Spray arm assembly and washing appliance having the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a spray arm assembly and a washing machine having the same. The spray arm assembly includes: a spray arm, the spray arm having a spray arm external thread; a spray arm seat, the spray arm is connected to the spray arm seat, and the spray arm is rotatable relative to the spray arm seat; a ball assembly, the ball assembly is arranged at the connection and cooperation between the spray arm and the spray arm seat, and the ball assembly includes: a bearing base and a ball, the ball is rotatably arranged on the bearing base, and the bearing base is provided with a ball internal thread that cooperates with the spray arm external thread. According to the spray arm assembly of the present invention, the spray arm and the spray arm seat are connected by the ball assembly, thereby reducing the friction between the spray arm and the spray arm seat, which is beneficial to reducing the water power loss. In addition, the height dimension of the spray arm assembly can also be reduced, thereby leaving more space for placing the items to be cleaned and improving the capacity of the washing machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a spray arm assembly and a washing appliance having the same. Background Art

[0002] For the existing spray arm assembly, the main way to connect the spray arm to the spray arm seat is through a snap-fit ​​connection with a snap-fit ​​flange, but this connection method will result in a larger gap between the spray arm and the spray arm seat. When the spray arm is working, the water in the spray arm is easy to leak through the gap, affecting the cleaning effect. In addition, when the spray arm and the spray arm seat produce relative motion, the friction between the two is sliding friction, so the loss of water power is relatively large. On the other hand, the snap-fit ​​connection method directly leads to a larger upper and lower height dimension of the spray arm seat and the spray arm, which wastes the inner tank space of the washing appliance and reduces the placement space of the parts to be cleaned inside the washing appliance. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the above technical problems in the prior art to a certain extent. To this end, the present invention provides a spray arm assembly that can reduce the friction between the spray arm and the spray arm seat.

[0004] The present invention also provides a washing appliance having the spray arm assembly.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the spray arm assembly includes: a spray arm, which has an external spray arm thread; a spray arm seat, the spray arm is connected to the spray arm seat, and the spray arm is rotatable relative to the spray arm seat; a ball assembly, the ball assembly is arranged at the connection between the spray arm and the spray arm seat, and the ball assembly includes: a bearing base and a ball, the ball is rotatably arranged on the bearing base, and the bearing base is provided with a ball internal thread that cooperates with the external thread of the spray arm.

[0006] According to the spray arm assembly of the embodiment of the present invention, the spray arm and the spray arm seat are connected by a ball assembly, thereby reducing the friction between the spray arm and the spray arm seat, which is beneficial to reducing water dynamic loss. In addition, the height of the spray arm assembly can also be reduced, thereby leaving more space for placing the items to be cleaned and increasing the capacity of the washing appliance.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the spray arm includes: a spray arm body and a spray arm connecting sleeve, the spray arm connecting sleeve is arranged on the lower side of the spray arm body, the spray arm connecting sleeve has a spray arm chamber connected to the spray arm body, the spray arm seat has a spray arm seat chamber connected to the spray arm chamber, and the spray arm external thread is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the spray arm connecting sleeve.

[0008] Furthermore, the bearing base includes: an outer sleeve, the outer sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the spray arm connecting sleeve, and the ball internal thread is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve.

[0009] Furthermore, the bearing base also includes: an intermediate sleeve, which is arranged between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, and is provided with a plurality of ball holes, in which the balls are installed, and the balls protrude from the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the intermediate sleeve in the radial direction of the intermediate sleeve.

[0010] The bearing base also includes: an inner sleeve, the inner sleeve is suitable for being connected to the spray arm seat, and an inner sleeve ball groove suitable for cooperating with the ball is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the inner sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, an outer sleeve ball groove suitable for cooperating with the ball is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve, and the ball internal thread is arranged above the outer sleeve ball groove.

[0012] Optionally, the spray arm seat and the inner sleeve are detachably connected.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an inner sleeve external thread is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner sleeve, a spray arm seat internal thread suitable for cooperating with the inner sleeve external thread is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the spray arm seat, and the inner sleeve external thread is arranged below the inner sleeve ball groove.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the spray arm seat is at least partially located inside the inner sleeve, and the top of the spray arm seat has a spray arm seat buckle, and the spray arm seat buckle is suitable for being clamped on the upper surface of the inner sleeve.

[0015] Specifically, the top of the spray arm seat has a plurality of grooves, the opening direction of the grooves is parallel to the axial direction of the spray arm seat, the spray arm seat buckle extends upward from the bottom wall of the groove, and the two sides of the spray arm seat buckle are separated from the two side walls of the groove, and the top of the spray arm seat buckle is provided with a hook facing the inner sleeve.

[0016] Specifically, the ball hole is arranged at the bottom of the middle sleeve, the ball hole is a superior arc hole, and a ball taking and releasing opening is formed at the bottom notch.

