EP4379118A1

EP4379118A1 - Clothes washing apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4379118A1
Application number: EP22848085.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kai Liu; Sheng Xu; Yanfen LV; Zhiqiang Zhao
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Electric Appliance Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Electric Appliance Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-07-28
Filing date: 2022-06-15
Publication date: 2024-06-05
Also published as: CN115700303A; WO2023005478A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of clothes washing, and specifically provides a clothes washing apparatus, which aims to solve the problem that the arrangement of the structure is not facilitated because the internal space of a clothes washing apparatus having a ventilation function is occupied by a great number of parts. For this purpose, the clothes washing apparatus of the present invention comprises a tub assembly, a valve assembly, and a fan; the valve assembly comprises an isolation mechanism and a valve housing having an air inlet cavity and an air outlet cavity disposed independently of each other; a fan housing of the fan and the valve housing are disposed together; an air inlet of the fan housing is communicated with the outside world; an air outlet of the fan housing is communicated with an air inlet of the air inlet cavity; an air outlet of the air inlet cavity is communicated with the tub assembly by means of an air inlet pipeline; the air outlet cavity is communicated with an air outlet pipeline that communicates the outside world with the tub assembly; the isolation mechanism is configured to be capable of isolating both the air inlet pipeline and the air outlet pipeline from the outside world. The present invention can save space, facilitating the overall structural arrangement of the product, and reducing the complexity of product design.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

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

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A washing apparatus is a clothing treatment apparatus that can perform washing, rinsing, spinning and/or drying operations on clothing. Some washing apparatuses are further provided with functions such as air washing, disinfection, sterilization and fragrance enhancement. There are many types of washing apparatuses, such as the most common drum washing machines, pulsator washing machines, and washing-drying integrated machines.
Taking the drum washing machine as an example, an existing drum washing machine includes an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. During washing, a certain amount of water is first injected into the outer cylinder, and then the inner cylinder drives the clothing to turn over, achieving washing of the clothing. The drum washing machine is designed by imitating the principle of striking the clothing with a bar hammer. After the clothing is washed, the outer cylinder and a window gasket connected to the outer cylinder are both moist, that is, there is residual water on an inner wall thereof. After long term use, growth of bacteria is very likely to occur. In case of only opening door glass to dry the outer cylinder and the window gasket naturally, the effect would be very limited; moreover, the window gasket includes a wrinkle part, which is very unfavorable for the release of water vapor. As the users operating the drum washing machine again, the bacteria and dirt on the inner wall of the outer cylinder and in the window gasket can easily cause a secondary pollution to the clothing, seriously affecting the washing effect and resulting in poor user experience. On the basis of traditional drum washing machines, the washing-drying integrated machines have at least a drying system added thereon, which enables the drum washing machines to have a drying function and some models to further achieve air washing. However, although the drying system can dry the outer cylinder and the window gasket by heating the residual water after the clothing is washed, all the drying systems of the washing-drying integrated machines adopt an internal circulation mode, which makes the water vapor still circulate between a drying air duct and the outer cylinder. Moreover, dehumidification of the washing-drying integrated machine mainly relies on a dehumidification device of the drying system. Therefore, if the residual water in the outer cylinder and the window gasket is to be further removed after a drying program is completed, the drying system has to remain in operation, which will seriously increase energy consumption of the washing machine and is very unfavorable for energy saving.
A drum washing machine is disclosed in the patent No. 201922216894.9 , which includes an air inflow pipeline and an air outflow pipeline with a fan. The air inflow pipeline and the air outflow pipeline are both communicated with the outer cylinder, and flowing air can enter the outer cylinder and air dry an inner surface of the outer cylinder and an outer surface of the inner cylinder. The flowing air is then discharged out of the body of the drum washing machine through the air outflow pipeline, that is, the interior of the outer cylinder is air dried by the external air, thus preventing the generation of dirt and growth of bacteria. However, this type of drum washing machine cannot guarantee that external dirt does not enter the drum washing machine, and it still has certain safety hazards.
