US20180363221A1 - Wall-mounted washing machine and detergent container thereof - Google Patents
Wall-mounted washing machine and detergent container thereof Download PDFInfo
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- US20180363221A1 US20180363221A1 US15/939,185 US201815939185A US2018363221A1 US 20180363221 A1 US20180363221 A1 US 20180363221A1 US 201815939185 A US201815939185 A US 201815939185A US 2018363221 A1 US2018363221 A1 US 2018363221A1
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- detergent
- cover
- detergent container
- disposed
- column
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/02—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/02—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
- D06F39/028—Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
- D06F37/02—Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums
- D06F37/04—Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis
- D06F37/10—Doors; Securing means therefor
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
- D06F37/26—Casings; Tubs
- D06F37/264—Tubs provided with reinforcing structures, e.g. ribs, inserts, braces
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
- D06F37/26—Casings; Tubs
- D06F37/266—Gaskets mounted between tub and casing around the loading opening
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
- D06F37/26—Casings; Tubs
- D06F37/28—Doors; Security means therefor
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/02—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
- D06F39/022—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents in a liquid state
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/08—Liquid supply or discharge arrangements
- D06F39/083—Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
- D06F39/086—Arrangements for avoiding detergent wastage in the discharge conduit
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/08—Liquid supply or discharge arrangements
- D06F39/088—Liquid supply arrangements
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/12—Casings; Tubs
- D06F39/125—Supporting arrangements for the casing, e.g. rollers or legs
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/12—Casings; Tubs
- D06F39/14—Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/12—Casings; Tubs
Definitions
- Embodiments according to the present disclosure relate to a wall-mounted washing machine and a detergent container thereof.
- a washing machine is an apparatus for separating contaminants from laundry (e.g., fabric) using wash water and detergent, where the contaminants may be separated from the laundry by chemical action of the detergent dissolved in the wash water and the mechanical action (e.g., agitation) of the wash water and an inner basket.
- Such washing machines may be categorized according to type depending on the method of loading the laundry, including a top-loading type washing machine, a front-loading type washing machine, and a combined-type washing machine that is a combination of the top-loading type and the front-loading type.
- wall-mounted washing machines have been introduced, which may be installed in narrow spaces such as bathrooms.
- wall-mounted washing machines employ the front-loading type for miniaturization.
- a wall-mounted washing machine may include a cabinet that forms an exterior of the device, a tub provided in the cabinet that can be filled with wash water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub that can accommodate the laundry, a drive unit that provides power to the drum, a water supply unit that can supply wash water to the tub, and a drain unit that discharges the wash water from the tub to outside of the cabinet.
- a detergent container accommodating a detergent and a conditioner container accommodating a conditioner are separately provided.
- a user withdraws the detergent container from the washing machine, supplies detergent, inserts the detergent container back into the washing machine, withdraws the conditioner container, supplies conditioner, and subsequently inserts the conditioner container back into the washing machine, potentially inconveniencing the user because of the many steps.
- wash water is supplied to the detergent container and detergent in the detergent container is dissolved in the wash water and discharged to the tub.
- the wash water is supplied to the tub through an outlet of wash water. That is, since the supplied wash water is immediately discharged to the tub, the detergent may not be sufficiently dissolved in the wash water to result in that the detergent is present in laundry after washing is completed.
- embodiments according to the present disclosure include a wall-mounted washing machine in which both detergent and conditioner are simultaneously supplied to a single detergent container so that the detergent and the conditioner may be supplied by simply withdrawing or inserting the detergent container only one time, and also include a detergent container of such a wall-mounted washing machine.
- embodiments according to the present disclosure include a wall-mounted washing machine in which the flow of wash water, which has been supplied to a detergent container and is discharging to a tub, is slowed using a siphon principle so that detergent can be dissolved in the wash water in the detergent container, and also include a detergent container of such a wall-mounted washing machine.
- a wall-mounted washing machine includes: a rear panel configured to be mounted on a wall; a tub disposed on a front surface of the rear panel and configured to hold wash water; a front panel having an opening and disposed on a front side of the tub; a water supply valve assembly disposed in the front panel and configured to receive wash water from an external water source; a cover for the front panel; a detergent container coupled to the front panel through the cover and having a detergent input space for accommodating detergent and also having a conditioner input space for accommodating conditioner; a door rotatably coupled to the cover to open and to close a laundry inlet of the cover; and a cabinet coupled to the rear panel and surrounding the tub.
- the detergent container includes: a case that includes a first siphon section disposed in the detergent input space and operable for discharging, to the tub, a detergent aqueous solution in which the detergent is dissolved in the wash water provided through the water supply valve assembly, and that also includes a second siphon section disposed in the conditioner input space and operable for discharging a conditioner aqueous solution in which the conditioner is dissolved in wash water provided through the water supply valve assembly, to the tub; a cap coupled to an upper side of the case and having an inlet of the detergent input space and also having an inlet of the conditioner input space; and a front part coupled to a front surface of the case and comprising a handle.
- a detergent container receiving unit is disposed in the front panel and allows the detergent container to be inserted and attached to the detergent container receiving unit; and a first fitting operable for providing wash water from the water supply assembly to the detergent input space, and a second fitting operable for providing wash water from the water supply assembly to the conditioner input space, are connected to an upper side of the detergent container receiving unit.
- the case includes: a first part configured to form the detergent input space; and a second part configured to form the conditioner input space.
- the first part and the second part are separated by a partition and arranged in a horizontal direction, the first fitting is disposed on an upper side of a space between the first siphon section and the partition, and the second fitting is disposed on an upper side of a space between the second siphon section and the partition.
- the first siphon section includes a first column protruding upward from a bottom surface of the first part, the first column having a hollow shape to allow wash water introduced upward to be discharged therethrough.
- the first siphon section also has a first cover disposed in the cap, where the first cover covers the first column such that the first cover is spaced a distance apart from the first column, and where the first cover is spaced a distance apart from the bottom surface of the first part.
- the second siphon section includes a second column protruding upward from a bottom surface of the second part, the second column having a hollow shape to allow wash water introduced upward to be discharged therethrough.
- the second siphon section also has a second cover disposed in the cap, where the second cover covers the second column such that the second cover is spaced a distance apart from the second column, and where the second cover is spaced a distance apart from the bottom surface of the second part.
- first siphon section and the second siphon section are disposed proximate to a rear surface of the case.
- the first siphon section includes: a first siphon guide recess configured to be depressed downward from a bottom surface of the case and having a first outlet operable for discharging the detergent aqueous solution; a first column coupled to the first outlet, the first column protruding upward from the first siphon guide recess by a predetermined height and having a hollow shape operable for allowing the detergent aqueous solution introduced to an upper side to be discharged to the first outlet; and a first cover disposed in the cap, the first cover surrounding the first column such that the first cover is spaced a distance apart from an outer circumferential surface and an upper end portion of the first column, the first cover having a lower end portion spaced apart from the first siphon guide recess by a predetermined height.
- the second siphon section includes: a second siphon guide recess configured to be depressed downward from a bottom surface of the case and having a second outlet operable for discharging a conditioner aqueous solution; a second column coupled to the second outlet, the second column protruding upward from the second siphon guide recess by a predetermined height and having a hollow shape operable for allowing the conditioner aqueous solution introduced to an upper side to be discharged to the second outlet; and a second cover disposed in the cap, the second cover surrounding the second column such that the second cover is spaced apart from an outer circumferential surface and an upper end portion of second first column, the second cover having a lower end portion spaced apart from the second siphon guide recess by a predetermined height.
- first engaging ribs protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the first column and are attached to an inner circumferential surface of the first cover such that the first cover is interference-fit to the first column
- second engaging ribs protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the second column and are attached to an inner circumferential surface of the second cover such that the second cover is interference-fit to the second column.
- the partition is higher than the first column and the second column.
- the first cover is connected to a left surface and a rear surface of the detergent input space
- the second cover is connected to a right surface and a rear surface of the conditioner input space.
- the cap includes: a first maximum water level indicator connected to the first cover and for indicating a maximum water level; and a second maximum water level indicator connected to the second cover and for indicating a maximum water level.
- a first overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the first part
- a second overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the second part
- the first and second overflow parts are operable to discharge, to the tub, the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first siphon section and the second siphon section
- the first overflow part include an opening on an upper side of the detergent input space
- the second overflow part includes an opening on an upper side of the conditioner input space of the case, and where the first and second overflow parts are blocked by the cap.
- a guide hole operable for guiding wash water discharged from the case to the tub and having a bottom surface spaced a distance apart from a lower surface of the case is disposed on the front panel, a door gasket is coupled to the opening of the front panel, and a guide rib is disposed in the door gasket and is operable for guiding wash water guided by the guide hole to the side of the opening.
- a detergent container loading port is disposed in the cover, and a detergent container receiving unit is disposed in a position of the front panel that corresponds to a position of the detergent box loading port and allows the detergent container to be inserted and attached therein.
- a detergent container gasket that is attached to the case is coupled to an inlet of the detergent container receiving unit, and the detergent container gasket is pressed by the cover in the front panel.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wall-mounted washing machine in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the door of FIG. 1 is opened, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a detergent container is coupled to a cover and a front panel of FIG. 4 , in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the detergent container of FIG. 4 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the detergent container of FIG. 7 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container of FIG. 6 , taken along line B-B′, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container of FIG. 6 , taken along line C-C′, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a lower surface of the detergent container of FIG. 6 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a side surface of the detergent container of FIG. 7 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the cover and the front panel of FIG. 4 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the front panel of FIG. 6 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a detergent container gasket in an embodiment according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 15 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the detergent container gasket of FIG. 14 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a configuration in which the door, the cover, and the front panel of FIG. 4 are coupled, taken along line A-A′, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the circle “D” of FIG. 16 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wall-mounted washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the door of FIG. 1 is opened
- FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 .
- a wall-mounted washing machine 10 may include a cabinet 100 having a front surface and an open rear surface and forming the exterior of the washing machine, a door 200 disposed on one side of the cabinet 100 and for opening or closing the front surface of the cabinet 100 , a cover 300 connected to the door 200 for opening and closing the door 200 , a front panel 400 disposed on the rear surface of the cover 300 , a detergent container 500 housed in one side of the front panel 400 and accommodating detergent and conditioner, a drum 600 in which laundry is stored, a tub 700 that surrounds the drum 600 and that can be filled with wash water, and a rear panel 800 mounted on the wall.
- the rear surface means the surface closest to the wall
- the front surface means the surface opposite the rear surface.
- the cabinet 100 may be provided in an empty form. Also, the cabinet 100 may include a power button 102 for controlling a power supply, a cover connection unit 104 connected to the cover 300 , and a rear panel connection unit 106 connected to the rear panel 800 .
- the power button 102 may be disposed on one side of the cabinet 100 to control turning the washing machine 10 on or off.
- the power button 102 may be disposed on one side of the front surface of the cabinet 100 so that it can be easily accessed by the user.
- the power button 102 is disposed on the lower surface of the front surface of the cabinet 100 .
- the position of the power button 102 is not so limited, and may be disposed on the left or right of the front surface of the cabinet 100 or any suitable location, for example.
- the side of the washing machine 10 in which the detergent container 500 is provided will be referred to as the “upper side” and the side of the washing machine 10 in which the power button 102 is provided will be referred to as the “lower side.”
- the side of the washing machine 10 in which a door opening button 210 is disposed will be referred to as the “right side” and the side of the washing machine 10 in which a door hinge 360 is disposed will be referred to as the “left side.”
- the cabinet 100 may include a cover connection unit 104 connected to the cover 300 .
- the cover connection unit 104 may correspond to an edge of the open front surface of the cabinet 100 and may have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the cover 300 so that the cover 300 is not detachable from the cabinet 100 through the front surface of the cabinet.
- the cover 300 may be inserted into the cabinet 100 from the rear of the cabinet toward the front surface side of the cabinet. In this manner, because the diameter of the cover connection unit 104 is smaller than the diameter of the cover 300 , the cover 300 may be fitted into the cover connection unit 104 .
- the cabinet 100 may include a rear panel connecting unit 106 connected to the rear panel 800 .
- the rear panel connecting unit 106 may correspond to the open rear edge of the cabinet 100 and may correspond in shape to the shape of the rear panel 800 .
- the cabinet 100 may be bolted to the rear panel 800 and, for this purpose, a number of bolt fastening holes may be present in the rear panel connecting portion 106 .
- the door 200 may be disposed on the front surface of the cabinet 100 .
- the door 200 is provided for loading and unloading laundry, and may include a door inner frame 230 and a door outer frame 240 .
- the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 may be bolted together with a predetermined space therebetween, and each may have a circular shape with a diameter corresponding to the cover connection unit 104 .
- the door inner frame 230 may be in contact with the cover connection unit 104
- the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 may completely shield (e.g., block) the cover 300 connected to the cabinet 100 .
- the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 may include a door hinge connection unit 232 for connecting with the cover 300 .
- the door hinge connecting unit 232 is disposed at one side of the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 , and may provide a space for accommodating a door hinge 360 of the cover 300 (to be described below).
- a display 202 may be provided in a space located between the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 .
- the display 202 is capable of outputting information to the user, and is provided with a front surface exposed to the outside of the door outer frame 240 . That is, the door outer frame 240 may include a hole (not shown) or may be formed of a transparent material so that the display 202 may be exposed (viewable).
- the display 202 may be a touch panel capable of inputting or outputting information, and the user may confirm information such as the operating state through the display 202 , but also may invoke an operation of the wall-mounted washing machine 10 via touch operations. For example, the user may select a process such as washing and rinsing of the laundry by performing a touch operation with respect to the display 202 , and can confirm the remaining washing time or the like by viewing the display 202 .
- the display 202 which is exposed to the exterior of the door outer frame 240 and the door outer frame 240 , may be protected using protective glass 204 .
- the protective glass 204 is transparent and is disposed on the front surface of the door outer frame 240 so that the user may view the display 202 .
- the protective glass 204 may have the same diameter as the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 .
- a hole may be located in one side of the protective glass 204 , and the door opening button 210 may be exposed to the outside (made accessible) through the hole.
- the door opening button 210 may be disposed in the door outer frame 240 for opening or closing the interior of the cabinet 100 using an electronic opening and closing system, and may be accessed through the hole in the protective glass 204 .
- the door 200 may include a door opening unit 250 and a door hanging unit 260 .
- the door opening unit 250 and the door hanging unit 260 may protrude rearward from the door inner frame 230 and may be in contact with and engaged with one side of the cover 300 .
- the door opening unit 250 assists opening/closing and may provide an elastic force.
- the door opening unit 250 may include a spring and may support opening the door 200 through the elastic force of the spring.
- the door opening unit 250 may be compressed and inserted into a groove (not shown) provided on one side of the cover 300 .
- the door opening unit 250 may release from one side of the cover 300 , and may be in contact with the bottom surface of the groove provided on one side of the cover 300 in a relaxed state. That is, a space is provided between the door 200 and the cover 300 by the relaxed state of the door opening unit 250 , thereby preventing the door 200 from automatically closing (e.g., on its own).
- the door opening unit 250 may be a pusher stem assembly that may be supported by the spring and located within a guide structure formed in the door inner frame 230 to repeatedly project by linear movement to a predetermined stroke range.
- the door hanging unit 260 may be disposed at a predetermined distance from the door opening unit 250 and may have the shape of a hook partially protruding from the door inner frame 230 .
