Patent Application
20250198072
The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a laundry treating apparatus capable of performing a refresh process, such as sterilization, wrinkle removal, deodorization, and drying of laundry, by supplying steam and hot air to the laundry.
In general, a laundry treating apparatus is a home appliance that removes foreign substances from laundry using water and detergent, and includes a tub configured to store water, a water supply unit configured to supply water to the tub, and a detergent supply unit disposed on a flow path connecting the water supply unit to the tub and configured to supply detergent to the tub along with the water.
In a conventional laundry treating apparatus, the detergent supply unit is provided as a simple detergent storage space, and a user inputs necessary detergent into the detergent supply unit whenever washing laundry.
Such a conventional laundry treating apparatus empowers a user to select the type and amount of detergent needed, but there is a fundamental problem in that it is difficult to achieve input of a required proper amount of detergent.
In addition, in such a laundry treating apparatus, when the detergent supply unit receives water, the detergent stored in the detergent supply unit is totally input into the tub. Therefore, there is inconvenience of having to re-input detergent whenever washing laundry.
In order to overcome this problem, there has been developed a laundry treating apparatus capable of supplying a proper amount of detergent by controlling the detergent supply unit through a controller provided in the laundry treating apparatus (refer to Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-0009638).
This conventional laundry treating apparatus is equipped with an automatic detergent supply device, which includes a storage unit configured to store detergent and a valve configured to automatically supply detergent stored in the storage unit to the tub.
Since the controller calculates an optimal amount of detergent depending on the amount of laundry and the amount of water supplied, the above laundry treating apparatus has an advantage in that only a proper amount of detergent is supplied to the tub even when a large amount of detergent is stored in the storage unit.
However, the above laundry treating apparatus has a limitation in that the storage unit is integrally formed with a cabinet and thus separation thereof is impossible. As a result, in the above laundry treating apparatus, when foreign substances are introduced into the storage unit or the storage unit is contaminated, it is impossible to separately clean the storage unit, leading to damage to the automatic detergent supply device or contamination of laundry due to the detergent stored in the storage unit.
In particular, when a user inputs the wrong detergent or foreign matter into the storage unit, there is no way to easily remove the same. Therefore, the above laundry treating apparatus has a fundamental limitation in that maintenance and repair thereof are difficult.
In order to overcome this, there has been developed a laundry treating apparatus in which the storage unit is removably provided (Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2021-0027019).
In this laundry treating apparatus, the storage unit is configured to be separated from a flow path supplying detergent and to be completely withdrawn to the outside. Therefore, when the storage unit is contaminated or foreign substances are introduced into the storage unit, the storage unit may be easily cleaned. Further, when inappropriate detergent or foreign substances are introduced into the storage unit, the storage unit may be easily removed.
Meanwhile, the storage unit needs to store a large amount of detergent in order to reduce the number of times that a user inputs detergent into the storage unit. Accordingly, the storage unit needs to have a volume large enough to accommodate a large amount of detergent, with which a washing process is performed multiple times.
In order to stably support the heavy and bulky storage unit, the conventional laundry treating apparatus includes a drawer-type housing configured to accommodate and support the entirety of the storage unit.
The surfaces of the housing are closed surfaces, except for one open surface through which the storage unit is drawn out, and thus support four or more surfaces of the storage unit. Accordingly, even when large vibration occurs, the conventional laundry treating apparatus stably supports the storage unit.
However, when the automatic detergent supply device is formed in a type in which the storage unit is completely accommodated in the housing (hereinafter referred to as a drawer type), the conventional laundry treating apparatus is generally formed in a front-load type in which an opening through which laundry is introduced is formed in the front portion thereof.
The front-load type washing machine is configured such that a drum receiving laundry rotates about a rotary shaft extending parallel to or slightly inclined with respect to the ground and a tub accommodating the drum is formed in a shape of a cylinder disposed in a forward-backward direction. Therefore, the conventional front-load type washing machine has an advantage in that a space in which the drawer type automatic detergent supply device is mounted is secured in a front corner portion of the cabinet.
In particular, since a door is not provided on the upper surface thereof, the front-load type washing machine has an advantage in that a separate automatic detergent supply device may be mounted in the upper portion of the cabinet.
However, this drawer type automatic detergent supply device is difficult to apply to a top-load type washing machine, in which a laundry inlet is formed in the upper portion of the cabinet.
Nevertheless, there has recently been developed a laundry treating apparatus, particularly, a top-load type washing machine equipped with a drawer type automatic detergent supply device (refer to Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2018-0080013).
According to the above laundry treating apparatus, a drawer type automatic detergent supply device is applied to a top-load type washing machine, in which a laundry inlet and a door configured to open and close the laundry inlet are provided at the upper portion of the cabinet.
In the top-load type washing machine, since a suspension supporting the tub is fixed to a corner of the cabinet, it is difficult to mount an automatic detergent supply device in the cabinet. Even if the automatic detergent supply device is mounted in the cabinet, it is difficult to increase the capacity of the storage unit or to mount a water supply channel.
In addition, in a top-load type washing machine, when the automatic detergent supply device is disposed in front of the door or the inlet, the automatic detergent supply device hinders input of laundry through the inlet or opening of the door.
Therefore, in the conventional laundry treating apparatus, the automatic detergent supply device is placed at the rear of the door or the inlet, and is implemented as a drawer type in which the storage unit is drawn out forward.
However, the automatic detergent supply device requires mounting of a pump configured to discharge detergent stored in the storage unit or a connection unit connecting the pump to the storage unit. When the automatic detergent supply device is implemented as a drawer type, the pump or the connection unit should be mounted at a position opposite a position at which the storage unit is placed, with the result that the storage unit should be spaced forward from the rear surface of the laundry treating apparatus by a distance corresponding to the size of a space in which the pump or the connection unit is mounted.
In other words, in the case of the conventional laundry treating apparatus, i.e., when the drawer type automatic detergent supply device configured to be drawn out forward is mounted in the top-load type washing machine, all of the components constituting the storage unit and the pump/connection unit should be mounted in the space from the rear side of the cabinet to the inlet or to the rear surface of the door. As a result, the conventional laundry treating apparatus has a fundamental problem in that input/output of laundry is inconvenient due to reduction in area of the inlet or the door.
Further, in the conventional laundry treating apparatus, although the area of the inlet or the door is reduced, it is difficult to secure a sufficient thickness of the storage unit in the forward-backward direction, and accordingly, it is impossible to sufficiently increase the volume of the storage unit.
