A cleaning machine

Abstract

This invention relates to a washing machine, comprising a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet fluidly communicating with a washing chamber on its side wall; a shell with the air inlet and the air outlet fluidly communicating with the air inlet; a condenser having a condensing section disposed in an air duct; and a heating element disposed in the air duct and along the airflow direction, the heating element being downstream of the condenser; the air duct is partially divided into at least two channels, each channel being upstream of the heating element, each channel extending along the airflow direction, and the condensing section of the condenser being disposed in one of the channels. This design ensures that the airflow required for condensation by the condenser is the airflow passing through that channel, resulting in a smaller airflow and guaranteeing the condensation effect; while the airflow passing through the heating element is the total airflow passing through all channels, resulting in a larger airflow and improved drying efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dishwasher technology, and more specifically to a cleaning machine. Background Technology

[0002] After a dishwasher finishes washing dishes, a significant amount of moisture remains inside the washing chamber. This moisture condenses and adheres to the surface of the dishes and the side walls of the dishwasher's inner drum (hereinafter referred to as the cabinet). This results in the dishes not being properly cleaned, and the damp dishwasher drum is prone to bacterial growth, making it unsuitable for storing dishes. Therefore, it's necessary to drain the moisture from the dishwasher's inner drum. However, releasing the moisture from the dishwasher into the room increases indoor humidity, which is harmful to the home environment.

[0003] Furthermore, during the storage period after the tableware has been dried, the high humidity environment can easily cause dampness due to temperature changes between day and night, resulting in the tableware still being wet.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, Chinese utility model patent CN202020588449.5 (publication number CN 212186428 U) discloses an "Inner Tank Assembly and Dishwasher," which includes an inner tank and a drying structure. The inner tank has an air inlet and an air outlet. The drying structure includes a pipe connecting the air inlet and outlet, a condenser and a heating element on the pipe, and a guide element on the airflow channel. It also includes a preheating element located below the inner tank to preheat the gas flowing through the pipe. The air inlet and outlet are located on opposite side walls of the inner tank and are staggered. The drying structure of the inner tank assembly forms a complete circulation loop, preventing moisture from the dishwasher's inner tank from being discharged into the room, effectively preventing the room's air humidity from being affected, and effectively recovering and utilizing the residual heat of the high-temperature washing water.

[0005] In actual use, the condenser and heating element do not need to work at the same time. For example, after the tableware is dried and during the storage stage, only the condenser can be turned on and the heating element can be turned off. In this way, the humid gas in the inner liner flows out and is condensed by the condenser, and the dry air flows back into the inner liner. This prevents the tableware from getting wet due to moisture.

[0006] When the dishwasher finishes its washing cycle and is drying the dishes, only the heating element can be activated while the condenser remains off. The low-humidity air from the outside is heated and then enters the inner drum to dry the dishes.

[0007] During both the storage and drying stages, the air guide components operate to drive the airflow from the inlet to the outlet. However, the required airflow volume differs between the storage and drying stages. In the storage stage, a lower airflow volume is better, ensuring the airflow is fully condensed by the condenser. Otherwise, excessive airflow exceeding the condenser's capacity will cause uncondensed airflow to flow back into the inner liner. In the drying stage, a higher airflow volume allows for greater air exchange between the low-humidity outside air and the high-humidity inside the liner, facilitating the drying of the tableware. Therefore, the airflow requirements differ between the drying and storage stages, and how to address this issue requires further research. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cleaning machine that can adapt to the air volume requirements of the condenser and heating components, in light of the current state of the technology.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is: a cleaning machine, comprising...

[0010] The cabinet has a washing chamber with one side open, and the side wall of the cabinet has an air inlet and an air outlet that are in fluid communication with the washing chamber.

[0011] The housing is located on the side wall of the box. The housing has an air duct inside. The housing has an air inlet and an air outlet that are fluidly connected to the air duct. The air inlet is fluidly connected to the air outlet of the box, and the air outlet is fluidly connected to the air inlet of the box. Along the airflow direction, the air inlet is located upstream of the air outlet.

[0012] A condenser having a condensation section located in an air duct;

[0013] A heating element is disposed in the air duct and along the airflow direction, and the heating element is located downstream of the condenser.

