WO2022224679A1

WO2022224679A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2022224679A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/013497
Authority: WO
Inventors: 大樹砂田; 尚希川瀬; 徹小立
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2021-04-21
Filing date: 2022-03-23
Publication date: 2022-10-27
Also published as: TW202242218A; JP2022166352A; CN117222788A

Abstract

The washing machine of the present disclosure comprises a washing tub that accommodates laundry, a solution tank that stores a solution, and an automatic solution input device that inputs the solution stored in the solution tank to the washing tub. The solution tank is formed to be substantially box shaped, and has, in the installed state thereof, a tank body having an opening in the upper surface thereof, and a tank lid that has an insertion wall inserted in the opening and covers the opening. An outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall faces an upper inner peripheral surface of the tank body in a state in which the tank lid is mounted to the tank body, and the solution tank has a groove part disposed substantially in the horizontal direction in the installed state in a peripheral surface that includes at least one of the upper inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface.

Description

washing machine

This disclosure relates to washing machines.

Patent Document 1 discloses a washing machine equipped with an automatic liquid injection device that automatically supplies liquid.

The washing machine in Patent Literature 1 includes a liquid agent tank (a tank body having an opening that stores the liquid agent and a tank lid that opens and closes the opening) and an automatic liquid agent injection device. The tank body has packing.

JP 2019-37356 A

The present disclosure provides a washing machine capable of suppressing leakage of liquid in the liquid agent tank due to capillary action.

A washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a washing tub for storing laundry, a liquid agent tank for storing liquid agent, and an automatic liquid agent injection device for injecting the liquid agent stored in the liquid agent tank into the washing tub. The liquid agent tank is formed in a substantially box shape, and has a tank body having an opening on the upper surface and a tank lid that covers the opening and has an insertion wall that is inserted into the opening in the installed state. The outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall faces the upper inner peripheral surface of the tank body when the tank lid is attached to the tank body, and the liquid agent tank has a peripheral surface including at least one of the upper inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface. , in the installed state, has a groove portion arranged in a substantially horizontal direction.

The washing machine according to the present disclosure can suppress leakage of liquid from the liquid agent tank due to capillary action.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1, with the lid body closed. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the structure of the washing machine with the lid opened. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the water supply unit and its periphery of the washing machine, with the detergent case, detergent tank, and softener tank pulled out. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the configuration of the water supply unit and its surroundings of the washing machine. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine, with the detergent tank lid attached. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine, with the detergent tank lid removed. FIG. 7 is a top view showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the detergent tank lid of the washing machine, viewed from the back. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA, showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB, showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC, showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the detergent tank of the washing machine according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

(Knowledge, etc. on which this disclosure is based)
In a conventional washing machine, a watertight member such as packing is provided on the tank body or the tank lid in order to prevent the liquid in the tank from leaking out from between the tank body and the tank lid. was However, conventional washing machines have the possibility of liquid agents leaking due to deterioration of packings and the like.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a washing machine that does not have a watertight member such as packing and can suppress leakage of the liquid agent from the liquid agent tank.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to allow those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter thereby.

(Embodiment 1)
A washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 as an example of the washing machine according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. FIG.

[1-1. Constitution]
[1-1-1. Configuration of washing machine]
1 and 2 are external perspective views showing the configuration of washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 shows a state in which lid 700 is closed, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which lid 700 is open. showing. In Embodiment 1, the vertical direction in the state where washing machine 100 is installed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (corresponding to the installation state in the present disclosure) may be described as the up-down direction. Further, in Embodiment 1, the side on which operation unit 800 of washing machine 100 is present in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be referred to as the rear, and the opposite side may be referred to as the front. That is, the user generally stands on the front side of the washing machine 100, loads laundry such as clothes into the washing machine 100, and performs various operations for operating the washing machine 100. FIG. Note that the laundry in the present disclosure is not limited to clothing, and refers to items that can be washed in various known washing machines, such as bedding, curtains, rugs, cloth such as shoes, leather products, and others.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the washing machine 100 includes a housing 600, a lid body 700, and an operation section 800. Housing 600 includes a lower housing 610 and an upper housing 620 . A washing tub 500 is accommodated in the lower housing 610 . The washing tub 500 is formed into a cylindrical body that opens upward, accommodates the laundry, and performs the washing operation of washing the laundry. The washing action may be the action performed by the washing tub of various known washing machines. The principles of this embodiment are not limited to any particular cleaning action performed by washing tub 500 .

