EP3988702A1

EP3988702A1 - Linkage apparatus and laundry treatment device including same

Info

Publication number: EP3988702A1
Application number: EP21198572.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jin Lu; Shurong Zhang; Ling Zhang
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2020-10-23
Filing date: 2021-09-23
Publication date: 2022-04-27
Also published as: CN114507971A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a linkage apparatus and a laundry treatment device including same. The linkage apparatus includes: a linkage mechanism, including a housing connected to the outer door, a cam pivotally connected into the housing, and a first latch movably mounted to the housing; a baffle assembly pivotally connected to the housing and connected to the cam in a transmission manner; and a linkage connected to the inner door, where the baffle assembly is adapted to, when being pushed inward, rotate along a first direction of rotation to drive the cam to rotate along a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation, the cam is adapted to, when rotating along the second direction of rotation, abut against the first latch and drive the first latch to move toward the linkage, and the first latch is adapted to, when moving, connect to the linkage to connect the inner door and the outer door. In this way, the outer door and the inner door can be connected to each other by pushing the baffle inward. In addition, when the outer door and the inner door are connected to each other, both the outer door and the inner door can be opened at the same time by pulling the outer door outward or can be closed at the same time by pushing the outer door inward only. The operation is simple and convenient and saves time and effort.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of household appliance technologies, and in particular, to a linkage apparatus and a laundry treatment device including same.
With continuous improvement of people's living standards and diversified development of consumer goods requirements, requirements of users for a laundry treatment device gradually increase. As for an existing laundry treatment device, due to the improper design of its door body structure, not only there is a risk that its door glass is easily broken, but also its seal ring is very likely to accumulate water and get mildewed.
An objective of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a linkage apparatus and a laundry treatment device including same. An embodiment of the present invention provides a linkage apparatus for a two-door device, the two-door device including an inner door and an outer door. The linkage apparatus includes: a linkage mechanism, including a housing connected to the outer door, a cam pivotally connected into the housing, and a first latch movably mounted to the housing; a baffle assembly pivotally connected to the housing and connected to the cam in a transmission manner; and a linkage connected to the inner door, where the baffle assembly is adapted to, when being pushed inward, rotate along a first direction of rotation to drive the cam to rotate along a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation, the cam is adapted to, when rotating along the second direction of rotation, abut against the first latch and drive the first latch to move toward the linkage, and the first latch is adapted to, when moving, connect to the linkage to connect the inner door and the outer door.
Optionally, the linkage mechanism includes a spring pin that is fixed to the cam and that is rotatable with the cam, the housing includes a side wall and an engagement slot provided at the side wall, and the spring pin is adapted to, when rotating, abut against the side wall to be compressed, and when rotating to the engagement slot, at least partially release the compression and extend into the engagement slot to restrict rotation of the cam.
Optionally, the linkage apparatus includes a restorer extending from outside the housing to the engagement slot, and the restorer is adapted to abut against the spring pin to maintain the spring pin compressed when the spring pin rotates to the engagement slot, be staggered from the engagement slot to cause the spring pin to at least partially release and extend into the engagement slot when the outer door is pulled outward, and abut against the spring pin and cause the spring pin to compress and exit the engagement slot when the outer door is pushed inward.
Optionally, the linkage mechanism includes a first spring connected between the housing and the first latch, where the first spring is adapted to be compressed when the cam drives the first latch to move and at least partially release the compression when the spring pin exits the engagement slot, to cause the first latch to move toward a direction away from the linkage so as to separate from the linkage and to drive the cam to rotate reversely so as to restore the baffle assembly.
Optionally, the spring pin and the restorer respectively include a first ramp and a second ramp adapted to abut against each other, where the first ramp is inclined inward, while the second ramp is inclined outward.
Optionally, projections of the first ramp and the second ramp in a plane parallel to a direction in which the spring pin extends and retracts at least partially overlap.
Optionally, the linkage is pivotally connected to the inner door, where the inner door is adapted to, when the outer door is pulled outward to rotate and open, rotate with the outer door and open the inner door.
Optionally, a torsional spring is disposed between the linkage and the inner door, where the torsional spring is adapted to maintain the linkage stable when the first latch is movably connected to the linkage.
Optionally, the linkage mechanism includes a gear fixedly connected to the cam, the baffle assembly includes teeth, and the teeth are engaged with the gear to connect the baffle assembly and the cam in a transmission manner.
