Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
Title of Invention: DETERGENT FEEDING DEVICE AND
WASHING MACHINE HAVING THE SAME
Technical Field
[1] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a detergent feeding
device to feed
liquid detergent and a washing machine having the same.
[2]
Background Art
[3] A washing machine includes a tub to retain water and a spin basket
rotatably
installed in the tub. The laundry contained in the spin basket is washed in
the tub by
rotation of the spin basket.
[4] The washing machine is provided with a detergent feeding device to feed
detergent,
to be used for washing, along with water to the tub. Recently, some washing
machines
have employed a detergent feeding device adapted to liquid detergent which is
more
soluble in water than powder detergent.
Disclosure of Invention
Technical Problem
[5] It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a detergent
feeding device which
eliminates an electrical component from a detergent case.
[6] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and, in
part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of
the
invention.
Solution to Problem
[7] In accordance with one aspect, a washing machine includes a body, a tub
disposed
within the body to retain water, a spin basket rotatably installed in the tub,
a detergent
feeding device to supply detergent and water to the tub, and a control unit to
control
the detergent feeding device, wherein the detergent feeding device comprises a
detergent housing installed in the body, a detergent case installed in the
detergent
housing to store liquid detergent, and a detergent introduction module
installed on an
outer surface of the detergent case to communicate with an inside of the
detergent case
and adapted to introduce the liquid detergent stored in the detergent case
into the
detergent housing according to a command transferred from the control unit.
[8] The detergent introduction module may be detachably installed on the
outer surface
of the detergent case.
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1191 The detergent introduction module may include at least one detergent
pump to pump
the liquid detergent in the detergent case to discharge the liquid detergent
into the
detergent housing.
[10] The detergent pump may include a first gear formed in an annular shape
and
provided with teeth on an inner circumferential surface thereof, a second gear
formed
to have an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the first gear and
provided
with teeth on an outer circumferential surface thereof to engage with the
teeth provided
on the inner circumferential surface of the first gear, and a detergent pump
motor to
generate rotary power to rotate the second gear.
[11] The detergent introduction module may include a detergent introduction
module
housing provided with a channel connected to the detergent case to guide
discharge of
the liquid detergent, wherein the detergent introduction module housing may
include a
chamber allowing the first gear and the second gear to be rotatably installed
therein, an
inflow guide channel to communicate with the detergent case to guide the
liquid
detergent to the chamber, a discharge guide channel to guide discharge of the
liquid
detergent to an upper side in the chamber, and a discharge guide pipe
connected to an
upper end of the discharge guide channel to discharge the liquid detergent
downward.
[12] The detergent case may be installed in the detergent housing to be
movable forward
and backward, and the detergent introduction module may be installed at a rear
surface
of the detergent case.
[13] The washing machine may further include a first connector provided at
a rear side of
the detergent introduction module, and a second connector provided at an inner
rear
side of the detergent housing to be selectively connected to the first
connector
depending on a position of the detergent case.
[14] The detergent case may include a main detergent storage part to store
main detergent
in a liquid state and a sub-detergent storage part to store sub-detergent in
liquid state,
and the at least one detergent pump may include a main detergent pump to pump
out
the main detergent stored in the main detergent storage part, and a sub-
detergent pump
to pump out the sub-detergent stored in the sub-detergent storage.
[15] In accordance with one aspect, a detergent feeding device includes a
detergent
housing, a detergent case installed in the detergent housing to store liquid
detergent,
and a detergent introduction module installed on an outer surface of the
detergent case
to communicate with an inside of the detergent case to introduce the liquid
detergent
stored in the detergent case into the detergent housing.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[16] As is apparent from the above description, with an electrically
operated detergent in-
troduction module disposed on the outer surface of a detergent case, a
connection
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structure for operation of the detergent introduction module are positioned at
the outer
side of the detergent case, and therefore a simple configuration of the inside
of the
detergent case may be ensured.