[0014] The feature is that the air duct can be in fluid communication with the outside environment, the air duct is partially divided into at least two channels, the channels are located upstream of the heating element, each channel extends along the flow direction of the airflow, and the condensing part of the condensing element is disposed in one of the channels.

[0015] Preferably, the condenser is a semiconductor refrigeration device, having a hot end and a cold end, the cold end being the condensation section. Semiconductor refrigeration devices are small in size, facilitating installation in the housing without causing excessive housing dimensions, and offer excellent condensation performance. Furthermore, semiconductor refrigeration devices are readily available and can be purchased directly.

[0016] To ensure good condensation at the cold end of the thermoelectric cooler, the hot end of the thermoelectric cooler is located on the outer wall of the housing, and the outer wall of the housing is provided with a heat sink for dissipating heat from the hot end. The heat sink dissipates heat to the hot end, thereby bringing the cold end of the thermoelectric cooler below the dew point temperature of the housing, resulting in good condensation.

[0017] The heat sink can dissipate heat from the hot end in various ways, such as water cooling, air cooling, and phase change heat absorption. In a simple structure, the heat sink consists of a first fan with its air outlet facing the hot end of the semiconductor cooling device. The air inlet of the first fan is in fluid communication with the outside environment. The first fan blows cool outside air towards the hot end of the semiconductor cooling device, thus dissipating heat.

[0018] To divide the air duct into multiple flow channels, the air duct is partially equipped with baffles, which are one or at least two in number and extend along the direction of airflow, dividing the air duct into at least two flow channels.

[0019] In the above solution, to facilitate the entry of outside air into the air duct of the housing through the air outlet, a vent connecting the outside to the air duct can be opened on the housing. This simple structure, along with a door that can open or close the washing chamber, allows the washing machine to be movably positioned at the opening of the washing chamber. The air outlet on the housing is located near the opening. When the door opens upwards at a certain angle, outside airflow can enter the housing and then enter the air duct of the housing through the air outlet. After heating, the hot air enters through the air inlet of the housing to dry the tableware. This eliminates the need for a separate vent connecting the housing to the outside, reducing the number of openings required.

[0020] In the above design, the washing chamber has an open top, and one end of the door is rotatably mounted on the cabinet, while the other end can be tilted up and down relative to the cabinet. This allows the door to open upwards at a certain angle, enabling external airflow to enter the cabinet and then through the cabinet's vent into the air duct of the outer shell. After heating, the hot air enters through the cabinet's inlet to dry the tableware.

[0021] To facilitate opening the door, the cleaning machine also includes a drive mechanism connected to the door drive. The drive mechanism can be a push rod motor, which drives the push rod to move up and down. The push rod is connected to the door drive. Alternatively, the drive mechanism can adopt other door-mounting mechanism structures.

[0022] To ensure airflow from the inlet to the outlet, the cleaning machine also includes an airflow drive component for driving the airflow from the inlet to the outlet. Because this application locally designs the air duct into at least two channels, with the condenser section housed in only one of these channels, it adapts to the operating airflow of both the condenser and heating elements. This eliminates the need for a single high-volume airflow drive component, replacing the need for a smaller one for the condenser and a larger one for the heating element, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0023] In the above scheme, the airflow driving component is a second fan, the air inlet of the second fan faces the cold end of the semiconductor refrigeration component, and the air outlet of the second fan faces the heating component.

[0024] In order to collect the condensate formed after the airflow is condensed by the condenser, a liquid collection tank is provided on the housing at the downstream part of the condenser. The top of the liquid collection tank is open and connected to the air duct.

[0025] To ensure that the condensate flows into the collection tank, the washing machine also includes an airflow drive component for driving the airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet. Along the airflow direction, the collection tank is located downstream of the flow channel and upstream of the airflow drive component. Thus, under the negative pressure of the airflow drive component, the condensate is drawn into the collection tank. During the dish drying process, the dry and cold outside air entering from the gap between the door and the cabinet interacts with the condensate in the collection tank, causing the condensate to evaporate and be discharged from the collection tank. This eliminates the need to treat the condensate in the collection tank.

