A cleaning machine

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of cleaning machines, including box and spray arm, the spray arm is rotatably arranged in box, the spray arm is provided with hollow flow channel, the spray arm is also provided with water outlet being connected with flow channel, the water outlet is connected with the nozzle being rotatable relative to spray arm, the upper surface of the spray arm is provided with the recessed installation groove for installing nozzle and being half-enclosed structure.The end of the spray arm of the present application is provided with the nozzle being rotatable with the spray arm while being rotatable relative to the spray arm, which is conducive to eliminating cleaning dead angle;Cavitation water column is formed by air-adding structure, in the moment of contacting contaminant, the bubble entrained in water flow breaks, which can improve the stripping force of contaminant on the surface of the object to be cleaned, further improve cleaning effect;The nozzle is arranged outside the top plate to avoid food residue, sand and other impurities in the gap between the nozzle and the top plate, improve the rotation stability of nozzle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dishwasher technology, specifically to a washing machine for cleaning tableware, fruits and vegetables. Background Technology

[0002] Dishwashers typically include a spray arm that rinses dishes or fruits and vegetables by spraying water jets. For example, Chinese patents CN204813755U ("Dishwasher Spray Arm Base, Dishwasher Spray Arm Device and Dishwasher") and CN209932651U ("A Spray Arm for a Cleaning Machine") disclose the corresponding spray arm structures.

[0003] For the spray arm with the above structure, the water inlet is located on one side wall of the spray arm, and water exits to both sides through this inlet. The spray arm rotates due to the viscous force of the water dispersed in the flow channel. A first spray hole is opened on the other side wall of the spray arm for spraying a water jet. In existing dishwashers, once the dish rack structure is fixed, the position of the dishes on the rack remains unchanged. However, the water jet sprayed by the spray arm is roughly in a straight line (strip), which results in a limited spray range, failing to cover all surfaces of the dishes and creating cleaning dead zones, thus affecting the cleaning effect. Furthermore, for dishwashers with a rectangular washing chamber, cleaning dead zones are also prone to occur.

[0004] Chinese invention patent CN204445748U, entitled "A Dishwasher Sprayer and Dishwasher" (application number: CN201520047405.0), discloses a structure in which the sprayer includes a water storage cavity, a spray surface, and a mounting surface. The spray surface has multiple spray holes communicating with the water storage cavity. The mounting surface has a water inlet. A nozzle is mounted on the spray surface, and the nozzle has at least two spray holes. The nozzle has a water channel communicating with the water storage cavity, and the spray holes are connected to the water channel. While the sprayer rotates and sprays, the nozzles on the sprayer also spray simultaneously. Because each nozzle has at least two spray holes, the effective spray area is increased, and the spray dead zones are reduced.

[0005] The above-mentioned structure of the sprayer helps to reduce cleaning dead corners. However, if the nozzle is surrounded inside the sprayer during installation, it is easy for mud, food residue, etc. to accumulate in the gaps, which can cause the nozzle to get stuck during rotation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cleaning machine that can effectively eliminate cleaning dead corners and promptly flush away mud, sand and food residue in assembly gaps, thereby enabling the nozzle to rotate smoothly, in light of the current state of the prior art.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0008] A cleaning machine includes a housing and a spray arm. The spray arm is rotatably disposed in the housing. The spray arm is provided with a hollow flow channel and a water outlet connected to the flow channel. A nozzle that can rotate relative to the spray arm is connected to the water outlet. The upper surface of the spray arm is provided with a recessed mounting groove for mounting the nozzle and has a semi-enclosed structure.

[0009] Preferably, the opening of the semi-enclosed structure of the mounting groove exposes a portion of the nozzle's sidewall, and the length of the nozzle's sidewall exposed at the opening of the semi-enclosed structure is 20-80% of the nozzle's circumferential length, more preferably 30-50%.

[0010] Preferably, the mounting groove is located at the end of the spray arm, and the opening portion of the semi-enclosed structure of the mounting groove is arranged corresponding to the end edge of the spray arm.

[0011] The spray arm has spray holes that communicate with the flow channel, and the top of the spray arm is provided with an air collection chamber that surrounds the spray holes to supply gas to the spray holes and form a jet of water with bubbles.

