Automatic putting mechanism and washing machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic putting mechanism and a washing machine, comprising: a detergent box used for storing detergent, the bottom end of which is provided with a liquid outlet connector; the top end of the feeding cylinder is communicated with the liquid outlet connector through a supplementing pipeline, and a first electromagnetic valve is arranged in the supplementing pipeline; the bottom end of the washing barrel is communicated to the washing barrel through a feeding pipeline, and a second electromagnetic valve is arranged in the feeding pipeline; and the liquid level detector is connected with the feeding cylinder and is used for detecting the liquid level height of the detergent in the feeding cylinder. The first electromagnetic valve and the second electromagnetic valve are used for controlling connection and disconnection of the detergent feeding pipeline to achieve automatic feeding control, the characteristic that the detergent flows from high to low under the gravity action is completely used in the feeding process, a power pumping device does not need to be arranged, and the device has the advantage of being low in cost. In addition, the detergent feeding amount is accurately fed back in real time through the change of the liquid level height in the feeding cylinder, quantitative feeding is achieved, the advantage of being high in feeding amount precision is achieved, and the problem that the feeding amount is insufficient or excessive can be effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of washing machines, and particularly relates to an automatic dosing mechanism and a washing machine. Background Art

[0002] Some existing fully automatic washing machines are integrated with the function of automatically dosing detergent. Users can first inject a large amount of detergent into the detergent box, and during washing, the detergent can be automatically pumped into the washing tub by using the detergent pumping system. The existing detergent pumping system generally sets a peristaltic pump. In addition to providing the driving force for detergent dosing, the peristaltic pump can also control the dosing amount of the detergent by controlling the running time of the peristaltic pump. However, the existing automatic detergent dosing system still has certain defects: the equipment cost of setting a separate pumping system for the detergent is relatively high. In addition, by controlling the running time of the peristaltic pump to achieve quantitative dosing, the quantitative accuracy is relatively low, and problems such as insufficient or excessive dosing of the detergent are likely to occur. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present utility model is to provide an automatic dosing mechanism and a washing machine, which can solve the above problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] On the one hand, an automatic dosing mechanism is provided, including:

[0006] A detergent box for storing detergent, and a liquid outlet connection is provided at the bottom end thereof;

[0007] A dosing cylinder, the top end of which is connected to the liquid outlet connection through a replenishment pipeline, and a first electromagnetic valve is arranged in the replenishment pipeline; the bottom end is connected to the washing tub through a dosing pipeline, and a second electromagnetic valve is arranged in the dosing pipeline;

[0008] A liquid level detector is connected to the dosing cylinder and is used to detect the height of the detergent liquid level in the dosing cylinder.

[0009] Optionally, the liquid level detector is a water pressure sensor. The dosing cylinder includes a main cylinder body and a side branch pipe that are connected. The top end of the main cylinder body is connected to the replenishment pipeline, and the bottom end is connected to the dosing pipeline; the bottom end of the side branch pipe is connected to one side of the main cylinder body, and the top end is connected to the liquid level detector. The liquid level detector detects the height of the liquid level in the main cylinder body by sensing the pressure change in the side branch pipe.

[0010] Optionally, the side branch pipe is connected to a position close to the bottom end of the main cylinder body.

[0011] Optionally, a first end cap is installed at the top of the dosing cylinder. A first connection hole is provided at the center of the first end cap, and the replenishment pipe is connected to the first connection hole to inject detergent into the dosing cylinder.

[0012] Optionally, the first end cap is provided with ventilation holes, and the inner cavity of the dosing cylinder communicates with the atmospheric pressure through the ventilation holes.

[0013] Optionally, a second end cap is installed at the bottom of the dosing cylinder. A second connection hole is provided at the center of the second end cap, and the dosing pipe is connected to the second connection hole to draw out the detergent in the dosing cylinder.

[0014] Optionally, the second end cap includes a cover plate portion and an inner connection ring. The cover plate portion abuts against the lower end surface of the dosing cylinder, and the inner connection ring is installed in the dosing cylinder by interference fit.