- the protruding portion of the door hanging unit 260 may be coupled to a door lock unit 330 of the cover 300 (to be described below), and thus the door 200 may be securely closed.
- the door 200 may be opened through a door opening button 210 .
- the door opening unit 250 and the door hanging unit 260 may be released from the cover 300 so that the door 200 may open the cover 300 .
- the elastic force of the door opening unit 250 may be relaxed and provided on one side of the cover 300 , and thus a predetermined gap is provided between the door 200 and the cover 300 . Therefore, the door 200 may be prevented from closing (e.g., on its own).
- the user may close the door 200 by applying pressure to the door 200 toward the cover 300 side. To this end, the user may press one side of the outermost protective glass 204 of the door 200 thereby compressing the door opening unit 250 into the groove (not shown) of the cover 300 , and the protruding portion of the door hanging unit 260 may be coupled to the door hanging unit 330 of the cover 300 . That is, the door 200 may be opened and closed without a separate handle.
- a center side of the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 may be opened and door glass 280 may be disposed at the open center side.
- the door glass 280 is provided so that a user can see the laundry inside the washing machine 10 , and may be fitted to the door inner frame 230 and the door outer frame 240 .
- the door glass 280 may protrude rearward, and the protruding side of the door glass 280 may be fitted to the open side of the cover 300 .
- the door 200 may be rotatably connected to the cover 300 .
- the cover 300 is provided to enclose the front panel 400 and may include a laundry inlet 302 for loading laundry, a detergent container loading port 304 for loading a detergent container 500 , and a power processing unit 306 for controlling the button 102 .
- the user may load laundry through the laundry inlet 302 .
- the laundry inlet 302 may have a predetermined diameter.
- the diameter of the laundry inlet 302 may correspond to the size of the protruding portion of the door glass 280 .
- the door glass 280 may block the laundry inlet 302 , and when the user opens the door 200 , the door glass 280 is released (separated) from the laundry inlet 302 so that laundry can be through the laundry inlet 302 .
- a detergent container loading port 304 which may be used to load the detergent container 500 , may be disposed on the upper side of the laundry inlet 302 .
- the shape of the detergent container loading port 304 may correspond to the shape of the detergent container 500 .
- the cover 300 may have a laundry inlet 302 at its center and may have a circular shape as a whole. Further, the cover 300 may have a shape in which one side protrudes downward.
- the power processing unit 306 may be disposed in the downward protruding portion.
- the power processing unit 306 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) connected to the power button 102 to control (turn on or turn off) the power according to the operation of the power button 102 protruding from the outside of the case 100 .
- PCB printed circuit board
- the cover 300 may include a door hanging unit 330 at a position corresponding to the other door hanging unit 260 .
- the door hanging unit 330 is coupled to the hook-shaped door hanging unit 260 and may have a groove that corresponds to the shape of the door hanging unit 260 .
- the door hanging unit 260 can be coupled to the door hanging unit 330 , so that the door 200 may close the laundry inlet 302 .
- the cover 300 may include a door hinge 360 disposed at a location corresponding to the door hinge connection unit 232 .
- the door hinge 360 may be opened while one side of the door 200 and one side of the cover 300 are connected to each other, and one side of the door hinge 360 may be received in the door hinge connection unit 232 .
- the door hinge 360 may have a shape of a long curved panel in a vertical direction on one side of the laundry inlet 302 , and may partially protrude forward such that the door 200 may be rotated and connected to the door hinge connection unit 232 . That is, the door 200 may be rotatable along the protruding portion in front of the door hinge 360 .
- a front panel 400 may be provided on the rear surface of the cover 300 .
- the front panel 400 may be coupled to the tub 700 and may include a shield unit 410 for shielding a space between the drum 600 and the tub 700 , a detergent container receiving unit 420 receiving the detergent container 500 , a detergent container gasket 430 to seal a portion of the front panel that is coupled with the detergent container 500 , a fitting 440 for supplying water into the detergent container 500 , a door gasket 450 to seal a portion in contact with the door 200 , and a water supply valve assembly 480 for receiving wash water from an external water supplying source.
- the shield unit 410 may shield a space between the drum 600 and the tub 700 , and may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the cover 300 . That is, it may have the same diameter as the cover 300 and may have an opening corresponding to the laundry inlet 302 . In this connection, the opening of the shield unit 410 may be smaller than the diameter of the drum 600 , so that the space between the drum 600 and the tub 700 is shielded.
- the detergent container receiving unit 420 may be disposed at one side of the shield unit 410 to receive the detergent container 500 .
- the detergent container receiving unit 420 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the detergent container 500 , and may communicate with the detergent container loading port 304 of the cover 300 . That is, the detergent container 500 may be received in the detergent container receiving unit 420 via the detergent container loading port 304 of the cover 300 .
- the detergent container receiving unit 420 may include a detergent container gasket 430 that is pressured by the detergent container 500 .
- the detergent container gasket 430 may be disposed around the end of the detergent container receiving unit 420 to seal the detergent container 500 , and may be made of a rubber or rubber-like material. That is, detergents, conditioners, and wash water supplied to the detergent container 500 are prevented from leaking through the detergent container gasket 430 .
- At least one fitting 440 may be disposed on the top of the detergent container receiving unit 420 .
- the fitting 440 which is connected to a water supply valve assembly 480 that is connected to an external water supply source, may supply wash water into the detergent container 500 .
- wash water supplied to the drum 600 and the tub 700 includes dissolved detergents or conditioners as a result of the wash water being supplied into the drum 600 and the tub 700 through the detergent container 500 .
- the opening of the shield unit 410 may include a door gasket 450 that is pressed against the door glass 280 of the door 200 .
- the door gasket 450 may be disposed at the opening end of the shield unit 410 (for example, at the annular end of the opening) to hermetically seal the door glass 280 , and it may be composed of a rubber material or the like.
- the door glass 280 penetrates through the laundry inlet 302 of the cover 300 and presses the door gasket 450 , and consequently the wash water inside the drum 600 and the tub 700 is prevented from leaking outside the door 200 .
- the fitting 440 may be supplied with wash water through a water supply valve assembly 480 .
- the water supply valve assembly 480 may be connected to an external water supply source and may selectively supply wash water to the detergent container 550 through the fitting 440 .
- the water supply valve assembly 480 may be a three-way valve; two of the supply flow paths extending from the water supply valve assembly 480 may be connected to the fitting 440 connected to the detergent container 500 , and one of them may supply the wash water to the drum 600 directly through the door gasket 450 .
- the detergent container 500 may accommodate detergent and conditioner, and may include a detergent container handle 502 , a detergent input space 504 in which detergent is loaded, and a conditioner input space 506 in which conditioner is loaded.
- the detergent container handle 502 may protrude forward and may be exposed to the outside of the cover 300 . The user thus may grasp the detergent container handle 502 after opening the door 200 , allowing the detergent container 500 to be unloaded (withdrawn) from or inserted into the detergent container receiving unit 420 .
- the detergent container handle 502 is extended in the vertical direction and is at the center of the front surface of the detergent container 500 , the detergent container handle 502 is not so limited.
- the detergent container receiving unit 420 may extend in the horizontal direction and be disposed on the front surface of the detergent container 500 .
- the detergent container 500 may be partitioned, and includes a detergent input space 504 and a conditioner input space 506 that receive the detergent and conditioner, respectively.
- the fitting 440 may be disposed to correspond to each of the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 . More specifically, the fitting 440 may include a first fitting 440 a that can provide wash water from the water supply valve assembly 480 to the detergent input space 504 , and a second fitting 440 b that can provide wash water from the water supply valve assembly 480 to the conditioner input space 506 .
- the first fitting 440 a and the second fitting 440 b may be disposed such that wash water from the first fitting 440 a and the second fitting 440 b enters the central portion of the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 . Accordingly, the detergent and conditioner of, respectively, the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 selectively receive wash water. Specifically, the user may withdraw the detergent container 500 from the detergent container receiving unit 420 after opening the door 200 and then add detergent and conditioner into the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 , respectively.
- the detergent container 500 once filled with detergent and conditioner, may be inserted back into the detergent container receiving unit 420 and, depending on the washing process, either the detergent input space 504 or the conditioner input space 506 may be supplied with the wash water. Accordingly, the wash water including the detergent or conditioner is selectively supplied to the drum 600 and the tub 700 .
- the front panel 400 may be connected to the drum 600 .
- the drum 600 receives the laundry, and may include a drum inlet 610 on the front surface and a spider 680 on the rear surface. In this case, a number of holes for fluid communication with the tub 700 may be disposed around the drum 600 .
- a drum inlet portion 610 may correspond to the open portion of the shield unit 410 .
- the drum inlet portion 610 may have a diameter that is smaller than the entire diameter of the drum 600 , and the drum inlet portion 610 may be fitted into the open portion of the shield unit 410 , so that front panel 400 and the drum 600 may be connected to each other.
- laundry may be loaded into the drum 600 via the laundry inlet 302 of the cover 300 and the open portion of the front panel 400 .
- the drum 600 may be rotated using a spider 680 .
- the spider 680 may rotate in response to a driving force of a driving motor 910 (described below).
- the spider 680 may be disposed separately from the drum 600 and coupled to the rear surface of the drum 600 .
- a groove corresponding to the shape of the spider 680 may be formed on the rear surface of the drum 600 to seat the spider 680 .
- the spider 680 may include a number of arms extending in different directions with a constant gap at the center.
- the spider 680 may include three arms extending in different directions by a length corresponding to the radius of the drum 600 , and the arms may be separated from each other by a 120-degree gap.
- the center of the spider 680 may be attached to a second pulley 914 (described below) through a drum rotation axis 916 (described below), and thus the drum 600 is coupled to the spider 680 and the spider 680 may be rotated. A specific method of rotating the drum 600 will be described below.
- a tub 700 that can be filled with wash water may be disposed outside the drum 600 .
- the tub 700 may have a shape corresponding to the drum 600 , and a diameter larger than the diameter of the drum 600 by a predetermined length. Accordingly, the tub 700 may be disposed apart from the drum 600 by a predetermined gap.
- the wash water supplied into the tub 700 may flow into the drum 600 through a number of holes located around the drum 600 .
- the wash water in the drum 600 may flow into the tub 700 through the number of holes located around the drum 600 .
- the drum 600 and the tub 700 may have a cylindrical shape, but are not so limited.
- the tub 700 may include a heater 702 to heat the wash water.
- a groove may be formed on the inner side of the tub 700 to receive the heater 702 , and the heater 702 may be disposed on the inner side of the tub 700 in a detachable manner.
- the heater 702 may heat the wash water filled in the tub 700 .
- the tub 700 may have an integrated rear panel 800 .
- the rear panel 800 may be mounted on the wall and may include an anchor connection unit 802 to which an anchor for connecting to the wall is connected, and may also include a cabinet fixing unit 804 for attaching the cabinet 100 and a sensor 806 for detecting the water level.
- the tub 700 and the rear panel 800 may be integrally injection-molded, and the tub 700 may protrude from the front of the rear panel 800 .
- the rear surface of the rear panel 800 may be mounted on a wall via a separate anchor.
- the anchor may be coupled to the wall through an anchor connection unit 802 and may be provided on the rear surface of the rear panel 800 for stable engagement with the wall.
- a number of anchors may be used to mount the rear panel 800 on the wall. In this case, because the tub 700 and the rear panel 800 are integrated, a separate damper or an elastic member for supporting the tub 700 is not required. Consequently, the number of parts may be reduced, and the size of the washing machine 10 may also be reduced.
- the cabinet 100 may be coupled to the front surface of the rear panel 800 where the tub 700 is located to enclose the tub 700 .
- a cabinet fixing unit 804 may have a stepped shape along the periphery of the rear panel 800 , and the cabinet 100 may be attached to the cabinet fixing unit 804 .
- a fastening member such as a bolt may be used.
- the rear panel 800 may include a control unit 810 for controlling the overall functions of the wall-mounted washing machine 10 , and a drain unit 820 for discharging the wash water filled in the tub 700 .
- the control unit 810 may be disposed on the front surface of the rear panel 800 to control various components of the wall-mounted washing machine 10 , depending on a user's input, to wash laundry.
- the control unit 810 is shown as being disposed on the right side of the respect to tub 700 , the position of the control unit 810 is not so limited.
- a power supply line 904 may be connected to the external power source to supply power to the electric equipment, the control unit 810 , the driving motor 910 , and other components described above.
- the power supply line 904 may extend through the rear panel 800 to the front of the rear panel 800 and may extend outwardly from the rear of the rear panel 800 .
- the power supply line 904 may be attached to the rear surface of the rear panel 800 through a separate fixing means. Because the power supply line 904 is extending outwardly from the rear surface of the rear panel 800 , the appearance of the washing machine 10 is improved.
- the drain unit 820 may be disposed under the rear panel 800 .
- the drain unit 820 may discharge the wash water inside the tub 700 and may be disposed on the lower surface of the front surface of the rear panel 800 .
- the drain unit 820 may include a drain pump for pressurizing the wash water, and may be connected to the drain hose 902 to discharge the wash water.
- the drain hose 902 is connected to the drain unit 820 and extends outward along the rear surface of the rear panel 800 , so that the wash water may flow under the pressure of the drain unit 820 .
- the drain unit 820 when the drain unit 820 is operated after the washing process is completed, the wash water may be discharged to outside of the cabinet 100 through the drain hose 902 due to the pressure change of the drain unit 820 .
- the rear panel 800 may include a driving motor 910 for transmitting a driving force to the rear panel 800 , a first pulley 912 and a second pulley 914 connected to the driving motor 910 , a drum rotational shaft 916 connected to the second pulley 914 to rotate the drum 600 , and a belt 918 that connects the first pulley 912 and the second pulley 914 .
- the driving motor 910 may be disposed on the front surface of the rear panel 800 .
- the driving motor 910 may be controlled by the control unit 810 and may be disposed on one side of the control unit 810 and the drain unit 820 .
- the driving motor 910 may be connected to the first pulley 912 .
- the shaft (not shown) of the driving motor 910 may pass through the rear panel 800 and may be connected with the first pulley 912 at the rear surface of the rear panel 800 .
- the first pulley 912 may be connected to the second pulley 914 via a belt 918 .
- the second pulley 914 may surround the drum rotation shaft 916 connected to the spider 680 , and the drum rotation axis 916 may penetrate the rear panel 800 while being connected to the spider 680 . That is, the second pulley 914 and the drum rotation shaft 916 may be connected to each other at the rear surface of the rear panel 800 .
- the control unit 810 may operate the driving motor 910 . Subsequently, the first pulley 912 connected to the driving motor 910 may be rotated, and the second pulley 914 may be then rotated by the rotation of the first pulley 912 .
- the drum rotation shaft 916 connected to the second pulley 914 , may also be rotated so that the drum 600 may be rotated inside the cabinet 100 and the tub 700 . Consequently, the laundry inside the drum 600 may be washed.
- the rear panel 800 may further include an exhaust line 920 .
- the exhaust line 920 may be connected to the drain unit 820 and may exhaust air from inside the tub 700 and the drain unit 820 .
- the exhaust line 920 may be connected to the drain hose 902 and pass through the rear panel 800 , through which it may extend to the rear surface of the rear panel 800 to exhaust air to the outside.
- the wall-mounted washing machine 10 in embodiments according to the present disclosure may be used as follows.
- the user may open the door 200 , and may load the laundry inside the drum 600 and unload the detergent container 500 from the front panel 400 .