[0012] Preferably, the spray arm has relative length and width directions, the nozzle is located at the end of the spray arm, and the air collection chamber extends from the center of the spray arm to the end and is located inside the mounting groove and the nozzle.

[0013] Preferably, the nozzle is disc-shaped, the end of the spray arm is formed into an arc-shaped end wall corresponding to the outer edge of the nozzle above it, and the end of the top plate is recessed inward to form an arc-shaped notch surrounding the nozzle and matching it. The arc-shaped notch and the top wall of the spray arm on the outside together form the mounting groove.

[0014] Preferably, the open side portion of the semi-enclosed structure of the mounting groove constitutes the air inlet of the air collection chamber.

[0015] Preferably, the top of the spray arm is provided with spaced-apart top plates, which enclose the air collection chamber between the top plates and the top wall of the spray arm. The top plates have jet holes arranged corresponding to the water spray holes, forming a first gap between the jet holes and the water spray holes, allowing air to be drawn into the jet water column in a jet state. According to the Venturi effect, when the water column passes through the water spray holes and jet holes, a negative pressure is generated at the first gap, thereby drawing the surrounding air into the water column, forming a cavitation water column containing air bubbles. When the cavitation water column impacts the surface of the object to be cleaned, the instantaneous bursting of the air bubbles increases the peeling force on the contaminants, improving the cleaning effect.

[0016] Preferably, the nozzle is disc-shaped, and the end of the spray arm is formed into an arc-shaped end wall corresponding to the outer edge of the nozzle above it. The end of the top plate is recessed inward to form an arc-shaped notch surrounding the nozzle and matching it. The inner wall of the arc-shaped notch and the arc-shaped end wall of the spray arm are tangentially connected to form a mounting groove for semi-enclosing the nozzle. The portion of the arc-shaped end wall corresponding to the mounting groove forms the air inlet of the air collection chamber. Using the above method, after the nozzle is installed on the spray arm, the spray arm has good overall integrity and mainly has the following functions: 1. It guides the nozzle rotation in the circumferential direction, improving the nozzle rotation stability; 2. The semi-enclosed structure allows food residue and sand to be flushed away by the nozzle rotation through the opening of the mounting groove, avoiding the problem of contaminant accumulation. Therefore, it can reduce the assembly gap between the nozzle edge and the top plate edge, thereby further improving the nozzle rotation stability; 3. The nozzle sidewall can also block the air inlet area of ​​the air collection chamber, preventing washing water, contaminants, etc., from entering the air collection chamber.

[0017] Preferably, the top plate is supported on the top wall of the spray arm by supporting ribs. The supporting ribs are arc-shaped and extend along the edge of the arc-shaped notch below the top plate. At least one end of the supporting rib has a gap between it and the inner wall of the air collection chamber, allowing gas to enter the air collection chamber from the outside. This structure provides support for the top plate and further restricts the air intake area, preventing washing water, pollutants, etc., from entering the air collection chamber.

[0018] Preferably, the top edge of the arc-shaped end wall has a drainage slope that gradually slopes outwards radially from top to bottom. This structure facilitates the rapid drainage of water accumulated at the nozzle.

[0019] Preferably, the nozzle has a spray hole at its top and a top cover with corresponding spray holes. A second gap is formed between the spray holes and the spray hole, allowing air to be drawn into the jet water column in a jet state. The spray hole and the second gap together constitute a second aeration structure that enables the spray hole to eject a cavitation water column. Similarly, according to the Venturi effect, when the water column passes through the spray hole and the spray hole, a negative pressure is generated at the second gap, drawing surrounding air into the water column and forming a cavitation water column containing air bubbles. When the cavitation water column strikes the surface of the object to be cleaned, the instantaneous bursting of the air bubbles increases the peeling force on the contaminants, improving the cleaning effect.

[0020] Preferably, the upper surface of the top cover gradually slopes downward from the center to the edge to form a guide surface. This structure allows the upper surface of the top cover to remain dry or with little water, thus preventing water stains from being drawn into the second gap and affecting the aeration effect of the second aeration structure.

[0021] Preferably, the nozzle has a water inlet at its bottom and a water inlet sleeve extending downward around the water inlet. The water inlet sleeve is rotatably connected to the water outlet by a snap-fit. The bottom edge of the water inlet sleeve is provided with a locking foot that can pass through the water outlet and abut against the top wall of the flow channel, thereby rotatably constraining the nozzle onto the spray arm. This structure facilitates the rotatable connection of the nozzle to the spray arm.

