JP2022190411A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine which can achieve improvement in operability by making a processing agent tank easy to take out, in the washing machine in which the processing agent tank and a processing agent case are arranged adjacent to each other.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a processing agent case which receives input of a washing processing agent used for one operation, and which supplies the inputted washing processing agent to a water tub; a processing agent tank capable of storing the washing processing agent used for a plurality of times of operations; and a storage part provided in an outer case, having an opening part in which a top surface part side of the outer case is open, and which can store the processing agent case and the processing agent tank being arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The processing agent case is positioned further on a user side than the processing agent tank in a state where the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are stored in the storage part, and at least part of the processing agent tank is exposed to the user side in a state where the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are stored in the storage part. The processing agent tank 40 can be attached to/detached from the storage part 21 in a state where the processing agent case 30 is stored in the storage part 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to washing machines.

In recent years, in order to improve the user's convenience, the laundry processing agent is stored in advance for multiple times in the processing agent tank for automatic injection, and the necessary amount is automatically added from the processing agent tank at each washing operation. A washing machine with the device has been developed. On the other hand, there remains a need for the user to manually add the processing agent for each operation. For this reason, even in a washing machine equipped with an automatic dosing device, a conventional processing agent case, that is, a processing agent case for manual injection into which the laundry processing agent to be used in one operation is manually added for each operation is provided. there is

It is preferable that the processing agent tank and the processing agent case are arranged close to each other in consideration of user's workability. For example, in the same accommodation space, it is conceivable to place a processing agent case that is used frequently by the user near the user and a processing agent tank that is used less frequently is located away from the user. In this case, in order to make the product compact, it is preferable to arrange the processing agent tank and the processing agent case as closely as possible.

A user may periodically take the processing agent tank out of the machine to clean it. However, in the above case, since there is no gap between the processing agent tank and the processing agent case, it is not easy to take out the processing agent tank, which is particularly larger in size and weight than the processing agent tank.

JP 2018-011618 A

Therefore, the present invention provides a washing machine in which a processing agent tank and a processing agent case are arranged side by side, in which the processing agent tank can be easily taken out to improve operability.

A washing machine according to an embodiment includes an outer box, a water tank provided in the outer box, and a washing treatment agent used in one operation, which is supplied to the water tank. A treatment agent case, a treatment agent tank capable of storing a laundry treatment agent used for a plurality of operations, and an opening provided in the outer box and open to the top surface of the outer case, wherein the treatment agent a housing portion capable of housing the case and the processing agent tanks arranged in a horizontal direction. The processing agent case is located closer to the user than the processing agent tank in a state in which the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are housed in the housing portion, and the processing agent tank is positioned closer to the user than the processing agent case and the processing agent tank. At least a portion of the agent tank is exposed to the user while being accommodated in the accommodating portion. The processing agent tank can be detached from and/or attached to the storage portion while the processing agent case is stored in the storage portion.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration around the accommodating portion of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, with the cover member removed from the outer case; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration around the accommodating portion of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a processing agent tank in the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a processing agent tank of the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the processing agent tank of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, taken along line AA in FIG. A front view showing a schematic configuration of a processing agent tank of a washing machine according to another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing a schematic configuration around the processing agent tank in a state where the regulating portion and the regulated portion are fitted together, taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing the schematic configuration around the processing agent tank in a state where the regulating portion and the regulated portion are detached, taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an enlarged schematic configuration around a regulating mechanism in a state where a regulating portion and a portion to be regulated are fitted to each other in the washing machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view showing an enlarged schematic configuration of the periphery of the regulating mechanism in a state where the regulating portion and the portion to be regulated are separated from the washing machine according to the first embodiment; Schematic view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment by enlarging the ellipse C in FIG. 4 and showing the periphery of the handle portion A cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a processing agent tank of a washing machine according to another embodiment, taken along line AA in FIG. A cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a processing agent tank of a washing machine according to another embodiment, taken along line AA in FIG.

A plurality of embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same structure in each embodiment, and description is abbreviate|omitted.

(First embodiment)
First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the washing machine 10 includes an outer case 11, a water tub 12, a rotating tub 13, a rotating tub motor 14, a drainage mechanism 15, an operation panel 16, a water supply mechanism 17, and a treatment agent charging mechanism 20. I have. In FIG. 1 , the installation surface side of washing machine 10 , that is, the vertically lower side is the lower side of washing machine 10 , and the opposite side of the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side is the upper side of washing machine 10 . Also, the left-right direction when the washing machine 10 is viewed from the front is the left-right direction of the washing machine 10 . The washing machine 10 is, for example, a drum-type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 13 is a horizontal shaft type or an oblique shaft type in which the rotating shaft is tilted downward toward the rear.

The washing machine 10 may or may not have a heat pump or heater drying function, for example. The outer box 11 is made of a member such as steel material or resin material, and is configured in a rectangular box shape as a whole, and constitutes an outer shell of the washing machine 10 . In the case of this embodiment, the top surface portion 111 of the outer case 11 is formed in a flat surface. The water tank 12 is arranged inside the outer case 11 and elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The rotating tank 13 is rotatably arranged in the water tank 12 . In this case, the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 function as a washing tub for storing the laundry. The rotating tub motor 14 is provided outside the tub 12 . The rotating tub motor 14 is connected to the rotating tub 13 and rotates the rotating tub 13 by being driven.