The upper housing 620 is arranged above the lower housing 610 , and the upper housing 620 is formed with a laundry inlet 621 communicating with the washing tub 500 . The lid 700 is attached to the rear part of the upper housing 620 and covers the inlet 621 so as to be openable and closable. When the user rotates lid 700 upward, washing tub 500 is exposed through inlet 621 . The user can put the laundry into the washing tub 500 through the inlet 621 .

An operation unit 800 is arranged at the rear of the upper housing 620 and behind the insertion port 621 . A user can operate the operation unit 800 to set various operations of the washing tub 500 . Washing machine 100 includes a control device (not shown) in housing 600, which controls, for example, water supply valve 310, detergent three-way valve 381, and softener three-way valve 382 in response to user's operation of operation unit 800. In addition, it controls the operation of the washing machine 100 as a whole. The controller has a computer system with a processor and memory. The computer system functions as a control device by the processor executing the program stored in the memory. Although the program executed by the processor is recorded in advance in the memory of the computer system here, it may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card and provided, or may be provided through a telecommunication line such as the Internet. may be provided through

A water supply port 200 is provided at the rear of the operation unit 800, and a water supply hose 210 is connected to the water supply port 200 so as to introduce tap water from a tap.

In the upper housing 620, the detergent tank 450, the softener tank 480 and the detergent case 400 are arranged so that their front surfaces are flush with each other when housed in the water supply unit 300.

A portion of the lid body 700 is transparent. As a result, even when the lid body 700 is closed, the user can visually check the detergent tank residual amount scale 450a and the softener tank residual amount scale 480a, and the liquid agents stored in the detergent tank 450 and the softener tank 480 can be filled. You can check the remaining amount. The liquid agent stored in the detergent tank 450 is a liquid detergent, and the liquid agent stored in the softener tank 480 is a softener.

[1-1-2. Water supply unit]
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of water supply unit 300 and its surroundings, with detergent case 400, detergent tank 450, and softener tank 480 pulled out. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the configuration of the water supply unit 300 and its surroundings.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the water supply unit 300 mainly includes a water supply unit housing portion 320 formed in a substantially box shape, a water supply unit lid portion 340 covering the upper surface of the water supply unit housing portion 320, It is composed of

A water supply valve 310 is attached to the rear surface of the water supply unit casing 320 to allow the water introduced from the water supply port 200 to pass through in an openable and closable manner. Water introduced from the water supply valve 310 is introduced into the water supply unit casing 320 .

As described above, the water supply unit 300 houses the detergent case 400, the detergent tank 450, and the softener tank 480, which are arranged so that they can be pulled out independently.

The detergent case 400 is used by the user to put in the required amount of detergent for one operation. Detergent case 400 has manual powder detergent input unit 410 for inputting powder detergent, manual liquid detergent input unit 420 for inputting liquid detergent, and manual softener input unit 430 for inputting softener. is provided. Powder detergent manual input unit 410 and liquid detergent manual input unit 420 are connected to a first water channel (not shown) connected to water supply valve 310 . Also, softener manual input unit 430 is connected to a second water channel (not shown) connected to water supply valve 310 .

The detergent tank 450 and the softener tank 480 are connected to the automatic liquid injection device 301 . Liquid agent automatic injection device 301 includes detergent three-way valve 381 connected to detergent tank 450 , softener three-way valve 382 connected to softener tank 480 , and pump unit 390 . The pump unit 390 is arranged downstream of the detergent three-way valve 381 and the softener three-way valve 382, and ejects water and liquid agent. The liquid agent automatic injection device 301 is connected to a third water channel (not shown) connected to the water supply valve 310 .

The flow path lower part 370 is configured as a discharge part, and the water flowing out from the first, second, and third water paths and the water containing the liquid agent are discharged to the washing tub 500 .

[1-3. detergent tank]
Hereinafter, the detergent tank 450 will be described as an example of the liquid agent tank in the present disclosure. The softener tank 480 has the same configuration as the detergent tank 450, so the description thereof is omitted.

