IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,642,419
Granted Patent B2
US 12,642,419 · App. 18/403,264 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Dishwasher

Inventors: Inju Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Seungyong Yang (Suwon-si, KR); Junghee Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Sungjin Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jinhyok An (Hwaseong-si, KR); Youngpyo Kim (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
A47L15/4436A47L15/42A47L15/4246A47L15/4257A47L15/4293A47L15/44A47L15/4409A47L15/4463A47L15/4472C11D17/00C11D17/0091A47L2401/02A47L2401/023A47L2401/30A47L2501/07A47L2501/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,642,419
App. No.
18/403,264
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A dishwasher including a tub; a door that is movable to a first position in which the door is vertical and closes the tub, and a second position in which the door is not vertical and opens the tub; and an automatic detergent dispenser on the door, and including a storage compartment in which a plurality of solid detergents are stackable to be in a stack longitudinally extending along a stacking direction that is vertical when the door is in the first position and is not vertical when the door is in the second position, and a holder that presses the stack from a top of the stack toward a bottom of the stack. Movement of the holder is restricted to block upward movement along the stacking direction of one solid detergent located at a highest position in the stack while the door is in the second position.

Claims (62)

1 . A dishwasher comprising:

a tub;

a door that is movable to a first position in which the door is vertical and closes the tub, and a second position in which the door is not vertical and opens the tub; and

an automatic detergent dispenser disposed on the door so as to move with the door, and including:

a storage compartment configured so that a plurality of solid detergents are stackable in the storage compartment to be in a stack longitudinally extending along a stacking direction that, due to movement of the automatic detergent dispenser with the door, is vertical when the door is in the first position and is not vertical when the door is in the second position, and

a holder configured to press the stack from a top of the stack toward a bottom of the stack so as to maintain the plurality of solid detergents in a stacked state in the storage compartment,

wherein the holder is configured so that a movement of the holder along the stacking direction is restricted to block upward movement along the stacking direction of one solid detergent located at a highest position among the plurality of solid detergents in the stack while the door is in the second position.

2 . The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the automatic detergent dispenser further includes an ejector configured to move one solid detergent among the plurality of solid detergents in the stack to an outside of the storage compartment.

3 . The dishwasher of claim 2 , wherein

the storage compartment includes a storage compartment outlet in a lower portion of the storage compartment, and

the ejector is at a lower side of the storage compartment to move a solid detergent, which is disposed at a lowest position in the stack, through the storage compartment outlet.

4 . The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein

the storage compartment includes a guide rail configured to guide movement of the holder along the stacking direction, and

the holder includes a guide protrusion configured to be inserted into the guide rail and move along an extension direction of the guide rail.

5 . The dishwasher of claim 4 , wherein

the storage compartment has a long side extending along the stacking direction,

the guide rail extends along the long side of the storage compartment, and

the holder is configured to be guided by the guide rail and moved in the stacking direction.

6 . The dishwasher of claim 5 , wherein the guide rail includes:

a first side extending parallel to the extension direction of the guide rail,

a second side spaced apart from the first side in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the guide rail, and

a stopper on the second side and configured to restrict movement of the holder along the stacking direction,

wherein the second side is below the first side in an upper to lower direction while the stacking direction is not vertical due to the door being in the second position.

7 . The dishwasher of claim 6 , wherein the stopper protrudes from the second side toward the first side.

8 . The dishwasher of claim 6 , wherein the stopper is concave from the second side in a direction opposite to a direction toward the first side.

9 . The dishwasher of claim 6 , wherein

the storage compartment includes an auxiliary guide rail configured to guide a movement of the holder along the stacking direction and spaced apart from the guide rail, and

the holder includes an auxiliary guide protrusion inserted into the auxiliary guide rail and spaced apart from the guide protrusion.

