EP4187007A1

EP4187007A1 - Clothes washing apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4187007A1
Application number: EP21854016.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kai Liu; Sheng Xu; Zhiqiang Zhao
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Drum Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Drum Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-06
Filing date: 2021-07-27
Publication date: 2023-05-31
Also published as: EP4187007A4; CN114059292A; WO2022028272A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of clothes washing and aims at solving the problems of easy bacterial growth and odor generation and secondary contamination on clothes to be subsequently washed, caused by an extremely damp interior of a cylinder assembly of a clothes washing apparatus after the clothes washing apparatus washes clothes. With this regard, the present invention provides a clothes washing apparatus, comprising a cylinder assembly, a clothes treatment agent dispensing box, and a water inlet pipe. An inlet of the water inlet pipe is communicated with the clothes treatment agent dispensing box, and an outlet of the water inlet pipe is communicated with the cylinder assembly. The clothes washing apparatus further comprises an air inlet pipe communicating the outside with the cylinder assembly and a water suction pipe connected to the water inlet pipe; the water suction pipe is connected to a drain pump of the clothes washing apparatus; an air inlet fan is provided in the air inlet pipe; the drain pump is configured to drain water in the water inlet pipe through the water suction pipe when the clothes washing apparatus executes a ventilation program. According to the present invention, residual water inside the cylinder assembly after clothes washing can be air-dried to avoid bacterial growth and odor generation and secondary contamination on clothes during subsequent clothes washing, thus improving user experience.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of clothing washing, and specifically provides a clothing washing apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A clothing washing apparatus is a clothing treatment apparatus capable of washing, rinsing, spin-drying and/or drying the clothing.
Taking a drum washing machine and a drum washing-drying integrated machine as an example, they are designed according to the principle of striking clothing with a bar hammer, and have many advantages such as low wear, no entanglement, washability of cashmere and real silk fabrics, and large capacity, etc. After the clothing is washed, an interior of a cylinder assembly is very damp, and the damp environment makes it very easy to breed bacteria inside the cylinder assembly and will produce odor. However, just opening the door cannot eradicate this situation. When users use the washing machine again, secondary pollution will also be caused to the newly added clothing, which is not advantageous for use by users and will affect user's normal experience.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new clothing washing apparatus in the art to solve the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the above problems in the prior art, that is, to solve the problems in existing clothing washing apparatuses that the interior of the cylinder assembly thereof is very damp after the clothing is washed, which makes it easy to breed bacteria and produce odor, and that secondary pollution will be caused to the clothing to be washed subsequently, the present disclosure provides a clothing washing apparatus, which includes a cylinder assembly, a clothing treatment agent dispenser and a water inflow pipe; an inlet of the water inflow pipe is communicated with the clothing treatment agent dispenser, and an outlet of the water inflow pipe is communicated with the cylinder assembly; the clothing washing apparatus further includes an air inflow pipe communicating the outside with the cylinder assembly, and a water suction pipe connected with the water inflow pipe; the water suction pipe is connected with a water discharge pump of the clothing washing apparatus, an air inflow fan is arranged in the air inflow pipe, and the water discharge pump is arranged to be capable of discharging water in the water inflow pipe through the water suction pipe when the clothing washing apparatus executes a ventilation program, so that the water inflow pipe is communicated with the outside.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the water inflow pipe is a U-shaped water inflow pipe, and a highest position of the water suction pipe is located between a height position of the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe and a height position of the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the water suction pipe is communicated with a bottom of a horizontal section of the U-shaped water inflow pipe.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder rotatably arranged in the outer cylinder, and a window gasket connected with the outer cylinder, and the air inflow pipe is communicated with a wrinkle part of the window gasket.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the air inflow pipe is communicated with a top of the wrinkle part of the window gasket.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder rotatably arranged in the outer cylinder, and a window gasket connected with the outer cylinder, and the air inflow pipe is communicated with the outer cylinder.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the air inflow pipe is communicated with a top of the outer cylinder.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the air inflow pipe is provided therein with a foam overflow prevention member.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the air inflow fan is arranged on an upstream side of the foam overflow prevention member in an air inflow direction of the air inflow pipe.
