Washing machine

• US 20110174021A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yong Hyun, Kim, Yong Kwon, Lee, Sang Up, Ko, Hong Seok
• Application Number:
  US12/929,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20110174021A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/17.R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 29/00 Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A washing machine including a housing and a detergent supply device to supply detergents. The detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case. The rotary case is rotated so that the upper portions of the detergent containers are protruded forwardly, and thus the detergents are easily injected into the respective detergent containers.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a housing; and

a detergent supply device to supply detergents,

wherein the detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a receipt case installed on the housing to rotatably receive the rotary case.

3. The washing machine according to claim 2, further comprising arc-shaped guide grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and guide protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and movably installed in the guide grooves.

4. The washing machine according to claim 3, further comprising latch grooves extended downwardly from the front ends of the guide grooves.

5. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising hinge grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and hinge protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and rotatably installed in the hinge grooves,

wherein the hinge grooves are extended vertically to guide upward and downward movement of the hinge protrusions.

6. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the detergent supply device further includes valve units to control the detergents contained in the detergent containers; and

each of the valve units includes a valve body provided with a channel formed therein, a pair of check valves disposed at both ends of the channel and selectively opened and closed according to pressure of a space between the pair of check valves, a piston moving forwardly and backwardly by external force to change the pressure of the space between the pair of check valves, and a restoring spring to elastically support the piston.

7. The washing machine according to claim 6, further comprising:

a water supply pipe connected with an external water supply source; and

mixing units installed at the lower end of the valve body and connected to the middle portion of the water supply pipe to mix the respective detergents and water.

8. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a first washing unit and a second washing unit disposed vertically,

wherein the housing includes a first housing forming an external appearance of the first washing unit, and the detergent supply device includes a first detergent supply device installed on the lower portion of the first housing.

9. A washing machine comprising:

a first washing unit;

a second washing unit disposed under the first washing unit to perform washing independently of the first washing unit; and

a detergent supply device installed on the lower portion of the first washing unit to supply detergents used in the first washing unit,

wherein the detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, a receipt case to rotatably receive the rotary case, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case.

10. The washing machine according to claim 9, further comprising arc-shaped guide grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, latch grooves extended downwardly from the front ends of the guide grooves, and guide protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and movably installed in the guide grooves and the latch grooves.

11. The washing machine according to claim 10, further comprising hinge grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and hinge protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and rotatably installed in the hinge grooves,

wherein the hinge grooves are extended vertically to guide upward and downward movement of the hinge protrusions.

12. The washing machine according to claim 11, wherein the guide grooves, latch grooves and guide protrusions are configured so that the rotary case is lifted up by a designated distance so as to separate the guide protrusions from the latch grooves, and force is then applied to the upper end of the rotary case in the backward direction to move the guide protrusions along the guide grooves to thereby rotate the rotary case about the hinge protrusions.