A technical task of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine equipped with an automatic detergent supply device, in which a storage unit storing detergent is stably detachably secured to an outer side of a cabinet in a state of being exposed to the outside.
A technical task of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine, in which the storage unit is provided to be movable in an upward-downward direction so as to be secured to or separated from the outer side of the cabinet and is reliably fixed against vibration or impact.
A technical task of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine, in which the storage unit is firmly coupled to the cabinet and is also easily removed according to user intention through movement in the upward-downward direction.
A technical task of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine, in which the storage unit coupled to a mounting unit is separated therefrom by pressing an exposed end portion of a push coupling part toward the inside of the mounting unit.
In order to accomplish the above technical tasks, the present disclosure provides a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet including a top cover having an inlet formed therein, a tub provided in the cabinet to store water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub to receive laundry, a storage unit exposed to the outside of the cabinet and configured to store detergent, and a mounting unit provided in the top cover and configured to allow the storage unit to be removably coupled thereto. The mounting unit includes a push coupling part provided to be movable in a first direction so as to be selectively coupled to the storage unit. The push coupling part includes a push body, which is provided in the mounting unit so as to extend in the first direction and includes one end portion protruding outside the mounting unit so as to be movable in the first direction, and a coupling protrusion formed on the push body so as to be selectively coupled to the storage unit. The push body is moved in the first direction to a first position and a second position together with the end portion thereof. When the push body is moved to the first position, coupling of the coupling protrusion to the storage unit is possible, and when the push body is moved to the second position, release of the coupling protrusion from the storage unit is possible.
The mounting unit may include a mounting body including a mounting surface to allow the storage unit to be seated thereon and a mounting part provided on the mounting body to couple the push coupling part to the mounting unit so that at least a portion of the push coupling part is coupled to the mounting body inside the mounting body.
The mounting part may include a push guide supporting the push body to guide movement of the push body in the first direction or a second direction opposite the first direction inside the mounting body, a coupling hole exposing the coupling protrusion from the mounting surface therethrough so that the coupling protrusion and the storage unit are coupled to each other on the mounting surface, and a push hole formed in the mounting body so that force is applied to the end portion of the push body from the outside of the mounting body toward the second position. The end portion of the push body may protrude outside the mounting body through the push hole.
The mounting part may further include an elastic support part provided inside the mounting body to support the push body in the first direction and an elastic part configured to apply restoring force to the push body toward the first position and including one side supported by the elastic support part and another side contacting the push body.
The coupling protrusion may be provided in plural and may be formed so as to be integrally moved with the push body.
The push coupling part may include a push button forming the end portion of the push body and exposed from the mounting unit in the second direction and a button stopper provided on the push body to support force in the second direction in the mounting unit.
The mounting unit may include mounting receiving portions spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to a ground, and the storage unit may include storage protruding portions protruding toward the mounting receiving portions so as to be inserted into the mounting receiving portions when coupled to the push coupling part.
Each of the storage protruding portions may include an insertion body protruding from the storage unit toward the mounting unit so as to be inserted into a respective one of the mounting receiving portions and an extension body extending while being bent at a predetermined angle from an end of the insertion body that is first inserted into a respective one of the mounting receiving portions among both ends of the insertion body. When the storage unit is coupled to the mounting unit, a free end of the extension body may be first inserted into a respective one of the mounting receiving portions, whereby upward movement of each of the storage protruding portions may be restricted.
The storage unit may further include a storage body configured to store detergent and including a seating surface formed to be seated on the mounting surface when coupled to the mounting unit and a storage coupling part provided on the seating surface so as to be coupled to the push coupling part. The storage coupling part may press the push body in the first direction when coupled to the push coupling part.
The storage coupling part may include a fixing body formed so as to be coupled to the coupling protrusion, and the fixing body may be at least partially disposed below the coupling protrusion when the storage coupling part is coupled to the push coupling part.
The storage coupling part may include a fixing support portion supporting the fixing body so that the fixing body is spaced apart from the seating surface and a fixing hole formed by the fixing body and the fixing support portion. The fixing hole may be formed to allow the coupling protrusion to be at least partially inserted thereinto.
The storage coupling part may be formed to protrude from the seating surface toward the mounting surface, and the fixing body may be coupled to the coupling protrusion in a state of being inserted into the mounting body through the coupling hole.
The coupling protrusion may include an inclined surface inclined downward toward the first position so that the push body is moved toward the second position when coupled to the storage coupling part and a fixing surface extending from the lower end of the inclined surface among both ends of the inclined surface toward the second position to allow the upper surface of the fixing body to be caught thereon.
The fixing body may include a guide surface formed to face and contact the inclined surface when the storage unit and the mounting unit are coupled to each other and a latching surface extending from the upper end of the guide surface among both ends of the guide surface toward the second position. When the storage unit and the mounting unit are coupled to each other, the guide surface may press the inclined surface in the first direction, and the latching surface may be restricted from moving upward when disposed below the fixing surface.
The length between the upper end and the lower end of the inclined surface may be shorter than the length between the upper end and the lower end of the fixing hole, the height of the fixing surface may be greater than the length between the upper end and the lower end of the fixing body, and the insertion gap of the coupling protrusion may be greater than the length of the latching surface.
The guide surface may include a surface bent with a guide curvature.
When the fixing body and the coupling protrusion are coupled to each other, the push body may be moved toward the second position, and when the upper end of the fixing body is disposed below the fixing surface, the push body may return to the first position.
The storage unit may include a storage coupling part protruding toward the mounting unit and formed to be detachably coupled to the mounting unit in an upward-downward direction, and the coupling protrusion may protrude upward from the push body toward the storage coupling part, and may be coupled to the storage coupling part to restrict upward movement of the storage coupling part when the push body is located at the first position.
The present disclosure has an effect of providing a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine equipped with an automatic detergent supply device, in which a storage unit storing detergent is stably detachably secured to an outer side of a cabinet in a state of being exposed to the outside.
The present disclosure has an effect of providing a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine, in which the storage unit is provided to be movable in an upward-downward direction so as to be secured to or separated from the outer side of the cabinet and is reliably fixed against vibration or impact.
The present disclosure has an effect of providing a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine, in which the storage unit is firmly coupled to the cabinet and is also easily removed according to user intention through movement in the upward-downward direction.