In a preferred technical solution of the above clothing washing apparatus, the air inflow pipe is provided therein with an air filtering member.
It can be understood by those skilled in the art that in the preferred technical solutions of the present disclosure, by providing the air inflow pipe and the water suction pipe which is connected with the water inflow pipe of the clothing washing apparatus and connected with the water discharge pump of the clothing washing apparatus, water can be injected into the cylinder assembly through the water inflow pipe during normal washing of the clothing washing apparatus. At this point, there is water in the water inflow pipe to form water seal. When the ventilation program is executed after the clothing washing apparatus finishes washing, the air inflow fan and the water discharge pump are turned on, so that outside air enters the cylinder assembly from the air inflow pipe; then, the air in the cylinder assembly enters the water inflow pipe, and the water discharge pump discharges water in the water inflow pipe through the water suction pipe, so that the water inflow pipe is communicated with the outside; that is, the water inflow pipe is used to discharge the air. Through such an arrangement, the clothing washing apparatus can be provided with a ventilation function without changing the structure of the original clothing washing apparatus too much, so that the residual water inside the cylinder assembly can be air-dried after the clothing is washed, thus ensuring internal dryness of the cylinder assembly, and avoiding bacteria breeding and odor generation. Moreover, when the user uses the clothing washing apparatus to wash the clothing again, no secondary pollution will be caused to the clothing. In addition, there is no need to make significant structural changes to the clothing washing apparatus. The structure is simple, the production cost is saved, and the user experience is improved.
Further, the water inflow pipe is a U-shaped water inflow pipe. When water flows into the U-shaped water inflow pipe, since the highest position of the water suction pipe is higher than the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe, water will not be discharged from the water suction pipe during the inflow of water into the clothing washing apparatus, so that it is ensured the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe can enter the cylinder assembly. When the clothing washing apparatus finishes washing and the ventilation program is executed, the water discharge pump is turned on to discharge the water in the water inflow pipe, and further the water inflow pipe is communicated with the outside to realize air discharge. Moreover, since the highest position of the water suction pipe is lower than the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe, the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe will not flow back to the clothing treatment agent dispenser and overflow, thus ensuring the safe operation of clothing washing apparatus.
Further, the water suction pipe is communicated with the bottom of the horizontal section of the U-shaped water inflow pipe, so that when the clothing washing apparatus executes the ventilation program, the water suction pipe can completely drain the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe, avoiding water residue in the U-shaped water inflow pipe.
Further, the arrangement of the foam overflow prevention member in the air inflow pipe can prevent foam from overflowing to the outside from the air inflow pipe if too much foam is generated in the washing process of the clothing washing apparatus, prevent water and foam from overflowing from the clothing washing apparatus, avoid affecting the indoor environment, and further improve the user experience.
Further, by arranging the air inflow fan on the upstream side of the foam overflow prevention member in the air inflow direction of the air inflow pipe, the air inflow fan can be prevented from being affected by foam and water, thus avoiding short circuit of the air inflow fan, and further improving the safety of the clothing washing apparatus.
Further, by arranging the air filtering member in the air inflow pipe, the air entering the cylinder assembly can be prevented from carrying impurities such as dust, thus ensuring that the interior of the cylinder assembly is not affected, and further improving the user experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with a drum washing machine, in which:

FIG. 1 is a first schematic structural view of a drum washing machine of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 2 is a second schematic structural view of the drum washing machine of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

First, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principle of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. For example, although the present disclosure is explained and described in connection with a drum washing machine, the technical principle of the present disclosure is obviously also applicable to other apparatuses, such as drum washing-drying integrated machines and shoe washers. Such adjustments and changes to the application object do not constitute limitations to the present disclosure, and should all be defined within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
It should be noted that in the description of the present disclosure, terms indicating directional or positional relationships, such as "in", "above", "below", "horizontal", "vertical", "inner", "outer" and the like, are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only used for ease of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be considered as limitations to the present disclosure.
