Additive dispensing device and washing machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses an additive delivery device, which includes a water supply pipeline; a liquid storage box containing additives; and a suction structure for sucking the additives in the liquid storage box into the water supply pipeline by stopping and starting the suction power, or forming a reverse flushing branch connected in parallel with the water supply pipeline. Through the above arrangement, the automatic delivery device can achieve the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline through the suction structure and switching the suction structure for flushing, thereby simplifying the structure and 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 delivery device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The 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] The additives used in the washing process of traditional washing machines, such as detergents, softeners, disinfectants, etc., are placed separately from the washing machine. There is no device for dispensing additives on the washing machine, and the additives cannot be automatically dispensed. This structure cannot realize the fully automatic washing control process of the washing machine. With the improvement of the automation of washing machines, most washing machines are configured to connect the additive box containing detergents and / or softeners with the water inlet pipeline, and the detergents and / or softeners in the additive box are flushed into the water drum through the water inlet. However, this structure requires that the detergents and / or softeners be placed in the additive box before each washing, and the fully automatic washing control process is also not realized.

[0003] At present, there are a large number of patent applications for automatic additive delivery devices. For example, a previous Chinese patent disclosed a washing machine detergent adding device, which is provided with a cavity on the washing machine body to match the bottle, the bottom of the cavity is a conical through hole, a vertical fixing plate is fixed on the through hole, the vertical fixing plate fixes the washing liquid conduit, the bottle body matches the cavity, a conical introduction tube is provided on the bottle mouth, and a ventilation port is provided at the bottom of the bottle body. This structure cannot control the amount of detergent added and is easily damaged, thereby wasting detergent.

[0004] Another Chinese patent application document discloses a detergent supply device for a washing machine having a detergent box with a siphon unit, in which detergent is injected into the detergent box, and washing water is injected into the detergent box to dilute the detergent in the box before being discharged from the siphon unit into the washing tub. This invention solves the problem of concentrated detergent directly entering the washing tub and damaging the laundry, but it cannot achieve precise control of automatic detergent additives.

[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 dispensing device to achieve the purpose of automatically dispensing additives; another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic additive dispensing device to achieve the purpose of flushing and cleaning a suction mechanism; a further object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine to achieve the purpose of providing a water drum with a variety of water inlet flows and dispensing different types of additives accordingly.

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

[0009] An additive delivery device comprises a water supply pipeline; a liquid storage box containing additives; and a suction structure for sucking the additives in the liquid storage box into the water supply pipeline by stopping and starting the suction power, or forming a reverse flushing branch in parallel with the water supply pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, the suction structure includes a pump for providing suction power, the outlet end of the pump is connected to the water supply pipeline, the inlet end is connected to the liquid storage box via the liquid extraction pipeline, and to the water supply pipeline via the connecting pipeline, and the liquid extraction pipeline and / or the connecting pipeline are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction of the liquid in the pipeline and / or the on-off switch; preferably, the place where the outlet end of the pump is connected to the water supply pipeline is located upstream of the place where the connecting pipeline is connected to the water supply pipeline.

[0011] Furthermore, a first one-way check valve is provided on the connecting pipeline to control the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the pump inlet end to 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 pump inlet end.

[0012] Furthermore, when the pump is in a non-working state and stops providing suction power, the pump forms a connecting pipeline through which water flows freely and performs reverse flushing therein; when the pump is in a working state, it provides suction power from the pump inlet end to the pump outlet end.

[0013] Furthermore, a liquid storage chamber is provided on the water supply pipeline for temporarily storing the additives drawn into the water supply pipeline by the suction structure; preferably, the pump outlet is communicated with the liquid storage chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, a water inlet valve for controlling the interruption of water flow is provided on the water supply pipeline, and the water inlet valve is provided upstream of the connection between the suction structure and the water supply pipeline; preferably, the water inlet valve is provided on the water supply pipeline upstream of the liquid storage cavity.

[0015] Furthermore, 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 are connected to the suction structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the first water supply pipeline and the second water supply pipeline can be switchably connected to any one of the multiple water outlet branches via the hedging mechanism.

