detergent receiving portion 25 on the receiving plate 24, but may be placed inside the washing tub, that is, the powdered detergent 34 may be directly supplied into the washing tub. The invention as a whole is not limited to washing machines, but can be similarly applied to all appliances that function using powdered detergent, such as dishwashers.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a coil-shaped detergent delivery member is provided in the detergent delivery unit provided at the lower end of the detergent reservoir that accommodates and stores powdered detergent. This coil-shaped detergent delivery member is rotatably driven by a drive device to deliver powdered detergent from the detergent storage portion through the detergent delivery portion.
It can smoothly and reliably supply powdered detergent that hardens due to moisture and humidity, which is typical of equipment that handles water such as washing machines, and can supply it as is even if there is some solidification, and it can also clean the delivery section cleanly and thoroughly. Further, since the detergent delivery portion is formed so that the diameter increases continuously or stepwise toward the outlet portion of the detergent delivery portion, the detergent delivery member Even powdered detergent that has hardened inside the container can be smoothly delivered.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a longitudinal sectional front view of the main parts, Figure 2 being a perspective view of the overall appearance of the washing machine, and Figure 3 showing the main parts. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view of the same part at different sectional positions, FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the detergent delivery member alone, and FIG. 6 is a side view showing a different embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram equivalent to Figure 5. In the figure, 11 is a hopper (detergent storage part), 22 is a detergent delivery part, 23 is an outlet, 25 is a detergent receiving part, 28 is a detergent delivery member,
31 is a motor (drive device), 34 is a powdered detergent, and 35 is a detergent delivery member. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 5 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A detergent reservoir for supplying powdered detergent into the interior of a washing machine, etc., which accommodates and stores the powdered detergent;
A detergent delivery part provided at the lower end of the detergent storage part, a coil-shaped detergent delivery member rotatably housed in the detergent delivery part, and a detergent delivery member provided to rotate the detergent delivery member. A detergent supply device for a washing machine or the like, characterized in that the detergent delivery member is formed to increase in diameter continuously or stepwise toward an outlet portion of the detergent delivery portion.