[0015] Optionally, at least two circles of ribs are provided around the outer wall of the inner connection ring.

[0016] Optionally, the inner diameter of the dosing cylinder is 5 - 20 mm.

[0017] On the other hand, a washing machine is provided, including the above automatic dosing mechanism.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: This embodiment provides an automatic dosing mechanism that can be used to automatically dose detergent in a washing machine, including a detergent box, a dosing cylinder, and a liquid level detector. Among them, a first solenoid valve is provided in the supplementary pipeline connecting the dosing cylinder and the detergent box, and a second solenoid valve is provided in the dosing pipeline connecting the dosing cylinder and the washing cylinder. By controlling the opening and closing of the first solenoid valve, the cut-off and conduction of the detergent box to supplement detergent to the dosing cylinder can be controlled; by controlling the opening and closing of the second solenoid valve, the cut-off and conduction of the dosing cylinder to dose detergent to the washing cylinder can be controlled; the liquid level detector can be used to automatically detect the change in the liquid level in the dosing cylinder, that is, to realize the detection of the dosing amount of detergent. Based on the automatic dosing structure of this solution, before dosing, the second solenoid valve can be closed first, and the first solenoid valve can be opened, so that the detergent stored in the detergent box can be supplemented to the dosing cylinder; during dosing, the first solenoid valve is closed, and the second solenoid valve is opened, so that the detergent in the dosing cylinder can be automatically dosed into the washing cylinder, and the liquid level detector is used to monitor the change in the liquid level height in the dosing cylinder in real time and calculate the dosing amount of detergent in real time. When the monitored detergent dosing amount reaches the set value, the second solenoid valve can be controlled to close. In this solution, the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve are used to control the on-off of the detergent dosing pipeline to realize automatic control of dosing. During the dosing process, the characteristics of the detergent flowing from high to low under its own gravity are fully utilized, and there is no need to set up a power pumping device, which has the advantage of low equipment cost. In addition, the change in the liquid level height in the dosing cylinder is used to accurately feedback the detergent dosing amount in real time to realize quantitative dosing, which has the advantage of high dosing accuracy and can effectively avoid the problems of insufficient or excessive dosing amount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the automatic dosing mechanism according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the automatic dosing mechanism according to the embodiment of the present application after hiding the detergent box;

[0022] Figure 3 is Figure 2 an exploded schematic diagram of the structure shown;

[0023] Figure 4 is Figure 2 a cross-sectional view of the structure shown;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the first end cover according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0025] In the figure:

[0026] 1. Detergent box; 2. Dispensing cylinder; 21. Main cylinder body; 22. Side branch pipe; 3. Liquid level detector; 4. Supplementary pipeline; 41. First solenoid valve; 5. Dispensing pipeline; 51. Second solenoid valve; 6. First end cap; 61. First connection hole; 62. Vent hole; 7. Second end cap; 71. Second connection hole; 72. Cover plate part; 73. Inner connection ring; 74. Rib. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] To make the technical problems solved by this application, the technical solutions adopted and the achieved technical effects clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to specific situations.

[0029] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features between them. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above", and "on" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below", and "under" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0030] In some existing semi-automatic washing machines, a function of automatically dispensing detergent is integrated. Users can first pour a large amount of detergent into the detergent box, and during the laundry process, the detergent can be automatically pumped into the laundry drum by using the detergent pumping system. The existing detergent pumping system generally sets a peristaltic pump. In addition to providing the driving force for detergent dispensing, the peristaltic pump can also control the dispensing amount of the detergent by controlling the running duration of the peristaltic pump. However, there are still certain defects in the existing automatic detergent dispensing system: the equipment cost of separately setting a pumping system for the detergent is relatively high. In addition, by controlling the running duration of the peristaltic pump to achieve quantitative dispensing, the quantitative accuracy is relatively low, and problems such as insufficient or excessive waste of detergent dispensing are likely to occur.

