US20170233929A1

US20170233929A1 - Detergent tray and washing machine having the same

Info

Publication number: US20170233929A1
Application number: US15/365,503
Authority: US
Inventors: Jong Jin Lee
Original assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp
Current assignee: WiniaDaewoo Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-02-16
Filing date: 2016-11-30
Publication date: 2017-08-17
Also published as: KR20170096316A; CN107083651A

Abstract

A washing machine has a detergent tray. The detergent tray includes a housing, a support bracket affixed a periphery portion of the housing, and a plurality of fastening members configured to affix the support bracket to the cabinet and the drying duct assembly. The detergent tray may have a large capacity for detergent that is adequate for multiple uses.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0017544, filed on Feb. 16, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to washing machines, and more particularly, to detergent containers on washing machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, a drum type washing machine washes laundry by rotating a drum with washing water mixed with detergent and/or other additives. It offers the advantages of high efficiency in water and detergent usage, reduced laundry entanglement and reduced laundry damage.
A drum type washing machine may include a cabinet serving as an exterior housing, a tub disposed inside the cabinet and configured to contain washing water, a drum disposed inside the tub and configured to accommodate washing objects (e.g., laundry), a motor configured to drive rotation of the drum, a water supply device configured to supply washing water to the tub, a detergent tray configured to store one or more additives (including liquid or powder detergent, fabric softener, etc.), a detergent supply pipe configured to supply the additives into the tub, a drying system configured to supply a hot air flow to dry the washing objects, and a water drain device configured to drain the washing water to the outside of the cabinet.
In a conventional washing machine, a detergent tray can be pulled out toward the front side of the cabinet for a user to load detergent or other additives. A detergent tray of this drawer-like configuration usually is designed in a very limited capacity. Accordingly, a user has to load detergent each time before laundry, which is cumbersome.
Thus, a large capacity detergent tray that can contain enough detergent for multiple uses is desirable. According to an existing design, a large capacity detergent tray spans the width of a cabinet and has an area about half of a top surface of the cabinet. The tray is disposed in the upper portion of the cabinet. However, due to the large size of the tray as well as the substantial weight of the additive to be contained therein, it is difficult to securely affix the detergent tray to the cabinet with high reliability. Especially, vibration generated in the washing process can cause the affixation between the large tray and the cabinet to become loose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mechanism for securely and reliably affixing a large capacity detergent tray to a washing machine.
In accordance with one embodiment, a washing machine includes a cabinet configured to form an outer shell of the washing machine, a tub installed within the cabinet, a drum rotatably installed inside the tub, a detergent tray installed in an upper portion of the cabinet, and a drying duct assembly disposed above the tub to provide hot air into a washing space form inside the tub. The detergent tray includes a housing configured to store detergent, a support bracket installed in a periphery portion of the housing, and a plurality of fixing members configured to fix the support bracket to the cabinet and the drying duct assembly.
The support bracket is configured to support the housing on the cabinet and the drying duct assembly at the front, rear, left and right sides of the housing.
The support bracket may include a first support piece, a second support piece, a third support piece and a fourth support piece. The first support piece is disposed in a front periphery portion of the housing so that the first support piece is fixed to a front frame of the cabinet. The second support piece is disposed in one lateral periphery portion of the housing so that the second support piece is fixed to one side frame of the cabinet. The third support piece is disposed in the other lateral periphery portion of the housing so that the third support piece is fixed to the other side frame of the cabinet. The fourth support piece is disposed in a rear periphery portion of the housing so that the fourth support piece is fixed to a blower fan of the drying duct assembly.
The drying duct assembly may include a drying duct configured to guide an air flow toward the tub, a heater unit configured to heat air inside the drying duct, and a blower fan configured to circulate hot air through the tub.
The detergent tray may further include a mounting recess, a storage compartment, and a storage cover. The mounting recess is formed at one side of the housing so that a detergent box configured to store a liquid additive is mounted to the mounting recess. The storage compartment is provided at the other side of the housing to store powder detergent. The storage cover is configured to form a portion of a top plate of the cabinet and hingedly coupled to the housing to open or close the mounting recess and the storage compartment.
According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the sides of a large-capacity detergent tray are securely and reliably affixed to the cabinet and the drying duct assembly. This affixation mechanism can advantageously withstand vibration generated during washing/drying operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the exemplary washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a plane view of the washing machine including an exemplary large capacity detergent tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the exemplary detergent tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates the exemplary detergent tray in an uncovered state.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the exemplary detergent tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.
One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be readily determined by those skilled in the art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.
It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily dimensionally illustrated. Relative sizes and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in size, and a predetermined size is just exemplary and not limiting. The same reference numerals designate the same structures, elements, or parts illustrated in two or more drawings in order to exhibit similar characteristics.
The exemplary drawings of the present disclosure illustrate ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to a specific form of the illustrated region, and for example, include modifications of form due to manufacturing.
The configuration and operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the exemplary washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a plane view of the washing machine including an exemplary large capacity detergent tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the exemplary detergent tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 illustrates the exemplary detergent tray in an uncovered state. FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the exemplary detergent tray according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