Brief Description of Drawings
[17] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily
appreciated from
the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the ac-
companying drawings of which:
[18] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a washing machine having
a detergent
feeding device according to an exemplary embodiment;
[19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the detergent feeding device
according to the
embodiment;
[20] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a detergent
housing of the
detergent feeding device of FIG. 2;
[21] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a detergent case
of the detergent
feeding device of FIG. 2;
[22] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a detergent case and a
detergent introduction
module applied to the detergent feeding device of FIG. 2;
[23] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the detergent
introduction module
applied to the detergent feeding device of FIG. 2;
[24] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional top view illustrating the detergent
introduction module
applied to the detergent feeding device of FIG. 2;
[25] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the detergent
introduction module
applied to the detergent feeding device of FIG. 2; and
[26] FIG. 9 is a control block diagram illustrating the detergent feeding
device of FIG. 2.
Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
[27] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples of
which are il-
lustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer
to like
elements throughout.
[28] As shown in FIG. 1, a washing machine includes a housing 10 forming an
external
appearance of the washing machine, a tub 20 disposed inside the housing 10, a
spin
basket 30 rotatably installed in the tub 20, and a drive motor 40 to rotate
the spin
basket 30.
[29] At the upper portion of the front of the housing 10 is disposed a
control panel (not
shown) provided with a manipulation button 810, which will be described later,
allowing a user to control operation of the washing machine. A circuit board
(not
shown) forming a control unit 800, which will be described later, is disposed
inside the
control panel. Also, an introduction port 10a is provided at the center of the
front face
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of the housing 10 to allow introduction of laundry into the spin basket 30,
and is
opened and closed by a door 11 rotatably installed at the front face of the
housing 10.
[30] The tub 20 is installed inside the housing 10 using a suspension
member, and water
to be used in washing the laundry is stored therein.
[31] The spin basket 30 includes a body part 31 having a cylindrical shape,
a front plate
32 disposed at the front of the body part 31, and a rear plate 33 disposed at
the rear of
the body part 31. A plurality of through holes 31a is provided in the body
part 31 of the
spin basket 30 to allow flow of wash water therethrough, and a plurality of
lifters 3 lb
to lift the laundry upward is provided on the inner circumferential surface of
the spin
basket 30 and arranged spaced apart from each other in a circumferential
direction. The
front plate 32 is provided with an opening 32a through which the laundry is
inserted or
removed. Installed at the center of the rear plate 33 is a shaft flange 34 to
which a
rotating shaft 43 of the drive motor 40, which will be described later, is
connected.
[32] The drive motor 40 includes a stator 41 fixed to the rear surface of
the tub 20, a
rotator 42 to interact with the stator 41 to rotate, and a rotating shaft 43
having one end
fixed to the center of the rotator 42 and the other end fixed to the center of
the rear
plate 33 of the spin basket 30 through the tub 20.
[33] Provided at the rear wall of the tub 20 is a bearing housing 21 to
support the rotating
shaft 43 such that the rotating shaft 43 is rotatable. The bearing housing 21
is manu-
factured using an insert injection molding process. Installed inside the
bearing housing
21 are bearings 22 to support the rotating shaft 43 such that the rotating
shaft 43 is
rotatable.
[34] At the upper portion of the tub 20 are disposed a water supply unit 50
to supply water
to the tub 20 and a detergent feeding device 70 connected to the water supply
unit 50
to supply water delivered through the water supply unit 50 to the tub 20 along
with
detergent. At the lower portion of the tub 20 is disposed a drain unit 60 to
discharge
used wash water to the outside of the housing 10.
[35] The water supply unit 50 includes water supply pipes 51 to connect an
external water
source (not shown) and the detergent feeding device 70 to each other, and a
water
supply valve 52 disposed in the water supply pipes 51 to open and close the
water
supply pipe 51. The drain unit 60 includes a drain pipe 61 to guide water in
the tub 20
to be discharged to the outside of the housing 10, and a drain pump 62
disposed at the
drain pipe 61 to discharge water through the drain pipe 61.
[36] The detergent feeding device 70 is connected to the tub 20 via a
connection pipe 53
connected to the lower portion of the detergent feeding device 70.
Accordingly, water
supplied through the water supply pipes 51 is supplied to the tub 20 through
the
connection pipe 53 via the detergent feeding device 70.
