Clothes dryer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a clothes dryer, which belongs to the field of household appliances and can prevent condensed water from spilling out of a water storage box. The clothes dryer of the present invention comprises a drying chamber for storing clothes and a heating means for heating air, an air supply means for conveying the heated air to the drying chamber, a dehumidification means for dehumidifying the moist warm air after passing through the drying chamber, and a water storage box which can be removably installed in the clothes dryer and collects water generated by the dehumidification means. The water storage box is provided with an opening portion which opens from top to bottom and allows water to enter the water storage box, and the opening portion is provided with a check valve which allows the water dehumidified from top to bottom to pass through and prevents the water in the water storage box below from flowing back.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a clothes dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] A water storage box is set up in the dryer to collect condensed water. When the water storage box is full of condensed water, you need to take out the water storage box and pour out the collected condensed water. The water storage box is stationary inside the dryer. Extracting the water storage box will cause the condensed water inside to shake significantly. Some condensed water will spill out from the water inlet on the water storage box, causing unnecessary trouble and affecting the user experience. [Summary of the invention]

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and propose a water storage box for household appliances, which can prevent condensed water from spilling out of the water storage box.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A clothes dryer comprises a drying chamber for storing clothes, a heating means for heating air, an air supply means for conveying the heated air to the drying chamber, a dehumidification means for dehumidifying the moist warm air after passing through the drying chamber, and a water storage box which is removably installed in the clothes dryer and collects water generated by the dehumidification means, the water storage box is provided with an opening which opens from top to bottom and allows water to enter the water storage box, and the opening is provided with a check valve which allows the water dehumidified from top to bottom to pass through and prevents the water in the water storage box below from flowing back.

[0006] Furthermore, the check valve is arranged below the opening, and the check valve includes a cover portion covering the opening from bottom to top and a fixing portion located near the opening for fixing, and a part or the whole of the check valve is composed of elastic material, and when the water generated by the dehumidification method does not pass through the opening, the opening is roughly in a slightly closed state.

[0007] Furthermore, the cover body has a circular sealing portion that seals the opening portion, and the fixing portion is locally formed on the outer edge of the circular sealing portion or extended outwardly from one side of the circular sealing portion. The circular sealing portion can be freely flipped up and down relative to the fixing portion and gradually tilted downward with the fixing portion as a fulcrum.

[0008] Furthermore, a retaining rib is provided below the opening portion to stop the cover body portion so as to prevent the cover body portion from opening the opening portion upwards.

[0009] Furthermore, a water storage cavity is provided in the water storage box, and a vent hole is provided at the upper end of the water storage box to connect the water storage cavity to the atmosphere.

[0010] Furthermore, the opening is also provided with a peripheral edge extending toward the bottom of the water storage box.

[0011] Furthermore, a notch is provided on the surrounding edge along the vertical direction.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0013] The clothes dryer of the present invention places the clothes to be dried in the drying chamber, heats the air by heating means, and then sends the hot air into the drying chamber by air supply means, so as to heat the clothes and evaporate the water vapor in the clothes into water vapor, and uses dehumidification means to extract the humid air containing water vapor and condense the water vapor in the humid air into condensed water. The water storage box is used to collect the condensed water, and the opening direction of the opening is from top to bottom, so that the condensed water can enter the water storage box through the opening for storage, and the check valve of the opening can allow the condensed water to enter the water storage box from top to bottom, and when the water in the water storage box overflows from the opening, it will be blocked by the check valve, so that the condensed water in the water storage box will not overflow. In this way, when the water storage box is pulled out of the clothes dryer, the internal condensed water will not shake, and the condensed water will not spill out from the opening. Compared with the prior art, the problem of easy spillage of condensed water is greatly improved.

[0014] Furthermore, the check valve is arranged below the opening, and the check valve includes a cover portion covering the opening from bottom to top and a fixing portion located near the opening for fixing, and a part or the whole of the check valve is composed of elastic material, and when the water generated by the dehumidification method does not pass through the opening, the opening is roughly in a slightly closed state.