[0017] Furthermore, a weakened groove is provided between two adjacent ball bearing holes, and a weakened groove column is provided in the weakened groove.

[0018] Specifically, the outer sleeve includes: an outer sleeve circumferential wall and an outer sleeve bottom wall, the outer sleeve bottom wall is arranged at an end of the outer sleeve circumferential wall away from the spray arm, and the outer sleeve bottom wall extends radially inward along the outer sleeve circumferential wall, and the ball is arranged above the outer sleeve bottom wall.

[0019] Specifically, the spray arm connecting sleeve includes: a connecting sleeve peripheral wall and a connecting sleeve bottom wall extending radially inward along the connecting sleeve peripheral wall, the connecting sleeve bottom wall is arranged at one end of the connecting sleeve peripheral wall away from the spray arm body, and the inner sleeve and the middle sleeve are arranged below the connecting sleeve bottom wall.

[0020] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the bottom wall of the connecting sleeve is equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve.

[0021] Optionally, the spray arm seat has a spray arm seat water inlet hole, and the inner diameter of the spray arm seat water inlet hole is equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve.

[0022] Optionally, a gap between an upper surface of the inner sleeve and a lower surface of a bottom wall of the connecting sleeve is L1, and L1 satisfies the relationship: 0mm<L1≤0.5mm.

[0023] A washing appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned spray arm assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the spray arm assembly;

[0025] Figure 2 is a half-section schematic diagram of the spray arm assembly;

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of the middle part;

[0027] Figure 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the spray arm assembly;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a half-section schematic diagram of the ball assembly;

[0029] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the exploded half section of the ball assembly at B in the middle;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a half-section schematic diagram of the middle sleeve.

[0031] Reference numerals:

[0032] Spray arm assembly 1000, spray arm 100, spray arm chamber 101, spray arm body 110, spray arm connecting sleeve 120, spray arm external thread 121, connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122, connecting sleeve bottom wall 123, spray arm seat 200, spray arm seat chamber 201, spray arm seat flange 210, spray arm seat internal thread 220, ball assembly 300, bearing base 310, outer sleeve 311, ball internal thread 3111, outer sleeve ball groove 3112, outer sleeve peripheral wall 3113, outer sleeve bottom wall 3114, inner sleeve 312, inner sleeve ball groove 3121, inner sleeve external thread 3122, intermediate sleeve 313, ball hole 3131, weakened groove 3132, weakened groove column 3133, ball 320. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0035] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0036] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 7 The spray arm assembly 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail. The spray arm assembly 1000 can be used in a washing appliance, and the structure of the spray arm assembly 1000 is described below by taking the application of the spray arm assembly 1000 in a dishwasher as an example.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the spray arm assembly 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include: a spray arm 100 , a spray arm seat 200 and a ball assembly 300 .

[0038] Reference Figure 2-Figure 4 As shown, the spray arm 100 has a spray arm external thread 121, which makes it possible to connect the spray arm 100 with other components. The spray arm 100 is connected to the spray arm seat 200, and the spray arm 100 is rotatable relative to the spray arm seat 200. The spray arm seat 200 is located below the spray arm 100. By setting the spray arm seat 200, a connection interface is provided for the spray arm 100. At the same time, after the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 are connected as one, the spray arm seat 200 can also serve as a water inlet pipe for the spray arm 100. In some embodiments, the spray arm 100 is provided with a water spray hole and a driving hole. When the water pressure in the spray arm 100 reaches a certain value, the spray arm 100 starts to spray water columns through the water spray hole and the driving hole (not shown in the figure). The spray arm 100 rotates due to the reaction force when the water column is sprayed out. As the water column is continuously sprayed out from the water spray hole and the driving hole, the spray arm 100 can rotate continuously. The water column sprayed from the water spray hole and the driving hole will be sprinkled on the surface of the tableware or the inner wall of the dishwasher as the spray arm 100 rotates, and then the stains on the tableware or the inner wall of the dishwasher are cleaned, thereby completing the dishwasher's cleaning work on the tableware. The direction and position of the water column sprayed on the tableware by the spray arm 100 are multi-directional, which reduces dead corners and makes it easier to clean. Since the water flow has a large coverage rate, the cleaning time will also be reduced accordingly, which is conducive to shortening the cleaning time.

[0039] Reference Figure 4-Figure 6 As shown, the ball assembly 300 is arranged at the connection between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200, and the ball assembly 300 may include: a bearing base 310 and a ball 320, the ball 320 is rotatably arranged on the bearing base 310, and the bearing base 310 is provided with a ball internal thread 3111 that cooperates with the spray arm external thread 121.

