Drying mechanism and dishwasher

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology and discloses a drying mechanism and a dishwasher. The dishwasher includes a drying mechanism comprising a housing assembly mounted on the rear side wall of the dishwasher's inner cavity. The housing assembly and the rear side wall, or the housing assembly itself, form a mounting cavity with an air inlet and a connecting outlet, at least a portion of the air inlet communicating with the inner cavity. A fan assembly, at least partially mounted within the mounting cavity, is configured to drive airflow from the air inlet into the mounting cavity. A heating assembly, at least partially mounted within the mounting cavity, is used to heat the airflow within the mounting cavity. A guide assembly, connected to the housing assembly and configured as a channel structure, has a connecting inlet and a first air outlet, the connecting inlet communicating with the connecting outlet, at least a portion of the first air outlet located in the front region of the inner cavity. This drying mechanism improves the uniformity of temperature before and after installation within the dishwasher, thereby improving the uniformity of drying and sterilization of tableware.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and more particularly to a drying mechanism and a dishwasher. Background Technology

[0002] Dishwashers with internal circulation drying are widely used due to their quiet operation and energy efficiency. The drying module is typically installed on the rear wall of the inner cavity. This module draws air from the cavity, heats it, and then discharges it directly into the cavity. The heated air then contacts the dishes, drying them and also disinfecting them. However, because the drying module is located at the rear of the cavity, it can cause uneven temperatures throughout the interior, resulting in uneven drying and disinfection of the dishes.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a drying mechanism and dishwasher to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a drying mechanism that can improve the uniformity of temperature before and after being installed in a dishwasher, thereby improving the uniformity of drying and sterilizing tableware.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A drying mechanism for use in a dishwasher, the drying mechanism comprising:

[0007] A housing assembly is mounted on the rear side wall of the inner cavity of the dishwasher. The housing assembly and the rear side wall form a mounting cavity, the mounting cavity having an air inlet and a docking outlet, and at least a portion of the air inlet communicating with the inner cavity.

[0008] A fan assembly, at least partially installed within the mounting cavity, is configured to drive airflow from the air inlet into the mounting cavity;

[0009] A heating assembly, at least partially installed within the mounting cavity, is used to heat the airflow within the mounting cavity;

[0010] An air guide assembly is connected to the housing assembly and is configured as a channel structure. The channel structure has a docking inlet and a first air outlet. The docking inlet is connected to the docking outlet. The dishwasher door is disposed opposite to the rear side wall. At least part of the first air outlet is located closer to the door than the rear side wall.

[0011] As an alternative, the air guide assembly (50) includes an air duct (51) and a shield (52), with the first air outlet (511) disposed on the air duct (51) and the shield (52) capable of selectively closing or opening at least part of the first air outlet (511).

[0012] As an optional solution, the air guiding assembly includes an air duct and a shield. The first air outlet is disposed on the air duct, and the shield is disposed on one side of the air duct and has a clearance opening. The position of the shield relative to the air duct is adjustable so that the shield can block the first air outlet, or the clearance opening can communicate with at least a portion of the first air outlet.

[0013] As an optional solution, the air guide assembly further includes an elastic element, one end of which is connected to the air duct and the other end of which is connected to the shielding element. The elastic element is configured such that at least a portion of the first air outlet is blocked by the shielding element. The airflow provided by the fan assembly can act on the shielding element and cause the elastic element to elastically deform, thereby changing the position of the shielding element.

[0014] As an alternative, the power of the fan assembly is adjustable so that the position of the shielding member is adjustable, corresponding to different opening degrees and / or opening areas of the first air outlet.

[0015] As an optional solution, the drying mechanism further includes a vision detection component electrically connected to the fan assembly. The vision detection component is used to detect the distribution of tableware in the inner cavity, and the fan assembly can adjust its power based on the detection results of the vision detection component.

[0016] As an optional solution, the first air outlet includes multiple air outlet holes, and the multiple air outlet holes are configured as at least two sets of air outlet hole groups, with the air outlet holes of different sets of air outlet holes having different air outlet directions;

[0017] When the power of the fan assembly changes, different groups of air outlets can be selectively opened.

[0018] As an optional solution, the clearance opening includes multiple first clearance holes and multiple second clearance holes, with each air outlet corresponding to one first clearance hole and one second clearance hole; wherein:

[0019] The distance between the air outlet of different air outlet groups and the corresponding first clearance hole is different, so that when the first clearance hole is aligned with the corresponding air outlet, the corresponding air outlet group is opened and the other air outlet groups are closed.

[0020] The distance between the air outlets of different air outlet groups and the corresponding second clearance holes is the same, so that at least two air outlet groups can be opened synchronously.

[0021] As an optional solution, the shielding member slides with the inner wall of the duct. The shielding member includes a shielding part and a connecting part. The clearance is provided on the shielding part. The connecting part is connected to the front end of the shielding part. The elastic member is provided between the front end face of the duct and the connecting part.