The present disclosure has an effect of providing a laundry treating apparatus implemented as a top-load type washing machine, in which the storage unit coupled to a mounting unit is separated therefrom by pressing an exposed end portion of a push coupling part toward the inside of the mounting unit.
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, to make the description of the present disclosure thorough and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
However, the present disclosure is not limited to aspects disclosed herein and may be implemented in various different forms. In the drawings, in order to clearly describe the present disclosure, descriptions of elements which are not related to the present disclosure are omitted, and the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even when they are depicted in different drawings.
In the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, redundant description of the same elements will be omitted.
When an element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly connected to or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element, there may be no intervening elements present.
Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
As used herein, singular forms may be intended to include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Further, in the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.
Further, as used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. In the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, “A or B” may include “A”, “B” or “both A and B”.
As shown in
The cabinet 1 may include a housing 11 providing a space for accommodating the processing unit and a top cover 12 closing the open upper surface of the housing.
The top cover 12 may include a cover body 121 fixed to the housing 11 to form the upper surface of the laundry treating apparatus and an inlet 124 formed through the cover body 121. The inlet 124 may be closed by a door 13 rotatably coupled to the cover body 121.
The top cover 12 may include a front space 122 (first space) located in front of the inlet 124 and a rear space 123 (second space) located behind the inlet 124. A control panel 125 may be provided in the front space 122. The control panel 125 may be provided with an input unit 126 configured to receive control commands from a user and a display unit 127 configured to display information about the laundry treating apparatus.
As shown in
The tub 2 may include a cylindrical tub body 21 having an empty space defined therein in order to store water.
The tub body 21 is fixed to the cabinet 1 via a tub support part 23. The tub support part 23 may be formed as a bar, one end of which is fixed to the cover 12 or the housing 11 and the other end of which is fixed to the circumferential surface of the tub body 21. A tub inlet 22 is formed in the upper surface of the tub body 21 so as to be located below the inlet 124.
The tub body 21 may receive water through a water supply unit S, and the water in the tub body 21 may be discharged to the outside of the cabinet 1 through a drain unit 25.
The water supply unit S may include a water supply pipe 4 connected to a water source, a water supply valve 5 configured to control opening/closing of the water supply pipe 4 in response to a control signal from a controller (first controller), and a water supply channel 6 configured to guide the water supplied from the water supply pipe 4 to the inside of the tub 2.
The drain unit 25 may include a drain pipe 251 configured to guide the water in the tub body 21 to the outside of the cabinet 1 and a drain valve 252 configured to control opening/closing of the drain pipe in response to a control signal from the first controller.
The drum 3 may include a cylindrical drum body 31 located in the tub body 21 and having an empty space defined therein as a means providing a space for storing laundry.
A drum inlet 32 may be formed in the upper surface of the drum body 31 so as to be located below the tub inlet 22. Therefore, the user may input laundry into the drum body 31 through the inlet 124, the tub inlet 22, and the drum inlet 32. Communication holes 33 may be formed in the circumferential surface and bottom surface of the drum body 31 in order to allow the tub body 21 to communicate with the inner space in the drum body 31.
A pulsator 34 may be further provided on the bottom surface of the drum body 31 so as to be rotatable to form a water flow inside the drum body 31.
The drum body 31 and the pulsator 34 are rotatable by a driving unit. The driving unit may include a motor 35 fixed to the bottom surface of the tub body 21 and located outside the tub body 21, a drum shaft 36 connecting the motor to the drum body 31, and a pulsating shaft 37 connecting the motor to the pulsator 34.
The pulsating shaft 37 may extend through the drum shaft 36 so as to directly connect a rotor of the motor 35 to the pulsator 34. In this case, a gear unit 38 connecting the pulsating shaft 37 to the drum shaft 36 and a clutch 39 controlling connection between one end of the drum shaft 36 and the rotor may be provided inside the drum shaft 36.
The detergent supply unit may include a first supply unit 18 (manual detergent supply unit) configured to receive detergent from the user and to supply the detergent to the tub 2 and a second supply unit 8 (automatic detergent supply unit or storage unit) configured to supply a proper amount of detergent to the tub 2 at a predetermined time point under the control of the first controller.
The first supply unit 18 may be provided with a drawer box (not shown) that is capable of being withdrawn from the water supply channel 6 provided in the top cover 12. The drawer box may be provided so as to be withdrawn from the top cover 12 in a direction toward the center of the inlet 124 from the water supply channel 6 (+X-axis direction). The user may withdraw the first supply unit 18 from the top cover 124 to input detergent into the drawer box, and then may push the first supply unit 18 in a direction toward the rear side of the top cover 12 (−X-axis direction) to load the first supply unit 18 in the top cover 12.
The first supply unit 18 communicates with the water supply channel 6 to receive water from the water supply channel, and communicates with the tub 2 through a first discharge channel (not shown). That is, when water flows into the first supply unit 18 from the water supply channel 6, the detergent loaded in the drawer box may be mixed with the water, and may be discharged to the tub 2 through the first discharge channel.
The second supply unit 8 (storage unit) may be detachably coupled to a mounting unit 7 provided in the top cover 12. The second supply unit 8 includes a storage body 81 in which detergent is stored. The storage body 81 is provided such that at least one surface thereof is exposed to the outside to enable the user to supply detergent or to visually check the amount of stored detergent through the exposed surface.
Since the second supply unit 8 is disposed on the mounting unit, detergent may be automatically supplied to the second supply unit 8 due to gravity without a separate pump. In addition, as described above, the second supply unit 8 may be provided to supply a required amount of detergent to the mounting unit 7 at a required time point under the control of the controller.
Meanwhile, the mounting unit 7 may communicate with the water supply channel 6 to receive water. In addition, the mounting unit 7 may communicate with the tub 2 through a second discharge channel (not shown) to transmit detergent or water supplied through the second supply unit 8 or the water supply channel 6 to the tub. The second discharge channel may be provided separately from the first discharge channel in order to secure smooth discharge of water. However, the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.
That is, when the second supply unit 8 is mounted on the mounting unit 7, the detergent stored in the storage body 81 may be discharged to the mounting unit 7. The detergent discharged to the mounting unit 7 may be discharged to the tub 2 through the second discharge channel.