Optionally, the linkage includes an insertion hole, where the first latch is adapted to, when moving toward the linkage, be inserted into the insertion hole to connect to the linkage.
Optionally, the outer door provided with openings, where the baffle assembly passes through the openings to be pivotally connected to the housing.
Optionally, the baffle assembly includes a baffle adapted to cover the opening, where the baffle is adapted to be pushed inward to rotate the baffle assembly.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a laundry treatment device, including a box body, a tub disposed in the box body, an inner door, an outer door, and the foregoing linkage apparatus, where the inner door is hingedly connected to the tub, and the outer door is hingedly connected to a front panel of the box body.
Optionally, the laundry treatment device includes a seal ring fixed on an inner side of the inner door, where the seal ring is adapted to, when the inner door and the outer door are closed, be pressed along a normal direction to seal the tub.
Compared with the related art, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects. For example, the linkage apparatus is disposed between the outer door and the inner door, so the outer door and the inner door can be connected to each other by pushing the baffle inward only. In addition, when the outer door and the inner door are connected to each other, both the outer door and the inner door can be opened at the same time by pulling the outer door outward only or can be closed at the same time by pushing the outer door inward only. The operation is simple and convenient and saves time and effort.
In another example, through simple cooperation between the spring pin and the engagement slot, restriction on rotation of the cam can be achieved, thereby ensuring stability of the connection between the inner door and the outer door.
In another example, through simple cooperation between the restorer and the spring pin and between the restorer and the engagement slot, restriction on rotation of the cam can be easily released when the outer door is pushed inward.
In another example, through simple cooperation between the first latch and the first spring, the first latch can be caused to move toward the direction away from the linkage and separate from the linkage when restriction on rotation of the cam is released, so that the outer door and the inner door are disconnected from each other.
In another example, when the outer door and the inner door are disconnected from each other, the outer door maintains a specific distance from the inner door, to prevent the laundry treatment device from affecting stability of the outer door and the front panel of the box body due to motion of a drum during operation.
In another example, door glass is mounted on the inner door, and the inner door is hingedly connected to the tub, so that the door glass can have a relatively small thickness and a simple shape, and therefore can be coated with an explosion-proof film on a surface thereof, to reduce a risk that the door glass is broken.
In another example, the door glass is mounted on the inner door, and the seal ring is mounted on the inner side of the inner door, and is engaged with to a periphery of the door glass, so that the seal ring is unlikely to accumulate water or get mildewed because of being pressed by the tub along the normal direction when the inner door is closed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic assembly diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an inner door and a linkage in FIG. 2 along a line A-A;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an outer door, a baffle assembly, a linkage mechanism, and a restorer in FIG. 2 along the line A-A;
FIG. 5 is a schematic assembly diagram of a linkage mechanism and a baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a top view of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded view of a linkage mechanism and a baffle assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic assembly diagram of a baffle assembly and a gear according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a schematic assembly diagram of an inner door and a linkage according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device in an initial state of door opening according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device when a baffle is pushed inward according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a restorer abutting against a second latch according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a restorer separating from a second latch according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device when an outer door is pulled outward according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device in a door-open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device in an initial state of door closing according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device when an outer door is pushed inward according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a linkage apparatus and a two-door device in a door-closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 20 is a schematic assembly diagram of a front panel and an outer door of a laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of comparison between a connection part of a seal ring of a laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention and that in the related art; and
FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of comparison between a stress situation of a seal ring according to an embodiment of the present invention and that in the related art.

As for an existing laundry treatment device, due to the improper design of its door body structure, not only there is a risk that its door glass is easily broken, but also its seal ring is very likely to accumulate water and get mildewed.
Different from the related art, the embodiments of the present invention provide a linkage apparatus and a laundry treatment device including same.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a linkage apparatus for a two-door device, the two-door device including an inner door and an outer door. The linkage apparatus includes: a linkage mechanism, including a housing connected to the outer door, a cam pivotally connected into the housing, and a first latch movably mounted to the housing; a baffle assembly pivotally connected to the housing and connected to the cam in a transmission manner; and a linkage connected to the inner door, where the baffle assembly is adapted to, when being pushed inward, rotate along a first direction of rotation to drive the cam to rotate along a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation, the cam is adapted to, when rotating along the second direction of rotation, abut against the first latch and drive the first latch to move toward the linkage, and the first latch is adapted to, when moving, connect to the linkage to connect the inner door and the outer door.