It will be appreciated that a detergent tray according to the present disclosure can be used to contain any type of additives suitable for washing operations, e.g., liquid or power detergent, fabric softener, etc.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, a detergent tray 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing 110, a support bracket 120, a plurality of fastening members 130, a mounting recess 112, a storage compartment 150 and a storage cover 111.
Specifically, the housing 110 may be disposed in an upper portion of a cabinet 10 of a washing machine, e.g., on the top of the washing machine above the tub 20, the drying duct assembly 50 and the like.
The housing 110 may provide a large volume for containing additives. The housing 110 may have a length substantially the same as a width of the cabinet 10. The housing may take up half of the top area of the cabinet 10.
Generally speaking, a large volume of the detergent tray may introduce product design complications. For example, the layout of components inside the cabinet 10 needs to be modified accordingly. It may not be easy to securely affix the housing 110 to the upper portion of the cabinet. Conventionally, the housing 110 is primarily affixed to, and supported by, the frame of the cabinet 10. However, for a housing 110 with a large volume, it may be difficult to fit the housing 110 in close proximity to the frame of the cabinet 10 such that a side of the housing can be affixed to the frame.
According to the present disclosure, in addition to the frame of the cabinet 10, a drying duct assembly 50 is also used to support the housing 110. The support bracket 120 for fastening the housing 110 to the cabinet 10 and the drying duct assembly 50 may be located in the respective periphery portions (or side walls) of the housing 110.
The support bracket 120 may include a first support piece 121, a second support piece 122, a third support piece 123 and a fourth support piece 124, which are respectively installed in the front, rear, left and right periphery portions of the housing 110. The support pieces 121-124 may support the housing 110 on the cabinet 10 and the drying duct assembly 50 through the front, rear left and right sides of the housing 110.
For example, the first support piece 121 may be provided in a front periphery portion 110 a of the housing 110 so that the first support piece 121 is fastened to a front frame 11 of the cabinet 10. The second and the third support piece 122 and 123 may be disposed in opposite lateral periphery portions 110 b of the housing 110 so that the second and the third support piece 122 are fastened to opposite side frames 12 of the cabinet 10, respectively. The fourth support piece 124 may be provided in a rear periphery portion 110 d of the housing 110 so that the fourth support piece 124 is fastened to a blower fan 51 of the drying duct assembly 50.
The fastening members 130 can fasten the support bracket 120 to the cabinet 10 and the drying duct assembly 50. Various types of fastener bolts, fastener nuts and the like may be used as the fastening members 130 for purposes of practicing the present disclosure.
The mounting recess 112 receives a detergent container 140, and may be formed at one side of the housing 110. The detergent container 140 may be removably mounted to the mounting recess 112 and may be used to store one or more liquid additives, for example, liquid detergent and fabric softener.
The storage compartment 150 can be used to store one or more powder additives, e.g., powder detergent and the like. The storage compartment 150 may be disposed at the other side of the housing 110. Washing water may be supplied to the storage compartment 150 to carry the powder detergent to the tub 20, e.g., when a washing operation is started.
The storage cover 111 covers the detergent tray 100, including the mounting recess 112 and the storage compartment 150. The storage cover 111 may be hingedly coupled to the housing 110. The storage cover 111 may be biased by a spring (not shown) to cover the housing 110. In this configuration, if a user releases the storage cover 111 after opening the storage cover 111, the storage cover 111 may be automatically closed under the elastic force of the spring.
The storage cover 111 may be formed as part of the top plate of the cabinet 10 and the storage cover 111 is disposed on the upper surface of the cabinet 10. When the storage cover 111 is opened, a user can load a liquid additive to the liquid box 140 and/or a powder additive to the storage compartment 150.
The washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cabinet 10, a tub 20, a drum 30, a detergent tray 100, and a drying duct assembly 50. The washing machine may be a drum type and washes washing objects by rotating the drum 30. However, a washing machine according to the present disclosure is not limited to any specific type.
More specifically, the cabinet 10 is an outer case enclosing various components of the washing machine, e.g., the tub 20, the drum 30 and the like. The detergent tray 100 may be installed in the upper portion of the cabinet 10.
The washing machine may also include a detergent supply pipe 40 coupled between the detergent tray 100 and the tub 20 for transporting detergent from the detergent tray 100 to the tub 20, a motor 90 configured to drive the rotation of the drum 30, a water supply device 70 configured to supply washing water into the tub 20, and a drain device 80 configured to drain washing water to the outside of the cabinet 10.
The tub 20 may have a cylindrical structure and may be used to contain washing water during washing operations. The tub may be horizontally disposed within the cabinet 10. The tub 20 may receive detergent from the detergent tray 100 and the detergent box 140, receive washing water from the water supply device 70 and drain the washing water to the outside of the cabinet 10 through the drain device 80.
The drum 30 may be rotatably installed in the tub 20. Through rotation of the drum 30, washing objects in the drum are stirred and washed by washing water mixed with additives supplied into the tub 20.
The detergent tray 100 may have a large capacity for additives. As described above, the detergent tray 100 is installed in the upper portion of the cabinet 10 and opens toward the upper side of the cabinet 10. In this case, the cover 111 of the detergent tray 100 may be a portion of the top plate of the cabinet 10.
The drying duct assembly 50 may include a drying duct configured to guide an air flow toward the tub 20, a heater unit 53 configured to heat air flowing in the drying duct 52, and a blower fan 51 configured to facilitate circulation of hot air through the tub 20.
According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the sides of a large-capacity detergent tray are securely and reliably affixed to both the cabinet and the drying duct assembly. This affixation mechanism can advantageously withstand vibration generated during washing/drying operations.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure.
Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are not limiting, but only an example in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is expressed by claims below and it should be construed that all changes and modifications achieved from the meanings and scope of claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:

a tub configured to contain washing water;

a cabinet accommodating the tub;

a drying duct assembly configured to supply an air flow to the tub in a drying process; and

a detergent tray configured to contain an additive and affixed to both the cabinet and the drying duct assembly through a plurality of fastening members.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the detergent tray is disposed in an upper portion of the cabinet.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 further comprising a rotatable drum configured to contain washing objects.

4. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the detergent tray comprises:

a housing; and

a support bracket coupled to a periphery portion of the housing, wherein

the plurality of fastening members are configured to fasten the support bracket to the cabinet and the drying duct assembly.

5. The washing machine of claim 4, wherein the support bracket is configured to couple the housing onto the cabinet and onto the drying duct assembly through front, rear, left and right sides of the housing.

6. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein the support bracket comprises:

a first support piece through which a front periphery portion of the housing is coupled to a front frame of the cabinet;

a second and a third support piece through which opposite lateral periphery portions of the housing are coupled to opposite side frames of the cabinet, respectively; and

a fourth support piece through which a rear periphery portion of the housing is coupled to a blower fan of the drying duct assembly.

7. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the drying duct assembly comprises:

a drying duct configured to guide an air flow toward the tub;

a heater unit configured to heat air flowing in the drying duct; and

a blower fan configured to drive air circulation through the tub.

8. The washing machine of claim 7, wherein the drying duct is disposed above the tub.

9. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein an area of the detergent tray is approximately half of a top surface area of the cabinet.

10. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the detergent tray further comprises:

a mounting recess formed at one side of the housing and configured to receive a detergent container;

a storage compartment disposed at a side of the housing; and

a cover hingedly coupled to the housing and configured to cover the mounting recess and the storage compartment.

11. A detergent tray for a washing machine, the detergent tray comprising:

a housing;

a support bracket disposed in a side of the housing and affixed to the housing; and

a plurality of fastening members configured to fasten the support bracket to both a cabinet of the washing machine and a drying duct assembly of the washing machine.

12. The detergent tray of claim 11, wherein the support bracket is configured to couple the housing to the cabinet and the drying duct assembly through front, rear, left and right sides of the housing.

13. The detergent tray of claim 12, wherein the support bracket is configured to couple the housing to a frame of the cabinet.

14. The detergent tray of claim 12, wherein the support bracket is configured to couple the housing to a fan of the drying duct assembly.

15. The detergent tray of claim 12, wherein the support bracket comprises:

a first support piece through which a front periphery portion of the housing is affixed to a front frame of the cabinet;

a second and a third support piece through which opposite lateral periphery portions of the housing are affixed to opposite side frames of the cabinet, respectively; and

a fourth support piece through which a rear periphery portion of the housing is affixed to a blower fan of the drying duct assembly.

16. The detergent tray of claim 11 further comprising:

a storage compartment disposed at a side of the housing; and

17. The detergent tray of claim 11, wherein an area of the detergent tray is approximately half of a top surface area of the washing machine.