Apparatus for supplying detergent in washer

• US 7,257,969 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Seok, Kang, Jung Hoon, No, Yang Hwan, Cho, Han Ki, Ha, Young Hoon, Jung, Yeon Su, Park, Myung Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HECKERT, JASON MARK
• Application Number:
  US10/471,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 68/12, 68/17.R, 68/18, 682/07, 682/68, 134/93, 134/101
• US Class Current: 68/17.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments

Abstract

The invention relates to a detergent supplying apparatus in a washer which includes a cabinet (1), a drum (4) rotatably provided in the cabinet and a tub (3) fixed outside the drum (4). The detergent supplying apparatus includes: a water feed pipe (21) for feeding water; a detergent container (100) including water storage pool (104) having water inlet opening (141) connected to the water feed pipe, for being supplied with water through the water inlet opening (141), detergent pool (101 to 103) dividedly formed at a side of the water storage pool (104 to 106) by overflow compartments (108 to 110), for storing detergent, and drain (107) provided at a passage end of the detergent pools (104 to 106), whereby the water fed to the water storage pools (104 to 106) overflows the overflow compartments (108 to 110) to be fed to the detergent pools (101 to 103), and discharges through the drain (107); and detergent discharge pipe (25) of which one end is connected to the drain of the detergent container and the other end is connected to the tub of the washer, for guiding the detergent and water discharged through the drain into the tub.

Claims

1. A detergent supplying apparatus in a washer including a cabinet, a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and a tub fixedly installed outside the drum, the apparatus comprising:

a water feed pipe for feeding water;

a detergent container including a water storage pool having a water inlet opening connected to the water feed pipe, for being supplied with water through the water inlet opening, a detergent pool dividedly formed at a side of the water storage pool by an overflow wall, for storing detergent, and a drain provided at a passage end of the detergent pool, whereby the water fed to the water storage pool overflows the overflow wall to be fed to the detergent pool, and then discharges through the drain;

a detergent discharge pipe of which one end is connected to the drain of the detergent container and the other end is connected to the tub of the washer, for guiding the detergent and water discharged through the drain into the tub;

a condensing pool provided in a corner portion of the detergent container and divided from the water storage pool and the detergent pool via a partition; and

a guide duct having one end connected to the tub and the other end connected to a connecting pipe fixed to an upper lateral side of the condensing pool, for guiding air from the tub to the condensing pool.

2. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent container is provided in an upper surface of the cabinet in an outwardly openable manner.

3. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a lid for opening/closing the detergent container.

4. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 3, wherein the lid is pivotably provided in the upper face of the cabinet.

5. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a lid frame configured to surround upper peripheries of the detergent container and with which the lid is pivotably coupled.

6. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a handle provided in one side of the lid.

7. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 3 or 4, further comprising fixing means for fixing the lid when the detergent container is shut by the lid.

8. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 5, further comprising fixing means for fixing the lid when the detergent container is shut by the lid.

9. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fixing means comprises:

a first coupling protrusion provided in an edge of the lid; and

a second coupling protrusion provided in the lid frame and detachably coupled with the first coupling protrusion in a corresponding manner.

10. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fixing means comprises:

a first magnetic member provided in an edge of the lid; and

a second magnetic member provided in the lid frame and correspondingly coupled with the first magnetic member.

11. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the overflow wall of the detergent container has a plurality of slits formed at an upper edge thereof.

12. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the overflow wall has a slit which is cut out from an upper end to a lower end of the overflow wall, for discharging a remaining quantity of water.

13. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pool cover which is provided to cover an upper portion of the water storage pool maintain a gap from an upper edge of the overflow wall of the detergent container.

14. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dispersion rib projected from a lower face of the water storage pool, for dispersing water, which is dispersed through the water inlet opening, in an upward or lateral direction.

15. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 14, wherein the dispersion rib is L-shaped.

16. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filtering member in the form of a net which is provided in the drain of the detergent container.

17. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent pool is divided into a plurality of pools.

18. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 17, wherein the water storage pool is separately defined into a plurality of pools by a plurality of partitions so as to feed water to each of the detergent pools.

19. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 17, wherein the detergent pool is separately partitioned into three parts of first to third detergent pools, in sequence on the basis of the drain of the detergent container.

20. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first and second detergent pools define a U-shaped passage with two U-shaped overflow walls, and wherein the water storage pool is separately partitioned into first to third water storage pools by a plurality of partitions which extend from one end of the water storage pool to ends of the overflow walls, the first water storage pool corresponding to the first detergent pool, the second water storage pool corresponding to the second detergent pool, and the third storage pool corresponding to the third detergent pool.

21. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 17 to 20, wherein each of the overflow walls have a plurality of slits formed at an upper edge.

22. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 17 to 20, wherein each of the overflow partitions have a plurality of slits for discharging remaining water, the slits being cut out from an upper end to a lower end of the each overflow partition.

23. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 17 to 20, further comprising dispersion ribs each projected from a lower portion of each of the water storage pools, for dispersing water, which is dispersed through the water inlet opening, in an upward or lateral direction.

24. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 23, wherein the each dispersion rib is L-shaped.

25. The detergent supplying apparatus in accordance with any of claims 17 to 20, further comprising a filtering member in the form of a net which is provided in the drain of the detergent container.

26. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a pool cover provided to cover upper portions of the first to third water storage pools while maintaining a certain gap from an upper edge of each of the overflow walls of the detergent container.

27. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 26, wherein the pool cover has coupling ribs in a lower face, the coupling ribs being coupled to upper edges of the partitions.

28. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 26 or 27, wherein the pool cover has anti-scattering ribs projected from a lower face of the pool cover adjacent to the overflow wall to prevent scatting of water which is fed from the water storage pools to the detergent pools.

29. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 28, wherein the anti-scattering ribs are projected with lower ends higher than the upper edges of the overflow walls.

30. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 28, wherein the anti-scattering ribs are projected with lower ends lower than the upper edges of the overflow walls.

31. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 1 and 17 to 20, further comprising a protrusion provided on a bottom of the detergent pool, for guiding a water flow to a region where detergent is collected.

32. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first detergent pool has a passage end higher than that of the second detergent pool.

33. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a lid for opening/closing the detergent container.

34. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 33, wherein the lid is pivotably equipped in an upper end of the cabinet for opening/closing the detergent container.

35. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a lid frame surrounding upper peripheries of the detergent container and pivotably coupled with the lid.

36. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 33 to 35, further comprising a handle provided in a portion of the lid.

37. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 33 or 34, further comprising fixing means for fixing the lid when the detergent container is shut by the lid.

38. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 35, further comprising fixing means for fixing the lid when the detergent container is shut by the lid.

39. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 38, wherein the fixing means includes:

a first coupling protrusion provided in an edge of the lid; and

a second coupling protrusion provided in the lid frame and detachably coupled with the first coupling protrusion in a corresponding manner.

40. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 38, wherein the fixing means includes:

a first magnetic member provided in an edge of the lid; and

a second magnetic member provided in the lid frame and correspondingly coupled with the first magnetic member.

41. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 1 and 17 to 20, further comprising:

a box seating section provided integral with a portion of the detergent pool; and

a detachable additive supplying box seated on the box seating section.

42. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 41, wherein the additive supplying box includes:

a main body with an opened upper face;

a discharge member provided in a portion of the main body, for discharging water and detergent which is fed into the main body; and

a position fixing means for fixing the main body on the detergent pool.

43. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 42, wherein the discharge member includes a siphon tube and a siphon cover which are provided in a corner within the main body.

44. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 41, wherein the box seating section has a projected jaw for seating a lower portion of the additive supplying box to have a certain degree of play between the additive supplying box and the box seating section.

45. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 42, wherein the position fixing means includes:

a fixing protrusion projected from a lower portion of the detergent pool; and

an insertion recess provided in a lower portion of the box body and into which the fixing protrusion is inserted.

46. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 45, wherein the fixing protrusion has a width smaller than that of the insertion recess.

47. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 45, wherein the position fixing means includes:

a first inclined portion formed in a portion of the main body; and

a second inclined portion formed in a portion of the detergent pool and tightly contacting with the first inclined portion in a corresponding manner.

48. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 42, wherein the discharge member is positioned outside the box seating section.

49. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 42, wherein the lower portion of the main body is downwardly inclined toward the discharge member.

50. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 49, wherein the main body has a rib formed at the lower portion thereof and opposite to the discharge member, the rib being projected outwardly and downwardly for compensating inclination.

51. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 42, wherein the lower portion of the main body is horizontally provided parallel to the box seating section.

52. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 42, wherein the main body has an inside which is divided into a plurality of compartments by a partition, and the discharge members are separately provided each of the compartments.

53. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 52, wherein the partition is higher than the main body.

54. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 53, further comprising a lid frame surrounding upper peripheries of the detergent container, the lid frame having a fitting rib which is projected downward to catch and support an edge in an end of the partition when the main body shakes.

55. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 5 or 35, wherein the lid has a hinge shaft portion in a lateral portion, and wherein the lid frame has a hinge receiving portion into which the hinge shaft is rotatably inserted.

56. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 5 or 35, wherein the lid frame has a plurality of reinforcing frames crossing an open portion of the lid frame.

57. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 56, wherein the reinforcing frames has a section of which width widens as it travels to a lower end from an upper end.

58. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide duct includes:

a vent bellows pipe having one end connected to the tub and the other end connected to the connecting pipe; and

an air duct having one end connected to the vent bellows pipe and the other end connected with the condensing pool via the connecting pipe.

59. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 58, wherein the air duct is reverse U-shaped.

60. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 59, further comprising a pair of fixing pieces for fixedly supporting the air duct to a corner of the detergent container.

61. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication passage between the condensing pool and the detergent pool such that water flows over from the condensing pool to the detergent pool.

62. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compartment has a slit for feeding water in an upper end.

63. The detergent supplying apparatus of any of claims 1 and 17 to 20, further comprising a liquid detergent supplying means provided in a portion of the detergent container for automatically supplying liquid detergent into the detergent pool.

64. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 63, wherein the liquid detergent supplying means is adapted to supply liquid detergent to the detergent pool in a lower portion of the detergent container.

65. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 63, wherein the liquid detergent supplying means comprises:

a feed hole provided in a bottom of the detergent pool;

a storage tank for storing liquid detergent;

a pump for pumping liquid detergent from the liquid detergent storage tank to the feed hole;

an adapter for connecting between the feed hole and the pump; and

a check valve provided in the adapter for regulating flow from the detergent pool toward a lower portion of the feed hole.

66. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 65, wherein the check valve includes:

a hollow cylindrical valve body inserted into the adapter;

a valve portion provided vertically movable within a hollow portion of the valve body for opening/closing an upper end of the hollow portion of the valve body; and

an elastic member for providing the valve portion with a downward elastic force to elastically support the valve portion.

67. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 65, further comprising a fixing means provided in an underside of the detergent container for fixedly supporting the adapter.

68. The detergent supplying apparatus of claim 67, wherein the fixing means includes:

a fastening boss provided in the underside of the detergent container;

a fixing plate outwardly projected from an outer periphery of the adapter and having a coupling hole corresponding to the fixing boss; and

a bolt fastening into the coupling hole of the fixing plate and the fastening boss.