Additive dispensing device and washing machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses an additive dispensing device, which includes a water supply pipeline; a liquid storage box containing additives; a liquid extraction pipeline, which can generate negative pressure by the water flowing through the liquid extraction pipeline to extract the liquid in the water supply pipeline to form a negative pressure area, thereby allowing the additive in the liquid storage box to be sucked into the negative pressure area and transported to the water outlet of the water supply pipeline along with the water flow. Through the above arrangement, the automatic dispensing device can achieve the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline through the suction pipeline, avoiding the additives from flowing into the liquid extraction pipeline, contacting with the power unit and causing corrosion to the power unit; through the above arrangement, the automatic dispensing device can achieve the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline through the suction structure, avoiding the additives from flowing into the liquid extraction structure, contacting with the power unit and causing corrosion to the power unit; at the same time, avoiding the problem of additive retention after use. At the same time, the present invention also includes a washing machine equipped with the above-mentioned additive dispensing device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine in the field of household appliances, and in particular to an automatic feeding device used in the washing machine and used for adding additives in a clothes processing process. Background Art

[0002] Traditional washing machines use additives such as detergent, softener, and disinfectant separately from the washing machine. Without a device for dispensing additives, the additives cannot be automatically dispensed, preventing fully automated washing control. With the increasing automation of washing machines, most machines now connect an additive box containing detergent and / or softener to the water inlet, flushing the detergent and / or softener from the box into the water drum via the incoming water. However, this arrangement requires that detergent and / or softener be placed in the additive box before each wash, similarly failing to achieve fully automated washing control.

[0003] Numerous patent applications have been filed for automatic additive dosing devices. For example, a previous Chinese patent discloses a detergent dosing device for a washing machine. The device features a cavity in the washing machine housing that mates with a bottle. The cavity's bottom is a conical through-hole with a vertical fixing plate fixed to the hole, which secures the detergent conduit. The bottle, which fits within the cavity, has a conical inlet tube at its mouth and a ventilation port at its bottom. This structure makes it difficult to control the amount of detergent added and is easily damaged, resulting in wasted detergent.

[0004] Another Chinese patent application discloses a detergent supply device for a washing machine with a detergent box equipped with a siphon unit. Detergent is injected into the detergent box, and wash water is then added to the box to dilute the detergent, which is then discharged from the siphon unit into the washing tub. This invention addresses the problem of concentrated detergent directly entering the washing tub, which can damage laundry. However, it fails to achieve precise automatic control of detergent addition.

[0005] However, after use, the existing automatic additive dispensing device may cause blockage due to residual additives in the internal pipes of the device, affecting the next use of the additive dispensing device; at the same time, the existing automatic additive dispensing device generally has problems such as complex structure and too many control structures, which makes the automatic dispensing device too expensive and cannot be popularized.

[0006] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic additive dosing device to achieve the purpose of automatically dosing additives; another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic additive dosing device to achieve the purpose of flushing and cleaning the suction mechanism; another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine to achieve the purpose of providing multiple forms of water flow to the water drum and dosing different types of additives accordingly.

[0008] To achieve the above purpose, the specific technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0009] An additive dosing device includes a water supply pipeline; a liquid storage box containing an additive; a liquid extraction pipeline for generating a negative pressure area by flowing water through the liquid extraction pipeline; the negative pressure area of the liquid extraction pipeline is connected to the water supply pipeline and the liquid storage box in sequence through the pipeline, and is used to extract liquid from the water supply pipeline and the additive in the liquid storage box into the water supply pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, the water inlet ends of the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline are respectively provided with water inlet valves for controlling the water flow of the pipeline. When the water supply pipeline supplies water alone, the water flow of the water supply pipeline can be used to flush the inside of the liquid extraction pipeline.

[0011] Furthermore, a venturi tube capable of generating negative pressure by the flow of water is provided on the liquid extraction pipeline. The negative pressure area of the venturi tube is provided with a suction port. The suction port is connected to the water supply pipeline through a connecting pipeline, and utilizes negative pressure to draw liquid in the water supply pipeline into the liquid extraction pipeline and then converge into the downstream of the water supply pipeline; the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline is located upstream of the connection point between the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline.

[0012] Preferably, both ends of the venturi tube are connected to the liquid extraction pipeline and are respectively connected to the water inlet and the water outlet; the middle part of the venturi tube is provided with a constricted portion with an inner wall diameter convexly reduced, and the flow velocity of the water flowing through the constricted portion suddenly increases to generate negative pressure to form a negative pressure area, and the negative pressure area is provided with an interface connected to the outside, and the interface constitutes a suction port.

[0013] Furthermore, a flow meter for measuring and detecting the liquid drawn into the liquid extraction pipeline is provided on the connecting pipeline.

[0014] Furthermore, the water outlet end of the liquid extraction pipeline is connected to the water supply pipeline; the liquid storage box is connected to the water supply pipeline through the suction pipeline, and the connection point between the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline is upstream of the connection point between the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline and downstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline; the water supply pipeline and / or the suction pipeline are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction and / or on-off of the liquid in the pipeline.

[0015] Furthermore, a first one-way check valve is provided on the water supply pipeline to control the liquid in the pipeline to flow only toward the downstream of the water supply pipeline. The first one-way check valve is located downstream of the connection point between the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline and upstream of the connection point between the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline; a second one-way check valve is provided on the suction pipeline to control the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the liquid storage box to the water supply pipeline.

