Additive feeding device, additive feeding method and washing machine

Abstract

The invention provides an additive feeding device which comprises a water supply waterway for water to flow through; the flushing water path is communicated with the temporary storage cavity and is used for allowing flushing water to flow through; the feeding unit is used for feeding an additive into the flushing water path and / or the temporary storage cavity, and the flushing water flow and the fed additive jointly enter the temporary storage cavity to be mixed to form additive mixed liquid; a negative pressure pipe is arranged on the water supply path, and a negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe is communicated with the external atmosphere and the temporary storage cavity respectively; when water supply flow flows through the negative pressure pipe, negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction port, and external air and additive mixed liquid in the temporary storage cavity are simultaneously sucked into the water supply waterway from the negative pressure suction port by utilizing the negative pressure, so that foam is excited and generated. Through the arrangement, the additive mixed liquid in the temporary storage cavity and the outside air are extracted by the negative pressure pipe at the same time, and the additive mixed liquid is foamed after air particles are mixed in the additive mixed liquid, so that the activity of the additive is improved, and the treatment effect of the added additive mixed liquid on clothes is enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of laundry treatment equipment, and particularly relates to an additive dispensing device and an additive dispensing method for a washing machine, and also relates to a washing machine equipped with the above additive dispensing device. Background Art

[0002] Existing washing machines generally have a water storage tub for holding washing water, and a rotatable washing tub is arranged in the water storage tub. Drainage holes communicating inside and outside are formed on the washing tub, so that the washing water flowing into the water storage tub can interactively flow inside and outside the washing tub through the drainage holes, so as to achieve the effect that the washing water contacts the load to be processed placed in the washing tub and the load is processed by using the washing water.

[0003] The additive dispensing method of the above existing washing machine is as follows: Through an additive dispensing device, additives are dispensed into a pipeline communicated with the water storage tub of the washing machine, and then the dispensed additives flow into the water storage tub of the washing machine along the pipeline. Therefore, the additives dispensed by the existing method are located inside the water storage tub of the washing machine and outside the washing tub, and cannot directly contact the load placed in the washing tub.

[0004] Then, when the washing machine executes a washing program, the dispensed additives are mixed with the washing water flowing into the water storage tub, and a part of the washing water mixed with the additives flows into the washing tub through the drainage holes and contacts the load to be processed in the tub, so that a small part of the additives mixed in the washing water can contact the load and act on the load. Therefore, the traditional additive dispensing method has problems of low use efficiency of the dispensed additives and waste of additives.

[0005] At the same time, in the traditional additive dispensing method, in order to ensure that the additives dispensed between the water storage tub and the washing tub contact the load to be processed in the washing tub, a large amount of water needs to flow into the water storage tub until the water level of the washing water in the water storage tub is higher than that of the washing tub, so as to ensure that the washing water flows into the washing tub through the drainage holes and the purpose that the additives contact the load in the washing tub can be achieved. Therefore, the traditional additive dispensing method also has the problem of excessive water consumption for additive dispensing.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the applicant previously proposed a technical solution of directly dispensing an additive mixture into the washing machine tub, directly acting on the clothes in the tub by using the additive mixture, and efficiently washing and processing the clothes wetted by the mixture and having a high additive concentration by using the washing machine.

[0007] However, in the above - mentioned solution, the mixing effect of the additive and the inlet water in the dosing device is poor, and the uniformity of the mixed liquid put into the drum is very low. Also, since the additive and water are directly mixed in the water circuit of the dosing device, the mixing rate between the two liquids is slow, and the activity of the additive is not fully stimulated after mixing, which affects the effect of the additive on the laundry treatment.

[0008] In view of this, the present invention is specifically proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an additive dosing device to achieve the purpose of directly discharging the additive through the water supply circuit. At the same time, the present invention also provides an additive dosing device and an additive dosing method to achieve the foaming excitation by mixing the additive and water in the water supply circuit with the outside air, so that the additive and water form a mixed liquid containing foaming particles, and the additive mixed liquid containing foaming particles is discharged into the washing machine for use, thereby improving the treatment effect of the discharged additive on the laundry.

[0010] To achieve the above - mentioned invention purpose, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0011] The present invention provides an additive dosing device, which includes: a water supply circuit for water to flow through; a flushing circuit connected to the temporary storage chamber for flushing water to flow through; a dosing unit for dosing the additive into the flushing circuit and / or the temporary storage chamber, and the flushing water and the dosed additive jointly enter the temporary storage chamber to be mixed to form an additive mixed liquid; a negative - pressure pipe is provided on the water supply circuit, and the negative - pressure suction port of the negative - pressure pipe is respectively connected to the external atmosphere and the temporary storage chamber; when the water supply flow passes through the negative - pressure pipe, a negative pressure is generated at the negative - pressure suction port, and the external air and the additive mixed liquid in the temporary storage chamber are simultaneously sucked into the water supply circuit through the negative - pressure suction port to stimulate the generation of foam.

[0012] Further, the negative - pressure pipe includes a Venturi tube, the inlet end and the outlet end of the Venturi tube are both connected to the water supply circuit for the water supply flow to pass through the Venturi tube; the Venturi tube includes a reduced - diameter pipe, a negative - pressure straight pipe, and an enlarged - diameter pipe which are sequentially connected and communicated from the inlet end to the outlet end; a negative - pressure suction port for connecting the inside and outside of the pipe is provided on the pipe wall of the negative - pressure pipe; the negative - pressure suction port is connected to the temporary storage chamber through a dosing pipe for sucking the additive mixed liquid in the temporary storage chamber; an air inlet is provided in the middle of the dosing pipe, and the air inlet is connected to the external atmosphere through an air suction pipe for sucking the external air.