[0040] Specifically, the bearing substrate 310 can be a part or a component including multiple parts. In an embodiment of the present invention, the bearing substrate 310 is composed of more than one part, and a part of the bearing substrate 310 is fixedly connected to the spray arm 100, and another part of the bearing substrate 310 is fixedly connected to the spray arm seat 200, thereby realizing an indirect connection between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200. The ball 320 is arranged in the middle of the bearing substrate 310, and the ball 320 can rotate in the bearing substrate 310, so that the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 can realize relative rotation through the ball 320, thereby changing the friction form between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 from the previous sliding friction to rolling friction, which is conducive to reducing the friction between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200.

[0041] Among them, the external part of the bearing base 310 is provided with a ball inner thread 3111 that matches the spray arm outer thread 121, such as Figure 2-Figure 3 , Figure 6As shown, the ball internal thread 3111 is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the external part of the bearing base 310, and the bearing base 310 is fixedly connected to the spray arm 100 through the cooperation of the spray arm external thread 121 and the ball internal thread 3111, and the internal parts of the bearing base 310 are fixedly connected to the spray arm seat 200, wherein the ball 320 is arranged between the internal parts and the external parts of the bearing base 310, and the internal parts and the external parts of the bearing base 310 can rotate relative to each other, thereby ensuring that the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 can rotate relative to each other, and the structure of the connection between the spray arm 100, the spray arm seat 200 and the ball assembly 300 is simple and stable.

[0042] By providing the ball assembly 300, when the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 rotate relative to each other, the friction between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 is in the form of rolling friction, rather than the previous sliding friction. In this way, the rolling friction has little resistance to the rotation of the spray arm 100, thereby reducing the loss of water power caused by friction and improving the utilization rate of water power. At the same time, the spray arm 100 rotates at a faster speed relative to the spray arm seat 200, so by providing the ball assembly 300, it is beneficial to improve the smoothness of the spray arm 100 when rotating, thereby helping to reduce the noise of the dishwasher.

[0043] In addition, compared with the original form in which the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 are connected separately by a snap-fit, after the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 are connected by a ball assembly 300, the distance between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 can be reduced, thereby reducing the height dimension of the spray arm assembly 1000, saving the internal space of the dishwasher, leaving more space for the placement of tableware, and thus increasing the tableware capacity of the dishwasher, for example, the internal loading capacity of the dishwasher can be increased by 10mm-40mm.

[0044] The spray arm 100 and the ball assembly 300 are connected by threads, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly and can be fixed reliably.

[0045] According to the spray arm assembly 1000 of the embodiment of the present invention, the spray arm external thread 121 is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the spray arm 100, providing an interface for connecting the spray arm 100 with the ball assembly 300. The spray arm 100 is connected to the spray arm seat 200 through the ball assembly 300, thereby reducing the friction between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200, thereby helping to reduce the loss of water power, improve the utilization rate of water power, ensure that the pressure of water when spraying out from the spray arm water spray hole is relatively high, and help to improve the washing effect of the dishwasher on the tableware. In addition, the height of the spray arm assembly 1000 can also be reduced, thereby saving the internal space of the dishwasher, leaving more space for the placement of tableware, and improving the tableware capacity of the dishwasher.

[0046] refer to Figure 2-Figure 4As shown, the spray arm 100 may include: a spray arm body 110 and a spray arm connecting sleeve 120. The spray arm connecting sleeve 120 is arranged on the lower side of the spray arm body 110. By setting the spray arm connecting sleeve 120, it is convenient to connect the spray arm 100 with the spray arm seat 200, ensuring that the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 can be reliably connected as a whole.

[0047] The spray arm connecting sleeve 120 is provided with a spray arm chamber 101 in communication with the spray arm body 110, and the spray arm seat 200 is provided with a spray arm seat chamber 201 in communication with the spray arm chamber 101, thereby ensuring that the water from the dishwasher water source can smoothly enter the spray arm chamber 101 through the spray arm seat chamber 201, and then the water is sprayed onto the surface of the tableware through the water spray hole and the driving hole on the spray arm 100, thereby completing the operation of washing the tableware. As the water continues to enter the spray arm chamber 101, the water pressure in the spray arm chamber 101 becomes higher and higher, and at this time, the reaction force generated by the water column sprayed from the driving hole of the spray arm 100 is also greater, and the speed of the spray arm 100 rotation is also faster. At the same time, the force of the sprayed water column hitting the tableware is also greater, which is conducive to cleaning the stains on the tableware. Therefore, by setting the spray arm chamber 101, the washing effect of the dishwasher can be ensured to be better.

[0048] refer to Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, the bearing base 310 includes three parts, namely: an outer sleeve 311 (ie, the outer part of the bearing base 310 mentioned above), an inner sleeve 312 (ie, the inner part of the bearing base 310 mentioned above) and a middle sleeve 313.

