GB2563459B - Dehumidifier and fastening mechanism - Google Patents

Dehumidifier and fastening mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2563459B
GB2563459B GB1711573.4A GB201711573A GB2563459B GB 2563459 B GB2563459 B GB 2563459B GB 201711573 A GB201711573 A GB 201711573A GB 2563459 B GB2563459 B GB 2563459B
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
button
pushed
machine body
pivotable
pivotable member
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
GB1711573.4A
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GB2563459A (en
GB201711573D0 (en
Inventor
Chu Ming-Teng
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NORM PACIFIC AUTOMAT CORP
North Pacific Automation Corp
Original Assignee
NORM PACIFIC AUTOMAT CORP
North Pacific Automation Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by NORM PACIFIC AUTOMAT CORP, North Pacific Automation Corp filed Critical NORM PACIFIC AUTOMAT CORP
Publication of GB201711573D0 publication Critical patent/GB201711573D0/en
Publication of GB2563459A publication Critical patent/GB2563459A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2563459B publication Critical patent/GB2563459B/en
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
    • F16B21/00—Means for preventing relative axial movement of a pin, spigot, shaft or the like and a member surrounding it; Stud-and-socket releasable fastenings
    • F16B21/06—Releasable fastening devices with snap-action
    • F16B21/08—Releasable fastening devices with snap-action in which the stud, pin, or spigot has a resilient part
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
    • F24F3/12—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
    • F24F3/14—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
    • E05B63/00—Locks or fastenings with special structural characteristics
    • E05B63/0065—Operating modes; Transformable to different operating modes
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
    • E05B65/00—Locks or fastenings for special use
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05C—BOLTS OR FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINGS, SPECIALLY FOR DOORS OR WINDOWS
    • E05C3/00—Fastening devices with bolts moving pivotally or rotatively
    • E05C3/12—Fastening devices with bolts moving pivotally or rotatively with latching action
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05C—BOLTS OR FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINGS, SPECIALLY FOR DOORS OR WINDOWS
    • E05C3/00—Fastening devices with bolts moving pivotally or rotatively
    • E05C3/12—Fastening devices with bolts moving pivotally or rotatively with latching action
    • E05C3/16—Fastening devices with bolts moving pivotally or rotatively with latching action with operating handle or equivalent member moving otherwise than rigidly with the latch
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
    • F24F1/02—Self-contained room units for air-conditioning, i.e. with all apparatus for treatment installed in a common casing
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
    • F24F3/12—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
    • F24F3/14—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification
    • F24F2003/144—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification by dehumidification only
    • F24F2003/1446—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification by dehumidification only by condensing
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F2221/00—Details or features not otherwise provided for
    • F24F2221/12—Details or features not otherwise provided for transportable

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Drying Of Gases (AREA)

Description

DEHUMIDIFIER AND FASTENING MECHANISM
The disclosure relates to a dehumidifier, more particularly to a dehumidifier having a fastening mechanism.
The disclosure relates to a fastening mechanism, more particularly to a fastening mechanism having a button.
Humidity or dampness in the air causes mold to grow, and mold has the potential to cause health problems. In addition, when there is lots of moisture in the air, people may feel uncomfortable, the floor will become slick, and it becomes more difficult to dry wet clothes. Accordingly, more and more people start to use dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the air.
Generally, a dehumidifier mainly includes a machine body and a water tank. The machine body is used to suck the moisture out of the air, condense it into liquid and then blows out the dry air. The machine body is disposed on the water tank, so it can drain the liquid into the water tank. In a traditional dehumidifier, the water tank is disposed inside a inner space at the bottom of the machine body, thus the volume of the water tank is restricted by the size of the space of the machine body; that is, this type of machine body is only allowed to accommodate a water tank with a specific size, and the water tank cannot be enlarged; in other words, if a large size water tank is required, the said space of the machine body should be enlarged during the design process. Furthermore, there is another traditional dehumidifier which has a machine body directly placed on a water tank, but they are not fixed to each other, therefore they have to be moved separately. Because of this, manufactures provide two fasteners respectively at two sides of the water tank so as to hook the machine body to the water tank. However, both of the fasteners have to be detached to remove the machine body from the water tank; on the contrary, both of the fasteners have to be latched to fix the machine body on the water tank. As a result, this is inconvenient to users.