The drainage mechanism 15 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of discharging the water stored in the water tub 12 to the outside of the washing machine 10 . The drainage mechanism 15 has a drainage path 151 and a drainage valve 152 . The drain path 151 is composed of, for example, a flexible drain hose, one end of which is connected to the drain valve 152 and the other end of which is pulled out of the washing machine 10 . The drain valve 152 is composed of, for example, a liquid on-off valve that can be electromagnetically opened and closed. The drain valve 152 is provided between the drain port 121 provided at the bottom of the water tank 12 and the drain path 151 and opens and closes the drain path 151 .

The operation panel 16 is provided on the front portion of the top surface portion 111 of the outer casing 11 as shown in FIG. Although details are not shown, the operation panel 16 is provided with a power switch, a start key, various operation keys for the user to set the washing operation course, and the like. Note that the power switch may be provided separately from the operation panel 16 . The user can use the operation panel 16 to select whether to automatically add the laundry treatment agent or to manually add the laundry treatment agent for one time when executing the washing operation. In the present embodiment, the laundry treatment agent is a concept that includes liquid or powder detergents, softener finishing agents, and scenting agents, but is not limited to these as long as they are agents used in laundry operations. .

The water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, in the upper left back portion of the water tank 12 inside the outer casing 11 . The water supply mechanism 17 receives water from a water supply source such as a water supply and supplies water to the water tank 12 . The water supply mechanism 17 has a connection port 171, a water supply path 172, and a water supply valve 173, as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The connection port 171 is provided on the top surface 111 of the outer casing 11 so as to be exposed to the left rear portion. The connection port 171 is connected to an external water source such as a water faucet via a hose, for example.

The water supply path 172 is a path that connects the connection port 171 to the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 . The treatment agent input mechanism 20 is provided, for example, in the middle of the water supply path 172 and has a function of impregnating the water flowing through the water supply path 172 with the laundry treatment agent and supplying the water into the tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 . As shown in FIG. 2, the processing agent charging mechanism 20 includes a housing portion 21, a pump 22, a cover member 23, a processing agent case 30, and a processing agent tank 40. As shown in FIG.

The housing portion 21 is configured in the shape of a box or a container from a resin or metal member, and has an opening portion 211 that opens upward. The housing portion 21 is provided inside the outer box 11 . The upper end of the housing portion 21 , that is, the opening portion 211 is positioned below the top surface portion 111 . In the case of this embodiment, the housing portion 21 forms part of the water supply path 172 . In this case, the outlet of the water supply valve 173 is directly or indirectly connected to the housing portion 21 . The housing portion 21 is directly or indirectly connected to the water tank 12 .

The pump 22, together with the treatment agent tank 40, constitutes an automatic injection device for automatically supplying the laundry treatment agent into the tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 during operation. The pump 22 has a function of sucking out a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent tank 40 during operation and feeding the sucked-out laundry treatment agent into the middle portion of the water supply path 172 . Accordingly, the laundry treatment agent supplied in the middle of the water supply path 172 is supplied into the water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 along with the flow of water flowing in the water supply path 172 . Thus, the washing machine 10 can automatically supply a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent into the tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 during operation.

The cover member 23 is rotatably provided on the outer casing 11 to open and close the opening 211 of the housing portion 21 by rotation, and is configured to be foldable and rotatable in a folded state. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the cover member 23 is rotatably attached to the top surface portion 111 of the outer box 11, and is configured to be able to open and close the opening portion 211 of the housing portion 21. ing. In this embodiment, the cover member 23 is configured to be foldable into at least two. The cover member 23 is configured to open and close the opening 211 by rotating in a state of being bent in at least two.

The treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 are detachably accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 . The processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are arranged adjacent to each other in the housing portion 21. In this case, the processing agent case 30 is positioned closer to the user standing in front of the washing machine 10 and operating it. , and the treatment agent tank 40 can be located on the far side from the user. For example, the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are arranged in a straight line in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed side by side in the front-rear direction in the housing portion 21 . The treatment agent case 30 is positioned closer to the front side of the treatment agent tank 40, that is, closer to the user who operates the washing machine 10 while standing. In another embodiment, when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are arranged in the horizontal direction, the processing agent case 30 is closer to the center of the washing machine 10 in the horizontal direction than the processing agent tank 40, that is, in front of the washing machine 10. It can be placed closer to the user who operates from the side.

The processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in close contact in the housing portion 21 . That is, the surface of the processing agent case 30 facing the processing agent tank 40 and the surface of the processing agent case 30 facing the processing agent tank 40 are close to each other. For this reason, no space is provided between the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 for the user to insert his or her fingers into, but the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 can be taken out from the container 21 independently. can. That is, the user can take out the processing agent case 30 alone from the storage unit 21 without moving the processing agent tank 40, or take out the processing agent tank 40 alone from the storage unit 21 without moving the processing agent case 30. can also

The treating agent case 30 has a function of receiving the treating agent used in one operation, and supplying the treating agent, which has been charged before the operation or at the start of the operation, to the water tank 12 during the operation. The processing agent case 30 is made of resin, for example, and is configured in a container shape having a rectangular shape elongated in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction and having an open top.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the processing agent case 30 has a wall portion 31, a bottom portion 32, a partition portion 33, and one or a plurality of, in this case two, input portions 34 and 35. As shown in FIG. The wall portion 31 forms a container-shaped outer peripheral wall of the processing agent case 30 . The wall portion 31 has a front wall portion 311 , left and right side wall portions 312 , and a rear wall portion 313 . The front wall portion 311 forms the front surface of the treatment agent case 30 . The left and right side wall portions 312 form the left and right surfaces of the treatment agent case 30 . The back wall portion 313 forms the rear surface of the processing agent case 30 .

