Door structure, drum washing machine and control method of drum washing machine

Abstract

The application discloses a door structure, a drum washing machine and a control method of the drum washing machine. The door structure comprises: a downward turning door arranged on a shell of the drum washing machine and used for turning downward to open a clothes taking and placing opening on the drum washing machine or turning upward to close the clothes taking and placing opening on the drum washing machine; and a flexible baffle connected between the downward turning door and the shell, wherein when the downward turning door is opened, the flexible baffle, the downward turning door and the shell form a water containing cavity at the clothes taking and placing opening. The door structure disclosed by the application can form the water containing cavity when being opened, so that the downward turning door can be directly opened to add clothes in the middle of the washing process of the drum washing machine, and the drum washing machine does not need to wait for water in a drum to be drained, thereby greatly improving the convenience of the washing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a door structure, a drum washing machine, and a control method for the drum washing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Most existing front-loading washing machines have side-opening doors. Once the door is opened, the clothes loading and unloading area is exposed. Therefore, if there is water inside the drum, the door cannot be opened, and the water will flow out if the door is opened. Consequently, if it is necessary to open the door mid-wash to add clothes, the water in the drum must be drained, leading to excessive waiting time and inconvenience for users. Therefore, the inability to directly open the door during a wash cycle to add clothes is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the door of a drum washing machine cannot be opened directly to add clothes during the washing process, the present invention proposes a door structure, a drum washing machine, and a [other components].

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0005] This invention proposes a door structure and a drum washing machine, wherein the door structure includes:

[0006] The flip-down door is located on the outer casing of the drum washing machine. It flips down to open the clothes loading and unloading port of the drum washing machine or flips up to close the clothes loading and unloading port of the drum washing machine.

[0007] A flexible baffle connects the flip-down door and the outer shell. When the flip-down door is opened, the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the outer shell form a water-containing cavity at the clothing loading and unloading opening.

[0008] Preferably, the outer casing is provided with a pivot, and the flip-down door is connected to the pivot.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a drive motor that drives the rotating shaft to rotate, and the rotating shaft drives the flip-down door to flip up and down.

[0010] Preferably, the flexible baffle is fan-shaped, with one radial side of the flexible baffle connected to the flip-down door, the other radial side of the flexible baffle connected to the outer shell, and the center of the flexible baffle connected to the rotating shaft.

[0011] Preferably, the flexible baffle is provided with multiple fan ribs that support and fold the flexible baffle, and the multiple fan ribs are aggregated and connected on the rotating shaft.

[0012] A drum washing machine, including the door structure described above.

[0013] Preferably, the device includes a housing, an outer cylinder fixed inside the housing, an inner cylinder disposed inside the outer cylinder and rotatable relative to the outer cylinder, a clothing loading / unloading opening on the side of the housing, and a door structure disposed on the side of the housing.

[0014] A control method for a drum washing machine, wherein the drum washing machine is the one described above, includes the following steps:

[0015] During the washing process, the opening angle of the flip-down door is calculated based on the water level parameters of the drum washing machine, and it is determined whether the opening angle is less than a first preset threshold.

[0016] If so, continue to close the flip-down door and remind the user not to add clothes into the drum washing machine;

[0017] If not, open the flip-down door and add clothes into the drum washing machine.

[0018] Preferably, calculating the opening angle of the flip-down door based on the water level parameters of the drum washing machine during the washing process specifically includes the following steps:

[0019] Obtain the maximum water-blocking height of the flexible baffle, and obtain the current washing water level in the drum washing machine;

[0020] The opening angle is obtained by performing an inverse cosine calculation on the washing water level height and the maximum water blocking height.

[0021] Furthermore, opening the flip-down door to add clothes to the drum washing machine specifically includes the following steps:

[0022] Determine whether the opening angle is greater than a second preset threshold, and whether the second preset threshold is greater than a first preset threshold;

[0023] If so, the rotation angle of the downward-opening door is equal to the second preset threshold.