In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the outer door and the inner door can be connected to each other by pushing a baffle inward only. In addition, when the outer door and the inner door are connected to each other, both the outer door and the inner door can be opened at the same time by pulling the outer door outward only or can be closed at the same time by pushing the outer door inward only. The operation is simple and convenient and saves time and effort.
Further, when the outer door and the inner door are disconnected from each other, a specific distance can be maintained between the outer door and the inner door, thereby preventing the laundry treatment device from affecting stability of the outer door and a front panel of a box body due to motion of a drum during operation.
Further, door glass can be mounted on the inner door, and the inner door is hingedly connected to a tub, so that the door glass has a relatively small thickness and a simple shape, and therefore can be coated with an explosion-proof film on a surface thereof, to reduce a risk that the door glass is broken.
Further, first door glass can be mounted on the inner door. A first seal ring is mounted on an inner side of the inner door and is engaged with a periphery of the first door glass, so that the seal ring is unlikely to accumulate water or get mildewed because of being pressed by the drum along a normal direction when the inner door is closed.
For ease of description of the linkage apparatus and the laundry treatment device provided in the embodiments of the present invention, directions of "front" and "rear" as well as an outer side and an inner side are illustrated in some of the accompanying drawings. The directions of "front" and "rear" are determined from a perspective of the linkage apparatus and the laundry treatment device facing a user in a normal use state. "Front" indicates a direction in which the linkage apparatus and the laundry treatment device face the user, "rear" indicates a direction opposite to "front", the outer side corresponds to the direction of "front", and the inner side corresponds to the direction of "back". The directions of "front" and "rear" as well as the outer and inner sides are merely used for ease of description of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention, and do not constitute limitative explanations of the technical solutions.
To make the objectives, features, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention more comprehensible, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, an embodiment of the present invention provides a linkage apparatus 10 for a two-door device. The two-door device includes an inner door 100 and an outer door 200. The linkage apparatus 10 is configured to connect the inner door 100 to the outer door 200 or disconnect the inner door 100 from the outer door 200. The linkage apparatus 10 includes a linkage mechanism 300 connected to the outer door 200, a baffle assembly 400, and a linkage 500 connected to the inner door 100.
Specifically, the linkage mechanism 300 includes a housing 310 connected to the outer door 200, a cam 320 pivotally connected into the housing 310, and a first latch 331 movably mounted in the housing 310. The baffle assembly 400 is pivotally connected to the housing 310 and is connected to the cam 320 in a transmission manner. The baffle assembly 400 is adapted to, when being pushed inward, rotate along a first direction of rotation (for example, a clockwise direction) to drive the cam 320 to rotate along a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation (for example, a counterclockwise direction). The cam 320 is adapted to, when rotating along the second direction of rotation, abut against the first latch 331 and drive the first latch 331 to move toward the linkage 500.
The first latch 331 is adapted to, when moving toward the linkage 500, connect to the linkage 500 to connect the inner door 100 and the outer door 200.
In a specific implementation, the outer door 200 can include an outer door front cover 210 and an outer door rear cover 220 that are connected back and forth. The outer door front cover 210 and the outer door rear cover 220 are respectively provided with a first opening 211 and a second opening 221 that are adapted for the baffle assembly 400 to pass through.
The baffle assembly 400 includes a baffle 410 and a transmission member 420 connected to each other. The transmission member 420 passes through the first opening 211 and the second opening 221 in sequence and is pivotally connected to the housing 310 of the linkage mechanism 300. The baffle 410 is adapted to cover the first opening 211 and adapted to, when being pushed inward, drive the transmission member 320 to rotate along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction) relative to the housing 310 of the linkage mechanism 300.
The outer door front cover 210 further includes a handle 212 disposed adjacent to the first opening 211. The handle 212 is adapted to be pushed inward to close the inner door 100 and the outer door 200 and be pulled outward to open the inner door 100 and the outer door 200.
The housing 310 of the linkage mechanism 300 includes a bottom wall 312 adapted for mounting the transmission member 420 and the cam 320.
Specifically, the transmission member 420 and the cam 320 can be respectively connected to the bottom wall 312 by a pivot shaft.
For example, the transmission member 420 is connected to the bottom wall 312 of the housing 310 by a first pivot shaft 301 and can rotate around the first pivot shaft 301 relative to the housing 310. The cam 320 is connected to the bottom wall 312 of the housing 310 by a second pivot shaft 302 and can rotate around the second pivot shaft 302 relative to the housing 310.