[0022] As an alternative, the flow area of ​​the channel structure gradually decreases along the exhaust direction of the airflow; and / or

[0023] The housing assembly is provided with a second air outlet, which connects the mounting cavity and the inner cavity; and / or

[0024] The fan assembly includes a centrifugal fan, which includes a fan disk and a plurality of blades disposed on the side of the fan disk facing the air inlet; the heating assembly includes a heating tube, which is arranged around at least a portion of the centrifugal fan in the circumferential direction; along the axial direction of the centrifugal fan, the heating tube is disposed near the root of the blades.

[0025] Another objective of this invention is to provide a dishwasher that, by employing the aforementioned drying mechanism, dries and disinfects tableware more evenly.

[0026] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0027] A dishwasher includes an inner tub and a drying mechanism, the inner tub being used to enclose the inner cavity, and the drying mechanism being connected to the rear sidewall of the inner tub.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0029] (1) The drying mechanism includes a housing assembly, a fan assembly, a heating assembly and an air guide assembly. During the drying operation, the fan assembly drives the airflow into the mounting cavity formed by the housing assembly. The heating assembly in the mounting cavity heats the airflow. At least part of the heated airflow is discharged from the first air outlet of the air guide assembly to the front area of ​​the inner cavity. Driven by the fan assembly, the hot airflow in front will move quickly to the rear area of ​​the inner cavity, so that the hot airflow circulates quickly in the front and back direction of the inner cavity, thereby improving the uniformity of airflow temperature in the front and back directions of the inner cavity and ensuring the uniformity of drying and sterilization of tableware in the inner cavity of the dishwasher.

[0030] (2) By setting the first air outlet to be selectively closed or opened at least partially, the first air outlet can be set to be closed or only partially opened during the washing stage of the dishwasher. This can prevent water from entering the air guide assembly from the first air outlet during the washing process and remaining in the air guide assembly for a long time, which would cause the air guide assembly to rust and be damaged.

[0031] (3) By setting the air guide assembly to include an air duct, a shield and an elastic member, during the washing stage, the fan assembly does not blow air, and the elastic member can block at least part of the first air outlet by the shield, thereby preventing water from entering the air guide assembly; during the drying stage, the airflow provided by the fan assembly can act on the shield, and the shield causes the elastic member to deform elastically to change the position of the shield, thereby opening the first air outlet to ensure the uniformity of the hot airflow distribution in the inner cavity during drying.

[0032] (4) Based on the fact that the opening degree and / or opening area of ​​the first air outlet are different when the power of the fan component is different, a visual detection component is set to detect the distribution of tableware in the inner cavity, so that the power of the fan component can be adjusted according to the actual distribution of tableware, and then the opening position and opening degree of the first air outlet can be selected so that the air outlet position of the first air outlet corresponds to the tableware, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

[0033] (5) The cover assembly is also provided with a second air outlet, that is, part of the hot air in the installation cavity enters the air guide assembly and is discharged from the first air outlet to the front area of ​​the inner cavity; part of it is discharged directly from the second air outlet to the rear area of ​​the inner cavity, further improving the uniformity of temperature in the front and rear directions of the inner cavity, thereby improving the uniformity of tableware drying and disinfection.

[0034] The dishwasher of the present invention, by employing the above-described drying mechanism, dries and disinfects tableware more evenly. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first dishwasher provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure with the air guide components hidden.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the dishwasher at the fan assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of air guide assembly provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the second dishwasher provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the second type of air guide assembly provided in the specific embodiments of this invention;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the second type of air guide assembly and the shelf assembly provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 8 This is a comparison of the first air outlet of the second type of air guide assembly provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention under three different states. Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 9 This describes the relationship between the third type of air guide assembly and the shelf assembly provided in the specific embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0044] Figure 10 This describes the relationship between the third type of air guide assembly and the shelf assembly provided in the specific embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0045] Figure 11 This describes the relationship between the third type of air guide assembly and the shelf assembly provided in the specific embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0046] Figure 12 This describes the relationship between the third type of air guide assembly and the shelf assembly provided in the specific embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0047] Figure 13 This is a comparison diagram of the first opening and closing of the first air outlet of the third type of air guide component provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention under four different states.

[0048] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the third dishwasher provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 15 This is a comparison diagram of the second opening and closing of the first air outlet of the third type of air guide component provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention under four different states.

[0050] In the picture:

[0051] 10. Inner liner; 11. Posterior side wall; 12. Inner cavity;

[0052] 20. Housing assembly; 21. Mounting cavity; 22. Air inlet; 23. Second air outlet; 231. Air outlet a; 232. Air outlet b; 24. Connecting outlet;

[0053] 30. Fan assembly; 31. Motor; 32. Centrifugal fan; 321. Fan disc; 322. Blade;

[0054] 40. Heating assembly; 41. Heating element;

[0055] 50. Air guide assembly; 51. Air duct; 511. First air outlet; 5111. Air outlet hole; 52. Shielding component; 521. Clearance opening; 5211. Clearance hole; 522. Shielding part; 523. Connecting part; 53. Elastic component; 54. Docking inlet; 55. Lower side wall panel;

[0056] 60. Visual inspection components;

[0057] 70. Housing;

[0058] 71. Upper shelf; 72. Lower shelf. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention and not the entire structure.