[0024] If not, the rotation angle of the downward-opening door is equal to the opening angle.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the door structure proposed in this invention can form a receiving cavity when opened. Therefore, clothes can be added directly in the middle of the washing process in a drum washing machine by opening the flip-down door without waiting for the water in the drum to drain, which greatly improves the convenience of washing. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drum washing machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of another state of the drum washing machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the control method for the drum washing machine of the present invention;

[0030] 1. Outer shell; 2. Flip-down door; 3. Flexible baffle; 4. Rotating shaft; 5. Inner cylinder; 6. Outer cylinder; 7. Fan ribs. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0032] Most existing drum washing machines have side-opening doors. Once the door is opened, the clothes loading and unloading area is exposed. Therefore, the door cannot be opened if there is water inside the drum, and the water will flow out once the door is opened. Consequently, if it is necessary to open the door to add clothes during a drum washing machine wash, the water inside the drum must be drained, which leads to excessive waiting time and inconvenience for users.

[0033] Therefore, in order to solve the technical problem that existing drum washing machines cannot directly open the door to add clothes during the washing process, this invention proposes a door structure, including:

[0034] The flip-down door is located on the outer casing of the drum washing machine. The flip-down door flips down to open the clothes loading and unloading port of the drum washing machine, and flips up to close the clothes loading and unloading port of the drum washing machine.

[0035] The flexible baffle connects the flip-down door and the outer shell. When the flip-down door is opened, the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the outer shell will form a water-containing cavity at the clothing access opening.

[0036] When the flip-down door is opened, the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the outer casing form a receiving cavity at the clothes loading and unloading opening. Water from inside the drum of the front-loading washing machine flows directly into this cavity. Therefore, during the washing process, there is no need to wait for the water in the drum to drain completely before opening the door to add clothes; you can add clothes directly by opening the flip-down door mid-cycle. When the flip-down door is opened and then closed, the water in the receiving cavity is sent back into the drum.

[0037] In summary, the door structure proposed in this invention can form a receiving cavity when opened. Therefore, clothes can be added midway through the washing process of a drum washing machine by directly opening the flip-down door without waiting for the water in the drum to drain completely, which greatly improves the convenience of washing.

[0038] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0039] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention proposes a door structure, comprising:

[0040] The flip-down door 2 is located on the outer casing 1 of the drum washing machine. A rotating shaft 4 is mounted on the outer casing 1, positioned below the clothes loading / unloading opening. The flip-down door 2 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 4, allowing it to flip up and down. When the flip-down door flips downwards, the clothes loading / unloading opening is opened. When the flip-down door flips upwards, the locking mechanisms on the outer casing and the flip-down door engage to close the clothes loading / unloading opening.

[0041] The flexible baffle 3 is fan-shaped and made of waterproof material. One radial side of the flexible baffle 3 connects to the inside of the flip-down door 2, and the other radial side connects to the outer casing 1. The center of the flexible baffle 3 is connected to the rotating shaft 4. The flexible baffle extends or folds as the flip-down door rotates. When the flip-down door rotates downwards to open, the flexible baffle extends, and the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the outer casing of the drum washing machine form a receiving cavity. When the flip-down door is open, the water inside the drum washing machine flows directly into the receiving cavity. When the flip-down door rotates upwards to close, the flexible baffle folds, and the volume of the receiving cavity gradually decreases. The water inside the receiving cavity pushes the rotating flip-down door back into the drum washing machine.

[0042] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the support of the flexible baffle and the folding and folding of the flexible baffle, a plurality of fan ribs 7 are provided on the flexible baffle 3. One end of each fan rib 7 is connected to the flexible baffle 3, and the other end of each fan rib 7 is connected to the pivot 4. The ends of all fan ribs 7 connected to the pivot 4 are joined together.

[0043] Furthermore, in order to achieve automatic flipping of the downward-opening door, the door structure also includes a drive motor that can drive the rotating shaft to rotate. The drive motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate, and the rotating shaft drives the downward-opening door to flip up and down.