The bottom portion 32 forms a container-shaped bottom surface of the processing agent case 30 . The partition part 33 partitions the space in the container shape of the processing agent case 30 in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction to divide the space into an input part 34 and an input part 35 . In this embodiment, the partition portion 33 extends in the left-right direction to partition the space inside the processing agent case 30 in the front-rear direction.

The input parts 34 and 35 are formed in the shape of containers that are recessed downward, and can receive the laundry processing agent therein. The input parts 34 and 35 are parts for receiving the input of the laundry processing agent from the user, and an opening is formed in the upper part thereof. The user puts the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30 through the upper openings of the charging portions 34 and 35 .

The insertion parts 34 and 35 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the insertion parts 34 and 35 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction. For example, dosing 34 receives detergent therein and dosing 35 receives fabric softener therein. In this embodiment, the input part 34 is provided behind the input part 35 . The input unit 34 receives the amount of detergent used for one operation from the user and supplies the detergent into the water tank 12 . The detergent may be liquid or powder. The input unit 35 receives the amount of softener used for one operation from the user, and supplies the softener into the water tank 12 . Softeners are usually in liquid form, but are not limited to this.

The processing agent case 30 has a communication hole 36 formed in a bottom portion 32 as shown in FIG. The processing agent case 30 receives water supplied into the housing portion 21 through the water supply valve 173 . At that time, when the laundry treatment agent is put into the treatment agent case 30, the laundry treatment agent is flowed down from the communication hole 36 of the bottom part 32 together with the water supplied to the treatment agent case 30 and supplied into the water tub 12. be done.

The processing agent tank 40 is configured to be able to store the amount of processing agent used for multiple operations. The treatment agent tank 40 is made of resin, for example, and is configured as a rectangular hollow container elongated in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, and is capable of storing a liquid laundry treatment agent. The treatment agent tank 40 has a sufficient capacity to store the amount of laundry treatment agent used for multiple runs. In this case, although the capacity of the processing agent tank 40 is not particularly limited, it is preferable to set it to at least about several hundred mL to 2 L in consideration of user's convenience.

The processing agent tank 40 has a tank main body 41, an upper member 42, a tank outlet 43, and the like, as shown in FIGS. The tank main body 41 constitutes the outer shell of the processing agent tank 40 and is made of synthetic resin such as plastic.

In the case of this embodiment, the tank body 41 is generally formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped container that opens upward, and has a front portion 411 , a side portion 412 , a rear portion 413 and a bottom portion 414 . The front portion 411 constitutes the front surface of the tank body 41 . The side portions 412 constitute left and right side surfaces of the tank body 41 . The back surface portion 413 constitutes the back surface of the tank body 41 . The bottom surface portion 414 constitutes the bottom surface of the tank body 41 .

The upper member 42 is generally rectangular and opens and closes the upper opening of the tank body 41 . The upper member 42 has a frame member 421 , an inlet 422 and a lid member 423 . The frame member 421 and the lid member 423 are made of synthetic resin such as plastic, like the tank body 41 . The frame member 421 constitutes the outer shell of the upper member 42 . The frame member 421 is formed in a rectangular frame shape with an open interior. The inlet 422 forms an opening of the frame member 421 , and communicates the inside and the outside of the processing agent tank 40 with the upper member 42 attached to the tank main body 41 .

The cover member 423 is plate-shaped and opens and closes the inlet 422 . The cover member 423 is attached to the upper member 42 by a hinge (not shown), and is configured to open and close the inlet 422 . When the processing agent tank 40 is housed in the housing portion 21, the user opens the cover member 23 and the lid member 423 to expose the input port 422, and inserts the washing processing into the processing agent tank 40 through the input port 422. drug can be injected. In addition, the user can take out the processing agent tank 40 from the storage unit 21, open the cover member 423 to expose the input port 422, and then input the laundry processing agent into the processing agent tank 40 through the input port 422. can be done.

The tank outlet 43 is provided at the lower rear portion of the tank body 41, in this case, at the rear portion 413. As shown in FIG. When the processing agent tank 40 is housed in the housing portion 21 , the connection portion 221 of the pump 22 is inserted into the tank outlet 43 . Thereby, the inside of the tank main body 41 and the pump 22 are connected.

The washing machine 10 comprises one or more, in this case two, treatment agent tanks 40 . In the case of this embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes a detergent tank 401 and a finishing agent tank 402 as the treatment agent tank 40 . Detergent tank 401 is for storing an amount of detergent, in this case liquid detergent, for multiple operations. The finish tank 402 is for storing quantities of fabric softener, in this case liquid fabric softener, for multiple runs.