- the detergent container 500 is divided in the center, so that a space for loading detergent and conditioner, respectively, may be provided.
- the user may close the door 200 and control the laundry washing process via the power button 102 and the display 202 .
- wash water provided from an external water supplying source through the water supply valve assembly 480 is supplied to the detergent container 500 through the fitting 440 , and the wash water is supplied into the drum 600 and tub 700 after passing the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 . That is, the wash water in the drum 600 and the tub 700 includes detergent and conditioner.
- the control unit 810 may drive the driving motor 910 .
- the driving motor 910 may be connected to the first pulley 912 and the second pulley 914 , and the second pulley 914 may be connected to the drum 600 through the drum rotation shaft 916 .
- the drum 600 may be rotated by the driving motor 910 . Consequently, the laundry in the drum 600 may be washed by the rotation of the drum 600 .
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a detergent container is coupled to a cover and a front panel of FIG. 4
- FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the detergent container of FIG. 4
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the detergent container of FIG. 7
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container of FIG. 6 (taken along line B-B′)
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container of FIG. 6 (taken along line C-C′)
- FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a lower surface of the detergent container of FIG. 6
- FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a side surface of the detergent container of FIG. 7 .
- the detergent container 500 can be inserted into or withdrawn out from the detergent container loading port 304 located on the cover 300 and the detergent container receiving unit 420 located on the front panel 400 .
- the detergent container 500 may include a front part 310 provided with a detergent container handle 502 , a case 530 forming the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 , and a cap 550 including an inlet 503 of the detergent input space 504 and an inlet 505 of the conditioner input space 506 .
- the front part 510 may include the detergent container handle 502 that a user may grip.
- the front part 510 may be inserted into the detergent container loading port 304 of the cover 300 to form a portion of a front surface of the cover 300 .
- the shape of the front part 510 may correspond to the shape of the front surface of the cover 300 .
- the front part 510 may have a corresponding bend (bent part) 5102 .
- the front part 510 when the front part 510 is viewed from the front, the front part 510 may have a circular arc shape corresponding to the circumference of the cover 300 .
- a case insertion part 513 may be disposed on a rear surface of the front part 510 to allow the case 530 to be coupled to the front part. Details of the case insertion part 513 will be described below with reference to FIG. 17 .
- the front part 510 may be coupled to the front surface of the case 530 .
- the area of the front part 510 may be larger than the front surface of the case 530 .
- the case 530 may include a first part 533 and a second part 535 partitioned by the partition 531 in the horizontal direction.
- the first part 533 may form the detergent input space 504 and the second part 535 may form the conditioner input space 506 .
- the cap 550 may be coupled to the top of the case 530 , to cover all of or portions of the first part 533 and the second part 535 , and includes the inlet 503 of the detergent input space 504 and the inlet 505 of the conditioner input space 506 . Also, the cap 550 may include an anti-scattering part 551 disposed above the partition 531 to shield portions of the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 (described further below). The inlets 503 and 505 of the cap 550 refer to openings on both bottom parts of the cap 550 with respect to the anti-scattering part 551 .
- the anti-scattering part 551 may include a central part 5512 , a first blocking film 5514 , and a second blocking film 5516 .
- the central part 5512 of the anti-scattering part 551 is coupled to and supported by the partition 531 , and may be coupled to an upper end portion of the partition 531 .
- the first blocking film 5514 of the anti-scattering part 551 may extend downward and outward from the central part 5512 toward the first part 533 , separating from the central part in the downward direction, and shield a portion of the detergent input space 504 .
- the second blocking film 5516 of the anti-scattering part 551 may extend downward and outward from the central part 5512 toward the second part 536 , separating from the central part in the downward direction, and shield a portion of the conditioner input space 5060 .
- the first blocking film 5514 and the second blocking film 5516 may extend from the central part 5512 toward the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 , and may be sloped toward an outer side. That is, the first blocking film 5514 and the second blocking film 5516 may have a reverse V-shape with the center part 5512 as the vertex.
- the anti-scattering part 551 may prevent wash water supplied to the detergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 from being scattered by the first fitting 440 a and the second fitting 440 b , respectively.
- the wash water supplied from the first fitting 440 a to the detergent input space 504 may scatter, while colliding with the bottom surface of the case 530 , in which case the wash water scattered from the detergent input space 504 may collide with an inner surface of the first blocking film 5514 and is thus prevented from being scattered to the outside of the detergent input space 504 .
- the first blocking film 5514 may prevent the wash water scattered from the detergent input space 504 from passing into the conditioner input space 506 .
- wash water in which detergent is dissolved may be referred to herein as a detergent aqueous solution
- wash water in which conditioner is dissolved may be referred to herein as a conditioner aqueous solution.
- the structures just described prevent a problem in which the detergent aqueous solution is mixed with the conditioner aqueous solution in the conditioner input space 506 and discharged to the tub 700 .
- the second blocking film 5516 may prevent wash water supplied to the conditioner input space 506 from scattering.
- the anti-scattering part 551 is described as being integrally formed with the cap 550 , the present invention is not so limited.
- the first blocking film 5514 and the second blocking film 5516 of the anti-scattering part 551 may be rotatably supported at an upper end of the partition 531 .
- the first blocking film 5514 may rotate at the central part 5512 to selectively shield a portion of the detergent input space 504 .
- the first blocking film 5514 may block the detergent input space 504 when the first blocking shield is perpendicular to the partition 531 , or the first blocking film 5514 may be moved so that it is parallel with the partition 531 to open the detergent input space 504 .
- the second blocking film 5516 may selectively shield a portion of the conditioner input space 506 .
- the detergent container 500 may include a first siphon section S 1 that discharges the detergent aqueous solution generated as the detergent is dissolved in the wash water to the tub 700 , and may also include a second siphon section S 2 that discharges the conditioner aqueous solution generated as the conditioner is dissolved in wash water to the tub 700 , by coupling of the case 530 and the cap 550 .
- the detergent container 500 may include a first overflow part 5337 for discharging, to the outside of the detergent container 500 , the detergent aqueous solution that has not yet been discharged through the first siphon section S 1 , and may also include a second overflow part 5357 for discharging, to the outside of the detergent container 500 , the detergent aqueous solution 500 that has not yet been discharged through the second siphon section S 2 .
- the first siphon section S 1 and the first overflow part 5337 may be disposed in the first part 533
- the second siphon section S 2 and the second overflow part 5357 may be disposed in the second part 535 .
- the first overflow part 5337 and the second overflow part 5357 may mean or refer to an overflow recess integrally formed in the case 530 or to a first overflow hole or a second overflow hole in the case where an upper opening of the recess is blocked by the cap 550 .
- the first siphon section S 1 includes a first siphon guide recess 5331 formed to be pressed downward by or from a bottom surface of the first part 533 of the case 530 , a first outlet 5332 for discharging the detergent aqueous solution from the first siphon guide recess 5331 , and a first column 5333 in communication with the first outlet 5352 , protruding upward from the first siphon guide recess 5331 by a predetermined height, and having a hollow shape to allow the detergent aqueous solution introduced to the upper side of the first column 5333 to be discharged to the first outlet 5352 .
- the first siphon section S 1 may include a first cover 553 disposed in the cap 550 and covering the first column 5333 .
- An inner surface of the first cover 553 covers the first column 5333 such that space is maintained between the inner surface of the first cover 553 and an outer circumferential surface of the first column 5333 and an upper end portion of the first column 5333 .
- a lower end portion of the first cover 553 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the first siphon guide recess 5331 by a predetermined height in the vicinity of a lower end portion of the first column 5333 .
- the first cover 553 may be connected to the left and rear surfaces of the cap 550 with respect to the detergent input space 504 .
- a number of first engaging ribs 5334 may protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the first column 5333 so that when the first cover 553 is fitted to the first column 5333 , the first engaging ribs 5334 may be tightly attached to an inner circumferential surface of the first cover 533 and the first cover 553 may be interference-fit to the first column 5333 .
- the first engaging ribs 5334 may also be a means of maintaining space.
- the first engaging ribs 5334 may be formed in such a number that they do not interfere with the siphon effect in the first siphon section S 1 .
- three first engaging ribs 5334 may protrude from the first column 5333 .
- the first siphon section S 1 may be disposed on the left and rear surfaces of the detergent input space 504 .
- the first siphon section S 1 may discharge the detergent aqueous solution in the detergent input space 504 to the tub 700 through the first outlet 5352 using a pressure difference between the detergent input space and the tub.
- wash water is supplied to the detergent input space 504 by the first fitting 440 a and mixed therein with a detergent to form a detergent aqueous solution.
- the first fitting 440 a is connected to the detergent container receiving unit 420 to supply wash water and is disposed above the space between the first siphon section S 1 and the partition 531 .
- Atmospheric pressure acts on a surface of the detergent aqueous solution in the detergent input space 504 to apply a force to the surface of the detergent aqueous solution.
- the detergent aqueous solution because it is subjected to atmospheric pressure, gradually increases in volume between the first column 5333 and the first cover 553 through the first siphon guide recess 5331 .
- the detergent aqueous solution flowing into the space between the first column 5333 and the first cover 553 may reach the top of the space between the first column 5333 and the first cover 553 , flow over the first column 5333 , and may subsequently be discharged to a first discharge port 5332 through a hollow volume formed in the first column 5333 due to gravity.
- the detergent aqueous solution may be discharged to the tub 700 by the first siphon section S 1 .
- the second siphon section S 2 includes a second siphon guide recess 5351 formed to be pressed downward by or from a bottom surface of the second part 535 of the case 530 , and a hollow second column 5353 in communication with the second outlet 5352 and protruding upward from the second siphon guide recess 5351 by a predetermined height.
- the second siphon section S 2 may include a second cover 555 disposed in the cap 550 and covering the second column 5353 .
- An inner surface of the second cover 555 covers the second column 5353 such that space is maintained between the inner surface of the second cover 555 and an outer circumferential surface of the second column 5353 and an upper end portion of the second column 5353 .
- a lower end portion of the second cover 555 may be disposed to be spaced a distance apart from the second siphon guide recess 5351 by a predetermined height in the vicinity of a lower end portion of the second column 5353 .
- the second cover 555 may be connected to the right and rear surfaces of the cap 550 with respect to the conditioner input space 506 .
- a number of second engaging ribs 5354 may protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the second column 535 such that the second cover 555 may be interference-fit to the second column 5353 .
- the second siphon section S 2 may supply and discharge water in the same manner as that of the first siphon section S 1 described above. That is, wash water supplied from the second fitting 440 b disposed above the space between the second siphon section S 2 and the partition 531 , or the conditioner aqueous solution accommodated in the conditioner input space 506 , may be discharged to the tub 700 through the second outlet 5352 operating in the same manner as that of the first siphon section S 1 .
- the cap 550 may include a first maximum water level indicator 557 and a second maximum water level indicator 558 respectively connected to the first cover 553 and the second cover 555 to indicate a maximum level.
- the first maximum water level indicator 557 may be disposed on the inlet 503 side of the detergent input space 504 and indicates a maximum amount of detergent that can be input by the user.
- the first maximum water level indicator 557 may be disposed at a position closer to the bottom surface of the case 530 than to an upper surface of the first cover 553 forming the first siphon section S 1 .
- the second maximum water level indicator 558 may be disposed on the inlet 505 side of the conditioner input space 506 to indicate a maximum amount of conditioner that can be input by the user.
- the second maximum water level indicator 558 may also be disposed closer to the bottom surface of the case 530 than to an upper surface of the second cover 555 .
- the first overflow part 5337 is provided on a rear surface of the first part 533 to discharge, to the tub 700 , the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first outlet 5332 of the first siphon section S 1 .
- the first overflow part 5337 may be an upper opening in the case 530 and is blocked by the cap 550 .
- the first overflow part 5337 may be disposed directly on the rear side of the first siphon section S 1 , a distance away from the anti-scattering part 551 , and a lowermost end portion of the first overflow part 5337 may be higher than the height of the upper surface of the first column 5333 .
- a difference in height between the lowermost end portion of the first overflow part 5337 and the upper surface of the first column 5333 may be two (2) millimeters (mm).
- Drainage of the first overflow part 5337 may start after drainage of the first siphon section S 1 . That is, wash water containing dissolved detergent is discharged first through the first siphon section S 1 and, if a supplied amount of wash water is greater than an amount of wash water discharged through the first siphon section S 1 , then the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first siphon section S 1 may be discharged through the first overflow part 5337 .
- the second overflow part 5357 may discharge, to the tub 700 , the conditioner aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the second part 535 .
- the second overflow part 5357 may be an upper opening in the case 530 and is blocked by the cap 550 .
- the second overflow portion 5357 may be disposed directly on the rear side of the second siphon section S 2 at a distance away from the anti-scattering part 551 , to discharge the conditioner aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the second siphon section S 2 to the tub 700 .
- the second overflow part 5357 may be higher than the height of the upper end of the second column 5353 in the second siphon section S 2 . Accordingly, the lowermost end portion of the second overflow part 5357 may be disposed to be higher than the height of the upper surface of the second column 5353 . For example, a difference in height between the lowermost end portion of the second overflow part 5357 and the upper surface of the first column 5333 may be 2 mm.
- the detergent container 500 may include a guide recess 539 for the detergent container 500 to be inserted into the detergent container receiving unit 420 of the front panel 400 .
- the guide recess 539 may be disposed on both side surfaces of the case 530 , extending in the forward/backward direction (from the front of the case to the rear of the case).
- a guide protrusion 425 (see FIG. 12 ) of the detergent container receiving unit 420 may be fastened to the guide recess 539 so that the detergent container 500 is maintained in a state of being inserted (stays inserted) into the detergent container receiving unit 420 .
- a detergent container arresting part 5392 may be disposed at a point on the guide recess 539 . The detergent container arresting part 5392 may be caught by and elastically coupled to a hook 426 on the guide protrusion 425 .
- a front end portion of the guide recess 539 may have a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the guide protrusion 425 such that in the inserted state the detergent container 500 is maintained (held in position) by the detergent container arresting part 5392 and the guide protrusion 425 .
- a rear end portion of the guide recess 539 may be larger than the front end portion of the guide recess 539 so that the guide protrusion 425 may be guided toward the center of the guide recess 539 . Accordingly, when the detergent container 500 is inserted into the detergent container receiving unit 420 , the guide protrusion 425 may smoothly enter (engage) the guide recess 539 .
- a concave part 537 may be formed on a lower surface of the case 530 so that the case 530 may be inserted or withdrawn without interfering with a front panel fastening part 309 (see FIG. 12 ) and a cover fastening part (see FIG. 12 ) in the detergent container loading port 304 and the detergent container receiving unit 420 , respectively. Details of the front panel fastening part 309 and a cover fastening part 428 are described below with reference to FIG. 12 .
- FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the cover and the front panel of FIG. 4
- FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the front panel of FIG. 6 .
- the detergent container loading port 304 is disposed at an upper portion of the cover 300 so that the detergent dispenser 500 may be inserted into and withdrawn from the upper portion of the cover 300 .
- An upper portion of the detergent container loading port 304 protrudes forward (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100 ) to correspond to a shape of a rear surface of the door 2000 , and a central portion of the detergent container loading port 304 may have a sloped shape depressed backward (in a direction that is toward the rear surface of the cabinet 100 ).