[0060] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0061] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0062] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0063] This embodiment provides a drying mechanism and a dishwasher, the drying mechanism being used inside the dishwasher. The following description, in conjunction with the appendix... Figure 1-12 The drying mechanism and dishwasher are described in detail. It should be noted that the following descriptions of front, back, left, right, up, down, etc., are all relative to the user when the dishwasher is working normally.

[0064] like Figure 1 As shown, the dishwasher includes a housing 70, an inner tub 10, and a door (not shown). One side of the housing 70 is open, and the inner tub 10 is disposed inside the housing 70, forming an open cavity 12. The open side of the housing 70 and the open side of the inner tub 10 are located on the same side of the dishwasher. The door is movably connected to the housing 70 and is used to open or close the aforementioned openness. In this embodiment, both the openness of the housing 70 and the openness of the inner tub 10 are located on the front side of the dishwasher. Optionally, the door is pivotally connected to the housing 70, meaning that the door is positioned opposite the rear wall of the inner tub 10. The dishwasher also includes a spray arm and a shelf assembly (not shown), both disposed inside the cavity 12. The shelf assembly is used to hold tableware. The spray arm is used to spray water or a mixture of water and detergent onto the tableware on the shelf assembly, thereby cleaning the tableware. (See some embodiments for details). Figure 7 The shelf assembly includes an upper shelf 71 and a lower shelf 72, which are arranged vertically within the cavity 12. Both the upper shelf 71 and the lower shelf 72 are used to place tableware. This arrangement of the shelf assembly makes full use of the space in the cavity 12, increasing the amount of tableware that the dishwasher can hold.

[0065] The dishwasher also includes a drying mechanism for drying and disinfecting the dishes in the inner cavity 12. Specifically, the dishwasher can perform a wash-dry program. The wash-dry program includes a washing stage and a drying stage. During the washing stage, the spray arms perform a spraying operation, and during the drying stage, the spray arms stop spraying, and the drying mechanism operates to dry the washed dishes and simultaneously disinfect them. Of course, in some embodiments, the dishwasher can also perform a drying program, which only includes a drying stage.

[0066] In related technologies, the drying module of a dishwasher with internal circulation drying is usually installed on the rear side wall of the inner cavity. The drying module draws air from the inner cavity and discharges it directly into the inner cavity after heating the air. In this type of dishwasher, because the drying module is located in the rear area of ​​the inner cavity, it will cause uneven temperature between the front and back of the inner cavity, which will lead to uneven drying and sterilization of tableware.

[0067] In this regard, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, in this embodiment, the drying mechanism includes a cover assembly 20, a fan assembly 30, a heating assembly 40, and an air guide assembly 50. The cover assembly 20 is mounted on the rear side wall 11 of the inner cavity 12, that is, on the rear side wall 11 of the inner liner 10. The cover assembly 20 and the rear side wall 11, or the cover assembly 20, form a mounting cavity 21. The mounting cavity 21 has an air inlet 22 and a docking outlet 24, and at least part of the air inlet 22 communicates with the inner cavity 12. The fan assembly 30 is at least partially mounted in the mounting cavity 21. When the fan assembly 30 is working, it drives the airflow from the air inlet 22 into the mounting cavity 21. The heating assembly 40 is at least partially mounted in the mounting cavity 21 and is used to heat the airflow in the mounting cavity 21. The air guide assembly 50 is connected to the housing assembly 20 and is constructed as a channel structure. The channel structure has a docking inlet 54 and a first air outlet 511. The docking inlet 54 is connected to the docking outlet 24. At least part of the first air outlet 511 is located near the door body relative to the rear side wall 11 of the inner cavity 12.

[0068] In this embodiment, during the drying stage, the fan assembly 30 drives the airflow in the inner cavity 12 into the mounting cavity 21 formed by the cover assembly 20. The heating assembly 40 in the mounting cavity 21 heats the airflow. At least part of the heated airflow is discharged from the first air outlet 511 of the air guide assembly 50 to the front area of ​​the inner cavity 12. Driven by the fan assembly 30, the hot airflow in front moves quickly to the rear area of ​​the inner cavity 12, so that the hot airflow circulates rapidly in the front-back direction of the inner cavity 12, thereby improving the uniformity of airflow temperature at various positions in the front-back direction of the inner cavity 12 and ensuring the uniformity of drying and sterilization of tableware in the inner cavity 12 of the dishwasher.