10 . The dishwasher of claim 5 , wherein

the guide rail includes:

a first side extending parallel to the extension direction of the guide rail, and

a second side spaced apart from the first side in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the guide rail,

the guide protrusion includes a friction portion configured to rub against the second side when the guide protrusion moves along the guide rail, and

the second side is disposed below the first side in an upper to lower direction while the stacking direction is not vertical due to the door being in the second position.

11 . The dishwasher of claim 4 , wherein

the storage compartment includes a storage compartment opening through which the plurality of solid detergents are insertable to be stacked in the storage compartment,

guide rail is provided as first and second guide rails on opposite sides of the storage compartment opening, and

the guide protrusion is provided as first and second guide protrusions corresponding to the first and second guide rails respectively.

12 . The dishwasher of claim 11 , wherein the holder further includes a handle protruding toward the storage compartment opening.

13 . The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a flange extending from a side of the holder toward the plurality of solid detergents in the stacking direction.

14 . The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the automatic detergent dispenser includes a storage compartment sensor configured to sense a position along the stacking direction of the plurality of solid detergents.

15 . The dishwasher of claim 14 , wherein

the holder includes a magnet, and

the storage compartment sensor is configured to measure a magnetic flux of the magnet to sense a position of the holder.

16 . The dishwasher of claim 1 , wherein the holder moves along the stacking direction to press the stack from a top of the stack toward a bottom of the stack due to gravity.

17 . A dishwasher comprising:

a tub;

a door that is movable to a first position in which the door is vertical and closes the tub, and a second position in which the door is not vertical and opens the tub; and

an automatic detergent dispenser disposed on the door so as to move with the door, and including:

a storage compartment configured so that a plurality of solid detergents are stackable in the storage compartment to be in a stack longitudinally extending along a stacking direction that, due to movement of the automatic detergent dispenser with the door, is vertical when the door is in the first position and is not vertical when the door is in the second position, and

a holder configured to press the stack from a top of the stack toward a bottom of the stack so as to maintain the plurality of solid detergents in a stacked state in the storage compartment,

wherein the holder is configured so that a movement of the holder along the stacking direction is restricted to block upward movement along the stacking direction of one solid detergent located at a highest position among the plurality of solid detergents in the stack while the door is in the second position,

wherein the storage compartment includes a guide rail configured to guide movement of the holder along the stacking direction, and

wherein the holder includes a guide protrusion configured to be inserted into the guide rail and move along an extension direction of the guide rail.

18 . A dishwasher comprising:

a tub;

a door that is movable to a first position in which the door is vertical and closes the tub, and a second position in which the door is not vertical and opens the tub; and

an automatic detergent dispenser disposed on the door so as to move with the door, and including:

a storage compartment configured so that a plurality of solid detergents are stackable in the storage compartment to be in a stack longitudinally extending along a stacking direction that, due to movement of the automatic detergent dispenser with the door, is vertical when the door is in the first position and is not vertical when the door is in the second position, and

a holder configured to press the stack from a top of the stack toward a bottom of the stack so as to maintain the plurality of solid detergents in a stacked state in the storage compartment,

wherein the holder is configured so that a movement of the holder along the stacking direction is restricted to block upward movement along the stacking direction of one solid detergent located at a highest position among the plurality of solid detergents in the stack while the door is in the second position, and

wherein the holder includes a flange extending from a side of the holder toward the plurality of solid detergents in the stacking direction to stably dispose the holder on a solid detergent of the plurality of solid detergents that is closest to the holder.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2025
From: DAE CHANG CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 070993/0915 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2024
From: AN, JINHYOK
To: DAE CHANG CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067033/0793 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2024
From: KIM, YOUNGPYO
To: DAE CHANG CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 066019/0104 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2024
From: LEE, INJU; YANG, SEUNGYONG; LEE, JUNGHEE; KIM, SUNGJIN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066017/0572 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0146538 · Nov 4, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023014914 · Sep 26, 2023
Related Publication 20240148224A1 · May 9, 2024
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