[0049] Among them, the outer sleeve 311 is sleeved on the outside of the spray arm connecting sleeve 120, the ball bearing internal thread 3111 is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve 311, and the spray arm external thread 121 is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the spray arm connecting sleeve 120. Therefore, the outer sleeve 311 and the spray arm connecting sleeve 120 can be connected as a whole through the cooperation and connection between the ball bearing internal thread 3111 and the spray arm external thread 121, thereby ensuring that the supporting base 310 and the spray arm 100 are reliably connected as a whole.

[0050] The inner sleeve 312 is disposed inside the outer sleeve 311 and the middle sleeve 313 , and is fixedly connected to the spray arm seat 200 via the inner sleeve 312 , thereby ensuring that the bearing base 310 and the spray arm seat 200 are reliably connected as one.

[0051] The middle sleeve 313 is arranged between the outer sleeve 311 and the inner sleeve 312. A plurality of ball holes 3131 are arranged on the middle sleeve 313. The balls 320 are arranged in the ball holes 3131, and the balls 320 are rotatably installed in the ball holes 3131. The ball holes 3131 provide support for the fixation of the balls 320, thereby ensuring that the relative positions of the plurality of balls 320 remain unchanged and preventing collision and extrusion between the plurality of balls 320. This can improve the working stability of the ball assembly 300, thereby further improving the smoothness of the rotation of the spray arm 100.

[0052] Optionally, the number of ball holes 3131 is the same as the number of balls 320. The balls 320 protrude from the inner and outer circumferences of the intermediate sleeve 313 in the radial direction of the intermediate sleeve 313, that is, the diameter of the balls 320 is greater than the wall thickness of the intermediate sleeve 313, and only the middle part of the balls 320 is installed in the intermediate sleeve 313. The outer side of the balls 320 protrudes outward from the outer circumference of the intermediate sleeve 313, and the inner side of the balls 320 protrudes inward from the inner circumference of the intermediate sleeve 313, so that the outer side of the balls 320 can roll with the inner surface of the outer sleeve 311, and the inner side of the balls 320 can roll with the inner surface of the inner sleeve 313. The outer surface of 12 is in rolling contact, and the ball 320 is in rolling contact with the outer sleeve 311 and the inner sleeve 312, wherein the outer sleeve 311 is fixedly connected to the spray arm 100, and the inner sleeve 312 is fixedly connected to the spray arm seat 200. Therefore, the ball 320 indirectly provides support for the connection between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200. When the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 rotate relative to each other, the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 are indirectly in contact through the ball 320, so there is rolling friction between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200.

[0053] Optionally, the diameter of the ball 320 is 3 mm-8 mm, and the number of the ball 320 is 4-12.

[0054] refer to Figure 4-Figure 6As shown, further, an outer sleeve ball groove 3112 suitable for cooperating with the ball 320 is provided on the inner circumference of the outer sleeve 311, and the ball internal thread 3111 is provided above the outer sleeve ball groove 3112, providing space for the ball 320 to rotate smoothly in the outer sleeve ball groove 3112, and an inner sleeve ball groove 3121 suitable for cooperating with the ball 320 is provided on the outer circumference of the inner sleeve 312, and the outer sleeve ball groove 3112 and the inner sleeve ball groove 3121 are both circumferential annular grooves, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the full circle rotation of the spray arm 100. The ball 320 is in rolling contact with the outer sleeve ball groove 3112 and the inner sleeve ball groove 3121, and the friction force is small. In a specific embodiment, the diameter of the outer sleeve ball groove 3112 and the inner sleeve ball groove 3121 can be equal to the diameter of the ball 320, or can be slightly larger than the diameter of the ball 320, thereby ensuring that the ball 320 and the outer sleeve ball groove 3112 and the inner sleeve ball groove 3121 cooperate well.

[0055] Combination Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, in the direction of the central axis of the spray arm connecting sleeve 120, the positions of the outer sleeve ball groove 3112, the inner sleeve ball groove 3121, and the ball hole 3131 correspond, and the ball 320 is partially arranged in the ball hole 3131. The outer side of the ball 320 contacts the outer sleeve ball groove 3112, and the inner side of the ball 320 contacts the inner sleeve ball groove 3121, thereby completing the connection between the outer sleeve 311 and the inner sleeve 312, and the outer sleeve 311 is fixedly connected to the spray arm 100, and the inner sleeve 312 is fixedly connected to the spray arm seat 200, thereby completing the indirect connection between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200. The positions of the outer sleeve ball groove 3112, the inner sleeve ball groove 3121, and the ball hole 3131 correspond to each other, which can prevent the spray arm 100 from being squeezed when the sliding trajectory of the ball 320 is different from the trajectory of the outer sleeve ball groove 3112 and the inner sleeve ball groove 3121, resulting in the spray arm 100 being unable to rotate.