The present disclosure provides a dehumidifier and a fastening mechanism for solving the problems that the traditional dehumidifier is incapable of fitting different water tanks with different volume, or being fixed on the water tank, or inconvenient to users to fix the machine body to the water tank.
One embodiment of the disclosure provides a dehumidifier including a water tank, a machine body and a fastening mechanism. The fastening mechanism includes a button, a pivotable member and at least one fastener. The button is movably disposed on the machine body so as to be movable between a pushed position and a released position. The button includes a button body, a neck portion and a locking portion. The neck portion is located between and connected to the button body and the locking portion of the button. The neck portion, the button body and the neck portion together form a stop block opening. The pivotable member is pivoted to the machine body so as to be pivotable between a restricted position and a locking position. The pivotable member includes a stop block. The at least one fastener is pivoted to the machine body so as to be pivotable between a fastened position and a unfastened position. When the button is in the released position, the locking portion of the button presses the stop block of the pivotable member so as to maintain the pivotable member in the restricted position, and the at least one fastener in the fastened position is engaged with at least one engage portion of the water tank, such that the machine body is fixed on the water tank; when the button is moved from the released position to the pushed position, the stop block opening of the button is moved to the top of the stop block of the pivotable member so as to unrestrict the pivotable member, allowing the pivotable member to move to the locking position from the restricted position and making the stop block enter the stop block opening, thereby the button is maintained in the pushed position; and when the pivotable member is pivoted from the restricted position to the locking position, the at least one fastener Is moved to the unfastened position and detached from the at least one engage portion of the water tank by being pushed by the pivotable member.
One embodiment of the disclosure provides a fastening mechanism which is configured to fix a first object to a second object. The fastening mechanism includes a button, a pivotable member and at least one fastener. The button is movably disposed on the first object so as to be movable between a pushed position and a released position. The button includes a button body, a neck portion and a locking portion, The neck portion is located between and connected to the button body and the locking portion. The button body, the neck portion and the locking portion together form a stop block opening. The pivotable member is pivoted to the first object so as to be pivotable between a restricted position and a locking position. The pivotable member includes a stop block. The at least one fastener is pivoted to the first object so as to be pivotable between a fastened position and an unfastened position. When the button is in the released position, the locking portion of the button presses the stop block of the pivotable member so as to maintain the pivotable member in the restricted position, and the at least one fastener in the fastened position is engaged with the second object, such that the first object is fixed on the second object; when the button Is moved from the released position to the pushed position, the stop block opening of the button is moved to the top of the stop block of the pivotable member so as to unrestrict the pivotable member, allowing the pivotable member to move to the locking position from the restricted position and making the stop block enter the stop block opening, thereby the button Is maintained in the pushed position; and when the pivotable member is pivoted from the restricted position to the locking position, the at least one fastener is moved to the unfastened position and detached from the second object by being pushed by the pivotable member.
According to the dehumidifier and the fastening mechanism as discussed above, by the fastening mechanism, the machine body and the water tank are able to be fixed with each other automatically when the machine body is put on the water tank.
Then, the fastening mechanism is able to be released by pushing the button. In other words, users can use one finger to release the fastening mechanism, winch is convenient for the users.
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the present disclosure and wherein: FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a dehumidifier according to one embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1; FIGS. 3-4 are partial enlarged exploded views of the dehumidifier in FIG. 2 taken from different points of view; FIGS. 5”7 are perspective views of the fastening mechanism in FIG. 2 taken from different points of view; FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in a static state; FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state; FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. I when it is in a lifted state; FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the lifted state; FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state, and a button is pushed; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state, and the button is pushed; FIG. 14 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state, and the button is pushed; FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 while a machine body is taken from a water tank in FIG. 1; and FIG. 16 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 while a machine body is taken from a water tank in FIG. I.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.
In addition, the terms used in the present disclosure, such as technical and scientific terms, have its own meanings and can be comprehended by those skilled in the art, unless the terms are additionally defined in the present disclosure. That is, the terms used in the following paragraphs should be read on the meaning commonly used in the related fields and will not be overly explained, unless the terms have a specific meaning in the present disclosure,
Please refer to FIGS. 1-2, FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a dehumidifier according to one embodiment of the disclosure, and FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1. This embodiment provides a dehumidifier 1. The dehumidifier 1 includes a machine body 10, a water tank 20 and a fastening mechanism 30.