[0013] Further, a one-way check structure for preventing the additive mixture flowing through the dosing pipeline from discharging outside the air intake pipeline is provided on the air intake pipeline and / or at the connection between the air intake pipeline and the dosing pipeline; preferably, the air inlet where the air intake pipeline is connected to the dosing pipeline is a small hole with a diameter smaller than the particles of the additive mixture; more preferably, the air inlet is a small hole with a diameter smaller than 5 mm, preferably approximately equal to 1 mm.

[0014] Further, a one-way ventilation valve is provided on the air intake pipeline to ensure that only the air flowing from the outside to the dosing pipeline direction can flow through the air intake pipeline.

[0015] Further, the dosing pipeline includes a horizontal pipe section and a vertical pipe section. One end of the horizontal pipe section is connected to the negative pressure suction port opened on one side of the wall of the horizontally extended Venturi tube, and the other end is connected to the upper end of the vertical pipe section. The lower end of the vertical pipe section is connected to the bottom of the temporary storage chamber. An air inlet is provided in the middle of the horizontal pipe section; there is a maximum liquid level height of the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber, and the space in the temporary storage chamber above the maximum liquid level height is the ventilation part; the ventilation part is respectively connected to the air intake pipeline and the air inlet provided on the dosing pipeline, and is used to conduct the air inlet provided on the dosing pipeline to the air intake pipeline through the ventilation part of the temporary storage chamber.

[0016] Further, a ventilation and liquid inlet chamber is provided on one side of the temporary storage chamber, and the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber is connected to the ventilation part of the temporary storage chamber; the bottom wall of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber is higher than the maximum liquid level height in the temporary storage chamber, and the top of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber is flush with the top of the temporary storage chamber; the air intake pipeline and the flushing water pipeline are both connected to the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber, and the air inlet provided on the dosing pipeline is conducted to the top of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber.

[0017] Further, the two opposite sides of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber are the first side and the second side respectively. The first side is connected to the temporary storage chamber, and the second side is connected to the air intake pipeline and the flushing water pipeline. The bottom wall of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber is gradually inclined downward from the first side to the second side; the air intake pipeline and the flushing water pipeline are respectively arranged at the opposite ends of the first side of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber, and the inlet directions of the air intake pipeline and the flushing water pipeline are perpendicular to each other.

[0018] Further, the air inlet is located directly above the connection between the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber and the ventilation part of the temporary storage chamber, and is used to connect the lowest part in the middle of the dosing pipeline to the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber at the top of the temporary storage chamber, so that the air inlet of the dosing pipeline is conducted to the air intake pipeline through the ventilation part at the top of the temporary storage chamber and the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber, and is used to draw the air of the outside atmosphere into the dosing pipeline.

[0019] Further, the dosing unit includes a dosing pipeline, a liquid storage chamber, and a dosing pump; both ends of the dosing pipeline are respectively communicated with the liquid storage chamber and the flushing water circuit, and a dosing pump is provided on the dosing pipeline for generating a driving force when the dosing pump operates to extract the additive in the liquid storage chamber into the flushing water circuit; preferably, a one-way valve for unidirectionally conducting the dosing pipeline is provided on the dosing pipeline for controlling that the additive can only flow from the liquid storage chamber towards the flushing water circuit direction.

[0020] The present invention also provides an additive dosing method for an additive dosing device, which includes:

[0021] Dosing the additive in the liquid storage chamber into the flushing water circuit;

[0022] Introducing a flushing water flow into the flushing water circuit, and the flushing water flow flushes the dosed additive into the temporary storage chamber to form an additive mixture;

[0023] Introducing a water supply flow into the water supply circuit, when the water supply flow passes through the negative pressure pipe, a negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe, and the negative pressure sucks the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber and the outside air together into the water supply circuit;

[0024] When the additive mixture and the outside air flow into the water supply circuit together, they are mixed to form foam, and the additive mixture containing foam is discharged outward together with the water supply flow.

[0025] Further, the single total amount of the additive mixture formed by mixing in the temporary storage chamber is less than the corresponding amount of the maximum liquid level of the temporary storage chamber, and the maximum liquid level height of the temporary storage chamber is lower than the connection point of the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe and the outside air, so as to ensure that the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber will not flow out through the air inlet.

[0026] Further, any one of the above-mentioned additive dosing devices adopts the above-mentioned dosing method to dose the additive.

[0027] Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine equipped with the above-mentioned additive dosing device, so as to achieve the purpose of directly dosing the additive into the washing tub, and further achieve that the dosed detergent directly contacts the load to be processed in the washing tub and improve the utilization rate of the detergent.

[0028] To achieve the above-mentioned invention purpose, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0029] The present invention also discloses a washing machine, which includes a washing tub for containing a load to be processed, and further includes any one of the above-mentioned additive dispensing devices. The inlet of the water supply waterway and the inlet of the flushing waterway of the additive dispensing device are respectively connected to the washing machine water inlet pipe. The outlet of the water supply waterway is connected to the liquid outlet structure, and the liquid outlet structure is arranged on the housing of the washing machine, and / or the door body, and / or the water storage tub, and / or the window gasket. The liquid outlet structure sprays a foamed mixture formed by mixing and dispensing additives and water into the washing tub of the washing machine.

[0030] Further, the liquid outlet structure is arranged on the housing of the washing machine, and / or the door body, and / or the water storage tub, and / or the window gasket. The spray outlet of the liquid outlet structure is opened towards the inside of the washing tub, and the foamed mixture of the additive solution ejected from the liquid outlet structure is directly sprayed into the washing tub.