[0022] Further preferably, the outer wall of the retaining foot is formed as a guide surface that gradually slopes outward radially from bottom to top. This structure can reduce the energy loss of the fluid entering the nozzle within the flow channel.

[0023] In the assembled state, the upper surface of the nozzle is substantially flush with the top surface of the spray arm. Alternatively, in the assembled state, the thickness of the nozzle is 0.5 to 1.5 times the depth of the semi-enclosed mounting groove. This ensures that the spray arm achieves structural stability, nozzle anti-clogging effect, and aesthetics.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The present invention provides a nozzle at the end of the spray arm that can rotate with the spray arm and rotate relative to the spray arm itself, which helps to eliminate cleaning dead corners; the cavitation water column is formed by the air-filling structure, and the air bubbles carried in the water flow burst at the moment the cavitation water column comes into contact with the contaminants, which can improve the peeling force of the contaminants on the surface of the object to be cleaned, and further improve the cleaning effect; the nozzle is set outside the top plate to avoid food residue, mud and sand from getting stuck in the gap between the two, and improve the rotational stability of the nozzle. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the spray arm according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the bottom structure;

[0028] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the spray arm and nozzle in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the spray arm in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the spray arm according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the nozzle in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] like Figures 1-8 As shown, the cleaning machine in this embodiment includes a housing 01 and a spray arm 1. The bottom of the housing 01 is provided with a recessed water return area 011. The top of the water return area 011 is covered with a filter plate 012. A water pump connected to the water return area 011 is provided in the water return area 011. The outlet of the water pump is arranged facing upward. The spray arm 1 is rotatably mounted on the filter plate 012 and connected to the outlet of the water pump.

[0035] The spray arm 1 is rotatably mounted in the housing and arranged near the bottom of the housing 01. The interior of the spray arm 1 is hollow, forming a flow channel 11 extending along the length direction. The bottom wall of the spray arm 1 has a water inlet 12 connected to the flow channel 11, and the top wall has multiple spray holes 13 connected to the flow channel 11. The bottom of the housing 01 is provided with a pumping mechanism for pumping water from the bottom of the housing to the flow channel 11 through the water inlet 12, i.e., the aforementioned water pump.

[0036] The spray arm 1 is formed by the joining of upper and lower shells, and a top plate 3 covers the spray arm 1. The top plate 3 and the top wall of the spray arm 1 enclose an air collecting chamber 30, which is connected to the outside air. The top plate 3 is provided with jet holes 31 corresponding to the water spray holes 13. A first gap 100 is formed between the jet holes 31 and the water spray holes 13, which allows air to be drawn into the jet water column in the jet state. The air collecting chamber 30, the jet holes 31, and the first gap 100 together constitute the first air-gathering structure. According to the Venturi effect, when the water column passes through the water spray holes and jet holes, a negative pressure is generated at the first gap 100, which draws the surrounding air into the water column, forming a cavitation water column containing air bubbles. When the cavitation water column hits the surface of the object to be cleaned, the instantaneous bursting of the air bubbles can increase the peeling force on the contaminants and improve the cleaning effect.

[0037] In this embodiment, the top wall of the spray arm 1 is provided with a water outlet 14 near the end, and the nozzle 2 is connected to the water outlet 14, and the nozzle 2 is located outside the top plate 3. Placing the nozzle 2 outside the top plate 3 can prevent food residue, mud, etc. from getting stuck in the gap between the two and affecting the rotation of the nozzle.