[0016] Furthermore, a liquid storage chamber is provided on the water supply pipeline for temporarily storing additives pumped into the water supply pipeline. The liquid storage chamber is connected to the water outlet end of the suction pipeline. The liquid storage chamber is upstream of the connection point between the extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline and downstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline. Preferably, the two ends of the connecting pipeline are respectively connected to the liquid storage chamber and the suction port of the Venturi tube on the extraction pipeline.

[0017] Furthermore, the water inlet valve on the water supply pipeline is arranged upstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline; the water inlet valve on the liquid extraction pipeline is arranged upstream of the Venturi tube.

[0018] Furthermore, it includes a first water supply pipeline and a second water supply pipeline connected in parallel, and the first water supply pipeline and / or the second water supply pipeline are connected to the liquid extraction pipeline.

[0019] Furthermore, the first water supply pipeline and the second water supply pipeline can be switched to be connected to any one of the multiple water outlet branches through the hedging mechanism.

[0020] Preferably, the water outlet ends of the first water supply pipe and the second water supply pipe are staggered at an inclined angle and are arranged on the same side of the hedging mechanism, and the water inlet ends of the first water outlet branch, the second water outlet branch, and the third water outlet branch are on the other side of the hedging mechanism; the water outlet end of the first water supply pipe is coaxially opposite to the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and is arranged at intervals. When the first water supply pipe supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet end of the first water supply pipe and flows into the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch; the water outlet end of the second water supply pipe is coaxially opposite to the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and is arranged at intervals. The water outlet end of the water outlet branch is coaxially opposed to the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch and are arranged at intervals. When the second water supply pipe supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet end of the second water supply pipe and flows into the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch; the water inlet end of the third water outlet branch is between the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch. When the first water supply pipe and the second water supply pipe supply water at the same time, the two water flows interfere with each other and merge into the same water supply flow, and the water supply flow flows into the water inlet end of the third water outlet branch.

[0021] The present invention also provides a washing machine equipped with an additive dispensing device according to any one of the above claims, wherein a water supply pipe of the additive dispensing device is connected to the water drum of the washing machine to transport the additive extracted from the liquid storage box by the suction structure to the water drum.

[0022] Furthermore, the washing machine is provided with a spray device for spraying water into the water drum, a softener inlet for flowing softener into the water drum, and a washing inlet for flowing detergent or washing powder into the water drum. The water outlet end of the first water outlet branch of the additive feeding device is connected to the washing inlet, the water outlet end of the second water outlet branch is connected to the spray device, and the water outlet end of the third water outlet branch is connected to the softener inlet.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0024] Through the above-mentioned arrangement, the automatic dispensing device can achieve the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline through the suction pipeline, avoiding the additives from flowing into the liquid extraction pipeline, contacting the power unit and causing corrosion thereto; through the above-mentioned arrangement, the automatic dispensing device can achieve the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline through the suction structure, avoiding the additives from flowing into the liquid extraction structure, contacting therewith and causing corrosion thereto; at the same time, the structure of the automatic dispensing device is simplified, and the problem of additive retention after use is avoided.

[0025] In addition, the suction structure in the present application is rationally designed for the pipeline connection method, so that only two one-way check valves are installed, and the flow direction of the liquid in the internal pipeline can be switched by turning the water supply of the liquid extraction pipeline on and off, thereby achieving the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline and switching the use of the liquid extraction pipeline for flushing.

[0026] In addition, by arranging multiple water supply pipes and water outlet branches connected by a hedging mechanism on the additive dispensing device, the water flow form of the automatic dispensing device is enriched, so that the automatic dispensing device can provide corresponding water inlet flows in different washing programs of the washing machine.

[0027] At the same time, the present invention has a simple structure, significant effects, and is suitable for popularization and use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figures 1 to 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic additive delivery device in different embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] Description of main components: 1—water supply pipeline, 2—liquid storage box, 3—liquid storage chamber, 4—first one-way check valve, 5—second one-way check valve, 6—pump, 7—connecting pipeline, 8—suction pipeline, 9—liquid extraction pipeline, 10—hedging mechanism, 11—first water supply pipeline, 12—second water supply pipeline, 13—first water outlet branch, 14—second water outlet branch, 15—third water outlet branch, 16, 17, 18—water inlet valve, 19—flow meter, 20—Venturi tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] An embodiment of the present invention introduces an automatic additive dispensing device, which is applied to an existing washing machine and is used to dispense additives into the water drum of the washing machine. The additives described in the embodiment of the present invention can be any one or a combination of existing liquid additives for treating clothes, such as detergents, softeners, fragrances, bleaches, disinfectants, etc.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention introduces an automatic additive dosing device, which includes a water supply pipe 1 for supplying water to the washing machine and allowing the water flow to flow into the water drum of the washing machine; a liquid storage box 2, which contains additives; a suction structure, which includes a power unit for providing suction power, and can suck the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipe 1 by stopping or starting the power unit and whether to provide suction power, or forming a branch in parallel with the water supply pipe 1 to use the water flow flowing into the water supply pipe 1 to flush the suction structure.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present invention, the suction structure is rationally designed to configure the pipe connection mode so that only two one-way check valves are installed. The internal pipe connection mode can be adjusted by stopping and starting the power unit, thereby achieving the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipe 1 and switching the use of the suction structure for flushing.