[0015] It should be noted that: slightly closed means that the opening is not completely closed, but partially closed and partially open. In this way, condensed water can enter the water storage box through the unclosed part of the opening. When the water volume increases, the opening can be opened to increase the water flow.

[0016] The cover body is installed below the opening through the fixing part, and the fixing part is connected to the edge of the opening or a position on the water storage box close to the opening, so that the cover body can also be close to the opening. The part of the check valve composed of elastic material has elastic force, so that the check valve has the ability to restore deformation after deformation, and under the action of the elastic force, the cover body can be kept below the opening, so that the opening is kept slightly closed. After dripping, condensed water will stay on the cover body and slowly flow into the water storage box from the unsealed part between the cover body and the opening. When the condensed water increases, the weight of the condensed water can also push the cover body, overcome the elastic force, open the opening from top to bottom, and realize rapid drainage; when the water storage box is shaken, the internal water level changes cause the air pressure to rise, and the gas pressure and the thrust of the water flow act on the cover body from bottom to top, which can fit with the opening and prevent the condensed water from overflowing.

[0017] Furthermore, the cover body has a circular sealing portion that seals the opening portion, and the fixing portion is locally formed on the outer edge of the circular sealing portion or extended outwardly from one side of the circular sealing portion. The circular sealing portion can be freely flipped up and down relative to the fixing portion and gradually tilted downward with the fixing portion as a fulcrum.

[0018] When the water storage box shakes, the cover body can make the circular sealing part fit the opening part under the action of fluid to seal the opening to prevent backflow of the water storage box during the extraction process. The fixing part will not affect the up and down flipping of the circular sealing part, making the circular sealing part more sensitive and able to change in time to open or close the opening.

[0019] The direction of water flow is from high to low. When the cover body is tilted, more condensed water will accumulate at the lowest position of the cover body, where the cover body is subjected to the greatest water pressure. For the same amount of water, the torque acting on the tilted cover body will be greater, which can push the cover body faster and open the opening.

[0020] Furthermore, a retaining rib is provided below the opening to stop the cover body from opening upwards. The retaining rib can stop the cover body. When condensed water in the water storage part impacts the cover body from bottom to top, the outward opening movement of the cover body is blocked by the retaining rib and cannot further change position to open the opening. Even if the water storage box is turned over, the water in the water storage box will not leak out. The anti-spill function is stronger. When the user takes out the water storage box, the condensed water will not be poured out by mistake. The user experience is improved and the practicability is strong.

[0021] Furthermore, a water storage cavity is provided in the water storage box, and an air vent is provided at the upper end of the water storage box to connect the water storage cavity to the atmosphere. When condensed water enters the water storage cavity, the air in the water storage cavity can be discharged to the outside of the water storage box through the air vent; when the opening is opened downward, under the action of the air vent, the air pressure in the water storage cavity can be kept connected to the outside without blocking the opening of the opening.

[0022] Furthermore, the opening is also provided with a surrounding edge extending toward the bottom of the water storage box. When the condensed water shakes with the water storage box, the condensed water below the opening is protected by the surrounding edge, and the shaking amplitude is much smaller than that of the condensed water in other parts of the water storage box, further reducing the possibility of condensed water spilling.

[0023] Furthermore, a notch is provided on the surrounding edge along the vertical direction, and the notch can keep the condensed water in the surrounding edge area and the rest of the condensed water in the water storage box in a flow state, which will not affect the opening of the opening.

[0024] These features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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

[0026] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a clothes dryer in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water storage box in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a check valve in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Reference numerals:

[0031] Drying room 100;

[0032] The water storage box 200 , the opening 210 , the check valve 220 , the cover 221 , the fixing portion 222 , the water storage portion 230 , the retaining rib 231 , the slot 232 , the insertion section 233 , the buckling section 234 , the opening 240 , the bracket 250 , the vent 260 , the surrounding edge 270 , and the notch 271 . [Specific implementation method]

[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention are explained and described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, but the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, not all. Based on the embodiments in the implementation mode, other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

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

[0035] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly specified.