- a front part mounting recess 305 on which the front part 510 of the detergent container 500 is mounted, may be formed near the detergent container loading port 304 . Because the detergent container 500 is inserted into the detergent container loading port 304 and the front part 510 is mounted on the front part mounting recess 305 , the front part 510 may form part of a front surface of the cover 300 .
- an upper side 5101 of the front part 510 protrudes from the front surface of the front part and is sloped relative to a lower side 5103 of the front part 510 , to correspond to the shape of the cover 300 , and, as a result, the front part 510 may have a shape with a bent portion 5102 extending in a circumferential direction between the upper side 5101 and the lower side 5103 .
- the position of the detergent container receiving unit 420 in the front panel 400 may correspond to a position of the detergent container loading port 304 .
- the detergent container receiving unit 420 may include a housing 421 that forms a receiving space for the detergent container 500 , a detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 protruding from the front surface of the housing 421 and that allows the detergent container gasket 430 to be attached to the housing, and guide protrusions 425 disposed on both inner side surfaces of the housing 421 and for guiding insertion and withdrawal of the detergent container 500 .
- the housing 421 may include an area (opening) that has a shape corresponding to a shape of the detergent container 500 , in particular in a shape enclosing the side surface of the detergent container 500 .
- An inlet of the housing 421 may have a sloped shape such that its upper portion protrudes forward (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100 ) so as to correspond to the shape of the rear surface of the door 200 , like the shape of the detergent container loading port 304 .
- the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 protrudes forward from a front edge (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100 ) of the detergent container receiving unit 420 .
- the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 is coupled (e.g., coupled by fitting) to the detergent container gasket 430 to provide a base for attaching the detergent container gasket 430 .
- the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 may be provided with a number of slits 424 that are elongated in a forward/backward direction.
- the slits 424 are arranged in the detergent container fixing rib 423 and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in a horizontal direction of the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 .
- the guide protrusion 425 may have a hook 426 that may be caught by the detergent container arresting part 5392 so that it is elastically coupled to the hook when the guide protrusion 425 passes over the detergent container arresting part 5392 of the guide recess 539 of the detergent container 500 and is subsequently stopped when the detergent container 500 is inserted into the detergent container receiving unit 420 as described above. Because the hook 426 of the guide protrusion 425 is caught by the detergent container arresting part 5392 of the guide recess 539 , the detergent container 500 , when inserted into the inner side of the housing 421 , will be maintained in a stopped state (held in place).
- the front panel 400 may have an opening 460 protruding forward from the front panel 400 (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100 ) and having an annular shape.
- the opening 460 may be located in a position in which a lower end portion of the detergent container receiving unit 420 protrudes forward from a lower side of the detergent container receiving unit 420 .
- the opening 460 may include an annular end portion 462 formed at an end portion of the opening 460 . Because the annular end portion 462 has a diameter smaller than that of the opening 460 and protrudes from the end portion of the opening 460 , the annular end portion 462 has a step-like surface that is perpendicular to the direction from which the annular end portions 462 protrudes.
- the door gasket 450 When the door gasket 450 is installed in the opening 460 , the door gasket 450 may receive a relatively high supporting force due to the annular end portion 462 of the opening portion 460 and the step-like surface.
- the front panel fastening part 309 may be disposed at a lower central portion of the detergent container loading port 304
- the cover fastening part 428 may be disposed at a lower central portion of the detergent container receiving unit 420 , respectively, for coupling to each other.
- the front panel fastening part 309 and the cover fastening part 428 protrude convexly from the detergent container loading port 304 and the detergent container receiving unit 420 , respectively.
- a fastening recess (not shown) that can accommodate a fastening member such as a bolt may be included.
- the detergent container 500 may have a concave part 537 formed on a lower surface of the case 530 to correspond to the convexly protruding shape of the front panel fastening part 309 and the cover fastening part 428 .
- the detergent container 500 when the detergent container 500 is inserted into the detergent container loading port 304 and the detergent container receiving unit 420 , the detergent container 500 may be inserted or withdrawn without interfering with the front panel fastening part 309 and the cover fastening part 428 .
- the front panel 400 may have a guide hole 429 for guiding wash water discharged from the case 530 to the tub 700 , and having a bottom surface that is spaced apart from the lower surface of the case 530 by a predetermined distance.
- the door gasket 450 coupled to the opening 460 of the front panel 400 may have a guide rib 452 for guiding wash water guided by the guide hole 429 to the side of the opening 460 .
- the door gasket 450 has a ring shape, while the guide rib 452 has an arch-shaped form and is present only in the upper region of the door gasket 450 . At both ends of the guide rib 452 , there is an open region in which water flows toward the tub 700 .
- the guide hole 429 is disposed on a lower surface of the detergent container receiving unit 420 , and the lower surface of the detergent container receiving unit 420 may be separated from the case 530 of the detergent container 500 by a gap when the detergent container 500 is inserted into the detergent container receiving unit 420 . Due to the difference in height therebetween, the guide hole 429 for discharging wash water from the first outlet 5332 and the second outlet 5352 to the tub 700 is formed.
- the guide rib 452 serves to guide washing water from by the guide hole 429 to the tub 700 .
- the guide rib 452 may be positioned behind a rearmost end of the door glass 280 in the door 200 .
- the guide rib 452 is disposed in an upper region of the door gasket 450 and, as a result, the guide rib 452 may be spaced apart from the rear surface of the front panel 400 by a predetermined distance.
- the wash water discharged to the guide hole 429 may flow to the inner side of the tub 700 along the guide rib 452 .
- the guide rib 452 may be located at the same position as (next to) the first overflow part 5337 and the second overflow part 5357 or behind the first overflow part 5337 and the second overflow part 5357 .
- wash water discharged from the first overflow part 5337 and the second overflow part may be discharged directly to the tub 700 , without passing through the guide hole 429 and the guide rib 452 . Due to the presence of the guide ribs 452 , the detergent or conditioner dissolved in the wash water may be prevented from being applied to the door glass 280 .
- the wash water discharged through the first siphon section S 1 or the second siphon section S 2 may be discharged to the guide hole 429 , and the wash water discharged to the guide hole 429 may be guided to the inner side of the tub along the guide rib 452 .
- FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a detergent container gasket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 15 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the detergent container gasket of FIG. 14 .
- the detergent container gasket 430 (to which the front part 510 of the detergent container 500 is tightly attached) is coupled to a front surface of the detergent container receiving unit 420 , and the detergent container gasket 430 may be pressed by the cover 300 against the detergent container receiving unit 420 . That is, the detergent container gasket 430 may be tightly attached to the case 530 to prevent leakage of water supplied to the detergent container 500 .
- the detergent container gasket 430 may include a body 431 surrounding the inlet of the detergent container receiving unit 420 , and a fixing groove 432 disposed on a rear surface of the body 431 .
- the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 can be inserted into the fixing groove 432 .
- the detergent container gasket 430 includes a first waterproof protrusion 435 protruding from an inner surface of the body 431 along a circumference of the body 431 and that can be brought into contact with a circumference of the detergent container 500 , and also includes a second waterproof protrusion 437 protruding from a front surface of the body 431 along the circumference of the body 431 that can be pressed against a blocking rib 312 .
- the detergent gasket 430 may include a third waterproof protrusion 439 protruding from an outer surface of the body 431 along the circumference of the body 431 and that can be pressed against support ribs 314 .
- an upper portion of the body 431 may have a shape that is sloped forward to correspond to the slope of the detergent container loading port 304 and the inlet of the housing 421 .
- the fixing groove 432 may be provided with the fixing rib 433 and may be inserted into the slit 424 in the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 . Because the fixing rib 433 is inserted into the slit 424 , the detergent container gasket 430 may be attached to the detergent container gasket fixing rib 423 with a stronger attachment force.
- the first waterproof protrusion 435 may have a sectional area that is narrower toward its end portion so as to be in line contact with the detergent container 500 .
- the first waterproof protrusion 435 may be tightly pressed against the circumference of the case 530 and may be in line-contact with the detergent container 500 so as to be fixed in place.
- the first waterproof protrusion 435 is in line-contact with the case 530 at a position adjacent to the front end portion of the case 530 where the case 530 is inserted into the case insertion part 513 formed in the front part 510 .
- Such line-contact reduces retention of detergent or foreign matter such as cloth relative to a surface-contact type detergent container, and water leakage may be reduced as retention of foreign matter is reduced.
- the second waterproof protrusion 437 may protrude forward along the circumference of the detergent gasket 430 and may be tightly pressed against a rear surface of the blocking rib 312 of the cover 300 .
- the third waterproof protrusion 439 may protrude along the circumference of an outer surface of the detergent container gasket 430 and may be tightly pressed against the inner surface of the support rib 314 .
- the blocking rib 312 and the support rib 314 are described below with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17 .
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a configuration in which the door, the cover, and the front panel of FIG. 4 are coupled (taken along line A-A′), and FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the circle “D” of FIG. 16 .
- the cover 300 may include the blocking rib 312 that forms the detergent container loading port 304 , through which the detergent container 500 is inserted and withdrawn, and the support rib 314 extending backward from the blocking rib 312 .
- the blocking ribs 312 may be sloped so that they are parallel with a rear surface of the front part 510 , and may be disposed between the rear surface of the front part 510 and the detergent container gasket 430 to prevent exposure of a front side of the detergent container gasket 430 .
- the support rib 314 may extend backward from the blocking ribs 312 to press against a circumference of the detergent container gasket 430 .
- the blocking rib 312 may press against the front side of the detergent container gasket 430
- the support rib 314 may press against the circumference of the detergent container gasket 430 .
- the detergent container gasket 430 may be coupled to the inlet of the detergent container receiving unit 420 and tightly pressed against the detergent container 500 , the blocking rib 312 , and the support rib 314 to thereby prevent water supplied to the detergent container 500 from leaking to a front side of the detergent container receiving unit 420 .
- the wall-mounted washing machine, and the detergent container of the wall-mounted washing machine, in embodiments according to the present disclosure have an advantage in that both detergent and conditioner may be supplied to the single detergent container by simply withdrawing and inserting the detergent container only once.
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Abstract
A wall-mounted washing machine includes a rear panel that can be mounted on a wall; a tub; a front panel; a water supply valve assembly in the front panel that can receive wash water from an external water source; a cover for the front panel; a detergent container including a detergent input space and a conditioner input space; a door to open or close a laundry inlet; and a cabinet. The detergent container includes: a case having a first siphon section in the detergent input space and a second siphon section in the conditioner input space for discharging, to the tub through the water supply valve assembly, a detergent aqueous solution and a conditioner aqueous solution, respectively; a cap coupled to the case and including inlets of the detergent and condition input spaces; and a front part coupled to a front surface of the case and having a handle.
Description
- This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0074634, filed on Jun. 14, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes.
- Embodiments according to the present disclosure relate to a wall-mounted washing machine and a detergent container thereof.
- A washing machine is an apparatus for separating contaminants from laundry (e.g., fabric) using wash water and detergent, where the contaminants may be separated from the laundry by chemical action of the detergent dissolved in the wash water and the mechanical action (e.g., agitation) of the wash water and an inner basket. Such washing machines may be categorized according to type depending on the method of loading the laundry, including a top-loading type washing machine, a front-loading type washing machine, and a combined-type washing machine that is a combination of the top-loading type and the front-loading type.
- In recent years, wall-mounted washing machines have been introduced, which may be installed in narrow spaces such as bathrooms. In general, wall-mounted washing machines employ the front-loading type for miniaturization.
- For example, a wall-mounted washing machine may include a cabinet that forms an exterior of the device, a tub provided in the cabinet that can be filled with wash water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub that can accommodate the laundry, a drive unit that provides power to the drum, a water supply unit that can supply wash water to the tub, and a drain unit that discharges the wash water from the tub to outside of the cabinet.
- In the related art of wall-mounted washing machines, a detergent container accommodating a detergent and a conditioner container accommodating a conditioner are separately provided. Thus, for a washing process (cycle), a user withdraws the detergent container from the washing machine, supplies detergent, inserts the detergent container back into the washing machine, withdraws the conditioner container, supplies conditioner, and subsequently inserts the conditioner container back into the washing machine, potentially inconveniencing the user because of the many steps.
- Also, when the washing process is performed, wash water is supplied to the detergent container and detergent in the detergent container is dissolved in the wash water and discharged to the tub. Here, in the related art, as soon as wash water is supplied to the detergent container, the wash water is supplied to the tub through an outlet of wash water. That is, since the supplied wash water is immediately discharged to the tub, the detergent may not be sufficiently dissolved in the wash water to result in that the detergent is present in laundry after washing is completed.
- To solve the above problems, embodiments according to the present disclosure include a wall-mounted washing machine in which both detergent and conditioner are simultaneously supplied to a single detergent container so that the detergent and the conditioner may be supplied by simply withdrawing or inserting the detergent container only one time, and also include a detergent container of such a wall-mounted washing machine.
- Also, embodiments according to the present disclosure include a wall-mounted washing machine in which the flow of wash water, which has been supplied to a detergent container and is discharging to a tub, is slowed using a siphon principle so that detergent can be dissolved in the wash water in the detergent container, and also include a detergent container of such a wall-mounted washing machine.
- In embodiments, a wall-mounted washing machine includes: a rear panel configured to be mounted on a wall; a tub disposed on a front surface of the rear panel and configured to hold wash water; a front panel having an opening and disposed on a front side of the tub; a water supply valve assembly disposed in the front panel and configured to receive wash water from an external water source; a cover for the front panel; a detergent container coupled to the front panel through the cover and having a detergent input space for accommodating detergent and also having a conditioner input space for accommodating conditioner; a door rotatably coupled to the cover to open and to close a laundry inlet of the cover; and a cabinet coupled to the rear panel and surrounding the tub.
- In embodiments, the detergent container includes: a case that includes a first siphon section disposed in the detergent input space and operable for discharging, to the tub, a detergent aqueous solution in which the detergent is dissolved in the wash water provided through the water supply valve assembly, and that also includes a second siphon section disposed in the conditioner input space and operable for discharging a conditioner aqueous solution in which the conditioner is dissolved in wash water provided through the water supply valve assembly, to the tub; a cap coupled to an upper side of the case and having an inlet of the detergent input space and also having an inlet of the conditioner input space; and a front part coupled to a front surface of the case and comprising a handle.
- In embodiments, a detergent container receiving unit is disposed in the front panel and allows the detergent container to be inserted and attached to the detergent container receiving unit; and a first fitting operable for providing wash water from the water supply assembly to the detergent input space, and a second fitting operable for providing wash water from the water supply assembly to the conditioner input space, are connected to an upper side of the detergent container receiving unit.
- In embodiments, the case includes: a first part configured to form the detergent input space; and a second part configured to form the conditioner input space. In embodiments, the first part and the second part are separated by a partition and arranged in a horizontal direction, the first fitting is disposed on an upper side of a space between the first siphon section and the partition, and the second fitting is disposed on an upper side of a space between the second siphon section and the partition.
- In embodiments, the first siphon section includes a first column protruding upward from a bottom surface of the first part, the first column having a hollow shape to allow wash water introduced upward to be discharged therethrough. In embodiments, the first siphon section also has a first cover disposed in the cap, where the first cover covers the first column such that the first cover is spaced a distance apart from the first column, and where the first cover is spaced a distance apart from the bottom surface of the first part.