5 and 6 are external perspective views showing the configuration of the detergent tank 450. FIG. 5 shows the state with the detergent tank lid 471 attached, and FIG. 6 shows the state with the detergent tank lid 471 removed. each shown. 7 is a top view showing the configuration of detergent tank 450. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the detergent tank 450 includes a detergent tank main body 451 formed in a substantially box shape and a detergent tank lid 471. As shown in FIGS. The detergent tank body 451 has a detergent tank body opening 452 on its upper surface. It should be noted that the approximate box shape may be any hollow shape that functions as a container capable of storing the liquid agent. The substantially box shape may be, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape like the detergent tank main body 451 of the present embodiment, a substantially cubic shape, a substantially prismatic shape, a substantially cylindrical shape, or the like. Including various shapes.

The detergent tank lid 471 has a first claw portion 479a and a second claw portion 479b. The detergent tank lid 471 is configured by inserting the first claw portion 479a into the inner front surface of the detergent tank main body 451 and engaging the second claw portion 479b with the engaging portion 453 on the outer rear surface of the detergent tank main body 451, thereby closing the detergent tank main body 451. can be attached to The detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank body 451 to cover the detergent tank body opening 452 .

A detergent tank input portion 472 including an input inclined portion 473 is arranged on the front side of the detergent tank lid 471 . The detergent tank charging portion 472 is open at substantially the center, and is provided with charging inclined portions 473 at the front, left and right sides, and rear. The input inclined portion 473 is formed so as to be inclined downward toward the opening of the detergent tank input portion 472, and guides the liquid agent (liquid detergent) to the detergent tank input portion 472 to flow down into the detergent tank main body 451. .

FIG. 8 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the detergent tank lid 471, viewed from the back. 9 to 11 are cross-sectional views of the detergent tank 450 shown in FIG. 7 taken along the lines A--A, B--B, and C--C, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, an insertion wall 474 is provided on the back side of the detergent tank lid 471 and extends downward in the installed state. The insertion wall 474 is inserted into the detergent tank body opening 452 . An insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474 a , which is the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall 474 , faces the upper inner peripheral surface 451 a of the detergent tank main body when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451 . In the present embodiment, detergent tank body upper inner peripheral surface 451 a and insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474 a are defined as the peripheral surface of detergent tank 450 .

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a central rib 477 is provided on the back side of the detergent tank lid 471 . A central rib 477 perpendicularly intersects the insert wall 474 and extends from the insert wall 474 towards the center of the detergent tank lid 471 . When the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, the central rib 477 abuts on the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body. The central rib 477 supports the insertion wall 474 from the center of the detergent tank lid 471, and when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank body 451, the insertion wall 474 and the detergent tank body opening 452 are deformed. restrain from doing.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, an insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a of the detergent tank lid 471 is provided with vertical ribs 478 arranged in the vertical direction. The vertical rib 478 intersects the later-described horizontal rib 476 substantially perpendicularly on the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474 a to increase the strength of the insertion wall 474 . Note that "substantially vertical" does not only mean completely vertical, but also includes slightly deviated from vertical, for example, vertical including the case where When the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, the vertical rib 478 abuts on the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body. Thus, the vertical ribs 478 prevent the detergent tank lid 471 from rattling when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451 .

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, an insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a of the detergent tank lid 471 is provided with grooves 475 and lateral ribs 476 in a substantially horizontal direction. Note that "substantially horizontal" does not only mean completely horizontal, but also includes slightly deviating from the horizontal. including the case where

The lateral ribs 476 include a first lateral rib 476a, a second lateral rib 476b, and a third lateral rib 476c. The third lateral rib 476c is provided on the uppermost side of the lateral ribs 476. As shown in FIG. The third horizontal rib 476c is configured so that when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, it does not come into contact with the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body, and a slight gap is created. The second lateral rib 476b is provided below the third lateral rib 476c, and the height of the second lateral rib 476b is configured to be lower than the height of the third lateral rib 476c. It is The first lateral rib 476a is provided below the second lateral rib 476b, and the height of the first lateral rib 476a is configured to be lower than the height of the second lateral rib 476b. It is That is, when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, the height of the first horizontal rib 476a among the horizontal ribs 476, which is first inserted into the detergent tank main body 451, is formed to be the lowest. This makes it easier for the user to attach the detergent tank lid 471 to the detergent tank main body 451 .

The groove portion 475 includes a first groove portion 475a and a second groove portion 475b. The first groove 475a is located between the first lateral rib 476a and the second lateral rib 476b, and the second groove 475b is located between the second lateral rib 476b and the third lateral rib 476b. 476c.