[0036] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0037] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The embodiment of the present invention provides a clothes dryer, including a drying chamber 100 for storing clothes, a heating means for heating air, an air supply means for delivering the heated air to the drying chamber 100, a dehumidification means for dehumidifying the moist warm air after passing through the drying chamber 100, and a water storage box 200 that is removably installed in the clothes dryer and collects water generated by the dehumidification means. The water storage box 200 is provided with an opening 210 that opens from top to bottom and allows water to enter the water storage box 200. The opening 210 is provided with a check valve 220 that allows the water that has been dehumidified from top to bottom to pass through and prevents the water in the water storage box 200 below from flowing back.

[0039] When the clothes dryer is in use, clothes to be dried are placed in the drying chamber 100. After the air is heated by a heating means, the hot air is sent into the drying chamber 100 by an air supply means to heat the clothes and evaporate the water vapor in the clothes into water vapor. The humid air containing water vapor is extracted by a dehumidification means and the water vapor in the humid air is condensed into condensed water.

[0040] The water storage box 200 is used to collect condensed water. The opening direction of the opening 210 is from top to bottom, so that the condensed water can enter the water storage box 200 through the opening 210 for storage. The check valve 220 of the opening 210 can allow the condensed water to enter the water storage box 200 from top to bottom. When the water in the water storage box 200 is about to overflow from the opening 210, it will be blocked by the check valve 220, so that the condensed water in the water storage box 200 will not overflow. In this way, when the water storage box 200 is pulled out of the dryer, the internal condensed water will not shake, and the condensed water will not spill out from the opening 210. Compared with the prior art, the problem of condensed water easily spilling out is greatly improved.

[0041] Among them, the water storage box 200 is provided with a water storage part 230 for temporarily storing condensed water, and the lower end of the water storage part 230 defines an opening part 210. The check valve 220 includes a cover part 221 covering the opening part 210 from bottom to top and a fixing part 222 connected to the water storage part 230. The fixing part 222 is composed of an elastic material. When the water generated during the dehumidification method does not pass through the opening part 210, the opening part 210 is roughly in a slightly closed state.

[0042] It should be noted that the slightly closed state means that there is a certain gap between the opening portion 210 and the cover portion 221, and the opening portion 210 is not completely closed, but partially closed and partially open. In this way, condensed water can enter the water storage box 200 through the unclosed portion of the opening portion 210. When the water volume increases, the opening portion 210 can be opened to increase the water flow.

[0043] The fixing portion 222 has elastic force, can be deformed and has the ability to restore the deformation, that is, the cover portion 221 can be turned over relative to the fixing portion 222, and the cover portion 221 can be reset by the elastic force of the fixing portion 222. Under the action of the elastic force of the fixing portion 222, the cover portion 221 can be kept below the opening portion 210 and partially fit with the opening portion 210, so that the opening portion 210 remains slightly closed.

[0044] The condensed water dripping into the water storage part 230 will stay on the cover part 221 and slowly flow into the water storage box 200 from the unsealed portion between the cover part 221 and the opening part 210. When the amount of condensed water in the water storage part 230 increases, the gravity of the condensed water acting on the cover part 221 increases, thereby overcoming the elastic force to push the cover part 221 and open the opening part 210 from top to bottom to achieve rapid drainage, thereby avoiding excessive condensed water accumulation in the water storage part 230 and causing the condensed water to overflow. 0, the water flow can further push the cover body 221, even when the amount of condensed water in the water storage part 230 decreases, the cover body 221 will not reset, and the cover body 221 will reset under the action of the fixing plate only after most of the condensed water in the water storage part 230 is drained, and partially fit with the opening part 210 again; when the water storage box 200 is shaken, the internal water level changes and the air pressure rises, and the thrust of the gas pressure and the water flow acts on the cover body 221 from bottom to top, which can fit with the opening part 210 and prevent the condensed water from overflowing.

