US-12618188-B2 - Washing machine

US12618188B2US 12618188 B2US12618188 B2US 12618188B2US-12618188-B2

Abstract

A washing machine including a cabinet, a tub arrangeable inside the cabinet, and a detergent supply device configured to supply a detergent to the tub, wherein the detergent supply device includes a housing coupleable to the cabinet, a case insertable into the housing or drawn out from the housing, and a detergent container coupleable to and decoupleable from the case such that while the detergent container is coupled to the case, the detergent container is insertable into the housing or drawn out from the housing along with the case.

Inventors

Youngseong CHEON

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230508
Priority Date: 20210107

Claims (12)

1 . A washing machine comprising: a cabinet; a tub arrangeable inside the cabinet; and a detergent supply device configured to supply a detergent to the tub, wherein the detergent supply device comprises: a housing coupleable to the cabinet; a case, insertable into the housing or drawn out from the housing, the case including a case outlet to discharge the detergent from the detergent supply device toward the tub and the case having a bottom surface inclined toward the case outlet; and a detergent container including a first guide protrusion disposed at a front side of a bottom surface thereof, a second guide protrusion, which are spaced apart from the first guide protrusion, disposed at a rear side of the bottom surface thereof and having longer lengths than a length of the first guide protrusion protruding toward the bottom surface of the case, and a siphon tube disposed at a central portion thereof protruding upward, the detergent container being coupleable to and decoupleable from the case such that while the detergent container is coupled to the case, the detergent container is supported on the bottom surface of the case that is inclined toward the case outlet, the detergent container is insertable into the housing or drawn out from the housing along with the case, wherein the bottom surface of the detergent container has a portion inclined downward toward the siphon tube.
2 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the detergent supply device comprises a stirring device coupleable to the detergent container such that the stirring device is rotatable while coupled to the detergent container.
3 . The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the stirring device is coupleable to the siphon tube such that the stirring device is rotatable while coupled to the siphon tube, and the siphon tube forms a flow path to discharge water from the detergent container together with the stirring device.
4 . The washing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the siphon tube has a height lower than a side wall of the detergent container.
5 . The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the stirring device is rotatable by water supplied to the detergent supply device.
6 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the detergent supply device comprises a nozzle device to supply water from a rear of the case toward a front of the case.
7 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the nozzle device comprises: a washing water inlet hole into which water is introduced; an air inlet hole into which air is introduced; and a nozzle outlet to guide the water introduced through the washing water inlet hole to an inside of the case.
8 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the nozzle device is disposed to be spaced apart from a center of a rear wall of the case to one side.
9 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the nozzle device is positioned on another side opposite to one side of the rear of the case where the case outlet is positioned.
10 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the detergent container comprises a guide rib protruding from an outer surface thereof to be supported by an inner wall of the case while the detergent container is coupled to the case.
11 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the case comprises a detergent containing space to contain the detergent or to seat the detergent container.
12 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the case comprises a detergent containing space and a softener containing space separated from the detergent containing space, and the detergent container is coupleable to and decoupleable from the detergent containing space.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of international application No. PCT/KR2021/020270, filed on Dec. 30, 2021, which claims priority under 35 U. S. C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0002127, filed Jan. 7, 2021 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0035227, filed Mar. 18, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND Field The present disclosure relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a washing machine having a detergent supply device. Discussion of Related Art In general, a washing machine is an apparatus for washing laundry by rotating a cylindrical drum containing the laundry and water in a tub, and as types of such washing machines there are a drum-type washing machine in which laundry is washed by falling down after being lifted upward along an inner circumferential surface of a drum when the drum, which is disposed substantially horizontally, rotates in forward and reverse directions about a horizontal axis, and a pulsator-type washing machine in which laundry is washed using a water current generated by a pulsator disposed inside a drum when the drum, which is disposed substantially vertically, rotates in forward and reverse directions about a vertical axis. A detergent supply device in which a detergent is dissolved using water to be supplied to the inside of a tub from an external water supply source and the water mixed with the detergent is supplied to the inside of the tub is installed in an upper side of the drum-type washing machine or the pulsator-type washing machine. The detergent supply device may mix powder detergent in the form of fine particles and/or liquid detergent with water and supply the mixed water to the inside of the tub. SUMMARY An aspect of the present disclosure provides a washing machine including a cabinet, a tub arrangeable inside the cabinet, and a detergent supply device configured to supply a detergent to the tub, wherein the detergent supply device includes a housing coupleable to the cabinet, a case insertable into the housing or drawn out from the housing, and a detergent container coupleable to and decoupleable from the case such that while the detergent container is coupled to the case, the detergent container is insertable into the housing or drawn out from the housing along with the case. The detergent supply device may include a stirring device coupleable to the detergent container such that the stirring device is rotatable while coupled to the detergent container. The detergent container may include a siphon tube to which the stirring device is coupleable such that the stirring device is rotatable while coupled to the siphon tube, the siphon tube forms a flow path to discharge water from the detergent container together with the stirring device. The siphon tube may have a height lower than a side wall of the detergent container. A bottom surface of the detergent container may have a portion inclined downward toward the siphon tube. The stirring device may be rotatable by water supplied to the detergent supply device. The detergent supply device may include a nozzle device to supply water from a rear of the case toward a front of the case. The nozzle device may include a washing water inlet hole into which water is introduced, an air inlet hole into which air is introduced, and a nozzle outlet to guide the water introduced through the washing water inlet hole to an inside of the case. The nozzle device may be disposed to be spaced apart from a center of a rear wall of the case to one side. The case may include a case outlet to discharge the detergent from the detergent supply device, the case outlet being positioned on one side of the rear of the case, and the nozzle device may be positioned on another side opposite to the one side of the rear of the case where the case outlet is positioned. The detergent container may include a guide rib protruding from an outer surface thereof to be supported by an inner wall of the case while the detergent container is coupled to the case. The case may include a case outlet communicating with the tub and a case bottom surface formed to be inclined downward toward the case outlet, and the detergent container may include guide protrusions protruding toward the case bottom surface of the case to be supported on the case bottom surface of the case and having different lengths. The guide protrusions may include a first guide protrusion and a second guide protrusion positioned at a rear of the first guide protrusion and formed to be longer than the first guide protrusion. The case may include a detergent containing space to contain the detergent or to seat the detergent container. The case may include a detergent containing space and a softener containing space separated from the detergent containing space, and the detergent container may be coupleable to and decoupleab