[0017] Preferably, 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 on the other side of the hedging mechanism; the water outlet end of the first water supply pipeline is coaxially opposite to the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and is arranged at intervals. When the first water supply pipeline supplies water alone, the water supply flow sprays out from the water outlet end of the first water supply pipeline and flows into the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch; the second water supply pipeline The water outlet end of the first 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.

[0018] The present invention also provides a washing machine equipped with an additive delivery device as claimed in any one of the above claims, wherein a water supply pipeline of the additive delivery device is connected to a water drum of the washing machine to deliver the additive extracted from the liquid storage box by the suction structure to the water drum.

[0019] 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.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0021] Through the above arrangement, the automatic dispensing device can achieve the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline through the suction structure and switching to flush the suction structure, which simplifies the structure and avoids the problem of additive retention after use.

[0022] In addition, the suction structure in the present application is reasonably designed for the pipeline connection method, so that only two one-way check valves are installed. The flow direction of the liquid in the internal pipeline can be switched by stopping and starting the power unit, thereby achieving the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline and switching the suction structure for flushing.

[0023] 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.

[0024] At the same time, the invention has a simple structure, significant effects and is suitable for popularization and use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figures 1 to 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic additive delivery device in different embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] 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

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention introduces an automatic additive delivery device, which is applied to an existing washing machine and is used to deliver 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, fragrance agents, bleaches, disinfectants, etc.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention introduces an automatic additive delivery device, which includes a water supply pipeline 1 for supplying water flow 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 additives in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1 by stopping and starting the power unit and providing suction power, or forming a branch in parallel with the water supply pipeline 1 to use the water flow flowing into the water supply pipeline 1 to flush the suction structure.

[0030] In the embodiment of the present invention, the suction structure is reasonably designed for the pipeline connection mode so that only two one-way check valves are installed. The internal pipeline connection mode can be adjusted by stopping and starting the power unit, thereby achieving the effect of sucking additives into the water supply pipeline 1 and switching the use of the suction structure for flushing.

[0031] 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.

[0032] Embodiment 1

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment introduces an additive delivery device, which includes a water supply pipeline 1, wherein 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 suction structure, which has a power unit for providing suction power, and can suck the additives in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1, or make the inlet water flow in the water supply pipeline 1 flow through and reversely flush the power unit by stopping and starting the power unit and whether to provide suction power.

[0034] 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 through the suction pipeline 8 and the water supply pipeline 1 through the 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 the on-off. By arranging 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 through the suction pipeline 8, or connected to the water supply pipeline 1 through the connecting pipeline 7, so that when the pump is working, the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is sucked into the water supply pipeline 1 through the suction pipeline 8, or when the pump 6 stops working, the water in the water supply pipeline 1 is gathered to the water supply pipeline 1 after passing through the connecting pipeline 7, so as to achieve the purpose of backwashing the pump 6.

[0035] 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.

[0036] Preferably, in this embodiment, in order to ensure that the incoming water of the water supply pipeline 1 flows through the connecting pipeline 7 and then flows back into the water supply pipeline 1, the following arrangement is performed: the point where the outlet end of the pump 6 is connected with the water supply pipeline 1 is upstream of the water supply pipeline 1 relative to the point where the inlet end of the pump 6 is connected with the water supply pipeline 1 via the connecting pipeline 7.

[0037] 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 prior art, for example: control valves for controlling the on-off of the pipelines 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, and the like.

[0038] In order to reduce the cost of the delivery device in this embodiment, the control device on the suction pipeline 7 and / or the connecting pipeline 8 is set as follows:

[0039] In this embodiment, the connecting pipeline 8 is provided with a first one-way check valve 4 for controlling the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the inlet end of the pump 6 to 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. Therefore, when the pump 6 is working, a suction force is formed at the inlet end of the pump 6, the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is sucked in through the suction pipeline 8, and the connecting pipeline 7 is disconnected due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4, so that the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is sucked into the pump 6 along the suction pipeline 8 and then flows into the water supply pipeline 1. 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, and the inlet water flow in the water supply pipeline 1 flows along the pump and the connecting pipeline 8 and then converges to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, so that the pump 6 is backwashed. In addition, in this process, the suction pipeline 8 is disconnected due to the action of the second one-way check valve 5 to prevent the water flow from flowing into the liquid storage box 2.