A vent structure and a washing machine are disclosed in the patent No. 201810106076.0 . The vent structure includes a vent and a rotating body. The rotating body is rotatably arranged at the vent, and the rotating body is radially provided with a first connecting hole that penetrates through the rotating body. When the rotating body rotates, the first connecting hole can be communicated with the vent or the rotating body can block the vent, thereby selectively communicating the first connecting hole with the vent, thus achieving the purpose of opening or closing the vent through the rotation of the rotating body. The vent structure can be arranged on a front panel of a housing of the washing machine, or also arranged in a rear vent at the same time. However, when the vent structure is only arranged on the front panel, external dirt can easily enter the drum washing machine from the rear vent. If the vent structure is also arranged in the rear vent at the same time, it is necessary to close both parts of the vent structure respectively to achieve complete blocking of the drum washing machine from the outside, which is very unfavorable for the layout of the product structure and seriously increases the complexity of product design. Moreover, in order to achieve rapid air drying, the washing machine also needs to be provided with a separate fan, which will occupy more internal space of the washing machine and is not advantageous for the layout of the structure.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new washing apparatus in the art to solve the above problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure aims to solve the above technical problem, that is, to solve the problem in the existing washing apparatuses with a ventilation function that the large number of components occupy a large internal space of the washing apparatuses, which is not advantageous for the layout of the structure.
The present disclosure provides a washing apparatus, which includes a cylinder assembly, a valve assembly, and a fan; in which the valve assembly includes a blocking mechanism, and a valve casing with an air inflow chamber and an air outflow chamber that are arranged independently from each other; a fan housing of the fan is arranged together with the valve casing; an air inlet of the fan housing is communicated with the outside, an air outlet of the fan housing is communicated with an air inlet of the air inflow chamber, and an air outlet of the air inflow chamber is communicated with the cylinder assembly through an air inflow pipeline; the air outflow chamber is communicated with an air outflow pipeline that communicates the outside with the cylinder assembly, and the blocking mechanism is arranged to be capable of simultaneously blocking the air inflow pipeline and the air outflow pipeline from the outside.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the air outlet of the air inflow chamber and the air inlet of the air outflow chamber are located on the same side of the valve casing; the blocking mechanism includes a driving motor, a first blocking member, and a second blocking member; an output shaft of the driving motor is connected with the first blocking member and the second blocking member simultaneously, the first blocking member is arranged in the air inflow chamber, and the second blocking member is arranged in the air outflow chamber; the driving motor is capable of driving the first blocking member and the second blocking member to move simultaneously, so that the first blocking member covers the air outlet of the air inflow chamber and the second blocking member covers the air inlet of the air outflow chamber.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the driving motor is connected with a transmission shaft, the first blocking member is a first blocking plate, and the second blocking member is a second blocking plate; the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate are both arranged on the transmission shaft, and the driving motor can drive the transmission shaft to rotate so that the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate rotate simultaneously.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the transmission shaft extendsfrom the outside through one side of the valve casing, the air outflow chamber and the air inflow chamber in sequence, and the transmission shaft is rotatably arranged on a spacer plate that separates the air inflow chamber from the air outflow chamber.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the air inlet of the air inflow chamber and the air outlet of the air inflow chamber are located on opposite sides of the valve casing.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the air inlet of the air outflow chamber and the air outlet of the air outflow chamber are located on opposite sides of the valve casing.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the air outflow pipeline includes a first air outflow pipe and a second air outflow pipe, the first air outflow pipe communicates the cylinder assembly with the air inlet of the air outflow chamber, and the second air outflow pipe communicates the air outlet of the air outflow chamber with the outside.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, an opening communicated with the outside is arranged on a front panel of a cabinet of the washing apparatus, and the second air outflow pipe is communicated with the opening.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, a wind detection device is arranged at the opening.
In a preferred technical solution of the washing apparatus described above, the cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder and a window gasket that are connected, the air inflow pipeline is communicated with the window gasket, and the air outflow pipeline is communicated with the outer cylinder.