The machine body 10 may include a compressor or a desiccant rotor, an evaporator or a heater, a condenser, a fan, a controller, and other essential components (all not shown in figures), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The fastening mechanism 30 is disposed on the machine body 10, and the machine body 10 is detachably disposed on the water tank 20 through the fastening mechanism 30 so that the machine body 10 has a separate position and an assembled position. When the machine body 10 is in the assembled position, the machine body 10 is fixed on the water tank 20 by the fastening mechanism 30. When the machine body 10 is in the separate position, the machine body 10 is detached from the water tank 20.
In addition, the dehumidifier 1 has a static state and a lifted state. When the dehumidifier 1 is in the static state, and the water tank 20 is put on the floor, the machine body 10 is in the assembled position, and its weight is freely sitting on the water tank 20. When the dehumidifier 1 is in the lifted state, the water tank 20 is lifted by the machine body 10 while the machine body 10 is in the assembled position. In this embodiment, when the dehumidifier 1 is in the lifted state, the water tank 20 can be lifted to leave the floor, or still on the floor but with the weight of the machine body 10 not applying on the water tank 20.
In this embodiment, the water tank 20 includes a box body 210 and a lid 220. The lid 220 is detachably fixed onto the box body 210. The box body 210 is used to collect condensed liquid from the machine body 10. In addition, the water tank 20 has two engage portions 21 located at a surface of the lid 220 facing away from the box body 210. The machine body 10 is able to be mounted on the water tank 20 when the fastening mechanism 30 is engaged with the engage portions 21. In this embodiment, the engage portions 21 are slots, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the engage portions of the water tank may be hooks.
In addition, the water tank 20 further includes a pushing block 22 protruding from a surface of the lid 220 facing away from the box body 210, but the detail and purpose thereof will be described later. Furthermore, the water tank 20 can be separated into the box body 210 and the lid 220, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the water tank may be a single piece that is inseparable.
Then, the details of the fastening mechanism 30 are described in the following paragraphs. Please refer to FIGS. 3-7, FIGS. 3-4 are partial enlarged exploded views of the dehumidifier in FIG. 2 taken from different points of view, and FIGS. 5-7 are perspective views of the fastening mechanism in FIG. 2 taken from different points of view''. It is noted that, for the purpose of clear illustration, the machine body 10 and the water tank 20 in FIGS. 4-7 are partially shown in the dotted line.
The fastening mechanism 30 includes a button 310, a pivotable member 320, a fastener 330a, a fastener 330b, a seesaw member 340, a restricting member 350, a lever 360 and a linkage mechanism 370.
The button 310 is movably disposed on the machine body 10 so as to be movable between a pushed position and a released position. In detail, the button 310 includes a button body 3101, a neck portion 3102, a locking portion 3103 and two guiding protrusions 3104. The button body 3101 is the part of the button 310 that is configured to be pushed by users. There is a compression spring 91 located between and pressed by the button body 3101 and the machine body 10. The compression spring 91 normally forces the button body 3101 to move away from the machine body 10. The guiding protrusions 3104 are respectively located at the top and the bottom sides of the button body 3101, and respectively movably located in two guiding grooves 101 of the machine body 10. The neck portion 3102 is located between and connected to the button body 3101 and the locking portion 3103. The locking portion 3103 is a block protruding from the neck portion 3102. The button body 3101, the neck portion 3102 and the locking portion 3103 together form a stop block opening 311. Furthermore, as shown In FIGS. 3-4, the locking portion 3103 has a pressing surface 31031 and a stop surface 31032, which are adjacent to each other, and the stop surface 31032 is at a side of the stop block opening 311.
The pivotable member 320 is located next to the button 310. The pivotable member 320 is pivoted to the machine body 10, such that the pivotable member 320 is pivotable between a restricted position and a locking position, but the details of the restricted position and the locking position will be described later,
In this embodiment, the pivotable member 320 includes a main body 321, a stop block 322 and a push block 324. The main body 321 is pivoted to the machine body 10. There is a torsion spring 92 disposed on a pivot shaft of the main body 321. Two arms of the torsion spring 92 respectively press against the machine body 10 and the main body 321, so that the torsion spring 92 can normally force the pivotable member 320 toward the locking position. The stop block 322 and the push block 324 protrude from a surface of the main body 321 facing the button 310. The main body 321 has a slot 3211 located at another surface of the main body 321 facing away from the button 310. in detail, as shown in FIGS. 5-6, the stop block 322 has a press surface 3221 and a stop surface 3222 which are adjacent to each other.
