CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Application No. 10-2019-0042786, filed on Apr. 12, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a washing machine capable of automatically providing the washing machine with various detergents.

Related Art

A washing machine is a device handling laundry through washing, dehydration and/or drying and the like. The washing machine is a device removing contamination of a laundry by using water and detergents.

Recently, there is a need to develop a device automatically mixing and providing various detergents according to various laundries, so technical features related therewith are under development.

During supplying various detergents, it is necessarily required to employ detecting function to let user refill detergent in case of lack of detergent in a cartridge.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0161143 A1 discloses detecting residual amount of detergent of the cartridge with a sensor for detecting residual liquid. At this case, detecting detergent is performed by penetration of light using a source of light like LED or something. That is, an electric signal is variable according to a type of detergent or properties of a cartridge. In other words, an electric signal detected by penetrating rate of light is variable according to a circumstance employing a washing machine, or to incorrectly mounted cartridge, so there may be a problem to precisely detect a residual amount of detergent.

SUMMARY

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a washing machine capable of precisely detecting a residual amount of detergent regardless of installation environment.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a washing machine capable of precisely detecting a residual amount of detergent regardless of properties and size of a cartridge.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a washing machine capable of simply detecting a residual amount of detergent.

Objects of the present disclosure should not be limited to the aforementioned objects and other unmentioned objects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of washing machine including a cabinet, a tub disposed in the cabinet to receive water, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub to contain a laundry and a detergent supply device disposed at the cabinet to supply detergent into the tub, wherein the detergent supply device comprises a plurality of cartridges containing detergent, a pump suctioning detergent from the plurality of cartridges, a passage guiding detergent discharged from the pump into the tub and a plurality of electrode sensors disposed at a side of the plurality of cartridges, wherein each of the plurality of electrode sensors comprises an electrode plate detecting electric signal and a terminal transmitting the electric signal detected by the electrode plate, wherein the electrode plate has a first surface contacted with detergent contained in the cartridge and a second surface connected to the terminal.

The electrode plate may have a smaller width at a lower end thereof than an upper end thereof.

An opening may be formed at a rear wall of the cartridge, and the electrode plate is disposed to be in a contact with the rear wall of the cartridge so that the first surface thereof is exposed to the opening.

The opening may be disposed to be in a contact with a lower end of the electrode plate.

The opening may be spaced apart from a lower surface of the cartridge.

The detergent supply device may further comprise a docking valve disposed at a lower side of the rear wall of the cartridge, the docking valve connecting the pump and the cartridge, wherein the docking valve is provided with a detergent inlet through which detergent in the cartridge is sucked into the pump, and the opening is disposed at a position higher than the detergent inlet.

The washing machine may further comprise a housing accommodating the cartridge, the housing having a connecting wall which is disposed in a rear direction of the cartridge, wherein the electrode plate is disposed between the connecting wall of the housing and the cartridge rear wall of the cartridge.

The detergent supply device may further comprise a housing accommodating the cartridge, wherein the terminal comprising a connecting portion connecting to the housing, a first curved portion bending from the connector and a second curved portion bending upward the cartridge from the first curved portion, wherein a protruding portion is included in the second curved portion to contact the electrode plate.

The housing may comprise a connecting wall disposed in a rear direction of the cartridge, wherein the connecting portion of the terminal is connected to the connecting wall.

The connecting portion may be mounted to a protrusion protruded from the connecting wall in an opposite direction from the cartridge.

The protruding portion may be contacted with the second surface of the electrode plate.

A connecting wall opening may be formed at the connecting wall, and the electrode plate is contacted with the protruding portion through the connecting wall opening.

The electrode plate may be formed in a shape of ‘L’.

The plurality of electrode sensors may comprise at least two of the plurality of electrode sensors have a different height each other.

The washing machine may comprise three electrode sensors including three electrode plates and three terminals are disposed at the side of the cartridge, wherein the three electrode plates comprise a first and second electrode plates having a height of a first height and a third electrode plate having a height of a second height higher than the first height.

Each of the first and second electrode plates may be formed in a shape of ‘L’.

A first, second and third openings corresponding to the first, second and third electrode plates may be formed at a rear wall of the cartridge, and wherein the first surface of the first, second and third electrode plates contact with the detergent contained in the cartridge through the first, second and third openings.

The first and second openings may be spaced apart from a bottom surface of the cartridge.

The first, second and third openings may be disposed respectively at a lower end of the first, second and third electrode plates.

The electric signal may be an electric current or an electric voltage generated between the two electrode plates disposed at the side of the cartridge.

The washing machine including the same according to the present disclosure provide at least the following effects.

First, the washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of reducing a chance of misjudging of a detergent supply device by directly detecting a residual amount of detergent with making use of a change of an electric signal.

Second, the washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of precisely detecting a residual amount of detergent regardless of properties and size of a cartridge because of using an electric current electrified through detergent.

Third, the washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of having a simple operating procedure because of using an electric current electrified through detergent contained in a cartridge.

Fourth, the washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of simplifying a structure for detecting a residual amount of detergent because there is a need for only terminal and electric wire.

Fifth, the washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of reducing a chance that detergent is hardened in a terminal because a contacting portion between the terminal and detergent is small.

It should be understood that advantageous effects according to the present disclosure are not limited to the effects set forth above and other advantageous effects of the present disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description of the present disclosure.

Details of other embodiments will be described in the detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