[0056] In some embodiments, the spray arm base 200 and the inner sleeve 312 are detachably connected.

[0057] refer to Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, the outer circumference of the inner sleeve 312 is provided with an inner sleeve outer thread 3122, and the inner circumference of the spray arm seat 200 is provided with a spray arm seat inner thread 220 suitable for matching with the inner sleeve outer thread 3122. The inner sleeve outer thread 3122 is matched and connected with the spray arm seat inner thread 220, so that the inner sleeve 312 and the spray arm seat are reliably connected as a whole, and the spray arm seat 200 and the ball assembly 300 are connected by threads, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly and reliable. The inner sleeve outer thread 3122 is arranged below the inner sleeve ball groove 3121, providing space for the ball 320 to rotate smoothly in the inner sleeve ball groove 3121.

[0058] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 6 As shown, the ball internal thread 3111 is arranged above the outer sleeve ball groove 3112, and the inner sleeve external thread 3122 is arranged below the inner sleeve ball groove 3121. Therefore, the fixed position of the outer sleeve 311 and the spray arm 100 is located at the top, and the matching position of the inner sleeve 312 and the spray arm seat 200 is located at the bottom, thereby making full use of the height space and preventing the axial dimension of the connection between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 from being too large.

[0059] refer to Figure 6-Figure 7 As shown, specifically, the ball hole 3131 is arranged at the bottom of the middle sleeve 313, the ball hole 3131 is a major arc hole, and a ball access opening is formed at the bottom notch of the ball hole 3131, and the ball 320 enters the ball hole 3131 or comes out of the ball hole 3131 through the ball access opening, thereby facilitating the installation and removal of the ball 320 in the ball hole 3131. The major arc hole is a hole with a central angle greater than 180° and less than 360°, thereby allowing most of each ball 320 to be located in the ball hole 3131, preventing the ball 320 from falling out of the ball hole 3131 after installation. When installing the ball 320, the ball access opening can be opened with the help of external force, and then the ball 320 is installed in the ball hole 3131 through the ball access opening. Then the external force is removed, and the elastic deformation of the ball hole 3131 disappears, and the ball hole 3131 returns to its original state. At this time, the ball hole 3131 tightly wraps the ball 320, making the installation of the ball 320 in the ball hole 3131 more firm and reliable.

[0060] In a specific embodiment, the plurality of ball holes 3131 can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the middle sleeve 313, thereby making the relative rotation of the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 more stable. Preferably, the number of balls 320 is an even number, thereby ensuring that the ball assembly 300 is subjected to balanced force and relieving stress concentration.

[0061] refer to Figure 6-Figure 7 As shown, a weakening groove 3132 is provided between two adjacent ball holes 3131. By providing the weakening groove 3132, the rigidity between the two adjacent ball holes 3131 can be reduced. Therefore, when the ball 320 is installed, the ball hole 3131 is easily deformed, thereby reducing the difficulty of installing or removing the ball 320.

[0062] A weakening groove column 3133 is provided in the weakening groove 3132. Optionally, the central axis of the weakening groove column 3133 is parallel to the central axis of the intermediate sleeve 313, which is conducive to simplifying the processing technology of the intermediate sleeve 313. By providing the weakening groove column 3133, a certain strengthening effect can be played, thereby preventing the weakening groove 3132 from excessively weakening the rigidity of the intermediate sleeve 313, which is conducive to improving the working reliability of the ball assembly 300.

[0063] The middle sleeve 313 has three main functions: (1) by opening a ball hole 3131 on the middle sleeve 313 and installing the ball 320 in the ball hole 3131, the position of the ball 320 can be fixed and limited to prevent the ball 320 from accumulating; (2) it can isolate food residues to prevent small food residues from entering the ball groove and causing friction; (3) it can strengthen and isolate the vibration of the spray arm 100 to prevent the spray arm 100 from shaking severely.

[0064] refer to Figure 5-Figure 6 As shown, specifically, the outer sleeve 311 may include: an outer sleeve peripheral wall 3113 and an outer sleeve bottom wall 3114, the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114 is arranged at one end of the outer sleeve peripheral wall 3113 away from the spray arm 100, and is combined with Figure 3 As shown, the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114 is arranged at the lower end of the outer sleeve peripheral wall 3113, and the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114 extends radially inward along the outer sleeve peripheral wall 3113, and the outer sleeve ball groove 3112 is arranged at the junction of the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114 and the outer sleeve peripheral wall 3113, so that the ball 320 is arranged above the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114, thereby, the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114 can play a certain protective role on the ball 320, preventing the ball 320 from being exposed to the outside and affecting the service life of the ball 320.

