Water replenishing device and clothes care machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a water replenishing device and a clothes care machine. The water replenishing device comprises a water tray, a water pump and a pipeline assembly. The water tray is provided with an accommodating groove; the pipeline assembly comprises a water inlet pipeline and a water outlet pipeline, a water outlet of the water pump communicates with the bottom of the containing groove through the water inlet pipeline, one end of the water outlet pipeline communicates with the water inlet pipeline, and a water outlet is formed in the other end of the water outlet pipeline. After the water pump is started for a period of time, the water level in the containing groove reaches the preset height, at the moment, the water pressure of the bottom of the containing groove is large, under the action of the water pressure, the water inlet pipeline can only continue to inject a small amount of water into the water tray to supplement the water consumed by the water tray to maintain the water level of the containing groove, and at the moment, the water level of the containing groove does not rise any more; and the rest water in the water inlet pipeline is drained from the water drainage pipeline under the action of water pressure, so that the water level height in the accommodating groove can be kept constant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to clothing care, and particularly to a water replenishing device and a clothing care machine. Background Art

[0002] Some existing clothing care machines, namely clothes dryers, include a cabinet body, a steam module and a hot air module. The cabinet body has a clothing accommodating cavity. The steam module and the hot air module cooperate to perform hot steaming on the clothes in the cabinet body to make the clothes soft and flat; when the hot air module is used alone, it can dry the clothes.

[0003] The current steam module has a water replenishing device. The water replenishing device includes a water tray, a water pump, a water inlet pipeline, a water level sensor and a controller. The water level sensor is used to detect the water level height in the water tray. The controller is electrically connected to the water pump and the water level sensor. When the steam module is in use, the water pump adds water into the water tray through the water inlet pipeline until the water level sensor detects that the predetermined water level height is reached, and then the water pump shuts off to stop adding water; when a part of the water in the water tray is consumed, the water level sensor detects a drop in the water level, and the controller controls the water pump to start to replenish water into the water tray. The current water replenishing device has a relatively complex structure, and the steam module is in a high-temperature and high-humidity state for a long time during operation. The water level sensor is easily damaged, and the water pump is also easily damaged due to frequent start and stop, which affects the service life of the water replenishing device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, the present invention provides a water replenishing device with a relatively simple structure and capable of improving the service life.

[0005] The present invention also provides a clothing care machine having the above water replenishing device.

[0006] The water replenishing device according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes a water tray, a water pump and a pipeline assembly. The water tray is provided with a receiving groove; the pipeline assembly includes a water inlet pipeline and a drainage pipeline. The water outlet of the water pump is communicated with the bottom of the receiving groove through the water inlet pipeline. One end of the drainage pipeline is connected to the water inlet pipeline, and the other end of the drainage pipeline is provided with a drainage port.

[0007] The water replenishing device according to the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: When the water replenishing device is working, the water pump remains in the starting state. The water pump sends water into the water inlet pipeline through the water outlet. Part of the water in the water inlet pipeline can enter the accommodating groove of the water using tray, and the other part can flow through the drainage pipeline and be discharged from the drainage port. After the water pump starts for a period of time, the water level in the accommodating groove reaches a predetermined height. At this time, the water pressure at the bottom of the accommodating groove is relatively large. Under the action of the water pressure, only a small amount of water can continue to be injected into the water using tray through the water inlet pipeline to supplement the water consumed by the water using tray to maintain the water level in the accommodating groove. At this time, the water level in the accommodating groove no longer rises, and the remaining water in the water inlet pipeline is discharged from the drainage pipeline under the action of the water pressure, so that the water level in the accommodating groove can be maintained constant; the above-mentioned water replenishing device does not need to use a water level sensor, and the water pump does not need to start and stop frequently, thereby being able to simplify the structure of the water replenishing device and improve its service life.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the water using tray is provided with a heater.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the heater is connected to the lower outer wall of the water using tray, and the water using tray is a heat conducting member.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, it further includes a water storage tank. The water suction port of the water pump is communicated with the inner cavity of the water storage tank, and the drainage port of the drainage pipeline is communicated with the inner cavity of the water storage tank.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, both the drainage port and the water storage tank are lower than the bottom of the accommodating groove.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, it further includes a mounting plate. The upper end of the water using tray is connected to the mounting plate, and a water retaining edge is arranged upward on the outer periphery of the mounting plate.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an air replenishing hole is arranged on the upper side of the drainage pipeline.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the drainage pipeline includes a first drainage pipe, a drainage connection pipe and a second drainage pipe. The drainage connection pipe is arranged in the up and down direction, and the air replenishing hole is arranged at the upper end of the drainage connection pipe. One end of the first drainage pipe is connected to the water inlet pipeline, the other end of the first drainage pipe is connected to the middle part of the drainage connection pipe, one end of the second drainage pipe is connected to the lower end of the drainage connection pipe, and the other end of the second drainage pipe is provided with the drainage port.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the drain connection pipe is arranged with an upper pipe section and a lower pipe section in the up-down direction. The diameter of the upper pipe section is smaller than that of the lower pipe section. The upper pipe section is provided with the air supplement holes. The first drain pipe is connected to the lower pipe section, and the second drain pipe is connected to the lower pipe section.