The fasteners 330a and 330b are respectively pivoted to two opposite sides of the machine body 10, and the fasteners 330a and 330b are connected to each other via the linkage mechanism 370 (as shown in FIG. 3). However, for the purpose of clear explanation, only the fastener 330a, which is closer to the button 310, is taken as an example for explanation.
The fastener 330a is located at an inner side of the button 310. The fastener 330a is pivoted to the machine body 10, such that the fastener 330a is pivotable between a fastened position and an unfastened position, but the details of the fastened position and the unfastened position will be described later.
In this embodiment, the fastener 330a includes a slidable block 331 and a pivotable arm 332 which are connected together to interact with each other. The slidable block 331 is slidably located below the machine body 10, and is located close to a side of the pivotable member 320 facing the button 310. The linkage mechanism 370 is located between and connected to the slidable block 331 of the fastener 330a and the fastener 330b. In addition, the slidable block 331 has a push end 3311 which is located at an end of the slidable block 331 close to the pivotable member 320 and corresponding to the push block 324 of the pivotable member 320, One end of the pivotable arm 332 is pivoted to an end of the slidable block 331 away from the pivotable member 320. The pivotable arm 332 is able to be engaged (or hooked) with the engage portion 21 of the water tank 20 when the fastener 330a is in the fastened position, and the opposite end of the pivotable arm 332 is pivoted to the machine body 10. In this embodiment, there is a compression spring 93 located between and pressed bv the pivotable arm 332 and the machine body 10. The compression spring 93 normally forces the fastener 330a to move toward the fastened position.
The seesaw member 340 is disposed on the machine body 10. Further, the seesaw member 340 includes a cylindrical portion 341, a pressing portion 342 and a pushed portion 343. The cylindrical portion 341 is located between and connected to the pressing portion 342 and the pushed portion 343. The seesaw member 340 is movably disposed along a groove 11 of the machine body 10 (as shown in FIGS. 3-4), and is able to slide along and pivot with respect to the groove 11, such that the seesaw member 340 is movable between a fixed position and a free position. The pressing portion 342 is movably located in the slot 3211 of the pivotable member 320. The pushed portion 343 corresponds to the pushing block 22 of the water tank 20 (as shown in FIG. 2), such that the pushed portion 343 is able to be pushed by the pushing block 22 to change the angle and the position of the seesaw member 340,
The restricting member 350 is pivoted to the machine body 10, such that the restricting member 350 is pivotable between a releasing position and a restricting position. The restricting member 350 is disposed above the seesaw member 340. As shown in FIG. 4. the restricting member 350 has a restricting surface 351 corresponding to a pivot shaft 350a of the restricting member 350. Furthermore, a normal line of the restricting surface 351 passes through the pivot shaft 350a of the restricting member 350. Moreover, in this embodiment, there is a torsion spring 94 disposed on the pivot shaft 350a of the restricting member 350.
The torsion spring 94 normally forces the restricting member 350 to move toward the restricting position.
The lever 360 includes a pivoting portion 361. a contacting portion 362 and a pushing portion 363. The pivoting portion 361 is pivotably fixed on the machine body 10. The contacting portion 362 is located between and connected to the pivoting portion 361 and the pushing portion 363. The contacting portion 362 is used to be pushed by the pushing block 22 of the water tank 20 (as shown in FIG, 2), and the pushing portion .363 is used to push the pushed portion 343 of the seesaw member 340. The contacting portion 362 is closer to the pivoting portion 361 than the pushing portion 363, so when the lever 360 is pivoted about the pivoting portion 361, the pushing portion 363 moves further than the contacting portion 362 moves. That is. through the lever 360, the pushing block 22 is able to create leverage to move the pushed portion 343 of the seesaw member 340 further than the contacting portion 362.
In addition, in this embodiment, there is a compression spring 95 at a side of the contacting portion 362 facing the machine body 10. The compression spring 95 normally forces the contacting portion 362 and the pushing portion 363 to move away from the machine body 10.
Then, various situations during the operation of the dehumidifier 1 are described in the following paragraphs. A First situation occurs when the dehumidifier 1 is in the static state. Please refer to FIG. 6 and further refer to FIGS. 8-9, FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in a static state, and FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state.