[0031] After adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0032] 1. Through the above device, the present invention enables the additive to be directly dispensed outward through the waterway provided on the dispensing device, avoiding the additive flowing through the water box. This not only shortens the flowing path of the additive but also reduces the flushing water volume required for additive dispensing, greatly improving the utilization rate of the additive. At the same time, the additive solution flowing out of the waterway is directly ejected through the liquid outlet structure, which can increase the coverage area of the ejected additive solution, enabling the additive solution to be directly sprayed onto the load to be processed deep in the washing tub.

[0033] 2. At the same time, by providing the above-mentioned additive dispensing device on the washing machine, the additive of the washing machine directly flows through the water supply waterway to the liquid outlet structure and is directly sprayed into the washing tub by the liquid outlet structure. Thus, the additive of the washing machine does not pass through the water box or the water storage tub outside the washing tub, but directly flows into the washing tub through the waterway of the dispensing device and is sprayed onto the load to be processed, thereby achieving the purpose of directly spraying the additive solution onto the load to be processed in the washing tub.

[0034] 3. Additionally, by providing a negative pressure pipe on the water supply waterway, when the water supply water flow in the water supply waterway passes through, it simultaneously extracts the additive mixture liquid and external air in the temporary storage cavity, causing air particles to be mixed into the additive mixture liquid. This is to achieve the purpose of using air particles to stimulate the foaming of the additive mixture liquid and obtaining an additive mixture liquid containing foaming particles with a better washing effect, thereby achieving a significant technical progress in enhancing the activity of the additive and strengthening the washing effect of the dispensed additive mixture liquid on the clothes. In particular, injecting external air into the additive mixture liquid in the temporary storage cavity through the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe, so that all the additive solutions extracted into the water supply waterway are excited by the pumped air, thereby achieving a significant technical progress in increasing the foaming amount of the additive mixture dispensed by the dispensing device.

[0035] Meanwhile, the structure of the present invention is simple, the effect is remarkable, and it is suitable for popularization and use.

[0036] The following further describes in detail the specific implementation manners of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Description of the Drawings

[0037] The accompanying drawings, as a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present invention are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts. In the drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the washing machine in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the washing machine in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 is a schematic principle diagram of the additive feeding device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic three-dimensional structural diagram of the additive feeding device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic top view structural diagram of the additive feeding device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 6 is in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 5 A-A cross-sectional structural diagram of;

[0044] Figure 7 is in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 6 B-B cross-sectional structural diagram of;

[0045] Figure 8 is in the embodiment of the present invention Figure 6 C-C cross-sectional structural diagram of.

[0046] Description of the main elements in the figure:

[0047] 100. Delivery device; 200. Water cylinder; 300. Washing cylinder; 400. Window gasket; 500. Liquid outlet structure; 600. Conduit; 1. Water supply waterway; 2. Water box; 3. Upper cover; 31. Upper cover body; 32. Lower cover body; 4. Flushing waterway; 5. Temporary storage cavity; 6. Negative pressure pipe; 7. Delivery unit; 71. Liquid delivery channel; 8. Liquid storage cavity; 9. Delivery pump; 10. Air suction pipeline; 11. Delivery pipeline; 111. Horizontal pipe section; 112. Vertical pipe section; 12. Air inlet; 13. First switching valve; 14. Second switching valve; 15. Ventilation and liquid inlet cavity; 19. Venturi tube; 191. Negative pressure suction port; 192. Liquid inlet end; 193. Liquid outlet end; 196. Reduced diameter pipeline; 197. Straight pipeline; 198. Flared pipeline.

[0048] It should be noted that these drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of the present invention in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. Detailed implementation manners

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and 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 a limitation of the present invention.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installation", "connection", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0052] Such as Figures 1 to 2As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention also introduces a washing machine, which includes: a water storage cylinder 200 for storing water, a rotatable washing cylinder 300 installed in the water storage cylinder 200 for placing the load to be processed, and an additive dispensing device 100 for directly dispensing additives into the washing cylinder 300. Through the above settings, the washing machine can achieve the use effect of directly dispensing additives into the washing cylinder 300 and directly spraying the dispensed additives onto the load to be processed in the washing cylinder 300, thereby achieving a significant technological progress in improving the utilization rate of additives.

[0053] As Figures 1 to 7 shown, the additive dispensing device 100 described in the embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0054] A water supply waterway 1 for the incoming water flowing into the additive dispensing device 100 to flow through;

[0055] A dispensing unit for dispensing additives into the water supply waterway 1;

[0056] A liquid outlet structure 500, the outlet of the water supply waterway 1 is connected to the liquid outlet structure 500, and the liquid outlet structure 500 is arranged towards the inside of the washing cylinder 300 of the washing machine. When dispensing additives, a small amount of incoming water flows into the water supply waterway, so that the additives are mixed with a small amount of incoming water in the water supply waterway 1 to form an additive solution. The additive solution supplied by the water supply waterway 1 can be directly sprayed onto the load to be processed in the washing cylinder 300 through the liquid outlet structure 500, thereby significantly improving the utilization rate of the dispensed additives.

[0057] Through the above device, the additives are directly dispensed outward through the waterway provided on the dispensing device 100, avoiding the additives flowing through the water box, not only shortening the flowing path of the additives, but also reducing the flushing water volume required for additive dispensing, and greatly improving the utilization rate of the additives.