[0026] To facilitate the formation of a liquid collection tank: the air duct extends downwards and then upwards in sections, with the bottom of the downward-extended section of the air duct serving as the liquid collection tank. This naturally creates a liquid collection tank within the air duct, eliminating the need for additional construction.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: By partially dividing the air duct into at least two flow channels, the condenser part of the condenser is set in one of the flow channels. In this way, the air volume required for condensation by the condenser is the air volume passing through that flow channel, which is small and ensures the condensation effect of the condenser. The air volume passing through the heating element is the total air volume passing through each flow channel, which is large and improves the drying efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention (the door is in a closed state);

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure without the door;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the condensation heating structure in the diagram;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure from another direction;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A sectional view;

[0033] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view from another direction;

[0034] Figure 7 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view from another direction;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention (the door is in the open state). Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0037] like Figures 1-8 As shown, the cleaning machine of this preferred embodiment includes a housing 1, a door 2, a drive mechanism 3, and a condensation heating structure A.

[0038] The cabinet 1 has a washing chamber 11 with an open side. A door 2 is movably disposed at the open end of the washing chamber 11, thereby opening or closing the washing chamber 11. In this embodiment, the top of the washing chamber 11 is open, one end of the door 2 is rotatably mounted on the cabinet 1, and the other end can be tilted up and down relative to the cabinet 1. A drive mechanism 3 is driven and connected to the door 2. The drive mechanism 3 can be a push rod motor, which drives the push rod to move up and down. The push rod is driven and connected to the door 2. The drive mechanism 3 can also adopt other top door mechanism structures. These can use existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0039] like Figure 8 As shown, with the door 2 open, external airflow can enter the washing chamber 11 through the gap between the housing 1 and the door 2.

[0040] The condensing heating structure A includes a shell 4, a condensing component, a heating component 6, and an airflow driving component.

[0041] The side wall of the housing 1 is provided with an air inlet 12 and an air outlet 13 that are fluidly connected to the washing chamber 11. The housing 4 is located on the side wall of the housing 1. The housing 4 has an air duct 41 inside. The housing 4 is provided with an air inlet 42 and an air outlet 43 that are fluidly connected to the air duct 41. The air inlet 42 is fluidly connected to the air outlet 13 of the housing 1, and the air outlet 43 is fluidly connected to the air inlet 12 of the housing 1. It can be seen that the airflow in the housing 1 and the housing 4 can circulate.

[0042] In addition, the air vent 13 on the cabinet 1 is located near the opening of the cabinet 1. In this way, the door 2 opens upward at a certain angle, and the outside airflow can enter the cabinet 1 and enter the air duct 41 of the shell 4 through the air vent 13 of the cabinet 1. After being heated, the hot air enters through the air inlet 12 of the cabinet 1 to dry the tableware.

[0043] like Figure 5 As shown, the condenser has a condensation section located in the air duct 41. In this embodiment, the condenser is a semiconductor refrigeration unit 5, which has a hot end 51 and a cold end 52. The cold end is the condensation section. The hot end 51 is located on the outer wall of the housing 4. A heat dissipation component for dissipating heat from the hot end 51 is provided on the outer wall of the housing 4. The heat dissipation component is a first fan 8 with its air outlet facing the hot end 51 of the semiconductor refrigeration unit 5. The air inlet of the first fan 8 is in fluid communication with the outside environment. The first fan 8 blows cold air from the outside environment towards the hot end 51 of the semiconductor refrigeration unit 5, dissipating heat from the hot end 51, thereby bringing the cold end 52 of the semiconductor refrigeration unit 5 below the dew point temperature of the housing 1, resulting in good condensation effect.

[0044] like Figure 6 As shown, a baffle 44 is partially provided in the air duct 41. There is one or at least two baffles 44, which extend along the airflow direction and divide the air duct 41 into at least two flow channels 45. In this embodiment, there are two baffles 44 and three flow channels 45, each of which extends along the airflow direction. The condenser part of the condenser is located in one of the flow channels 45.

[0045] The heating element 6 is located in the air duct 41 and along the airflow direction. The heating element 6 is located downstream of the condenser and the flow duct 45 is located upstream of the heating element 6. The heating element 6 can be a PTC heating element 6.

[0046] Along the airflow direction, the air inlet 42 is located upstream of the air outlet 43. The airflow drive is used to drive the airflow from the air inlet 42 to the air outlet 43. The airflow drive is a second fan 7. The air inlet of the second fan 7 faces the cold end 52 of the semiconductor refrigeration unit 5, and the air outlet of the second fan 7 faces the heating unit 6.

