Liquid level detection device and washing machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a liquid level detection device and a washing machine, and relates to the technical field of liquid level detection.The liquid level detection device comprises a shell, a plurality of hydraulic detection elements, an air pressure detection element and a circuit board, a plurality of hydraulic detection cavities which are not communicated with one another are formed in the shell, and the hydraulic detection cavities are used for being communicated with a container to be detected; one hydraulic detection cavity is correspondingly provided with one hydraulic detection element, the air pressure detection element is used for detecting the atmospheric pressure, and the circuit board is installed on the shell and electrically connected to the hydraulic detection elements and the air pressure detection element. According to the technical scheme, the structure of the liquid level detection system of the multi-container device is simplified, and the installation and maintenance cost of the liquid level detection system is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid level detection technology, and in particular to a liquid level detection device and a washing machine. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, for equipment with multiple containers, it is typically necessary to install an independent liquid level detection device on each container to achieve individual detection of the liquid level in each container. This one-to-one configuration leads to an increase in the wiring, installation structure, and signal processing circuitry required for the liquid level detection system, making the overall structure of the system complex. Furthermore, distributing multiple liquid level detection devices across various containers not only increases manufacturing and assembly costs but also complicates subsequent maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting, resulting in high installation and maintenance costs for the liquid level detection system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a liquid level detection device and a washing machine, which aims to simplify the structure of the liquid level detection system for multi-container devices and reduce their installation and maintenance costs.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the liquid level detection device proposed in this invention includes:

[0005] A housing having multiple non-interconnected hydraulic detection chambers formed within it, the hydraulic detection chambers being used to connect to the container to be tested;

[0006] Multiple hydraulic detection elements are provided, with one hydraulic detection element corresponding to each hydraulic detection chamber;

[0007] Barometric pressure sensing element, used to detect atmospheric pressure; and

[0008] The circuit board is mounted on the housing and electrically connected to the hydraulic detection element and the pneumatic detection element.

[0009] In one embodiment, a pressure detection chamber is further formed within the housing, and the pressure detection element is disposed in the pressure detection chamber, which is configured to communicate with the atmospheric environment.

[0010] In one embodiment, the circuit board is installed inside the housing, and both the hydraulic detection element and the pneumatic detection element are installed on the circuit board. The hydraulic detection chamber and the pneumatic detection chamber are located on opposite sides of the circuit board.

[0011] In one embodiment, the housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are detachably connected, the first housing portion and the circuit board together forming the hydraulic detection chamber, and the second housing portion and the circuit board together forming the pneumatic detection chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, one of the first shell portion and the second shell portion is provided with a latching protrusion, and the other is provided with a latching groove, wherein the latching protrusion is latched into the latching groove.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first housing portion is provided with a limiting hook, which is limited and engaged with the circuit board.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second housing portion has a limiting protrusion protruding toward the circuit board.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first housing portion has a connecting protrusion on the side opposite to the circuit board. The hydraulic detection chamber includes a receiving chamber and a liquid inlet chamber. The liquid inlet chamber is formed in the connecting protrusion. The receiving chamber is located on the side of the liquid inlet chamber closer to the circuit board. The receiving chamber and the liquid inlet chamber are separated by a waterproof and breathable membrane.

[0016] In one embodiment, the liquid level detection device includes a sealing member, the opposite sides of which abut against the first housing and the circuit board, respectively. The sealing member has a plurality of sealing portions, one of which is correspondingly arranged around a liquid level detection cavity.

[0017] In one embodiment, at least one of the hydraulic sensing element and the pneumatic sensing element is configured as a MEMS chip.

[0018] In one embodiment, the housing is provided with mounting clips.

[0019] The present invention also proposes a washing machine, which includes the aforementioned liquid level detection device and a plurality of washing tubs, wherein one of the hydraulic detection chambers is correspondingly connected to one of the washing tubs.

