Detergent supply apparatus of washing machine

• US 7,805,964 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Seon Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ko; Jason Y
• Application Number:
  US11/607,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20070125134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 68/17.R
• US Class Current: 68/17.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/02 Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Abstract

In a detergent supply apparatus of a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention, detergent supplying units and a softener supplying unit are partitioned and provided in a detergent box and the softener supplying unit is provided with a siphon tube, a siphon cap having an outlet path formed between the siphon tube and the siphon cap is provided with a softener supplying unit, and the softener injecting unit 286 is opened and closed by a softener lid, making it possible to prevent detergent from infiltrating into the inside of the softener supplying unit through the softener supplying unit.

Claims

1. A detergent supply apparatus, comprising:

a detergent box in which a detergent supplying unit and a softener supplying unit are partitioned and formed, the softener supplying unit being provided with a siphon tube;

a siphon cap means covering the softener supplying unit and including a softener injecting unit; and

a softener lid which is attached to the siphon cap means, the softener lid moving between open and closed positions relative to the softener injecting unit to expose an interior portion of the softener supplying unit independently from the detergent supplying unit, the softener lid opening the softener injecting unit through which softener is injected into the softener supplying unit, the softener lid closing the softener injecting unit to prevent the softener supplying unit from being infiltrated by water spattered from the detergent supplying unit.

2. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detergent box is formed so that the detergent supplying unit includes a main detergent supplying unit and a preliminary detergent supplying unit, and the softener supplying unit is positioned between the main detergent supplying unit and the preliminary detergent supplying unit.

3. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the siphon cap means includes a cover covering the whole top of the softener supplying unit and a cap unit protruded from the bottom surface of the cover to surround the siphon tube.

4. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover is provided with a water supplying unit for supplying water to the softener supplying unit.

5. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cap unit of the siphon cap protrudes at a position between the softener injecting unit and a water supplying unit.

6. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the softener lid is hinge-connected to the siphon cap means.

7. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a hinge pin is provided on one side of either the softener lid or the siphon cap means, and an axis supporting unit is provided for rotatably supporting the hinge pin.

8. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the softener lid is provided with a handle.

9. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rib is provided on one side of either the softener lid or the siphon cap means, and a detachable unit is provided in which the rib is inserted in a removable way.

10. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the rib is protrudingly provided on a bottom side of the softener lid, and the detachable unit is provided on a top of the siphon cap means.

11. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the siphon cap means is provided with a handle groove around the detachable unit in order for a user to easily grasp the softener lid by his own hand.

12. A detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine, comprising:

a detergent box in which a detergent supplying unit and a softener supplying unit are partitioned and formed, the softener supplying unit being provided with a siphon tube;

a siphon cap means having an outlet path formed between the siphon tube and the siphon cap means;

a softener cover covering a top of the softener supplying unit and provided with a softener injecting unit; and

a softener lid which is attached to the softener cover, the softener lid moving between open and closed positions relative to the softener injecting unit to expose an interior portion of the softener supplying unit independently from the detergent supplying unit, the softener lid opening the softener injecting unit through which softener is injected into the softener supplying unit, the softener lid closing the softener injecting unit to prevent the softener supplying unit from being infiltrated by water spattered from the detergent supplying unit.

13. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the softener cover is provided with a water supplying unit.

14. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the softener lid is hinge-connected to the softener cover.

15. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein a rib is provided on one side of either the softener lid or the softener cover, and a detachable in which the rib is inserted in a removable way is provided on another side of either the softener lid or the siphon cap means.

16. A detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine, comprising:

a detergent box in which a detergent supplying unit and a softener supplying unit are partitioned and formed, the softener supplying unit being provided with a siphon tube;

a siphon cap means having a portion opened toward a top of the softener supplying unit and an outlet path formed between the siphon tube and the siphon cap; and

a softener lid which is attached to the siphon cap means, the softener lid moving between open and closed positions relative to the opened portion to expose an interior portion of the softener supplying unit independently from the detergent supplying unit, the softener lid opening the opened portion through which softener is injected into the softener supplying unit, the softener lid closing the softener injecting unit to prevent the softener supplying unit from being infiltrated by water spattered from the detergent supplying unit.

17. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 16, the siphon cap means includes a cover covering a part of the top of the softener supplying unit;

and a cap unit protruded from the bottom surface of the cover to surround the siphon tube.

18. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cover is provided with a water supplying unit.

19. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein the softener lid is hinge-connected to the siphon cap means.

20. The detergent supply apparatus of a washing machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein a rib is provided on one side of either the softener lid or the siphon cap means, and a detachable unit in which the rib is inserted in a removable way the rib is provided on another side of either the softener lid or the siphon cap means.

21. A detergent supply apparatus, comprising:

a detergent box in which a detergent supplying unit and a softener supplying unit are partitioned and formed, the softener supplying unit being provided with a siphon tube;

a siphon cap covering the softener supplying unit and including a softener injecting unit; and

a softener lid which is attached to the siphon cap, the softener lid moving between open and closed positions relative to the softener injecting unit to expose an interior portion of the softener supplying unit independently from the detergent supplying unit, the softener lid opening the softener injecting unit through which softener is injected into the softener supplying unit, the softener lid closing the softener injecting unit to prevent the softener supplying unit from being infiltrated by water spattered from the detergent supplying unit, wherein;

the softener lid is attached to an upper surface of the siphon cap and opens and closes relative to the softener injecting unit,

the siphon cap is substantially coextensive in size with the softener supplying unit to cover the interior of the softener supplying unit, and

a complementary tube extends from a lower surface of the siphon cap at a predetermined angle to cover the siphon tube, the complementary tube having a diameter different from a diameter of the siphon tube.

22. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said predetermined angle is substantially 90°

.

23. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the complementary tube has a diameter larger than the diameter of the siphon tube.

24. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the upper surface of the siphon cap includes a water supplying opening to allow water to flow therethrough relative to the interior of the softener supplying unit.

25. The detergent supply apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the complementary tube separates the water supplying opening from the opening covered by the softener lid, the water supplying opening and the opening covered by the softener lid locating on opposing sides of the upper surface of the siphon cap.