[0016] The clothes care machine according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned water replenishing device.

[0017] The clothes care machine according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: Due to the adoption of the above-mentioned water replenishing device, the structure of the clothes care machine can be simplified, and the service life of the clothes care machine can be improved.

[0018] The additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be partly given in the following description, partly will become obvious from the following description, or will be understood through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the water replenishing device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the water replenishing device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the water replenishing device according to the embodiment of the present invention when the mounting plate is removed.

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] Water tray 100, accommodating groove 110;

[0025] Water pump 200;

[0026] Water inlet pipeline 300;

[0027] Drainage pipeline 400, air supplement hole 401, first drain pipe 410, drain connection pipe 420, upper pipe section 421, lower pipe section 422, second drain pipe 430;

[0028] Heater 500;

[0029] Water storage tank 600;

[0030] Mounting plate 700, water retaining edge 710. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that with respect to the orientation description, such as up, down, etc., the orientation or positional relationship indicated is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means more than two. If there is a description of first and second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, words such as "arrangement", "installation", "connection", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above words in the present invention in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0035] There are also some existing water replenishing devices, including a water tray 100, a water pump 200 and a water inlet pipeline 300. The water tray 100 is provided with an overflow groove at a predetermined height. The water pump 200 can inject water into the water tray 100 through the water inlet pipeline 300. After the water level in the water tray 100 reaches the predetermined height, the excess water flows out through the overflow groove. However, for such water replenishing devices, when it is necessary to generate steam by boiling and evaporation, since a relatively large amount of cold water is continuously injected into the water tray 100, that is, the water temperature in the water tray 100 is difficult to increase, and the water in the water tray 100 is difficult to boil, so it is difficult to be applicable to the occasions related to generating steam by boiling.

[0036] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 , which is a water replenishing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a water tray 100, a water pump 200 and a pipeline assembly. The water tray 100 is provided with a receiving groove 110; the pipeline assembly includes a water inlet pipeline 300 and a drainage pipeline 400. The water outlet of the water pump 200 is communicated with the bottom of the receiving groove 110 through the water inlet pipeline 300. One end of the drainage pipeline 400 is connected to the water inlet pipeline 300, and the other end of the drainage pipeline 400 is provided with a drainage port. When the water pump 200 works, the water flow rate flowing into the water tray 100 by the water pump 200 through the water inlet pipeline 300 gradually decreases as the liquid level in the receiving groove 110 rises, and the water flow rate of the drainage pipeline 400 gradually increases as the liquid level in the receiving groove 110 rises.