[0058] As Figures 1 to 7 shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the water supply waterway 1 is integrated on the water box 2 of the additive dispensing device 100, the outlet of the water supply waterway 1 is arranged outside the water box 2, the liquid outlet structure 500 is arranged outside the water box 2, and the outlet of the water supply waterway 1 is connected to the liquid outlet structure 500 through a conduit 600. By integrally arranging the water supply waterway 1 on the water box 2 of the additive dispensing device 100, the outlet of the water supply waterway 1 is directly connected to the liquid outlet structure 500 to jointly spray out the additives and the incoming water extracted through the water supply waterway 1, thereby achieving the purpose of directly spraying and dispensing the additive dispensing device 100 outward through the liquid outlet structure 500 without passing through the water box part of the dispensing device 100. Preferably, the liquid outlet structure 500 can be any of the nozzle structures in the prior art, which has a spray outlet opened towards the rotating cylinder of the washing machine for spraying and dispensing the mixed liquid into the rotating cylinder of the washing machine.

[0059] AsFigures 1 to 7 As shown in Figures 1 to 7 , an additive dispensing device is introduced in an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a water supply waterway 1 for water supply to flow through; a flushing waterway 4 connected to a temporary storage chamber 5 for supplying flushing water flow; a dispensing unit 7 for dispensing an additive into the flushing waterway 4 and / or the temporary storage chamber 5, and the flushing water flow and the dispensed additive are mixed in the temporary storage chamber 5 to form an additive mixture; a negative pressure pipe 6 is provided on the water supply waterway 1, and a negative pressure suction port 191 of the negative pressure pipe 6 is respectively connected to the external atmosphere and the temporary storage chamber 5; when the water supply water flow flows through the negative pressure pipe 6, a negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction port 191, and the external air and the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber 5 are simultaneously sucked into the water supply waterway 1 from the negative pressure suction port 191 by using the negative pressure, and foam is generated to form an additive mixture containing foam.

[0060] By providing a negative pressure pipe on the water supply waterway, when the water supply water flow in the water supply waterway flows through, the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber and the external air are simultaneously extracted, so that air particles are mixed into the additive mixture, so as to achieve the purpose of using the air particles to stimulate the additive mixture to foam and obtain an additive mixture containing foaming particles with better washing effect, and then realize a significant technological progress of improving the activity of the additive and enhancing the washing treatment effect of the dispensed additive mixture on clothes. In particular, injecting the external air into the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber through the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe, so that all the additive solutions extracted into the water supply waterway are stimulated by the sucked air, and then realize a significant technological progress of increasing the foaming amount of the additive mixture dispensed by the dispensing device.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, the negative pressure pipe 6 includes a Venturi tube 19. The liquid inlet end 192 and the liquid outlet end 193 of the Venturi tube 19 are both connected to the water supply waterway 1, so that the Venturi tube 19 is connected in series on the water supply waterway 1, and all the water supply water flow flowing through the water supply waterway 1 flows through the Venturi tube 19; the Venturi tube 19 includes a reduced-diameter pipeline 196, a negative pressure straight pipeline 197 and an enlarged-diameter pipeline 198 arranged in sequence from the liquid inlet end 192 to the liquid outlet end 193; a negative pressure suction port 191 for connecting the inside and outside of the pipeline of the Venturi tube 19 is provided on the pipe wall of the negative pressure straight pipeline 197; the negative pressure suction port 191 is connected to the temporary storage chamber 5 through a dispensing pipeline 11 for sucking the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber 5; an air inlet 12 is provided in the middle of the dispensing pipeline 11, and the air inlet 12 is connected to the external atmosphere through an air suction pipeline 10 for sucking the external air.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present invention, a one-way check structure for blocking the additive mixture flowing through the dosing pipeline 11 from discharging outside the suction pipeline 10 is provided on the suction pipeline 10 and / or at the air inlet 12 where the suction pipeline 10 is connected to the dosing pipeline 11. The one-way check structure can be any structure in the prior art that can achieve one-way air conduction; preferably, the one-way check structure is such that the air inlet 12 where the suction pipeline 10 is connected to the dosing pipeline 11 is a small hole with a pore diameter less than 5 mm, preferably approximately equal to 1 mm, so that the air inlet 12 with a smaller pore diameter cannot allow the washing additive mixture to flow outwards and can only allow gas to flow in for exchange use. Thus, the air inlet 12 with a smaller pore diameter can form a one-way check structure.

[0063] Further preferably, the one-way check structure can also be that a one-way air change valve is provided on the suction pipeline 10 to ensure that only the air flowing from the outside towards the dosing pipeline 11 can flow through the suction pipeline 10 (not marked in the drawings).

[0064] In an embodiment of the present invention, the dosing pipeline 11 includes a horizontal pipe section 111 and a vertical pipe section 112. One end of the horizontal pipe section 111 is connected to the negative pressure suction port 191 opened on one side of the wall of the horizontally extending Venturi tube 19, and the other end is connected to the upper end of the vertical pipe section 112. The lower end of the vertical pipe section 112 is connected to the bottom of the temporary storage chamber 5. The middle of the horizontal pipe section 111 is provided with the air inlet 12; the top of the temporary storage chamber 5 is respectively connected to the suction pipeline 10 and the air inlet 12 provided on the dosing pipeline 11. The connection points of the suction pipeline 10, the air inlet 12 and the temporary storage chamber 5 are all higher than the maximum liquid level height in the temporary storage chamber 5, so as to conduct the air inlet 12 provided on the dosing pipeline 11 through the top space of the temporary storage chamber 5 to the suction pipeline 10.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present invention, an air change and liquid inlet chamber 15 is provided on one side of the temporary storage chamber 5 and is connected. The bottom wall of the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15 is higher than the maximum liquid level height in the temporary storage chamber 5, and the top of the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15 is flush with the top of the temporary storage chamber 5; the suction pipeline 10 and the flushing waterway 4 are both connected to the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15, and the air inlet 12 provided on the dosing pipeline 11 is conducted to the top of the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15; preferably, the two opposite sides of the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15 are the first side and the second side respectively. The first side is connected to the temporary storage chamber 5, and the second side is connected to the suction pipeline 10 and the flushing waterway 4. The bottom wall of the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15 is gradually inclined downward from the first side to the second side; further preferably, the suction pipeline 10 and the flushing waterway 4 are respectively arranged at the opposite ends of the first side of the air change and liquid inlet chamber 15, and the inlet directions of the suction pipeline 10 and the flushing waterway 4 are perpendicular to each other to prevent the entered liquid from flowing out of the suction pipeline 10; still further preferably, the bottom wall height of the suction pipeline 10 is higher than the bottom wall height of the flushing waterway 4.