The linkage mechanism 300 includes a gear 350 fixedly connected to the cam 320. Teeth 421 are disposed on the transmission 420. The teeth 421 are engaged with the gear 350 to connect the baffle assembly 400 and the cam 320 in a transmission manner. In this way, the baffle assembly 400 is adapted to, when being pushed inward to rotate around the first pivot shaft 301 along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction), drive the cam 320 to rotate around the second pivot shaft 302 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction).
The housing 310 of the linkage mechanism 300 further includes a side wall 313 connected to the bottom wall 312. The side wall 313 is provided with an insertion slot 314. The first latch 331 passes through the insertion slot 314 and is adapted to, when the cam 320 rotates around the second pivot shaft 302 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), be abutted against by the cam 320 to move toward the linkage 500, and when moving toward the linkage 500, connect to the linkage 500 to connect the inner door 100 and the outer door 200.
The housing 310 of the linkage mechanism 300 further includes a connecting member 311 fixedly connected to the bottom wall 312 and/or the side wall 313. The linkage mechanism 300 can be pivotally connected to the outer door 200 by the connecting member 311. For example, the connecting member 311 can be connected to an inner side of the outer door front cover 210 by a third pivot shaft 303. in this way, the linkage mechanism 300 can be pivotally connected to the outer door 200, that is, the linkage mechanism 300 can rotate around the third pivot shaft 303 relative to the outer door 200.
Correspondingly, the linkage 500 is pivotally connected to the inner door 100. For example, the linkage 500 may be connected to an inner door rear cover 120 by a fourth pivot shaft 501. In this way, the linkage 500 is adapted to, when the inner door 100 and the outer door 200 are connected to each other, and the outer door 200 is pulled outward, rotate with the outer door 200 through the linkage mechanism 300 and open the inner door 100.
The linkage 500 includes an insertion hole 510 used for connecting to the first latch 331. The first latch 331 is adapted to, when moving toward the linkage 500, be inserted into the insertion hole 510 to connect to the linkage 500.
In some preferred specific examples, the insertion hole 510 of the linkage 500 may have a size and a shape matching those of the first latch 331, so that the first latch 331 can be inserted into the insertion hole 510 tightly, thereby improving stability of the connection between the first latch 331 and the linkage 500.
A torsional spring 700 is further disposed between the linkage 500 and the inner door 100. The torsional spring 700 is adapted to, when the first latch 331 moves toward the linkage 500 to be inserted into the insertion hole 510, maintain stability of the linkage 500.
When the foregoing technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present invention is adopted, the outer door 200 can be connected to the inner door 100 by pushing the baffle 410 inward only. Specifically, when the baffle 410 is pushed inward, the transmission member 420 connected to the baffle 410 rotates around the first pivot shaft 301 along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction) and drive the cam 320 to rotate around the second pivot shaft 302 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), and when the cam 320 rotates around the second pivot shaft 302 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), abuts against the first latch 331 in the housing 310 and drive the first latch 331 to move toward the linkage 500. When moving toward the linkage 500, the first latch 331 can be inserted into the insertion hole 510 to connect to the linkage 500. Since the linkage 500 is connected to the inner door 100, and the housing 310 of the linkage mechanism 300 is connected to the outer door 200, the outer door 200 can be connected to the inner door 100 when the first latch 331 is connected to the linkage 500.
In this embodiment of the present invention, the linkage mechanism 300 may further include a spring pin 340 that is fixed to the cam 320 and can rotate with the cam 320. The housing 310 may further include an engagement slot 315 provided at the side wall 313.
The spring pin 340 is adapted to, when rotating with the cam 320, abut against the side wall 313 to be compressed, and when rotating to the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313, at least partially release the compression and extend into the engagement slot 315 to restrict rotation of the cam 320.
In this way, when the first latch 331 is inserted into the insertion hole 510 to connect to the linkage 500 so as to connect the outer door 200 and the inner door 100, rotation of the cam 320 can be restricted by the spring pin 340 extending into the engagement slot 315 of the housing 310, to ensure stability of the connection between the inner door 100 and the outer door 200.