The processing agent tank 40 has a handle portion 50 . When the user takes out the processing agent tank 40 from the housing portion 21 , the user can grasp the handle portion 50 and pull out the processing agent tank 40 obliquely upward. The handle portion 50 is provided on the upper portion of the tank body 41, in this case, on the upper portion of the front portion 411. As shown in FIG.

The hand portion 50 protrudes forward from the front surface portion 411 and is formed in a U shape as a whole when viewed from above. The hand portion 50 has a front portion 51 , left and right side portions 52 and recesses 53 . The front portion 51 forms a surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction, that is, the front surface of the handle portion 50 extending in the vertical and horizontal directions. In this case, being perpendicular to the front-rear direction does not necessarily have to be strictly perpendicular to the front-rear direction, but means including a component perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

In this embodiment, the front portion 51 includes a first surface 511 extending in the vertical direction and a second surface 512 positioned below the first surface 511 and inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The vertical length of the first surface 511 is set to about 1/3 to 2/3 of the vertical length of the entire front surface portion 411 . In the present embodiment, the vertical length of the first surface 511 is set to approximately half the vertical length of the entire front surface portion 411 .

The second surface 512 is inclined downward from the lower end of the first surface 511 toward the rear. The upper end of the second surface 512 is connected to the lower end of the first surface 511 , and the lower end of the second surface 512 is connected to the front surface portion 411 of the tank body 41 .

The left and right side portions 52 form the left and right side surfaces of the handle portion 50 . In this embodiment, the left and right side portions 52 form surfaces perpendicular to the left-right direction. In this case, "perpendicular to the left-right direction" does not necessarily have to be strictly perpendicular to the left-right direction, but means that a component perpendicular to the left-right direction is included. The side portions 52 extend from the left and right ends of the front portion 51 to the front portion 411 of the tank body 41 . That is, the front ends of the side portions 52 are connected to the left and right ends of the front portion 51 , and the rear ends of the side portions 52 are connected to the front portion 411 of the tank body 41 .

The concave portion 53 is formed in a concave shape by recessing a portion of the front portion 51 toward the rear. The concave portion 53 receives fingers when the user grips the handle portion 50 to facilitate gripping by the user. In this case, the recess 53 is located below the front portion 51 . That is, the recessed portion 53 is provided leaving the upper portion of the front portion 51 , and is provided from the lower end of the second surface 512 to the central portion of the first surface 511 in the vertical direction. When gripping the handle portion 50 , the user can insert his/her thumb, for example, into the concave portion 53 from the front, and insert the other fingers from the rear of the front portion 51 between the handle portion 50 and the tank body 41 . can.

Furthermore, the recessed portion 53 is provided in the central portion of the handle portion 50 in the left-right direction. Since the center lines of the handle portion 50 and the tank body 41 in the left-right direction match, it can be said that the concave portion 53 is provided in the center portion of the tank body 41 in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the user puts fingers into the concave portion 53 and grips the handle portion 50 , the user grips the left and right central portions of the processing agent tank 40 . Therefore, even when a large amount of laundry treatment agent is stored in the treatment agent tank 40 and the overall weight is heavy, the user can stably hold the treatment agent tank 40 .

The recess 53 forms a curved surface or plane extending rearward from the front portion 51 . That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the recess 53 is formed in a tunnel shape extending in the front-rear direction and having a three-dimensional curved surface or a plurality of flat surfaces. That is, the recess 53 has a three-dimensional configuration. The concave portion 53 contacts the user's finger at least at a plurality of points when the user inserts the finger into the concave portion 53 . Therefore, even when the weight of the processing agent tank 40 is heavy, the user's fingers can support the handle portion 50 with the surface. Therefore, the user's finger receives the reaction force from the hand portion 50 in a distributed manner over a wider area than when the user's finger and the hand portion 50 make point contact or line contact. Therefore, the processing agent tank 40 can be stably supported, and the handle portion 50 is less likely to bite into the fingers of the user, thereby improving the operational feeling.

The recess 53 extends from the front portion 51 to the front portion 411 of the tank body 41 . The length of the concave portion 53 in the front-rear direction is sufficient as long as it can support the fingers of the user. good. Furthermore, the concave portion 53 may not form a continuous surface, and may be provided with a notch, a slit, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the concave portion 53 has a curved upper portion and a dome shape with a semicircular upper portion when viewed from the front. In this case, when the user inserts his or her finger, the recessed portion 53 can easily fit the curved finger and can be gripped more stably. In addition, the shape of the recessed part 53 is not restricted to dome shape. For example, in other embodiments, the top may be planar, as shown in FIG. In this case, the direction in which the user's fingers press the hand portion 50 when the user takes out the processing agent tank 40 upward. The reaction force is distributed over a wider area, improving the user's operational feeling.