[1-2. motion]
The operation of washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 configured as described above will be described below.

[1-2-1. Liquid agent replenishment work in the detergent tank]
The user checks the remaining amount of the liquid agent (liquid detergent) by looking at the detergent tank remaining amount scale 450a, and when the remaining amount of the liquid agent is low, the liquid agent replenishment operation is carried out. When the detergent tank 450 is stored (the state shown in FIG. 2), the user lifts a lock lever (not shown) at the bottom of the detergent tank 450 and pulls out the detergent tank 450 . At this time, the detergent tank 450 protrudes from the plane on which the softener tank 480 and the front surface of the detergent case 400 are located, and the side surfaces of the detergent tank inlet 472 and the detergent tank main body 451 are exposed to the outside. Since the detergent tank input portion 472 is not provided with a dedicated lid for covering the detergent tank input portion 472, the user can pull out the detergent tank 450 and immediately input the detergent. Since the detergent tank main body 451 is made of a transparent material, the user can visually recognize the liquid level of the detergent inside from the exposed side surface of the detergent tank main body 451 .

The user puts the detergent in the commercially available container into the detergent tank introduction part 472 along the introduction inclined part 473 . If the user is short, there is a risk that the detergent will overflow from the front, back, left, and right of the detergent tank input portion 472 . The detergent tank input portion 472 in this embodiment is covered with the input inclined portion 473 on all four sides, i.e., the front portion, the left and right sides, and the rear portion, so that it is possible to prevent the user from spilling the detergent. In addition, the front portion, left and right side portions, and rear portion of the input inclined portion 473 in the present embodiment are each inclined downward toward the substantially central opening. As a result, the input inclined portion 473 guides the injected detergent to the opening of the detergent tank input portion 472 at any of the front portion, left and right side portions, and rear portion.

When the user completes the liquid agent replenishment work, the user pushes the detergent tank 450 toward the back side to return it to the state shown in FIG.

[1-2-2. Washing operation when using the automatic input function]
In the washing operation, the liquid detergent automatic injection device 301 is driven, and the liquid detergent is automatically injected.

Specifically, first, in the washing operation, by switching the opening and closing of the water supply valve 310, the direction of the detergent three-way valve 381, and the operation of the pump unit 390, the liquid detergent in the detergent tank 450 flows into the third water channel and the flow channel. It is automatically put into the washing tub 500 via the lower part 370 . After the automatic injection of the liquid detergent is finished or at the same time as the automatic injection of the liquid detergent, the water flowing out from the water supply valve 310 is injected into the washing tub 500 as follows. That is, the water flowing out from the water supply valve 310 passes through the first water channel, the powder detergent manual input unit 410, and the liquid detergent manual input unit 420, dissolves the liquid detergent accumulated in the lower flow channel 370, and dissolves the liquid detergent in the washing tub. 500 is put in.

In the final rinsing process, by switching the opening and closing of the water supply valve 310, the orientation of the softener three-way valve 382, and the operation of the pump unit 390, the liquid agent (softener) in the softener tank 480 flows into the third water passage and the lower portion of the flow passage. It is automatically thrown into the washing tub 500 via 370 . After the automatic injection of the softener is finished, the water flowing out from the water supply valve 310 passes through the second water passage and the manual softener injection unit 430 to dissolve the softener accumulated in the lower flow passage 370 and to the washing tub 500. thrown in.

[1-2-3. Suppression of Capillary Phenomena]
In the detergent tank 450, if the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 is large, the liquid inside the detergent tank 450 may leak. That is, the liquid level of the liquid agent filled in the detergent tank 450 may shake due to vibrations generated during the washing operation, and the liquid agent may leak from the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 . Therefore, it is necessary to narrow the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 to suppress leakage of the liquid agent in the detergent tank 450 .

The detergent tank 450 is configured such that when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank body 451, the gap between the detergent tank body upper inner peripheral surface 451a and the lateral ribs 476 is narrowed. Thereby, the detergent tank 450 can suppress leakage of the liquid agent in the detergent tank 450 .