[0066] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the suction pipeline 10 is arranged as a pipeline structure with a certain height, and the height of the suction pipeline 10 is lower than that of the air inlet 12. When more additive mixture enters the temporary storage chamber 5 and exceeds the maximum liquid level height, the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber 5 can overflow outward through the suction pipeline 10, avoiding the additive mixture from flowing into the water supply pipeline 1 through the air inlet, so that the suction pipeline 10 integrates the dual functions of air supply and drainage.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet 12 is located directly above the connection between the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber 15 and the temporary storage chamber 5, and is used to connect the lowest part of the middle of the feeding pipeline 11 and the top space of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber 15 to the temporary storage chamber 5, so that the air inlet 12 of the feeding pipeline 11 is conducted with the suction pipeline 10 through the top space of the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber 15 and the temporary storage chamber 5, and is used to draw air from the outside atmosphere into the feeding pipeline 11. Through the above settings, the top spaces of the temporary storage chamber 5 and the ventilation and liquid inlet chamber 15 that always do not store the washing additive mixture can be used to conduct the suction pipeline 10 and the air inlet 12.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present invention, the dosing unit 7 includes a liquid delivery channel 71, a liquid storage chamber 8, and a dosing pump 9; both ends of the liquid delivery channel 71 are respectively connected to the liquid storage chamber 8 and the flushing water pipeline 4, and a dosing pump 9 is provided on the liquid delivery channel 71, which is used to generate a driving force when the dosing pump 9 works to extract the additive in the liquid storage chamber 8 into the flushing water pipeline 4; preferably, a one-way valve for unidirectionally conducting the liquid delivery channel 71 is provided on the liquid delivery channel 71 to control that the additive can only flow from the liquid storage chamber 8 to the flushing water pipeline 4. Any one or combination of existing clothing treatment additives such as detergents, fabric softeners, rinse aids, disinfectants, bleaches, and fragrance additives can be placed in the liquid storage chamber 8; of course, the dosing unit 7 can also include multiple liquid storage chambers 8, and different types of clothing treatment additives are respectively stored in each liquid storage chamber to be dosed into the temporary storage chamber simultaneously or separately; meanwhile, when multiple liquid storage chambers 8 are provided, each liquid storage chamber 8 can be respectively connected to the flushing water pipeline 4 through different liquid delivery channels, or can also be connected to the flushing water pipeline 4 through the same liquid delivery channel.

[0069] The embodiment of the present invention also introduces a method for dosing additives of an additive dosing device, which includes:

[0070] Dosing the additive in the liquid storage chamber into the flushing water pipeline;

[0071] Introducing a flushing water flow into the flushing water pipeline, and the flushing water flow flushes the dosed additive into the temporary storage chamber to form an additive mixture;

[0072] Introducing a water supply flow into the water supply pipeline, and when the water supply flow passes through the negative pressure pipe, a negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe, and the negative pressure sucks the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber and the outside air into the water supply pipeline together;

[0073] When the additive mixture and external air flow into the water supply waterway together, they are mixed to form foam, and the additive mixture containing foam is discharged outward along with the water supply flow.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present invention, the above additive feeding method can be applied to the additive feeding device described in the above embodiment of the present invention, and can also be applied to any other type of additive feeding device.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present invention, during the execution of the additive feeding program by the washing machine, the steps in the above additive feeding method can be sequentially executed to complete the foaming and feeding of the additive; alternatively, during the feeding process, it can be sequentially and repeatedly executed multiple times, so that the additive is foamed and fed in batches, and the same effect of foaming and feeding the additive and performing essence washing on the clothes in the drum can be achieved.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present invention, the single total amount of the additive mixture formed by mixing in the temporary storage cavity is less than the corresponding amount of the maximum liquid level of the temporary storage cavity, and the maximum liquid level height of the temporary storage cavity is lower than the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe and the connection with the external air, so as to ensure that the additive mixture in the temporary storage cavity will not flow out through the air inlet.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present invention, a washing machine is also introduced, which includes a washing tub for holding the load to be processed, and also includes any one of the above-mentioned additive feeding devices. The inlet of the water supply waterway and the inlet of the flushing waterway of the additive feeding device are respectively connected to the washing machine water inlet pipe. The outlet of the water supply waterway is connected to the liquid outlet structure, and the liquid outlet structure is arranged on the housing of the washing machine, and / or the door body, and / or the water storage tub, and / or the window gasket, and the liquid outlet structure sprays and feeds the mixture with foam formed by mixing the additive and the water supply into the washing tub of the washing machine.