[0034] The automatic dispensing device described in the embodiment of the present invention includes at least two liquid storage boxes 2, each of which can store different types of additives. Each liquid storage box 2 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 through a suction structure selected by a control device, or in combination, so that the corresponding additives in the corresponding liquid storage box 2 flow into the water supply pipeline 1.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment introduces an additive dosing device, which includes a water supply pipe 1, the water inlet end of the water supply pipe 1 is connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine to introduce the water flow introduced into the washing machine into the dosing device; a liquid storage box 2, which contains additives used for treating clothes; a suction structure, which has a power unit that provides suction power, and can suck the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipe 1 by stopping or starting the power unit and whether to provide suction power, or allow the inlet water flow in the water supply pipe 1 to flow through and reversely flush the power unit.

[0037] In this embodiment, the suction structure includes a pump 6 that provides suction power. The outlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1, and the inlet end is connected to the liquid storage box 2 via a suction pipeline 8 and to the water supply pipeline 1 via a connecting pipeline 7. The suction pipeline 8 and / or the connecting pipeline 7 are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction of the liquid in the pipeline and / or switching the suction pipeline 8 and / or the connecting pipeline 7. By providing the control device on the suction pipeline 8 and / or the connecting pipeline 7, the suction pipeline 8 and / or the connecting pipeline 7 are switched on and off accordingly, so that the inlet end of the pump is connected to the liquid storage box 2 via the suction pipeline 8 or to the water supply pipeline 1 via the connecting pipeline 7. When the pump is in operation, the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is drawn into the water supply pipeline 1 via the suction pipeline 8. When the pump 6 is stopped, the water in the water supply pipeline 1 flows through the connecting pipeline 7 and converges into the water supply pipeline 1, thereby achieving the purpose of backwashing the pump 6.

[0038] In this embodiment, the pump 6 can be any pump structure in the prior art that can provide suction power, such as an electromagnetic pump, a suction pump, a power pump, and the like.

[0039] Preferably, in this embodiment, in order to ensure that the water inlet of the water supply pipeline 1 flows through the connecting pipeline 7 and then flows back to the water supply pipeline 1, the following settings are made: the outlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 at an upstream position of the water supply pipeline 1 relative to the inlet end of the pump 6 connected to the water supply pipeline 1 via the connecting pipeline 7.

[0040] In this embodiment, in order to realize the switching of the suction pipeline 8 and the connecting pipeline 7, the setting of the control device can adopt any method in the existing technology, for example: control valves for controlling the on-off of the pipeline are respectively set on the suction pipeline 8 and the connecting pipeline 7, the inlet end of the pump 6 is selectively connected to the connecting pipeline 7 and the suction pipeline 8 through a reversing valve, etc.

[0041] In order to reduce the cost of the dosing device in this embodiment, the control device on the suction pipeline 7 and / or the connecting pipeline 8 is set as follows:

[0042] In this embodiment, the connecting line 8 is provided with a first one-way check valve 4 that controls the flow of liquid in the line only from the pump 6 inlet to the water supply line 1. The suction line 8 is also provided with a second one-way check valve 5 that controls the flow of liquid only from the liquid reservoir 2 to the pump 6 inlet. Consequently, when the pump 6 is operating, a suction force is generated at the pump 6 inlet, drawing the additive from the liquid reservoir 2 into the pump 6 through the suction line 8. The connecting line 7 is disconnected by the first one-way check valve 4, thereby allowing the additive from the liquid reservoir 2 to flow into the pump 6 along the suction line 8 and into the water supply line 1. Simultaneously, when the pump 6 is not operating, it forms a connecting line through which the water supply flow freely flows. The incoming water from the water supply line 1 flows along the pump and connecting line 8 before merging into the water supply line 1 downstream, achieving a reverse flushing effect for the pump 6. During this process, the second one-way check valve 5 disconnects the suction line 8, preventing water from flowing into the liquid reservoir 2.

[0043] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the additives pumped into the water supply pipe 1 do not flow back, the following settings are made: the water supply pipe 1 is provided with a liquid storage chamber 3 for temporarily storing the additives pumped into the water supply pipe 1. Preferably, the outlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 3 through a pipeline or directly. Further preferably, the outlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the upper part of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the additives pumped into the liquid storage chamber 3 flow into the upper part of the chamber to avoid backflow; the water supply pipe 1 passes through and is connected at the bottom of the side wall of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the water flow provided by the water supply pipe 1 can flush the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the additives pumped into the chamber can all be washed to the water outlet end of the water supply pipe 1 by the inlet water flow of the water supply pipe 1. Further preferably, in order to ensure the smooth operation of the entire device, the liquid storage chamber 3 is set as a sealed chamber.

[0044] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 to control the water flow. The water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 upstream of the suction structure. Preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 upstream of the liquid storage chamber 3. Preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided at the water inlet end of the water supply pipe 1. Thus, the water flow of the water supply pipe 1 can be controlled on and off, so that the water flow of the water supply pipe 1 is coordinated with the opening and closing of the pump 6, thereby improving the efficiency of detergent dispensing.

[0045] In this embodiment, the specific operation process of the additive delivery device is as follows:

[0046] First, close the water inlet valve of the water supply pipe 1 and start the pump 6. At this time, suction is generated at the inlet end of the pump 6, and the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is drawn into the pump 6 along the suction pipe 8 and then flows into the liquid storage chamber 3 provided on the water supply pipe 1. During this process, the connecting pipe 7 is unable to draw water from the water supply pipe 1 into it due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4.