[0069] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the housing assembly 20 is a shell structure bent from sheet metal into an open-on-one shape. The opening of the housing assembly 20 faces the rear sidewall 11 and is fixedly connected to the rear sidewall 11 to form a mounting cavity 21. Optionally, the housing assembly 20 can be fixed to the rear sidewall 11 by bolts or other fasteners. In other embodiments, the housing assembly 20 can also be configured to form the mounting cavity 21 by itself. In this embodiment, the air inlet 22 communicates with the inner cavity 12, thereby enabling the drying mechanism to form an internal circulation drying mode. In some embodiments, a portion of the air inlet 22 may communicate with the inner cavity 12, and a portion of the air inlet 22 may communicate with the outside of the dishwasher. Optionally, the air inlet 22 is located on the front part of the housing assembly 20, thereby communicating with the inner cavity 12 of the dishwasher. Figure 2 As shown, the docking outlet 24 is located on the left or right side wall of the housing assembly 20 near the inner cavity 12. This arrangement allows the air guide assembly 50 to be arranged along the left or right side wall of the inner cavity 12 as much as possible, avoiding positional interference between the air guide assembly 50 and the shelf assembly or spray arm in the inner cavity 12.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, the fan assembly 30 includes a centrifugal fan 32 and a motor 31. The centrifugal fan 32 includes a fan disc 321 and multiple blades 322. The fan disc 321 is connected to the output end of the motor 31, and the multiple blades 322 are arranged on the side of the fan disc 321 facing the air inlet 22. When the motor 31 drives the centrifugal fan 32 to rotate, the air pressure inside the mounting cavity 21 decreases, thereby drawing the airflow from the inner cavity 12 into the mounting cavity 21. In this embodiment, the heating assembly 40 includes a heating tube 41, which surrounds at least a portion of the centrifugal fan 32 circumferentially. Along the axial direction of the centrifugal fan 32, the heating tube 41 is positioned near the root of the blades 322. It should be noted that the root position refers to the end where the blades 322 are connected to the fan disc 321. During the rotation of the centrifugal fan 32, when the airflow is centrifugally thrown out from the blades 322, most of it is concentrated at the root of the blades 322. By arranging the heating tube 41 in a position close to the root of the blades 322 along the axial direction, the heating tube 41 can more directly contact most of the airflow flowing through the centrifugal fan 32, thereby making the airflow carry away the heat of the heating tube 41 more efficiently, improving the heating efficiency of the airflow, and also improving the overall drying efficiency accordingly.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the flow area of ​​the channel structure of the air guide assembly 50 gradually decreases along the airflow discharge direction. With this configuration, after the airflow enters the air guide assembly 50, the flow velocity gradually increases as the flow area decreases, allowing the airflow to enter the inner cavity 12 at a higher speed and contact the tableware inside, thus improving the drying speed. In this embodiment, the air guide assembly 50 is a shell-shaped component, with a sealed front end and an open rear end to form a docking inlet 54. When the air guide assembly 50 is installed on the cover assembly 20, the docking inlet 54 is directly opposite the docking outlet 24 on the cover assembly 20. Optionally, the air guide assembly 50 can be fixed to the cover assembly 20 by welding, fastener connection, or other methods, which are not limited here.

[0072] like Figure 4 As shown, compared to the rear sidewall 11, the first air outlet 511 is located at the end of the air guide assembly 50 near the dishwasher door, that is, at the front end of the air guide assembly 50. In this embodiment, the first air outlet 511 includes multiple air outlet holes 5111. Optionally, all multiple air outlet holes 5111 are located in the front end region of the air guide assembly 50. Of course, in some embodiments, the multiple air outlet holes 5111 can also be arranged evenly on the air guide assembly 50 in the front-back direction. In this embodiment, the first air outlet 511 is located on the lower sidewall panel 55 of the air guide assembly 50. This arrangement can minimize the risk of water entering the interior of the air guide assembly 50 from the first air outlet 511 during the washing stage. In some embodiments, the lower sidewall panel 55 of the air guide assembly 50 can also be set as an inclined surface, and the position of the first air outlet 511 is lower, so that even if water enters the air guide assembly 50, it will flow along the lower sidewall panel 55 and eventually be discharged from the first air outlet 511. In some embodiments, the first air outlet 511 may also be configured as an integral strip-shaped opening, which is not specifically limited here.

[0073] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the housing assembly 20 is provided with a second air outlet 23, which connects the mounting cavity 21 and the inner cavity 12. Therefore, after the airflow enters the mounting cavity 21 and is heated by the heating assembly 40, part of the hot airflow enters the air guide assembly 50 and is discharged from the first air outlet 511 to the front area of ​​the inner cavity 12; part of it is directly discharged from the second air outlet 23 to the rear area of ​​the inner cavity 12. This arrangement can further improve the uniformity of temperature in the front and rear directions of the inner cavity 12, thereby improving the uniformity of tableware drying and sterilization. Optionally, the second air outlet 23 includes an air outlet a231 and an air outlet b232, with air outlet a231 located above the air inlet 22 and air outlet b232 located below the air inlet 22. Optionally, the number of air outlets a231 and air outlet b232, their specific cross-sectional shapes, etc., can be flexibly set as needed and are not limited here.

[0074] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the second air outlet 23 includes multiple air outlet holes 5111, which are configured as at least two sets of air outlet holes. Each set of air outlet holes includes at least one air outlet hole 5111 with the same air outlet direction. In this embodiment, the same set of air outlet holes includes multiple air outlet holes 5111, and the multiple air outlet holes 5111 in the same set of air outlet holes are arranged in the front-to-back direction. This arrangement can further improve the uniformity of hot airflow distribution in the inner cavity 12, thereby correspondingly improving the uniformity of tableware drying and sterilization. In some embodiments, the air outlet holes 5111 of different sets of air outlet holes have different air outlet directions. This arrangement can more accurately control the flow direction of hot airflow, allowing the hot airflow to contact the tableware to be dried more quickly and directly, thus improving drying efficiency.