In case of adopting the above technical solutions, by turning on the fan in the present disclosure after the washing program of the washing apparatus is completed, the external air can enter the air inflow pipeline, then enters the cylinder assembly to achieve air drying of the interior of the cylinder assembly, and finally is discharged from the air outflow pipeline to avoid growth of bacteria inside the cylinder assembly due to residual water. In addition, the blocking mechanism can simultaneously block and separate the air inflow chamber and the air outflow chamber; by arranging the fan housing and the valve casing together, space can be saved, thus facilitating the overall structural layout of the product, and reducing the complexity of product design.
Further, the driving motor drives the transmission shaft to rotate, so that the first blocking plate can cover the air outlet of the air inflow chamber, thereby achieving blocking between the air inflow chamber and the cylinder assembly, and at the same time, the second blocking plate can cover the air inlet of the air outflow chamber, thereby achieving blocking between the air outflow chamber and the cylinder assembly. Moreover, since it is the air outlet of the air inflow chamber and the air inlet of the air outflow chamber that are covered respectively, even if foam and/or water vapor are generated in the washing process of the washing apparatus, they will not enter the air inflow chamber and the air outflow chamber, that is, they will not enter the valve casing, so that not only the valve assembly can be protected from foam and water vapor soaking, but also the fan can be protected from foam and water vapor soaking, thus further improving the user experience.
Further, the driving motor is located outside the valve casing, allowing the transmission shaft to protrude into the valve casing to drive the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate to rotate. With such an arrangement, a structural basis is provided for the installation of the structure of the driving motor, and the arrangement of the driving motor outside the valve casing will not affect the flow of air; moreover, there is no safety hazard of the driving motor being covered by humid air, further improving the safety of the washing apparatus.
Further, the air inlet of the air inflow chamber and the air outlet of the air inflow chamber are located on opposite sides of the valve casing, which is advantageous for the arrangement of the fan and the air inflow pipeline, thus avoiding excessive concentration of different components, reducing the complexity of product design, and facilitating the layout of overall structure.
Further, the air inlet of the air outflow chamber and the air outlet of the air outflow chamber are located on opposite sides of the valve casing, which is advantageous for the arrangement of the air outflow pipeline, thus reducing the complexity of product design, and facilitating the layout of overall structure.
Further, the wind detection device can detect whether the air outflow pipeline has wind coming out, so that it can be judged whether the wind outflow of the washing apparatus is normal, thereby facilitating users to know the wind outflow status, which is advantageous for the control of the washing apparatus, and further improves the user experience.
Further, the air inflow pipeline is communicated with the window gasket, and the air outflow pipeline is communicated with the outer cylinder, thus allowing external air to enter from the window gasket, so that the window gasket is air dried first, then the outer cylinder is air dried, and finally humid air is discharged through the air outflow pipeline, which allows the outer cylinder and the window gasket to be air dried at the same time, avoids secondary pollution during secondary washing of the clothing by users, and avoids affecting the user experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred solutions of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in connection with a drum washing machine. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of the drum washing machine of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a first schematic structural view of a fan and a valve assembly of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 3 is a second schematic structural view of the fan and the valve assembly of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE 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 described in connection with a drum washing machine, the technical principle of the present disclosure is obviously also applicable to a washing-drying integrated machine, or a complex clothing treatment apparatus. Such adjustments or 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 "middle", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "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, terms "first", "second" and "third" are only used for descriptive purpose, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.
In addition, it should also be noted that in the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, terms "arrange", "install", "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 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 problem pointed out in the "BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION" that the existing drum washing machines with a ventilation function have a large number of components occupying a large internal space of the washing apparatuses, which is not advantageous for the layout of the structure, the present disclosure provides a drum washing machine, aiming to save space, facilitate the overall structural layout of the product, and reduce the complexity of product design.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the drum washing machine of the present disclosure includes a cabinet 1 and a cylinder assembly arranged inside the cabinet 1. The cylinder assembly includes an inner cylinder 2, an outer cylinder 3, and a window gasket 4. The inner cylinder 2 is rotatably arranged in the outer cylinder 3, and the window gasket 4 connects an opening of the outer cylinder 3 with a clothing throw-in port of the cabinet 1. The inner cylinder 2 can be directly driven to rotate by a direct driving motor, and can also be driven to rotate by a belt, which is driven by a motor. The outer cylinder 3 is configured to hold washing water, the inner cylinder 2 is configured to turn over the clothing, and the window gasket 4 ensures the sealing between the outer cylinder 3 and the cabinet 1.