An upper end portion 531 of the concave portion 53 extends horizontally from the front to the rear as shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. That is, when the height from the bottom surface 414 of the processing agent tank 40 is compared, the height position of the front end of the upper end 531 of the recess 53 is higher than the rear end of the upper end 531 . It is set to be the same as the height position of the connection part with

Further, the washing machine 10 includes a regulation mechanism 60 as shown in FIGS. 9-12. The regulation mechanism 60 regulates movement of the processing agent tank 40 while the processing agent tank 40 is housed in the housing portion 21 . Further, it is ensured that the processing agent tank 40 is accommodated at a predetermined position in the accommodation portion 21, and the connection between the tank outlet 43 of the processing agent tank 40 and the connection portion 221 of the pump 22 is ensured.

The regulating mechanism 60 includes a pair of regulating portions 61 and a regulated portion 62 . A pair of the regulating portion 61 and the regulated portion 62 are engaged with each other when the processing agent tank 40 is housed in the housing portion 21 so that the processing agent tank 40 can be moved upward, leftward and rightward and forward and backward. Regulate movement.

In this embodiment, the pair of restricting portions 61 are provided so as to protrude upward from the bottom portion 212 of the housing portion 21 . The restricted portion 62 is provided so as to protrude downward from the bottom portion 414 of the tank body 41 . In this case, the regulating portion 61 is integrally molded with the housing portion 21 with, for example, a resin or metal member. Also, the regulated portion 62 is integrally molded with the tank body 41, for example, from resin or the like.

The position of the tip portion 621 of the regulated portion 62 is set at the same level as the position of the lower end portion of the bottom surface portion 414 of the tank body 41 or above the position of the lower end portion of the bottom surface portion 414 of the tank body 41 . That is, the regulated portion 62 is provided in the recessed portion 44 provided in the bottom portion 414 of the tank body 41 . The recessed portion 44 is formed by recessing a portion of the front end portion of the bottom surface portion 414 upward. The restricted portion 62 protrudes downward from the upper surface of the recessed portion 44 . Therefore, even when the processing agent tank 40 is taken out of the housing portion 21 and placed on, for example, the top surface portion 111 of the outer box 11, the portion to be regulated 62 does not protrude from the bottom portion of the bottom surface portion 414 of the tank main body 41, so that processing can be performed. The agent tank 40 can stand independently.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and the like, the pair of restricting portions 61 are formed in generally rectangular plate shapes elongated in the vertical direction, and are arranged to face each other. A concave portion 611 for receiving a tip portion 621 of the restricted portion 62 is provided on the opposing surface of the restricting portion 61 , that is, the surface facing the restricted portion 62 . The recessed portion 611 is formed by recessing the surface of the restricting portion 61 facing the restricted portion 62 in the thickness direction of the restricting portion 61 .

The regulated portion 62 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and the tip portion 621 bulges in the horizontal direction, that is, toward the recessed portion 611 of the regulating portion 61 . The width L1 of the tip portion 621 in the left-right direction is set larger than the distance L2 between the opposing restriction portions 61 . The width dimension L1 of the tip portion 621 in the left-right direction is set to be approximately the same as the maximum width between the recessed portions 611 of the restricting portion 61 .

Since the upper end portion of the restricting portion 61 is a free end, the restricting portion 61 bends in the left-right direction due to an external force. When the user accommodates the processing agent tank 40 in the accommodation portion 21 , the regulated portion 62 is inserted between the pair of regulating portions 61 . When the regulated portion 62 is inserted between the pair of regulated portions 61 from above, the regulating portion 61 bends outward, that is, in a direction away from the regulated portion 62 to receive the regulated portion 62 . FIG. 11 shows a state in which a pair of restricting portion 61 and restricted portion 62 are fitted together. When the processing agent tank 40 is completely housed in the housing portion 21 , that is, when the bottom portion 414 of the processing agent tank 40 reaches the bottom portion 212 of the housing portion 21 , the tip portion 621 of the restricted portion 62 reaches the recessed portion 611 . do. The tip portion 621 is accommodated between the pair of recessed portions 611, and the restricting portion 61 is released from the bent state.

On the other hand, when the user takes out the processing agent tank 40 from the accommodating portion 21 , the distal end portion 621 of the regulated portion 62 is disengaged from the recessed portion 611 , and the pair of regulating portions 61 move outward, that is, in a direction away from the regulated portion 62 . bend to When the distal end portion 621 of the restricted portion 62 climbs over the restricting portion 61, the restricting portion 61 is released from the bent state. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the pair of restricting portions 61 and the restricted portions 62 are disengaged from each other.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the regulated portion 62 is provided on the bottom portion 414 near the front portion 411 . When the user positioned on the front side of the washing machine 10 removes the treatment agent tank 40, the user first lifts the hand portion 50 so as to rotate upward with the back portion 413 side of the bottom portion 414 as a fulcrum. . In this case, as compared with the case where the regulating mechanism 60 is provided near the back surface portion 413 of the tank body 41, the engagement between the regulating portion 61 and the portion to be regulated 62 is increased by pulling up the handle portion 50 slightly upward. can be removed.

In this case, as shown in FIG. The moving distance H required for this can be set to, for example, 1 cm to 3 cm. In the present embodiment, the upward movement distance H necessary for releasing the engagement between the restricting portion 61 and the restricted portion 62 can be set to 2 cm, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 13, etc., the treatment agent case 30 has a notch 37. As shown in FIG. The notch portion 37 is formed by notching a portion of the upper end portion of the wall portion 31 of the processing agent case 30 so as to dent downward. The cutout portion 37 is provided in a portion of the wall portion 31 facing the processing agent tank 40 , in this case, in the back wall portion 313 . More specifically, the notch portion 37 is provided at a position facing the handle portion 50 of each of the processing agent tanks 401 and 402 . Therefore, when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in the housing portion 21, a portion of the front portion 51 of the handle portion 50 is exposed through the notch portion 37 toward the front of the user side in this case. That is, the user can access the hand portion 50 through the notch portion 37 .