[0078] As Figures 1 to 7 shown, in this embodiment, the top of the water box 2 of the additive feeding device 100 is the upper cover 3. Waterway structures such as the water supply waterway 1, the flushing waterway 4, the feeding pipeline 11, the air suction pipeline 10, etc. can all be arranged inside the upper cover 3. The outlet of the water supply waterway 1 is exposed on the outer peripheral side of the upper cover 3. The inlet end of the conduit 600 is connected to the outlet of the water supply waterway 1, and the outlet end of the conduit 600 is connected to the liquid outlet structure 500 arranged outside the water box 2; preferably, the upper cover 3 includes an upper cover body 31 and a lower cover body 32 that are buckled with each other up and down. The upper cover body 31 and the lower cover body 32 are spliced relatively, and waterway structures such as the water supply waterway 1, the flushing waterway 4, the feeding pipeline 11, the air suction pipeline 10, etc. are formed at the joint surface. Further preferably, the upper cover body 31 and the lower cover body 32 of the upper cover 3 are connected by a fusing process to form a closed and pressure-bearing waterway structure inside.

[0079] Thus, the waterway structure of the additive dispensing device 100 can be integrally arranged on the upper cover 3, so that the water inlet and the additive of the dispensing device 100 are directly dispensed through the water supply waterway 1 inside the upper cover 3, and then the effect that the additive directly flows out from the outlet on the outer peripheral side of the upper cover 3 for dispensing is achieved.

[0080] Of course, the waterway structures such as the water supply waterway 1, the flushing waterway 4, the dispensing pipeline 11, the air suction pipeline 10, etc. can also be set as independent pipelines.

[0081] In this embodiment, the dispensing unit 7 includes a liquid storage cavity 8 for storing the additive, and the liquid storage cavity 8 is communicated with the water supply waterway 1; a power unit is further provided on the dispensing device 100 to provide power for pumping the additive in the liquid storage cavity 8 into the water supply waterway.

[0082] In this embodiment, the power unit can be a dispensing pump 9 arranged on the liquid pumping flow channel connecting the liquid storage cavity and the water supply waterway 1 to provide a driving force for the liquid in the liquid pumping flow channel to flow from the liquid storage cavity 8 to the water supply waterway 1. In this embodiment, the power unit can also be set with other existing structures. For example: the power unit is a suction pump, and the suction port of the suction pump is communicated with the water supply waterway 1 to form a negative pressure in the water supply waterway 1 and pump the additive in the liquid storage cavity 8 to the water supply waterway 1 through the liquid pumping flow channel; and / or, the power unit can also be a Venturi tube arranged on the water supply waterway 1. The Venturi tube is provided with a negative pressure area with a sudden change in pipe diameter. The negative pressure area can form a negative pressure by using the flowing water, and the negative pressure area of the Venturi tube is provided with a suction port, and the suction port is communicated with the liquid storage cavity 8 through the liquid pumping flow channel (not marked in the drawings).

[0083] In this embodiment, the additive dispensing device 100 includes a plurality of liquid storage cavities 8, and each liquid storage cavity 8 can respectively hold different types of additives, such as: detergents, fabric softeners, fragrance agents, disinfectants, etc.; a control device is provided on the dispensing device 100, and the control device is used to control each liquid storage cavity to be selectively or combinedly communicated with the water supply waterway 1 to correspondingly dispense any one or simultaneously dispense multiple combined types of additives into the water supply waterway 1.

[0084] In this embodiment, the control device can be set to any existing structure capable of realizing the above functions. For example, in this embodiment, each liquid storage cavity 8 can be respectively connected to the flushing water path 4 through a flow path provided with a control valve, so as to realize the on-off control effect of each flow path separately or in combination by controlling the opening and closing of each control valve, and further realize the purpose of independently dispensing any type of additive or simultaneously dispensing multiple types of additives. It is also possible to connect each liquid storage cavity 8 in one-to-one correspondence with different inlets of the same reversing valve, the outlet of the reversing valve is connected to the flushing water path 4, and a rotatable valve core is provided in the reversing valve to control any one or a combination of inlets to be connected to the outlet, which can also achieve the purpose of independently dispensing any type of additive or simultaneously dispensing multiple types of additives (not marked in the drawings).

[0085] In this embodiment, a liquid storage box is provided in the water box 2 of the dispensing device 100. The liquid storage box is installed in the water box 2 of the additive dispensing device 100 in a pull-out manner. At least one liquid storage cavity 8 for storing additives is provided in the liquid storage box. Each liquid storage cavity on the liquid storage box is connected to the water supply path 1 through a communicating device, and a control device is provided on the communicating device to control each liquid storage cavity 8 to be selectively or combinatorially and controllably connected to the water supply path 1 in a on-off manner.

[0086] In this embodiment, the inlet of the water supply path 1 is provided on the outer wall of the water box 2, and the inlet of the water supply path 1 is connected to the water supply source, so that the incoming water flow can flow into the water supply path 1.

[0087] In this embodiment, the additive dispensing device 100 is installed on the washing machine, and the water supply source of the additive dispensing device is the water inlet pipe of the washing machine. The inlet of the water supply path 1 and the inlet of the flushing water path 4 are respectively connected to the water inlet pipe of the washing machine in a controllable on-off manner, so that the washing water can flow into the water supply path 1 and / or the flushing water path 4 through the inlet. An inlet joint is provided on the water box 2 of the additive dispensing device 100, and both ends of the inlet joint are respectively connected to the inlet of the water supply path 1, the inlet of the flushing water path 4, and the water inlet pipe of the washing machine. Further preferably, a control valve for controlling the on-off of the water path is installed at the inlet joint, a first switch valve 13 for controlling the on-off of the water path is provided at the inlet of the water supply path 1, and a second switch valve 14 for controlling the on-off of the water path is respectively provided at the inlet of the flushing water path 4.