[0037] When the water replenishing device is working, the water pump 200 remains in the starting state. The water pump 200 sends water through the water outlet into the water inlet pipeline 300. Part of the water in the water inlet pipeline 300 can enter the accommodating groove 110 of the water tray 100, and the other part can flow through the drainage pipeline 400 and be discharged from the drainage port. After the water pump 200 starts for a period of time, the water level in the accommodating groove 110 reaches a predetermined height. At this time, the water pressure at the bottom of the accommodating groove 110 is relatively large. Under the action of the water pressure, the water inlet pipeline 300 can only continue to inject a small amount of water into the water tray 100 to supplement the consumed water volume of the water tray 100 to maintain the water level in the accommodating groove 110. At this time, the water level in the accommodating groove 110 no longer rises, and the remaining water in the water inlet pipeline 300 is discharged from the drainage pipeline 400 under the action of the water pressure, so that the water level in the accommodating groove 110 can be maintained constant; for the above water replenishing device, there is no need to use a water level sensor, and the water pump 200 does not need to start and stop frequently, thereby being able to simplify the structure of the water replenishing device and improve its service life.

[0038] In the embodiment, the water tray 100 is provided with a heater 500. By setting the heater 500, the heater 500 can directly heat the water in the water tray 100, so that the water in the accommodating groove 110 evaporates, thereby forming steam, so that the water in the water tray 100 can be consumed to meet the use requirements.

[0039] In the embodiment, the heater 500 is connected to the lower outer wall of the water tray 100, and the water tray 100 is a heat-conducting member. By setting the heater 500 on the lower outer wall of the water tray 100, the heater 500 does not need to directly contact the water body, but indirectly heats the water body through the water tray 100, and the safety is good, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of damage to the heater 500. Specifically, the heater 500 is an arc-shaped electric heating tube. It can be imagined that in some other embodiments, the heater 500 can also be, for example, an electric heating plate or an electric heating wire, etc., or a burner, etc., which is not limited herein.

[0040] Specifically, the water tray 100 is made of a metal material to have a heat-conducting function. It can be understood that in some embodiments, the water tray 100 can also be made of, for example, ceramic and other materials, which is not limited herein.

[0041] Specifically, after the water pump 200 starts for a period of time, since the water level in the accommodation groove 110 no longer rises, the water inlet pipe 300 is basically used to supplement the water consumed by the water tray 100 under the action of water pressure, that is, only a small amount of cold water enters the water tray 100, making the water in the accommodation groove 110 easy to maintain a boiling and evaporating state. Compared with the method of maintaining the water level in the water tray 100 by overflow, in the overflow method, since a large amount of cold water continuously enters the water tray 100, it is difficult for the water in the accommodation groove 110 to maintain boiling and evaporation. Therefore, this embodiment is different from the conventional overflow control of the water level, and has a better effect of maintaining the water temperature in the accommodation groove 110 and improving the evaporation efficiency.

[0042] In the embodiment, a water storage tank 600 is further included. The water suction port of the water pump 200 is communicated with the inner cavity of the water storage tank 600, and the water discharge port of the drainage pipe 400 is communicated with the inner cavity of the water storage tank 600. By providing the water storage tank 600, the water pump 200 can directly pump water from the water storage tank 600, and the drainage pipe 400 can return the water that has not entered the water tray 100 to the water storage tank 600 for reuse, making the water replenishing device relatively water-saving and having a good environmental protection effect.

[0043] In the embodiment, both the water discharge port and the water storage tank 600 are lower than the bottom of the accommodation groove 110. Since the water storage tank 600 and the water discharge port are lower than the bottom of the accommodation groove 110, when the water pump 200 is turned off, the water in the accommodation groove 110 will be discharged through the water inlet pipe 300 and the drainage pipe 400 under the action of water pressure and return to the water storage tank 600, thereby reducing the risk of accumulated water remaining in the accommodation groove 110.

[0044] In the embodiment, a mounting plate 700 is further included. The upper end of the water tray 100 is connected to the mounting plate 700, and a water retaining edge 710 is provided upward on the outer peripheral edge of the mounting plate 700. The upper end of the water tray 100 is connected to the mounting plate 700, and the mounting plate is mainly used to install and fix the water tray 100. When the water level in the water tray 100 accidentally rises too high and overflows, the water body can be blocked by the water retaining edge 710 of the mounting plate 700 and stay on the mounting plate 700, reducing the risk of the overflowing water body leaking, improving the use safety of the water replenishing device, and having a relatively compact structure. Specifically, the water receiving tray can be connected to the mounting plate 700 by means such as screw locking, welding or riveting.