If the detergent stored in the storage body 81 of the second supply unit 8 is liquid detergent, the detergent may be moved by itself from the storage body 81 to the mounting unit 7, and then may be moved from the mounting unit 7 to the tub 2 without water from the water supply channel 6. Therefore, it is preferable that the detergent stored in the storage body 81 be liquid detergent.
Meanwhile, first detergent may be stored in the first supply unit 18, and second detergent may be stored in the second supply unit 8. When water is supplied through the water supply channel 6, the first detergent and the second detergent may be mixed with the water, and may then be discharged to the tub 2. The first detergent and the second detergent discharged to the tub 2 may mix to form a washing liquid in the tub 2.
As shown in
The mounting unit 7 is disposed at the rear of the inlet 124, and the storage unit 8 (second supply unit) is coupled to or separated from the mounting unit 7 at the rear of the inlet 124.
The storage unit 8 includes the storage body 81 in which detergent is stored, as described above, and includes a storage coupling part 83 formed to be coupled to a mounting coupling part (push coupling part) 73 to be described later. The storage body 81 may be formed such that at least one surface thereof is exposed to the outside when coupled to the mounting unit 7.
When the storage unit 8 is coupled to the mounting unit 7, a detergent discharge portion 815 of the storage unit 8 and a detergent introduction portion 715 formed in the mounting surface of the mounting unit 7 communicate with each other. The controller (not shown) may determine the amount of detergent to be discharged from the detergent discharge portion 815 among the detergent stored in the storage body 81 and the detergent discharge time point, and may discharge the detergent to the detergent introduction portion 715 based thereon.
Meanwhile, the storage body 81 may include a first storage body 81a and a second storage body 81b, and the mounting body 71 may include a first mounting body 71a formed at one side of the mounting unit 7 in a width direction (Y-axis direction) and a second mounting body 71b formed at the other side of the mounting unit 7 in the width direction. The first storage body 81a may be mounted on the first mounting body 71a, and the second storage body 81b may be mounted on the second mounting body 71b. That is, the first storage body 71a and the second storage body 71b may be mounted on and demounted from one side and the other side of the mounting unit in the upward-downward direction.
Although each of the mounting body 71 and the storage body 81 is illustrated in the drawings as including two bodies, the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.
Referring to
The mounting body 71 may include a mounting surface 711, which forms an upper surface on which a seating surface 811 forming the bottom surface of the storage body 81 is seated, a mounting part 713, which allows a mounting coupling part 73 to be described later to be moveably mounted in the mounting body 71, and a detergent introduction portion 715, which is formed in the mounting surface 711 so as to communicate with a detergent discharge portion 815 to be described later.
The mounting surface 711 may be exposed to the outside in a direction in which the storage body 81 is mounted and demounted in order to provide a space in which the storage body 81 is seated. The mounting surface 711 may form the upper surface of the mounting body 71. The seating surface 811 to be described later, which is the bottom surface of the storage body 81, may be brought into contact with the mounting surface 711.
The mounting part 713 may allow a push coupling part 73 to be described later to be coupled to the mounting unit 7. The mounting part 713 may allow the push coupling part 73 to be coupled to the mounting body 71 so as to be movable between a first position and a second position so that the push coupling part 73 functions as a button (push button) and is coupled to the storage body 81.
The push coupling part 73 may be elongated in the forward-backward direction of the mounting body 71 (X-axis direction), as shown in the drawings.
Concrete configuration and operation of the mounting part 713 and the push coupling part 73 will be described later.
The detergent introduction portion 715 may be formed in the mounting surface 711. The storage unit 8 may be provided parallel to the insertion direction of the mounting unit 7. Therefore, when the storage unit 8 is coupled to the mounting unit 8, the detergent discharge portion 815 and the detergent introduction portion 715 may communicate with each other. In addition, as shown in the drawings, when the detergent discharge portion 815 of the storage unit 8 is formed to be depressed in the storage body 81, the detergent introduction portion 715 may be formed to protrude upward so as to be inserted into the detergent discharge portion 815. If the detergent discharge portion 815 of the storage unit 8 is formed to protrude downward, the detergent introduction portion 715 may be formed to be depressed in the storage body 71 so as to receive the detergent discharge portion 815.
In this case, as shown in the drawings, it is preferable for the detergent discharge portion 815 to be formed to protrude downward and for the detergent introduction portion 715 to be formed in a shape of a recess capable of receiving the detergent discharge portion 815 so that the detergent stored in the storage body 81 is discharged to the mounting unit due to the stored amount and weight thereof.
In addition, when the detergent introduction portion 715 is formed to be depressed in the support surface 711 of the mounting body 71, the detergent introduction portion 715 may include an inlet protrusion 7153, which protrudes upward to be inserted into the detergent discharge portion 815, and an inlet hole (not shown), which is formed in the inlet protrusion 7153 to receive detergent.
In other words, in order to prevent excessive supply of detergent to the mounting unit 7, the detergent introduction portion 715 may be formed in a depressed shape to allow the detergent discharge portion 815 to be inserted thereinto. The detergent introduction portion 715 may include an inlet protrusion 7153 protruding upward from the bottom surface thereof and an inlet hole formed in the inlet protrusion 7153.
In this case, the detergent discharged from the detergent discharge portion 815 of the storage unit 8 may rise from the bottom surface of the detergent introduction portion 715, and then may move to the tub 2 through the inlet hole. At this time, the detergent introduction portion 715 may function as a trap that prevents the detergent discharged from the detergent discharge portion 815 from excessively moving.
In addition, as will be described later, the mounting unit 7 may include a push coupling part 73 formed to be coupled to the storage coupling part 83 of the storage unit 8, a mounting receiving groove 75 formed to receive a storage protruding portion 85 of the storage unit 8, and a mounting cover 77 formed to be grasped by the user.
The push coupling part 73 (to be described later) may be provided to be exposed on the mounting surface 711 through a protrusion recess 7133 in the mounting part 713. The storage coupling part 83 to be described later may be coupled to the push coupling part 73 in a manner of being inserted into the protrusion recess 7133. In addition, one end portion of the push coupling part may be exposed from the mounting body 71 to form a push button 737.
The mounting receiving groove 75 provides a space into which the storage protruding portion 85 to be described later is inserted. The mounting receiving groove 75 may be formed in a slit shape so that the storage protruding portion 85 is inserted thereinto.
