Detergent supply apparatus and washing machine

• US 20090293556A1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Young Ho, Lee, Sang Hoon, Kim, Jae Hyun, Lee, Jong Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/17.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a body having a washing tub; a detergent bottle seating part provided over the body and having a detergent inlet through which a liquid detergent is entered, a detachable detergent bottle containing the liquid detergent being seated on the detergent bottle seating part; and a detergent storing part provided under the detergent bottle seating part, the liquid detergent contained in the detergent bottle being entered and stored in the detergent storing part by its weight.

Claims

1. A detergent supply apparatus comprising:

a detergent bottle seat provided adjacent a body in which washing is performed and having a detergent inlet through which a liquid detergent is entered, the detergent bottle seat adapted to receive a detachable detergent bottle containing the liquid detergent; and

a detergent mixing part provided adjacent the detergent bottle seat and in fluid communication with the detergent bottle, wherein the liquid detergent supplied from the detergent bottle can flow into the detergent mixing part.

2. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent bottle seating groove formed in accordance with a shape of a side surface of the detergent bottle.

3. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent bottle fixing protrusion adapted to maintain the detergent bottle in a stationary position.

4. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat is formed of an elastic member that is adapted to deform depending on the shape of the detergent bottle.

5. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a supporting part adapted to support a side surface of the detergent bottle.

6. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent supply button adapted to open and close the detergent inlet.

7. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent mixing part includes an indicator to monitor of the amount of the liquid detergent supplied from the detergent bottle.

8. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises a transparent window and is disposed proximate the detergent mixing part.

9. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat is adapted to support a plurality of detergent bottles, the detergent bottle seat including a plurality of detergent inlets corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent bottles, and

wherein the detergent mixing part is partitioned into a plurality of sections corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent inlets adapted to separately store the liquid detergent supplied from the plurality of the detergent bottles respectively

10. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a flow guide having a plurality of detergent fluid passages adapted to supply each of the liquid detergents contained in the plurality of detergent bottles individually to each of the plurality of sections of the detergent mixing part.

11. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flow guide includes a detergent supply button adapted to independently open and close the detergent fluid passages.

12. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary mixing part provided between the detergent inlet and the detergent mixing part so that a predetermined amount of the liquid detergent stored in the detergent bottle can be supplied into the detergent mixing part, the auxiliary mixing part having a detergent outlet through which the liquid detergent can flow into the detergent mixing part; and

a detergent supply button adapted to open the detergent inlet while blocking the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the detergent bottle to the auxiliary mixing part, and to block the detergent inlet while opening the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the auxiliary mixing part to the detergent mixing part.

13. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

an indicator to monitor of the amount of the liquid detergent entered into the auxiliary mixing part.

14. A washing machine comprising:

a body having a washing tub;

a detergent bottle seat provided adjacent the body in which washing is performed and having a detergent inlet through which a liquid detergent is entered, the detergent bottle seat adapted to receive a detachable detergent bottle containing the liquid detergent; and

a detergent mixing part provided adjacent the detergent bottle seat and in fluid communication with the detergent bottle, wherein the liquid detergent supplied from the detergent bottle can flow passively into the detergent mixing part.

15. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent bottle seating groove formed in accordance with a shape of a side surface of the detergent bottle.

16. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent bottle fixing protrusion adapted to maintain the detergent bottle in a stationary position.

17. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent bottle seat is formed of an elastic member that is adapted to deform depending on the shape of the detergent bottle.

18. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a supporting part adapted to support a side surface of the detergent bottle.

19. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent supply button adapted to open and close the detergent inlet.

20. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent mixing part includes an indicator to monitor of the amount of the liquid detergent supplied from the detergent bottle.

21. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 20, wherein the indicator comprises a transparent window and is provided proximate the detergent mixing part.

22. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein the detergent bottle seat is adapted to support a plurality of detergent bottles, the detergent bottle seat including a plurality of detergent inlets corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent bottles, and

wherein the detergent mixing part is partitioned into a plurality of sections corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent inlets adapted to separately store the liquid detergent supplied from the plurality of the detergent bottles respectively.

23. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 22 further comprising:

a flow guide having a plurality of detergent fluid passages adapted to supply each of the liquid detergents contained in the plurality of detergent bottles individually to each of the plurality of sections of the detergent mixing part.

24. The washing machine of claim 23, wherein the flow guide includes a detergent supply button adapted to independently open and close the detergent fluid passages.

25. The washing machine of claim 14, further comprising:

an auxiliary mixing part provided between the detergent inlet and the detergent mixing part so that a predetermined amount of the liquid detergent stored in the detergent bottle can be supplied into the detergent mixing part, the auxiliary mixing part having a detergent outlet through which the liquid detergent can flow into the detergent mixing part; and

a detergent supply button adapted to open the detergent inlet while blocking the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the detergent bottle to the auxiliary mixing part, and to block the detergent inlet while opening the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the auxiliary mixing part to the detergent mixing part.

26. The washing machine of claim 25, further comprising:

an indicator to monitor of the amount of the liquid detergent entered into the auxiliary mixing part.

27. A method of supplying liquid detergent to a washing machine, the washing machine comprising a tub, a liquid detergent inlet, a mixing part, a supply button, and an indicator, the method comprising:

placing a first detergent bottle containing a first liquid detergent into the liquid detergent inlet;

pressing the supply button to supply the first liquid detergent into a partition of the mixing part, while observing the amount of liquid detergent dispensed via the indicator, to determine when to stop supplying the liquid detergent, wherein the first liquid detergent is dispensed into the tub to be used during a washing cycle.

28. The method of claim 27, the mixing part further comprising a second and third partition, the method further comprising:

placing a second detergent bottle containing and second liquid detergent and a third detergent bottle containing a third liquid detergent;

pressing a second supply button to supply a second liquid detergent into the second partition of the mixing part;

pressing a third supply button to supply a third liquid detergent into the third partition of the mixing part;

wherein the first, second, and third liquid detergents are dispensed into the tub independently from one another at predetermined times during the washing cycle.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the first liquid detergent is supplied into and auxiliary mixing part before the first liquid detergent is supplied to the first partition of the mixing part.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the auxiliary mixing part has an indicator to monitor the amount of supplied liquid detergent.