[0045] In an embodiment, an air inlet hole 401 is provided on the upper side of the drainage pipeline 400. By providing the air inlet hole 401, outside air can enter the drainage pipeline 400 through the air inlet hole 401, reducing the risk of accidental siphoning in the drainage pipeline 400. Specifically, when the water flow in the drainage pipeline 400 is too large, if the air inlet hole 401 is not provided, siphoning may occur in the drainage pipeline 400. At this time, all the water sent from the water outlet of the water pump 200 into the water inlet pipeline 300 will be siphoned away by the drainage pipeline 400, resulting in the water tray 100 being unable to be replenished with water, and even sucking away the water in the water tray 100, leading to usage risks such as dry burning of the water tray 100 and potential safety hazards. Therefore, by providing the air inlet hole 401 on the upper side of the drainage pipeline 400, the water flow in the drainage pipeline 400 will not flow out through the air inlet hole 401, and the air inlet hole 401 can allow outside air to enter the drainage pipeline 400, preventing siphoning between the drainage pipeline 400 and the water inlet pipeline 300.

[0046] In an embodiment, the drainage pipeline 400 includes a first drainage pipe 410, a drainage connection pipe 420, and a second drainage pipe 430. The drainage connection pipe 420 is arranged in the vertical direction. The air inlet hole 401 is provided at the upper end of the drainage connection pipe 420. One end of the first drainage pipe 410 is connected to the water inlet pipeline 300, and the other end of the first drainage pipe 410 is connected to the middle part of the drainage connection pipe 420. One end of the second drainage pipe 430 is connected to the lower end of the drainage connection pipe 420, and the other end of the second drainage pipe 430 is provided with a drainage port. For the above drainage pipeline 400, through the vertically arranged drainage connection pipe 420, with the air inlet hole 401 formed at the upper end, connected to the first drainage pipe 410 in the middle, and connected to the second drainage pipe 430 at the lower end, the water flow entering the first drainage pipe 410 from the water inlet pipeline 300 will pass through the middle and lower parts of the drainage connection pipe 420, enter the second drainage pipe 430, and then flow back into the water storage tank 600. The upper and middle parts of the drainage connection pipe 420 are used to supplement air to prevent siphoning in the drainage pipeline 400. By providing the drainage connection pipe 420, the risk of water flow in the drainage pipeline 400 flowing out through the air inlet hole 401 can be further reduced, and it is beneficial for the drainage pipeline 400 to supplement air to inhibit siphoning.

[0047] In an embodiment, the drainage connection pipe 420 is arranged with an upper pipe section 421 and a lower pipe section 422 in the vertical direction. The diameter of the upper pipe section 421 is smaller than that of the lower pipe section 422. The air inlet hole 401 is provided on the upper pipe section 421. The first drainage pipe 410 is connected to the lower pipe section 422, and the second drainage pipe 430 is connected to the lower pipe section 422. The smaller diameter of the upper pipe section 421 compared to the lower pipe section 422 makes it difficult for the water flow at the lower pipe section 422 to enter the upper pipe section 421, reducing the risk of water flow in the drainage connection pipe 420 splashing out through the air inlet hole 401.

[0048] In an embodiment, the mounting plate 700 is arranged in the horizontal direction. The drain connection pipe 420 is connected to the mounting plate 700. The upper pipe section 421 of the drain connection pipe 420 penetrates through the mounting plate 700, and the upper end of the drain connection pipe 420 is higher than the mounting plate 700. The mounting plate 700 is also used for installing and fixing the drain pipe section. The structure is compact, and the upper end of the drain connection pipe 420 is higher than the mounting plate 700, which is convenient for air to enter the drain connection pipe 420.

[0049] Specifically, the water inlet pipeline 300 is also installed on the mounting plate 700, that is, the mounting plate 700 is used for installing and fixing the water receiving tray 100, the water inlet pipeline 300 and the drain pipeline 400, so that the assembly structure of the water replenishing device is relatively compact.

