CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION

This is a U.S. National Stage under 35 U.S.C. 371 of the International Application Number PCTCN2018/098364, filed Aug. 2, 2018, which claims priority to Chinese application number CN201710651148.5, filed Aug. 2, 2017.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine with an auxiliary washing unit.

Description of Related Arts

The washing machine is a kind of machine that is electrically powered to do the laundry. The washing machine can be classified into a stirring type, a whirlpool type, or a drum type according to different washing methods. The stirring type washing machine does laundry by rotating an agitator located at a center of a tub to the left and right. The whirlpool type washing machine provides friction force between water flow generated by rotating a pulsator left and right and the laundry to be washed, wherein the pulsator is mounted at the bottom of the rotatable tub and is in shape of a flat plate. The drum type washing machine washes laundries by rotating a drum having a plurality of lifters protruding along an inner surface after water and detergent are put into the drum.

The washing machine can be classified, according to its shape, into a top loader washing machine that laundries are loaded from the top or a front loader washing machine that laundries are loaded from the front. To the top loader washing machine, the laundries can be put into a rotary tub through an opening provided in the top surface. To the front loader washing machine, the laundries can be put into a rotary tub through an opening formed in a front side surface. Generally, the stirring type washing machine and the whirlpool type washing machine are implemented as a top loader washing machine, and a drum type washing machine is implemented as a front loader washing machine.

According to the current technology, such as a washing machine disclosed in Chinese patent publication number CN105189847A, the washing machine is designed with a laundry access opening communicating to a main washing space defined by a stationary tub and a rotary tub, wherein a hand-washing or independent washing space unit is arranged above the opening such that a side thereof is pivotally coupled above the opening or detachably arranged above the opening of the washing machine, for manually washing or independently washing the laundry that has hard dirt or small stain thereon in the upper washing space unit before it is putted into the lower main washing space. According to this conventional washing space unit, the water in the upper washing space unit will be poured down into the lower main washing space to be reused by pivotally flipping the upper washing space unit sidewardly or detaching the upper washing space unit from the opening of the washing machine, so as to avoid consuming extra washing water for the hand-washing or independent washing work conducted in the upper washing space unit, thereby reducing water consumption.

However, according to the above-mentioned prior Chinese patent publication number CN105189847A, when the laundries in the upper washing space unit require longer time to wash the hard dirt or small stains by hand or to soak longer time to soften the hard dirt or stain but, at the same time, the laundries in the lower main washing space are just finished washing and ready to be taken out for hanging to dry, or that when there are laundries that need to be added into the lower main washing space for washing and thus the upper washing space unit must be flipped to one side pivotally to uncover the opening, in this case, the softening or soaking work in the upper washing space unit must be interrupted and it is difficult to continue the softening or soaking work in the upper washing space unit simultaneously. If the upper washing space unit is pivotally flipped to one side, on one hand, extras work is required to take out the laundries in the upper washing space unit, and on the other hand, the washing water in the upper washing space unit will fall into the lower main washing space while the upper washing space unit is flipped to one side that is conflict to the washing operation in the lower washing space, thereby causing confusion and causing troublesome. Or else, the washing water in the upper washing space unit may need to be drained by a ground pipe from the washing machine that would require to refill the upper washing space unit with new water and cause unnecessary waste of water.

It will be a long felt need to all users to have an innovative washing machine that allows the laundries to be putted into and taken out of the lower main washing space without interrupting the soaking or softening in the upper washing space unit, or without affecting the hand-washing operation in the upper washing space unit, while without wasting washing water.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The invention is advantageous in that it provides a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit to solve the above mentioned technical problems, wherein the washing machine does not interrupt softening or soaking work in an upper auxiliary washing unit while allowing the laundries to be putted into or taken out of the lower main washing space.

In the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit, according to a first embodiment adapted to solve the above technical problems, comprising:

a main washing machine body having a first opening and a first main washing space communicated with the first opening;

a first auxiliary washing unit; and

a first cover, wherein the first auxiliary washing unit and the first cover are juxtaposedly arranged that jointly cover the first opening, such that the first opening is capable of being partly opened by opening the first cover for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space while the first auxiliary washing unit is remained disposing above the first opening.