[0045] The check valve 220 can control the opening and closing of the opening 210 through elastic force. The opening and closing of the opening 210 is affected by the weight of condensed water in the water storage part 230, does not need to be controlled by electronic components, has low cost and is not prone to failure.

[0046] If the cover body 221 and the opening 210 remain sealed, some condensed water dripping on the cover body 221 will never be able to enter the water storage box 200. When the water storage box 200 is pulled out, the condensed water in the water storage part 230 will still spill out. In addition, when sealed, the airflow in the water storage box 200 is not easy to flow, and it is difficult for the cover body 221 to flip over to open the opening 210.

[0047] The fixing part 222 can also be connected to the opening 210, which can make the fitting effect between the cover 221 and the opening 210 higher and enhance the anti-return capability. Of course, the fixing part 222 can be connected to the position of the water storage box 200 near the opening 210.

[0048] The entire check valve 220 may be made of an elastic member, so that when the water storage box 200 shakes, the cover 221 and the opening 210 will fit more closely and the check valve function will be stronger.

[0049] Preferably, in the above, the cover portion 221 has a circular sealing portion that seals the opening portion 210 , and the circular sealing portion can be freely turned upside down relative to the fixing portion 222 .

[0050] The cover body 221 is the same as the fixing portion 222, and both are made of elastic material. When the water storage box 200 shakes, the cover body 221 can make the circular sealing portion fit the opening portion 210 under the action of the fluid, and seal the opening portion 210 to prevent backflow during the extraction process of the water storage box 200, and the fixing portion 222 will not affect the upside-down flipping of the circular sealing portion, so that the circular sealing portion is more sensitive and can be changed in time to open or close the opening portion 210.

[0051] When the fixing portion 222 is locally formed on the outer edge of the circular sealing portion and the check valve 220 is installed below the opening portion 210, the fixing portion 222 is connected to the edge of the opening portion 210, so that the material of the fixing portion 222 can be reduced, and the fixing portion 222 has a greater impact on the circular sealing portion, making it easier for the circular sealing portion to seal the opening portion 210 when the water storage box 200 shakes; when the fixing portion 222 is formed by extending outward from one side of the circular sealing portion, the fixing portion 222 can be connected to the water storage portion 230, and when the cover body 221 is pushed, the drainage port formed is larger, and the condensed water can be discharged more quickly.

[0052] Based on the above scheme, the circular sealing part gradually tilts downward with the fixing part 222 as the fulcrum. The cover part 221 gradually opens the opening part 210 from its lower end to its upper end. The water flows from high to low. When the cover part 221 is tilted, the distribution of condensed water in the water storage part 230 will change. The water volume at the lowest position of the cover part 221 is the largest, and the water pressure on the cover part 221 is the largest. For the same amount of water, the torque generated on the tilted cover part 221 will be greater, which can push the cover part 221 faster and open the opening part 210.

[0053] In addition, the water storage box 200 includes a water storage chamber 201 located inside, and an opening 240 is provided on the water storage box 200 that is connected to the water storage chamber 201. The opening 240 is plugged with an installation bracket 250250, and the opening portion 210, the water storage portion 230 and the check valve 220 are all arranged on the bracket 250250. When the water storage box 200 is full of water, the bracket 250250 can be removed from the water storage box 200 and the water can be directly poured out from the opening 240.

[0054] Reference Figure 2In order to further enhance the anti-spill capability of the water storage box, in another embodiment of the present invention: a retaining rib 231 for stopping the cover body 221 is further provided in the water storage portion 230 to prevent the cover body 221 from opening the opening portion 210 outwards. When the condensed water in the water storage box 200 impacts the cover body 221 from bottom to top, the outward opening movement of the cover body 221 is blocked by the retaining rib 231 and cannot further change position to open the opening portion 210. In this way, even if the water storage box 200 is turned over, the water in the water storage box 200 will not leak out, and the anti-spill function is stronger. When the user takes out the water storage box 200, the condensed water will not be poured out by mistake, which improves the user experience and has strong practicality.

