Detergent supply apparatus and washing machine having same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480245-B2
Application number	US-202318125340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2023
Priority date	Nov 23, 2020
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A washing machine includes a cabinet; a tub in the cabinet; and a detergent supply apparatus which supplies detergent to the tub and includes: a housing; a detergent box configured to be inserted into the housing and thereby docked to the detergent pump so that detergent in the detergent box is suctionable by the detergent pump and then dischargeable by the detergent pump into the housing and configured to be withdrawn from the housing and thereby undocked from the detergent pump; and an auxiliary tank which in the housing, configured to store water, and to, when the detergent box is being withdrawn from the housing, drain water stored in the auxiliary tank to a bottom of the housing so that detergent from the discharge pump falls into the water on the bottom of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet; a tub inside the cabinet; and a detergent supply apparatus configured to supply detergent to the tub, the detergent supply apparatus including:
a housing,
a detergent pump fixed to the housing,
a detergent box configured to be inserted into the housing and thereby be docked to the detergent pump so that detergent in the detergent box is suctionable by the detergent pump and then dischargeable by the detergent pump into the housing, and configured to be withdrawn from the housing and thereby be undocked from the detergent pump, and
an auxiliary tank, fixed in the housing, configured to store water and to, when the detergent box is being withdrawn from the housing, drain water stored in the auxiliary tank to a bottom of the housing so that detergent falling from the detergent pump falls into the water on the bottom of the housing.

2 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein
the housing has an opening in a front portion of the housing through which the detergent box is insertable to be inserted into the housing and through which the detergent box is withdrawable to be withdrawn from the housing, and the auxiliary tank is on a rear wall inside the housing.

3 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary tank includes:
a water storage portion in which the stored water is stored, a drain port that includes a drain hole through which the water stored in the water storage portion is drained, and a circular distribution groove around the drain hole that distributes the water drained from the drain hole to the bottom of the housing.

4 . The washing machine of claim 3 , further comprising:
a housing cover covering an upper side of the housing and including a plurality of water supply holes through which water is suppliable to the housing so that water supplied through some of the plurality of water supply holes falls into and is stored in the water storage portion.

5 . The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the detergent pump includes:
a fixing portion including a suction portion and a discharge portion, and a pumping portion configured to perform pumping so that detergent in the detergent box is suctioned into the suction portion, then discharged by the discharge portion into the housing.

6 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary tank includes:
a water storage portion in which the stored water is stored, a drain port that includes a drain hole through which the water stored in the water storage portion is drained, and a distribution rib at a lower side of the drain hole that distributes the water drained from the drain hole to the bottom of the housing.

7 . The washing machine of claim 5 , wherein the detergent box includes:
a detergent discharge portion configured to be docked to the suction portion to dock the detergent box to the detergent pump, and to be undocked from the suction portion to undock the detergent box from the detergent pump, and an opening and closing member configured to, upon the detergent discharge portion being docked to the suction portion, close the drain hole, and upon the detergent discharge portion being undocked from the suction portion, open the drain hole.

8 . The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the detergent discharge portion and the opening and closing member each protrude rearward from a rear surface of the detergent box with the detergent discharge portion protruding further from the rear surface of the detergent box than the opening and closing member.

9 . The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein the detergent box is configured so that when the detergent box is being undocked from the suction portion, the opening and closing member opens the drain hole before the detergent discharge portion is completely undocked from the suction portion.

10 . The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the detergent box is configured so that before the detergent discharge portion is completely undocked from the suction portion, the water stored in the water storage portion is drained to the bottom of the housing through the drain hole.

11 . The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the housing includes:
an opening portion that is open to allow a part of the fixing portion to pass therethrough, an extending portion extending from the opening portion, into which a remaining part of the fixing portion is insertable to be fixed to the extending portion, and a water supply portion allowing detergent discharged from the discharge portion into the housing and through the opening portion to be supplied to the tub together with water.

12 . The washing machine of claim 5 , wherein
the detergent box includes a first detergent box configured to hold a main detergent, and a second detergent box configured to hold a preliminary detergent, the detergent pump being configured to individually suction and discharge to the housing the main detergent and the preliminary detergent individually.

13 . The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein the detergent pump includes a first detergent pump configured to suction the main detergent from the first detergent box and discharge the main detergent to the housing, and a second detergent pump configured to suction the preliminary detergent from the second detergent box and discharge the preliminary detergent to the housing.

14 . The washing machine of claim 13 , further comprising:
a detergent detecting unit to detect detergent remaining in the detergent pump, the detergent detecting unit including a first detecting unit including a first sensor and a second sensor in the first detergent pump and a second detecting unit including a third sensor and a fourth sensor in the second detergent pump.

15 . The washing machine of claim 14 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor have different heights from the bottom of the housing, and the third sensor and the fourth sensor have different heights from the bottom of the housing.

16 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary tank is positioned in the housing so as to be further rearward in the housing with respect to the detergent box when the detergent box is docked to the detergent pump.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Byeongwoo
• Kim Jindoo
• Wee Hoon

Classifications

• D06F39/12

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/086

  Arrangements for avoiding detergent wastage in the discharge conduit · CPC title

• D06F39/085

  Arrangements or adaptations of pumps · CPC title

• D06F2103/42

  related to filters or pumps · CPC title