[0075] In this embodiment, as Figures 5-7 As shown, the multiple air outlets 5111 of the second air outlet 23 are constructed as two sets of air outlet groups. One set of air outlet groups is located at the upper position of the air guide assembly 50 and extends obliquely upwards. This arrangement allows the air outlet group to be aligned with the tableware located on the upper shelf 71. The other set of air outlet groups is located at the lower position of the air guide assembly 50 and extends obliquely downwards. This arrangement allows the air outlet group to be aligned with the tableware located on the lower shelf 72, thereby improving drying efficiency. In other embodiments, three or more sets of air outlets may be provided, which is not limited here. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape and size of the portion of the air guide assembly 50 with the air outlets 5111 are consistent along the front-to-back direction.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first air outlet 511 can be selectively closed or opened at least partially. This configuration allows the first air outlet 511 to be closed or only partially opened during the washing phase of the dishwasher, preventing water from entering the air guide assembly 50 through the first air outlet 511 and remaining there for extended periods, which could lead to corrosion and damage. During the drying phase, all or part of the first air outlet 511 can be opened to ensure smooth operation of the drying process.

[0077] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the air guiding assembly 50 includes an air duct 51 and a shielding member 52. A first air outlet 511 is disposed on the air duct 51, and the shielding member 52 is disposed on one side of the air duct 51 and has a clearance opening 521. The position of the shielding member 52 relative to the air duct 51 is adjustable, so that the shielding member 52 can block the first air outlet 511, or allow the clearance opening 521 to communicate with at least a portion of the first air outlet 511. This configuration facilitates the synchronous opening and closing control of multiple air outlets 5111 of the first air outlet 511, resulting in a simpler structure and lower cost. In this embodiment, as... Figure 6 As shown, the shield 52 is disposed inside the air duct 51 and slides in conjunction with the air duct 51. This arrangement reduces the amount of food entering the gap between the shield 52 and the air duct 51 during the washing process, ensuring that the shield 52 can move smoothly even after long-term use.

[0078] Optionally, such as Figure 7 As shown, the shielding member 52 is a U-shaped component with a cross-section, and the size and shape of the cross-section of the shielding member 52 match the size and shape of the cross-section of the inner wall of the air duct 51. This configuration allows the air duct 51 to guide and limit the sliding of the shielding member 52, ensuring the movement accuracy of the shielding member 52. In other embodiments (not shown), the shielding member 52 is constructed as a plate and is pivotally connected to the air duct 51. Furthermore, the drying mechanism is equipped with a drive source for driving the shielding member 52 to rotate. When the shielding member 52 is driven to rotate until it is in contact with the inner wall of the air duct 51, the first air outlet 511 is blocked. When the drive source drives the shielding member 52 away from the inner wall of the air duct 51, the first air outlet 511 opens.

[0079] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the clearance opening 521 includes multiple clearance holes 5211. The number of clearance holes 5211 and their arrangement on the shielding member 52 correspond to the number of air outlet holes 5111 and their arrangement on the duct 51, respectively. That is, each clearance hole 5211 corresponds to one air outlet hole 5111, and the opening and closing states of each air outlet hole 5111 change synchronously after the position of the shielding member 52 relative to the duct 51 is adjusted. Specifically, in conjunction with... Figure 8 As shown, when the shielding member 52 is in the first position relative to the air duct 51 (i.e. Figure 8 As shown in (A)), the clearance hole 5211 completely avoids the corresponding air outlet 5111, and the shielding member 52 completely blocks the first air outlet 511 at this time. When the shielding member 52 moves relative to the air duct 51 to the second position (i.e. Figure 8 As shown in (B)), each clearance hole 5211 is partially opposite to the corresponding air outlet 5111, meaning that the shielding member 52 only blocks a portion of the first air outlet 511 at this time. When the shielding member 52 is in the third position relative to the duct 51 (i.e. Figure 8 As shown in (C), each clearance hole 5211 is completely opposite to the corresponding air outlet 5111. At this time, each air outlet 5111 is fully open, that is, the first air outlet 511 is fully open.