[0040] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the additives pumped into the water supply pipeline 1 will not flow back, the following settings are made: the water supply pipeline 1 is provided with a liquid storage chamber 3 for temporarily storing the additives pumped into the water supply pipeline 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 chamber from the upper part to avoid backflow; the water supply pipeline 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 pipeline 1 can flush the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the additives pumped into the chamber can all be flushed to the outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 by the inlet water flow of the water supply pipeline 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.

[0041] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 16 for controlling the interruption of the water supply flow is provided on the water supply pipeline 1, and the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipeline 1 upstream of the suction structure; preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipeline 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 pipeline 1. Thus, the controllable opening and closing of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 is achieved, so that the interruption of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 is coordinated with the opening and closing of the pump 6, and the purpose of improving the efficiency of detergent delivery is achieved.

[0042] In this embodiment, the specific delivery working process of the additive delivery device is as follows:

[0043] First, close the water inlet valve of the water supply pipeline 1 and start the pump 6. At this time, a suction force is formed at the inlet end of the pump 6, and the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is pumped to the pump 6 along the suction pipeline 8 and then flows into the liquid storage chamber 3 provided on the water supply pipeline 1. In this process, the connecting pipeline 7 cannot draw the water flow in the water supply pipeline 1 into it due to the action of the first one-way check valve 4.

[0044] Then, open the water inlet valve of the water supply pipeline 1 and close the pump 6. At this time, the pump 6 forms a connecting pipeline through which the water supply flow flows freely. The inlet water flow in the water supply pipeline 1 flows into the liquid storage chamber 3. A part of the water flow directly flushes the additives in the liquid storage chamber 3 into the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, and the other part flows along the pump 6 and the connecting pipeline 7 and then converges to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1. In this process, the inlet water flow through the connecting pipeline 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 pipeline 7 cannot flow into the liquid storage box 2 through the suction pipeline 8.

[0045] Through the above-mentioned 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 the production cost; at the same time, since the above-mentioned additive delivery device in the present application adopts a technical solution of timely flushing after the additive is delivered during operation, the additive is avoided from being retained inside the delivery device, and in particular, the residual additive in the power components of the additive delivery device is prevented from causing corrosion damage.

[0046] Embodiment 2

[0047] like Figure 2 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 suction structure, which is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid storage box 2 in sequence through a pipeline, and is used to extract the water stored 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 additive from contacting the suction structure.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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 additive 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.

[0050] In this embodiment, the suction structure includes a pump 6 for providing suction power, and the pump 6 is arranged on a 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 a 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 switch the suction pipeline and / or the water supply pipeline 1 on and off accordingly, 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 to 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.

[0051] In this embodiment, preferably, in order to ensure that the incoming water of the water supply pipeline 1 flows through the connecting pipeline and then flows back to the water supply pipeline 1, the following arrangement is performed: the point where the outlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 is located upstream of the water supply pipeline 1 relative to the point where the inlet end of the pump 6 is connected to the water supply pipeline 1.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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 prior art, 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.

[0054] In order to reduce the cost of the delivery device in this embodiment, the control device on the suction pipeline 8 and / or the connecting pipeline 7 is set as follows:

[0055] 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 section 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.

[0056] 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 pipeline 1 into the connecting pipeline 7 and then flows to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, so that a negative pressure is formed in the section of the water supply pipeline 1 between the two ends of the connecting pipeline 7, and the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is sucked into the section of the water supply pipeline 1 where the negative pressure is formed through the suction pipeline, 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 sucking the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1 along the suction pipeline 8.

[0057] 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. The other part of the inlet water flow directly flows 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.

[0058] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the additives pumped into the water supply pipeline 1 will not flow back, the following settings are made: the water supply pipeline 1 is provided with a liquid storage chamber 3 for temporarily storing the additives pumped out by the suction structure, and the liquid storage chamber 3 is arranged on the pipe section of the water supply pipeline 1 between the two ends of the connecting pipeline 7, and the liquid storage chamber 3 is arranged as a sealed chamber. Preferably, the inlet end of the connecting pipeline 7 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 3. Further preferably, the suction pipeline 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 pipeline 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 pipeline 7 can flush the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the additives pumped into the chamber can all be flushed to the outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 by the inlet water flow flowing through the water supply pipeline 1.

