Washing machine

• US 8,783,071 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ko, Hong Seok, Hong, Dae Yeong, Lee, Sang Up, Kim, Yong Kwon
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shahinian, Levon J
• Application Number:
  US12/805,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20110041567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 68/17.R
• US Class Current: 68/17.R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 31/00 Washing installations comprising an assembly of several washing machines or washing units, e.g. continuous flow assemblies

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a washing machine including a pair of tubs disposed in a main body and a detergent supply device to supply any one of the pair of tubs. A first detergent storage part, into which a first detergent is put, and a second detergent storage part, into which a second detergent is put, disposed above the first detergent storage part are provided in the detergent supply device, thereby reducing a width of the detergent supply device.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a main body;

at least one tub disposed in the main body; and

a detergent supply device including;

a detergent case including a first detergent storage part configured to receive a first detergent, integrally formed with a bottom of the detergent case; and

a detergent box separably installed in the detergent case, and including a second detergent storage part, configured to receive a second detergent, the second detergent storage part disposed directly above the first detergent storage part when the detergent box is installed in the detergent case,

wherein water supplied to the second detergent storage part flows via the first detergent storage part, and then the water is supplied to the at least one tub in a state that includes the second detergent being separate from the first detergent.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a water supply guide installed on an upper surface of the detergent case to dispersedly supply water to the second detergent storage part;

a main water supply pipe connected to the detergent case to supply water to the first detergent storage part; and

a sub water supply pipe connected to the water supply guide to supply water to the second detergent storage part.

3. The washing machine according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one tub includes a pair of tubs, and

wherein the pair of tubs includes a first tub disposed in an upper portion of the main body and a second tub disposed in a lower portion of the main body, and the first detergent and the second detergent to be supplied to the first tub are respectively put into the detergent case and the detergent box.

4. The washing machine according to claim 3, further comprising a holding part, on which the detergent box separated from the main body and the detergent case are held.

5. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising a holder on which the detergent box separated from the main body is held, the holder comprising the holding part.

6. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the holder is rotatably installed on the main body, and is rotated to protrude from the main body.

7. The washing machine according to claim 5, further comprising a through hole through which the holder is inserted into the main body;

and a cover to open and close the through hole.

8. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

a door,

an entrance hole opened and closed by the door, the entrance hole being formed through a front surface of the main body;

a gasket; and

an opening formed through a front surface of a drum, the gasket connecting the entrance hole and the opening, the holding part being formed in a concave shape on the gasket.

9. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of first magnetic bodies and a plurality of second magnetic bodies respectively installed on corresponding surfaces of the detergent box and the detergent case to maintain a position of the detergent box installed in the detergent case by magnetic force.

10. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the first detergent put into the first detergent storage part is adapted to be supplied to any one of the pair of tubs.

11. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a diaphragm formed on the detergent case to divide the first detergent storage part.

12. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a discharge guide pipe protruded upwardly from the second detergent storage part to discharge the detergent in the detergent box to the detergent case;

a cap to cover an upper end of the discharge guide pipe when the cap is separated from the upper end of the discharge guide pipe,

wherein the cap comprises a plurality of stepped parts circumferentially spaced around the cap.

13. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of mounting holes provided in a front of the main body such that the detergent box and a second detergent box are removably installed, through the pair of mounting holes, into the detergent case and into a second detergent case associated with a second tub of the pair of tubs;

a through hole, associated with a holder for holding at least one of the detergent boxes, provided on the front of the main body, wherein the through hole is located separately from the pair of mounting holes and the through hole is provided at a lower position than at least one of the pair of mounting holes; and

the holder rotatably connected to the front surface of the main body, and being located inside the through hole when the holder is in a closed position, the holder comprising;

a holding part, on which at least one of the detergent boxes separated from the main body and the detergent cases is held.

14. The washing machine according to claim 13, the holder further comprising:

a cover part that covers the through hole on the front of the main body when the holder is in the closed position.

15. The washing machine according to claim 13, wherein the holding part is formed on the inner surface of the holder.

16. The washing machine according to claim 1,

wherein the detergent case is attached to a connection pipe which passes liquid from the detergent case to the least one tub,

wherein the detergent box includes a discharge guide pipe to route the water supplied to the second detergent storage part through the detergent case, using siphon force, to the connection pipe without disturbing the contents of the first detergent storage case, and

wherein water supplied to the first detergent storage part is routed to the connection pipe.

17. A washing machine comprising:

a main body;

at least one tub disposed in the main body;

a detergent supply device including;

a detergent case including a first detergent storage part configured to receive a first detergent, integrally formed with a bottom of the detergent case, and

a detergent box separably installed in the detergent case, and including a second detergent storage part, configured to receive a second detergent, the second detergent storage part disposed above the first detergent storage part when the detergent box is installed in the detergent case,

wherein water supplied to the second detergent storage part flows via the first detergent storage part, and then the water is supplied to the at least one tub in a state that includes the second detergent being separate from the first detergent,

wherein the at least one tub includes a pair of tubs, and

wherein the pair of tubs includes a first tub disposed in an upper portion of the main body and a second tub disposed in a lower portion of the main body, and the first detergent and the second detergent to be supplied to the first tub are respectively put into the detergent case and the detergent box;

a holding part, on which the detergent box separated from the main body and the detergent case is held; and

a holder on which the detergent box separated from the main body is held, the holder comprising the holding part,

wherein the holder includes a wire holder made of a wire.