- In embodiments, the second siphon section includes a second column protruding upward from a bottom surface of the second part, the second column having a hollow shape to allow wash water introduced upward to be discharged therethrough. In embodiments, the second siphon section also has a second cover disposed in the cap, where the second cover covers the second column such that the second cover is spaced a distance apart from the second column, and where the second cover is spaced a distance apart from the bottom surface of the second part.
- In embodiments, the first siphon section and the second siphon section are disposed proximate to a rear surface of the case.
- In embodiments, the first siphon section includes: a first siphon guide recess configured to be depressed downward from a bottom surface of the case and having a first outlet operable for discharging the detergent aqueous solution; a first column coupled to the first outlet, the first column protruding upward from the first siphon guide recess by a predetermined height and having a hollow shape operable for allowing the detergent aqueous solution introduced to an upper side to be discharged to the first outlet; and a first cover disposed in the cap, the first cover surrounding the first column such that the first cover is spaced a distance apart from an outer circumferential surface and an upper end portion of the first column, the first cover having a lower end portion spaced apart from the first siphon guide recess by a predetermined height.
- In embodiments, the second siphon section includes: a second siphon guide recess configured to be depressed downward from a bottom surface of the case and having a second outlet operable for discharging a conditioner aqueous solution; a second column coupled to the second outlet, the second column protruding upward from the second siphon guide recess by a predetermined height and having a hollow shape operable for allowing the conditioner aqueous solution introduced to an upper side to be discharged to the second outlet; and a second cover disposed in the cap, the second cover surrounding the second column such that the second cover is spaced apart from an outer circumferential surface and an upper end portion of second first column, the second cover having a lower end portion spaced apart from the second siphon guide recess by a predetermined height.
- In embodiments, first engaging ribs protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the first column and are attached to an inner circumferential surface of the first cover such that the first cover is interference-fit to the first column, and second engaging ribs protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the second column and are attached to an inner circumferential surface of the second cover such that the second cover is interference-fit to the second column.
- In embodiments, the partition is higher than the first column and the second column.
- In embodiments, the first cover is connected to a left surface and a rear surface of the detergent input space, and the second cover is connected to a right surface and a rear surface of the conditioner input space.
- In embodiments, the cap includes: a first maximum water level indicator connected to the first cover and for indicating a maximum water level; and a second maximum water level indicator connected to the second cover and for indicating a maximum water level.
- In embodiments, a first overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the first part, and a second overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the second part, where the first and second overflow parts are operable to discharge, to the tub, the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first siphon section and the second siphon section, and where the first overflow part include an opening on an upper side of the detergent input space, where the second overflow part includes an opening on an upper side of the conditioner input space of the case, and where the first and second overflow parts are blocked by the cap.
- In embodiments, a guide hole operable for guiding wash water discharged from the case to the tub and having a bottom surface spaced a distance apart from a lower surface of the case is disposed on the front panel, a door gasket is coupled to the opening of the front panel, and a guide rib is disposed in the door gasket and is operable for guiding wash water guided by the guide hole to the side of the opening.
- In embodiments, a detergent container loading port is disposed in the cover, and a detergent container receiving unit is disposed in a position of the front panel that corresponds to a position of the detergent box loading port and allows the detergent container to be inserted and attached therein.
- In embodiments, a detergent container gasket that is attached to the case is coupled to an inlet of the detergent container receiving unit, and the detergent container gasket is pressed by the cover in the front panel.
- The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wall-mounted washing machine in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the door ofFIG. 1 is opened, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the washing machine ofFIG. 1 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine ofFIG. 1 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a detergent container is coupled to a cover and a front panel ofFIG. 4 , in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the detergent container ofFIG. 4 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the detergent container ofFIG. 7 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container ofFIG. 6 , taken along line B-B′, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container ofFIG. 6 , taken along line C-C′, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a lower surface of the detergent container ofFIG. 6 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a side surface of the detergent container ofFIG. 7 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the cover and the front panel ofFIG. 4 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the front panel ofFIG. 6 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a detergent container gasket in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 15 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the detergent container gasket ofFIG. 14 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a configuration in which the door, the cover, and the front panel ofFIG. 4 are coupled, taken along line A-A′, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the circle “D” ofFIG. 16 in an embodiment according to the present disclosure. - Hereinafter, specific embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
- In addition, in the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted if they would unnecessarily obscure the features of the subject matter of the present disclosure.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a wall-mounted washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the door ofFIG. 1 is opened,FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the washing machine ofFIG. 1 , andFIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine ofFIG. 1 . - Referring to
FIGS. 1 to 4 , a wall-mountedwashing machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include acabinet 100 having a front surface and an open rear surface and forming the exterior of the washing machine, adoor 200 disposed on one side of thecabinet 100 and for opening or closing the front surface of thecabinet 100, acover 300 connected to thedoor 200 for opening and closing thedoor 200, afront panel 400 disposed on the rear surface of thecover 300, adetergent container 500 housed in one side of thefront panel 400 and accommodating detergent and conditioner, adrum 600 in which laundry is stored, atub 700 that surrounds thedrum 600 and that can be filled with wash water, and arear panel 800 mounted on the wall. Herein, the rear surface means the surface closest to the wall, and the front surface means the surface opposite the rear surface. - The
cabinet 100 may be provided in an empty form. Also, thecabinet 100 may include apower button 102 for controlling a power supply, acover connection unit 104 connected to thecover 300, and a rearpanel connection unit 106 connected to therear panel 800. - The
power button 102 may be disposed on one side of thecabinet 100 to control turning thewashing machine 10 on or off. Thepower button 102 may be disposed on one side of the front surface of thecabinet 100 so that it can be easily accessed by the user. In this embodiment, thepower button 102 is disposed on the lower surface of the front surface of thecabinet 100. However, the position of thepower button 102 is not so limited, and may be disposed on the left or right of the front surface of thecabinet 100 or any suitable location, for example. - With reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , the side of thewashing machine 10 in which thedetergent container 500 is provided will be referred to as the “upper side” and the side of thewashing machine 10 in which thepower button 102 is provided will be referred to as the “lower side.” Also, the side of thewashing machine 10 in which adoor opening button 210 is disposed will be referred to as the “right side” and the side of thewashing machine 10 in which adoor hinge 360 is disposed will be referred to as the “left side.” - The
cabinet 100 may include acover connection unit 104 connected to thecover 300. Thecover connection unit 104 may correspond to an edge of the open front surface of thecabinet 100 and may have a smaller diameter than the diameter of thecover 300 so that thecover 300 is not detachable from thecabinet 100 through the front surface of the cabinet. Specifically, thecover 300 may be inserted into thecabinet 100 from the rear of the cabinet toward the front surface side of the cabinet. In this manner, because the diameter of thecover connection unit 104 is smaller than the diameter of thecover 300, thecover 300 may be fitted into thecover connection unit 104. - The
cabinet 100 may include a rearpanel connecting unit 106 connected to therear panel 800. The rearpanel connecting unit 106 may correspond to the open rear edge of thecabinet 100 and may correspond in shape to the shape of therear panel 800. Thecabinet 100 may be bolted to therear panel 800 and, for this purpose, a number of bolt fastening holes may be present in the rearpanel connecting portion 106. Thedoor 200 may be disposed on the front surface of thecabinet 100. Thedoor 200 is provided for loading and unloading laundry, and may include a doorinner frame 230 and a doorouter frame 240. Specifically, the doorinner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240 may be bolted together with a predetermined space therebetween, and each may have a circular shape with a diameter corresponding to thecover connection unit 104. In this case, the doorinner frame 230 may be in contact with thecover connection unit 104, and the doorinner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240 may completely shield (e.g., block) thecover 300 connected to thecabinet 100. - The door
inner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240 may include a doorhinge connection unit 232 for connecting with thecover 300. The doorhinge connecting unit 232 is disposed at one side of the doorinner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240, and may provide a space for accommodating adoor hinge 360 of the cover 300 (to be described below). - A
display 202 may be provided in a space located between the doorinner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240. Thedisplay 202 is capable of outputting information to the user, and is provided with a front surface exposed to the outside of the doorouter frame 240. That is, the doorouter frame 240 may include a hole (not shown) or may be formed of a transparent material so that thedisplay 202 may be exposed (viewable). Thedisplay 202 may be a touch panel capable of inputting or outputting information, and the user may confirm information such as the operating state through thedisplay 202, but also may invoke an operation of the wall-mountedwashing machine 10 via touch operations. For example, the user may select a process such as washing and rinsing of the laundry by performing a touch operation with respect to thedisplay 202, and can confirm the remaining washing time or the like by viewing thedisplay 202. - The
display 202, which is exposed to the exterior of the doorouter frame 240 and the doorouter frame 240, may be protected usingprotective glass 204. Theprotective glass 204 is transparent and is disposed on the front surface of the doorouter frame 240 so that the user may view thedisplay 202. Theprotective glass 204 may have the same diameter as the doorinner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240. - A hole (not shown) may be located in one side of the
protective glass 204, and thedoor opening button 210 may be exposed to the outside (made accessible) through the hole. Thedoor opening button 210 may be disposed in the doorouter frame 240 for opening or closing the interior of thecabinet 100 using an electronic opening and closing system, and may be accessed through the hole in theprotective glass 204. - In addition, the
door 200 may include adoor opening unit 250 and a door hanging unit 260. Thedoor opening unit 250 and the door hanging unit 260 may protrude rearward from the doorinner frame 230 and may be in contact with and engaged with one side of thecover 300. Specifically, thedoor opening unit 250 assists opening/closing and may provide an elastic force. For example, thedoor opening unit 250 may include a spring and may support opening thedoor 200 through the elastic force of the spring. For example, when thedoor 200 is closed, thedoor opening unit 250 may be compressed and inserted into a groove (not shown) provided on one side of thecover 300. When the user operates thedoor opening button 210 to open thedoor 200, thedoor opening unit 250 may release from one side of thecover 300, and may be in contact with the bottom surface of the groove provided on one side of thecover 300 in a relaxed state. That is, a space is provided between thedoor 200 and thecover 300 by the relaxed state of thedoor opening unit 250, thereby preventing thedoor 200 from automatically closing (e.g., on its own). - The
door opening unit 250 may be a pusher stem assembly that may be supported by the spring and located within a guide structure formed in the doorinner frame 230 to repeatedly project by linear movement to a predetermined stroke range. - The door hanging unit 260 may be disposed at a predetermined distance from the
door opening unit 250 and may have the shape of a hook partially protruding from the doorinner frame 230. The protruding portion of the door hanging unit 260 may be coupled to adoor lock unit 330 of the cover 300 (to be described below), and thus thedoor 200 may be securely closed. - In summary, the
door 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be opened through adoor opening button 210. When the user operates thedoor opening button 210, thedoor opening unit 250 and the door hanging unit 260 may be released from thecover 300 so that thedoor 200 may open thecover 300. In this case, the elastic force of thedoor opening unit 250 may be relaxed and provided on one side of thecover 300, and thus a predetermined gap is provided between thedoor 200 and thecover 300. Therefore, thedoor 200 may be prevented from closing (e.g., on its own). - The user may close the
door 200 by applying pressure to thedoor 200 toward thecover 300 side. To this end, the user may press one side of the outermostprotective glass 204 of thedoor 200 thereby compressing thedoor opening unit 250 into the groove (not shown) of thecover 300, and the protruding portion of the door hanging unit 260 may be coupled to thedoor hanging unit 330 of thecover 300. That is, thedoor 200 may be opened and closed without a separate handle. - A center side of the door
inner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240 may be opened anddoor glass 280 may be disposed at the open center side. Thedoor glass 280 is provided so that a user can see the laundry inside thewashing machine 10, and may be fitted to the doorinner frame 230 and the doorouter frame 240. In this case, thedoor glass 280 may protrude rearward, and the protruding side of thedoor glass 280 may be fitted to the open side of thecover 300. - The
door 200 may be rotatably connected to thecover 300. Thecover 300 is provided to enclose thefront panel 400 and may include alaundry inlet 302 for loading laundry, a detergentcontainer loading port 304 for loading adetergent container 500, and apower processing unit 306 for controlling thebutton 102. - The user may load laundry through the
laundry inlet 302. Thelaundry inlet 302 may have a predetermined diameter. In this case, the diameter of thelaundry inlet 302 may correspond to the size of the protruding portion of thedoor glass 280. Thus, when thedoor 200 is closed, thedoor glass 280 may block thelaundry inlet 302, and when the user opens thedoor 200, thedoor glass 280 is released (separated) from thelaundry inlet 302 so that laundry can be through thelaundry inlet 302. - A detergent
container loading port 304, which may be used to load thedetergent container 500, may be disposed on the upper side of thelaundry inlet 302. In this case, the shape of the detergentcontainer loading port 304 may correspond to the shape of thedetergent container 500. - The
cover 300 may have alaundry inlet 302 at its center and may have a circular shape as a whole. Further, thecover 300 may have a shape in which one side protrudes downward. In this case, thepower processing unit 306 may be disposed in the downward protruding portion. Thepower processing unit 306 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) connected to thepower button 102 to control (turn on or turn off) the power according to the operation of thepower button 102 protruding from the outside of thecase 100. - The
cover 300 may include adoor hanging unit 330 at a position corresponding to the other door hanging unit 260. Thedoor hanging unit 330 is coupled to the hook-shaped door hanging unit 260 and may have a groove that corresponds to the shape of the door hanging unit 260. Thus, the door hanging unit 260 can be coupled to thedoor hanging unit 330, so that thedoor 200 may close thelaundry inlet 302. - Also, the
cover 300 may include adoor hinge 360 disposed at a location corresponding to the doorhinge connection unit 232. Thedoor hinge 360 may be opened while one side of thedoor 200 and one side of thecover 300 are connected to each other, and one side of thedoor hinge 360 may be received in the doorhinge connection unit 232. Specifically, thedoor hinge 360 may have a shape of a long curved panel in a vertical direction on one side of thelaundry inlet 302, and may partially protrude forward such that thedoor 200 may be rotated and connected to the doorhinge connection unit 232. That is, thedoor 200 may be rotatable along the protruding portion in front of thedoor hinge 360. - A
front panel 400 may be provided on the rear surface of thecover 300. Thefront panel 400 may be coupled to thetub 700 and may include ashield unit 410 for shielding a space between thedrum 600 and thetub 700, a detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 receiving thedetergent container 500, adetergent container gasket 430 to seal a portion of the front panel that is coupled with thedetergent container 500, a fitting 440 for supplying water into thedetergent container 500, adoor gasket 450 to seal a portion in contact with thedoor 200, and a watersupply valve assembly 480 for receiving wash water from an external water supplying source. - The
shield unit 410 may shield a space between thedrum 600 and thetub 700, and may have a shape corresponding to the shape of thecover 300. That is, it may have the same diameter as thecover 300 and may have an opening corresponding to thelaundry inlet 302. In this connection, the opening of theshield unit 410 may be smaller than the diameter of thedrum 600, so that the space between thedrum 600 and thetub 700 is shielded. - The detergent