[0080] like Figure 6As shown, the air guide assembly 50 also includes an elastic element 53. One end of the elastic element 53 is connected to the air duct 51, and the other end is connected to the shielding element 52. The elastic element 53 is configured to block at least a portion of the first air outlet 511 by the shielding element 52. The airflow provided by the fan assembly 30 can act on the shielding element 52 and cause the elastic element 53 to elastically deform, thereby changing the position of the shielding element 52. With this configuration, during the washing stage, the fan assembly 30 does not blow air, and the elastic element 53 can block at least a portion of the first air outlet 511 by the shielding element 52, thereby preventing water from entering the air guide assembly 50. During the drying stage, the airflow provided by the fan assembly 30 acts on the shielding element 52, and the shielding element 52 causes the elastic element 53 to elastically deform and store elastic potential energy, thereby changing the position of the shielding element 52 and opening the first air outlet 511 to ensure the uniformity of the hot airflow distribution in the inner cavity 12 during drying. After drying is complete, the fan assembly 30 stops working, and no more airflow acts on the shielding member 52. At this time, the elastic member 53 releases its elastic potential energy and drives the shielding member 52 to return to the position of blocking the first air outlet 511. In this embodiment, the opening and closing action of the first air outlet 511 of the air guide assembly 50 does not require an additional drive source. Instead, it is achieved by the pressure of the airflow generated by the elastic member 53 and the fan assembly 30, resulting in a simple structure, low cost, and reliable opening and closing action. In addition, the elastic member 53 is located between the front end of the air duct 51 and the front end of the shielding member 52, so it will not interfere with the airflow. In this embodiment, when the fan assembly 30 is not working, the elastic member 53 keeps the shielding member 52 in a position that completely blocks the first air outlet 511, thereby completely preventing water from entering the air guide assembly 50 during the washing stage.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, the shielding member 52 includes a shielding part 522 and a connecting part 523. An allowance 521 is provided on the shielding part 522, and the connecting part 523 is connected to the front end of the shielding part 522. An elastic member 53 is disposed between the front end face of the duct 51 and the connecting part 523. When the fan assembly 30 is not working, the elastic member 53 is in its original length state, and the shielding member 52 is in the position that completely blocks the first air outlet 511 (i.e., Figure 8 (As shown in (A)); when the fan assembly 30 is working, the shield 52 moves forward as a whole, at which time the clearance opening 521 is opposite to the first air outlet 511 (i.e. Figure 8 (B) or completely opposite to the first air outlet 511 (i.e. Figure 8 In (C), the first air outlet 511 is opened, and the elastic element 53 is compressed to store elastic potential energy; when the fan assembly 30 stops working, the elastic element 53 releases elastic potential energy and drives the blocking element 52 to move backward and block the first air outlet 511.

[0082] In this embodiment, the power of the fan assembly 30 is adjustable, thereby making the position of the shielding member 52 relative to the air duct 51 adjustable. Based on the above-described scheme of synchronously adjusting the opening and closing of multiple air outlets 5111 of the first air outlet 511, when the power of the fan assembly 30 is different, the airflow pressure is different, and the final equilibrium position of the shielding member 52 is also different. Correspondingly, the opening degree (i.e., the total open area) of the first air outlet 511 is also different. By setting the fan assembly 30 to have adjustable power, the flexibility of controlling the first air outlet 511 can be improved.

[0083] In some embodiments, by reasonably setting the relative arrangement of the clearance hole 5211 on the shield 52 and the air outlet hole 5111 on the air duct 51, different air outlet hole groups can be selected to be opened when the power of the fan assembly 30 changes.

[0084] For example: in some embodiments, such as Figures 9-12 As shown, the first air outlet 511 includes two sets of air outlet holes, one upper and one lower. When the fan assembly 30 is not working, such as Figure 9 As shown, both sets of air outlets are closed. When the fan assembly 30 operates at the first power, as... Figure 10 As shown, only the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group is open, while the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group remains closed. At this time, the air guide assembly 50 only blows air onto the tableware on the upper shelf 71. When the fan assembly 30 operates at the second power, as... Figure 11 As shown, both sets of air outlets in the air guide assembly 50 are open. The upper air outlet group blows air onto the tableware on the upward shelf 71, and the lower air outlet group blows air onto the tableware on the downward shelf 72. When the fan assembly 30 operates at the third power, as... Figure 12 As shown, only the lower air outlet group is open, while the upper air outlet group is closed. At this time, the air guide assembly 50 blows air only onto the tableware on the downward shelf 72.

[0085] In order to enable the first air outlet 511 to open asynchronously in the different areas mentioned above, that is, to open different air outlet groups when the power of the fan assembly 30 is different, Figure 13 An arrangement of the clearance hole 5211 and the air outlet 5111 is provided. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the air outlets 5111 of the upper air outlet group and the air outlets 5111 of the lower air outlet group are staggered in the front-to-back direction, while the clearance holes 5211 on the shielding member 52 corresponding to the air outlets 5111 of the upper air outlet group and the clearance holes 5211 corresponding to the air outlets 5111 of the lower air outlet group are directly opposite each other. In this embodiment, when the shielding member 52 moves different distances in the front-to-back direction, the asynchronous opening and closing control of different areas of the first air outlet 511 can be achieved. Specifically, Figure 13The solid line hole represents the air outlet 5111, and the dashed line hole represents the clearance hole 5211. When the fan assembly 30 is not working, as... Figure 9 and Figure 13 As shown in (A), the elastic element 53 positions the blocking element 52 in the first position, all the clearance holes 5211 clear the corresponding air outlet holes 5111, and both sets of air outlet holes are closed. Figure 10 and Figure 13 As shown in (B), when the fan operates at the first power, the shield 52 is in the second position, with only the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group open, while the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group remains closed. Figure 11 and Figure 13 As shown in (C), when the fan operates at the third power, the shield 52 is in the third position, and the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group is partially open, as are the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group. Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown in (D), when the fan assembly 30 is operating at the second power, the shield 52 is in the fourth position, with only the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group open, while the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group remains closed.

[0086] In some embodiments, such as Figure 14 As shown, the drying mechanism also includes a vision detection component 60, which is electrically connected to the fan assembly 30. The vision detection component 60 is used to detect the distribution of tableware in the inner cavity 12, and the fan assembly 30 can adjust its power based on the detection results of the vision detection component 60. With this configuration, the fan assembly 30 automatically adjusts its power according to the actual distribution of the tableware, thereby adjusting the position of the shielding member 52 accordingly, and selecting the opening position and degree of the first air outlet 511 so that the air outlet position of the first air outlet 511 corresponds to the tableware, improving drying efficiency. Moreover, the power of the fan assembly 30 does not require manual adjustment, making it more convenient to use.