In the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit, according to a second embodiment adapted to solve the above technical problems, comprising:

a main washing machine body having a first opening, a first main washing space communicated with the first opening, a second opening, and a second main washing space communicated with the second opening;

a first auxiliary washing unit; and

a first cover, wherein the first auxiliary washing unit and the first cover are juxtaposedly arranged that jointly cover a portion of the first opening, wherein the first opening is capable of being partly opened by opening the first cover for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space.

In the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit, according to a third embodiment adapted to solve the above technical problems, comprising:

a main washing machine body having a first opening, a first main washing space communicated with the first opening, a second opening, and a second main washing space communicated with the second opening;

a first auxiliary washing unit; and

a first cover, wherein the first auxiliary washing unit and the first cover are juxtaposedly arranged that jointly cover the first opening, such that the first opening is capable of being partly opened by opening the first cover for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space.

In the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit, according to a fourth embodiment adapted to solve the above technical problems, comprising:

a main washing machine body having a first opening, a first main washing space communicated with the first opening, a second opening, and a second main washing space communicated with the second opening;

a first auxiliary washing unit;

a first cover; and

a second cover, wherein the first auxiliary washing unit, the first cover and the second cover are juxtaposedly arranged that the first auxiliary washing unit and the first cover jointly cover the first opening and the first auxiliary washing unit and the second cover jointly cover the second opening, wherein the first opening and the second opening are capable of being partly opened by opening the first cover and the second cover respectively for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space and the second main washing space.

In the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit, according to a fifth embodiment adapted to solve the above technical problems, comprising:

a main washing machine body having a first opening, a first main washing space communicated with the first opening, and a second opening;

a second drying unit communicated with the second opening;

a first auxiliary washing unit;

a first cover; and

a second cover, wherein the first auxiliary washing unit, the first cover and the second cover are juxtaposedly arranged that the first auxiliary washing unit and the first cover jointly cover the first opening, and the first auxiliary washing unit and the second cover jointly cover the second opening, such that a portion of the first opening is capable of being opened by opening the first cover, and a portion of the second opening is capable of being partly opened by the opening the second cover, adapted for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space and the second drying unit.

In the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a washing machine with auxiliary washing unit, according to a sixth embodiment adapted to solve the above technical problems, comprising:

a main washing machine body having a first opening, a first main washing space communicated with the first opening, a second opening, and a second main washing space communicated with the second opening;

a first auxiliary washing unit;

a first cover, wherein the first auxiliary washing unit and the first cover are juxtaposedly arranged that jointly cover the first opening, wherein the first opening is capable of being opened by opening the first cover for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space;

a second auxiliary washing unit; and

a second cover, wherein the second auxiliary washing unit and the second cover are juxtaposedly arranged that jointly cover the second opening, wherein the second opening is capable of being opened by opening the second cover for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the second main washing space.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the main washing machine body of the washing machine further has a third main washing space and a third opening communicated with the third main washing space.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first main washing space or the second main washing space or the third main washing space may be embodied as a washing unit with washing function or a spin dryer unit with drying function, so as to meet the requirement of different users.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, practically, a washboard is provided to place on the first auxiliary washing unit for washing laundries, or alternatively, the washboard is hinged with the first auxiliary washing unit for ease of scrubbing the laundry and washing the laundry more cleanly.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the first auxiliary washing unit is movably arranged with the main washing machine body, so that when the first auxiliary washing unit is moved away from the first opening, the entrance for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space is enlarged so as to enable the laundries to be easily putting into or taking out of the first main washing space.

In addition, when the first and second auxiliary washing units are arranged accordingly, it is preferred to arranged the second auxiliary washing unit to be able to move with respect to the main washing machine body, so that when the second auxiliary washing unit is moved away from the second opening, the entrance for putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the second main washing space is enlarged, so as to enable the laundries to be easily putting into or taking out of the first main washing space.

Additional advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in comparison with the conventional art as follows.

One advantage of the washing machine according to the present invention is that: since the first auxiliary washing unit is directly arranged at the opening of the washing machine, the opening is partially covered and sheltered without adversely affecting the opening operation of the cover of the washing machine and the laundries to be putting into or taking out of the first main washing space, so that the operation of the washing machine would not interrupt the softening or soaking work in the upper auxiliary washing unit or affecting the hand-washing operation inside the upper first auxiliary washing unit while allowing the laundries to be putting into or taking out of the lower main washing space. Such arrangement of the present invention also avoids wasting the washing water and the hand-washing operation does not require additional washing space that effectively saves working space and time.