[0047] Then, open the water inlet valve of the water supply pipe 1 and close the pump 6. At this time, the pump 6 forms a connecting pipe through which the water supply flow flows freely. The inlet water flow in the water supply pipe 1 flows into the liquid storage chamber 3. Part of the water flow directly flushes the additives in the liquid storage chamber 3 into the downstream of the water supply pipe 1, and the other part flows along the pump 6 and the connecting pipe 7 and then converges to the downstream of the water supply pipe 1. In this process, the inlet water flow through the connecting pipe 7 reversely flushes the pump 6, and under the action of the second one-way check valve 5, the inlet water flow flowing through the connecting pipe 7 cannot flow into the liquid storage box 2 through the suction pipe 8.

[0048] Through the above method, the purpose of sucking and delivering the additive and back-flushing and cleaning the pump of the suction device is achieved, thereby achieving the effect of automatically delivering the additive while reducing production costs; at the same time, since the above-mentioned additive delivery device in this application adopts a technical solution of timely flushing after the additive is delivered during operation, it avoids the retention of additives inside the delivery device, especially prevents the residual additives in the power components of the additive delivery device from causing corrosion damage.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment introduces an additive delivery device, which includes a water supply pipe 1, the water inlet end of the water supply pipe 1 is connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine to introduce the water flow introduced into the washing machine into the delivery device; a liquid storage box 2, which contains additives used for treating clothes; a suction structure, which is connected to the water supply pipe 1 and the liquid storage box 2 in sequence through a pipe, and is used to extract the water stored in the water supply pipe 1 and let the additive in the liquid storage box 2 flow into the water supply pipe 1, so as to achieve the effect of delivering the additive and avoiding contact between the additive and the suction structure.

[0051] In this embodiment, the water outlet end of the suction structure is connected to the water outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1, and a control device for controlling the flow direction and / or on-off of the liquid in the pipeline is provided on the pipeline connecting the suction structure and / or the liquid storage chamber 2 to the water supply pipeline 1, so that after the suction structure draws out the stored water in the water supply pipeline, a negative pressure area is formed in the water supply pipeline for the additive to flow in.

[0052] At the same time, the suction structure in this embodiment has a power unit for providing suction power, which can realize whether to provide suction power by stopping and starting the power unit, and suck the additives in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipe 1, or let the incoming water flow in the water supply pipe 1 flow through and flush the power unit, so as to achieve the effect of flushing the automatic dispensing device after use.

[0053] In this embodiment, the suction structure includes a pump 6 that provides suction power. The pump 6 is arranged on the connecting pipeline 7. The two ends of the connecting pipeline 7 are respectively connected to the water supply pipeline 1 to form a parallel branch; the water supply pipeline 1 section between the two ends of the connecting pipeline 7 is connected to the liquid storage box 2 via the suction pipeline 8, and the suction pipeline 8 and / or the water supply pipeline 1 are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction of the liquid in the pipeline and / or the on-off. By arranging a control device on the suction pipeline and / or the water supply pipeline 1 to perform corresponding on-off switching of the suction pipeline and / or the water supply pipeline 1, the inlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the liquid storage box 2 through the water supply pipeline 1 and the suction pipeline to draw the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1, or the connecting pipeline 7 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 in parallel, so that when the pump 6 is working, the connecting pipeline 7 and the suction pipeline 8 provide suction power to the liquid storage box 2 and draw the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1; or when the pump stops working, part of the water in the water supply pipeline 1 flows through the connecting pipeline 7 to flush the pump 6 and then converges to the downstream section of the water supply pipeline 1, and the other part flushes the additive drawn into the water supply pipeline 1 to the downstream section of the water supply pipeline 1.

[0054] In this embodiment, preferably, in order to ensure that the inlet water of the water supply pipeline 1 flows through the connecting pipeline and then flows back to the water supply pipeline 1, the following settings are made: the outlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 at the upstream of the water supply pipeline 1 relative to the inlet end of the pump 6 and the water supply pipeline 1.

[0055] In this embodiment, the pump 6 can be any pump structure in the prior art that can provide suction power, such as an electromagnetic pump, a suction pump, a power pump, and the like.

[0056] In this embodiment, in order to realize the switching of the suction pipeline and the connecting pipeline, the setting of the control device can adopt any method in the existing technology, for example: a control valve for controlling the on-off of the pipeline is respectively set on the water supply pipeline 1 section between the two ends of the suction pipeline 8 and the connecting pipeline 7, etc.

[0057] In order to reduce the cost of the dosing device in this embodiment, the control device on the suction pipeline 8 and / or the connecting pipeline 7 is set as follows:

[0058] In this embodiment, the water supply pipeline 1 is provided with a first one-way check valve 4 for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only in the downstream direction. The first one-way check valve 4 is arranged on the water supply pipeline 1 downstream of the connection between the suction pipeline 8 and the water supply pipeline 1 and upstream of the connection between the water outlet end of the connecting pipeline 7 and the water supply pipeline 1; the suction pipeline 8 is provided with a second one-way check valve 5 for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the liquid storage box 2 to the inlet end of the pump 6.

[0059] Thus, when the pump 6 is working, a suction force is formed at the inlet end of the pump 6, which draws the liquid in the water supply pipe 1 into the connecting pipe 7 and then flows to the downstream of the water supply pipe 1, so that a negative pressure is formed in the section of the water supply pipe 1 between the two ends of the connecting pipe 7. The additive in the liquid storage box 2 is drawn into the section of the water supply pipe 1 where the negative pressure is formed through the suction pipe, and the downstream section of the water supply pipe 1 is disconnected due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4, thereby achieving the purpose of drawing the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipe 1 along the suction pipe 8.