It should be noted that the conventional washing programs of the drum washing machine include washing, rinsing, spinning and draining processes. In some drum washing machines, the spinning process may be omitted from the washing programs. Such adjustments or changes to the conventional washing programs of the drum washing machine do not constitute limitations to the present disclosure, and should all be defined within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. A large amount of foam will be generated during the washing process due to the presence of detergent/washing powder, and after the draining process is completed, there will be residual water on both an inner surface of the outer cylinder 3 and an inner surface of the window gasket 4.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the drum washing machine further includes a valve assembly and a fan 5. The valve assembly includes a blocking mechanism, and a valve casing 6 with an air inflow chamber 61 and an air outflow chamber 62 that are arranged independently from each other; a fan housing 51 of the fan 5 is arranged together with the valve casing 6; an air inlet of the fan housing 51 is communicated with the outside, an air outlet of the fan housing 51 is communicated with an air inlet 61a of the air inflow chamber 61, and an air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 is communicated with the cylinder assembly through an air inflow pipeline 7; the air outflow chamber 62 is communicated with an air outflow pipeline 8 that communicates the outside with the cylinder assembly, and the blocking mechanism is arranged to be capable of simultaneously blocking the air inflow pipeline 7 and the air outflow pipeline 8 from the outside. By arranging the fan housing 51 of the fan 5 and the valve casing 6 together, it means that the fan housing 51 of the fan 5 and the valve casing 6 can be integrally arranged (such as by welding or one-piece casting), or they can be fixed together by screws or snap-fit, which can be flexibly chosen by those skilled in the art. In the present disclosure, a fan, which is preferably a centrifugal fan, is arranged inside the fan housing 51 of the fan 5, and the air inlet and the air outlet of the fan housing 51 are preferably located on adjacent sides of the fan housing 51.
In a preferred situation, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there are two support arms on one side of the valve casing 6, and the fan housing 51 of the fan 5 is arranged on these two support arms, with each of the support arms being provided with a threaded hole. The fan housing 51 of the fan 5 is provided with installation lugs corresponding to the support arms, and the installation lugs are formed with threaded holes or through holes at positions corresponding to the threaded holes on each of the support arms. The fan housing 51 of the fan 5 and the support arms are connected together through screws. When the fan 5 is a centrifugal fan 5, the air inlet of the fan housing 51 of the fan 5 is preferably located on a side of the fan housing 51 that is away from the support arms to prevent the support arms from affecting air inflow of the fan 5.
In the above, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the air inlet 61a and the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 as well as the air inlet 62a and the air outlet 62b of the air outflow chamber 62 are all formed on the valve casing 6. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the positions of the air inlet 61a and the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 as well as the positions of the air inlet 62a and the air outlet 62b of the air outflow chamber 62 on the valve casing 6 in practical applications. In a preferred situation, the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 and the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62 are located on the same side of the valve casing 6, the air inlet 61a of the air inflow chamber 61 and the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 are located on opposite sides of the valve casing 6, and the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62 and the air outlet 62b of the air outflow chamber 62 are located on opposite sides of the valve casing 6. Taking the orientation shown in the figure as an example, the air inlet 61a of the air inflow chamber 61 and the air outlet 62b of the air outflow chamber 62 are located on the left side of the valve casing 6, while the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 and the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62 are located on the right side of the valve casing 6.
Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the blocking mechanism includes a driving motor 91, a first blocking member 92 and a second blocking member 93. An output shaft of the driving motor 91 is simultaneously connected with the first blocking member 92 and the second blocking member 93. The first blocking member 92 is arranged inside the air inflow chamber 61, and the second blocking member 93 is arranged inside the air outflow chamber 62. The driving motor 91 can drive the first blocking member 92 and the second blocking member 93 to move simultaneously, so that the first blocking member 92 covers the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 and the second blocking member 93 covers the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62. The driving motor 91 can be a rotating motor that eventually outputs a rotational force, or a linear motor that eventually outputs a linear driving force. For example, in a preferred situation, the driving motor 91 is connected with the transmission shaft, the first blocking member 92 is a first blocking plate, and the second blocking member 93 is a second blocking plate. The first blocking plate and the second blocking plate are both arranged on the transmission shaft, and the driving motor 91 can drive the transmission shaft to rotate so that the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate rotate simultaneously. That is, the driving motor 91 is a rotating motor, and the driving motor 91 can drive the transmission shaft to rotate. The transmission shaft drives the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate to rotate simultaneously. The driving motor 91 drives the transmission shaft to rotate so that the first blocking plate can cover the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61, thereby achieving the blocking of the air inflow pipeline 7, and at the same time, the second blocking plate can cover the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62, thereby achieving the blocking of the air outflow pipeline 8. Moreover, since it is the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 and the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62 that are covered respectively, even if foam is generated in the washing process of the drum washing machine, it will not enter the air inflow chamber 61 and the air outflow chamber 62. In addition, if the drum washing machine has a steam washing function, the steam generated by the drum washing machine can also be prevented from entering the air inflow chamber 61 and the air outflow chamber 62, so as to prevent the interior of the valve casing 6 from being soaked by foam and steam. Moreover, it is further preferred that one side of the first blocking plate that faces the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 and one side of the second blocking plate that faces the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62 are both provided with a sealing gasket, so that sealing can be achieved when the first blocking plate covers the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61, and sealing can also be achieved when the second blocking plate covers the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62. In other examples, the sealing gasket on the first blocking plate can be replaced with a sealing ring that can correspond to the shape of the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61, and the sealing gasket on the second blocking plate can be replaced with a sealing ring that can correspond to the shape of the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62.
Preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, the transmission shaft extendsfrom the outside through one side of the valve casing 6, the air outflow chamber 62 and the air inflow chamber 61 in sequence, and the transmission shaft is rotatably arranged on a spacer plate that separates the air inflow chamber 61 from the air outflow chamber 62. In one possible situation, a first through hole is formed on one side of the valve casing 6 that forms the air outflow chamber 62, a second through hole is formed on the spacer plate, and the transmission shaft passes through the first through hole and the second through hole in sequence. The part of the transmission shaft that is located between the first through hole and the second through hole (i.e., the part inside the air outflow chamber 62) is connected with the second blocking plate, and the part of the transmission shaft that protrudes out of the second through hole (i.e., the part inside the air inflow chamber 61) is connected with the first blocking plate. In addition, the transmission shaft can be connected with an edge of the first blocking plate and also connected with an edge of the second blocking plate, so that the rotation of the transmission shaft can achieve synchronous swinging of the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate. Moreover, a third through hole can also be provided on a side of the valve casing 6 opposite to the side on which the first through hole is provided, and the protruding end of the transmission shaft can be located in the third through hole. With such an arrangement, the transmission shaft can be supported by the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole altogether, thus improving the stability of the support. The driving motor 91 is located outside the valve casing 6, and it can be connected with the cabinet 1 of the drum washing machine through an installation bracket, or it can be directly welded to the cabinet 1 of the drum washing machine. In other examples, it is also possible that the transmission shaft passes from the outside through the air inflow chamber 61 and the air outflow chamber 62 from one side of the valve casing 6.
Alternatively, the driving motor 91 is a linear motor, the first blocking member 92 is a first blocking plate, and the second blocking member 93 is a second blocking plate. A first slot communicated with the air inflow chamber 61 and a second slot communicated with the air outflow chamber 62 are respectively formed on the same side of the valve casing 6. The first blocking plate is inserted into and matched with the first slot (which is preferably arranged near the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61), and the second blocking plate is inserted into and matched with the second slot (which is preferably arranged near the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62). The linear motor can drive the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate to move linearly and synchronously. When it is necessary to close the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61 and the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62, the linear motor drives the first blocking plate to be inserted into the air inflow chamber 61 from the first slot so that the first blocking plate covers the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61, and at the same time, the linear motor drives the second blocking plate to be inserted into the air outflow chamber 62 from the second slot so that the second blocking plate covers the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62. In the above, the linear motor can also be replaced with a structure such as a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.
Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, the air inflow pipeline 7 is communicated with the window gasket 4, and the air outflow pipeline 8 is communicated with the outer cylinder 3. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the connection position ofthe air inflow pipeline 7 withthe window gasket 4 as well as the connection position ofthe air outflow pipeline 8 withthe outer cylinder 3 in practical applications. It is preferred that the air inflow pipeline 7 is communicated with the top of the window gasket 4, and the air outflow pipeline 8 is communicated with the top of the outer cylinder 3, so as to prevent water from entering the pipelines during washing of the drum washing machine. In a possible situation, with continued reference to FIG. 1, the air outflow pipeline 8 includes a first air outflow pipe and a second air outflow pipe. The first air outflow pipe communicates the cylinder assembly with the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62, and the second air outflow pipe communicates the air outlet 62b of the air outflow chamber 62 with the outside. After the washing program of the drum washing machine is completed, a controller of the drum washing machine can send a signal to the fan 5 to turn on the fan 5. The fan 5 rotates to allow air to enter the cylinder assembly through the air inflow chamber 61 and the air inflow pipeline 7 in sequence, achieving air drying of the cylinder assembly. Then, the humid air is discharged through the first air outflow pipe, the air outflow chamber 62 and the second air outflow pipe in sequence, allowing the humid air to be discharged to the outside. Preferably, an opening communicated with the outside is arranged on the front panel of the cabinet 1, and the second air outflow pipe is communicated with the opening. An air filtration device can be arranged at the air inlet of the fan housing 51 of the fan 5, and the air filtration device can block dust from entering the fan 5, the outer cylinder 3 and the window gasket 4. The air filtration device may be of a structure of multi layers of equal-efficiency filter screens, or a structure of a combination of primary-efficiency filter screen, medium-efficiency filter screen and high-efficiency filter screen, or another filtration structure, which can be flexibly set by those skilled in the art in practical applications. In practical applications, a communication pipeline that is communicated with the air inlet of the fan housing 51 of the fan 5 can also be provided, and then an inlet of the communication pipeline is arranged on a rear panel of the cabinet 1 to achieve air inflow from the rear side of the cabinet 1 and air outflow from the front side of the cabinet 1.
More preferably, a wind detection device is provided at the opening, and the wind detection device can be a flow sensor or another device capable of detecting wind outflow. Through the wind detection device, it can be judged whether the drum washing machine is executing the ventilation program normally. More preferably, a wind humidity sensor is also provided at the opening, which can detect a wind humidity of the air outflow pipeline 8. Then, an ambient humidity sensor in communication with the controller of the drum washing machine (such as through WiFi, Bluetooth communication, etc.) is arranged in the room. By comparing the ambient humidity detected by the ambient humidity sensor with the wind humidity detected by the wind humidity sensor, if the difference between the humidity detected by the ambient humidity sensor and the humidity detected by the wind humidity sensor is smaller than a preset humidity value (which can bea relative humidity value of 5%), it indicates that the wind humidity is roughly consistent with or close to the ambient humidity, and the drum washing machine can stop executing the ventilation program.
In a preferred situation, an in-cylinder humidity sensor is provided on the outer cylinder 3, and a detection end of the in-cylinder humidity sensor is located inside the outer cylinder 3 to detect the humidity in the outer cylinder 3. After the drum washing machine finishes washing, the in-cylinder humidity sensor detects the humidity in the outer cylinder 3. When the humidity is larger than a set humidity threshold (e.g.,a relative humidity of 100%), it indicates that the interior of the outer cylinder 3 is very humid, and the controller of the drum washing machine can control the drum washing machine to send a prompt to start fresh air or automatically start the fresh air function, so as to air dry the cylinder assembly through external air. The prompt to start fresh air can be a buzzing prompt, or the drum washing machine can communicate and interact with a mobile terminal of the user (such as a mobile phone, a tablet or a smart bracelet) to send prompt information to the mobile terminal of the user. The user can query the prompt information in the APP. Alternatively, the in-cylinder humidity sensor can also be replaced with a window gasket humidity sensor arranged on the window gasket 4. A detection end of the window gasket humidity sensor is located inside the window gasket 4 to detect the humidity in the window gasket 4. The in-cylinder humidity sensor and the window gasket humidity sensor can also be replaced with an odor sensor. The odor sensor can detect the odor in the cylinder assembly, and the controller can judge whether it is a peculiar smell based on the detected odor. If the odor is a peculiar smell, the controller of the drum washing machine can control the drum washing machine to send a prompt to start fresh air or automatically start the fresh air function.