As shown in FIGS. 8-9, the button 310 is in the released position, and the pressing surface 31031 of the locking portion 3103 of the button 310 presses the press surface 3221 of the stop block 322 of the pivotable member 320 to force the pivotable member 320 to pivot downward, such that the pivotable member 320 is maintained in the restricted position. When the pivotable member 320 is in the restricted position, the push block 324 and the push end 3311 of the slidable block 331 of the fastener 330a do not obstruct each other, or are spaced apart from each other. Therefore, the slidable block 331 is located away from the inner part of the machine body 10, making the end of the pivotable arm 332, which is pi voted to the slidable block 331, engage with the engage portion 21 of the water tank 20 (i.e. the situation while the fastener 330a is in the fastened position), and making the fastener 330b engage with another engage portion 21. As a result, the machine body 10 Is fixed on the water tank 20 (i.e. the situation while the machine body 10 is in the assembled position) so that the machine body 10 can drain condensed liquid to the water tank 20.
Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 8-9, when the dehumidifier 1 Is in the static state, the pushing block 22 of the water tank 20 and the machine body 10 are spaced apart from each other by a first vertical distance DI. In such a case, the pushing block 22 of the water tank 20 is relatively close to the machine body 10, and the pushing block 22 pushes the contacting portion 362 of the lever 360 so as to move the pushing portion 363 upward to push the pushed portion 343 of the seesaw member 340. The pushed portion 343 is able to push the restricting member 350 to pivot to the releasing position when it is pushed by the pushing portion 363.
Moreover, when the dehumidifier 1 is in the static state, and both the fasteners 330a and 330b are engaged with the engage portions 21 of the water tank 20, each of the fasteners 330a and 330b are spaced apart from the top surface 211 of the respective engage portion 21 by a distance d. In other words, although the pivotable arm 332 is hooked to the engage portion 21 of the water tank 20, they are not tightly engaged with each other but having a small distance therebetween. It is worth mentioning that the distance d is small and will not affect the engagement between the fastener and the engage portion.
Then, the Second situation occurs when the dehumidifier 1 is lifted from the static state to the lifted state. Please refer to FIGS. 10-11, FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in a lifted state, and FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the lifted state.
When the machine body 10 and the water tank 20 are fixed to each other through the fasteners 330a and 330b of the fastening mechanism 30, the water tank 20 is able to be lifted by lifting the machine body 10. While lifting up the water tank 20, the water tank 20 is not supported by the floor so that the water tank 20 slightly moves away from the machine body 10 due to its weight. As a result, the distance d between the pivotable arm 332 and the top surface 211 of the engage portion 21 does not exist at this moment, such that the pushing block 22 slightly moves away from the machine body 10. Accordingly, the distance between the pushing block 22 and the machine body 10 is increased from the first vertical distance DI to a second vertical distance D2.
In addition, while the pushing block 22 slightly moves away from the lever 360, the pushing portion 363 also moves downward, such that the lever 360 applies less leverage on the pushed portion 343 of the seesaw member 340. In detail, when the pushing block 22 slightly moves downward, the distance that the pushed portion 343 moves downward is further than the contacting portion 362 moves because the contacting portion 362 is located between the pivoting portion 361 and the pushing portion 363, thereby allowing the restricting member 350 to return to the restricting position. When the restricting member 350 is back to the restricting position, as shown in FIG. 11, the restricting member 350 presses the cylindrical portion 341 of the seesaw member 340 with its restricting surface 351 so as to move the cylindrical portion 341 to the bottom of the groove 11. As a result, a normal line of the restricting surface 351 passes through the pivot shaft 350a of the restricting member 350 and the cylindrical portion 341. At this moment, the pushing force from the cylindrical portion 341 to the restricting member 350 passes through the pivot shaft 350a of the restricting member 350, such that the pushing force from the cylindrical portion 341 is unable to produce torque to rotate the restricting member 350, thus the restricting member 350 prevents the cylindrical portion 341 from moving upward; in addition, the left and right sides of the cylindrical portion 341 are restricted by the groove 11, so the cylindrical portion 341 is only pivotable while it is in the fixed position.
Then, the third situation occurs when the button 310 is accidently being pushed while the dehumidifier 1 is in the lifted state.