[0055] In order to enable the cover to open smoothly and allow condensed water to enter the water storage cavity, in another embodiment of the present invention: a vent hole 260 is provided at the upper end of the water storage box 200 to connect the water storage cavity 201 to the atmosphere.

[0056] When condensed water enters the water storage chamber 201, the air in the water storage chamber 201 can be discharged to the outside of the water storage box 200 through the vent hole 260; when the cover body 221 flips downward to open the opening 210, the air pressure in the water storage chamber 201 can be kept connected to the outside under the action of the vent hole 260 without blocking the opening of the opening 210.

[0057] Reference Figure 4 , based on the above embodiment, in another embodiment of the present invention:

[0058] The check valve 220 is detachably connected to the opening 210, so that the check valve 220 can be removed, and the check valve 220 can be easily cleaned and scale removed. The check valve 220 and the water storage part 230 can also be fixedly connected, which saves the installation of the check valve 220 and the water storage part 230 during the manufacturing process, and the production is faster.

[0059] The detachable connection structure is as follows: a card slot 232 is provided in the water storage part 230, and the card slot 232 is divided into two sections, including an insertion section 233 and a buckle section 234. The fixing part 222 is inserted into the card slot 232 along the insertion section 233, and then the cover body 221 is rotated to insert the fixing part 222 into the buckle section 234 to complete the installation.

[0060] Reference Figure 2 and 4In another embodiment of the present invention, a structure for further preventing condensed water from spilling out is proposed. In this embodiment, the opening 210 is also provided with a peripheral edge 270 extending toward the bottom of the water storage box 200 in the circumference thereof, and the peripheral edge 270 extends toward the bottom wall of the water storage box 200. When the condensed water shakes with the water storage box 200, the condensed water below the opening 210 is protected by the peripheral edge 270, and the shaking amplitude is much smaller than the shaking amplitude of the condensed water in other parts of the water storage box 200, thereby further reducing the possibility of condensed water spilling out.

[0061] In addition, a notch 271 is provided on the edge 270 along the vertical direction. The notch 271 is connected to the insertion section 233 of the slot 232. The notch 271 can keep the condensed water in the edge 270 area and the rest of the condensed water in the water storage box 200 in a flow state, which will not affect the opening of the opening 210.

[0062] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention includes but is not limited to the contents described in the drawings and the above specific embodiments. Any modification that does not deviate from the functional and structural principles of the present invention will be included in the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A clothes dryer, characterized in that: The invention comprises a drying chamber for storing clothes, a heating means for heating air, an air supply means for conveying the heated air to the drying chamber, a dehumidification means for dehumidifying the moist warm air after passing through the drying chamber, and a water storage box which is removably installed in the dryer and collects water generated by the dehumidification means, the water storage box is provided with an opening portion which opens from top to bottom and allows water to enter the water storage box, the opening portion is provided with a check valve which allows the water dehumidified from top to bottom to pass through and prevents the water in the water storage box below from flowing back, the check valve is arranged below the opening portion, and the check valve It includes a cover body portion covering the opening portion from bottom to top and a fixing portion located near the opening portion for fixing. The check valve is partially or entirely composed of elastic material. When the water generated by the dehumidification method does not pass through the opening portion, the opening portion is roughly in a slightly closed state. The cover body portion has a circular sealing portion that seals the opening portion. The fixing portion is partially formed on the outer edge of the circular sealing portion or extended outwardly from one side of the circular sealing portion. The circular sealing portion can be freely flipped up and down relative to the fixing portion and gradually tilted downward with the fixing portion as a fulcrum.

2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, characterized in that: A retaining rib is provided below the opening to stop the cover body so as to prevent the cover body from opening the opening upward.

3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A water storage cavity is arranged in the water storage box, and a vent hole is arranged at the upper end of the water storage box to connect the water storage cavity to the atmosphere.

4. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The opening is also provided with a peripheral edge extending toward the bottom of the water storage box.

5. The clothes dryer according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surrounding edge is provided with a notch arranged along the vertical direction.

Images