[0059] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 16 for controlling the interruption of the water supply flow is provided on the water supply pipeline 1, and the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipeline 1 upstream of the suction structure; preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipeline 1 upstream of the connection between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline 1; preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided at the water inlet end of the water supply pipeline 1. Thus, the controllable opening and closing of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 is achieved, so that the interruption of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 is coordinated with the opening and closing of the pump 6, and the purpose of improving the efficiency of detergent delivery is achieved.

[0060] In this embodiment, the specific delivery working process of the additive delivery device is as follows:

[0061] First, close the water inlet valve 16 of the water supply pipeline 1 and start the pump 6. At this time, the inlet end of the pump 6 forms a suction force to pump the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 3 to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, so that a negative pressure is formed 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 pipeline. In this process, under the action of the first one-way check valve 4, the liquid at the downstream water outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 cannot flow back to the liquid storage chamber 3 along the water supply pipeline 1;

[0062] Then, open the water inlet valve 16 of the water supply pipeline 1 and close the pump 6. At this time, the pump 6 forms a connecting pipeline through which the water supply flow flows freely. A part of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 flushes the additives extracted from the liquid storage chamber 3 and flows directly to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, and the other part flows along the connecting pipeline 7, flushes the pump 6 and then converges to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1; in this process, the water flow of the connecting pipeline 7 flushes the pump 6, and the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 under the action of the second one-way check valve 5 cannot flow into the liquid storage box 2 through the suction pipeline 8.

[0063] Through the above-mentioned method, the purpose of sucking and delivering the additive and positively flushing and cleaning the pump of the suction device is achieved, thereby achieving the effect of automatically delivering the additive while reducing the production cost; at the same time, since the above-mentioned additive delivery device in the present application adopts a technical solution of timely flushing after the additive is delivered during operation, the additive is avoided from being retained inside the delivery device, especially the residual additive in the power components of the additive delivery device is prevented from causing corrosion damage.

[0064] 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 pumped 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 will not flow into the connecting pipeline 7.

[0065] Embodiment 3

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment introduces an additive delivery device, which includes a water supply pipeline 1, wherein 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 flowing through the liquid extraction pipeline 9; the negative pressure area of ​​the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is connected to 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 between the additive and the suction structure.

[0067] In this embodiment, a venturi tube 20 capable of generating negative pressure by water flowing through is provided on the liquid extraction pipeline 9, and a suction port is provided in the negative pressure area of ​​the venturi tube 20, which is connected to the water supply pipeline 1 via the connecting pipeline 7, and utilizes the negative pressure to extract the liquid in the water supply pipeline 1 into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 and then converges into the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1; the connection point between the connecting pipeline 7 and the water supply pipeline 1 is located 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 the water outlet; the middle part of the venturi tube 20 is provided with a closing part with a convex inner wall diameter, and the water flow velocity flowing through the closing part increases suddenly 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 the suction port.

[0068] 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 with the water supply pipeline 1; the liquid storage box 2 is connected with the water supply pipeline 1 via 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; the water supply pipeline 1 and / or the suction pipeline 8 are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction and / or on-off of the pipeline. 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 with the liquid storage box 2 through the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid extraction pipeline, and the additive in the liquid storage box 2 is extracted 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 with the liquid extraction pipeline 9, so that a part of the water supply flow is used to flush the liquid extraction pipeline 9, and the other part of the water is used to flush the additive extracted into the water supply pipeline 1 to the downstream section of the water supply pipeline 1.

[0069] 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 prior art, for example: control valves for controlling the on-off of the pipelines are respectively set on the water supply pipeline 1 and the suction pipeline 8, etc.

[0070] In order to reduce the cost of the delivery device in this embodiment, the control device on the water supply pipeline 1 and / or the suction pipeline 8 is set as follows:

[0071] 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 section 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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 during the 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 the water flow from flowing into the liquid storage box 2.

