Detergent supplying device of a washing machine

• US 4,203,307 A
• Filed: 05/09/1979
• Issued: 05/20/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Obata, Yukio, Fujisaki, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US06/037,507
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 68/17 R, 134/93, 134/100, 134/101, 137/268
• US Class Current: 68/17.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4891 With holder for solid, flaky or pulverized material to be dissolved or entrained

Abstract

A detergent supplying device for supplying a detergent and a fabric conditioner into a washing basin of a washing machine. The detergent supplying device is mounted in the washing machine, and has a detergent container containing a detergent and a fabric conditioner container containing a fabric conditioner. In the preliminary washing step, the detergent supplying device delivers only water to the washing basin. In the washing step, the device delivers the detergent together with water to the washing basin. Finally, in the rinsing step, the device delivers the fabric conditioner together with the water. These three water supplying functions are performed through controls of only two water supplying solenoid valves.

Claims

1. A detergent supplying device of a washing machine comprising:

a detergent container containing a detergent;

a fabric conditioner container disposed in said detergent container and containing a fabric conditioner;

a first water passage having a first inlet and a first outlet, said first inlet being connected to a first water supplying valve, while said first outlet being connected to said detergent container;

a second water passage having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet being connected to a second water supplying valve, while said second outlet being connected to a discharging passage, said second water passage crossing said first water passage;

a water conduit having an intake port and a third outlet, said intake port being disposed in a crossing passage where said first and second water passages cross each other, while said third outlet being connected to said fabric conditioner container, said intake port being adapted not to take the water into said water conduit when the water is supplied through either one of said first and second passages but to take the water into said water conduit when the water is supplied simultaneously through both of said first and second water passages, the water taken into said water conduit being supplied to said fabric conditioner container;

a siphon device disposed in said fabric conditioner container and adapted to discharge the water into said discharging passage when the water level in said fabric conditioner container has come to exceed a predetermined level;

a third water passage connected between said detergent container and said discharging passage; and

a fourth water passage adapted to introduce the water discharged into said discharging passage to a washing basin.

3. A detergent supplying device of a washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said siphon device includes an inner siphon pipe extending upwardly from the bottom of said fabric conditioner container and having an inlet and an outlet, and an outer siphon pipe surrounding said inner siphon pipe to form therebetween a space and having an opening in the vicinity of said bottom of said fabric conditioner container.

2. A detergent supplying device of a washing machine comprising:

a detergent container containing a detergent;

a fabric conditioner container disposed in said detergent container and containing a fabric conditioner;

a crossing passage at which two water passages cross each other substantially at a right angle to form a common passage, said crossing passage having a first inlet, a second inlet, a first outlet opposed by said first inlet across said common passage and a second outlet opposed by said second inlet across said common passage;

a first water supplying valve connected to said first inlet;

a second water supplying valve connected to said second inlet;

a water conduit having an intake port and a third outlet, said intake port being disposed on a line which passes the point at which said two water passages constituting said crossing passage cross each other, a point between said first and second inlets and a point between said first second outlets, said intake port being opposed by said first and second inlets across said common passage, while said third outlet being connected to said fabric conditioner container;

a first water passage connected between said first outlet and said detergent container;

a second water passage connected between said second outlet and said discharging passage;

a siphon device disposed in said fabric conditioner container and adapted to discharge said water from said fabric conditioner container when the water level in the latter has come to exceed a predetermined level; and

a water passage connected between said detergent container and said discharging passage.

4. A detergent supplying device of a washing machine comprising:

a detergent container containing a detergent;

a fabric conditioner container disposed in said detergent container and containing a fabric conditioner;

a discharging passage connected to said detergent container;

a first water passage connected to a first water supplying valve and adapted to introduce the water supplied through said first water supplying valve into said detergent container;

a second water passage connected to a second water supplying valve and crossing said first water passage, and adapted to introduce the water supplied through said second water supplying valve into said discharging passage;

a water conduit having an intake port and a first outlet, said intake port being disposed in a crossing passage where said first and second water passages cross each other, while said first outlet being connected to said fabric conditioner container, said intake port being adapted not to take the water into said water conduit when the water is supplied through either one of said first and second water passages but to take the water into said water conduit when the water is supplied simultaneously through both of said first and second water passages, the water taken into said water conduit being supplied to said fabric conditioner container;

an inner siphon pipe having an inlet and a second outlet, said inlet being extended upright from the bottom of said fabric conditioner container to an upper portion of the space inside of said fabric conditioner container, while said second outlet being connected to said discharging passage;

an outer siphon pipe surrounding said inner siphon pipe with a space left therebetween and having an opening formed in the vicinity of said bottom of said fabric conditioner container.

5. A detergent supplying device of a washing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein an outlet is formed at a portion of the side wall of said fabric conditioner container, while said outer siphon pipe is disposed around said water conduit with a space left therebetween, whereby said inner siphon pipe is constituted by said water conduit.