[0031] To overcome the above technical problems, referring to Figures 1-5 , this embodiment provides an automatic dispensing mechanism, which includes a detergent box 1, a dispensing cylinder 2, and a liquid level detector 3. The detergent box 1 is used to store detergent, and a liquid outlet connection port is provided at its bottom end; the top end of the dispensing cylinder 2 is connected to the liquid outlet connection port through a replenishment pipeline 4, and a first solenoid valve 41 is arranged in the replenishment pipeline 4; the bottom end of the dispensing cylinder 2 is connected to the laundry drum through a dispensing pipeline 5, and a second solenoid valve 51 is arranged in the dispensing pipeline 5; the liquid level detector 3 is connected to the dispensing cylinder 2 and is used to detect the height of the detergent liquid level in the dispensing cylinder 2.

[0032] In the solution of this embodiment, during the process of dispensing detergent, the actual dispensing amount is fed back by detecting the liquid level change in the dispensing cylinder 2 through the liquid level detector 3. It can be understood that the thinner and longer the dispensing cylinder 2 is, the more accurate the actual dispensing amount fed back by the liquid level change is. Therefore, when setting the dispensing cylinder 2 in this solution, its diameter is preferably not more than 20 mm.

[0033] Based on the automatic dispensing mechanism of this embodiment, it can be used to automatically dispense detergent in a washing machine, including a detergent box 1, a dispensing cylinder 2, and a liquid level detector 3. Among them, a first solenoid valve 41 is provided in a replenishment pipeline 4 connected between the dispensing cylinder 2 and the detergent box 1, and a second solenoid valve 51 is provided in a dispensing pipeline 5 connected between the dispensing cylinder 2 and the washing cylinder. By controlling the opening and closing of the first solenoid valve 41, the cutoff and conduction of the detergent box 1 to replenish detergent to the dispensing cylinder 2 can be controlled; by controlling the opening and closing of the second solenoid valve 51, the cutoff and conduction of the dispensing cylinder 2 to dispense detergent to the washing cylinder can be controlled; the liquid level detector 3 can be used to automatically detect the change in the liquid level in the dispensing cylinder 2, that is, to realize the detection of the dispensing amount of detergent. Based on the automatic dispensing structure of this solution, before dispensing, the second solenoid valve 51 can be closed first, and the first solenoid valve 41 can be opened, so that the detergent stored in the detergent box 1 can be replenished into the dispensing cylinder 2; during dispensing, the first solenoid valve 41 is closed, and the second solenoid valve 51 is opened, so that the detergent in the dispensing cylinder 2 can be automatically dispensed into the washing cylinder, and the liquid level detector 3 is used to monitor the change in the liquid level height in the dispensing cylinder 2 in real time and calculate the dispensing amount of detergent in real time. When the monitored dispensing amount of detergent reaches the set value, the second solenoid valve 51 can be controlled to close. In this solution, the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 51 are used to control the on-off of the detergent dispensing pipeline to achieve automatic control of dispensing. During the dispensing process, the characteristics of the detergent flowing from high to low under its own gravity are fully utilized, and there is no need to set up a power pumping device, which has the advantage of low equipment cost. In addition, the change in the liquid level height in the dispensing cylinder 2 is used to accurately feedback the dispensing amount of detergent in real time to achieve quantitative dispensing, which has the advantage of high dispensing accuracy and can effectively avoid the problems of insufficient or excessive dispensing amount.

[0034] In one embodiment, the liquid level detector 3 is a water pressure sensor. The dispensing cylinder 2 includes a main cylinder body 21 and a side branch pipe 22 that are connected and communicated. The top end of the main cylinder body 21 is connected to the replenishment pipeline 4, and the bottom end is connected to the dispensing pipeline 5; the bottom end of the side branch pipe 22 is connected to one side of the main cylinder body 21, and the top end is connected to the liquid level detector 3. The liquid level detector 3 realizes the detection of the liquid level height in the main cylinder body 21 by sensing the pressure change in the side branch pipe 22.