The height position of the upper end portion of the back wall portion 313 is the height position of the upper end portion of the front portion 51 of the handle portion 50 when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in the housing portion 21 . is set to the same extent. Therefore, if the cutout portion 37 is not provided, the front portion 51 of the handle portion 50 is covered with the back wall portion 313, making it difficult for the user to visually recognize and grip it.

In this embodiment, when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are accommodated in the accommodation portion 21, only a portion of the first surface 511 is exposed through the notch portion 37 of the front portion 51. be. In this embodiment, the upper end of the concave portion 53 is slightly visible from the user's side. It does not matter if it is not visible from the

When the processing agent tank 40 is lifted upward by the distance H, that is, when the regulated portion 62 gets over the regulating portion 61, the concave portion 53 extends from the cutout portion 37 toward the user side, as shown in FIG. expose. Therefore, in a state in which the restricted portion 62 has climbed over the restricting portion 61 , the concave portion 53 can be visually recognized from the user side, and the user can insert his or her finger into the recessed portion 53 .

When the user takes out the processing agent tank 40 stored in the storage portion 21, first, the user grasps the front portion 51 of the hand portion 50 exposed from the notch portion 37 and pulls upward as indicated by the arrow in FIG. pull up to When the user pulls up the processing agent tank 40 by the distance H and the portion to be regulated 62 climbs over the regulating portion 61 as shown in FIG. The user can securely grip the hand portion 50 by, for example, inserting the thumb into the concave portion 53 and placing the other fingers on the first surface 511 from behind. After that, the user can pull up the processing agent tank 40 further upward or obliquely upward to take out the processing agent tank 40 from the storage section 21 .

In the embodiment described above, the washing machine 10 includes an outer box 11 , a water tank 12 , a treatment agent case 30 , a treatment agent tank 40 , and an accommodating section 21 . The water tank 12 is provided inside the outer box 11 . The processing agent case 30 is for receiving the input of the laundry processing agent used in one operation, and for supplying the loaded processing agent to the water tank 12 . The treatment agent tank 40 is configured to be able to store the laundry treatment agent used for multiple operations. The storage unit 21 is provided inside the outer box 11, has an opening 211 that opens to the top surface 111 side of the outer box 11, and is configured to be capable of storing the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 horizontally. ing. The processing agent case 30 is located in front of the processing agent tank 40 on the user side in this case in a state where the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in the housing portion 21 . At least a portion of the processing agent tank 40 is exposed to the user when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in the housing portion 21 . The treatment agent tank 40 can be removed from and/or attached to the accommodation portion 21 in a state in which the treatment agent case 30 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 .

According to this, the processing agent tank 40 is provided at a position farther from the user than the processing agent case 30, in this case, behind the processing agent tank 40, but a part of the front portion of the processing agent tank 40, in this case, on the user side, is located at the processing agent case. 30 is not completely covered. Therefore, a user positioned in front of the washing machine 10 can access the processing agent tank 40 while the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 . A user can take out the processing agent tank 40 from the storage section 21 by gripping the exposed portion. Therefore, in the washing machine 10 in which the processing agent tank 40 and the processing agent case 30 are arranged side by side, the processing agent tank 40 can be easily taken out, thereby improving the operability.

The processing agent tank 40 has a hand portion 50 on the side facing the processing agent case 30, on which a user can put his or her fingers. A surface of the handle portion 50 facing the processing agent case 30 , that is, at least a portion of the front portion 51 in this case, is exposed to the user side with the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 . . In this embodiment, the processing agent tank 40 has a handle portion 50 on the side facing the processing agent case 30 located in front, ie, the front portion, and at least a portion of the front portion 51 of the handle portion 50 is located on the user side, ie, the front portion. Exposed forward.

Since the handle portion 50 is exposed to the user side, the user puts a finger on the handle portion 50 to remove the treatment agent tank 40 in a state in which the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in the housing portion 21 . can be lifted upwards. Therefore, even when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed in the housing portion 21 in close contact with each other, the user can easily take out the processing agent tank 40 located away from the user.

In another embodiment, when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are closely arranged in the horizontal direction, the processing agent tank 40 is positioned at the center of the washing machine 10 in the horizontal direction. A handle portion 50 may be provided on the side facing the processing agent case 30, that is, on the center side in the left-right direction. Moreover, at least a part of the hand portion 50 may be configured to be exposed toward the user side, that is, toward the center side in the left-right direction.