[0065] refer to Figure 2-Figure 4 As shown, further, the top of the spray arm seat 200 has a spray arm seat flange 210, and the spray arm seat flange 210 extends radially outward of the spray arm seat 200. The spray arm seat flange 210 is arranged below the bottom wall 3114 of the outer sleeve, and the gap between the upper surface of the spray arm seat flange 210 and the lower surface of the bottom wall 3114 of the outer sleeve is L2, and L2 satisfies the relationship: 0mm<L2≤0.5mm, thereby, when the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 rotate relative to each other, the contact between the lower surface of the bottom wall 3114 of the outer sleeve and the upper surface of the spray arm seat flange 210 and sliding friction can be avoided, that is, there is no friction between the outer sleeve 311 and the spray arm seat 200. In addition, the gap between the lower surface of the bottom wall 3114 of the outer sleeve and the upper surface of the spray arm seat flange 210 is small, which can prevent leftovers or other contaminants from entering the gap and increasing the friction between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 or even jamming the spray arm 100; and when the spray arm 100 is tilted, the outer sleeve 311 can quickly contact the spray arm seat 200, thereby preventing the spray arm 100 from further tilting.

[0066] For example, in some optional embodiments, the gap L2 between the upper surface of the spray arm seat flange 210 and the lower surface of the outer sleeve bottom wall 3114 may be 0.1 mm, or may be 0.2 mm or 0.3 mm.

[0067] refer to Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, specifically, the spray arm connecting sleeve 120 may include: a connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122 and a connecting sleeve bottom wall 123, the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 extending radially inwardly along the connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122, and the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 is arranged at one end of the connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122 away from the spray arm body 110, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 is arranged at the lower end of the connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122 , and the inner sleeve 312 and the middle sleeve 313 are arranged below the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 .

[0068] Reference Figure 3 As shown, the inner diameter of the bottom wall 123 of the connection sleeve is equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve 312, and the two are aligned without sudden steps, which can avoid water flow pressure loss. At the same time, when water enters the spray arm connection sleeve 120 from the inner sleeve 312, it can be buffered and transitioned at the bottom wall 123 of the connection sleeve, which can avoid sudden changes in water flow velocity and affect the rotation stability of the spray arm 100. The bottom of the spray arm seat 200 has an inner flange of the spray arm seat, and the inner flange of the spray arm seat extends inward along the radial direction of the spray arm seat 200. The inner sleeve 312 is located above the inner flange of the spray arm seat. The center of the inner flange of the spray arm seat has a water inlet hole for the spray arm seat. The inner diameter of the water inlet hole of the spray arm seat is also equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve 312. The two are aligned without sudden steps, which can avoid water flow pressure loss. At the same time, when water enters the inner sleeve 312 from the spray arm seat 200, it can also avoid sudden changes in water flow velocity and affect the rotation stability of the spray arm 100.

[0069] That is to say, when the water source of the dishwasher is turned on, water flows in from the spray arm seat 200 and then flows into the spray arm chamber 101 of the spray arm connecting sleeve 120. Therefore, the inner diameter of the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 is equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve 312 and the inner diameter of the water inlet hole of the spray arm seat, which can ensure that the water flow speed in the spray arm seat 200, the inner sleeve 312 and the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 is equal. Since the inner diameter of the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 is not much different from the inner diameter of the connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122, when water flows through the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123, the inner diameter of the inner sleeve 312 is equal to the inner diameter of the connecting sleeve peripheral wall 122. When the water enters the peripheral wall 122 of the connecting sleeve, the change of the water flow velocity is small, and the water flow velocity entering the spray arm chamber 101 is stable, thereby avoiding the drastic change of the water flow velocity causing the spray arm 100 to shake severely, ensuring that the water pressure in the spray arm chamber 101 rises steadily, and preventing the flow velocity from suddenly changing at the connection between the spray arm seat 200 and the inner sleeve 312, and at the connection between the inner sleeve 312 and the spray arm connecting sleeve 120, ensuring that the spray arm 100 can rotate stably, thereby ensuring the high working reliability of the spray arm assembly 1000.

[0070] The gap between the upper surface of the inner sleeve 312 and the lower surface of the bottom wall 123 of the connecting sleeve is L1, and L1 satisfies the relationship: 0mm<L1≤0.5mm. Therefore, when the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 rotate relative to each other, the contact between the upper surface of the inner sleeve 312 and the lower surface of the bottom wall 123 of the connecting sleeve and the sliding friction can be avoided. In other words, there is no friction between the inner sleeve 312 and the spray arm connecting sleeve 120. In addition, the gap between the upper surface of the inner sleeve 312 and the lower surface of the bottom wall 123 of the connecting sleeve is small, which can prevent leftovers or other pollutants from entering the gap and increasing the friction between the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 or even jamming the spray arm 100. It can also prevent excessive water from entering between the inner sleeve 312 and the bottom wall 123 of the connecting sleeve and causing water power loss. When the spray arm 100 is tilted, the inner sleeve 312 can quickly contact the spray arm connecting sleeve 120, thereby preventing the spray arm 100 from further tilting.

