WASHING MACHINE

• US 20150252513A1
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: SEO, Bosung, IM, Myunghun
• Granted Patent: US 10,125,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/37 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/08 Liquid supply or discharge arrangements supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02

Abstract

A washing machine including a cabinet having with an inlet port formed at a front panel for laundry insertion thereinto and a door to open or close the inlet port; a tub within the cabinet for storing wash water; a drum in communication with the inlet port, and rotatably provided within the tub; a detergent dispenser provided below the inlet; a water passage to supply wash water from a water source to at least one of the tub and the detergent dispenser; and a connecting passage to connect the tub and the detergent dispenser for transfer of the wash water stored in the tub to the detergent dispenser and for transfer of the detergent stored in the detergent dispenser to the tub.

Claims

1. A washing machine, comprising:

a cabinet having an inlet port formed at a front panel for laundry insertion thereinto and a door configured to open or close the inlet port;

a tub within the cabinet for storing wash water;

a drum in communication with the inlet port, and rotatably provided within the tub;

a detergent dispenser provided below the inlet;

a water passage to supply wash water from a water source to at least one of the tub and the detergent dispenser; and

a connecting passage to connect the tub and the detergent dispenser for transfer of the wash water stored in the tub to the detergent dispenser and for transfer of the detergent stored in the detergent dispenser to the tub.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the detergent dispenser comprises:

a dispenser case having an opening portion on an upper surface thereof; and

a detergent supply unit mounted on the dispenser case to store detergent therein.

3. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the detergent supply unit comprises at least one of a manual detergent supply unit and an automatic supply unit.

4. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein a pump module is provided within the cabinet, and

the pump module comprises at least one of:

a circulation pump to circulate wash water or wash water mixed with detergent to the tub; and

a drain pump to discharge wash water, or wash water mixed with detergent that has passed through the tub, outside of the cabinet.

5. The washing machine of claim 4, wherein the connecting passage comprises at least one of:

a first detergent supply passage connecting the detergent dispenser and a bottom surface of the tub in order to supply detergent from the detergent dispenser to the bottom surface of the tub; and

a second detergent supply passage connecting the detergent dispenser and the remaining part of the tub in order to supply detergent from the detergent dispenser to the remaining part of the tub.

6. The washing machine of claim 4, wherein the water passage comprises at least one of:

a first water passage connecting the water source and the tub in order to supply wash water from the water source to the tub; and

a second water passage connecting the water source and the detergent dispenser in order to supply wash water from the water source to the detergent dispenser,

wherein a water valve is provided in at least one of the first water passage and second water passage.

7. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein a detergent inlet port is provided on a bottom surface of the tub to flow detergent thereinto.

8. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein detergent in at least one of the automatic detergent supply unit and the manual detergent supply unit is supplied to the bottom surface of the tub through the first detergent supply passage.

9. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein detergent in at least one of the automatic detergent supply unit and the manual detergent supply unit is supplied to the remaining part of the tub through the second detergent supply passage.

10. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein the first detergent supply passage comprises a backflow prevention device to block wash water discharged from the tub from entering the detergent dispenser.

11. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein the first water passage is disposed at a higher position than the backflow prevention device.

12. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein wash water supplied from the water source to the tub is supplied through the second water passage to fill the level of the tub up to a height of the backflow prevention device, and then supplied through the first water passage.

13. The washing machine of claim 5, further comprising:

a drain passage connecting the tub, the drain pump, and an outside of the cabinet to drain wash water within the tub to the outside of the cabinet, wherein the drain passage connecting the tub and the drain pump is commonly used with part of the first detergent supply passage.

14. The washing machine of claim 5, further comprising:

a connecting pipe connecting the circulation pump and a water supply port of the automatic detergent supply unit to transfer wash water that has passed through the manual detergent supply unit to the water supply port of the automatic detergent supply unit.

15. The washing machine of claim 4, wherein the automatic detergent supply unit comprises a pumping device to selectively discharge detergent stored in a container by a predetermined amount.

16. The washing machine of claim 15, wherein the pumping device discharges detergent in the automatic detergent supply unit to at least one of the first and the second detergent supply passage.

17. The washing machine of claim 15, wherein the automatic detergent supply unit comprises:

a water supply port to receive wash water thereinto;

an internal passage communicated with the water supply port to flow detergent discharged by the pumping device to be mixed with wash water; and

a water drain port communicated with the internal passage to discharge the wash water mixed detergent.

19. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein the automatic detergent supply unit comprises a level sensing device to sense the remaining amount of detergent.

20. The washing machine of claim 19, wherein the level sensing device comprises:

a pair of electrodes an end portion of which is exposed to an inside of the container;

a container-side connecting terminal connected to the electrode, and disposed on a bottom surface of the container; and

a receiving-portion-side connecting terminal provided in the container receiving portion to be brought into contact with the container-side connecting terminal.

21. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein the manual detergent supply unit comprises:

a distribution plate provided at an upper portion of the dispenser case to distribute wash water;

a detergent inlet portion provided with an input space to receive detergent and a water outlet port on a lower surface thereof, and disposed at a lower portion of the distribution plate to receive the wash water;

a hopper portion provided at a lower portion of the detergent input portion to temporarily store wash water falling down through the water outlet port; and

an extension portion extended downward from the hopper portion to discharge wash water or wash water mixed with detergent.

22. The washing machine of claim 21, wherein the extension portion comprises a backflow prevention device connected to the first detergent supply passage to block wash water discharged from the tub from flowing back to the detergent dispenser.

23. The washing machine of claim 21, wherein the water outlet port is formed at a lower rear portion of the detergent input portion, and

a lower surface of the detergent input portion is inclined downward as being close to the water output port, and disposed such that a portion formed with the water outlet port is higher than the remaining portion thereof when the detergent dispenser is rotated to an open position.

24. The washing machine of claim 2, wherein the dispenser case is rotatably provided on a front portion of the cabinet, and rotates between an opening position at which the opening portion is exposed to the outside and an accommodation position at which the opening portion is accommodated into the cabinet.

25. The washing machine of claim 24, wherein the dispenser case forms the whole or part of a lower panel located lower than the inlet port on a front panel of the cabinet.

18. A washing machine, comprising:

a cabinet having an inlet port formed at a front panel for laundry insertion thereinto and a door configured to open or close the inlet port;

a tub within the cabinet for storing wash water;

a drum in communication with the inlet port, and rotatably provided within the tub;

a detergent dispenser provided below the inlet;

a water passage to supply wash water from a water source to at least one of the tub and the detergent dispenser; and

a connecting passage to connect the tub and the detergent dispenser for transfer of the wash water stored in the tub to the detergent dispenser and for transfer of the detergent stored in the detergent dispenser to the tub, and

wherein the detergent dispenser comprises;

a dispenser case having an opening portion on an upper surface thereof; and

a detergent supply unit mounted on the dispenser case to store detergent therein, and

wherein the detergent supply unit comprises at least one of a manual detergent supply unit and an automatic supply unit, and

a pump module is provided within the cabinet, and

the pump module comprises at least one of;

a circulation pump to circulate wash water or wash water mixed with detergent to the tub; and

a drain pump to discharge wash water or wash water mixed with detergent that has passed through the tub to an outside of the cabinet.