[0044] In summary, the door structure proposed in this invention can form a water-filled cavity when opened, thus preventing water leakage from the drum of the washing machine. Therefore, the flip-down door in the door structure can be opened directly to add clothes at any stage of the washing process, making it convenient for users.

[0045] This invention also proposes a drum washing machine, including a casing 1, an outer drum 6 disposed within the casing 1 (the outer drum 6 is fixed to the casing 1), an inner drum 5 disposed within the outer drum 6 (the inner drum 5 can rotate relative to the outer drum 6), a clothes loading / unloading opening on the side of the casing, and the aforementioned door structure disposed on the casing. Specifically, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown:

[0046] The flip-down door is located on the outer casing, which has a rotating shaft positioned below the clothes loading / unloading opening. The flip-down door is rotatably connected to the shaft, which is connected to a drive motor. The drive motor drives the shaft to rotate, causing the flip-down door to flip up and down. When the flip-down door flips downwards, the clothes loading / unloading opening of the drum washing machine is opened; when the flip-down door flips upwards, the clothes loading / unloading opening of the drum washing machine is closed. A flexible baffle, fan-shaped and made of waterproof material, has one radial side connected to the inside of the flip-down door and the other radial side connected to the outer casing. The center of the flexible baffle is connected to the rotating shaft. The flexible baffle extends or folds as the flip-down door rotates. When the flip-down door opens downwards, the flexible baffle extends, and the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the outer casing form a receiving cavity, allowing water from the inner or outer drum to flow directly into this cavity when the flip-down door is open. When the downward-opening door rotates upwards to close, the flexible baffle folds and retracts, gradually reducing the volume of the receiving cavity. The water inside the cavity pushes the rotating downward-opening door back into the inner or outer cylinder. Simultaneously, to facilitate support for the extended flexible baffle and to facilitate its folding and retraction, multiple ribs are provided on the flexible baffle. One end of each rib is connected to the flexible baffle, and the other end of each rib is connected to a pivot. The pivot ends of all the ribs are joined together.

[0047] In summary, the drum washing machine proposed in this invention can form a water-filled cavity when the flip-down door is opened, thus preventing water leakage from the inner or outer drum. Therefore, the flip-down door can be opened directly to add clothes at any stage of the washing process, making it convenient for users.

[0048] This invention also proposes a control method for a drum washing machine, wherein the drum washing machine includes: a shell, an outer drum, an inner drum, a clothes loading / unloading opening disposed on the side of the shell, a flip-down door disposed at the clothes loading / unloading opening, and a flexible baffle disposed on the flip-down door and the shell. The flip-down door is rotatably mounted on the shell; when the flip-down door flips downwards, the clothes loading / unloading opening opens; when the flip-down door flips upwards, the clothes loading / unloading opening closes. The flexible baffle is fan-shaped and made of waterproof material. One radius of the flexible baffle is connected to the inner side of the flip-down door, and the other radius of the flexible baffle is connected to the shell. The center of the flexible baffle is connected to a rotating shaft. The flexible baffle extends or folds as the flip-down door rotates. When the flip-down door rotates downwards to open, the flexible baffle extends, and the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the shell form a receiving cavity, into which water from the inner or outer drum flows directly when the flip-down door opens. When the downward-opening door rotates upwards to close, the flexible baffle folds and retracts, gradually reducing the volume of the receiving cavity. The water inside the cavity pushes the rotating downward-opening door back into the inner or outer cylinder. Specifically, for example... Figure 3 As shown, the control method for a drum washing machine includes the following steps:

[0049] During the washing process of the drum washing machine, the opening angle of the flip-down door is calculated based on the water level parameters of the drum washing machine, and it is determined whether the opening angle is less than the first preset threshold.

[0050] If so, continue to close the flip-down door and remind the user not to add clothes to the front-loading washing machine;

[0051] If not, open the bottom door and add clothes to the front-loading washing machine.