container receiving unit 420 may be disposed at one side of theshield unit 410 to receive thedetergent container 500. The detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of thedetergent container 500, and may communicate with the detergentcontainer loading port 304 of thecover 300. That is, thedetergent container 500 may be received in the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 via the detergentcontainer loading port 304 of thecover 300. - The detergent
container receiving unit 420 may include adetergent container gasket 430 that is pressured by thedetergent container 500. Thedetergent container gasket 430 may be disposed around the end of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 to seal thedetergent container 500, and may be made of a rubber or rubber-like material. That is, detergents, conditioners, and wash water supplied to thedetergent container 500 are prevented from leaking through thedetergent container gasket 430. - At least one
fitting 440 may be disposed on the top of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. The fitting 440, which is connected to a watersupply valve assembly 480 that is connected to an external water supply source, may supply wash water into thedetergent container 500. Thus, wash water supplied to thedrum 600 and thetub 700 includes dissolved detergents or conditioners as a result of the wash water being supplied into thedrum 600 and thetub 700 through thedetergent container 500. - The opening of the
shield unit 410 may include adoor gasket 450 that is pressed against thedoor glass 280 of thedoor 200. Thedoor gasket 450 may be disposed at the opening end of the shield unit 410 (for example, at the annular end of the opening) to hermetically seal thedoor glass 280, and it may be composed of a rubber material or the like. Thus, when thedoor 200 is closed, thedoor glass 280 penetrates through thelaundry inlet 302 of thecover 300 and presses thedoor gasket 450, and consequently the wash water inside thedrum 600 and thetub 700 is prevented from leaking outside thedoor 200. - The fitting 440 may be supplied with wash water through a water
supply valve assembly 480. The watersupply valve assembly 480 may be connected to an external water supply source and may selectively supply wash water to thedetergent container 550 through the fitting 440. The watersupply valve assembly 480 may be a three-way valve; two of the supply flow paths extending from the watersupply valve assembly 480 may be connected to the fitting 440 connected to thedetergent container 500, and one of them may supply the wash water to thedrum 600 directly through thedoor gasket 450. - The
detergent container 500 may accommodate detergent and conditioner, and may include adetergent container handle 502, adetergent input space 504 in which detergent is loaded, and aconditioner input space 506 in which conditioner is loaded. The detergent container handle 502 may protrude forward and may be exposed to the outside of thecover 300. The user thus may grasp the detergent container handle 502 after opening thedoor 200, allowing thedetergent container 500 to be unloaded (withdrawn) from or inserted into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. In an embodiment, although the detergent container handle 502 is extended in the vertical direction and is at the center of the front surface of thedetergent container 500, the detergent container handle 502 is not so limited. For example, the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 may extend in the horizontal direction and be disposed on the front surface of thedetergent container 500. - The
detergent container 500 may be partitioned, and includes adetergent input space 504 and aconditioner input space 506 that receive the detergent and conditioner, respectively. The fitting 440 may be disposed to correspond to each of thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506. More specifically, the fitting 440 may include afirst fitting 440 a that can provide wash water from the watersupply valve assembly 480 to thedetergent input space 504, and asecond fitting 440 b that can provide wash water from the watersupply valve assembly 480 to theconditioner input space 506. Thefirst fitting 440 a and thesecond fitting 440 b may be disposed such that wash water from thefirst fitting 440 a and thesecond fitting 440 b enters the central portion of thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506. Accordingly, the detergent and conditioner of, respectively, thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506 selectively receive wash water. Specifically, the user may withdraw thedetergent container 500 from the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 after opening thedoor 200 and then add detergent and conditioner into thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506, respectively. Thedetergent container 500, once filled with detergent and conditioner, may be inserted back into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 and, depending on the washing process, either thedetergent input space 504 or theconditioner input space 506 may be supplied with the wash water. Accordingly, the wash water including the detergent or conditioner is selectively supplied to thedrum 600 and thetub 700. - The
front panel 400 may be connected to thedrum 600. Thedrum 600 receives the laundry, and may include adrum inlet 610 on the front surface and aspider 680 on the rear surface. In this case, a number of holes for fluid communication with thetub 700 may be disposed around thedrum 600. - A
drum inlet portion 610 may correspond to the open portion of theshield unit 410. Thedrum inlet portion 610 may have a diameter that is smaller than the entire diameter of thedrum 600, and thedrum inlet portion 610 may be fitted into the open portion of theshield unit 410, so thatfront panel 400 and thedrum 600 may be connected to each other. Thus, laundry may be loaded into thedrum 600 via thelaundry inlet 302 of thecover 300 and the open portion of thefront panel 400. - The
drum 600 may be rotated using aspider 680. Thespider 680 may rotate in response to a driving force of a driving motor 910 (described below). Thespider 680 may be disposed separately from thedrum 600 and coupled to the rear surface of thedrum 600. A groove corresponding to the shape of thespider 680 may be formed on the rear surface of thedrum 600 to seat thespider 680. - The
spider 680 may include a number of arms extending in different directions with a constant gap at the center. For example, thespider 680 may include three arms extending in different directions by a length corresponding to the radius of thedrum 600, and the arms may be separated from each other by a 120-degree gap. Further, the center of thespider 680 may be attached to a second pulley 914 (described below) through a drum rotation axis 916 (described below), and thus thedrum 600 is coupled to thespider 680 and thespider 680 may be rotated. A specific method of rotating thedrum 600 will be described below. - A
tub 700 that can be filled with wash water may be disposed outside thedrum 600. Thetub 700 may have a shape corresponding to thedrum 600, and a diameter larger than the diameter of thedrum 600 by a predetermined length. Accordingly, thetub 700 may be disposed apart from thedrum 600 by a predetermined gap. In addition, the wash water supplied into thetub 700 may flow into thedrum 600 through a number of holes located around thedrum 600. Similarly, the wash water in thedrum 600 may flow into thetub 700 through the number of holes located around thedrum 600. In this regard, thedrum 600 and thetub 700 may have a cylindrical shape, but are not so limited. - Further, the
tub 700 may include aheater 702 to heat the wash water. Specifically, a groove may be formed on the inner side of thetub 700 to receive theheater 702, and theheater 702 may be disposed on the inner side of thetub 700 in a detachable manner. Thus, theheater 702 may heat the wash water filled in thetub 700. - Meanwhile, the
tub 700 may have an integratedrear panel 800. Therear panel 800 may be mounted on the wall and may include ananchor connection unit 802 to which an anchor for connecting to the wall is connected, and may also include acabinet fixing unit 804 for attaching thecabinet 100 and asensor 806 for detecting the water level. - Specifically, the
tub 700 and therear panel 800 may be integrally injection-molded, and thetub 700 may protrude from the front of therear panel 800. The rear surface of therear panel 800 may be mounted on a wall via a separate anchor. The anchor may be coupled to the wall through ananchor connection unit 802 and may be provided on the rear surface of therear panel 800 for stable engagement with the wall. A number of anchors may be used to mount therear panel 800 on the wall. In this case, because thetub 700 and therear panel 800 are integrated, a separate damper or an elastic member for supporting thetub 700 is not required. Consequently, the number of parts may be reduced, and the size of thewashing machine 10 may also be reduced. - The
cabinet 100 may be coupled to the front surface of therear panel 800 where thetub 700 is located to enclose thetub 700. In this case, acabinet fixing unit 804 may have a stepped shape along the periphery of therear panel 800, and thecabinet 100 may be attached to thecabinet fixing unit 804. For this purpose, a fastening member such as a bolt may be used. - Also, the
rear panel 800 may include acontrol unit 810 for controlling the overall functions of the wall-mountedwashing machine 10, and adrain unit 820 for discharging the wash water filled in thetub 700. - The
control unit 810 may be disposed on the front surface of therear panel 800 to control various components of the wall-mountedwashing machine 10, depending on a user's input, to wash laundry. In this embodiment, while thecontrol unit 810 is shown as being disposed on the right side of the respect totub 700, the position of thecontrol unit 810 is not so limited. - A
power supply line 904 may be connected to the external power source to supply power to the electric equipment, thecontrol unit 810, the drivingmotor 910, and other components described above. Thepower supply line 904 may extend through therear panel 800 to the front of therear panel 800 and may extend outwardly from the rear of therear panel 800. In this case, thepower supply line 904 may be attached to the rear surface of therear panel 800 through a separate fixing means. Because thepower supply line 904 is extending outwardly from the rear surface of therear panel 800, the appearance of thewashing machine 10 is improved. - The
drain unit 820 may be disposed under therear panel 800. Thedrain unit 820 may discharge the wash water inside thetub 700 and may be disposed on the lower surface of the front surface of therear panel 800. In this case, thedrain unit 820 may include a drain pump for pressurizing the wash water, and may be connected to thedrain hose 902 to discharge the wash water. Specifically, thedrain hose 902 is connected to thedrain unit 820 and extends outward along the rear surface of therear panel 800, so that the wash water may flow under the pressure of thedrain unit 820. Thus, when thedrain unit 820 is operated after the washing process is completed, the wash water may be discharged to outside of thecabinet 100 through thedrain hose 902 due to the pressure change of thedrain unit 820. - The
rear panel 800 may include a drivingmotor 910 for transmitting a driving force to therear panel 800, afirst pulley 912 and asecond pulley 914 connected to the drivingmotor 910, a drumrotational shaft 916 connected to thesecond pulley 914 to rotate thedrum 600, and abelt 918 that connects thefirst pulley 912 and thesecond pulley 914. - Specifically, the driving
motor 910 may be disposed on the front surface of therear panel 800. The drivingmotor 910 may be controlled by thecontrol unit 810 and may be disposed on one side of thecontrol unit 810 and thedrain unit 820. - Also, the driving
motor 910 may be connected to thefirst pulley 912. In this case, the shaft (not shown) of the drivingmotor 910 may pass through therear panel 800 and may be connected with thefirst pulley 912 at the rear surface of therear panel 800. - The
first pulley 912 may be connected to thesecond pulley 914 via abelt 918. Thesecond pulley 914 may surround thedrum rotation shaft 916 connected to thespider 680, and thedrum rotation axis 916 may penetrate therear panel 800 while being connected to thespider 680. That is, thesecond pulley 914 and thedrum rotation shaft 916 may be connected to each other at the rear surface of therear panel 800. - In summary, when wash water is supplied to the
tub 700 through the fitting 440, thecontrol unit 810 may operate the drivingmotor 910. Subsequently, thefirst pulley 912 connected to the drivingmotor 910 may be rotated, and thesecond pulley 914 may be then rotated by the rotation of thefirst pulley 912. Thus, thedrum rotation shaft 916, connected to thesecond pulley 914, may also be rotated so that thedrum 600 may be rotated inside thecabinet 100 and thetub 700. Consequently, the laundry inside thedrum 600 may be washed. - The
rear panel 800 may further include anexhaust line 920. Theexhaust line 920 may be connected to thedrain unit 820 and may exhaust air from inside thetub 700 and thedrain unit 820. Specifically, theexhaust line 920 may be connected to thedrain hose 902 and pass through therear panel 800, through which it may extend to the rear surface of therear panel 800 to exhaust air to the outside. - The wall-mounted
washing machine 10 in embodiments according to the present disclosure may be used as follows. - First, the user may open the
door 200, and may load the laundry inside thedrum 600 and unload thedetergent container 500 from thefront panel 400. In this case, thedetergent container 500 is divided in the center, so that a space for loading detergent and conditioner, respectively, may be provided. - After inserting the
detergent container 500, loaded with detergent and conditioner, back into thefront panel 400, the user may close thedoor 200 and control the laundry washing process via thepower button 102 and thedisplay 202. When the washing process is started, wash water provided from an external water supplying source through the watersupply valve assembly 480 is supplied to thedetergent container 500 through the fitting 440, and the wash water is supplied into thedrum 600 andtub 700 after passing thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506. That is, the wash water in thedrum 600 and thetub 700 includes detergent and conditioner. - When the
tub 700 is filled with wash water, thecontrol unit 810 may drive the drivingmotor 910. In this case, the drivingmotor 910 may be connected to thefirst pulley 912 and thesecond pulley 914, and thesecond pulley 914 may be connected to thedrum 600 through thedrum rotation shaft 916. Thus, thedrum 600 may be rotated by the drivingmotor 910. Consequently, the laundry in thedrum 600 may be washed by the rotation of thedrum 600. -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a detergent container is coupled to a cover and a front panel ofFIG. 4 ,FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the detergent container ofFIG. 4 ,FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the detergent container ofFIG. 7 ,FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container ofFIG. 6 (taken along line B-B′),FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the detergent container ofFIG. 6 (taken along line C-C′),FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a lower surface of the detergent container ofFIG. 6 , andFIG. 11 is a view illustrating a side surface of the detergent container ofFIG. 7 . - Referring to the embodiments of
FIGS. 5 to 11 , thedetergent container 500 can be inserted into or withdrawn out from the detergentcontainer loading port 304 located on thecover 300 and the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 located on thefront panel 400. - The
detergent container 500 may include a front part 310 provided with adetergent container handle 502, acase 530 forming thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506, and acap 550 including aninlet 503 of thedetergent input space 504 and aninlet 505 of theconditioner input space 506. - The
front part 510 may include the detergent container handle 502 that a user may grip. Thefront part 510 may be inserted into the detergentcontainer loading port 304 of thecover 300 to form a portion of a front surface of thecover 300. Accordingly, the shape of thefront part 510 may correspond to the shape of the front surface of thecover 300. For example, when a bend (bent part) is on thecover 300, thefront part 510 may have a corresponding bend (bent part) 5102. - Also, when the
front part 510 is viewed from the front, thefront part 510 may have a circular arc shape corresponding to the circumference of thecover 300. - Also, a case insertion part 513 (see
FIG. 17 ) may be disposed on a rear surface of thefront part 510 to allow thecase 530 to be coupled to the front part. Details of thecase insertion part 513 will be described below with reference toFIG. 17 . Thefront part 510 may be coupled to the front surface of thecase 530. The area of thefront part 510 may be larger than the front surface of thecase 530. - The
case 530 may include afirst part 533 and asecond part 535 partitioned by thepartition 531 in the horizontal direction. Thefirst part 533 may form thedetergent input space 504 and thesecond part 535 may form theconditioner input space 506. - The
cap 550 may be coupled to the top of thecase 530, to cover all of or portions of thefirst part 533 and thesecond part 535, and includes theinlet 503 of thedetergent input space 504 and theinlet 505 of theconditioner input space 506. Also, thecap 550 may include ananti-scattering part 551 disposed above thepartition 531 to shield portions of thedetergent input space 504 and the conditioner input space 506 (described further below). Theinlets cap 550 refer to openings on both bottom parts of thecap 550 with respect to theanti-scattering part 551. - The
anti-scattering part 551 may include acentral part 5512, afirst blocking film 5514, and asecond blocking film 5516. Thecentral part 5512 of theanti-scattering part 551 is coupled to and supported by thepartition 531, and may be coupled to an upper end portion of thepartition 531. Thefirst blocking film 5514 of theanti-scattering part 551 may extend downward and outward from thecentral part 5512 toward thefirst part 533, separating from the central part in the downward direction, and shield a portion of thedetergent input space 504. Thesecond blocking film 5516 of theanti-scattering part 551 may extend downward and outward from thecentral part 5512 toward the second part 536, separating from the central part in the downward direction, and shield a portion of the conditioner input space 5060. - The
first blocking film 5514 and thesecond blocking film 5516 may extend from thecentral part 5512 toward thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506, and may be sloped toward an outer side. That is, thefirst blocking film 5514 and thesecond blocking film 5516 may have a reverse V-shape with thecenter part 5512 as the vertex. Theanti-scattering part 551 may prevent wash water supplied to thedetergent input space 504 and theconditioner input space 506 from being scattered by thefirst fitting 440 a and thesecond fitting 440 b, respectively. More specifically, the wash water supplied from thefirst fitting 440 a to thedetergent input space 504 may scatter, while colliding with the bottom surface of thecase 530, in which case the wash water scattered from thedetergent input space 504 may collide with an inner surface of thefirst blocking film 5514 and is thus prevented from being scattered to the outside of thedetergent input space 504. In addition, thefirst blocking film 5514 may prevent the wash water scattered from thedetergent input space 504 from passing into theconditioner input space 506. - Wash water in which detergent is dissolved may be referred to herein as a detergent aqueous solution, and wash water in which conditioner is dissolved may be referred to herein as a conditioner aqueous solution.