As shown in FIG. 10, the button 310 is pushed, and the stop block opening 311 is moved to the top of the stop block 322 of the pivotable member 320, however, as discussed above, the seesaw member 340 still cannot be pivoted since the pushing block 22 holds the pushed portion 343 in position. As a result, the pressing portion 342 is not allowed to be pivoted or moved along the groove 11, making the pressing portion 342 restrict the pivotable member 320 in the restricted position. Therefore, the pivotable member 320 is prevented from pivoting to the locking position. In other words, when the dehumidifier 1 is in the lifted state, the pivotable member 320 is maintained in the restricted position by the pressing portion 342 even when the button 310 is being pushed. Accordingly, the fasteners 330a and 330b will not be released when the dehumidifier 1 is in the lifted state, thus the water tank 20 is prevented from being detached from the machine body 10 when the button 310 is accidently pushed. It should be known that the pressed button 310 will return to the released position since the pivotable member 320 does not restrict it.
Then, the fourth situation occurs when the machine body 10 is detached from the water tank 20. Please refer to FIGS. 12-14, FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state, and a button is pushed, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state, and the button is pushed, and FIG. 14 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 when it is in the static state, and the button is pushed.
For doing so, the dehumidifier 1 should be put back to the static state first. Then, the button 310 is pushed to detach the machine body 10 from the water tank 20. In detail, as discussed above, when the dehumidifier 1 is in the static state, the water tank 20 is supported by the floor, so the distance between the pushing block 22 and the machine body 10 is decreased to the first vertical distance DI, and the pushing block 22 pushes the lever 360 to move the pushed portion 343 with a distance further than the distance that the pushing block 22 moves. As a result, the restricting member 350 is pivoted to the releasing position by the pushed portion 343, such that the cylindrical portion 341 is not restricted by the restricting surface 351 and allowed to be moved upward.
At this moment, when the button 310 is pushed to move the stop block opening 311 to the top of the stop block 322 of the pivotable member 320, the cylindrical portion 341 is able to be moved upward since the cylindrical portion 341 returns to the free position, such that the pressing portion 342 is able to be moved upward and unrestrict the pivotable member 320. Therefore, the pivotable member 320 is able to lift the pressing portion 342 so as to pivot and lift the cylindrical portion 341 along the groove 11, meanwhile, the stop block 322 of the pivotable member 320 is also moving upward to enter the stop block opening 311 and restrict the button 310 (i.e. the pivotable member 320 pivots back to the locking position). In such a case, the stop surface 31032 of the button 310 and the stop surface 3222 of the stop block 322 of the pivotable member 320 press against each other, such that the button 310 is maintained in the pushed position, and the pivotable member 320 is maintained in the locking position. In addition, during the process of pivoting the pivotable member 320 to the locking position, the push block 324 of the pivotable member 320 is moved further inside the machine body 10 to push the push end 3311 of the slidable block 331 of the fastener 330a, so the slidable block 3.31 is forced to move the end of the pivotable arm 332 pivoted to it inside the machine body 10 and detach from the engage portion 21 of the water tank 20 (i.e. the situation while the fastener 330a is in the unfastened position), meanwhile, the fastener 330a moves the linkage mechanism 370 to detach the fastener 330b from the other engage portion 21. As a result, both the fasteners 330a and 330b are detached from the machine body 10, and then the machine body 10 is able to be removed from the water tank 20.
Then, please refer to FIGS. 15-16, FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged side view of the dehumidifier in FIG. I while a machine body is taken from a water tank in FIG. 1, and F IG. 16 is a partial enlarged front view of the dehumidifier in FIG. 1 while a machine body is taken from a water tank in FIG. 1. When the machine body 10 is removed from the water tank 20, the contacting portion 362 of the lever 360 Is not pushed by the pushing block 22, so the pushing portion 363 is moved away from the machine body 10 by the compression spring 95. As this moment, the pushed portion 343 of the seesaw member 340 is not supported by the pushing portion 363, so it moves downward with the cylindrical portion 341. As a result, the restricting member 350 returns to the restricting position and presses against the cylindrical portion 341 with the restricting surface 351.
Then, the fifth situation occurs when the machine body 10 is put back to the water tank 20.
For doing so, the water tank 20 can be put on the floor first, and then the machine body 10 is put on the water tank 20 naturally, making the dehumidifier 1 return to the status as shown in FIGS. 8-9.