[0060] At the same time, when the pump 6 is not working, the pump 6 forms a connecting pipeline through which the water supply flow flows freely. A part of the inlet water flow in the water supply pipeline 1 flows along the connecting pipeline 7 and then converges to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1. The inlet water flow flowing through the connecting pipeline 7 flushes the pump 6, and the other part of the inlet water flow flows directly downstream along the water supply pipeline 1, and in the process of flowing, the additives drawn into the water supply pipeline 1 are flushed to the water outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 together with the inlet water flow. In addition, in this process, due to the action of the second one-way check valve 5, the suction pipeline 8 is disconnected to prevent the water flow from flowing into the liquid storage box 2.

[0061] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the additives drawn into the water supply pipe 1 do not flow back, the following settings are made: the water supply pipe 1 is provided with a liquid storage chamber 3 for temporarily storing the additives drawn out by the suction structure. The liquid storage chamber 3 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 section between the two ends of the connecting pipe 7, and the liquid storage chamber 3 is configured as a sealed chamber. Preferably, the inlet end of the connecting pipe 7 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 3. Further preferably, the suction pipe 8 is connected to the upper part of the liquid storage chamber 3 to allow the additives to flow into the chamber from the upper part to avoid backflow; the water supply pipe 1 passes through and is connected to the bottom of the side wall of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the water flow provided by the connecting pipe 7 can flush the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that all the additives drawn into the chamber can be flushed to the outlet end of the water supply pipe 1 by the inlet water flow flowing through the water supply pipe 1.

[0062] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 16 for controlling the water flow is provided on the water supply pipe 1. The water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 upstream of the suction structure. Preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 upstream of the connection point between the connecting pipe and the water supply pipe 1. Preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided at the water inlet end of the water supply pipe 1. Thus, the water flow of the water supply pipe 1 can be controlled on and off, so that the water flow is coordinated with the start and stop of the pump 6, thereby improving the efficiency of detergent dispensing.

[0063] In this embodiment, the specific operation process of the additive delivery device is as follows:

[0064] First, close the water inlet valve 16 of the water supply pipe 1 and start the pump 6. At this time, the inlet end of the pump 6 generates a suction force, which pumps the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 3 to the downstream of the water supply pipe 1, creating a negative pressure in the liquid storage chamber 3. Under the action of the negative pressure, the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is pumped into the liquid storage chamber 3 along the suction pipe. During this process, the liquid at the downstream outlet end of the water supply pipe 1 cannot flow back into the liquid storage chamber 3 along the water supply pipe 1 due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4.

[0065] Then, open the water inlet valve 16 of the water supply pipe 1 and close the pump 6. At this time, the pump 6 forms a connecting pipe through which the water supply flow can flow freely. A part of the water flow from the water supply pipe 1 flushes the additives extracted from the liquid storage chamber 3 and flows directly to the downstream of the water supply pipe 1. The other part flows along the connecting pipe 7 and flushes the pump 6 before converging to the downstream of the water supply pipe 1. In this process, the water flow from the connecting pipe 7 flushes the pump 6, and the water flow from the water supply pipe 1 cannot flow into the liquid storage box 2 through the suction pipe 8 under the action of the second one-way check valve 5.

[0066] Through the above method, the purpose of sucking and delivering the additives and forward flushing and cleaning the pump of the suction device is achieved, thereby achieving the effect of automatic delivery of the additives while reducing production costs; at the same time, since the above-mentioned additive delivery device in this application adopts a technical solution of timely flushing after the additives are delivered during operation, the additives are avoided from being retained inside the delivery device, especially the residual additives in the power components of the additive delivery device are prevented from causing corrosion damage.

[0067] In this embodiment, in order to accurately measure the amount of additive added to the liquid storage box 2 and prevent the additive from flowing into the connecting device and contacting the pump, the pump 6 itself is integrated with, or the connecting pipeline 7 is provided with, a flow meter for measuring and detecting the drawn-in liquid, so as to monitor the water flow rate drawn out of the water supply pipeline by the pump, and ensure that the additive sucked into the water supply pipeline 1 does not flow into the connecting pipeline 7.

[0068] Example 3

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment introduces an additive delivery device, which includes a water supply pipeline 1, the water inlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 is connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine, so as to introduce the water flow introduced into the washing machine into the delivery device; a liquid storage box 2, which contains additives used for treating clothes; a liquid extraction pipeline 9, which is used to generate a negative pressure area by the water flow passing through the liquid extraction pipeline 9; the negative pressure area of the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is connected with the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid storage box 2 in sequence through the pipeline, and is used to extract the liquid in the water supply pipeline 1 and the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1, so as to achieve the effect of delivering the additive and avoiding the contact of the additive with the suction structure.

[0070] In this embodiment, the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is provided with a venturi tube 20 capable of generating negative pressure by the flow of water. The negative pressure area of the venturi tube 20 is provided with a suction port. The suction port is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 via the connecting pipeline 7, and uses negative pressure to draw liquid from the water supply pipeline 1 into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and then converge into the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1. The connection point between the connecting pipeline 7 and the water supply pipeline 1 is upstream of the connection point between the suction pipeline 8 and the water supply pipeline 1. In this embodiment, both ends of the venturi tube 20 are connected to the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and are respectively connected to the water inlet and outlet. The middle part of the venturi tube 20 is provided with a constricted portion with a convex inner wall diameter that decreases. The water flow velocity flowing through the constricted portion suddenly increases, generating negative pressure to form a negative pressure area. The negative pressure area is provided with an interface connected to the outside, and the interface constitutes the suction port.