The linkage apparatus 10 may further include a restorer 600 extending from outside the housing 310 to the engagement slot 315. The restorer 600 is adapted to abut against the spring pin 340 to maintain the spring pin 340 compressed when the spring pin 340 rotates to the engagement slot 315, be staggered from the engagement slot 315 to cause the spring pin 340 to at least partially release and extend into the engagement slot 315 when the outer door 200 is pulled outward, and abut against the spring pin 340 and cause the spring pin 340 to compress and exit the engagement slot 315 when the outer door 200 is pushed inward.
In this way, the spring pin 340 can be compressed by the restorer 600 to exit the engagement slot 315 when the outer door 200 is pushed inward so as to release the restriction on rotation of the cam 320.
The linkage mechanism 300 further includes a first spring 332 connected between the housing 310 and the first latch 331. The first spring 332 is adapted to be compressed when the cam 320 drives the first latch 331 to move and when the spring pin 340 exits the engagement slot 315, at least partially release the compression to cause the first latch 331 to move toward a direction away from the linkage 500 so as to separate from the linkage 500 and to drive the cam 320 to rotate reversely so as to restore the baffle assembly 400.
In this way, when the restriction on rotation of the cam 320 is released, the compression is at least partially released by the first spring 332 to cause the first latch 331 to move toward the direction away from the linkage 500 and separate from the linkage 500, so that the outer door 200 and the inner door 100 are disconnected from each other.
In a specific implementation, the first spring 332 is fixed to the bottom wall 312 or the side wall 313 of the housing 310. The first latch 331 can be located above the first spring 332 relative to the bottom wall 312 and fixedly connected to the first spring 332. The first latch 331 is adapted to, when the cam 320 rotates along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), be abutted against by the cam 320 to move toward the linkage 500 and cause the first spring 332 to be compressed. The first spring 332 is adapted to, when the spring pin 340 exits the engagement slot 315 to release the restriction on rotation of the cam 320, drive the cam 320 through the first latch 331 to rotate around the second pivot shaft 302 along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction), so as to at least partially release the compression to cause the first latch 331 to move toward the direction away from the linkage 500 to separate from the linkage 500.
When the cam 320 rotates around the second pivot shaft 302 along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction), the transmission member 420 that is connected to the cam 320 in a transmission manner is adapted to be driven by the cam 320 to drive the baffle 410 to rotate along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), so as to restore the baffle 410 at the first opening 211 of the outer door front cover 210.
In this embodiment of the present invention, when the baffle 410 is located at the first opening 211 of the outer door front cover 210, the first spring 332 exactly releases the entire compression and restores an original length.
In a specific implementation, the spring pin 340 may include a second latch 341 and a second spring 342. The second spring 342 is configured to elastically connect the cam 320 and the second latch 341. For example, two ends of the second spring 342 may be respectively connected to the cam 320 and the second latch 341. The second spring 342 is adapted to, when rotating with the cam 320, be compressed by the second latch 341 to cause the second latch 341 to abut against the side wall 313 of the housing 310, and when the second latch 341 rotates to the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313, at least partially release the compression to cause the second latch 341 to extend into the engagement slot 315.
Referring to FIG. 7, the linkage mechanism 300 may further include a cam cover 360 and a housing cover 370. The cam cover 360 covers a top of the cam 320. The housing cover 370 covers a space enclosed by the bottom wall 312 and the side wall 313 of the housing 310.
Referring to FIG. 10, when the linkage apparatus and the two-door device are in an initial state of door opening, the baffle 410 covers the first opening 211 of the outer door front cover 210, the second latch 341 abuts against the side wall 313 of the housing 310, the restorer 600 extends from outside the housing 310 to the engagement slot 315, the first latch 331 separates from the linkage 500, and the inner door 100 separates from the outer door 200.
Referring to FIG. 11, when the baffle 410 is pushed inward, the transmission member 420 connected to the baffle 410 rotates around the first pivot shaft 301 along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction) and drives the cam 320 connected thereto in a transmission manner to rotate around the second pivot shaft 302 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction). When rotating around the second pivot shaft 302 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), the cam 320 abuts against the first latch 331 and drives the first latch 331 to move toward the linkage 500. When moving toward the linkage 500, the first latch 331 is inserted into the insertion hole 510 of the linkage 500 to connect to the linkage 500, so as to connect the outer door 200 and the inner door 100.
In addition, the second latch 341 is adapted to, when rotating with the cam 320 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), abut against the side wall 313 of the housing 310 and when rotating to the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313, abut against the restorer 600 located on an outer side of the housing 310. The second spring 342 is adapted to, when rotating with the cam 320 along the second direction of rotation (for example, the counterclockwise direction), be compressed by the second latch 341 and when the second latch 341 abuts against the restorer 600, remain compressed.
Referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the second latch 341 and the restorer 600 respectively include a first ramp 341a and a second ramp 600a adapted to abut against each other. The first ramp 341a is adapted to incline inward, that is, incline toward the restorer 600, while the second ramp 600a is adapted to incline outward, that is, incline toward the second latch 341.
When the second latch 341 abuts against the restorer 600, projections of the first ramp 341a and the second ramp 600a in a plane parallel to a direction in which the second latch 341 extends and retracts (the second latch 341 can extend and retract relative to the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313) at least partially overlap. In this way, the second latch 341 can be subjected to a force f exerted by the restorer 600 when abutting against the restorer 600.
Referring to FIG. 12, when the second latch 341 abuts against the restorer 600, the restorer 600 exerts the force f on the second latch 341. The force f can be resolved into a first component force f₁ parallel to the direction in which the second latch 341 extends and retracts and a second component force f₂ perpendicular to the first component force f₁. The first component force f₁ is adapted to prevent the second latch 341 from extending to the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313 and maintain the second spring 342 connected to the second latch 341 compressed. The second component force f₂ is adapted to prevent the second latch 341 from further rotating along the second direction of rotation.
Referring to FIG. 14, when the outer door 200 is pulled outward, the housing 310 moves toward the outer door 200 relative to the restorer 600 to stagger the restorer 600 from the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313. When the restorer 600 is staggered from the engagement slot 315, the force f exerted by the restorer 600 on the second latch 341 disappears. In this case, the second spring 342 can at least partially release the compression to cause the second latch 341 to extend into the engagement slot 315 to restrict rotation of the cam 320, thereby ensuring stability of the connection between the outer door 200 and the inner door 100.
Referring to FIG. 15, when the outer door 200 and the inner door 100 are stably connected to each other, the outer door 200 and the inner door 100 can be opened at the same time by further pulling the outer door 200 outward.
In some preferred embodiments, an angle at which the outer door 200 and the inner door 100 are opened can range from 0 degrees to 90 degrees with 90 degrees included and 0 degrees excluded.
Referring to FIG. 16, when the linkage apparatus and the two-door device are in an initial state of door closing, the baffle 410 is located on the inner side of the outer door front cover 210. The second latch 341 extends into the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313. The restorer 600 is staggered from the engagement slot 315. The first latch 331 is connected to the linkage 500. The inner door 100 is connected to the outer door 200.
Referring to FIG. 17, when the outer door 200 is pushed inward, the housing 310 moves with the outer door 200 inward and causes the engagement slot 315 of the side wall 313 thereof to connect to the restorer 600. When the restorer 600 is connected to the engagement slot 315, the restorer 600 abuts against the second latch 341 and drives the second spring 342 connected to the second latch 341 to be compressed, so that the second latch 341 exits the engagement slot 315.
When the second latch 341 exits the engagement slot 315, the first spring 332 can at least partially release the compression, so that the first latch 331 moves toward the direction away from the linkage 500 to separate from the linkage 500 and drives the cam 320 to rotate along the first direction of rotation (for example, the clockwise direction) to restore the baffle 410 at the first opening 211. When the first latch 331 separates from the linkage 500, the outer door 200 and the inner door 100 are disconnected from each other.
Referring to FIG. 18, when the linkage apparatus and the two-door device are in a door-closed state, the baffle 410 covers the first opening 211 of the outer door front cover 210. The second latch 341 abuts against the side wall 313 of the housing 310. The restorer 600 extends from outside the housing 310 to the engagement slot 315. The first latch 331 separates from the linkage 500. The inner door 100 separates from the outer door 200.
Referring to FIG. 19 to FIG. 22, the embodiments of the present invention further provide a laundry treatment device 1. The laundry treatment device 1 includes a box body 20, a tub 30, a drum 40, an inner door 100, an outer door 200, and the linkage apparatus 10 provided in the embodiments of the present invention.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the laundry treatment device 1 may be a device adapted to wash or dry clothes, for example, a drum washing machine, a washing and drying machine, or a drying machine.