[0088] By providing the above-mentioned additive dispensing device 100 on the washing machine, the additives of the washing machine directly flow through the water supply waterway 1 to the liquid outlet structure 500 and are directly sprayed into the washing tub 300 by the liquid outlet structure 500. Thus, the additives of the washing machine do not pass through the water box or the water storage cylinder 200 outside the washing tub 300, but directly flow into the washing tub 300 through the waterway of the dispensing device 100 and are sprayed onto the load to be processed, thereby achieving the purpose of directly spraying the additive solution onto the load to be processed in the washing tub 300. At the same time, through the above arrangement, the washing machine equipped with the above-mentioned additive dispensing device 100 can directly spray the additive solution formed by mixing the additives with a small amount of water in the water supply waterway 1 onto the load to be processed in the washing tub 300, thereby significantly improving the utilization rate of the dispensed additives.

[0089] In this embodiment, a liquid suction port is provided in the middle of the flushing waterway 4, and the liquid suction port is communicated with the dispensing unit 7, so that the additives are sucked into the flushing waterway 4 from the liquid suction port. Preferably, the flushing waterway 4 is communicated with the outlet of the pump or the position of the liquid suction venturi tube, the inlet of the pump or the negative pressure port of the venturi tube is communicated with the outlet of the liquid dispensing channel 71, the inlet of the liquid dispensing channel 71 is communicated with the outlet of the connector, and the multiple inlets of the connector are correspondingly communicated with each liquid storage chamber 8, so as to achieve the purpose of sucking the additives in the liquid storage chamber 8 into the liquid dispensing channel 71 through the above-mentioned flow channels under the driving action of the pump or the liquid suction venturi tube.

[0090] In this embodiment, the liquid outlet structure 500 can be provided on the housing of the washing machine, and / or the door body, and / or the water storage cylinder 200, and / or the window gasket 400. The spraying outlet of the liquid outlet structure 500 is opened towards the inside of the washing tub 300, and the additives sprayed by the liquid outlet structure 500 are directly sprayed into the inside of the washing tub 300.

[0091] Preferably, in this embodiment, the specific installation method of the liquid outlet structure 500 is as follows:

[0092] As Figures 1 to 2As shown, a circle of window pad 400 is installed at the mouth of the water drum 200, and the window pad 400 is cylindrical. One end of the cylindrical window pad 400 is connected to the mouth of the water drum 200, and the other end is connected to the washing machine housing to form a channel; the mouth of the washing drum 300 is relatively connected to one end of the above-mentioned channel, and the washing machine housing is provided with a clothing loading port corresponding to the other end of the above-mentioned channel. The washing machine housing is provided with a door body that can open and close the clothing loading port accordingly. When the door body is closed, a closed space is formed inside the water drum 200; there is a gap space between the door body and the window pad 400, and the gap space is directly connected to the inside of the washing drum 300 through the mouth of the washing drum 300. The liquid outlet structure 500 is installed on the top of the window pad 400, and the liquid outlet structure 500 passes through the window pad 400. The portion of the liquid outlet structure 500 located on the inner side of the window pad 400 has a spray outlet, and the portion located on the outer side of the window pad 400 has an inlet. The liquid outlet structure 500 has a flow channel inside, and the two ends of the flow channel are respectively connected with the inlet and the spray outlet. The spray outlet is arranged toward the mouth of the washing drum 300, so that the additive solution sprayed from the liquid outlet structure 500 can be directly sprayed into the washing drum 300, so as to realize the significant technical progress of directly spraying the additive onto the load to be processed in the washing drum 300 and improving the efficiency of additive delivery.

[0093] In this embodiment, the liquid outlet structure 500 may be any existing injection structure, and the injection outlet may be configured as a plurality of injection holes arranged at intervals, or may be configured as a single opening.

[0094] In this embodiment, a separate conduit 600 is provided in the washing machine, which is located outside the water box of the additive delivery device 100 and outside the water drum 200. The two ends of the conduit 600 are plugged and connected with the inlet of the liquid outlet structure 500 and the outlet of the water supply waterway 1, respectively, so that the additive solution supplied by the water supply waterway 1 can be directly drained to the liquid outlet structure 500 through the conduit 600, so as to achieve the effect of direct injection delivery into the washing drum 300 of the washing machine. Preferably, the conduit 600 is made of rubber or other materials, and can be bent and deformed.

[0095] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modify the technical contents suggested above into equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An additive dosing device, characterized in that: It includes, a water supply waterway for water to flow through; a flushing waterway connected to the temporary storage chamber for flushing water to flow through; a dosing unit for dosing additives into the flushing waterway and / or the temporary storage chamber, and the flushing water and the dosed additives jointly enter the temporary storage chamber to be mixed to form an additive mixture; A negative pressure pipe is provided on the water supply waterway, and the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe is respectively connected to the external atmosphere and the temporary storage chamber; when the water supply water flows through the negative pressure pipe, negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction port, and the external air and the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber are simultaneously sucked into the water supply waterway from the negative pressure suction port by using the negative pressure to generate foam.

2. An additive dosing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the negative pressure pipe includes a Venturi tube, and the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the Venturi tube are both connected to the water supply waterway for the water supply water to flow through the Venturi tube; the Venturi tube includes a reduced-diameter pipe section, a negative pressure straight pipe section and an enlarged-diameter pipe section that are sequentially connected and arranged from the liquid inlet end to the liquid outlet end; a negative pressure suction port communicating the inside and outside of the pipe is provided on the pipe wall of the negative pressure pipe; the negative pressure suction port is connected to the temporary storage chamber through a dosing pipeline for sucking the additive mixture in the temporary storage chamber; An air inlet is provided in the middle of the dosing pipeline, and the air inlet is connected to the external atmosphere through an air suction pipeline for sucking external air.