[0071] For example, in some optional embodiments, the gap L1 between the upper surface of the inner sleeve 312 and the lower surface of the connecting sleeve bottom wall 123 may be 0.1 mm, or may be 0.2 mm or 0.3 mm.

[0072] After the spray arm 100 and the spray arm seat 200 are connected by the ball assembly 300, the height dimension of the spray arm connecting sleeve 120 can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall height dimension of the spray arm assembly 1000, leaving more space for placing tableware.

[0073] In a specific embodiment, the ball 320 can be a plastic ball or a stainless steel ball. Because the working environment of the spray arm assembly 1000 is full of water, the spray arm assembly 1000 is in a hot and humid environment for a long time, which can easily cause the ball 320 to rust and get stuck. The plastic ball or the stainless steel ball has a strong anti-corrosion ability and can effectively slow down or even prevent the ball 320 from rusting.

[0074] In some embodiments not shown, the spray arm seat 200 is at least partially located inside the inner sleeve 312, and the top of the spray arm seat 200 has a spray arm seat buckle, which is suitable for being clamped on the upper surface of the inner sleeve 312. By providing the spray arm seat buckle on the top of the spray arm seat 200, it can be ensured that the spray arm seat 200 and the inner sleeve 312 are reliably connected as a whole, and it is convenient to connect and disconnect the spray arm seat 200 and the ball assembly 300, so as to facilitate the installation of the spray arm assembly 1000.

[0075] Specifically, the top of the spray arm seat 200 has a plurality of grooves, the opening direction of the grooves is parallel to the axial direction of the spray arm seat 200, the spray arm seat buckle extends upward from the bottom wall of the groove, and the two sides of the spray arm seat buckle are separated from the two side walls of the groove, thereby ensuring that the spray arm seat buckle can be elastically deformed in the groove. The top of the spray arm seat buckle is provided with a hook facing the inner sleeve 312, and the hook is suitable for hooking on the top of the inner sleeve 312, thereby limiting the relative axial position of the spray arm seat 200 and the inner sleeve 312.

[0076] When the inner sleeve 312 is assembled with the spray arm seat 200, the inner circumference of the inner sleeve 312 squeezes the hook of the spray arm seat buckle, causing the spray arm seat buckle to deform toward the inside of the spray arm seat 200, ensuring that the spray arm seat buckle can reach the top of the inner sleeve 312 from the bottom of the inner sleeve 312 (i.e. from bottom to top); when the spray arm seat buckle passes over the top of the inner sleeve 312, the squeezing force on the spray arm seat buckle disappears, and under the action of the spray arm seat buckle's own elastic force, the spray arm seat buckle approaches the inner sleeve 312, so that the hook hooks the top of the inner sleeve 312.

[0077] When the inner sleeve 312 needs to be separated from the spray arm seat 200, the spray arm 100 is lifted upward with force, the top of the inner sleeve 312 squeezes the hook so that the hook is retracted into the inner sleeve 312, and the spray arm 100 is continued to be lifted to separate the inner sleeve 312 from the spray arm seat 200.

[0078] based on Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the supporting substrate 310 of the present invention can have a variety of deformation modes, and these deformation modes all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Figure 3 A summary of various variations of the carrier substrate 310 according to an embodiment of the present invention is given.

[0079] For example, in the first embodiment not shown, the supporting substrate 310 may only include: an outer sleeve 311, that is, compared with the above Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the middle sleeve 313 and the inner sleeve 312 are omitted, and the ball 320 is directly matched with the outer sleeve 311 and the spray arm seat 200, so that the spray arm connecting sleeve 120 and the spray arm seat 200 can also be connected by rolling. At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the spray arm seat 200 is provided with a spray arm seat ball groove suitable for matching with the ball 320.

[0080] For example, in the second embodiment not shown, the supporting base 310 may only include: an outer sleeve 311 and an intermediate sleeve 313, that is, compared with the above Figure 3In the embodiment of the present invention, the inner sleeve 312 is reduced, and the ball 320 is directly matched with the outer sleeve 311 and the spray arm seat 200, so that the spray arm connecting sleeve 120 and the spray arm seat 200 can also be connected by rolling. At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the spray arm seat 200 is provided with a spray arm seat ball groove suitable for matching with the ball 320.

[0081] For example, in the third embodiment not shown, the carrier substrate 310 may only include: an outer sleeve 311 and an inner sleeve 312, that is, compared with the above Figure 3 In the embodiment, the middle sleeve 313 is reduced, and the ball 320 is directly matched with the outer sleeve 311 and the inner sleeve 312, so that the spray arm connecting sleeve 120 and the spray arm seat 200 can also be connected by rolling.