On the other hand, if the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 is narrowed, capillary action may occur and the liquid may rise in the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 . . Therefore, the detergent tank 450 has the first groove 475a between the first horizontal rib 476a and the second horizontal rib 476b, and the second groove 475a between the second horizontal rib 476b and the third horizontal rib 476c. is provided with a groove portion 475b. That is, the detergent tank 450 partially widens the width of the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 . Thereby, the detergent tank 450 can suppress the occurrence of capillary action in the first groove portion 475a and the second groove portion 475b. Therefore, in the detergent tank 450, the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 471 is narrowed, and leakage of the liquid agent from the detergent tank 450 due to capillary action can be suppressed.

[1-3. effect]
As described above, washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 includes washing tub 500 that stores laundry, detergent tank 450 that stores the liquid agent, and liquid agent that is stored in detergent tank 450 and puts into washing tub 500. and an automatic loading device 301 . The detergent tank 450 has a detergent tank body 451 and a detergent tank lid 471 . The detergent tank main body 451 is formed in a substantially box shape, and has a detergent tank main body opening 452 on the upper surface in the installed state. The detergent tank lid 471 has an insertion wall 474 that is inserted into the detergent tank body opening 452 and covers the detergent tank body opening 452 . The insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a faces the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body 451 when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, and the detergent tank 450 is attached to the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a in the installed state. , and grooves 475 arranged substantially horizontally. The detergent tank 450 is an example of the liquid agent tank in the present disclosure, the detergent tank main body 451 is an example of the tank main body in the present disclosure, and the detergent tank lid 471 is an example of the tank lid in the present disclosure. Also, the detergent tank main body opening 452 is an example of an opening in the present disclosure. In addition, the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a is an example of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall in the present disclosure, and is an example of the peripheral surface in the present disclosure. Further, the detergent tank main body upper inner peripheral surface 451a is an example of the upper inner peripheral surface of the tank main body in the present disclosure.

Thus, the detergent tank 450 has a relatively wide gap between the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body and the outer peripheral surface 474a of the insertion wall in the groove 475, thereby suppressing capillary action. Therefore, washing machine 100 in Embodiment 1 can suppress leakage of liquid in detergent tank 450 due to capillary action.

As in this embodiment, the detergent tank 450 has a convex first horizontal rib 476a and a second horizontal rib 476b on the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a, and the first groove 475a is formed on the first horizontal rib 476b. It may be located between the rib 476a and the second transverse rib 476b.

Thus, in the detergent tank 450, the gap between the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body and the first horizontal rib 476a and the gap between the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body and the second horizontal rib 476b can be narrowed. Therefore, washing machine 100 in Embodiment 1 can suppress leakage of the liquid agent in detergent tank 450 .

As in the present embodiment, the first lateral rib 476a, the second lateral rib 476b, and the first groove 475a may be provided on the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a. In the installed state, the first horizontal rib 476a is provided below the second horizontal rib 476b, and the height of the first horizontal rib 476a is formed lower than the height of the second horizontal rib 476b. may

As a result, when the user attaches the detergent tank lid 471 to the detergent tank main body 451, the first horizontal rib 476a among the horizontal ribs 476 that is first inserted into the detergent tank main body 451 and The gap with the peripheral surface 451a can be widened. Therefore, the user can easily attach the detergent tank lid 471 to the detergent tank main body 451 .

As in the present embodiment, the detergent tank lid 471 may have vertical ribs 478 arranged vertically on the outer peripheral surface 474a of the insertion wall in the installed state. When the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, the vertical ribs 478 may abut on the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body.

Thereby, the vertical rib 478 can eliminate the gap between the detergent tank lid 471 and the detergent tank main body 451. Therefore, in washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1, vertical ribs 478 can prevent detergent tank lid 471 from rattling when detergent tank lid 471 is attached to detergent tank main body 451 .

As in this embodiment, the detergent tank lid 471 may have a central rib 477 that intersects the insertion wall 474 and extends from the insertion wall 474 toward the center of the detergent tank lid 471 . The central rib 477 may come into contact with the upper inner peripheral surface 451 a of the detergent tank body 451 when the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank body 451 .

Thereby, the central rib 477 can spread the insertion wall 474 and the detergent tank body opening 452 in a state where the detergent tank lid 471 is attached to the detergent tank body 451 . Therefore, in washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1, center rib 477 can suppress deformation of insertion wall 474 and detergent tank main body opening 452 .