Another advantage of the invention is that, during the operation of the washing machine, it is found that for washing and drying laundry once a day, the laundry will be putting into and taking out of the main washing space through the opening of the main washing machine body for one time. That is there are two times for accessing the opening of the main washing space per day. In other words, for each washing and drying laundry operation, the opening is required to be accessed twice for putting the laundries into or taking the laundries out therethrough so that the size of the opening would not substantially affect the placement of laundries even though the opening has a smaller size. However, it takes more time for softening or soaking and hand-washing the hard dirt and stain of laundries every day or every time. Accordingly, the present invention provides the first auxiliary washing unit arranged on the main washing machine body and takes use of a portion of this first opening located above the first main washing space for the first auxiliary washing unit to rest thereon, and thus the size of the first auxiliary washing unit can be enlarged to provide more hand-washing space and volume for this upper hand-washing container. Therefore, the user can spend more time inside this hand washing container for laundry hand-washing and soaking operation to soften hard dirt on the laundries. The present invention takes advantage of the position of the first opening and use of the space provided on the first opening for the first auxiliary washing unit. It is worth mentioning that even a smaller size of the first opening is provided, the putting in and taking out of the laundries in the first washing space may normally be operated through the first opening. Of course, if a washing machine without provided with the auxiliary washing unit, it may normally putting laundries into or taking laundries out of the main washing space, but the auxiliary washing unit as arranged in the present invention does provide unexpected results and much utility advantages by having a larger and very useful hand-washing container with bigger size, so that while without enlarging the occupying space and changing the structure of the washing machine, a manual washing container is provided for hand-washing laundry, soaking laundry for softening hard dirt and stains, face washing, teeth brushing, and etc., meeting the substantial needs of the user. The present invention is non-obvious and has outstanding substantive subject matters and significant improvement.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, the washing machine of the present application does not need large area or living space to do the laundry. The washing machine provides the first main washing space at a lower part thereof for washing laundries and an upper hand washing container for various washing operations, such as washing faces or brushing teeth, as well as allowing the washing machine to put laundries into or take laundries out of the first main washing space without interrupting the softening or soaking work inside the upper hand washing container.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, the washing machine provides a lower first main washing space for doing laundries and an upper hand washing container for face washing or tooth brushing operations as an additional washing sink that avoids the waiting in line condition for a family to use the only one bathroom washing sink for face washing operation or tooth brushing operation in the morning or evening so as to alleviates the pressure using the same washing sink and saves time.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, in comparison with the conventional art, allows the washing machine to wash laundries in a first main washing space while providing an independent hand-washing container equipped with independent draining arrangement for discharging dirty water to outside, while ensuring the dirty water formed after the hand-washing laundries, face washing and teeth brushing operations in the hand-washing container space would not discharging into lower the main washing space.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, in comparison with the background art, while the laundries is putting into or taking out of the lower first main washing space, the washing water in the upper first auxiliary washing unit would not fall into the lower first main washing unit, that prevents from causing confusion and troublesome with the washing operation in the first main washing space, and avoids discharging the washing waster from discharging outside the washing machine to a ground pipeline to prevent a waste of as well as refilling the washing water in the first auxiliary washing unit.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, one washing machine of the present invention can be simultaneously provided with two work stations (operated by two users). That is, one work station (one user) allows performing softening, soaking, washing laundries or washing face in the first auxiliary washing unit while another station (another user) allows operations of putting laundries into, putting detergent into or taking laundries out of the first main washing space without interfering with each other, and thus improving working efficiency.

Another advantage of the present invention is that, to tenant with unstable work and dweller with smaller living space, as long as the user owns a washing machine with hand-washing container of the present invention, he or she seems substantially having another hand-washing container for washing laundry, face washing, or teeth brushing operation without the need to purchase another bath washing sink that significantly saves his or her living space to place the sink and purchasing expense of the sink.

In addition, the first auxiliary washing unit can be independent from the normal washing method and thus improving the washing efficiency.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