[0082] According to another aspect of the present invention, a washing appliance includes the spray arm assembly 1000 of the above embodiment. The washing appliance may be a dishwasher, or a fruit and vegetable washing machine, a medical washing machine, or other washing appliances with washing functions, and the effect thereof is similar to the effect of setting the spray arm assembly 1000 in a dishwasher, which will not be described in detail here.

[0083] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spray arm assembly, characterized in that: include: A spray arm, wherein the spray arm has a spray arm external thread, and the spray arm comprises: a spray arm body and a spray arm connecting sleeve, wherein the spray arm connecting sleeve is arranged at the lower side of the spray arm body, and the spray arm external thread is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the spray arm connecting sleeve; A spray arm seat, the spray arm is connected to the spray arm seat, and the spray arm is rotatable relative to the spray arm seat; A ball assembly, the ball assembly is arranged at the connection and cooperation between the spray arm and the spray arm seat, and the ball assembly comprises: a bearing base and a ball, the ball is rotatably arranged on the bearing base, and the bearing base is provided with a ball internal thread that cooperates with the external thread of the spray arm; The supporting substrate comprises: An outer sleeve, wherein the outer sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the spray arm connecting sleeve, and the ball internal thread is arranged on the inner circumference of the outer sleeve; An intermediate sleeve, the intermediate sleeve is arranged inside the outer sleeve, a plurality of ball holes are arranged on the intermediate sleeve, the balls are installed in the ball holes, and the balls protrude from the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the intermediate sleeve in the radial direction of the intermediate sleeve; An inner sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve is suitable for being connected to the spray arm seat, the inner sleeve is arranged inside the outer sleeve and the middle sleeve, and the middle sleeve is arranged between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve.

2. The spray arm assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray arm connecting sleeve is provided with a spray arm chamber in communication with the spray arm body, and the spray arm seat is provided with a spray arm seat chamber in communication with the spray arm chamber.

3. The spray arm assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: An inner sleeve ball groove suitable for cooperating with the ball is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the inner sleeve.

4. The spray arm assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: An outer sleeve ball groove suitable for cooperating with the ball is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve, and the ball internal thread is arranged above the outer sleeve ball groove.

5. The spray arm assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spray arm seat and the inner sleeve are detachably connected.

6. The spray arm assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer circumference of the inner sleeve is provided with an inner sleeve external thread, the inner circumference of the spray arm seat is provided with a spray arm seat internal thread suitable for matching with the inner sleeve external thread, and the inner sleeve external thread is arranged below the inner sleeve ball groove.

7. The spray arm assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spray arm seat is at least partially located inside the inner sleeve, and a spray arm seat buckle is provided on the top of the spray arm seat, and the spray arm seat buckle is suitable for being clamped on the upper surface of the inner sleeve.

8. The spray arm assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The top end of the spray arm seat has a plurality of grooves, the opening direction of the grooves is parallel to the axial direction of the spray arm seat, the spray arm seat buckle extends upward from the bottom wall of the groove, and the two sides of the spray arm seat buckle are separated from the two side walls of the groove, and the top end of the spray arm seat buckle is provided with a hook facing the inner sleeve.

9. The spray arm assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ball hole is arranged at the bottom of the middle sleeve, the ball hole is a superior arc hole and a ball taking-in and putting-out opening is formed at the bottom notch.

10. The spray arm assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer sleeve comprises: an outer sleeve peripheral wall and an outer sleeve bottom wall, wherein the outer sleeve bottom wall is arranged at an end of the outer sleeve peripheral wall away from the spray arm, and the outer sleeve bottom wall extends radially inwardly along the outer sleeve peripheral wall, and the ball bearing is arranged above the outer sleeve bottom wall.

11. The spray arm assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spray arm connecting sleeve comprises: a connecting sleeve peripheral wall and a connecting sleeve bottom wall extending radially inwardly along the connecting sleeve peripheral wall, the connecting sleeve bottom wall is arranged at one end of the connecting sleeve peripheral wall away from the spray arm body, and the inner sleeve is arranged below the connecting sleeve bottom wall.

12. The spray arm assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that The inner diameter of the bottom wall of the connecting sleeve is equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve.

13. The spray arm assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that: The gap between the upper surface of the inner sleeve and the lower surface of the bottom wall of the connecting sleeve is L1, and L1 satisfies the relationship: 0mm<L1≤0.5mm.

14. The spray arm assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spray arm seat is provided with a spray arm seat water inlet hole, and the inner diameter of the spray arm seat water inlet hole is equal to the inner diameter of the inner sleeve.

15. A washing appliance, characterized in that: Comprising a spray arm assembly according to any one of claims 1-14.

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