The mounting cover 77 is provided on a side surface of the mounting unit 7 in the width direction. The mounting cover 77 may protect the side surface of the mounting body 71 while filling a gap between the side surface of the mounting body 71 and the top cover. The mounting cover 77 may protrude in the width direction to define a space through which the user grasps the mounting cover 77. For the purpose of maintenance, the user may grasp and lift the mounting cover 77 with his/her hand to separate the mounting unit 7 from the top cover 12.
Referring to
The push body 731 is formed to be elongated in a first direction inside the mounting body 71 of the mounting unit 7. The push body 731 may be disposed below the mounting surface 711 of the mounting body 71, on which the storage body 81 is seated.
In an example, the push body 731 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. In this case, one end portion of the push body 731 exposed from the mounting body 71 may form a push button 737, which will be described later. In another example, as shown in the drawings, the push body 731 may be provided with a plurality of guide protrusions 731a protruding from the center of the body, which is elongated in the forward-backward direction, so as to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along the circumferential surface thereof.
The exposed end portion of the push body 731 may form a push button 737. The push body 731 is coupled to the mounting unit 7 so as to be movable in the first direction and the second direction. Alternatively, the push body 731 is coupled to the mounting unit 7 so as to be movable between a first position and a second position.
The push body 731 may include guide protrusions 731a protruding therefrom. The guide protrusions 731a may be caught on and supported by push guides 7131, which will be described later. The push body 731 may be coupled to the mounting body 71 so as to be movable in the first direction and the second direction (or between the first position and the second position) through the guide protrusions 731a supported by the push guides 7131.
The push guides 7131 may be provided such that, among the plurality of guide protrusions 731a of the push body 731, the guide protrusion 731a disposed on the side surface or the lower side of the push body 731 is caught thereon, thereby supporting the lower side of the push body 7131. In addition, the push guides 7131 may be provided such that, among the plurality of guide protrusions 731a, the guide protrusion 731a disposed on the side surface or the upper side of the push body is caught thereon, thereby restricting the push body 731 from moving farther upward.
Here, the first direction is an unspecified direction perpendicular to the direction in which the storage unit 8 is mounted on the mounting unit 7. Preferably, since the storage unit 8 is mounted and demounted in the upward-downward direction, the first direction may be any one of directions parallel to the ground. Based on the drawings, the first direction is a direction oriented toward the rear side of the top cover (−X-direction).
The second direction is a direction opposite the first direction. Based on the drawings, the second direction may be a direction oriented toward the front side of the top cover (+X).
The first position is a position located in the first direction. The first position may be a position when the push body 731 has moved to the maximum extent in the first direction. Alternatively, the first position may be a position when the push coupling part 73 has moved in the first direction so as to be separated from the storage coupling part 83.
The second position is a position disposed in the second direction. The second position may be a position of the push body 731 at which the push coupling part 73 and the storage coupling part 83 are capable of being coupled to each other.
Here, the first direction, the second direction, the first position, and the second position are merely used to express abstract positions for explaining movement of the push coupling part 73, and do not mean any specific direction or position. Therefore, even if the first direction, the second direction, the first position, and the second position are defined differently from those shown in the drawings and the push coupling part 73 moves in another direction, this is within the scope of the present disclosure, so long as the push coupling part 73 is provided to be movable in one direction and the opposite direction.
A plurality of coupling protrusions 733 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the push body 731 so as to be elongated in one direction. Based on the drawings, the coupling protrusions 733 may include a first coupling protrusion 733a disposed on the front portion of the push body 731 or in the second direction and a second coupling protrusion 733b disposed on the rear portion of the push body 731 or in the first direction. The plurality of coupling protrusions 733 may be stably coupled to the storage unit 8 while supporting a rotational moment in the first direction or the second direction.
If the coupling protrusions 733 protrude to the outside of the mounting surface 711, the coupling protrusions 733 may be easily broken, or foreign substances may remain thereon. Therefore, the coupling protrusions 733 may be formed not to protrude to the outside of the mounting surface 711.
In addition, the coupling protrusions 733 may protrude in a direction opposite the elastic part 7135 or in a direction in which the elastic part 7135 applies force. Accordingly, the coupling protrusions 733 may be disposed above the fixing surface of the storage coupling part 83, thereby effectively restricting the storage body 81 from moving upward.
In addition, the coupling protrusions 733 may be formed to be exposed to the protrusion recesses 7133 in the mounting part 713, which will be described later.
The elastic connection portion 735 may be connected to the elastic part 7135 of the mounting part 713, which will be described later. That is, the push body 731 may be connected to the elastic part 7135 via the elastic connection portion 735.
The elastic connection portion 735 may be inserted into the elastic part 7135. In this case, the elastic connection portion 735 may be provided with a connecting protrusion to receive force from the elastic part 7135. That is, the elastic connection portion 735 may be stably inserted into and supported by the elastic part 7135, and the connecting protrusion may be provided to receive force from the elastic part 7135 in the second direction.
The push button 737 may be the exposed end portion of the push body 731. The push button 737 may be exposed to the outside of the mounting body 71 through a push hole 7137 in the mounting part 713, which will be described later. Since the push button 737 is exposed from one surface of the mounting body 71, the user may press the push body 731 toward the first position, thereby easily separating the storage unit 8 from the mounting unit 7.
The push button 737 may be provided with a button stopper 738. The button stopper 738 may support the push button 737 inside the mounting body 71 without being exposed to the outside. The button stopper 738 may adjust a distance by which the push body 731 moves toward the second position.
That is, the connecting protrusion may receive force from the elastic part 7135 and simultaneously may prevent the elastic part 7135 from moving toward the second position, and the button stopper 738 may prevent the push body 731 from moving by more than a predetermined distance toward the second position.
The mounting part 713 may include push guides 7131 supporting the push body 731 so that the push body 731 moves in the first direction or the second direction, coupling holes 7133 formed through the mounting surface 711, and a push hole 7137 formed in a surface of the storage body 71 oriented in the second direction so that the push button 737 is exposed from the storage body 71 in the second direction.
The push guides 7131 may protrude from the lower side of the mounting surface 711 of the mounting body 71. The push guides 7131 may be formed in a hook shape to support the guide protrusions 731a protruding from the push body 731. The push guides 7131 may support the lower side of the guide protrusions 731a, and may place or couple the push body 731 on or to the lower side of the mounting surface 711 so that the push body 731 moves freely in the first direction and the second direction.