[0074] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the additives pumped into the water supply pipeline 1 will not flow back, the following settings are made: the water supply pipeline 1 is provided with a liquid storage chamber 3 for temporarily storing the additives pumped into the water supply pipeline 1, the liquid storage chamber 3 is connected to the suction pipeline 8, and the liquid storage chamber 3 is located upstream of the connection between the suction pipeline 9 and the water supply pipeline 1 and downstream of the connection between the connecting pipeline 7 and the water supply pipeline 1. The liquid storage chamber 3 is set as a sealed chamber. Preferably, the inlet end of the connecting pipeline 7 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 3. Further preferably, the suction pipeline 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 pipeline 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 pipeline 7 can flush the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 3, so that the additives pumped into the chamber can all be flushed to the outlet end of the water supply pipeline 1 by the inlet water flow flowing through the water supply pipeline 1.

[0075] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 16 for controlling the interruption of the water supply flow is provided on the water supply pipeline 1, and the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipeline 1 upstream of the suction structure; preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided on the water supply pipeline 1 upstream of the connection between the connecting pipeline and the water supply pipeline 1; preferably, the water inlet valve 16 is provided at the water inlet end of the water supply pipeline 1. Thus, the controllable opening and closing of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 is achieved, so that the interruption of the water flow of the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid extraction pipeline 9 cooperate with each other and the purpose of improving the efficiency of detergent delivery is achieved.

[0076] In this embodiment, a water inlet valve 18 for controlling the interruption of water supply is provided on the liquid extraction pipeline 9, and 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 controllable opening and closing of the water inlet flow of the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is achieved, so that the interruption of the water inlet flow of the water supply pipeline 1 and the liquid extraction pipeline is coordinated with each other, and the purpose of improving the efficiency of detergent delivery is achieved.

[0077] In this embodiment, the specific delivery working process of the additive delivery device is as follows:

[0078] First, close the water inlet valve 16 of the water supply pipeline 1 and open the water inlet valve 18 of the liquid extraction pipeline 9. At this time, 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 liquid storage chamber 3 of the water supply pipeline 1 is pumped into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 along the connecting pipeline 7 and converged to the downstream of the water supply pipeline 1, so that negative pressure is formed 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 pipeline 8. In this process, the liquid at the downstream water outlet of the water supply pipeline 1 cannot flow back to the liquid storage chamber 3 along the water supply pipeline 1 under the action of the first one-way check valve 4.

[0079] 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 of 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 of the connecting pipeline 7 flushes the Venturi tube 20 in a forward direction, and the water flow flowing through the water supply pipeline 1 under the action of the second one-way check valve 5 cannot flow into the liquid storage box 2 through the suction pipeline 8.

[0080] Through the above-mentioned method, the purpose of suctioning and delivering the additive and forward flushing and cleaning the Venturi tube arranged on the suction pipeline is achieved, thereby achieving the effect of automatic delivery of the additive while reducing the production cost; at the same time, since the above-mentioned additive delivery device in the present 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.

[0081] 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 for measuring and detecting the liquid drawn into the liquid extraction pipeline 9 is provided on the connecting pipeline 7 to monitor the water flow drawn out of the water supply pipeline 1, thereby ensuring that the additive sucked into the water supply pipeline 1 will not flow into the connecting pipeline 7, thereby preventing the additive from contacting the liquid extraction pipeline 9, especially the venturi tube 20.

[0082] Embodiment 4

[0083] 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, and the suction structure can be any of the structures described in the above-mentioned embodiments one to three that can pump the additive in the liquid storage box 2 into the water supply pipeline 1.

[0084] In this embodiment, the first water supply pipeline 11 and the second water supply pipeline 12 are switchably connected to any one of the multiple water outlet branches through the hedging mechanism 10, and each water outlet branch is respectively connected to a different water inlet structure of the washing machine water drum, so as to transport the washing machine 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, for example: a spray structure for spraying water into the water drum, a main wash water inlet cavity for detergent and / or washing powder to flow into the water drum, an auxiliary wash water inlet cavity for auxiliary additives such as softener to flow into the water drum, etc.