Specifically, the tub 30 is fixedly disposed in the box body 20. The drum 40 is rotatably disposed in the tub 30. Each of the drum 40, the tub 30, and the box body 20 is provided with a placement opening adapted for picking up or placing clothes (not shown in the figure). The inner door 100 is hingedly connected to the tub 30 to be adapted to open or close the placement opening of the tub 30. The outer door 200 is hingedly connected to the front panel 21 of the box body 20 to be adapted to open or close the placement opening of the box body 20.
In a specific implementation, the inner door 100 and the outer door 200 are adapted to open or close the corresponding placement openings at the same time. The linkage apparatus 10 is configured to connect the inner door 100 to the outer door 200 when the inner door 100 and the outer door 200 are opened at the same time and disconnect the inner door 100 from the outer door 200 when both thereof are closed at the same time.
In this embodiment of the present invention, the linkage mechanism 300 and the baffle assembly 400 of the linkage apparatus 10 are mounted on the outer door 200. The linkage 500 is mounted on the inner door 100. The restorer 600 is fixed to a back side 22 of the front panel 21 of the box body 20, that is, a side of the front panel 21 facing toward the inner door 100.
In some comparatively good embodiments, when the outer door 200 is disconnected from the inner door 100, a specific distance is maintained between the outer door 200 and the inner door 100, so as to prevent the laundry treatment device 1 from affecting stability of the outer door 200 and the front panel 21 of the box body 20 due to motion of the drum 40 during operation.
Referring to FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, the laundry treatment device 1 further includes a seal ring 50 fixed to an inner side of the inner door 100. The seal ring 50 is adapted to, when the inner door 100 and the outer door 200 are closed, be pressed along a normal direction F to seal the tub 30. The normal direction F is a direction perpendicular to a plane in which a diameter of the seal ring 50 is located.
To differentiate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention from the technical solutions in related art, in the following description, a seal ring in the embodiments of the present invention is collectively referred to as a first seal ring 50, while a seal ring in related art is collectively referred to as a second seal ring 50'. In addition, door glass in the embodiments of the present invention is collectively referred to as first door glass 60, while door glass in related art is collectively referred to as second door glass 60'.
In related art, a door of a laundry treatment device is usually a single door mounted on a front panel of a box body thereof. Second door glass 60' deeply depressed toward a tub is mounted on the single door. A second seal ring 50' is mounted on the tub. When the single door is closed, the second door glass 60' presses the second seal ring 50' along a radial direction F' of the second seal ring 50' to seal the tub.
In related art, since there is a relatively long distance between the front panel of the box body and the tub, the second door glass 60' should be deeply depressed toward the tub, so as to close a placement opening of the tub. Therefore, the second door glass 60' usually have a large thickness and a complex shape. Consequently, the second door glass 60' cannot be coated with an explosion-proof film on a surface thereof, and there is a risk that the second door glass 60' is easily broken.
In addition, the second seal ring 50' is usually provided with a groove 51'. When the second seal ring 50' is pressed along the radial direction F', water accumulated in the groove 51' cannot be drained, resulting in a problem that the second seal ring 50' is likely to get mildewed.
In an embodiment of the present invention, first door glass 60 is mounted on the inner door 100. The first seal ring 50 is mounted on the inner side of the inner door 100 and is engaged with a periphery of the first door glass 60. When the inner door 100 is closed, the first seal ring 50 is pressed by the tub 30 along the normal direction F to seal the tub 30.
In this embodiment of the present invention, because the first door glass 60 is mounted on the inner door 100 and the inner door 100 is hingedly connected to the tub 30, the first door glass 60 can have a relatively small thickness and a simple shape, so that the first door glass 60 can be engaged with the tub 30 when the inner door 100 is closed.
The first door glass 60 has a relatively small thickness and a simple shape, so first door glass 60 can be coated with an explosion-proof film on a surface thereof to reduce a risk that the first door glass 60 is broken.
In addition, when the inner door 100 is closed, the first seal ring 50 is pressed by the tub 30 along the normal direction F so that the first seal ring 50 is unlikely to accumulate water or get mildewed.
Although specific implementations are described above, the implementations are not intended to limit the scope disclosed in the present invention, even if only a single implementation is described relative to a specific feature. The feature examples provided in the present invention are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, unless different expressions are made. During specific implementation, according to an actual requirement, in a technically feasible case, the technical features of one or more dependent claims may be combined with the technical features of the independent claims, and the technical features from the corresponding independent claims may be combined in any appropriate way instead of using just specific combinations listed in the claims.