(Embodiment 2)
Washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 2 as an example of the washing machine according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 12 . Washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 2 differs in the configuration of detergent tank 1450 from detergent tank 450 of washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 1, as described below. Since the rest of the configuration of washing machine 100 in Embodiment 2 is the same as that of washing machine 100 in Embodiment 1, the same reference numeral "100" is used here as the reference numeral for the washing machine in Embodiment 2. explain.

[2-1. Constitution]
FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of detergent tank 1450 of washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. In Embodiment 2, washing machine 100 includes detergent tank 1450 . Detergent tank lid 1471 of detergent tank 1450 differs from detergent tank lid 471 of detergent tank 450 in Embodiment 1 in that insertion wall 1474 does not have horizontal ribs.

As shown in FIG. 12, in Embodiment 2, detergent tank 1450 includes detergent tank body 451 and detergent tank lid 1471 .

With the detergent tank lid 1471 attached to the detergent tank body 451 , the detergent tank lid 1471 covers the detergent tank body opening 452 . An insertion wall 1474 extending downward is provided on the back side of the detergent tank lid 1471 . The outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall 1474 is defined as an insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1474a. When the detergent tank lid 1471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body and the outer peripheral surface 1474a of the insertion wall face each other.

The detergent tank lid 1471 has a groove 1475 arranged in a substantially horizontal direction on the outer peripheral surface 1474a of the insertion wall. In Embodiment 2, the detergent tank lid 1471 does not have convex lateral ribs on the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1474a.

[2-2. motion]
The operation of washing machine 100 according to Embodiment 2 configured as described above will be described below.

[2-2-1. Suppression of Occurrence of Capillary Phenomena]
In the detergent tank 1450, the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 1471 is configured to be narrow in order to suppress leakage of the liquid agent in the detergent tank 1450 due to vibration during washing operation.

However, if the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 1471 is narrowed, capillary action may occur and the liquid may rise in the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 1471. Therefore, the detergent tank 1450 is provided with a groove 1475 on the outer peripheral surface 1474a of the insertion wall to partially widen the width of the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 1471 . Thus, detergent tank 1450 can suppress the occurrence of capillary action in groove 1475 . Therefore, in the detergent tank 1450, the gap between the detergent tank main body 451 and the detergent tank lid 1471 is narrowed, and leakage of liquid from the detergent tank 1450 due to capillary action can be suppressed.

[2-3. effect]
As described above, detergent tank 1450 of washing machine 100 in Embodiment 2 has detergent tank body 451 and detergent tank lid 1471 . The detergent tank main body 451 is formed in a substantially box shape, and has a detergent tank main body opening 452 on the upper surface in the installed state. The detergent tank lid 1471 has an insertion wall 1474 that is inserted into the detergent tank body opening 452 and covers the detergent tank body opening 452 . The insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1474a faces the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body 451 when the detergent tank lid 1471 is attached to the detergent tank main body 451, and the detergent tank 1450 is attached to the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1474a in the installed state. , and grooves 475 arranged substantially horizontally. The detergent tank 1450 is an example of the liquid agent tank in the present disclosure, the detergent tank main body 451 is an example of the tank main body in the present disclosure, and the detergent tank lid 1471 is an example of the tank lid in the present disclosure. Also, the detergent tank main body opening 452 is an example of an opening in the present disclosure. In addition, the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1474a is an example of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall in the present disclosure, and is an example of the peripheral surface in the present disclosure. Further, the detergent tank main body upper inner peripheral surface 451a is an example of the upper inner peripheral surface of the tank main body in the present disclosure.

Thus, the detergent tank 1450 has a relatively wide gap between the upper inner peripheral surface 451a of the detergent tank main body and the outer peripheral surface 1474a of the insertion wall in the groove 475, thereby suppressing capillary action. Therefore, washing machine 100 in Embodiment 2 can suppress leakage of liquid in detergent tank 1450 due to capillary action.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, Embodiments 1 and 2 have been described as examples of the technology of the present disclosure. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments with modifications, replacements, additions, omissions, and the like. Also, it is possible to combine the constituent elements described in the first and second embodiments to form a new embodiment.

Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

In Embodiments 1 and 2, washing machine 100, which is a vertical washing machine, has been described as an example of the washing machine in the present disclosure. The washing machine in the present disclosure is not limited to a vertical washing machine, and may be a drum washing machine or a two-tub washing machine.