[0038] Specifically, the nozzle 2 is disc-shaped, and the end of the spray arm 1 is formed into an arc-shaped end wall 18 corresponding to the outer edge of the nozzle 2 above it. The end of the top plate 3 is recessed inward to form an arc-shaped notch 32 that surrounds and matches the nozzle 2. The inner wall of the arc-shaped notch 32 is tangentially connected to the arc-shaped end wall 18 of the spray arm 1 to form a mounting groove 20 for semi-enclosing the nozzle 2. The portion of the arc-shaped end wall 18 corresponding to the mounting groove 20 forms the air inlet of the air collecting chamber 30. Using the above method, after the nozzle 2 is installed on the spray arm 1, the spray arm 1 has good overall integrity and mainly has the following functions: 1. It guides the rotation of the nozzle 2 in the circumferential direction, improving the rotational stability of the nozzle 2; 2. The semi-enclosed structure allows food residue and mud to be flushed away by the rotation of the nozzle 2 through the opening of the mounting groove 20, avoiding the problem of pollutant accumulation. Therefore, it can reduce the assembly gap between the edge of the nozzle 2 and the edge of the top plate 3, thereby further improving the rotational stability of the nozzle 2; 3. The side wall of the nozzle 2 can also block the air intake area of ​​the air collection chamber 30, preventing washing water, pollutants, etc. from entering the air collection chamber 30.

[0039] The top plate 3 is supported on the top wall of the spray arm 1 by support ribs 33. The support ribs 33 are arc-shaped and extend along the edge of the arc-shaped notch 32 below the top plate 3. The two ends of the support ribs 33 are respectively provided with gaps 331 between them and the inner wall of the corresponding air collection chamber 30, allowing gas to enter the air collection chamber 30 from the outside. The above structure provides support for the top plate 3 on the one hand, and further constrains the air intake area on the other hand, preventing washing water, pollutants, etc. from entering the air collection chamber.

[0040] The top edge of the arc-shaped end wall 18 has a drainage slope 181 that gradually slopes outward radially from top to bottom. This structure facilitates the rapid drainage of water accumulated at the nozzle 2.

[0041] The nozzle 2 has a hollow interior forming a disc-shaped or cross-shaped cavity flow channel. At least two nozzle holes 21 are provided at the top of the nozzle 2, and the nozzle 2 sprays water in opposite directions around its circumference, allowing the nozzle 2 to rotate due to the backflow force of the water flow. A top cover 22 is provided at the top of the nozzle 2, and the top cover 22 has spray holes 221 corresponding to the spray holes 21. A second gap 200 is formed between the spray holes 221 and the nozzle holes 21, allowing air to be drawn into the jet water column in a jet state. The spray holes 221 and the second gap 200 together constitute a second aeration structure. Similarly, according to the Venturi effect, when the water column passes through the nozzle holes and the spray holes, a negative pressure is generated at the second gap, drawing surrounding air into the water column, forming a cavitation water column containing air bubbles. When the cavitation water column strikes the surface of the object to be cleaned, the instantaneous bursting of the air bubbles increases the peeling force on the contaminants, improving the cleaning effect.

[0042] The upper surface of the top cover 22 gradually slopes downward from the center to the edge to form a guide surface 222. The above structure can keep the upper surface of the top cover dry or with little water, so as to avoid water stains being drawn into the second gap 200 and affecting the aeration effect of the second aeration structure.

[0043] The nozzle 2 has a water inlet 23 at its bottom and a water inlet sleeve 24 extending downward around the water inlet 23. The bottom edge of the water inlet sleeve 24 is provided with a retaining foot 25 that can pass through the water outlet 14 and abut against the top wall of the flow channel 11, thereby rotatably constraining the nozzle 2 onto the spray arm 1. This structure facilitates the rotatable connection of the nozzle to the spray arm. The outer wall of the retaining foot 25 is formed into a guide slope 251 that gradually slopes outward radially from bottom to top. This structure can reduce the energy loss of the fluid entering the nozzle 2 in the flow channel 11.

[0044] In this embodiment, the end of the spray arm 1 is provided with a nozzle 2 that can rotate with the spray arm 1 and rotate relative to the spray arm 1, which helps to eliminate cleaning dead angles; a cavitation water column is formed by the air-filling structure. When the cavitation water column comes into contact with the contaminants, the air bubbles carried in the water flow burst, which can improve the peeling force of the contaminants on the surface of the object to be cleaned, and further improve the cleaning effect; the nozzle 2 is set outside the top plate 3 to avoid food residue, mud and sand from getting stuck in the gap between the two, and improve the rotational stability of the nozzle 2.