Although the present invention is disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

A linkage apparatus (10) for a two-door device, the two-door device comprising an inner door (100) and an outer door (200), characterized in that the linkage apparatus (10) comprises:
a linkage mechanism (300), comprising a housing (310) connected to the outer door (200), a cam (320) pivotally connected into the housing (310), and a first latch (331) movably mounted to the housing (310); and

a baffle assembly (400), pivotally connected to the housing (310) and connected to the cam (320) in a transmission manner; and a linkage (500) connected to the inner door (100), wherein

the baffle assembly (400) is adapted to, when being pushed inward, rotate along a first direction of rotation to drive the cam (320) to rotate along a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation, the cam (320) is adapted to, when rotating along the second direction of rotation, abut against the first latch (331) and drive the first latch (331) to move toward the linkage (500), and the first latch (331) is adapted to, when moving, connect to the linkage (500) to connect the inner door (100) and the outer door (200).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the linkage mechanism (300) comprises a spring pin (340) that is fixed to the cam (320) and that is rotatable with the cam (320), the housing (310) comprises a side wall (313) and an engagement slot (315) provided at the side wall (313), and the spring pin (340) is adapted to, when rotating, abut against the side wall (313) to be compressed, and when rotating to the engagement slot (315), at least partially release the compression and extend into the engagement slot (315) to restrict rotation of the cam (320).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 2, characterized by comprising a restorer (600) extending from outside the housing (310) to the engagement slot (315), wherein the restorer (600) is adapted to abut against the spring pin (340) to cause the spring pin (340) to maintain the compression when the spring pin (340) rotates to the engagement slot (315), be staggered from the engagement slot (315) to cause the spring pin (340) to at least partially release and extend into the engagement slot (315) when the outer door (200) is pulled outward, and abut against the spring pin (340) and cause the spring pin (340) to compress and exit the engagement slot (315) when the outer door (200) is pushed inward.
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the linkage mechanism (300) comprises a first spring (332) connected between the housing (310) and the first latch (331), wherein the first spring (332) is adapted to be compressed when the cam (320) drives the first latch (331) to move and adapted to at least partially release the compression when the spring pin (340) exits the engagement slot (315), to cause the first latch (331) to move toward a direction away from the linkage (500) so as to separate from the linkage (500) and to drive the cam (320) to rotate reversely so as to restore the baffle assembly (400).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring pin (340) and the restorer (600) respectively comprise a first ramp (341a) and a second ramp (600a) adapted to abut against each other, wherein the first ramp (341a) is inclined inward, while the second ramp (600a) is inclined outward.
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that projections of the first ramp (341a) and the second ramp (600a) in a plane parallel to a direction in which the spring pin (340) extends and retracts at least partially overlap.
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the linkage (500) is pivotally connected to the inner door (100), wherein the linkage (500) is adapted to, when the outer door (200) is pulled outward to rotate and open, rotate with the outer door (200) and open the inner door (100).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that a torsional spring (700) is disposed between the linkage (500) and the inner door (100), wherein the torsional spring (700) is adapted to maintain the linkage stable when the first latch (331) is movably connected to the linkage (500).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the linkage mechanism (300) comprises a gear (350) fixedly connected to the cam (320), wherein the baffle assembly (400) comprises teeth (421), and the teeth (421) are engaged with the gear (350) to connect the baffle assembly (400) and the cam (320) in a transmission manner.
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the linkage (500) comprises an insertion hole (510), wherein the first latch (331) is adapted to, when moving toward the linkage (500), insert into the insertion hole (510) to connect to the linkage (500).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer door (200) is provided with openings (211, 221), wherein the baffle assembly (400) passes through the openings (211, 221) to be pivotally connected to the housing (310).
The linkage apparatus (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that the baffle assembly (400) comprises a baffle (410) adapted to cover the opening (211), wherein the baffle (410) is adapted to be pushed inward to rotate the baffle assembly (400).
A laundry treatment device (1), comprising a box body (20), a tub (30) disposed in the box body (20), an inner door (100), and an outer door (200), characterized by comprising the linkage apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the inner door (100) is hingedly connected to the tub (30) and the outer door (200) is hingedly connected to a front panel (21) of the box body (20).
The laundry treatment device (1) according to claim 13, characterized by comprising a seal ring (50) fixed on an inner side of the inner door (100), wherein the seal ring (50) is adapted to, when the inner door and the outer door (100, 200) are closed, be pressed along a normal direction (F) to seal the tub (30).