Detergent supply apparatus and washing machine

• US 8,341,982 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jong Min, Kim, Young Ho, Kim, Jae Hyun, Lee, Sang Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): KO, JASON Y
• Application Number:
  US12/453,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 68/17.R
• US Class Current: 68/17.R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a body having a washing tub; a detergent bottle seating part provided over the body and having a detergent inlet through which a liquid detergent is entered, a detachable detergent bottle containing the liquid detergent being seated on the detergent bottle seating part; and a detergent storing part provided under the detergent bottle seating part, the liquid detergent contained in the detergent bottle being entered and stored in the detergent storing part by its weight.

Claims

1. A detergent supply apparatus comprising:

a detergent bottle containing a liquid detergent;

a detergent bottle seat provided at a cabinet in which washing is performed;

a detergent inlet formed at the cabinet such that the liquid detergent of the detergent bottle is entered there through; and

a detergent mixing part provided in the cabinet, wherein the liquid detergent of the detergent bottle passing through the detergent inlet is stored and mixed with a washing water therein;

wherein the detergent bottle seat comprises a detergent bottle seating recess formed at an upper surface of the cabinet, wherein the seating recess is an elastic member that is deformable based on a shape of a bottom portion of the detergent bottle such that the bottom portion of the detergent bottle is detachably received and seated therein, and a plurality of detergent bottle fixing protrusions adapted to maintain the detergent bottle in a stationary position, wherein the detergent bottle fixing protrusions are formed around the detergent bottle seating recess.

2. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent supply button adapted to open and close the detergent inlet.

3. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent mixing part includes an indicator to monitor the amount of the liquid detergent supplied from the detergent bottle.

4. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 3, wherein the indicator comprises a transparent window and is disposed proximate the detergent mixing part.

5. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detergent bottle seat is adapted to support a plurality of detergent bottles, the detergent bottle seat including a plurality of detergent inlets corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent bottles, and wherein the detergent mixing part is formed as a single body to receive the liquid detergent from each of the plurality of detergent bottles, the detergent mixing part being partitioned into a plurality of sections corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent inlets adapted to separately store the liquid detergent supplied from the plurality of the detergent bottles respectively.

6. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

a flow guide having a plurality of detergent fluid passages adapted to supply each of the liquid detergents contained in the plurality of detergent bottles individually to each of the plurality of sections of the detergent mixing part.

7. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flow guide includes a detergent supply button adapted to independently open and close the detergent fluid passages.

8. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary mixing part provided between the detergent inlet and the detergent mixing part so that a predetermined amount of the liquid detergent stored in the detergent bottle can be supplied into the detergent mixing part, the auxiliary mixing part having a detergent outlet through which the liquid detergent can flow into the detergent mixing part; and

a detergent supply button adapted to open the detergent inlet while blocking the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the detergent bottle to the auxiliary mixing part, and to block the detergent inlet while opening the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the auxiliary mixing part to the detergent mixing part.

9. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

an indicator to monitor the amount of the liquid detergent entered into the auxiliary mixing part.

10. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mouth of the detergent bottle is inserted into the detergent inlet.

11. A washing machine comprising:

a cabinet body having a washing tub therein;

a detergent bottle containing a liquid detergent;

a detergent bottle seat provided at the cabinet;

a detergent inlet formed at the cabinet such that the liquid detergent of the detergent bottle is entered there through; and

a detergent mixing part provided in the cabinet, wherein the liquid detergent of the detergent bottle passing through the detergent inlet is stored and mixed with a washing water therein

wherein the detergent bottle seat comprises a detergent bottle seating recess formed at an upper surface of the cabinet, wherein the seating recess is an elastic member that is deformable based on a shape of a bottom portion of the detergent bottle such that the bottom portion of the detergent bottle is detachably received and seated therein, and a plurality of detergent bottle fixing protrusions adapted to maintain the detergent bottle in a stationary position, the detergent bottle fixing protrusions are formed around the detergent bottle seating recess.

12. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the detergent bottle seat includes a detergent supply button adapted to open and close the detergent inlet.

13. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the detergent mixing part includes an indicator to monitor the amount of the liquid detergent supplied from the detergent bottle.

14. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indicator comprises a transparent window and is provided proximate the detergent mixing part.

15. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the detergent bottle seat is adapted to support a plurality of detergent bottles, the detergent bottle seat including a plurality of detergent inlets corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent bottles, and wherein the detergent mixing part is partitioned into a plurality of sections corresponding to each of the plurality of detergent inlets adapted to separately store the liquid detergent supplied from the plurality of the detergent bottles respectively.

16. The detergent supply apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a flow guide having a plurality of detergent fluid passages adapted to supply each of the liquid detergents contained in the plurality of detergent bottles individually to each of the plurality of sections of the detergent mixing part.

17. The washing machine of claim 16, wherein the flow guide includes a detergent supply button adapted to independently open and close the detergent fluid passages.

18. The washing machine of claim 11, further comprising:

an auxiliary mixing part provided between the detergent inlet and the detergent mixing part so that a predetermined amount of the liquid detergent stored in the detergent bottle can be supplied into the detergent mixing part, the auxiliary mixing part having a detergent outlet through which the liquid detergent can flow into the detergent mixing part; and

a detergent supply button adapted to open the detergent inlet while blocking the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the detergent bottle to the auxiliary mixing part, and to block the detergent inlet while opening the detergent outlet during supply of the liquid detergent from the auxiliary mixing part to the detergent mixing part.

19. The washing machine of claim 18, further comprising:

an indicator to monitor the amount of the liquid detergent entered into the auxiliary mixing part.