[0087] Specifically, when the power of the fan assembly 30 changes, different air outlet groups can be selectively opened. For example, after the user places the tableware on the shelf assembly and the dishwasher starts running, the vision detection assembly 60 detects the distribution of the tableware, including whether there are tableware on only the upper shelf 71, only on the lower shelf 72, or on both the upper and lower shelves 72. Specifically, when the vision detection assembly 60 detects that there are tableware on only the upper shelf 71, it sends this result to the dishwasher's control module. During the drying stage, the control module controls the fan assembly 30 to operate at a first power, and the shielding member 52 is in a second position (e.g., Figure 13As shown in (B)), only the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group is open, blowing air onto the tableware on the upper shelf 71, while the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group remains closed. When the vision detection component 60 detects that there are tableware on both the upper shelf 71 and the lower shelf 72, it sends the result to the dishwasher's control module. During the drying stage, the control module controls the fan assembly 30 to operate at the second power, and the shield 52 is in the third position (as shown in (B)). Figure 13 As shown in (C), the air outlets 5111 of the upper air outlet group are partially open, and the air outlets 5111 of the lower air outlet group are also partially open, simultaneously blowing air onto the tableware on the upper shelf 71 and the tableware on the lower shelf 72. Furthermore, it is understood that by adjusting the power of the fan assembly 30 to be slightly greater than or slightly less than the second power, the opening degree of both the upper and lower air outlet assemblies can be adjusted. When the vision detection assembly 60 detects that there are only tableware on the lower shelf 72, it sends this result to the dishwasher's control module. During the drying stage, the control module controls the fan assembly 30 to operate at the third power, and the shield 52 is in the fourth position (e.g., ...). Figure 13 As shown in (D), only the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group is open and blows air onto the tableware on the downward shelf 72, while the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group remains closed.

[0088] In some embodiments, to enable different air outlet groups to open when the fan assembly 30 has different power, another arrangement of the clearance port 521 and the first air outlet 511 is provided: Specifically, the first air outlet 511 includes multiple air outlet holes 5111, which are configured as at least two sets of air outlet holes, with different air outlet directions for the air outlet holes 5111 in different sets. The clearance port 521 includes multiple first clearance holes 5211a and multiple second clearance holes 5211b, with each air outlet 5111 corresponding to one first clearance hole 5211a and one second clearance hole 5211b. The distance between the air outlet holes 5111 of different air outlet hole groups and the corresponding first clearance holes 5211a is different, so that when the first clearance hole 5211a is aligned with the corresponding air outlet hole 5111, the corresponding air outlet hole group opens, and the remaining air outlet hole groups close. The distance between the air outlet 5111 of different air outlet groups and the corresponding second clearance hole 5211b is the same, so that at least two air outlet groups can open synchronously. With this setting, it is also possible to make only one air outlet group open or at least two air outlet groups open.

[0089] like Figure 15 As shown, taking an example where there are two sets of air outlets: when the fan assembly 30 is not working, the shield 52 is in the first position, that is... Figure 15As shown in position (A), neither of the air vents 5111 of the two air vent groups is open. When the vision detection component 60 detects that there are only dishes on the upper shelf 71, it sends the result to the dishwasher's control module. During the drying stage, the control module controls the fan assembly 30 to operate at the first power, causing the shield 52 to move to the second position (e.g., Figure 15 As shown in (B)), the air outlets 5111 of the upper air outlet group are all aligned with the corresponding first clearance holes 5211a. At this time, only the upper air outlet group is open and can blow air onto the tableware on the upper shelf 71, while the air outlets 5111 of the lower air outlet group remain closed. When the vision detection component 60 detects that there are tableware on only the lower shelf 72, it sends the result to the dishwasher's control module. During the drying stage, the control module controls the fan assembly 30 to operate at the third power, and the shield 52 is located in the third position (e.g., Figure 15 As shown in (C), the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group is aligned with the corresponding first clearance hole 5211a. At this time, only the lower air outlet group is open and can blow air onto the tableware on the lower shelf 72, while the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group remains closed. When the vision detection component 60 detects that there are tableware on both the upper shelf 71 and the lower shelf 72, it sends the result to the control module of the dishwasher. During the drying stage, the control module controls the fan assembly 30 to operate at the second power, and the shield 52 is in the third position (e.g., Figure 15 As shown in (D), the air outlet 5111 of the upper air outlet group is aligned with the corresponding second clearance hole 5211b, and the air outlet 5111 of the lower air outlet group is aligned with the corresponding second clearance hole 5211b. At this time, both the upper air outlet group and the lower air outlet group are open, and air can be blown onto the tableware on the upper shelf 71 and the lower shelf 72 at the same time.

