Detergent injecting device for washer

• US 20040172770A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Yoon, Kim, Jong Ho, Heo, Seong Eun
• Granted Patent: US 7,313,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

A laundry aid dispenser for a washing machine includes a top cover disposed above a washtub for receiving clothes, a receiving cavity defined by an upper wall, a bottom wall, opposing sidewalls, and an inner wall that are formed by indenting a portion of the top cover, a shower member comprising a shower portion coupled on the upper wall defining the receiving cavity and a warm water guide portion defined by a rear wall of the shower portion with the inner wall defining the receiving cavity, and a laundry aid container for storing laundry aids, the laundry aid container being inserted in the receiving cavity under the shower member. The laundry aid container has at least two chambers each for storing a different laundry aid.

Claims

1. A laundry aid dispenser for a washing machine, comprising:

a top cover disposed above a washtub for receiving clothes;

a receiving cavity defined by an upper wall, a bottom wall, opposing sidewalls, and an inner wall that are formed by indenting a portion of the top cover, the receiving cavity having a plurality of cold and warm water supply nozzles;

a shower member comprising a shower portion coupled on the upper wall defining the receiving cavity and a warm water guide portion defined by a rear wall of the shower portion with the inner wall defining the receiving cavity; and

a laundry aid container for storing laundry aids, the laundry aid container being inserted in the receiving cavity under the shower member, the laundry aid container having at least two chambers each for storing a different laundry aid.

2. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 wherein the laundry aid container comprises:

an addition agent chamber for storing an addition agent;

a detergent chamber for storing detergent, the detergent chamber being disposed adjacent to and spaced away from the addition agent chamber; and

a softener chamber for storing a softener, the softener chamber being disposed adjacent to and spaced away from the detergent chamber.

3. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the laundry aid container further comprises a handle having hook members formed on lower-side ends of the handle and hooked on a hook groove formed on the bottom wall of the receiving cavity when the laundry aid container is completely inserted in the receiving cavity.

4. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

longitudinal guide ribs formed on both side walls of the laundry aid container; and

supporting/guiding members formed on the opposing sidewalls defining the receiving cavity, the guide ribs being supportably disposed on the longitudinal guide ribs for insertion/withdrawal of the laundry aid container in/out of the receiving cavity.

5. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

chamber barriers formed extending downward from the top wall defining the receiving cavity; and

barrier insertion grooves formed between the chambers, the chamber barriers being inserted into the barrier insertion grooves when the laundry aid container is inserted into the receiving cavity.

6. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

at least two container-removal preventing steps formed on the laundry aid container; and

hook projections corresponding to the container-removal preventing steps formed on an outer bottom surface of the shower member, a front portion of each hook projection being gently inclined and a rear portion of each hook projection being steeply inclined.

7. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a siphon member disposed on the laundry aid container,

wherein an inner siphon guide is formed extending from an inner bottom surface of one of the chambers;

and

an outer siphon guide is formed extending downward from the siphon member and is inserted around the inner siphon guide.

8. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 7, wherein gap-maintaining bosses are formed on an outer circumference of the inner siphon guide so as to maintain a predetermined gap between the outer circumference of the inner siphon guide and an inner circumference of the outer siphon guide.

9. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 7, wherein a protruded member is formed extending downward from an outer bottom surface of the chamber where the inner siphon guide is formed.

10. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 7, wherein a gap maintaining rib is formed extending downward from an outer bottom surface of the chamber.

11. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a siphon member disposed on the laundry aid container, the siphon member having a concave portion for preventing noise that may be generated by water dropping down on the siphon member.

12. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a siphon member disposed on the laundry aid container, the siphon member being having a plurality of passage holes through which water can be evenly supplied to one of the chamber.

13. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a siphon member disposed on the laundry aid container, the siphon member having a water supply surface inclined to stably supply water to one of the chambers.

14. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

a detergent siphon member received in a detergent chamber of the chambers having a spout hole, the detergent siphon member having an inner siphon guide extending upward and aligning with the spout hole; and

a detergent siphon cover disposed on the detergent siphon member, the detergent siphon cover having an outer siphon guide for inserting around the inner siphon guide.

15. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 14, wherein the detergent siphon member comprises a protruded member formed extending downward and corresponding to the inner siphon guide;

and

an insertion member formed extending downward from the protruded member.

16. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 14, wherein the inner siphon guide comprises a gap-maintaining member for providing a predetermined gap between the outer circumference of the inner siphon guide and an inner circumference of the outer siphon guide.

17. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 14, wherein the detergent siphon member comprises a gap maintaining rib for maintaining a predetermined gap between the detergent siphon member and the detergent chamber.

18. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 14, wherein a predetermined portion of the detergent siphon member is curved, and a predetermined portion of the detergent chamber is also curved corresponding to the curved portion of the detergent siphon member, thereby making it easy to set up a disposing location of the detergent siphon member.

19. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 wherein inner bottom surfaces of the chambers are sloped frontward.

20. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

a hook member formed on a front end of the shower member; and

a fixing member formed on one of the walls defining the receiving cavity, the fixing member being associate with the hook when the shower member is completely inserted in the receiving cavity.

21. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the shower portion comprises an indented bottom portion and a plurality of passage holes formed on the indented bottom portion.

22. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising supporting/guiding members for supporting and guiding an insertion/withdrawal of the shower member into/from the receiving cavity, the supporting/guiding members being formed extending downward from the top wall and being bent horizontally.

23. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:

at least two supporting/guiding members formed extending from the top wall defining the receiving cavity and bent horizontally; and

a rib guide for guiding an insertion/withdrawal of the shower member by at lease one of the supporting/guiding members, which contacts an outer bottom surface of the shower portion.

24. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the warm water guide portion comprises a warm water drain hole through which warm water fed from a warm water nozzle is drained to the receiving cavity.

25. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 24, wherein the warm water drain hole is formed at a one-sided portion.

26. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a wave wall formed extending downward from the warm water guide portion, the wave wall defining a plurality of passages with the inner wall defining the receiving cavity so that warm water can be drained to the receiving cavity through the plurality of passages.

27. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary warm water-supplying portion formed on a portion of the warm water guide portion, the auxiliary warm water-supplying portion having a plurality of holes.

28. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a check grooves formed on an upper portion of the warm water guide portion to prevent warm water in a space defined by the warm water guide portion and the receiving cavity from overflowing.

29. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the shower portion has a screw-fixing hole in which a screw passing through the top cover is inserted.

30. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the warm water guide portion has a screw-fixing hole in which a screw passing through the top cover is inserted.

31. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall defining the receiving cavity is inclined frontward so that water can be effectively fed to the washtub.

32. The laundry aid dispenser of claim 1, wherein the chambers comprise a detergent chamber, an addition agent chamber and a softener chamber;

and

the shower portion comprises a detergent shower portion for the detergent chamber and an addition agent shower portion for the addition agent chamber.

33. A method for mounting a laundry aid dispenser on a washing machine, comprising the steps of:

inserting a shower member in a receiving cavity defined by indenting a portion of a top cover of the washing machine;

securely fixing the shower member by a screw coupling; and

inserting a laundry aid container in the receiving cavity.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the shower member firstly fixed in the receiving chamber by a hook structure, the hook structure comprises:

a hook member formed on a front end of the shower member; and

a fixing member formed on a portion defining the receiving cavity and associated with the hook member when the shower member is inserted into the receiving cavity.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the laundry aid container is fixed in the receiving cavity by a hook structure, the hook structure comprising:

a hook member formed on a front-lower end of the laundry aid container; and

a hook groove formed on a portion defining the receiving cavity and associated with the hook member.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein an insertion/withdrawal of the shower member is guided by a supporting/guiding member formed on a top wall defining the receiving cavity.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the laundry aid container comprises:

supporting/guiding members formed on opposing sidewalls defining the receiving cavity; and

rib guides formed on opposing sidewalls of the laundry aid container and supported on the supporting/guiding members for an insertion/withdrawal guide into/from the receiving cavity.