Here, if the height of the entire wall portion 31 of the processing agent case 30 is lowered, the laundry processing agent may spill over to the processing agent tank 40 side when manually input, or the water may overflow into the processing agent tank 40 side when supplying water. There is a risk of getting stuck. In this case, there is a possibility that the outer surface of the processing agent tank 40 will become dirty, or that the electrical system of the pump 22 will malfunction due to unexpected water intrusion. Therefore, it is desirable to set the position of the upper end portion of the wall portion 31 of the processing agent case 30 high. On the other hand, if the upper end portion of the wall portion 31 of the processing agent case 30 is above the upper end portion of the handle portion 50 of the processing agent tank 40 , it becomes difficult for the user to access the handle portion 50 .

On the other hand, the processing agent case 30 has a cutout portion 37 in the upper portion of the side facing the processing agent tank 40 . In this case, the processing agent case 30 has a notch portion 37 in the upper portion of the back wall portion 313 facing the processing agent tank 40 .

According to this, the handle portion 50 of the processing agent tank 40 can be exposed to the user side while raising the position of the upper end portion of the wall portion 31 of the processing agent case 30 . Therefore, it is possible for the user to easily access the handle portion 50 while suppressing the spilling of the laundry treatment agent to the treatment agent tank 40 side during manual input and the overflow of water to the treatment agent tank 40 side during water supply. can do.

In another embodiment, when the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are closely arranged in the left-right direction, the notch 37 is the upper portion of the outer portion of the processing agent case 30 in the left-right direction. can be set to

Here, it is considered to raise the processing agent tank 40 slightly upward without changing the height position of the upper end portion of the handle portion 50 so that the user's fingers can be inserted into the handle portion 50 from below. For example, by setting the height position of the lower end of the front portion 51 of the handle portion 50 higher, that is, by reducing the vertical height dimension of the front portion 51, the processing agent tank 40 can be lifted slightly upward. A user's finger can be inserted. However, if the vertical height dimension of the front portion 51 is reduced, the strength of the handle portion 50 is reduced. Since several hundred ml to 1000 ml of laundry processing agent can be stored in the processing agent tank 40, the combined weight of the laundry processing agent and the processing agent tank 40 is a considerable weight. There is In this case, reducing the strength of the handle portion 50 may lead to breakage of the processing agent tank 40 .

On the other hand, the hand portion 50 has a concave portion 53 that is recessed upward.

According to this, since the concave portion 53 is recessed upward, the user can easily pull out the processing agent tank 40 by slightly pulling it out without reducing the height dimension of the front portion 51 in the vertical direction. The concave portion 53 can be exposed to the extent that a finger can be inserted. In addition, the user can stably pull up the processing agent tank 40 by putting his or her fingers, such as a thumb, against the concave portion 53 when gripping the handle portion 50 .

The containing portion 21 has a regulating portion 61 that regulates the movement of the processing agent tank 40 while the processing agent tank 40 is contained in the containing portion 21 . The processing agent tank 40 has a regulated portion 62 detachably fitted to the regulating portion 61 when the processing agent tank 40 is housed in the housing portion 21 . When the treatment agent tank 40 is pulled up to a position where the fitting between the regulating portion 61 and the regulated portion 62 is disengaged, the handle portion 50 is more exposed than when the regulating portion 61 and the regulated portion 62 are fitted. increase.

According to this, in order to take out the processing agent tank 40 , the user must first disengage the fitting between the restricting portion 61 and the restricted portion 62 . When the processing agent tank 40 is pulled up by the distance H in order to remove the handle portion 50, the user can easily put his or her finger on the handle portion 50.例文帳に追加Therefore, it becomes easier for the user to access the hand portion 50, and the user's operability can be further improved.

The concave portion 53 has an upper end portion 531 that extends toward the tank body 41 of the processing agent tank 40 and receives the user's fingers from above. That is, the concave portion 53 does not have a cutout shape formed by simply cutting out the front portion 51 of the handle portion 50, but has a so-called tunnel shape having a three-dimensional curved surface or a plurality of flat surfaces.

According to this, since the upper end portion 531 receives the finger, the finger and the handle portion 50 come into contact with each other not in a line but in a plane. Therefore, the contact of the concave portion 53 with the fingers becomes soft. Furthermore, as described above, the processing agent tank 40 becomes quite heavy when several hundred ml to 1000 ml of laundry processing agent is put therein. Even in such a case, since the user supports the treatment agent tank 40 not by a line but by a surface, the user can stably support the weight of the treatment agent tank 40 containing the laundry treatment agent. Furthermore, since the recessed portion 53 has a tunnel shape and forms surfaces extending in the vertical direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction, the strength of the hand portion 50 can be increased compared to the case where the recessed portion 53 is not provided. can. Therefore, the operability for the user and the strength of the processing agent tank 40 can be improved.

(Other embodiments)

In each of the above embodiments, an example in which the upper end of the recess 53 extends horizontally in a side view has been described, but in other embodiments, the upper end of the recess 53 extends horizontally. It may be configured so as to be slanted.

That is, in other embodiments, the upper end 531 of the recess 53 may be slanted from the front to the rear. For example, the upper end 531 may slope downward from front to back as shown in FIG. In this case, since the user inserts his or her finger into the concave portion 53 from above, the insertion direction of the user and the inclination direction of the concave portion 53 match, making it easier for the user to insert his or her finger.