While the machine body 10 is naturally put on the water tank 20, the pushing block 22 of the water tank 20 will contact and push upward the contacting portion 362 of the lever 360, so the pushing portion 363 of the lever 360 will go upward and push the pushed portion 343 of the seesaw member 340. In detail, there are two steps while the pushed portion 343 is pushed by the pushing portion 363. The first step is that the pushed portion 343 is being pushed but the restricting member 350 is not moved by the pushed portion 343 yet, in this step, the cylindrical portion 341 is only pivotable because it is restricted by the restricting surface 351 and the groove II, so the pivotable member 320 will be pushed downward to the restricted position by the pressing portion 342 when the pushed portion 343 is moved upward. When the pivotable member 320 is back to the restricted position as the second situation shown in FIG. 11, the fasteners 330a and 330b will automatically engage with the engage portions 21 of the water tank 20, meanwhile, the button 310 returns to the released position when it is not restricted by the pivotable member 320.
Then, the second step immediately occurs after the first step. The machine body 10 keeps falling so that the distance between the pushing block 22 and the machine body 10 decreases to the first vertical distance DI, and the pushed portion 343 pushes the restricting member 350 to the releasing position, i.e. the first situation as shown in FIG. 9.
According to the fastening mechanism as discussed above, it is able to fix one object to another. It is noted that the fastening mechanism of the disclosure can be used to other products that is able to be separated into two pieces.
In addition, it should be noted that the aforementioned embodiments are exemplary, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, the fastening mechanism of the disclosure may not have the linkage mechanism 370 but only have one fastener. In yet some other embodiments, the fastening mechanism of the disclosure may not have the seesaw member 340, the restricting member 350 or the lever 360, and the pushing block 22 for moving the pivotable member 320 may be replaced with another mechanism, but It still can achieve the restriction between the pivotable member 320 and the button 310.
According to the dehumidifier and the fastening mechanism as discussed above, the machine body and the water tank are able to be fixed to each other through the fastening mechanism, such that the water tank is able to be moved with the machine body together.
Also, the fastening mechanism is able to be released by pushing the button. That is, users can use one finger to trigger the fastening mechanism to disengage two objects, which is convenient to the users.
In addition, when the machine body is put on the water tank, the fastening mechanism can automatically engage with the water tank.
Therefore, it is easy and convenient for user to fix the machine body to the water tank and detach the machine body from the water tank.
Furthermore, due to the restricting member, the button is only allowed to release the fastening mechanism when the machine body is in the static state, and the fastening mechanism is prevented from being released when the dehumidifier is in the lifted state. As a result, when the water tank is lifted away from the floor, accidently pressing the button will not cause the water tank to detach from the machine body.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and Its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated, ft is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (9)

  1. CLAIMS I. A dehumidifier, comprising: a water tank; a machine body; and a fastening mechanism, comprising a button, a pivotable member and at least one fastener, the button movably disposed on the machine body so as to be movable between a pushed position and a released position, the button comprising a button body, a neck portion and a locking portion, the neck portion located between and connected to the button body and the locking portion of the button, the neck portion, the button body and the neck portion together forming a stop block opening, the pivotable member pivoted to the machine body so as to be pivotable between a restricted position and a locking position, the pivotable member comprising a stop block, and the at least one fastener pivoted to the machine body so as to be pivotable between a fastened position and a unfastened position; wherein when the button is in the released position, the locking portion of the button presses the stop block of the pivotable member so as to maintain the pivotable member in the restricted position, and the at least one fastener in the fastened position is engaged with at least one engage portion of the water tank, such that the machine body is fixed on the water tank; when the button is moved from the released position to the pushed position, the stop block opening of the button is moved to the top of the stop block of the pivotable member so as to unrestrict the pivotable member, allowing the pivotable member to move to the locking position from the restricted position and making the stop block enter the stop block opening, thereby the button is maintained In the pushed position; and when the pivotable member is pivoted from the restricted position to the locking position, the at least one fastener is moved to the unfastened position and detached from the at least one engage portion of the water tank by being pushed by the pivotable member,
  2. 2. The dehumidifier according to Claim 1, wherein when the pivotable member is moved toward the restricted position, the stop block is removed from the stop block opening so as to unrestrict the button, allowing the button to move from the pushed position to the released position to maintain the pivotable member in the restricted position, and while the pivotable member is pivoted from the locking position to the restricted position, the pivotable member stops pressing the at least one fastener so as to make the at least one fastener engage with the at least one engage portion of the water tank.