[0052] Specifically, the drum washing machine is equipped with a liquid level sensor to detect the water level in the outer or inner drum. The maximum water-blocking height of the flexible baffle can also be directly measured; for example, the maximum water-blocking height of a fan-shaped flexible baffle is the radius of the fan. During the washing process, the liquid level sensor monitors the water level in real time. After obtaining the water level, the controller calculates the opening angle using an inverse cosine of the water level and the maximum water-blocking height: opening angle = arccos(water level / maximum water-blocking height). If the calculated opening angle is less than a first preset threshold, the flip-down door remains closed, and the user is prompted not to add clothes to the washing machine. If the opening angle is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold and less than or equal to a second preset threshold, the flip-down door opens, and the downward rotation angle of the flip-down door equals the opening angle. If the opening angle is greater than the second preset threshold, the flip-down door opens, and the downward rotation angle of the flip-down door equals the second preset threshold. The second preset threshold is greater than the first preset threshold. The first preset threshold is derived from market research based on the washing water level corresponding to the weight of laundry that a specific model of drum washing machine can usually withstand. The first preset threshold represents the minimum angle that the door of this type of drum washing machine can open during the washing process. The second preset threshold is derived from the washing water level corresponding to the maximum weight of laundry that a specific model of drum washing machine can withstand. The second preset threshold represents the maximum angle that the door of this type of drum washing machine can open during the washing process.

[0053] It should be noted that the terminology used above is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0054] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0055] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A door structure, characterized in that, include: The flip-down door is located on the outer casing of the drum washing machine. It flips down to open the clothes loading and unloading port of the drum washing machine or flips up to close the clothes loading and unloading port of the drum washing machine. A flexible baffle connects the flip-down door and the outer shell. When the flip-down door is opened, the flexible baffle, the flip-down door, and the outer shell form a water-containing cavity at the clothing loading and unloading opening.

2. The door structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing is provided with a pivot, and the flip-down door is connected to the pivot.

3. The door structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a drive motor that drives the rotating shaft to rotate, and the rotating shaft drives the flip-down door to flip up and down.

4. The door structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible baffle is fan-shaped, with one radial side of the flexible baffle connected to the flip-down door, the other radial side of the flexible baffle connected to the outer shell, and the center of the flexible baffle connected to the rotating shaft.

5. The door structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The flexible baffle is provided with multiple fan ribs that support and fold the flexible baffle together, and the multiple fan ribs are connected to the rotating shaft.

6. A drum washing machine, characterized in that, Includes the door structure described in any one of claims 1-5.

7. The drum washing machine as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The device includes a housing, an outer cylinder fixed inside the housing, an inner cylinder disposed inside the outer cylinder and rotatable relative to the outer cylinder, a clothing loading and unloading opening on the side of the housing, and a door structure disposed on the side of the housing.

8. A control method for a drum washing machine, wherein the drum washing machine is the drum washing machine according to any one of claims 6-7, characterized in that, Including the following steps: During the washing process, the opening angle of the flip-down door is calculated based on the water level parameters of the drum washing machine, and it is determined whether the opening angle is less than a first preset threshold. If so, continue to close the flip-down door and remind the user not to add clothes into the drum washing machine; If not, open the flip-down door and add clothes into the drum washing machine.

9. The control method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The specific steps for calculating the opening angle of the flip-down door during the washing process based on the water level parameters of the drum washing machine include: Obtain the maximum water-blocking height of the flexible baffle, and obtain the current washing water level in the drum washing machine; The opening angle is obtained by performing an inverse cosine calculation on the washing water level height and the maximum water blocking height.

10. The control method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The specific steps for opening the flip-down door and adding clothes into the drum washing machine include: Determine whether the opening angle is greater than a second preset threshold, and whether the second preset threshold is greater than a first preset threshold; If so, the rotation angle of the downward-opening door is equal to the second preset threshold. If not, the rotation angle of the downward-opening door is equal to the opening angle.

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