[0071] In this embodiment, the water inlet ends of the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and the water supply pipeline 1 are respectively provided with water inlet valves 16 and 18 for controlling the interruption of water flow, and the water outlet end of the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1; the liquid storage box 2 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 through the suction pipeline 8, and the connection point between the suction pipeline 8 and the water supply pipeline 1 is upstream of the connection point between the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and the water supply pipeline 1 and downstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline 7 and the water supply pipeline 1; a control device for controlling the flow direction and / or on-off of the pipeline is provided on the water supply pipeline 1 and / or the suction pipeline 8. By arranging a control device on the liquid extraction pipeline and / or the water supply pipeline 1 to perform corresponding on-off switching of the liquid extraction pipeline and / or the water supply pipeline 1, it is achieved that when water flows through the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline 1 stops supplying water, the suction port is connected to the liquid storage box 2 through the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid extraction pipeline, and the additives in the liquid storage box 2 are drawn into the water supply pipeline 1; or when the water supply in the liquid extraction pipeline is stopped and water flows through the water supply pipeline 1, the connecting pipeline is connected to the liquid extraction pipeline 9, so that a part of the water supply flow enters to flush the liquid extraction pipeline 9, and the other part of the water enters to flush the additives drawn into the water supply pipeline 1 to the downstream section of the water supply pipeline 1.

[0072] In this embodiment, in order to realize the switching of the water supply pipeline 1 and / or the suction pipeline 8, the setting of the control device can adopt any method in the existing technology, for example: setting control valves for controlling the on and off of the pipelines on the water supply pipeline 1 and the suction pipeline 8 respectively, etc.

[0073] In order to reduce the cost of the dosing device in this embodiment, the control device on the water supply pipeline 1 and / or the suction pipeline 8 is set as follows:

[0074] In this embodiment, the water supply pipeline 1 is provided with a first one-way check valve 4 for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only in the downstream direction. The first one-way check valve 4 is arranged on the water supply pipeline 1 downstream of the connection between the suction pipeline 8 and the water supply pipeline 1 and upstream of the connection between the water outlet end of the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and the water supply pipeline 1; the suction pipeline 8 is provided with a second one-way check valve 5 for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the liquid storage box 2 to the water supply pipeline 1.

[0075] Thus, when water flows through the liquid extraction pipeline 9, negative pressure is formed at the diameter change point of the Venturi tube 20 of the liquid extraction pipeline 9, and the liquid in the water supply pipeline 1 is drawn into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 from the negative pressure port of the Venturi tube 20 through the connecting pipeline 7, and then flows to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, so that negative pressure is formed at the section of the water supply pipeline 1 connected to the connecting pipeline 7, and the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is drawn into the water supply pipeline 1 through the suction pipeline 8, and the downstream section of the water supply pipeline 1 is disconnected due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4, thereby achieving the purpose of drawing the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1 along the suction pipeline 8.

[0076] In addition, when there is no water flowing through the liquid extraction pipeline 9, water enters the water supply pipeline 1, and a part of the inlet water flow in the water supply pipeline 1 flows into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 along the connecting pipeline 7 and converges to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1. The inlet water flow flowing through the connecting pipeline 7 flushes the Venturi tube 20; the other part of the inlet water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 directly flows downstream along the water supply pipeline 1, and in the process of flow, the additives pumped into the water supply pipeline 1 are flushed to the water outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 together with the inlet water flow, and in this process, due to the action of the second one-way check valve 5, the suction pipeline 8 is disconnected to prevent water from flowing into the liquid storage box 2.

[0077] In this embodiment, to ensure that the additives drawn into the water supply line 1 do not flow back, the following configuration is implemented: a liquid storage chamber 3 is provided on the water supply line 1 for temporarily storing the additives drawn into the water supply line 1. The liquid storage chamber 3 is connected to the suction line 8 and is located upstream of the connection point between the suction line 9 and the water supply line 1 and downstream of the connection point between the connecting line 7 and the water supply line 1. The liquid storage chamber 3 is configured as a sealed chamber. Preferably, the inlet end of the connecting line 7 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 3. Further preferably, the suction line 8 is connected to the upper portion of the liquid storage chamber 3 to allow the additives to flow into the chamber from the upper portion to prevent backflow. The water supply line 1 passes through and is connected to the bottom of the side wall of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the water flow provided by the connecting line 7 can flush the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 3, allowing all the additives drawn into the chamber to be flushed to the outlet end of the water supply line 1 by the inlet water flow through the water supply line 1.

[0078] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 16 for controlling the interruption of the water supply flow is provided on the water supply pipe 1. The water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 upstream of the suction structure. Preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipe 1 upstream of the connection point between the connecting pipe and the water supply pipe 1. Preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided at the water inlet end of the water supply pipe 1. Thus, the water flow of the water supply pipe 1 can be controlled on and off, so that the water flow of the water supply pipe 1 and the liquid extraction pipe 9 can be coordinated with each other and the efficiency of detergent dispensing can be improved.