3. An additive dosing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, a one-way anti-backflow structure for blocking the additive mixture flowing through the dosing pipeline from discharging to the outside of the air suction pipeline is provided on the air suction pipeline and / or at the connection of the air suction pipeline and the dosing pipeline; Preferably, the air inlet where the air suction pipeline is connected to the dosing pipeline is a small hole, and the aperture of the small hole hinders the outward flow of the additive mixture; More preferably, the air inlet is a small hole with an aperture less than 5 mm.

4. An additive dosing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the dosing pipeline includes a horizontal pipe section and a vertical pipe section. One end of the horizontal pipe section is connected to the negative pressure suction port opened on one side of the pipe wall of the horizontally extending Venturi tube, and the other end is connected to the upper end of the vertical pipe section. The lower end of the vertical pipe section is connected to the bottom of the temporary storage chamber, and an air inlet is provided in the middle of the horizontal pipe section; The maximum liquid level height of the additive mixture is provided in the temporary storage chamber, and the space in the temporary storage chamber above the maximum liquid level height is the air exchange part; the air exchange part is respectively communicated with the air suction pipeline and the air inlet provided on the dosing pipeline for conducting the air inlet provided on the dosing pipeline to the air suction pipeline through the air exchange part of the temporary storage chamber.

5. An additive dosing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, An air exchange and liquid inlet chamber is provided on one side of the temporary storage chamber, and the air exchange and liquid inlet chamber is connected to the air exchange part of the temporary storage chamber; the bottom wall of the air exchange and liquid inlet chamber is higher than the maximum liquid level height in the temporary storage chamber, and the top of the air exchange and liquid inlet chamber is flush with the top of the temporary storage chamber; The air suction pipeline and the flushing waterway are both connected to the air exchange and liquid inlet chamber, and the air inlet provided on the dosing pipeline is conducted to the top of the air exchange and liquid inlet chamber.

6. An additive dosing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The opposite sides of the air-exchanging liquid inlet cavity are respectively the first side and the second side. The first side is communicated with the temporary storage cavity, and the second side is communicated with the air suction pipeline and the flushing water pipeline. The bottom wall of the air-exchanging liquid inlet cavity is gradually inclined downward from the first side to the second side; The air suction pipeline and the flushing water pipeline are respectively arranged at the opposite ends of the first side of the air-exchanging liquid inlet cavity, and the inlets of the air suction pipeline and the flushing water pipeline are arranged perpendicular to each other.

7. An additive dispensing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The air inlet is located directly above the connection between the air-exchanging liquid inlet cavity and the air-exchanging part of the temporary storage cavity, and is used to connect the lowest part in the middle of the dispensing pipeline with the air-exchanging liquid inlet cavity at the top of the temporary storage cavity, so that the air inlet of the dispensing pipeline is conducted with the air suction pipeline through the air-exchanging part at the top of the temporary storage cavity and the air-exchanging liquid inlet cavity, and is used to pump the air in the external atmosphere into the dispensing pipeline.

8. An additive dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The dispensing unit includes a dispensing pipeline, a liquid storage cavity and a dispensing pump; both ends of the dispensing pipeline are communicated with the liquid storage cavity and the flushing water pipeline respectively, and a dispensing pump is arranged on the dispensing pipeline, which is used to generate a driving force when the dispensing pump works to extract the additive in the liquid storage cavity into the flushing water pipeline; Preferably, a one-way valve for unidirectionally conducting the dispensing pipeline is arranged on the dispensing pipeline, which is used to control that the additive can only flow from the liquid storage cavity to the flushing water pipeline direction.

9. An additive dispensing method of an additive dispensing device, characterized in that: The additive in the liquid storage cavity is dispensed into the flushing water pipeline; Flushing water flow is introduced into the flushing water pipeline, and the flushing water flow flushes the dispensed additive into the temporary storage cavity to form an additive mixture; Water supply flow is introduced into the water supply pipeline, and when the water supply flow passes through the negative pressure pipe, negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe, and the negative pressure sucks the additive mixture in the temporary storage cavity and the external air into the water supply pipeline together; When the additive mixture and the external air flow into the water supply pipeline together, they are mixed to form foam, and the additive mixture containing foam is dispensed outward together with the water supply flow.

10. An additive dispensing method of an additive dispensing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The single total amount of the additive mixture formed in the temporary storage cavity is less than the corresponding amount of the maximum liquid level of the temporary storage cavity, and the maximum liquid level height of the temporary storage cavity is lower than the negative pressure suction port of the negative pressure pipe and the connection with the external air, so as to ensure that the additive mixture in the temporary storage cavity will not flow out through the air inlet.

11. An additive dispensing method of an additive dispensing device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The additive dispensing device described in any one of the above claims 1 to 8 uses the above additive dispensing method to dispense the additive.

12. A washing machine, which includes a washing tub for holding a load to be processed, characterized in that: It further includes the additive dispensing device according to any one of the above claims 1 to 11. The inlet of the water supply waterway and the inlet of the flushing waterway of the additive dispensing device are respectively connected to the washing machine water inlet pipe. The outlet of the water supply waterway is connected to the liquid outlet structure. The liquid outlet structure is arranged on the housing of the washing machine, and / or the door body, and / or the water tub, and / or the window gasket. The liquid outlet structure sprays a foamed mixture formed by mixing and dispensing the additive and water into the washing tub of the washing machine.

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