The coupling holes 7133 are provided so as to correspond to the positions and the number of the coupling protrusions 733. The coupling holes 7133 may include a first coupling hole 7133a receiving the first coupling protrusion 733a and a second coupling hole 7133b receiving the second coupling protrusion 733b.
In addition, the coupling holes 7133 may be formed through the mounting surface 711 so that fixing bodies of the storage coupling part 83 are received therein. The area of each of the coupling holes 7133 may be formed to be elongated in the first direction so that at least a portion of the storage coupling part 83 is inserted thereinto and is coupled to the coupling protrusions 733. In other words, the coupling protrusions 733 may be exposed through the coupling holes 7133 without protruding from the mounting surface 711.
Meanwhile, as described above, since the coupling protrusion 733 does not protrude in the backward direction of the coupling protrusion 733, the storage coupling part 83 is inserted into the second-directional area of the coupling hole 7133 with respect to the coupling protrusion 733. That is, based on the drawings, the storage coupling part 83 is inserted into the coupling hole 7133 on the right side of the coupling protrusion 733 to be coupled to the coupling protrusion 733. In other words, among the first-directional area and the second-directional area of the coupling hole 7133 with respect to the coupling protrusion 733, the storage coupling part 83 is inserted into the second-directional area to be coupled to the coupling protrusion 733. As will be described later, this space may be defined as an insertion gap l5 of the coupling protrusion within the coupling hole 7133. In this case, as will be described later, it is preferable for the insertion gap l5 of the coupling protrusion to be greater than the length l6 of a latching surface.
The storage coupling part 83 may protrude toward the mounting surface 711, and therefore, the cross-sectional area of the coupling hole 7133 may have a size appropriate to receive at least a portion of the storage coupling part 83. That is, based on the drawings, the coupling protrusion 733 and the storage coupling part 83 may be coupled within the coupling hole 7133, which will be described later.
In addition, the mounting part 713 may include an elastic support part 7134 supporting one side of the elastic part 7135 and an elastic stopper 7136 supporting the other side of the elastic part 7135 or the connecting protrusion.
The elastic support part 7134 may couple the elastic part 7135 to the mounting body 71. In addition, since the elastic support part 7134 is disposed in the first direction relative to the push body 731, the elastic support part 7134 may support the push body 731 when the push body 731 is located at the first position.
One side of the elastic part 7135 may be supported by the elastic support part 7134, and the other side thereof may be connected to the elastic connection portion 735. The concrete configuration of the elastic part 7135 is not particularly limited, so long as the elastic part 7135 applies force to the push body 731 toward the second position. Preferably, the elastic part 7135 may be implemented as a spring applying restoring force toward the second position.
The elastic stopper 7136 may support the other side of the elastic part 7135 or the connecting protrusion 736. The elastic stopper 7136 may support the connecting protrusion 736 in the second direction.
Meanwhile, a stopper (not shown) may extend downward from the mounting surface 711 of the storage body 71 within the second-directional area with respect to the coupling protrusion 733. The stopper may function as the elastic stopper 7136 and the button stopper 7138 in terms of preventing the coupling protrusion 733 from moving excessively in the second direction. In addition, the stopper may extend downward close to a rib groove 731b to be described later, thereby preventing the coupling protrusion 733 from moving below the mounting surface 711 due to an excessive amount of force applied to the coupling protrusion 733.
As shown in
In addition, the coupling protrusion 733 may include a protrusion portion, which includes the inclined surface 7331 and the fixing surface 7333 and is spaced apart from the push body 731 by l3, and an extension portion, which connects the protrusion portion to the push body 731 and includes the extension surface 7335.
The height of the protrusion portion including the inclined surface 7331 and the fixing surface 7333 (the height from the extension surface (fixing surface 7333) to the upper end of the inclined surface 7331) may be set to l1. The height l1 of the protrusion portion may be set to be lower than the penetration height l2 of a fastening recess to be described later.
The gap l5 between the protrusion portion and the storage body 71 (or insertion gap of the coupling hole) may be set to be greater than the length l6 of a latching surface of the fixing body to be described later, thereby allowing a fixing body 833 to be inserted thereinto.
When the storage unit 8 is coupled to the mounting unit 7, the fixing body may be seated on the inclined surface 7331. The inclined surface 7331 may be formed to be inclined downward toward the first position so that, when the fixing body moves downward, the fixing body moves toward the second position due to the inclined section.
The fixing surface 7333 may be formed to be caught on the upper end of the fixing body 833, which will be described later. When the storage unit 8 is coupled to the mounting unit 7, the fixing body 833 is disposed below the fixing surface 7333, whereby the storage coupling part 83 may be restricted from moving upward. The height l3 at which the fixing surface 7333 is located (distance by which the protrusion portion is spaced apart from the push body 731 or length of the extension surface 7335) may be set to be greater than the height l4 of the fixing body 833, whereby the fixing body 833 may be disposed and stably coupled between the fixing surface 7333 and the push body 731 or the latching groove 731b (to be described later) in the push body.
The extension surface 7335 extends from the fixing surface 7333 to the push body 731. The length l3 of the extension surface 7335 may define the distance by which the fixing surface 7333 is spaced apart from the push body 731. The extension portion may adjust a position at which the protrusion portion is caught on and engaged with the fixing body 833 through the length l3 of the extension surface 7335.
In more detail, if the length l3 of the extension surface 7335 of the extension portion is too long, at least a portion of the coupling protrusion 733 may be exposed to the outside of the mounting surface 711 through the coupling hole 7133.
On the other hand, if the length l3 of the extension surface 7335 of the extension portion is less than the height l4 of the fixing body 833, the fixing body 833 may not be disposed below the fixing surface 7333. Therefore, the length l3 of the extension surface 7335 needs to be appropriately set so that the inclined surface 7331 and the fixing surface 7333 are disposed at appropriate positions.
As shown in
A detergent input portion (not shown), through which detergent is input, is formed in an exposed surface of the storage body 81. The detergent input portion is a space through which detergent is input into the storage body 81. The detergent input portion may be formed in a surface of the storage body 81 that faces the detergent discharge portion 815. More preferably, the detergent input portion may be formed in the upper surface of the storage body 81 in order to input detergent in a state in which the storage unit 8 is mounted on the mounting unit 7.
The storage body 81 is provided on the lower surface thereof or the seating surface 811 thereof with a detergent discharge portion 815, which communicates with the detergent introduction portion 715. As described above, the detergent discharge portion 815 may be formed to be received in the detergent introduction portion 715.