[0045] The specification and claims of this invention use terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom," to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the invention. However, these terms are used herein merely for ease of explanation and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

Claims

1. A cleaning machine comprising a cabinet (01) and a spray arm (1), the spray arm (1) being rotatably arranged in the cabinet (01), the spray arm (1) being provided with a hollow flow channel (11), characterized in that: The spray arm (1) is also provided with a water outlet (14) connected with the flow channel (11), and a nozzle (2) rotatable relative to the spray arm (1) is connected at the water outlet (14). The upper surface of the spray arm (1) is provided with a concave installation groove (20) for installing the nozzle (2) and having a semi-enclosing structure. The installation groove (20) is located at the end of the spray arm (1), and the opening part of the semi-enclosing structure of the installation groove corresponds to the end edge of the spray arm.

2. The cleaning machine of claim 1, wherein: The part of the side wall of the nozzle (2) exposed at the opening of the semi-enclosing structure has a length of 20-80% of the circumferential length of the nozzle (2).

3. The cleaning machine of claim 2, wherein: The part of the side wall of the nozzle (2) exposed at the opening of the semi-enclosing structure has a length of 30-50% of the circumferential length of the nozzle (2).

4. The cleaning machine of claim 1, wherein: The spray arm (1) is provided with a water outlet (14) connected with the flow channel (11), and a gas collecting cavity (30) is arranged at the top of the spray arm (1) to enclose the water outlet (13) and supply gas to the water outlet (13) to form a water column with bubbles.

5. The cleaning machine of claim 4, wherein: The spray arm (1) has opposite length and width directions, the nozzle (2) is arranged at the end of the spray arm (1), and the gas collecting cavity (30) extends from the central part of the spray arm (1) to the end and is located inside the installation groove (20) and the nozzle (2).

6. The cleaning machine of claim 5, wherein: The nozzle (2) has a disc shape, the top of the spray arm (1) is provided with spaced top plates (3), the end of the spray arm (1) is shaped as a circular arc-shaped end wall (18) corresponding to the outer edge of the nozzle (2) above, and the end of the top plate (3) is inwardly recessed to form a circular arc-shaped notch (32) enclosing the periphery of the nozzle (2) and matching the nozzle (2). The circular arc-shaped notch (32) and the top wall of the spray arm outside the circular arc-shaped notch (32) together enclose the installation groove (20).

7. The cleaning machine of claim 6, wherein: The open part of the side of the semi-enclosing structure of the installation groove (20) constitutes the air inlet of the gas collecting cavity (30).

8. The cleaning machine of claim 6, wherein: The gas collecting cavity (30) is enclosed by the top plate (3) and the top wall of the spray arm (1), the top plate (3) is provided with a jet hole (31) corresponding to the water outlet (13), and the jet hole (31) and the water outlet (13) form a first gap (100) capable of sucking air into the jet water column in a jet state.

9. The cleaning machine of claim 8, wherein: The top plate (3) is provided with a support rib (33) below for supporting the top plate (3) on the spray arm (1).

10. The cleaning machine of claim 9, wherein: At least part of the support rib (33) has a circular arc shape and extends along the edge of the circular arc-shaped notch (32) below the top plate (3), and at least one end of the support rib (33) and the inner wall of the gas collecting cavity (30) leave a gap (331) for air to enter the gas collecting cavity (30) from the outside.

11. The cleaning machine of claim 6, wherein: The top edge of the circular arc-shaped end wall (18) is formed with a drainage inclined surface (181) gradually inclined outward in the radial direction from top to bottom.

12. The cleaning machine of any one of claims 1-11, wherein: The bottom of the nozzle (2) is provided with a water inlet (23) and a water inlet sleeve (24) extending downward around the water inlet (23), and the water inlet sleeve (24) is rotatably connected with the water outlet by buckling.

13. The cleaning machine of claim 12, wherein: The bottom edge of the nozzle (2) is provided with a clamping leg (25) capable of passing through the water outlet (14) and abutting against the top wall of the flow channel (11) so as to rotatably constrain the nozzle (2) on the spray arm (1).

14. The cleaning machine of claim 13, wherein: The outer side wall of the clamping leg (25) is shaped as a flow guide inclined surface (251) gradually outwardly inclined in the radial direction from bottom to top.

15. The cleaning machine of any one of claims 1-11, wherein: In the assembled state, the upper surface of the nozzle (2) is substantially flush with the top surface of the spray arm (1).

16. The cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein: In the assembled state, the thickness of the nozzle (2) is 0.5-1.5 times the depth of the semi-encircling mounting groove (20).

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