[0035] The water pressure sensor can sense the pressure change in the side branch pipe 22 and convert it into an electrical signal for output. The change amount of this electrical signal can reflect the change in the liquid level height in the main cylinder 21. Specifically, during the process of dispensing detergent, as the liquid level of the detergent in the main cylinder 21 drops, the pressure exerted by the detergent on the air in the side branch pipe 22 gradually decreases. Therefore, the water pressure sensor only needs to sense the pressure change in the side branch pipe 22. The washing machine control system receives and processes the electrical signal from the water pressure sensor, calculates the current liquid level height through a preset algorithm, and can calculate the actual dispensing amount based on the liquid level height difference before and after. When the set detergent dispensing amount is reached, the control system will close the second solenoid valve 51 to stop the dispensing of detergent into the washing tub. At the same time, if it is necessary to continue to supplement detergent into the main cylinder 21, the first solenoid valve 41 can be opened to allow the detergent to flow from the detergent box 1 into the main cylinder 21.

[0036] Detecting the liquid level height in the main cylinder 21 by sensing the pressure change in the side branch pipe 22 through the water pressure sensor has the advantages of high precision and easy implementation.

[0037] In one embodiment, the side branch pipe 22 is connected to a position near the bottom end of the main cylinder 21.

[0038] Connecting the side branch pipe 22 to a position near the bottom end of the main cylinder 21 can ensure that the liquid level change can still be accurately detected at a low liquid level.

[0039] In one embodiment, a first end cover 6 is installed at the top of the dispensing cylinder 2. A first connection hole 61 is provided at the center of the first end cover 6, and the replenishment pipe 4 is connected to the first connection hole 61 to realize the injection of detergent into the dispensing cylinder 2.

[0040] As a closed component at the top of the dispensing cylinder 2, the first end cover 6 not only protects the internal structure of the dispensing cylinder 2 from the outside world, but also enhances the stability of the entire dispensing mechanism. It prevents dust, dirt or other impurities from entering the inside of the dispensing cylinder 2 and keeps the detergent clean.

[0041] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 5 , the first end cover 6 is provided with a ventilation hole 62, and the inner cavity of the dispensing cylinder 2 is communicated with the atmospheric pressure through the ventilation hole 62.

[0042] By providing the ventilation hole 62, when replenishing the detergent, the air in the dispensing cylinder 2 can be discharged through the ventilation hole 62 to ensure that the detergent can smoothly enter the dispensing cylinder 2; on the contrary, when dispensing the detergent, the atmospheric air can enter the dispensing cylinder 2 through the ventilation hole 62 to ensure the smoothness of the dispensing process.

[0043] In one embodiment, a second end cap 7 is installed at the bottom of the dispensing cylinder 2. A second connection hole 71 is provided at the center of the second end cap 7, and the dispensing pipe 5 is connected to the second connection hole 71 to draw out the detergent in the dispensing cylinder 2.

[0044] The design of the second end cap 7 ensures the sealing of the bottom of the dispensing cylinder 2, preventing the detergent from leaking out from the bottom during dispensing, which is crucial for maintaining the overall cleanliness of the washing machine and preventing detergent waste. When it is necessary to clean or replace the components inside the dispensing cylinder 2, the second end cap 7 can be conveniently disassembled for operation. This design makes the maintenance work simpler and faster.

[0045] In one embodiment, the second end cap 7 includes a cover plate portion 72 and an inner connection ring 73. The cover plate portion 72 abuts against the lower end face of the dispensing cylinder 2, and the inner connection ring 73 is installed in the dispensing cylinder 2 by interference fit.

[0046] Through the dual actions of the cover plate portion 72 abutting against the lower end face of the dispensing cylinder 2 and the interference fit of the inner connection ring 73, the sealing performance of the bottom of the dispensing cylinder 2 is significantly improved, which helps to prevent the detergent from leaking out during dispensing, maintaining the cleanliness of the washing machine and the effective utilization of the detergent.