11371 As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the detergent feeding device 70 includes a
detergent case
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710 to retain detergent, a detergent housing 700 to accommodate the detergent
case
710. A plurality of water supply ports 702a is provided at the upper portion
of the rear
end of the detergent housing 700 to be connected with the water supply pipes
51, and a
connection port 700b is provided at the lower portion of the detergent housing
700 to
be connected with the connection pipe 53.
[38] As shown in FIG. 3, the detergent housing 700 is mounted and fixed to
the housing
of the washing machine, and includes a housing cover 701 to cover the top of
the
detergent housing 700. Also, installed at the inner upper portion of the
detergent
housing 700 is a first water supply guide 702 disposed at the upper portion of
the
detergent case 710 and provided at the rear end thereof with the water supply
ports
702a to distribute water supplied through the water supply pipes 51 to a
powder
detergent storage part 710c, which will be described later, or a manual
detergent
supply unit 710d, which will be described later. Installed at the inner rear
side of the
detergent housing 700 is a second water supply guide 703 connected to the
first water
supply guide 702 to distribute water supplied through the water supply pipes
51 to the
left and right sides in the detergent housing 700.
[39] The detergent case 710 is movably installed in the detergent housing
700 though the
detergent case inserting hole 700a provided at the front of the detergent
housing 700.
Accordingly, a user is allowed to introduce detergent into the detergent case
710 by re-
tracting the detergent case 710 from the detergent housing 700, or to remove
the
detergent case 710 from the detergent housing 700 to clean the detergent case
710.
[40] The detergent case 710 is provided with a plurality of detergent
storage parts 710a,
710b, 710c and 710d to store detergent. The detergent storage parts 710a,
710b, 710c
and 710d include liquid detergent storage parts 710a and 710b to store liquid
detergent,
a powder detergent storage 710c to store powder detergent, a manual detergent
supply
unit 710d allowing the user to supply a rinse additive or bleach. Also, the
liquid
detergent storage parts 710a and 710b are divided into a main detergent
storage part
710a to accommodate main detergent in a liquid state and a sub-detergent
storage part
710b to store sub-detergent in a liquid state such as the rinse additive or
bleach.
[41] A detergent case cover 711 is mounted to the upper portion of the
detergent case 710
to prevent overflow of detergent in the detergent case 710. Also, the
detergent case
cover 711 is provided with a plurality of detergent introduction ports 711a,
711b, 711c
and 711d to introduce detergent into the respective detergent storage parts
710a, 710b,
710c and 710d. Among the detergent introduction ports 711a, 711b, 711c and
711d,
the detergent introduction ports for the main detergent storage part 710a and
sub-
detergent storage part 710b retaining a large amount of liquid detergent are
provided
with storage covers 711e and 711f to prevent overflow of the liquid detergent.
11421 The detergent feeding device 70 also includes a detergent
introduction module 730
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controlled by a control unit 800 to introduce liquid detergent stored in the
detergent
case 710 into the detergent housing 700 to thereby allow the liquid detergent
to be
mixed with water in the detergent housing 700 and supplied to the tub 20 along
with
water.
[43] As shown in FIG. 5, the detergent introduction module 730 is installed
to com-
municate with the detergent case 710. The detergent introduction module 730 is
arranged at the outer surface of the detergent case 710 to avoid arranging
electrical
connection structures in the detergent case 710. In the illustrated
embodiment, the
detergent introduction module 730 is installed at the rear surface of the
detergent case
710.
[44] As shown in FIG. 6, the detergent introduction module 730 includes
detergent pumps
731M and 731S to pump liquid detergent in the detergent case 710 to discharge
the
liquid detergent to the detergent housing 700, and a detergent introduction
module
housing 732 provided with a channel to communicate with the detergent case 710
and
guide discharge of the liquid detergent. The detergent introduction module 730
also
includes a detergent introduction module cover 734 to cover the top of the
detergent in-
troduction module housing 732, and a bottom plate 735 disposed at the bottom
surface
of the detergent introduction module housing 732 to define a chamber, which
will be
described later. In the illustrated embodiment, the detergent pumps 731M and
731S
includes a main detergent pump 731M to pump main detergent stored in the main
detergent storage 710a and a sub-detergent pump 731S to pump sub-detergent
stored in
the sub-detergent storage 710b, and is installed in the detergent introduction
module
housing 732.