On the other hand, the upper end portion 531 may be inclined upward from the front to the rear as shown in FIG. In this case, after the processing agent tank 40 is taken out from the housing portion 21, the user's fingers are inserted into the concave portion 53 from below when grasping the processing agent tank 40 placed on the top surface portion 111 of the outer box 11, for example. expected to be included. At this time, when the upper end portion 531 is inclined upward from the front to the rear, the insertion direction of the user and the inclination direction of the concave portion 53 match, and the user can easily grip the hand portion 50 .

According to these other embodiments, the upper edge 531 of the recess 53 is slanted with respect to the horizontal direction. That is, the height position of the front end portion of the upper end portion 531 from the floor does not match the height position of the rear end portion from the floor surface. The upper end portion 531 of the concave portion 53 may be inclined downward from the front end portion of the handle portion 50 toward the tank main body 41 or may be inclined upward toward the tank main body 41 .

According to this, since the upper end portion 531 of the concave portion 53 is inclined, it becomes easier for the user's fingers to fit the concave portion 53 . For example, while the processing agent tank 40 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 21, the user inserts his or her finger into the concave portion 53 from above. Therefore, for example, when the upper end portion 531 of the recessed portion 53 is inclined downward toward the tank body 41 , compared to the case where the recessed portion 53 extends horizontally, the processing agent tank 40 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 . The user can easily insert his or her finger into the concave portion 53 . In addition, it is assumed that the user inserts his or her finger from below the handle portion 50 when the processing agent tank 40 is removed from the storage portion 21 . For example, when the upper end portion 531 of the concave portion 53 is inclined to rise toward the tank body 41 , compared with the case where the concave portion 53 extends horizontally, the user can easily move his or her fingers while the processing agent tank 40 is removed from the accommodating portion 21 . can be easily inserted into the recess 53. Therefore, user operability is improved.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the regulating mechanism 60 is such that the pair of regulating portions 61 provided on the side of the containing portion 21 sandwich the regulated portion 62 provided on the side of the processing agent tank 40 to prevent the movement of the processing agent tank 40 . Although it was set as the structure which regulates, it is not restricted to this. That is, the regulating mechanism 60 is configured such that the regulating portion provided on the accommodating portion 21 side and the regulated portion provided on the processing agent tank 40 side exert force on each other in some way to prevent the processing agent tank 40 from moving. It may be any structure as long as it regulates. For example, the movement of the processing agent tank 40 may be restricted by sandwiching a restricting portion provided on the accommodating portion 21 side between a pair of restricted portions provided on the processing agent tank 40 side. That is, in this case, the regulating portion and the regulated portion may be configured such that one of them is inserted into the other, and the other receives the other. Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the restricting portion 61 and the restricted portion 62 are configured to restrict movement by fitting. It may be configured to regulate.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Washing machine 11... Outer case 12... Water tank 21... Storage part 211... Opening part 212... Bottom part 30... Processing agent case 31... Wall part 37... Notch part 40... Processing agent tank , 41... Tank main body 50... Handle portion 51... Front part 52... Side part 53... Recessed part 531... Upper end part 60... Regulating mechanism 61... Regulating part 62... Regulated part

Claims (7)

an outer box;
a water tank provided in the outer box;
a treatment agent case that receives the input of the laundry treatment agent used in one operation and supplies the input laundry treatment agent to the water tank;
a treatment agent tank capable of storing the laundry treatment agent used for multiple operations;
a storage unit provided in the outer box, having an opening that is open to the top surface of the outer box, and capable of accommodating the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank horizontally arranged,
The processing agent case is positioned closer to the user than the processing agent tank in a state in which the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are housed in the housing unit,
At least a part of the processing agent tank is exposed to a user side in a state in which the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are housed in the housing portion,
The washing machine, wherein the processing agent tank can be detached from and/or attached to the housing portion while the processing agent case is housed in the housing portion. an outer box;
a water tank provided in the outer box;
a treatment agent case that receives the input of the laundry treatment agent used in one operation and supplies the input laundry treatment agent to the water tank;
a treatment agent tank capable of storing the laundry treatment agent used for multiple operations;
a storage unit provided in the outer box, having an opening that is open to the top surface of the outer box, and capable of accommodating the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank horizontally arranged,
The processing agent case is positioned closer to the user than the processing agent tank when the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are housed in the storage unit,
At least a part of the processing agent tank is exposed to a user side in a state in which the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are accommodated in the accommodation portion,
The processing agent tank has a hand portion on a side facing the processing agent case on which a user can put a finger,
At least a part of the surface of the hand portion facing the processing agent case is exposed to the user side in a state in which the processing agent case and the processing agent tank are accommodated in the accommodation portion. the storage section has a restriction section that restricts movement of the processing agent tank in a state in which the processing agent tank is stored in the storage section;
The processing agent tank has a regulated portion detachably fitted to the regulating portion in a state where the processing agent tank is housed in the housing portion,
When the processing agent tank is pulled up to a position where the fitting between the regulating portion and the portion to be regulated is released, the handle portion is exposed by an amount larger than that in a state where the regulating portion and the portion to be regulated are fitted. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein increases. 4. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said hand portion has a concave portion recessed upward. 5. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the concave portion has an upper end portion that extends toward the tank body of the processing agent tank and receives a user's fingers from above. 6. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein said upper end of said recess is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing agent case has a notch in an upper portion on a side facing the processing agent tank.

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