[0020] In this invention, each hydraulic detection chamber is connected to a different container to be tested via a pipeline or interface to sense the static pressure generated by the liquid in each container. Each hydraulic detection chamber is equipped with a corresponding hydraulic detection element to detect the hydraulic pressure of the container it is connected to. A pneumatic detection element is used to detect the ambient atmospheric pressure in real time for pressure compensation in subsequent liquid level calculations. All hydraulic and pneumatic detection elements are electrically connected to the same circuit board, which performs signal acquisition, processing, and output. Based on the detection results of the hydraulic and pneumatic detection elements, the liquid level height in the container to be tested can be obtained. Thus, a single liquid level detection device can detect the liquid level height of multiple containers. In other words, this invention integrates the liquid level detection function of multiple containers into a single device, eliminating the need for separate liquid level detection devices on each container. This significantly reduces the number of independent components required for a multi-container liquid level detection system, simplifies the wiring structure and signal processing circuitry, effectively reduces the overall complexity of the liquid level detection system, and reduces manufacturing, installation, and subsequent maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of an embodiment of the liquid level detection device provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the liquid level detection device provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the liquid level detection device provided by the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0026] 100. Housing; 101. Hydraulic detection chamber; 102. Pneumatic detection chamber; 103. Liquid inlet chamber; 104. Receptacle chamber;

[0027] 110. First shell portion; 111. Limiting hook; 112. Connecting protrusion;

[0028] 120. Second shell portion; 121. Limiting protrusion; 131. Locking protrusion; 132. Locking groove;

[0029] 200. Circuit board; 210. Hydraulic detection element; 220. Air pressure detection element;

[0030] 300. Waterproof and breathable membrane; 400. Sealing element; 410. Sealing part; 500. Installation buckle; 600. Washing tub.

[0031] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0034] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0035] This invention proposes a liquid level detection device.

[0036] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid level detection device includes:

[0037] The housing 100 has a plurality of non-communicating hydraulic detection chambers 101 formed inside the housing 100, and the hydraulic detection chambers 101 are used to connect to the container to be tested;

[0038] Multiple hydraulic detection elements 210 are provided, and one hydraulic detection element 210 is correspondingly provided in each hydraulic detection chamber 101;

[0039] Barometric pressure sensing element 220 is used to detect atmospheric pressure; and

[0040] Circuit board 200 is mounted on housing 100 and electrically connected to hydraulic detection element 210 and pneumatic detection element 220.

[0041] It should be noted that "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0042] In this invention, each hydraulic detection chamber 101 is connected to different containers to be tested via pipelines or interfaces to sense the static pressure generated by the liquid in each container. Each hydraulic detection chamber 101 is equipped with a corresponding hydraulic detection element 210 to detect the hydraulic pressure of the container it is connected to. A pneumatic pressure detection element 220 is used to detect the ambient atmospheric pressure in real time for pressure compensation in subsequent liquid level calculations. All hydraulic detection elements 210 and pneumatic pressure detection elements 220 are electrically connected to the same circuit board 200, which performs signal acquisition, processing, and output. Based on the detection results of the hydraulic detection elements 210 and pneumatic pressure detection elements 220, the liquid level height in the container to be tested can be obtained. Thus, a single liquid level detection device can detect the liquid level height of multiple containers. In other words, the present invention integrates the liquid level detection function of multiple containers into a single device, eliminating the need to install a separate liquid level detection device on each container. This significantly reduces the number of independent components required for the liquid level detection system, simplifies the wiring structure and signal processing circuit, thereby effectively reducing the overall complexity of the liquid level detection system and reducing manufacturing, installation and subsequent maintenance costs.

[0043] In one embodiment, a pressure detection chamber 102 is further formed within the housing 100, and the pressure detection element 220 is disposed within the pressure detection chamber 102, which is configured to communicate with the atmospheric environment. The pressure detection chamber 102 can communicate with the external atmospheric environment through structures such as a venting channel, a vent hole, or a waterproof and breathable membrane 300, ensuring that the pressure detection element 220 can accurately and in real time sense changes in external atmospheric pressure. This design not only achieves dynamic monitoring of ambient air pressure, providing a reliable reference for high-precision calculation of liquid levels in multiple containers, but more importantly, by integrating the pressure detection element 220 into a dedicated cavity within the housing 100, the housing 100 itself constitutes a physical protective barrier for sensitive electronic components, effectively preventing damage to the pressure detection element 220 from external dust, moisture, oil, corrosive gases, and mechanical impacts or vibrations. This significantly improves the reliability and long-term stability of the liquid level detection device in complex industrial environments or outdoor applications. In other embodiments, the pressure detection element 220 may be mounted outside the housing 100, i.e. exposed to the atmospheric environment.