[0050] Specifically, the water inlet pipeline 300 is clamped and fixed to the lower side of the mounting plate 700 by screws in cooperation with pipe clamps. The drain connection pipe 420 is locked and fixed to the lower side of the mounting plate 700 by screws. It can be imagined that in some other embodiments, the water inlet pipeline 300 and the drain pipeline 400 can also be installed on the mounting plate 700 in other ways, such as by gluing.

[0051] In an embodiment, one end of the water inlet pipeline 300 penetrates through the side wall of the water receiving tray, that is, one end of the water inlet pipeline 300 penetrates through the side wall of the accommodating groove 110 to avoid the installation position of the heater 500, and the layout is more reasonable.

[0052] Specifically, in this embodiment, the drain pipeline 400 is connected to the upper part of the water storage tank 600, which is convenient for the water flow in the drain pipeline 400 to flow back into the water storage tank 600; the suction port of the water pump 200 is communicated with the lower part of the water storage tank 600, which is convenient for the water pump 200 to continuously and stably suck the water body in the water storage tank 600.

[0053] It should be understood that the water replenishing device of this embodiment can be applied to the field of clothes care machines, especially clothes care machines that generate steam by heating the water receiving tray 100. It should be understood that devices in other fields can adopt the water replenishing device of this solution to perform water replenishment with a constant water level height and a stable water temperature.

[0054] This embodiment also discloses a clothes care machine adopting the above water replenishing device. Due to adopting the above water replenishing device, the structure of the clothes care machine can be simplified, and the service life of the clothes care machine can be improved.

[0055] In the description of this specification, the descriptions with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0056] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A water replenishing device, characterized in that: include: A water tray (100) is provided with a receiving groove (110); Water pump (200); A pipeline assembly comprises a water inlet pipeline (300) and a drainage pipeline (400), wherein the water outlet of the water pump (200) is connected to the bottom of the containing tank (110) through the water inlet pipeline (300), one end of the drainage pipeline (400) is connected to the water inlet pipeline (300), and the other end of the drainage pipeline (400) is provided with a drainage outlet.

2. The water replenishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water tray (100) is provided with a heater (500).

3. The water replenishing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heater (500) is connected to the lower outer wall of the water tray (100), and the water tray (100) is a heat conducting member.

4. The water replenishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a water storage tank (600), the water suction port of the water pump (200) is in communication with the inner cavity of the water storage tank (600), and the drainage port of the drainage pipeline (400) is in communication with the inner cavity of the water storage tank (600).

5. The water replenishing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drainage port and the water storage tank (600) are both lower than the bottom of the accommodating tank (110).

6. The water replenishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also comprises a mounting plate (700), the upper end of the water tray (100) is connected to the mounting plate (700), and the outer peripheral edge of the mounting plate (700) is provided with a water retaining edge (710) facing upward.

7. The water replenishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air supply hole (401) is provided on the upper side of the drainage pipeline (400).

8. The water replenishing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The drainage pipeline (400) comprises a first drainage pipe (410), a drainage connecting pipe (420) and a second drainage pipe (430); the drainage connecting pipe (420) is arranged in the up-down direction; the air replenishment hole (401) is arranged at the upper end of the drainage connecting pipe (420); one end of the first drainage pipe (410) is connected to the water inlet pipeline (300); the other end of the first drainage pipe (410) is connected to the middle part of the drainage connecting pipe (420); one end of the second drainage pipe (430) is connected to the lower end of the drainage connecting pipe (420); and the other end of the second drainage pipe (430) is provided with the drainage port.

9. The water replenishing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The drainage connecting pipe (420) is provided with an upper pipe section (421) and a lower pipe section (422) arranged in an up-down direction, the pipe diameter of the upper pipe section (421) is smaller than the pipe diameter of the lower pipe section (422), the upper pipe section (421) is provided with the air supply hole (401), the first drainage pipe (410) is connected to the lower pipe section (422), and the second drainage pipe (430) is connected to the lower pipe section (422).

10. A clothing care machine, characterized in that: The invention comprises the water replenishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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