[0047] In one embodiment, at least two rings of ribs 74 are provided around the outer wall of the inner connection ring 73.

[0048] The design of the ribs 74 increases the friction between the inner connection ring 73 and the dispensing cylinder 2, thereby improving the connection strength, which helps to prevent loosening or falling off problems caused by vibration or impact. The tight fit between the ribs 74 and the inner wall of the dispensing cylinder 2 helps to reduce the possibility of leakage and improves the sealing performance.

[0049] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the dispensing cylinder 2 is 5 - 20 mm.

[0050] Controlling the inner diameter of the dispensing cylinder 2 within a suitable range ensures that it can provide sufficient capacity while avoiding the problem of low metering accuracy caused by an overly large inner diameter.

[0051] On the other hand, this embodiment also provides a washing machine including the above-mentioned automatic dispensing mechanism.

[0052] Based on the automatic dispensing mechanism of this embodiment, the washing machine of this embodiment has the function of automatically dispensing detergent and has the advantages of low cost and high dispensing accuracy.

[0053] In the description of this document, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and other orientation or positional relationships are only for the convenience of description and simplifying operations, 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 to this application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0054] In the description of this specification, the description referring to terms such as "one embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present utility model. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0055] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0056] The technical principles of this application have been described above in combination with specific embodiments. These descriptions are only for explaining the principles of this application and cannot be construed as a limitation to the protection scope of this application in any way. Based on the explanations herein, those skilled in the art can think of other specific embodiments of this application without creative efforts, and these embodiments will fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic delivery mechanism, characterized in that: include: A detergent box (1) is used to store detergent and has a liquid outlet connection port at its bottom end; The top end of the delivery drum (2) is connected to the liquid outlet connection port via a supplementary pipe (4), and a first electromagnetic valve (41) is provided in the supplementary pipe (4); the bottom end is connected to the washing drum via a delivery pipe (5), and a second electromagnetic valve (51) is provided in the delivery pipe (5); A liquid level detector (3) is connected to the dispensing barrel (2) and is used to detect the height of the detergent liquid level in the dispensing barrel (2).

2. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid level detector (3) is a water pressure sensor. The delivery cylinder (2) comprises a main cylinder (21) and a side branch pipe (22) which are connected to each other. The top end of the main cylinder (21) is connected to the supplementary pipe (4), and the bottom end is connected to the delivery pipe (5). The bottom end of the side branch pipe (22) is connected to one side of the main cylinder (21), and the top end is connected to the liquid level detector (3). The liquid level detector (3) detects the liquid level height in the main cylinder (21) by sensing the pressure change in the side branch pipe (22).

3. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side branch pipe (22) is connected to a position close to the bottom end of the main cylinder (21).

4. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first end cover (6) is installed on the top of the dispensing barrel (2), a first connecting hole (61) is provided at the center of the first end cover (6), and the replenishing pipe (4) is connected to the first connecting hole (61) to inject detergent into the dispensing barrel (2).

5. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first end cover (6) is provided with an air vent (62), and the inner cavity of the delivery tube (2) is connected to the atmospheric pressure through the air vent (62).

6. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second end cover (7) is installed at the bottom of the dispensing barrel (2), a second connecting hole (71) is provided at the center of the second end cover (7), and the dispensing pipe (5) is connected to the second connecting hole (71) to realize the extraction of detergent in the dispensing barrel (2).

7. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second end cover (7) comprises a cover plate portion (72) and an inner connecting ring (73), wherein the cover plate portion (72) abuts against the lower end surface of the delivery tube (2), and the inner connecting ring (73) is installed in the delivery tube (2) by interference fit.

8. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The outer wall of the inner connecting ring (73) is surrounded by at least two circles of convex ribs (74).

9. The automatic delivery mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the delivery tube (2) is 5 to 20 mm.

10. A washing machine, characterized in that: It comprises the automatic delivery mechanism described in any one of claims 1-9.

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