In addition, the storage unit 8 further includes a storage cover 82, which includes an input cover 821 rotatably provided on the storage body 81 to open and close the detergent input portion and a side cover 823 covering the side surface of the storage body 81.
The body cover 82 may include a detergent cover 821 rotatably coupled to the storage body to open and close the detergent input portion and a side cover 823 surrounding the storage coupling part 83 so as to expose at least a portion of the storage coupling part 83.
The detergent cover 821 is provided to be rotatable about a hinge shaft (not shown) in order to open and close the detergent input portion. The user may easily input detergent into the storage body 81 through the detergent input portion merely by opening the detergent cover 821 in a state in which the storage body 81 is seated on the mounting body 71.
In addition, the side cover 823 may be provided on the side surface of the storage body 81 in order to protect the side surface of the storage body 81. When the storage unit 8 includes a single storage body 81, the side cover 823 may be provided on each of both side surfaces of the storage body. As shown in the drawings, when the storage unit 8 includes the first storage body 81a and the second storage body 81b, the side cover 823 may be provided on the side surfaces of the first storage body 81a and the second storage body 81b except for a contact surface therebetween.
The storage coupling part 83 may be provided on a surface of the storage body 81 that faces the mounting body 71. Preferably, the storage coupling part 83 may be provided on the seating surface 811 of the storage body 81.
The storage coupling part 83 is formed in a shape protruding from the storage body 81, and thus is inserted into the protrusion recess 7133 to be coupled to the coupling protrusion 733 exposed through the mounting surface 711. The storage coupling part 83 does not necessarily have to protrude. That is, the storage coupling part 83 may be depressed in the storage body 81, and the coupling protrusion 733 may protrude from the mounting surface 711 to be coupled to the storage coupling part 83. In this way, the shape of the storage coupling part 83 may be varied, so long as the same is capable of being coupled to the coupling protrusion 733.
The storage protruding portion 85 may be inserted into and received in the mounting receiving portion 75. That is, when the storage unit 8 is mounted on the mounting unit 7 and thus the storage protruding portion 85 is inserted into the mounting receiving portion 75, the storage protruding portion 85 is supported in directions parallel to the ground (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction) and the upward direction (+Z-axis direction). The storage protruding portion 85 will be described later.
Referring to
The fixing support portion 831 may protrude toward the mounting body 71 from the seating surface 811 that is seated on the mounting body 71. The fixing support portion 831 may be formed to support one side and the other side of the fixing body 833. The fixing support portion 831 may support the fixing body 833 such that the fixing body 833 is spaced apart from the seating surface 811 by a predetermined distance, which will be described later. In addition, at least part of the fixing support portion 831 is inserted into the coupling recess 7133, thereby supporting engagement between the coupling protrusion 733 and the fixing body 833.
The fixing body 833 is spaced a predetermined distance from the seating surface 811 by the fixing support portion 831, and is formed to be coupled to the coupling protrusion 733.
The fixing body 833 may include a guide surface 8331, which applies force to the push body 731 in the first direction while being in surface contact with the inclined surface 7331 of the coupling protrusion 733, a latching surface 8333, which is in contact with and caught on the fixing surface 7333 of the coupling protrusion 733, and a flat surface 8335, which connects the guide surface 8331 to the latching surface 8333 and forms a second-directional surface of the fixing body 833.
When the storage coupling part 83 is coupled to the push coupling part 73, the guide surface 8331 is brought into contact with the inclined surface 7331 of the coupling protrusion 733. In this coupling process, the guide surface 8331 may apply force to the push body 731 in the first direction while moving downward along the inclined surface 7331.
In addition, the guide surface 8331 may be formed to be inclined downward in the second direction or in the same direction in which the inclined surface 7331 is inclined. In addition, the guide surface 8331 may include a guide curved surface R1 having a predetermined curvature in order to reduce friction with the inclined surface 7331. In addition, the guide surface 8331 may be formed to have a shape corresponding to the inclined surface 7331 and to be inclined at an angle corresponding to the inclined surface 7331 in order to support force in the first direction.
When the storage coupling part 83 is coupled to the push coupling part 73, the latching surface 8333 may be brought into surface contact with the fixing surface 7333 of the coupling protrusion 733. That is, since the latching surface 8333 is formed to extend at an angle corresponding to the fixing surface 7333 and to have a shape corresponding to the fixing surface 7333 in order to maximize an area of contact with the fixing surface 7333, upward movement of the latching surface 8333 may be more effectively restricted.
In addition, in the fixing body 833, the length l6 of the latching surface 8333 may be set to be the longest in the first direction. In other words, since the guide surface 8331 is inclined downward in the second direction, the length l6 of the latching surface 8333 extending from the upper end of the guide surface 8331 to the second position may be set to be long in the fixing body 833.
That is, in order to allow the fixing body 833 to be inserted into the coupling hole 7133 and to be coupled to the coupling protrusion 733, the length l6 of the latching surface 8333 needs to be shorter than the length l5 of the gap between the coupling protrusion 733 and the storage body 71 within the coupling hole 7133.
The flat surface 8335 may form a surface of the fixing body 833 that faces the second position. The height l4 of the flat surface needs to be lower than the height l3 of the fixing surface 7333 so that the fixing body 833 is disposed below the fixing surface 7333 of the coupling protrusion 733.
The fixing hole 835 may be formed through the storage coupling part 83 at a position on the latching surface 8333. That is, the fixing body 833, the fixing support portion 831 disposed on one side of the fixing body, and the fixing support portion 831 disposed on the opposite side of the fixing body may form the fixing hole 835.
The height l2 of the fixing hole 835 may be set to be greater than the thickness of the protrusion portion of the coupling protrusion 733, i.e., the minimum length l1 (thickness of the protrusion portion) between the fixing surface 7333 and the upper end of the inclined surface 7331 among both ends of the inclined surface 7331. If the penetration height l2 of the fixing hole 835 is less than the thickness l1 of the protrusion portion, the fixing surface 7333 of the coupling protrusion 733 may not be disposed on the latching surface 8333 of the fixing body 833. That is, it is necessary to set the heights and the lengths as described above so that at least part of the protrusion portion is inserted into the fixing hole 835.