[0085] In this embodiment, the following settings are made to achieve the above effects: the water outlets of the first water supply pipeline 11 and the second water supply pipeline 12 are staggered at an inclined angle and arranged on the same side of the hedging mechanism 10, and the water inlet ends of the first water outlet branch 13, the second water outlet branch 14, and the third water outlet branch 15 are located on the other side of the hedging mechanism 10. By arranging multiple water supply pipelines and water outlet branches connected via the hedging mechanism on the additive delivery device, the water flow form of the automatic delivery device is enriched, and the use effect of the automatic delivery device providing corresponding water inlet flows in different washing programs of the washing machine is achieved.

[0086] In this embodiment, the water outlet end of the first water supply pipeline 11 and the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch 13 are coaxially opposed and spaced apart. When the first water supply pipeline 11 supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet end of the first water supply pipeline 11 and flows into the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch 13; the water outlet end of the second water supply pipeline 12 and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch 14 are coaxially opposed and spaced apart. When the second water supply pipeline 12 supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet end of the second water supply pipeline 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 pipeline 1 and the second water supply pipeline 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 arranged along the center line of the water inlet end of the first water outlet branch and the water inlet end of the second water outlet branch.

[0087] This embodiment also introduces a washing machine, which is characterized by being equipped with the above-mentioned additive delivery device, and the water supply pipeline 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 to the water drum.

[0088] 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 washing inlet for flowing detergent or washing powder into the water drum. The water outlet end of the first water outlet branch 13 of the additive feeding device is connected to the washing inlet, the water outlet end of the second water outlet branch 14 is connected to the spray device, and the water outlet end of the third water outlet branch 15 is connected to the softener inlet.

[0089] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modify the technical contents suggested above into equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall 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; Features: The suction structure is used to suck the additive in the liquid storage box to the water supply pipeline by stopping and starting the suction power, or to form a reverse flushing branch connected in parallel with the water supply pipeline; The suction structure includes a pump for providing suction power, the outlet end of the pump is connected to the water supply pipeline, the inlet end is connected to the liquid storage box through the liquid extraction pipeline, and is connected to the water supply pipeline through the connecting pipeline, and the liquid extraction pipeline and / or the connecting pipeline are provided with a control device for controlling the flow direction of the liquid in the pipeline and / or the on-off; The connecting pipeline is provided with a first one-way check valve that controls the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the pump inlet end to the water supply pipeline; the suction pipeline is provided with a second one-way check valve that controls the liquid in the pipeline to flow only from the liquid storage box to the pump inlet end; The water supply pipeline is provided with a liquid storage chamber for temporarily storing the additives drawn into the water supply pipeline by the suction structure.

2. The additive delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The point where the outlet end of the pump is connected to the water supply pipeline is located upstream of the point where the connecting pipeline is connected to the water supply pipeline.

3. The additive delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the pump is not in operation and stops providing suction power, the pump forms a connecting pipe through which the water supply flows freely and performs reverse flushing inside; When the pump is in working state, it provides suction power from the pump inlet end to the pump outlet end.

4. The additive delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pump outlet is communicated with the liquid storage chamber.

5. The additive delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A water inlet valve for controlling the interruption of water flow is arranged on the water supply pipeline, and the water inlet valve is arranged upstream of the connection point between the suction structure and the water supply pipeline.

6. The additive delivery device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The water inlet valve is arranged on the water supply pipeline upstream of the liquid storage cavity.

7. The additive delivery 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 are connected to the suction structure.

8. The additive delivery device according to claim 7, 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.

9. The additive delivery device according to claim 8, 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 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 pipeline is coaxially opposite to the water inlet of the first water outlet branch and is spaced apart. When the first water supply pipeline supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet of the first water supply pipeline and flows into the water inlet of the first water outlet branch. The water outlet of the second water supply pipeline is coaxially opposite to the water inlet of the second water outlet branch and is spaced apart. When the second water supply pipeline supplies water alone, the water supply flow is ejected from the water outlet of the second water supply pipeline 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.

10. A washing machine, characterized in that: The additive dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is installed, and the water supply pipeline 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.

11. The washing machine according to claim 10, characterized in that: The washing machine is provided with a spray device for spraying water into a 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.

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