In the present disclosure, a foam sensor can also be arranged inside the valve casing 6 (it is possible that the air inflow chamber 61 and the air outflow chamber 62 are respectively provided with a foam sensor, or a part of a detection portion of the foam sensor is located in the air inflow chamber 61 and the other part of the detection portion of the foam sensor is located in the air outflow chamber 62). When the drum washing machine executes the washing program or the rinsing program, the first blocking member 92 covers the air outlet 61b of the air inflow chamber 61, and the second blocking member 93 covers the air inlet 62a of the air outflow chamber 62. If it is detected by the foam sensor that there is foam in the valve casing 6, it indicates that the blocking mechanism has failed to block the foam. Then, the drum washing machine can send an alarm prompt to remind the user to repair the valve assembly or contact the maintenance personnel to repair or replace the valve assembly.
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 washing apparatus, comprising a cylinder assembly, a valve assembly, and a fan; wherein the valve assembly comprises a blocking mechanism, and a valve casing with an air inflow chamber and an air outflow chamber that are arranged independently from each other; a fan housing of the fan is arranged together with the valve casing; an air inlet of the fan housing is communicated with the outside, an air outlet of the fan housing is communicated with an air inlet of the air inflow chamber, and an air outlet of the air inflow chamber is communicated with the cylinder assembly through an air inflow pipeline; the air outflow chamber is communicated with an air outflow pipeline that communicates the outside with the cylinder assembly, and the blocking mechanism is arranged to be capable of simultaneously blocking the air inflow pipeline and the air outflow pipeline from the outside.
The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet of the air inflow chamber and the air inlet of the air outflow chamber are located on the same side of the valve casing; the blocking mechanism comprises a driving motor, a first blocking member, and a second blocking member; an output shaft of the driving motor is connected with the first blocking member and the second blocking member simultaneously, the first blocking member is arranged in the air inflow chamber, and the second blocking member is arranged in the air outflow chamber; the driving motor is capable of driving the first blocking member and the second blocking member to move simultaneously, so that the first blocking member covers the air outlet of the air inflow chamber and the second blocking member covers the air inlet of the air outflow chamber.
The washing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving motor is connected with a transmission shaft, the first blocking member is a first blocking plate, and the second blocking member is a second blocking plate; the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate are both arranged on the transmission shaft, and the driving motor can drive the transmission shaft to rotate so that the first blocking plate and the second blocking plate rotate simultaneously.
The washing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmission shaft extendsfrom the outside through one side of the valve casing, the air outflow chamber and the air inflow chamber in sequence, and the transmission shaft is rotatably arranged on a spacer plate that separates the air inflow chamber from the air outflow chamber.
The washing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air inlet of the air inflow chamber and the air outlet of the air inflow chamber are located on opposite sides of the valve casing.
The washing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air inlet of the air outflow chamber and the air outlet of the air outflow chamber are located on opposite sides of the valve casing.
The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air outflow pipeline comprises a first air outflow pipe and a second air outflow pipe, the first air outflow pipe communicates the cylinder assembly with the air inlet of the air outflow chamber, and the second air outflow pipe communicates the air outlet of the air outflow chamber with the outside.
The washing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an opening communicated with the outside is arranged on a front panel of a cabinet of the washing apparatus, and the second air outflow pipe is communicated with the opening.
The washing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a wind detection device is arranged at the opening.
The washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cylinder assembly comprises an outer cylinder and a window gasket that are connected, the air inflow pipeline is communicated with the window gasket, and the air outflow pipeline is communicated with the outer cylinder.