- The structures just described prevent a problem in which the detergent aqueous solution is mixed with the conditioner aqueous solution in the
conditioner input space 506 and discharged to thetub 700. Like thefirst blocking film 5514, thesecond blocking film 5516 may prevent wash water supplied to theconditioner input space 506 from scattering. - However, in this embodiment, while the
anti-scattering part 551 is described as being integrally formed with thecap 550, the present invention is not so limited. For example, in a case (not shown) where theanti-scattering part 551 is separate from thecap 550, thefirst blocking film 5514 and thesecond blocking film 5516 of theanti-scattering part 551 may be rotatably supported at an upper end of thepartition 531. - In that case, the
first blocking film 5514 may rotate at thecentral part 5512 to selectively shield a portion of thedetergent input space 504. For example, thefirst blocking film 5514 may block thedetergent input space 504 when the first blocking shield is perpendicular to thepartition 531, or thefirst blocking film 5514 may be moved so that it is parallel with thepartition 531 to open thedetergent input space 504. Similarly, thesecond blocking film 5516 may selectively shield a portion of theconditioner input space 506. - The
detergent container 500 may include a first siphon section S1 that discharges the detergent aqueous solution generated as the detergent is dissolved in the wash water to thetub 700, and may also include a second siphon section S2 that discharges the conditioner aqueous solution generated as the conditioner is dissolved in wash water to thetub 700, by coupling of thecase 530 and thecap 550. Also, thedetergent container 500 may include afirst overflow part 5337 for discharging, to the outside of thedetergent container 500, the detergent aqueous solution that has not yet been discharged through the first siphon section S1, and may also include asecond overflow part 5357 for discharging, to the outside of thedetergent container 500, the detergentaqueous solution 500 that has not yet been discharged through the second siphon section S2. The first siphon section S1 and thefirst overflow part 5337 may be disposed in thefirst part 533, and the second siphon section S2 and thesecond overflow part 5357 may be disposed in thesecond part 535. - The
first overflow part 5337 and thesecond overflow part 5357 may mean or refer to an overflow recess integrally formed in thecase 530 or to a first overflow hole or a second overflow hole in the case where an upper opening of the recess is blocked by thecap 550. - Also, the first siphon section S1 includes a first siphon
guide recess 5331 formed to be pressed downward by or from a bottom surface of thefirst part 533 of thecase 530, afirst outlet 5332 for discharging the detergent aqueous solution from the first siphonguide recess 5331, and afirst column 5333 in communication with thefirst outlet 5352, protruding upward from the first siphonguide recess 5331 by a predetermined height, and having a hollow shape to allow the detergent aqueous solution introduced to the upper side of thefirst column 5333 to be discharged to thefirst outlet 5352. - The first siphon section S1 may include a
first cover 553 disposed in thecap 550 and covering thefirst column 5333. An inner surface of thefirst cover 553 covers thefirst column 5333 such that space is maintained between the inner surface of thefirst cover 553 and an outer circumferential surface of thefirst column 5333 and an upper end portion of thefirst column 5333. A lower end portion of thefirst cover 553 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the first siphonguide recess 5331 by a predetermined height in the vicinity of a lower end portion of thefirst column 5333. - The
first cover 553 may be connected to the left and rear surfaces of thecap 550 with respect to thedetergent input space 504. - A number of first
engaging ribs 5334 may protrude from an outer circumferential surface of thefirst column 5333 so that when thefirst cover 553 is fitted to thefirst column 5333, the firstengaging ribs 5334 may be tightly attached to an inner circumferential surface of thefirst cover 533 and thefirst cover 553 may be interference-fit to thefirst column 5333. The firstengaging ribs 5334 may also be a means of maintaining space. - The first
engaging ribs 5334 may be formed in such a number that they do not interfere with the siphon effect in the first siphon section S1. For example, three firstengaging ribs 5334 may protrude from thefirst column 5333. - The first siphon section S1 may be disposed on the left and rear surfaces of the
detergent input space 504. The first siphon section S1 may discharge the detergent aqueous solution in thedetergent input space 504 to thetub 700 through thefirst outlet 5352 using a pressure difference between the detergent input space and the tub. In detail, wash water is supplied to thedetergent input space 504 by thefirst fitting 440 a and mixed therein with a detergent to form a detergent aqueous solution. Thefirst fitting 440 a is connected to the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 to supply wash water and is disposed above the space between the first siphon section S1 and thepartition 531. - Atmospheric pressure acts on a surface of the detergent aqueous solution in the
detergent input space 504 to apply a force to the surface of the detergent aqueous solution. The detergent aqueous solution, because it is subjected to atmospheric pressure, gradually increases in volume between thefirst column 5333 and thefirst cover 553 through the first siphonguide recess 5331. The detergent aqueous solution flowing into the space between thefirst column 5333 and thefirst cover 553 may reach the top of the space between thefirst column 5333 and thefirst cover 553, flow over thefirst column 5333, and may subsequently be discharged to afirst discharge port 5332 through a hollow volume formed in thefirst column 5333 due to gravity. The detergent aqueous solution may be discharged to thetub 700 by the first siphon section S1. - Similarly, the second siphon section S2 includes a second siphon
guide recess 5351 formed to be pressed downward by or from a bottom surface of thesecond part 535 of thecase 530, and a hollowsecond column 5353 in communication with thesecond outlet 5352 and protruding upward from the second siphonguide recess 5351 by a predetermined height. - The second siphon section S2 may include a
second cover 555 disposed in thecap 550 and covering thesecond column 5353. An inner surface of thesecond cover 555 covers thesecond column 5353 such that space is maintained between the inner surface of thesecond cover 555 and an outer circumferential surface of thesecond column 5353 and an upper end portion of thesecond column 5353. A lower end portion of thesecond cover 555 may be disposed to be spaced a distance apart from the second siphonguide recess 5351 by a predetermined height in the vicinity of a lower end portion of thesecond column 5353. - The
second cover 555 may be connected to the right and rear surfaces of thecap 550 with respect to theconditioner input space 506. - Also, a number of second
engaging ribs 5354 may protrude from an outer circumferential surface of thesecond column 535 such that thesecond cover 555 may be interference-fit to thesecond column 5353. - The second siphon section S2 may supply and discharge water in the same manner as that of the first siphon section S1 described above. That is, wash water supplied from the
second fitting 440 b disposed above the space between the second siphon section S2 and thepartition 531, or the conditioner aqueous solution accommodated in theconditioner input space 506, may be discharged to thetub 700 through thesecond outlet 5352 operating in the same manner as that of the first siphon section S1. - The
cap 550 may include a first maximumwater level indicator 557 and a second maximumwater level indicator 558 respectively connected to thefirst cover 553 and thesecond cover 555 to indicate a maximum level. - The first maximum
water level indicator 557 may be disposed on theinlet 503 side of thedetergent input space 504 and indicates a maximum amount of detergent that can be input by the user. Here, the first maximumwater level indicator 557 may be disposed at a position closer to the bottom surface of thecase 530 than to an upper surface of thefirst cover 553 forming the first siphon section S1. - The second maximum
water level indicator 558 may be disposed on theinlet 505 side of theconditioner input space 506 to indicate a maximum amount of conditioner that can be input by the user. The second maximumwater level indicator 558 may also be disposed closer to the bottom surface of thecase 530 than to an upper surface of thesecond cover 555. - The
first overflow part 5337 is provided on a rear surface of thefirst part 533 to discharge, to thetub 700, the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through thefirst outlet 5332 of the first siphon section S1. Thefirst overflow part 5337 may be an upper opening in thecase 530 and is blocked by thecap 550. Thefirst overflow part 5337 may be disposed directly on the rear side of the first siphon section S1, a distance away from theanti-scattering part 551, and a lowermost end portion of thefirst overflow part 5337 may be higher than the height of the upper surface of thefirst column 5333. For example, a difference in height between the lowermost end portion of thefirst overflow part 5337 and the upper surface of thefirst column 5333 may be two (2) millimeters (mm). - Drainage of the
first overflow part 5337 may start after drainage of the first siphon section S1. That is, wash water containing dissolved detergent is discharged first through the first siphon section S1 and, if a supplied amount of wash water is greater than an amount of wash water discharged through the first siphon section S1, then the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first siphon section S1 may be discharged through thefirst overflow part 5337. - The
second overflow part 5357 may discharge, to thetub 700, the conditioner aqueous solution that has not been discharged through thesecond part 535. Thesecond overflow part 5357 may be an upper opening in thecase 530 and is blocked by thecap 550. Thesecond overflow portion 5357 may be disposed directly on the rear side of the second siphon section S2 at a distance away from theanti-scattering part 551, to discharge the conditioner aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the second siphon section S2 to thetub 700. To allow the conditioner aqueous solution to be first discharged through the second siphon section S2 and subsequently discharged to thesecond overflow part 5357, thesecond overflow part 5357 may be higher than the height of the upper end of thesecond column 5353 in the second siphon section S2. Accordingly, the lowermost end portion of thesecond overflow part 5357 may be disposed to be higher than the height of the upper surface of thesecond column 5353. For example, a difference in height between the lowermost end portion of thesecond overflow part 5357 and the upper surface of thefirst column 5333 may be 2 mm. Thedetergent container 500 may include aguide recess 539 for thedetergent container 500 to be inserted into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 of thefront panel 400. - The
guide recess 539 may be disposed on both side surfaces of thecase 530, extending in the forward/backward direction (from the front of the case to the rear of the case). A guide protrusion 425 (seeFIG. 12 ) of the detergent container receiving unit 420 (described below) may be fastened to theguide recess 539 so that thedetergent container 500 is maintained in a state of being inserted (stays inserted) into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. In detail, a detergentcontainer arresting part 5392 may be disposed at a point on theguide recess 539. The detergentcontainer arresting part 5392 may be caught by and elastically coupled to ahook 426 on theguide protrusion 425. - A front end portion of the
guide recess 539 may have a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of theguide protrusion 425 such that in the inserted state thedetergent container 500 is maintained (held in position) by the detergentcontainer arresting part 5392 and theguide protrusion 425. Also, a rear end portion of theguide recess 539 may be larger than the front end portion of theguide recess 539 so that theguide protrusion 425 may be guided toward the center of theguide recess 539. Accordingly, when thedetergent container 500 is inserted into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, theguide protrusion 425 may smoothly enter (engage) theguide recess 539. - A
concave part 537 may be formed on a lower surface of thecase 530 so that thecase 530 may be inserted or withdrawn without interfering with a front panel fastening part 309 (seeFIG. 12 ) and a cover fastening part (seeFIG. 12 ) in the detergentcontainer loading port 304 and the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, respectively. Details of the frontpanel fastening part 309 and acover fastening part 428 are described below with reference toFIG. 12 . -
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the cover and the front panel ofFIG. 4 , andFIG. 13 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the front panel ofFIG. 6 . Referring toFIGS. 12 and 13 , the detergentcontainer loading port 304 is disposed at an upper portion of thecover 300 so that thedetergent dispenser 500 may be inserted into and withdrawn from the upper portion of thecover 300. - An upper portion of the detergent
container loading port 304 protrudes forward (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100) to correspond to a shape of a rear surface of the door 2000, and a central portion of the detergentcontainer loading port 304 may have a sloped shape depressed backward (in a direction that is toward the rear surface of the cabinet 100). A frontpart mounting recess 305, on which thefront part 510 of thedetergent container 500 is mounted, may be formed near the detergentcontainer loading port 304. Because thedetergent container 500 is inserted into the detergentcontainer loading port 304 and thefront part 510 is mounted on the frontpart mounting recess 305, thefront part 510 may form part of a front surface of thecover 300. Accordingly, anupper side 5101 of thefront part 510 protrudes from the front surface of the front part and is sloped relative to alower side 5103 of thefront part 510, to correspond to the shape of thecover 300, and, as a result, thefront part 510 may have a shape with abent portion 5102 extending in a circumferential direction between theupper side 5101 and thelower side 5103. - The position of the detergent
container receiving unit 420 in thefront panel 400 may correspond to a position of the detergentcontainer loading port 304. The detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 may include ahousing 421 that forms a receiving space for thedetergent container 500, a detergent containergasket fixing rib 423 protruding from the front surface of thehousing 421 and that allows thedetergent container gasket 430 to be attached to the housing, and guideprotrusions 425 disposed on both inner side surfaces of thehousing 421 and for guiding insertion and withdrawal of thedetergent container 500. - The
housing 421 may include an area (opening) that has a shape corresponding to a shape of thedetergent container 500, in particular in a shape enclosing the side surface of thedetergent container 500. An inlet of thehousing 421 may have a sloped shape such that its upper portion protrudes forward (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100) so as to correspond to the shape of the rear surface of thedoor 200, like the shape of the detergentcontainer loading port 304. - The detergent container
gasket fixing rib 423 protrudes forward from a front edge (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100) of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. - The detergent container
gasket fixing rib 423 is coupled (e.g., coupled by fitting) to thedetergent container gasket 430 to provide a base for attaching thedetergent container gasket 430. - The detergent container
gasket fixing rib 423 may be provided with a number ofslits 424 that are elongated in a forward/backward direction. Here, theslits 424 are arranged in the detergentcontainer fixing rib 423 and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in a horizontal direction of the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423. - When the
detergent container gasket 430 is coupled or assembled to the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423, a fixingrib 433 of thedetergent container gasket 430 is inserted into theslit 424 of the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423. This increases frictional area based on contact, thus increasing an attaching force between thedetergent container gasket 430 and the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423. - The
guide protrusion 425 may have ahook 426 that may be caught by the detergentcontainer arresting part 5392 so that it is elastically coupled to the hook when theguide protrusion 425 passes over the detergentcontainer arresting part 5392 of theguide recess 539 of thedetergent container 500 and is subsequently stopped when thedetergent container 500 is inserted into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 as described above. Because thehook 426 of theguide protrusion 425 is caught by the detergentcontainer arresting part 5392 of theguide recess 539, thedetergent container 500, when inserted into the inner side of thehousing 421, will be maintained in a stopped state (held in place). Conversely, when the user pulls thehandle 502 of thedetergent container 500 using an amount of force that is greater than an elastic coupling force between thehook 426 and the detergentcontainer arresting part 5392, thedetergent container 500 will be detached and thedetergent container 500 may be withdrawn from the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. - In addition, the
front panel 400 may have anopening 460 protruding forward from the front panel 400 (in a direction that is toward the front surface of the cabinet 100) and having an annular shape. Theopening 460 may be located in a position in which a lower end portion of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 protrudes forward from a lower side of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. - The
opening 460 may include anannular end portion 462 formed at an end portion of theopening 460. Because theannular end portion 462 has a diameter smaller than that of theopening 460 and protrudes from the end portion of theopening 460, theannular end portion 462 has a step-like surface that is perpendicular to the direction from which theannular end portions 462 protrudes. - When the
door gasket 450 is installed in theopening 460, thedoor gasket 450 may receive a relatively high supporting force due to theannular end portion 462 of theopening portion 460 and the step-like surface. - In the
cover 300 and thefront panel 400, the frontpanel fastening part 309 may be disposed at a lower central portion of the detergentcontainer loading port 304, and thecover fastening part 428 may be disposed at a lower central portion of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, respectively, for coupling to each other. - The front
panel fastening part 309 and thecover fastening part 428 protrude convexly from the detergentcontainer loading port 304 and the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, respectively. A fastening recess (not shown) that can accommodate a fastening member such as a bolt may be included. Here, thedetergent container 500 may have aconcave part 537 formed on a lower surface of thecase 530 to correspond to the convexly protruding shape of the frontpanel fastening part 309 and thecover fastening part 428. Thus, when thedetergent container 500 is inserted into the detergentcontainer loading port 304 and the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, thedetergent container 500 may be inserted or withdrawn without interfering with the frontpanel fastening part 309 and thecover fastening part 428. - Referring to