[0079] In this embodiment, the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is provided with a water inlet valve 18 for controlling the water flow. The water inlet valve 18 is provided on the liquid extraction pipeline 9 upstream of the venturi tube 20. Preferably, the water inlet valve 18 is provided at the water inlet end of the liquid extraction pipeline 9. Thus, the water flow of the liquid extraction pipeline 9 can be controlled on and off, so that the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid extraction pipeline can be coordinated with each other, thereby improving the efficiency of detergent dispensing.

[0080] In this embodiment, the specific operation process of the additive delivery device is as follows:

[0081] First, close the water inlet valve 16 of the water supply pipe 1 and open the water inlet valve 18 of the liquid extraction pipe 9. At this time, negative pressure is generated at the diameter change point of the venturi tube 20 of the liquid extraction pipe 9, and the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 3 of the water supply pipe 1 is pumped into the liquid extraction pipe 9 along the connecting pipe 7 and then converged to the downstream of the water supply pipe 1, so that negative pressure is formed in the liquid storage chamber 3. Under the action of negative pressure, the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is pumped into the liquid storage chamber 3 along the suction pipe 8. During this process, the liquid at the downstream water outlet of the water supply pipe 1 cannot flow back to the liquid storage chamber 3 along the water supply pipe 1 due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4.

[0082] Then, open the water inlet valve of the water supply pipeline 1 and close the water inlet valve 18 of the liquid extraction pipeline 9. At this time, part of the water flow from the water supply pipeline 1 flushes the additive extracted from the liquid storage chamber 3 and flows directly to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, and the other part flows into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 along the connecting pipeline 7, flushes the Venturi tube 20 provided on the liquid extraction pipeline 9, and then converges to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1; in this process, the water flow from the connecting pipeline 7 flushes the Venturi tube 20 in a forward direction, and under the action of the second one-way check valve 5, the water flow flowing through the water supply pipeline 1 cannot flow into the liquid storage box 2 through the suction pipeline 8.

[0083] Through the above method, the purpose of suctioning and delivering the additives and forward flushing and cleaning the Venturi tube arranged on the suction pipeline is achieved, thereby achieving the effect of automatic delivery of the additives while reducing production costs; at the same time, since the above-mentioned additive delivery device in the present application adopts a technical solution of timely flushing after the additives are delivered during operation, the additives are avoided from being retained inside the delivery device, especially the residual additives in the power components of the additive delivery device are prevented from causing corrosion damage.

[0084] In this embodiment, in order to accurately measure the amount of additive added to the liquid storage box 2 and prevent the additive from flowing into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and contacting the venturi tube, a flow meter 19 is provided on the connecting pipeline 7 to measure and detect the liquid drawn into the liquid extraction pipeline 9, so as to monitor the water flow drawn out of the water supply pipeline 1, and ensure that the additive sucked into the water supply pipeline 1 will not flow into the connecting pipeline 7, thereby avoiding contact between the additive and the liquid extraction pipeline 9, especially the venturi tube 20.

[0085] Example 4

[0086] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment, based on the above-mentioned embodiments one to three, introduces an additive delivery device, including a first water supply pipeline 11 and a second water supply pipeline 12 connected in parallel, and the first water supply pipeline 11 and / or the second water supply pipeline 12 is provided with a suction structure for sucking the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the pipeline. The suction structure can be the structure described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments one to three that can pump the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1.

[0087] In this embodiment, the first water supply pipe 11 and the second water supply pipe 12 are switchably connected to any of a plurality of water outlet branches via the offset mechanism 10. Each water outlet branch is connected to a different water inlet structure of the washing machine's water drum, thereby delivering the washing machine's inlet water to the water inlet device of any water drum, thereby achieving the purpose of supplying water to different water inlet structures. The water inlet device of the water drum can be any existing structure, such as a spray structure for spraying water into the water drum, a main wash water inlet chamber for flowing detergent and / or washing powder into the water drum, an auxiliary wash water inlet chamber for flowing auxiliary additives such as softener into the water drum, etc.

[0088] In this embodiment, to achieve the aforementioned effects, the following configuration is employed: the outlet ends of the first and second water supply pipes 11, 12 are arranged at an angle, staggered, and on the same side of the hedging mechanism 10. The inlet ends of the first, second, and third water outlet branches 13, 14, 15 are located on the other side of the hedging mechanism 10. By providing the additive dosing device with multiple water supply pipes and outlet branches connected via the hedging mechanism, the water flow patterns of the automatic dosing device are enriched, achieving the desired effect of providing corresponding inlet flows for different washing cycles of the washing machine.

[0089] In this embodiment, the water outlet end of the first water supply pipe 11 and the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch 13 are coaxially opposed and spaced apart. When the first water supply pipe 11 supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet end of the first water supply pipe 11 and flows into the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch 13; the water outlet end of the second water supply pipe 12 and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch 14 are coaxially opposed and spaced apart. When the second water supply pipe 12 supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet end of the second water supply pipe 12 and flows into the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch 14; the water inlet end of the third water outlet branch 15 is between the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch 13 and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch 14. When the first water supply pipe 1 and the second water supply pipe 1 supply water at the same time, the two water flows interfere with each other and merge into the same water supply flow, and the water supply flow flows into the water inlet end of the third water outlet branch 15. Preferably, in order to ensure that the converged water flow accurately flows into the third water outlet branch, the axis of the water inlet end of the third water outlet branch is set along the midline between the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch.

[0090] This embodiment also introduces a washing machine, which is characterized in that: the above-mentioned additive delivery device is installed, and the water supply pipe 1 of the additive delivery device is connected to the water drum of the washing machine to transport the additive extracted from the liquid storage box 2 by the suction structure into the water drum.