In other words, when the length l1 between the upper end and the lower end of the inclined surface is shorter than the length l2 between the upper end and the lower end of the fixing hole, when the height l3 of the fixing surface is greater than the length l4 between the upper end and the lower end of the fixing body, and when the insertion gap l5 of the coupling protrusion is greater than the length l6 of the latching surface, the push coupling part and the storage coupling part may be smoothly coupled to each other.
Referring to
In this case, the storage body 81 is illustrated as being coupled to the mounting body 71 while being moved downward. However, the disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto.
In addition, when the storage unit 8 is coupled to the mounting unit 7, one end portion of the push coupling part 73, i.e., the push button 737, protrudes from the mounting body 71, thereby enabling the user to check completion of the coupling process. In this case, the user may separate the storage unit 8 from the mounting unit 7 by pressing the push button 737.
The process of coupling the storage unit 8 to the mounting unit 7 will be described later in more detail.
As shown in
As shown in the drawings, in order to allow the fixing body 833 to easily approach the coupling protrusion 733, the push body 731 may include a depressed portion 731b depressed therein from the coupling protrusion 733 so as to define a predetermined space.
The depressed portion 731b may be formed to be depressed in the guide protrusion 731a of the push body 731. Accordingly, engagement with the storage coupling part 83 may be easily performed.
In addition, the downward movement of the storage body 81 may be supported by coupling between the storage protruding portion 85 and the mounting receiving portion 75, which will be described later. That is, before the storage coupling part 83 and the push coupling part 73 are coupled to each other, the storage protruding portion 85 is inserted into the mounting receiving portion 75, whereby the downward movement of the storage body 81 may be stably guided.
Coupling between the storage protruding portion 85 and the mounting receiving portion 75 will be described later.
As shown in
In this case, the push body 731 is also moved toward the first position. In this case, the push button 737 is also moved toward the first position, and therefore, the exposed area of the push button 737 protruding from the mounting body 71 is reduced.
In addition, when the coupling protrusion 733 is provided in plural, the plurality of coupling protrusions 733 may be integrally formed with the push body 731. When at least one of the coupling protrusions 733 is moved to the first position, all of the components constituting the push coupling part 73, including the push body 731, may be moved to the first position. Accordingly, even if any one of the coupling protrusions 733 is broken, the coupling process may be implemented through another coupling protrusion 733. Therefore, the operational reliability of the push coupling part 731 may be improved.
The exposed area, i.e., the protruding area, of the push button 737 from the mounting body 71 is increased, as shown
In this process, the fixing body 833 is disposed between the latching portion or the fixing surface 7333 of the coupling protrusion 733 and the push body 731 or the depressed portion 731b, and thus is restricted from moving in the upward direction (Z-axis direction).
In this case, the fixing support portion 831 is at least partially inserted into the coupling recess 7133, and thus is restricted from moving in directions parallel to the ground (X-axis and Y-axis).
Referring to
When the push button 737 is pressed to move the push body 731 in the first direction, the latching surface 8333 of the fixing body 833 is separated from the fixing surface 7333 of the coupling protrusion 733, and thus the coupling is released, as shown
That is, when the storage body 81 is moved downward toward the mounting body 71, the storage body 81 is coupled to the mounting body 71, and when the storage body 81 is moved upward in a state in which the push body 731 is moved to the first position (released state), the storage body 81 is separated from the mounting body 71.
As shown in
The storage protruding portion 85 may include an insertion body 851 protruding from the storage body 81 so as to be at least partially inserted into the mounting receiving portion 75 and an extension body 853 extending from the insertion body 851 so as to be bent with a predetermined curvature.
The mounting receiving portion 75 may be formed through the mounting body 71 to allow the storage protruding portion 85 to be inserted thereinto. The mounting receiving portion 75 may be formed at a position corresponding to the storage protruding portion 85 and formed in a shape corresponding to the storage protruding portion 85. The storage protruding portion 85 may be disposed so as to be spaced apart from the push coupling part 73 in any one direction parallel to the ground.
As shown in
That is, due to this difference in width, it is difficult for the storage protruding portion 85 to be vertically inserted into the mounting receiving groove 75.
As shown in
When the storage protruding portion 85 is rotated at a predetermined angle θa in one direction, the effective insertion width of the storage protruding portion 85, with which the storage protruding portion 85 is actually inserted into the mounting receiving portion 75, is reduced. Therefore, although the width lb of the storage protruding portion 85 is larger than the width la of the mounting receiving portion 75, the storage protruding portion 85 may be inserted into the mounting receiving portion 75.
Through this rotation process, the free end of the extension body 853 may be first inserted into the mounting receiving portion. If the free end of the extension body 853 first enters the mounting receiving portion, the above coupling process may be implemented more smoothly.
As shown in
Referring to
Meanwhile, as described above, in order to insert the storage protruding portion 85 into the mounting receiving portion 75, it is necessary to rotate the storage protruding portion 85 at the predetermined angle θa. In addition, it is necessary to stably guide movement of the storage body 81 during the coupling process.
Therefore, when the storage unit 8 is coupled to the mounting unit 7, the storage body 81 is rotated at the predetermined angle θa in one direction so that the storage protruding portion 85 is coupled to the mounting receiving portion 75. In this state, the storage body 81 is rotated at the predetermined angle θa in the opposite direction so that the storage coupling part 83 is coupled to the push coupling part 73.
Similarly, when it is intended to separate the storage unit 8 from the mounting unit 7, the push button 737 is pressed to release coupling between the push coupling part 73 and the storage coupling part 83. Thereafter, the storage body 81 is rotated at the predetermined angle θa in one direction to make the storage protruding portion 85 releasable from the mounting receiving portion 75. Thereafter, the storage body 81 is moved upward to separate the storage protruding portion 85 from the mounting receiving portion 75.
That is, as described above, since the storage body 81 is coupled to and separated from the mounting body 71 while being rotated at the predetermined angle by the storage protruding portion 85, the above coupling process may be implemented smoothly, and the storage body 81 may not be easily separated from the mounting body.
In addition, the user may release coupling between the push coupling part and the storage coupling part merely by pressing the push button 737 exposed from the mounting body 71. That is, since the push button 737 is provided in the mounting body 71 that does not need to be rotated, rather than the storage body 81 that needs to be rotated, the process of separating the storage unit 8 and the mounting unit 7 from each other may be easily performed by the user.
The above description is merely illustrative of specific embodiments of the present disclosure, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2022-0165050 | Nov 2022 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2022/019992 | 12/9/2022 | WO |