[0044] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 2The circuit board 200 is installed inside the housing 100. Both the hydraulic detection element 210 and the pneumatic detection element 220 are installed on the circuit board 200. The hydraulic detection chamber 101 and the pneumatic detection chamber 102 are located on opposite sides of the circuit board 200. This allows electrical components to be centrally located on the circuit board 200, facilitating a high degree of integration and compact layout of the electrical structure, enabling unified power supply and signal transmission, reducing connecting cables, and further improving the integration and reliability of the liquid level detection device. The multiple hydraulic detection chambers 101 can be distributed linearly. When the number of hydraulic detection chambers 101 is three or more, they can also be distributed in a polygonal array or other manner. In other embodiments, the hydraulic detection element 210 and the pneumatic detection element 220 can also be installed in other locations and connected to the circuit board 200 via electrical connection lines.

[0045] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The housing 100 includes a detachably connected first housing portion 110 and a second housing portion 120. The first housing portion 110 and the circuit board 200 together form the hydraulic detection chamber 101, and the second housing portion 120 and the circuit board 200 together form the pneumatic detection chamber 102. That is, the circuit board 200 participates in the construction of the hydraulic detection chamber 101 and the pneumatic detection chamber 102, which simplifies the structure of the housing 100. Simultaneously, since the hydraulic detection element 210 and the pneumatic detection element 220 are directly mounted on the circuit board 200, once the circuit board 200 is assembled, each detection element naturally resides within its corresponding hydraulic detection chamber 101 or pneumatic detection chamber 102, achieving precise alignment between the detection element and the detection chamber. This avoids pressure transmission distortion or sealing failure caused by assembly deviations, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the detection signal. Furthermore, the first housing portion 110 and the second housing portion 120 are detachably connected, allowing for easy opening of the housing 100 during later maintenance to inspect, replace, or clean internal components, greatly improving the maintainability and service life of the liquid level detection device. In other embodiments, the hydraulic detection chamber 101 and the pneumatic detection chamber 102 may be formed solely by the housing 100.

[0046] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3One of the first shell portion 110 and the second shell portion 120 is provided with a locking protrusion 131, and the other is provided with a locking groove 132, wherein the locking protrusion 131 is engaged with the locking groove 132. Alternatively, the first shell portion 110 may have the locking protrusion 131 and the second shell portion 120 may have the corresponding locking groove 132, or the first shell portion 110 may have the locking groove 132 and the second shell portion 120 may have the corresponding locking protrusion 131. In this way, the first shell portion 110 and the second shell portion 120 can be easily assembled and disassembled through the engagement of the locking protrusion 131 and the locking groove 132. The engagement of the locking protrusion 131 and the locking groove 132 has good mechanical self-locking capability, and the first shell portion 110 and the second shell portion 120 can maintain connection stability under dynamic conditions such as vibration and impact, preventing accidental loosening of the first shell portion 110 and the second shell portion 120. Specifically, latching protrusions 131 and latching grooves 132 can be provided on opposite sides of the housing 100 to ensure the engagement stability of the first housing portion 110 and the second housing portion 120. In other embodiments, the first housing portion 110 and the second housing portion 120 can also be detachably connected by fasteners.

[0047] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 2 The first housing portion 110 is provided with a limiting hook 111, which limits and engages with the circuit board 200. That is, after the circuit board 200 is installed in the first housing portion 110, it is restricted to the first housing portion 110 by the limiting hook 111. After that, the second housing portion 120 can be assembled into the first housing portion 110. Specifically, the first housing portion 110 has a wall opposite to and spaced apart from the circuit board 200. The wall has a limiting hook 111 and a partition portion separating different hydraulic detection chambers 101 protruding towards the circuit board 200. When the circuit board 200 is installed in the first housing portion 110, one side abuts against the partition portion, and the hook portion of the limiting hook 111 engages with the other side of the circuit board 200, so that the circuit board 200 is limited between the partition portion and the hook portion of the limiting hook. In other embodiments, multiple positioning holes may be provided on the circuit board 200, and corresponding positioning pins may be provided on the first housing portion 110 or the second housing portion 120. The positioning pins pass through the positioning holes to initially limit the circuit board 200, and then the circuit board 200 is clamped by the first housing portion 110 and the second housing portion 120.