  3. 3. The dehumidifier according to Claim 2, wherein the dehumidifier has a static state and a lifted state; when the dehumidifier is in the static state, the water tank and the machine body is spaced apart by a first vertical distance; when the dehumidifier is in the lifted state, the water tank and the machine body is spaced apart by a second vertical distance, and the second vertical distance is larger than the first vertical distance; the fastening mechanism further comprises a seesaw member, the seesaw member comprises a cylindrical portion, a pressing portion and a pushed portion, the cylindrical portion is connected to and located between the pressing portion and the pushed portion, the cylindrical portion is pivoted to the machine body and movable between a fixed position and a free position, and the pushed portion is used to be pushed; when the dehumidifier is in the static state, the cylindrical portion is in the free position; when the dehumidifier is moved from the static state to the lifted state, the cylindrical portion is moved from the free position to the fixed position so as to restrict the pivotable member in the restricted position through the pressing portion of the seesaw member.
  4. 4. The dehumidifier according to Claim 3, wherein the machine body has a groove, the cylindrical portion of the seesaw member is slidably located in the groove of the machine body, the fastening mechanism further comprises a restricting member, the restricting member is pivoted to the machine body and pivotable between a releasing position and a restricting position; when the dehumidifier is in the static state, and the restricting member is pivoted to the releasing position by the pushed portion while the pushed portion is being pushed, the cylindrical portion is in the free position; when the dehumidifier is moved from the static state to the lifted state, a vertical distance between the water tank and the machine body is increased from the first vertical distance to the second vertical distance, such that the pushed portion pushes the restricting member less, allowing the restricting member to move to the restricting position to restrict the cylindrical portion in the fixed position, and making the pressing portion restrict the pivotable member in the restricted position.
  5. 5. The dehumidifier according to Claim 4, wherein the restricting member has a restricting surface, and a line normal to the restricting surface passes through a pivot shaft of the restricting member.
  6. 6. The dehumidifier according to Claim 3, wherein the fastening mechanism further comprises a lever, the lever comprises a pivoting portion, a contacting portion and a pushing portion, the contacting portion is connected to and located between the pivoting portion and the pushing portion, the pivoting portion is pivotably fixed on the machine body, the pushing portion is configured to push the seesaw member, and the contacting portion is moved with the pushing portion while the contacting portion is being pushed.
  7. 7. The dehumidifier according to Claim 1, wherein the water tank comprises a box body and a lid, the lid is detachably fixed on the box body, and the at least one engage portion is located on a side of the lid facing away from the machine body.
  8. 8. The dehumidifier according to Claim I, wherein the quantity of the at least one fastener is two, and the two fasteners are movable with respect to each other through a linkage mechanism.
  9. 9. A fastening mechanism, configured to fix a first object to a second object, and fastening mechanism comprising: a button, movably disposed on the first object so as to be movable between a pushed position and a released position, the button comprising a button body, a neck portion and a locking portion, the neck portion located between and connected to the button body and the locking portion, and the button body, the neck portion and the locking portion together forming a stop block opening; a pivotable member, pivoted to the first object so as to be pivotable between a restricted position and a locking position, and the pivotable member comprising a stop block; and at least one fastener, pivoted to the first object so as to be pivotable between a fastened position and an unfastened position; wherein when the button is in the released position, the locking portion of the button presses the stop block of the pivotable member so as to maintain the pivotable member in the restricted position, and the at least one fastener in the fastened position is engaged with the second object, such that the first object is fixed on the second object; when the button is moved from the released position to the pushed position, the stop block opening of the button is moved to the top of the stop block of the pivotable member so as to unrestrict the pivotable member, allowing the pivotable member to move to the locking position from the restricted position and making the stop block enter the stop block opening, thereby the button is maintained in the pushed position; and when the pivotable member is pivoted from the restricted position to the locking position, the at least one fastener is moved to the unfastened position and detached from the second object by being pushed by the pivotable member.
GB1711573.4A 2017-06-05 2017-07-19 Dehumidifier and fastening mechanism Expired - Fee Related GB2563459B (en)

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CN112050309B (en) * 2020-08-28 2021-12-28 宁波瑞丰创智科技有限公司 Dehumidifying device

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CN108980174A (en) 2018-12-11
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Effective date: 20210719