FIG. 13 , thefront panel 400 may have aguide hole 429 for guiding wash water discharged from thecase 530 to thetub 700, and having a bottom surface that is spaced apart from the lower surface of thecase 530 by a predetermined distance. Thedoor gasket 450 coupled to theopening 460 of thefront panel 400 may have aguide rib 452 for guiding wash water guided by theguide hole 429 to the side of theopening 460. - The
door gasket 450 has a ring shape, while theguide rib 452 has an arch-shaped form and is present only in the upper region of thedoor gasket 450. At both ends of theguide rib 452, there is an open region in which water flows toward thetub 700. - The
guide hole 429 is disposed on a lower surface of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, and the lower surface of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 may be separated from thecase 530 of thedetergent container 500 by a gap when thedetergent container 500 is inserted into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. Due to the difference in height therebetween, theguide hole 429 for discharging wash water from thefirst outlet 5332 and thesecond outlet 5352 to thetub 700 is formed. Theguide rib 452 serves to guide washing water from by theguide hole 429 to thetub 700. - Here, the
guide rib 452 may be positioned behind a rearmost end of thedoor glass 280 in thedoor 200. - Also, the
guide rib 452 is disposed in an upper region of thedoor gasket 450 and, as a result, theguide rib 452 may be spaced apart from the rear surface of thefront panel 400 by a predetermined distance. - Thus, the wash water discharged to the
guide hole 429 may flow to the inner side of thetub 700 along theguide rib 452. However, theguide rib 452 may be located at the same position as (next to) thefirst overflow part 5337 and thesecond overflow part 5357 or behind thefirst overflow part 5337 and thesecond overflow part 5357. Thus, wash water discharged from thefirst overflow part 5337 and the second overflow part may be discharged directly to thetub 700, without passing through theguide hole 429 and theguide rib 452. Due to the presence of theguide ribs 452, the detergent or conditioner dissolved in the wash water may be prevented from being applied to thedoor glass 280. - To summarize, the wash water discharged through the first siphon section S1 or the second siphon section S2 may be discharged to the
guide hole 429, and the wash water discharged to theguide hole 429 may be guided to the inner side of the tub along theguide rib 452. -
FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a detergent container gasket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 15 is a view illustrating a rear surface of the detergent container gasket ofFIG. 14 . - Referring to
FIGS. 14 and 15 , the detergent container gasket 430 (to which thefront part 510 of thedetergent container 500 is tightly attached) is coupled to a front surface of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, and thedetergent container gasket 430 may be pressed by thecover 300 against the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. That is, thedetergent container gasket 430 may be tightly attached to thecase 530 to prevent leakage of water supplied to thedetergent container 500. - In detail, the
detergent container gasket 430 may include abody 431 surrounding the inlet of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, and a fixinggroove 432 disposed on a rear surface of thebody 431. The detergent containergasket fixing rib 423 can be inserted into the fixinggroove 432. - Also, the
detergent container gasket 430 includes a firstwaterproof protrusion 435 protruding from an inner surface of thebody 431 along a circumference of thebody 431 and that can be brought into contact with a circumference of thedetergent container 500, and also includes a secondwaterproof protrusion 437 protruding from a front surface of thebody 431 along the circumference of thebody 431 that can be pressed against a blockingrib 312. - Also, the
detergent gasket 430 may include a thirdwaterproof protrusion 439 protruding from an outer surface of thebody 431 along the circumference of thebody 431 and that can be pressed againstsupport ribs 314. - Because the
body 431 is coupled to the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423 of the detergentcontainer loading port 304, an upper portion of thebody 431 may have a shape that is sloped forward to correspond to the slope of the detergentcontainer loading port 304 and the inlet of thehousing 421. - The fixing
groove 432 may be provided with the fixingrib 433 and may be inserted into theslit 424 in the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423. Because the fixingrib 433 is inserted into theslit 424, thedetergent container gasket 430 may be attached to the detergent containergasket fixing rib 423 with a stronger attachment force. - The first
waterproof protrusion 435 may have a sectional area that is narrower toward its end portion so as to be in line contact with thedetergent container 500. In a state in which thedetergent container 500 is inserted into the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420, the firstwaterproof protrusion 435 may be tightly pressed against the circumference of thecase 530 and may be in line-contact with thedetergent container 500 so as to be fixed in place. In detail, the firstwaterproof protrusion 435 is in line-contact with thecase 530 at a position adjacent to the front end portion of thecase 530 where thecase 530 is inserted into thecase insertion part 513 formed in thefront part 510. Such line-contact reduces retention of detergent or foreign matter such as cloth relative to a surface-contact type detergent container, and water leakage may be reduced as retention of foreign matter is reduced. - The second
waterproof protrusion 437 may protrude forward along the circumference of thedetergent gasket 430 and may be tightly pressed against a rear surface of the blockingrib 312 of thecover 300. Also, the thirdwaterproof protrusion 439 may protrude along the circumference of an outer surface of thedetergent container gasket 430 and may be tightly pressed against the inner surface of thesupport rib 314. The blockingrib 312 and thesupport rib 314 are described below with reference toFIGS. 16 and 17 . -
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a configuration in which the door, the cover, and the front panel ofFIG. 4 are coupled (taken along line A-A′), andFIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the circle “D” ofFIG. 16 . - The
cover 300 may include the blockingrib 312 that forms the detergentcontainer loading port 304, through which thedetergent container 500 is inserted and withdrawn, and thesupport rib 314 extending backward from the blockingrib 312. - The blocking
ribs 312 may be sloped so that they are parallel with a rear surface of thefront part 510, and may be disposed between the rear surface of thefront part 510 and thedetergent container gasket 430 to prevent exposure of a front side of thedetergent container gasket 430. - The
support rib 314 may extend backward from the blockingribs 312 to press against a circumference of thedetergent container gasket 430. - That is, the blocking
rib 312 may press against the front side of thedetergent container gasket 430, and thesupport rib 314 may press against the circumference of thedetergent container gasket 430. - Accordingly, the
detergent container gasket 430 may be coupled to the inlet of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420 and tightly pressed against thedetergent container 500, the blockingrib 312, and thesupport rib 314 to thereby prevent water supplied to thedetergent container 500 from leaking to a front side of the detergentcontainer receiving unit 420. - The wall-mounted washing machine, and the detergent container of the wall-mounted washing machine, in embodiments according to the present disclosure have an advantage in that both detergent and conditioner may be supplied to the single detergent container by simply withdrawing and inserting the detergent container only once.
- Also, since progress of discharging wash water, which has been supplied to a detergent container, to a tub is slowed using a siphon principle, a detergent can be dissolved in the wash water in the detergent container.
- Although example 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 example embodiments described above are not limiting, but only an example in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is expressed by the claims below, not the detailed description, and it should be construed that all changes and modifications achieved from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
Claims (18)
1. A wall-mounted washing machine, comprising:
a rear panel configured to be mounted on a wall;
a tub disposed on a front surface of the rear panel and configured to hold wash water;
a front panel having an opening and disposed on a front side of the tub;
a water supply valve assembly disposed in the front panel and configured to receive wash water from an external water source;
a cover for the front panel;
a detergent container coupled to the front panel through the cover and having a detergent input space for accommodating detergent and also having a conditioner input space for accommodating conditioner;
a door rotatably coupled to the cover to open and to close a laundry inlet of the cover; and
a cabinet coupled to the rear panel and surrounding the tub,
wherein the detergent container comprises:
a case comprising:
a first siphon section disposed in the detergent input space and operable for discharging, to the tub, a detergent aqueous solution in which the detergent is dissolved in the wash water provided through the water supply valve assembly; and
a second siphon section disposed in the conditioner input space and operable for discharging a conditioner aqueous solution in which the conditioner is dissolved in wash water provided through the water supply valve assembly, to the tub;
a cap coupled to an upper side of the case and having an inlet of the detergent input space and also having an inlet of the conditioner input space; and
a front part coupled to a front surface of the case and comprising a handle.
2. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a detergent container receiving unit is disposed in the front panel and allows the detergent container to be inserted and attached to the detergent container receiving unit, and wherein a first fitting operable for providing wash water from the water supply assembly to the detergent input space, and a second fitting operable for providing wash water from the water supply assembly to the conditioner input space, are connected to an upper side of the detergent container receiving unit.
3. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the case comprises:
a first part configured to form the detergent input space; and
a second part configured to form the conditioner input space;
wherein the first part and the second part are separated by a partition and arranged in a horizontal direction, the first fitting is disposed on an upper side of a space between the first siphon section and the partition, and the second fitting is disposed on an upper side of a space between the second siphon section and the partition.
4. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the first siphon section comprises a first column protruding upward from a bottom surface of the first part, the first column having a hollow shape to allow wash water introduced upward to be discharged therethrough, wherein the first siphon section also has a first cover disposed in the cap, the first cover covering the first column such that the first cover is spaced a distance apart from the first column, the first cover spaced a distance apart from the bottom surface of the first part; and
wherein the second siphon section comprises a second column protruding upward from a bottom surface of the second part, the second column having a hollow shape to allow wash water introduced upward to be discharged therethrough, wherein the second siphon section also has a second cover disposed in the cap, the second cover covering the second column such that the second cover is spaced a distance apart from the second column, the second cover spaced a distance apart from the bottom surface of the second part.
5. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the partition is higher than the first column and the second column.
6. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the first cover is connected to a left surface and a rear surface of the detergent input space, and wherein the second cover is connected to a right surface and a rear surface of the conditioner input space.
7. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the cap comprises:
a first maximum water level indicator connected to the first cover and for indicating a maximum water level; and
a second maximum water level indicator connected to the second cover and for indicating a maximum water level.
8. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 4 , wherein a first overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the first part, wherein a second overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the second part, wherein the first and second overflow parts are operable to discharge, to the tub, the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first siphon section and the second siphon section; and wherein the first overflow part comprises an opening on an upper side of the detergent input space, wherein the second overflow part comprises an opening on an upper side of the conditioner input space of the case, and wherein the first and second overflow parts are blocked by the cap.
9. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a guide hole operable for guiding wash water discharged from the case to the tub and having a bottom surface spaced a distance apart from a lower surface of the case is disposed on the front panel, wherein a door gasket is coupled to the opening of the front panel, and wherein a guide rib is disposed in the door gasket and is operable for guiding wash water guided by the guide hole to the side of the opening.
10. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a detergent container loading port is disposed in the cover, and wherein a detergent container receiving unit is disposed in a position of the front panel that corresponds to a position of the detergent box loading port and allows the detergent container to be inserted and attached therein.
11. The wall-mounted washing machine of claim 1 , wherein a detergent container gasket that is attached to the case is coupled to an inlet of the detergent container receiving unit, and wherein the detergent container gasket is pressed by the cover in the front panel.
12. A detergent container of a wall-mounted washing machine, the detergent container operable to be inserted into and withdrawn from a detergent container receiving unit disposed in a front panel of the wall-mounted washing machine, the detergent container comprising:
a case comprising:
a first part configured to form a detergent input space and comprising a first siphon section operable for providing, to a tub, a detergent aqueous solution in which a detergent is dissolved in wash water;
a second part configured to form a conditioner input space and comprising a second siphon section operable for providing, to the tub, a conditioner aqueous solution in which a conditioner is dissolved in wash water; and
a partition between the first part and the second part;
a cap coupled to an upper side of the case to cover portions of the first part and the second part, and comprising:
an inlet of the detergent input space; and
an inlet of the conditioner input space; and
a front part coupled to a front surface of the case and comprising a handle for the detergent container.
13. The detergent container of claim 12 , wherein a first overflow part is disposed on a rear surface of the first part to discharge, to the tub, the detergent aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the first siphon section, and wherein a second overflow part is disposed on the rear surface of the second part to discharge, to the tub, the conditioner aqueous solution that has not been discharged through the second siphon section.
14. The detergent container of claim 12 , wherein the first siphon section and the second siphon section are disposed proximate to a rear surface of the case.
15. The detergent container of claim 12 , wherein the first siphon section comprises:
a first siphon guide recess configured to be depressed downward from a bottom surface of the case and having a first outlet operable for discharging the detergent aqueous solution;
a first column coupled to the first outlet, the first column protruding upward from the first siphon guide recess by a predetermined height and having a hollow shape operable for allowing the detergent aqueous solution introduced to an upper side to be discharged to the first outlet; and
a first cover disposed in the cap, the first cover surrounding the first column such that the first cover is spaced a distance apart from an outer circumferential surface and an upper end portion of the first column, the first cover having a lower end portion spaced apart from the first siphon guide recess by a predetermined height; and
wherein the second siphon section comprises:
a second siphon guide recess configured to be depressed downward from a bottom surface of the case and having a second outlet operable for discharging a conditioner aqueous solution;
a second column coupled to the second outlet, the second column protruding upward from the second siphon guide recess by a predetermined height and having a hollow shape operable for allowing the conditioner aqueous solution introduced to an upper side to be discharged to the second outlet; and
a second cover disposed in the cap, the second cover surrounding the second column such that the second cover is spaced apart from an outer circumferential surface and an upper end portion of second first column, the second cover having a lower end portion spaced apart from the second siphon guide recess by a predetermined height.
16. The detergent container of claim 15 , wherein a plurality of first engaging ribs protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the first column and are attached to an inner circumferential surface of the first cover such that the first cover is interference-fit to the first column; and wherein a plurality of second engaging ribs protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the second column and are attached to an inner circumferential surface of the second cover such that the second cover is interference-fit to the second column.
17. The detergent container of claim 16 , wherein the first cover is connected to a left surface and a rear surface of the detergent input space, and wherein the second cover is connected to a right surface and a rear surface of the conditioner input space.
18. The detergent container of claim 16 , wherein the cap comprises:
a first maximum water level indicator connected to the first cover and for indicating a maximum water level; and
a second maximum water level indicator connected to the second cover and for indicating a maximum water level.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020170074634A KR20180136098A (en) | 2017-06-14 | 2017-06-14 | Wall mounted washing machine, and detergent case thereof |
KR10-2017-0074634 | 2017-06-14 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20180363221A1 true US20180363221A1 (en) | 2018-12-20 |
Family
ID=64656797
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/939,185 Abandoned US20180363221A1 (en) | 2017-06-14 | 2018-03-28 | Wall-mounted washing machine and detergent container thereof |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20180363221A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20180136098A (en) |
CN (1) | CN109082838A (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CN109082838A (en) | 2018-12-25 |
KR20180136098A (en) | 2018-12-24 |
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