[0048] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 2The second housing portion 120 has a limiting protrusion 121 protruding towards the circuit board 200. Specifically, the limiting hook 111 acts on the edge of the circuit board 200, providing lateral and thickness constraints; the limiting protrusion 121 acts on the central region of the circuit board 200 (such as near the air pressure detection element 220), providing central support and anti-deformation protection. In this way, a uniformly distributed multi-point limiting can be formed on the circuit board 200, effectively suppressing the bending deformation of the circuit board 200 under pressure or vibration conditions, and avoiding sealing failure, solder joint cracking, or component detachment caused by board deflection. The limiting protrusion 121 can be configured to make slight contact with the surface of the circuit board 200 to provide support force, or it can be reserved with a small gap to act as a stop when the circuit board 200 deforms, thus having both protection and buffering functions.

[0049] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first housing portion 110 has a connecting protrusion 112 protruding on the side opposite to the circuit board 200. The hydraulic detection chamber 101 includes a receiving chamber 104 and a liquid inlet chamber 103. The liquid inlet chamber 103 is formed within the connecting protrusion 112, and the receiving chamber 104 is located on the side of the liquid inlet chamber 103 closer to the circuit board 200. The receiving chamber 104 and the liquid inlet chamber 103 are separated by a waterproof and breathable membrane 300. It can be understood that the connecting protrusion 112 is used to directly or indirectly connect to the bottom interface of the container to be tested via a pipeline. The liquid in the container to be tested flows in through the liquid inlet chamber 103 and is isolated by the waterproof and breathable membrane 300, but pressure transmission is allowed, thereby protecting the hydraulic detection element 210 located in the receiving chamber 104 from liquid corrosion. This design achieves dry and wet separation, ensuring the accuracy of pressure transmission and improving the service life of the hydraulic detection element 210 and the system reliability. Specifically, a stepped structure is formed at the connection between the accommodating cavity 104 and the liquid inlet cavity 103, and a waterproof and breathable membrane 300 is installed on the stepped surface of this stepped structure. In other embodiments, the hydraulic detection element 210 may be waterproofed so that it can be directly subjected to water pressure.

[0050] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The liquid level detection device includes a sealing element 400, with opposite sides of the sealing element 400 abutting against the first housing portion 110 and the circuit board 200, respectively. The sealing element 400 has multiple sealing portions 410, each sealing portion 410 correspondingly circumferentially disposed around a liquid level detection chamber. Thus, the sealing portions 410 of multiple liquid level detection chambers are integrated on the sealing element 400, which simplifies the sealing structure and improves the ease of installation. A mounting groove can be formed in the first housing portion 110 for mounting the sealing element 400, or the sealing element 400 can be directly clamped between the first housing portion 110 and the circuit board 200.

[0051] In one embodiment, at least one of the hydraulic sensing element 210 and the pneumatic sensing element 220 is configured as a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) chip. MEMS chips are manufactured using semiconductor processes and offer significant advantages such as miniaturization, low power consumption, high sensitivity, fast response speed, and low mass production cost. Applying them to this device not only integrates multiple high-precision pressure sensing units within a limited space, meeting the requirements for simultaneous detection of multiple containers, but also significantly reduces the overall system power consumption. Simultaneously, MEMS chips possess good temperature stability and signal consistency, which facilitates unified calibration and digital compensation, improving the accuracy and reliability of liquid level calculation. In other embodiments, the hydraulic sensing element 210 and the pneumatic sensing element 220 can also be piezoresistive pressure sensors or capacitive pressure sensors.

[0052] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 1 The housing 100 is externally provided with a mounting clip 500. Specifically, the liquid level detection device is mounted to the external structure via the mounting clip 500, enabling the liquid level detection device to be installed on the end product. The design of the mounting clip 500 allows for convenient and reliable installation of the liquid level detection device, while also enabling detachable installation, facilitating maintenance and repair. The mounting clip 500 can be a butterfly clip or similar structure, and can also be designed with elastic buffering to absorb vibration energy during the operation of the end product, reducing mechanical impact on internal components. In other embodiments, the housing 100 may also have fastening holes for fasteners to pass through, allowing the liquid level detection device to be fixed to the end product by fasteners.