[45] To allow liquid detergent to be transferred from the detergent case
710 to the
detergent introduction module 730, a pair of communication holes 710e and 710f
re-
spectively connected to the main detergent storage part 710a and the sub-
detergent
storage part 710b is provided on the rear surface of the detergent case 710.
The
detergent introduction module housing 732 is provided with inlets 732a at
positions
corresponding to the communication holes 710e and 710f to allow liquid
detergent to
flow into the detergent introduction module housing 732. Disposed between
commu-
nication holes 710e and 710f and the inlets 732a are sealing members 736.
[46] Each of the detergent pumps 731M and 731S includes a first gear 731a
formed in an
annular shape and provided with teeth on the inner circumferential surface
thereof, a
second gear 73 lb having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of
the first
gear 731a and teeth provided on the outer circumferential surface thereof to
engage
with the teeth formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first gear
731a, and a
detergent pump motor 731c to generate rotary power to rotate the second gear
73 lb.
11471 As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the detergent introduction module housing
732 includes
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a chamber 732b provided at the lower portion of the detergent introduction
module
housing 732 to allow the first gear 731a and the second gear 731b to be
rotatably
installed therein, an inflow guide channel 732c connected to the inlet 732a to
com-
municate with the detergent case 710 and adapted to guide liquid detergent to
the
chamber 732b, a discharge guide channel 732d to guide the liquid detergent to
a higher
location in the chamber 732b than that of the liquid detergent stored in the
detergent
case 710, a discharge guide pipe 733 connected to the upper end of the
discharge guide
channel 732d to discharge the liquid detergent downward. In the illustrated em-
bodiment, as a pair of detergent pumps is provided, the detergent introduction
module
730 is provided with a pair of chambers 732b, a pair of inflow guide channels
732c, a
pair of discharge guide channels 732d and a pair of discharge guide pipes 733.
[48] In the illustrated embodiment, the detergent case 710 is installed in
the detergent
housing 700 such that the detergent case 710 is movable back and forth, and
therefore
a first connector 737 is provided at the rear side of the detergent
introduction module
730, and a second connector 704 is provided at the inner rear side of the
detergent
housing 700 to be selectively connected to the first connector 737 depending
on the
position of the detergent case 710. Accordingly, when the detergent case 710
is ac-
commodated in the detergent housing 700, the first connector 737 is connected
with
the second connector 704 so that electricity may be applied to the detergent
in-
troduction module 730. When the detergent case 710 is protruded from the
detergent
housing 700, the first connector 737 is disconnected from the second connector
704,
and thus electricity is not allowed to be applied to the detergent
introduction module
730.
[49] Such washing machine includes, as shown in FIG. 9, a control unit 800
to control op-
erations of the respective constituents of the washing machine such as the
detergent
feeding device 70 and the drive motor 40, and a manipulation button 810
allowing the
user to select functions of the washing machine. Thereby, the drive motor 40
and the
detergent introduction module 730 are controlled through the control unit 800.
[50] Accordingly, when an operation of the washing machine is selected by
the user
through the manipulation button 810, the control unit 800 applies electricity
to the
drive motor 40 and the detergent introduction module 730 according to cycles
such as
washing, rinsing and draining that are preset in the control unit 800.
[51] When electricity is applied to the detergent introduction module 730,
the detergent
pumps 731M and 731S are driven, and main detergent or sub-detergent in liquid
state
stored in the main detergent storage part 710a or sub-detergent storage part
710b of the
detergent case 710 passes sequentially through the communication holes 710e
and
710f, inlets 732a and inflow guide channel 732c and flows into the chamber
732b, and
is then discharged into the detergent housing 700 via the discharge guide
channel 732d
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and the discharge guide pipe 733.
[52] Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it would be
ap-
preciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these
embodiments
without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the
claims and
their equivalents.