[0047] like Figure 7As shown, a liquid collection tank 46 is provided on the housing 4 at a position downstream of the condenser. The top of the liquid collection tank 46 is open and connected to the air duct 41. In this embodiment, the liquid collection tank 46 is formed as follows: the air duct 41 extends downward and then upward in a partial manner. The bottom of the downwardly extending section of the air duct 41 is the aforementioned liquid collection tank 46. Along the airflow direction, the liquid collection tank 46 is located downstream of the flow channel 45 and upstream of the airflow drive member 7. In this way, the negative pressure generated by the second fan 7 draws the condensate from the cold end 52 of the semiconductor device 5 into the liquid collection tank 46. During the drying process, the dry and cold air from the outside entering through the gap between the door 2 and the housing 1 interacts with the condensate in the liquid collection tank 46, causing the condensate to evaporate and be discharged from the liquid collection tank 46. Thus, there is no need to treat the condensate in the liquid collection tank 46.

[0048] Both the second fan 7 and the first fan 8 mentioned above can adopt existing technologies.

[0049] The cleaning machine in this embodiment can achieve the following working process:

[0050] Internal circulation condensation: The heating element 6 and drive mechanism 3 are not operating, and the housing 1 is in the closed state. The second fan 7, the first fan 8, and the semiconductor cooling element 5 are operating. The negative pressure generated by the operation of the second fan 7 draws out the high-humidity air inside the washing chamber 11 from the air outlet 13. Then, the second fan 7 blows air to send the air condensed by the semiconductor cooling element 5 into the washing chamber 11 through the air inlet 12. Utilizing the temperature difference between the cold end 52 of the semiconductor cooling element 5 and the air in the washing chamber 11, the air passing through the cold end 52 is condensed and dehumidified, and the gas changes from high-humidity air to dry and cold air, forming internal circulation condensation. This internal circulation condensation process is used in conjunction with the storage sequence. When the external humidity is high, the condensation internal circulation storage is used to maintain the environment of the washing chamber 11 at a low temperature and low humidity.

[0051] During the aforementioned internal circulation condensation process, the first fan 8 blows cold air from the outside towards the hot end 51 of the semiconductor refrigeration unit 5 to dissipate heat from the hot end 51 of the semiconductor refrigeration unit 5, thereby reducing the temperature of the cold end 52 to below the dew point temperature of the air inside the washing chamber 11.

[0052] External circulation drying: In this process, the semiconductor cooling element 5 and the first fan 8 are not operating, while the second fan 7, the heating element 6, and the drive mechanism 3 are operating. The drive mechanism 3 pushes the door 2 upward, and the second fan 7 draws in low-temperature, low-humidity air from the outside through the gap between the door 2 and the housing 1. This low-temperature, low-humidity air is blown by the second fan 7 towards the heating element 6, which heats the air into dry, hot air. This dry, hot air is then blown into the washing chamber 11 through the air inlet 12 to dry the tableware inside. The low-temperature, high-humidity air, after heat exchange with the tableware, is discharged from the gap on the other side between the door 2 and the housing 1. If air is drawn in from inside the washing chamber 11, heated by the heating element 6, and then blown into the washing chamber 11, the air inside the washing chamber 11 will be high-temperature, high-humidity air after washing, which is not conducive to drying.

[0053] After the baffle 44 diverts the airflow, the air volume and velocity of each flow channel 45 are a fraction of those of the air channel 41. For example, the air volume of air channel 41 is Q1 = 11 cfm, the cross-sectional area is S1 = a, and the velocity is V1 = Q1 / S1. The air volume of the flow channel 45 where the cold end 52 of the semiconductor cooling device 5 is located is Q2 = 1 cfm, the cross-sectional area is S2, V2 = 1 / 11V1, and S2 = a. The air volume of other flow channels 45 is Q3 = 10 cfm, the cross-sectional area is S3, and the velocity is V3 = V1, S3 = 10 / 11a.