In Embodiments 1 and 2, detergent tank 450 and detergent tank 1450 have been described as examples of liquid agent tanks in the present disclosure. The liquid agent tank in the present disclosure may be any tank that stores the liquid agent, and may be the softener tank 480 . The softener tank 480 has the same configuration as the detergent tank 450 or the detergent tank 1450, and the softener tank 480 will be explained in the same manner.

In Embodiments 1 and 2, the groove 475 provided in the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 474a and the groove 1475 provided in the insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1474a were described as examples of the groove in the present disclosure. The groove portion in the present disclosure may be provided on at least one of the upper inner peripheral surface of the tank body in the present disclosure and the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall of the tank lid in the present disclosure, and the insertion portion in the present disclosure like the groove portion 475 or the groove portion 1475 may be provided. It is not limited to being provided on the outer peripheral surface of the wall. That is, the groove in the present disclosure may be provided on the upper outer peripheral surface of the detergent tank main body in the present disclosure, or may be provided on both the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall in the present disclosure and the upper outer peripheral surface of the detergent tank main body in the present disclosure. may Moreover, the groove part in this indication may be provided in multiple numbers, and may be provided in one.

Similarly, the first lateral rib in the present disclosure and the second lateral rib in the present disclosure are provided on at least one of the upper inner peripheral surface of the tank body in the present disclosure and the outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall of the tank lid in the present disclosure. I wish I could.

The present disclosure is applicable to washing machines equipped with an automatic liquid injection device. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to, for example, vertical washing machines, drum washing machines, twin-tub washing machines, and the like.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 washing machine 200 water supply port 210 water supply hose 300 water supply unit 301 liquid agent automatic injection device 310 water supply valve 320 water supply unit casing 340 water supply unit lid 370 lower flow path 381 detergent three-way valve 382 softener three-way valve 390 pump unit 400 detergent case 410 Powder detergent manual input part 420 Liquid detergent manual input part 430 Softener manual input part 450 Detergent tank 450a Detergent tank remaining amount scale 451 Detergent tank main body 451a Detergent tank main body upper inner peripheral surface 452 Detergent tank main body opening 453 Engaging part 471 Detergent tank lid 472 Detergent tank input portion 473 Input inclined portion 474 Insertion wall 474a Insertion wall outer peripheral surface 475 Groove portion 475a First groove portion 475b Second groove portion 476 Horizontal rib 476a First horizontal rib 476b Second horizontal rib 476c Third third horizontal rib 477 central rib 478 vertical rib 479a first claw portion 479b second claw portion 480 softener tank 480a softener tank remaining amount scale 500 washing tub 600 housing 610 lower housing 620 upper housing 621 inlet 700 lid body 800 operation part 1450 detergent tank 1471 detergent tank lid 1474 insertion wall 1474a insertion wall outer peripheral surface 1475 groove

Claims

a washing tub for storing laundry;
a liquid agent tank that stores the liquid agent;
a liquid agent automatic injection device for injecting the liquid agent stored in the liquid agent tank into the washing tub;
with
The liquid agent tank is
a tank body formed in a substantially box shape and having an opening on the upper surface in an installed state;
a tank lid having an insertion wall inserted into the opening and covering the opening;
has
an outer peripheral surface of the insertion wall faces an upper inner peripheral surface of the tank body when the tank lid is attached to the tank body,
The washing machine, wherein the liquid agent tank has grooves arranged in a substantially horizontal direction in a peripheral surface including at least one of the upper inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface in an installed state.
The liquid agent tank has a first horizontal rib and a second horizontal rib on the peripheral surface,
the groove is positioned between the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib;
The washing machine according to claim 1.
The first lateral rib, the second lateral rib, and the groove are provided on the outer peripheral surface,
The first lateral rib is provided below the second lateral rib in an installed state,
The height of the first horizontal rib is formed lower than the height of the second horizontal rib,
The washing machine according to claim 2.
The tank lid has longitudinal ribs arranged in the vertical direction on the outer peripheral surface in the installed state,
The vertical rib is in contact with the upper inner peripheral surface when the tank lid is attached to the tank body.
The washing machine according to claim 3.
the tank lid has a central rib that intersects the insert wall and extends from the insert wall toward the center of the tank lid;
The central rib is in contact with the upper inner peripheral surface when the tank lid is attached to the tank body.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1-4.