[0091] In this embodiment, the washing machine is provided with a spray device for spraying water into the water drum, a softener inlet for flowing softener into the water drum, and a wash inlet for flowing detergent or washing powder into the water drum. The outlet end of the first water outlet branch 13 of the additive feeding device is connected to the wash inlet, the outlet end of the second water outlet branch 14 is connected to the spray device, and the outlet end of the third water outlet branch 15 is connected to the softener inlet.

[0092] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as above in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make slight changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments using the above technical content without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An additive delivery device comprising: water supply pipelines; a liquid storage box containing additives; Its characteristics are: The liquid extraction pipeline is used to generate a negative pressure area by the water flowing through the liquid extraction pipeline; the negative pressure area of the liquid extraction pipeline is connected to the water supply pipeline and the liquid storage box in sequence through the pipeline, and is used to extract the liquid in the water supply pipeline and the additive in the liquid storage box into the water supply pipeline; The water inlet ends of the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline are respectively provided with water inlet valves for controlling the water flow of the pipeline; The water outlet end of the liquid extraction pipeline is connected to the water supply pipeline; the liquid storage box is connected to the water supply pipeline via the suction pipeline, and the connection point between the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline is upstream of the connection point between the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline and downstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline; The water supply pipeline and / or the suction pipeline are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction and / or on-off of the liquid in the pipeline; the water supply pipeline is provided with a first one-way check valve for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only toward the downstream of the water supply pipeline, and the first one-way check valve is located downstream of the connection point between the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline and upstream of the connection point between the liquid extraction pipeline and the water supply pipeline; the suction pipeline is provided with a second one-way check valve for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the liquid storage box to the water supply pipeline.

2. The additive dosing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid extraction pipeline is provided with a venturi tube capable of generating negative pressure by the flow of water. The negative pressure area of the venturi tube is provided with a suction port, which is connected to the water supply pipeline through a connecting pipeline, and uses the negative pressure to extract the liquid in the water supply pipeline into the liquid extraction pipeline and then converge into the water supply pipeline downstream; The connection point of the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline is located upstream of the connection point of the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline.

3. The additive dosing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Both ends of the Venturi tube are connected to the liquid extraction pipeline and are respectively connected to the water inlet and outlet ends; the middle part of the Venturi tube is provided with a constricted part where the inner wall diameter convexly decreases. The flow velocity of the water flowing through the constricted part suddenly increases, generating negative pressure to form a negative pressure area. The negative pressure area is provided with an interface connected to the outside, and the interface constitutes a suction port.

4. The additive dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting pipeline is provided with a flow meter for measuring and detecting the liquid drawn into the liquid extraction pipeline.

5. The additive dosing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A liquid storage chamber is provided on the water supply pipeline for temporarily storing additives pumped into the water supply pipeline. The liquid storage chamber is connected to the water outlet end of the suction pipeline. The liquid storage chamber is upstream of the connection point between the suction pipeline and the water supply pipeline and downstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline.

6. The additive dosing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The two ends of the connecting pipeline are respectively connected with the liquid storage cavity and the suction port of the venturi tube on the liquid extraction pipeline.

7. The additive dosing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The water inlet valve on the water supply pipeline is arranged upstream of the connection point between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline; the water inlet valve on the liquid extraction pipeline is arranged upstream of the Venturi tube.

8. The additive dosing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It comprises a first water supply pipeline and a second water supply pipeline connected in parallel, and the first water supply pipeline and / or the second water supply pipeline is connected to the liquid extraction pipeline.

9. The additive dosing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first water supply pipeline and the second water supply pipeline can be switched and connected to any one of the multiple water outlet branches through the hedging mechanism.

10. The additive dosing device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The water outlet ends of the first water supply pipeline and the second water supply pipeline are staggered at an inclined angle and are arranged on the same side of the hedging mechanism, and the water inlet ends of the first water outlet branch, the second water outlet branch, and the third water outlet branch are located on the other side of the hedging mechanism; The water outlet of the first water supply pipe is coaxially opposed to the water inlet of the first water outlet branch and spaced apart. When the first water supply pipe supplies water alone, the water flow is ejected from the water outlet of the first water supply pipe and flows into the water inlet of the first water outlet branch. The water outlet of the second water supply pipe is coaxially opposed to the water inlet of the second water outlet branch and spaced apart. When the second water supply pipe supplies water alone, the water flow is ejected from the water outlet of the second water supply pipe and flows into the water inlet of the second water outlet branch. The water inlet end of the third water outlet branch is located between the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch. When the first water supply pipeline and the second water supply pipeline supply water at the same time, the two water flows interfere with each other and merge into the same water supply flow, and the water supply flow flows into the water inlet end of the third water outlet branch.

11. A washing machine, characterized in that: The additive dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is installed, and the water supply pipe of the additive dispensing device is connected to the water drum of the washing machine to transport the additive extracted from the liquid storage box by the suction structure to the water drum.

12. The washing machine according to claim 11, characterized in that: The washing machine is provided with a spray device for spraying water into the water drum, a softener inlet for flowing softener into the water drum, and a wash inlet for flowing detergent or washing powder into the water drum. The water outlet end of the first water outlet branch of the additive feeding device is connected to the wash inlet, the water outlet end of the second water outlet branch is connected to the spray device, and the water outlet end of the third water outlet branch is connected to the softener inlet.

Images