[0054] The second fan 7 operates in both the internal circulation condensation and external circulation drying processes. However, the airflow requirements for internal circulation condensation and external circulation drying are different. Internal circulation condensation requires a smaller airflow from the second fan 7, while external circulation drying requires a larger airflow. This presents a contradiction. To solve this problem, this embodiment splits the air duct 41 into three sections, placing the cold end 52 of the semiconductor cooling element 5 on one of the flow channels 45. In this way, the airflow passing through the cold end 52 of the semiconductor cooling element 5 is only one-third of the airflow from the second fan 7, allowing the second fan 7 to simultaneously meet the airflow requirements for condensation and drying.

[0055] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Since the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be arranged in different directions, these terms indicating direction are only for illustration and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0056] The term "fluid connectivity" as used in this invention refers to the spatial relationship between two components or parts (hereinafter referred to as the first part and the second part, respectively), that is, a fluid (gas, liquid, or a mixture of both) can flow from the first part along a flow path and / or be transported to the second part. This can be a direct connection between the first part and the second part, or an indirect connection between the first part and the second part through at least one third party. This third party can be a fluid channel such as a pipe, channel, conduit, guide, hole, or groove, or a chamber or combination thereof that allows fluid to flow through.

Claims

1. A cleaning machine, comprising The box (1) has a washing chamber (11) with one side open. An air inlet (12) and an air outlet (13) that are in fluid communication with the washing chamber (11) are provided on the side wall of the box (1). The housing (4) is located on the side wall of the box (1). The housing (4) has an air duct (41) inside. The housing (4) has an air inlet (42) and an air outlet (43) that are fluidly connected to the air duct (41). The air inlet (42) is fluidly connected to the air outlet (13) of the box (1). The air outlet (43) is fluidly connected to the air inlet (12) of the box (1). Along the airflow direction, the air inlet (42) is located upstream of the air outlet (43). The condenser has a condensation section located in the air duct (41); The heating element (6) is located in the air duct (41) and along the airflow direction, and the heating element (6) is located downstream of the condenser. Its features are, The air duct (41) can be connected to or blocked from the outside environment, and the air duct (41) is partially divided into at least two channels (45). The channels (45) are located upstream of the heating element (6), and each channel (45) extends along the flow direction of the airflow. The condensing part of the condensing element is located in one of the channels (45).

2. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The condenser is a semiconductor refrigeration device (5) having a hot end (51) and a cold end (52), wherein the cold end (52) is the condenser section.

3. The cleaning machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hot end (51) of the semiconductor cooling element (5) is located on the outer side wall of the housing (4), and the outer side wall of the housing (4) is provided with a heat dissipation element for dissipating heat from the hot end (51).

4. The cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heat dissipation component is a first fan (8) with its air outlet facing the hot end (51) of the semiconductor cooling component (5), and the air inlet of the first fan (8) is in fluid communication with the outside.

5. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air duct (41) is partially provided with a baffle (44), which is one or at least two baffles (44) that extend along the flow direction of the airflow and divide the air duct (41) into at least two flow channels (45).

6. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a door (2) that can open or close the washing chamber (11), the door (2) being movably located at the opening of the washing chamber (11); the air vent (13) on the housing (1) is located near the opening of the housing (1).

7. The cleaning machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The washing chamber (11) has an open top, and one end of the door (2) is rotatably mounted on the box (1), while the other end can be tilted up and down relative to the box (1).

8. The cleaning machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a drive mechanism (3) that is connected to the door body (2).

9. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an airflow drive for driving airflow from the air inlet (42) to the air outlet (43).

10. The cleaning machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The airflow drive component is a second fan (7), the air inlet of the second fan (7) faces the cold end (52) of the semiconductor refrigeration component (5), and the air outlet of the second fan (7) faces the heating component (6).

11. The cleaning machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The housing (4) has a liquid collection tank (46) located downstream of the condenser section. The top of the liquid collection tank (46) is open and connected to the air duct (41).

12. The cleaning machine according to claim 11, characterized in that: It also includes an airflow drive for driving airflow from the air inlet (42) to the air outlet (43), with the liquid collection tank (46) located downstream of the flow channel (45) and upstream of the airflow drive along the flow direction of the airflow.

13. The cleaning machine according to claim 11, characterized in that: The air duct (41) extends downwards and then upwards in a partial manner, and the bottom of the downwardly extending section of the air duct (41) is the liquid collection tank (46).

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