[0053] This invention also proposes a washing machine; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The washing machine includes a liquid level detection device and multiple washing tubs 600. The specific structure of the liquid level detection device is as described in the above embodiments. Since this washing machine adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here. Specifically, one of the hydraulic detection chambers 101 is correspondingly connected to one of the washing tubs 600, and is used to detect the static pressure of the liquid in each washing tub 600 in real time, thereby calculating and monitoring the liquid level height of each washing tub 600.

[0054] Specifically, the multiple washing tubs 600 can be independent washing chambers within the washing machine, such as those for accommodating the main wash tub, pre-wash tub, quick wash tub, or dedicated washing modules (e.g., underwear tub, baby clothes tub), to achieve zoned washing, simultaneous operation, or time-based control of various types of clothing. Traditional washing machines, if they require liquid level monitoring of multiple washing tubs 600, typically need to install an independent liquid level sensor on each tub 600, resulting in complex system wiring, large space occupation, high costs, and difficult maintenance.

[0055] This invention, by employing the aforementioned integrated liquid level detection device, concentrates the liquid level detection function, originally dispersed across multiple washing tubs 600, into a single device. The static pressure generated by the liquid in each washing tub 600 is introduced into the corresponding hydraulic detection chamber 101 within the housing 100 of the liquid level detection device through independent pipelines. The corresponding hydraulic detection element 210 collects the pressure, thereby obtaining the liquid level height of each washing tub 600. Due to the integrated design of the liquid level detection device, the washing machine only needs to have the entire liquid level detection device installed once during the production and assembly process, and the liquid level system can be deployed by connecting multiple pressure guide pipes to the pressure guide ports of each washing tub 600. In addition, the highly integrated liquid level detection device is compact in size, freeing up more space inside the washing machine, which is beneficial for increasing washing capacity or integrating other functional modules.

[0056] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present invention and the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid level detection device, characterized in that, include: A housing having multiple non-interconnected hydraulic detection chambers formed within it, the hydraulic detection chambers being used to connect to the container to be tested; Multiple hydraulic detection elements are provided, with one hydraulic detection element corresponding to each hydraulic detection chamber; Barometric pressure sensing element, used to detect atmospheric pressure; as well as The circuit board is mounted on the housing and electrically connected to the hydraulic detection element and the pneumatic detection element.

2. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing also contains a pressure detection chamber, the pressure detection element is located in the pressure detection chamber, and the pressure detection chamber is configured to communicate with the atmospheric environment.

3. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The circuit board is installed inside the housing, and both the hydraulic detection element and the pneumatic detection element are installed on the circuit board. The hydraulic detection chamber and the pneumatic detection chamber are located on opposite sides of the circuit board.

4. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are detachably connected. The first housing portion and the circuit board together form the hydraulic detection chamber, and the second housing portion and the circuit board together form the pneumatic detection chamber.

5. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, One of the first shell portion and the second shell portion is provided with a locking protrusion, and the other is provided with a locking groove, wherein the locking protrusion is engaged with the locking groove.

6. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first housing portion is provided with a limiting hook, which is limited and engaged with the circuit board; And / or, the second housing portion is provided with a limiting protrusion protruding toward the circuit board.

7. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first housing portion has a connecting protrusion on the side opposite to the circuit board. The hydraulic detection chamber includes a receiving chamber and a liquid inlet chamber. The liquid inlet chamber is formed in the connecting protrusion. The receiving chamber is located on the side of the liquid inlet chamber closer to the circuit board. The receiving chamber and the liquid inlet chamber are separated by a waterproof and breathable membrane.

8. The liquid level detection device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The liquid level detection device includes a sealing element, with opposite sides of the sealing element abutting against the first housing and the circuit board, respectively. The sealing element has multiple sealing portions, with one sealing portion correspondingly arranged around one of the liquid level detection chambers.

9. The liquid level detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, At least one of the hydraulic detection element and the pneumatic detection element is configured as a MEMS chip; And / or, the housing is provided with mounting clips.

10. A washing machine, characterized in that, The device includes the liquid level detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and a plurality of washing tubs, wherein one of the hydraulic detection chambers is correspondingly connected to one of the washing tubs.

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