[0090] In some embodiments, to enable different air outlet groups to be opened when the fan assembly 30 has different power, another arrangement of the clearance port 521 and the first air outlet 511 is provided: Specifically, the first air outlet 511 includes multiple air outlet holes 5111, which are configured as two sets of air outlet holes. The distance between the air outlet holes 5111 in one set of air outlet holes is L1, and the distance between the air outlet holes 5111 in the other set of air outlet holes is L2. The clearance port 521 includes multiple clearance holes 5211, which form two sets of clearance hole groups. The distance between the clearance holes 5211 in the two sets of clearance hole groups is equal and is L3, where L3 = L1 × L2. Under this relationship, when the power of the fan assembly 30 is different, only some of the air outlets 5111 of one of the air outlet groups can be opened simultaneously, or only some of the air outlets 5111 of the other air outlet group can be opened simultaneously, or both air outlet groups can open some of their air outlets 5111.

[0091] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, based on the concept of the present invention, there will be changes in specific implementation methods and application scope. The content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drying mechanism for use in a dishwasher, characterized in that, The drying mechanism includes: A housing assembly (20) is mounted on the rear sidewall (11) of the inner cavity (12) of the dishwasher. The housing assembly (20) and the rear sidewall (11) or the housing assembly (20) form a mounting cavity (21). The mounting cavity (21) has an air inlet (22) and a docking outlet (24). At least part of the air inlet (22) communicates with the inner cavity (12). A fan assembly (30), at least partially installed in the mounting cavity (21), is configured to drive airflow from the air inlet (22) into the mounting cavity (21); A heating assembly (40) is at least partially installed in the mounting cavity (21) for heating the airflow in the mounting cavity (21); An air guide assembly (50) is connected to the housing assembly (20) and is configured as a channel structure. The channel structure has a docking inlet (54) and a first air outlet (511). The docking inlet (54) communicates with the docking outlet (24). The door of the dishwasher is disposed opposite to the rear side wall (11). At least part of the first air outlet (511) is located near the door relative to the rear side wall (11). The air guide assembly (50) includes an air duct (51) and a shield (52), the first air outlet (511) is disposed on the air duct (51), and the shield (52) can selectively close or open at least part of the first air outlet (511). The shielding member (52) is disposed on one side of the air duct (51) and has a clearance opening (521). The position of the shielding member (52) relative to the air duct (51) is adjustable so that the shielding member (52) can block the first air outlet (511) or make the clearance opening (521) communicate with at least part of the first air outlet (511). The air guide assembly (50) further includes an elastic element (53), one end of which is connected to the air duct (51) and the other end is connected to the shielding element (52). The elastic element (53) is configured to block at least part of the first air outlet (511) by the shielding element (52). The airflow provided by the fan assembly (30) can act on the shielding element (52) and cause the elastic element (53) to elastically deform, thereby changing the position of the shielding element (52).

2. The drying mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power of the fan assembly (30) is adjustable so that the position of the shield (52) is adjustable, corresponding to different opening degrees and / or opening areas of the first air outlet (511).

3. The drying mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The drying mechanism also includes a vision detection component (60), which is electrically connected to the fan assembly (30). The vision detection component (60) is used to detect the distribution of tableware in the inner cavity (12), and the fan assembly (30) can adjust its power based on the detection result of the vision detection component (60).

4. The drying mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first air outlet (511) includes a plurality of air outlet holes (5111), and the plurality of air outlet holes (5111) are configured as at least two groups of air outlet holes, and the air outlet holes (5111) of different groups of air outlet holes have different air outlet directions. When the power of the fan assembly (30) changes, different groups of air outlets can be selected to be opened.

5. The drying mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The clearance opening (521) includes a plurality of first clearance holes (5211a) and a plurality of second clearance holes (5211b), and each air outlet (5111) is configured with one first clearance hole (5211a) and one second clearance hole (5211b); wherein: The distance between the air outlet (5111) of different air outlet groups and the corresponding first clearance hole (5211a) is different, so that when the first clearance hole (5211a) is aligned with the corresponding air outlet (5111), the corresponding air outlet group is opened and the other air outlet groups are closed. The distance between the air outlet (5111) of different air outlet groups and the corresponding second clearance hole (5211b) is the same, so that at least two groups of air outlet groups can be opened synchronously.

6. The drying mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding member (52) slides with the inner wall of the air duct (51). The shielding member (52) includes a shielding part (522) and a connecting part (523). The clearance opening (521) is disposed on the shielding part (522). The connecting part (523) is connected to the front end of the shielding part (522). The elastic member (53) is disposed between the front end face of the air duct (51) and the connecting part (523).

7. The drying mechanism according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Along the direction of airflow discharge, the flow area of ​​the channel structure gradually decreases; and / or The housing assembly (20) is provided with a second air outlet (23), which connects the mounting cavity (21) and the inner cavity (12); and / or The fan assembly (30) includes a centrifugal fan (32), which includes a fan disc (321) and a plurality of blades (322) disposed on the side of the fan disc (321) facing the air inlet (22); the heating assembly (40) includes a heating tube (41), which is arranged around at least a portion of the centrifugal fan (32) in the circumferential direction; along the axial direction of the centrifugal fan (32), the heating tube (41) is disposed near the root of the blades (322).

8. A dishwasher, characterized in that, The device includes an inner liner (10) and a drying mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the inner liner (10) surrounds the inner cavity (12), and the drying mechanism is connected to the rear sidewall (11) of the inner liner (10).

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