In addition, it should also be noted that in the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, terms "arrange", "connect" and "communicate" should be understood in a broad sense; for example, the connection may be a fixed connection, or may also be a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it may be a direct connection, or an indirect connection implemented through an intermediate medium, or it may be internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure can be interpreted according to specific situations.
In view of the problems pointed out in the "BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION" that in existing drum washing machines, the interior of the cylinder assembly thereof is very damp after the clothing is washed, which makes it easy to breed bacteria and produce odor, and that secondary pollution will be caused to the clothing to be washed subsequently, the present disclosure provides a drum washing machine, which aims to make the drum washing machine have a ventilation function without changing the structure of the original drum washing machine too much, so that the residual water inside the cylinder assembly can be air-dried after the clothing is washed, thus ensuring internal dryness of the cylinder assembly, and avoiding bacteria breeding and odor generation; moreover, when the user uses the drum washing machine to wash the clothing again, no secondary pollution will be caused to the clothing, and there is no need to make significant structural changes to the drum washing machine. The structure is simple, the production cost is saved, and the user experience is improved.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum washing machine of the present disclosure includes a cabinet 1 and a cylinder assembly arranged in the cabinet 1. The cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder 2 suspended in the cabinet 1 by a plurality of elastic damping members, an inner cylinder 3 rotatably arranged in the outer cylinder 2, and a window gasket 4 connected with the outer cylinder 2. The window gasket 4 is also connected with a clothing throw-in port of the cabinet 1. The inner cylinder 3 is driven by a combination of motor and belt or by a direct drive motor. When a door glass of the drum washing machine is closed, it can closely fit with the window gasket 4 to achieve sealing. The drum washing machine also includes a clothing treatment agent dispenser 5 (such as a detergent box and a softener box) and a water inflow pipe. An inlet of the water inflow pipe is communicated with the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5, and an outlet of the water inflow pipe is communicated with the cylinder assembly. External water enters the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5; then, the clothing treatment agent and the water are injected together into the outer cylinder 2 through the water inflow pipe. The clothing treatment agent dispenser 5 is communicated with the outside. A height position of the inlet of the water inflow pipe is higher than a height position of the outlet of the water inflow pipe. The water inflow pipe is preferably communicated with the outer cylinder 2. When the drum washing machine executes a washing program, water is first injected into the outer cylinder 2 through the water inflow pipe until a washing water level is reached, and then water injection is stopped. At this point, there is still water in the water inflow pipe and water seal is formed.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum washing machine of the present disclosure also includes an air inflow pipe 7 communicating the outside with the cylinder assembly, and a water suction pipe 9 which is connected with the water inflow pipe and connected with a water discharge pump 11 of the drum washing machine. An air inflow fan 8 is arranged in the air inflow pipe 7. The water discharge pump 11 is arranged to be capable of discharging water in the water inflow pipe through the water suction pipe 9 when the drum washing machine executes a ventilation program, so that the water inflow pipe is communicated with the outside. After the air inflow fan 8 is turned on, the outside air can be introduced into the outer cylinder 2 through the air inflow pipe 7, and the air in the outer cylinder 2 will enter the water inflow pipe. The water discharge pump 11 can discharge the water in the water inflow pipe through the water suction pipe 9, thus releasing the water seal in the water inflow pipe. The air in the outer cylinder 2 can continue to enter the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5 after entering the water inflow pipe. Since the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5 is communicated with the outside, the interior of the outer cylinder 2 is communicated with the outside, so as to achieve ventilation under the action of the air inflow fan 8, so that the interior of the cylinder assembly is air-dried and the odor in the cylinder assembly is discharged at the same time, thus avoiding bacteria breeding and secondary pollution to subsequent clothing washing.
Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water inflow pipe is a U-shaped water inflow pipe 6, and a highest position of the water suction pipe 9 is located between the height position of the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 and the height position of the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6. When the drum washing machine is washing normally, water is first injected into the outer cylinder 2. The external water (usually coming from tap water) enters the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5, and then enters the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 through the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6. The water level in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 continuously rises, and the water enters the outer cylinder 2 through the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6. The highest position of the water suction pipe 9 is higher than the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6, and the water discharge pump 11 is closed in the washing process. Due to the principle of communicating vessel, the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 can only enter the outer cylinder 2 without being discharged from the water suction pipe 9; after water injection is completed, water is stored in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 and completely seals a horizontal section and at least part of a vertical section of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6, that is, the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 is water sealed. When the drum washing machine executes the ventilation program, the air inflow fan 8 and the water discharge pump 11 are turned on, and the outside air is introduced into the air inflow pipe 7 by the air inflow fan 8; then the air enters the outer cylinder 2. The air in the outer cylinder 2 will enter the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 through the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6. The water discharge pump 11 discharges the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 through the water suction pipe 9, so that the water seal in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 is released, thus enabling the air to enter the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5 through the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6, and further be discharged to the outside. Moreover, since the highest position of the water suction pipe 9 is lower than the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6, the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 will not enter the clothing treatment agent dispenser 5, and therefore the drum washing machine will not be subject to overflow. In the above, as an alternative, the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 can also be replaced by a V-shaped water inflow pipe and other structures. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the shape and structural form of the water inflow pipe according to the internal layout space of the drum washing machine in practical applications. Such adjustments and changes to the shape and structural form of the water inflow pipe do not constitute limitations to the present disclosure, and should all be defined within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In a preferred case, the water suction pipe 9 is communicated with the bottom of the horizontal section of the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6. Through such an arrangement, the water in the U-shaped water inflow pipe 6 can be completely drained when the drum washing machine executes the ventilation program, so as to avoid water residue.
In addition, the air inflow pipe 7 can be communicated with the outer cylinder 2, and can also be communicated with a wrinkle part of the window gasket 4. Of course, it is most preferred that the air inflow pipe 7 is communicated with the wrinkle part of the window gasket 4. Through such an arrangement, the outside air can first enter the wrinkle part of the window gasket 4 before entering the outer cylinder 2, and can air-dry the wrinkle part of the window gasket 4 and the outer cylinder 2 at the same time, so that the interior of the cylinder assembly is air-dried with no dead corner, thus avoiding bacteria breeding inside the cylinder assembly. Moreover, there is no need for the user to repeatedly clean the cylinder assembly, and at the same time, secondary pollution to the clothing to be washed subsequently can be avoided. Further, when the air inflow pipe 7 is communicated with the outer cylinder 2, it is preferred that the air inflow pipe 7 is communicated with the top of the outer cylinder 2 to prevent the water in the outer cylinder 2 from flowing back into the air inflow pipe 7 during washing. When the air inflow pipe 7 is communicated with the wrinkle part of the window gasket 4, it is preferred that the air inflow pipe 7 is communicated with the top of the wrinkle part of the window gasket 4, which also prevents the water in the outer cylinder 2 from flowing back into the air inflow pipe 7 during washing.
Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, a foam overflow prevention member 10 is arranged in the air inflow pipe 7, and the foam overflow prevention member 10 can be a one-way valve or a combined structure of dampers. For example, the foam overflow prevention member 10 includes a door, a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet. The door is rotatably arranged in the air inflow pipe, the first permanent magnet is arranged on the door, and the second permanent magnet is arranged on an upstream side of the door in the air inflow direction of the air inflow pipe. The magnetic properties of the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet are opposite. When the air inflow fan 8 is turned on, an air flow generated by the air inflow fan 8 can overcome the attraction between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet to make the door rotate from a closed position to an open position, so that the outside air enters the outer cylinder 2. When the air inflow fan 8 is turned off, the door is kept in the closed position through the attraction between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet, so as to prevent foam from overflowing. For another example, the foam overflow prevention member 10 includes a door, a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet. The door is rotatably arranged in the air inflow pipe, the first permanent magnet is arranged on the door, and the second permanent magnet is arranged on a downstream side of the door in the air flow direction of the air inflow pipe. The magnetic properties of the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet are the same. When the air inflow fan 8 is turned on, an air flow generated by the air inflow fan 8 can overcome a repulsive force between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet to make the door rotate from a closed position to an open position, so that the outside air enters the outer cylinder 2. When the air inflow fan 8 is turned off, the door is kept in the closed position through the repulsive force between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet, so as to prevent foam from overflowing. Of course, the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet described above can also be replaced by an elastic torsional spring, that is, the door is rotatably arranged in the air inflow pipe 7 through the elastic torsional spring. Turning on the air inflow fan 8 enables the door to open the air inflow pipe 7 against a torsional force of the elastic torsional spring. After the air inflow fan 8 is turned off, the elastic torsional spring resets the door to close the air inflow pipe 7. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the specific structure of the foam overflow prevention member 10 in practical applications. Such adjustments and changes to the specific structure of the foam overflow prevention member 10 do not constitute limitations to the present disclosure, and should all be defined within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In a preferred case, the air inflow fan 8 is arranged on the upstream side of the foam overflow prevention member 10 in the air inflow direction of the air inflow pipe 7. Through such an arrangement, the air inflow fan 8 will not contact the foam to cause short circuit, thus improving the safety of the drum washing machine.
Preferably, the air inflow pipe 7 is provided therein with an air filtering member. The air filtering member can be of a structure of a single-stage filter screen or a multi-stage filter screen, or be of other filtering structures, so as to prevent external dirt from entering the outer cylinder 2.
Hitherto, the technical solutions of the present disclosure have been described in connection with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present disclosure is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or replacements to relevant technical features, and all the technical solutions after these changes or replacements will fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

A clothing washing apparatus, wherein the clothing washing apparatus comprises a cylinder assembly, a clothing treatment agent dispenser and a water inflow pipe; an inlet of the water inflow pipe is communicated with the clothing treatment agent dispenser, and an outlet of the water inflow pipe is communicated with the cylinder assembly;
the clothing washing apparatus further comprises an air inflow pipe communicating the outside with the cylinder assembly, and a water suction pipe connected with the water inflow pipe; the water suction pipe is connected with a water discharge pump of the clothing washing apparatus, an air inflow fan is arranged in the air inflow pipe, and the water discharge pump is arranged to be capable of discharging water in the water inflow pipe through the water suction pipe when the clothing washing apparatus executes a ventilation program, so that the water inflow pipe is communicated with the outside.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water inflow pipe is a U-shaped water inflow pipe, and a highest position of the water suction pipe is located between a height position of the inlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe and a height position of the outlet of the U-shaped water inflow pipe.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the water suction pipe is communicated with a bottom of a horizontal section of the U-shaped water inflow pipe.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder assembly comprises an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder rotatably arranged in the outer cylinder, and a window gasket connected with the outer cylinder, and the air inflow pipe is communicated with a wrinkle part of the window gasket.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the air inflow pipe is communicated with a top of the wrinkle part of the window gasket.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder assembly comprises an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder rotatably arranged in the outer cylinder, and a window gasket connected with the outer cylinder, and the air inflow pipe is communicated with the outer cylinder.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the air inflow pipe is communicated with a top of the outer cylinder.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air inflow pipe is provided therein with a foam overflow prevention member.
The clothing washing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the air inflow fan is arranged on an upstream side of the foam overflow prevention member in an air inflow direction of the air inflow pipe.
The clothing washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the air inflow pipe is provided therein with an air filtering member.