Laundry treating apparatus and combined laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a clothes processing device and a combined clothes processing equipment. The clothes processing device has a drying mode and a washing mode. An outer cylinder is arranged in a box body. A water containing cavity is formed in the outer cylinder. The water containing cavity comprises a main cavity and a heating cavity. A drum is arranged in the main cavity. An air inlet air duct structure is arranged on the outer wall of the outer cylinder and forms an air inlet air duct. An air outlet air duct structure is arranged on the outer wall of the outer cylinder and forms an air outlet air duct. A fan is in communication with the air inlet air duct. A heater is arranged in the heating cavity. When the clothes processing device is in the drying mode, the fan can introduce gas into the air inlet air duct and into the heating cavity. The heater is used for heating the gas in the heating cavity. When the clothes processing device is in the washing mode, liquid in the main cavity can enter the heating cavity. The heater is used for heating the liquid in the heating cavity. According to the technical scheme, one heater can be shared during washing and drying. The number of internal components of the box body is reduced, and the clothes processing device is miniaturized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a clothing processing device and a combined clothing processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] A laundry cleaning device is a cleaning appliance that uses electrical energy to generate mechanical action to wash clothes.

[0003] Currently, with the development of the social economy and the acceleration of urbanization, laundry detergents have become indispensable household appliances. These detergents utilize multiple drums to wash clothes simultaneously.

[0004] In the existing technology, the piping for drying and washing functions in the clothing processing device is set up separately, and heaters are required for each function. This results in a large number of components and a large space occupation, which is not conducive to the miniaturization design of the clothing processing device. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application discloses a clothing processing device and a combined clothing processing equipment. The clothing processing device uses a single heater for both washing and drying, which reduces the number of internal components and facilitates the miniaturization of the clothing processing device.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, some embodiments of this application provide a clothing processing device having a drying mode and a washing mode. The clothing processing device includes: a housing; an outer cylinder disposed within the housing, the outer cylinder having a water-holding cavity formed therein, the water-holding cavity including: a main cavity; a heating cavity located at the bottom of the main cavity and communicating with the main cavity; a roller disposed within the main cavity of the outer cylinder and capable of rotating relative to the outer cylinder; and an air inlet duct structure disposed on the outer wall of the outer cylinder, the air inlet end of the air inlet duct structure communicating with the outside of the housing, the air outlet end of the air inlet duct structure communicating with the heating cavity, the air inlet end of the air inlet duct structure being higher than the axis of the outer cylinder in the height direction of the housing, and the internal shape of the air inlet duct structure being... The device comprises: an air inlet duct; an air outlet duct structure, wherein the air outlet duct structure is disposed on the outer wall of the outer cylinder, and an air outlet duct is formed within the air outlet duct structure, which is used to connect the main cavity and the outside of the housing; a fan, wherein the fan is connected to the air inlet duct and is higher than the axis of the outer cylinder in the height direction of the housing, and the fan is used to introduce gas from outside the housing into the air inlet duct and into the heating chamber; and a heater, wherein the heater is disposed in the heating chamber. When the clothing handling device is in the drying mode, the fan can introduce gas into the air inlet duct and into the heating chamber, and the heater is used to heat the gas in the heating chamber. When the clothing handling device is in the washing mode, the liquid in the main cavity can enter the heating chamber, and the heater is used to heat the liquid in the heating chamber.

[0007] Thus, since the air inlet duct of the outer drum is connected to the heating chamber, the heater installed in the heating chamber of the outer drum can heat the airflow entering the heating chamber from the air inlet duct in the drying mode, and heat the water entering the heating chamber from the main chamber in the washing mode. Therefore, it is not necessary to install heaters in both the air inlet duct and the heating chamber, which reduces the number of components in the cabinet and thus reduces the space occupied in the cabinet, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the clothing handling device.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the heater includes a PTC heater.

[0009] Therefore, PTC heaters provide a more suitable heating temperature for drying or washing clothes compared to electric heating tube heaters, without damaging the garments. Furthermore, PTC heaters automatically reduce power after reaching the set temperature to prevent overheating, thus improving heating efficiency and saving energy.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the outer cylinder includes two outer cylinders, which are arranged side by side at a distance in the horizontal direction within the housing. The outer walls of the two outer cylinders are provided with the air inlet duct structure and the air outlet duct structure. The heating chambers of the two outer cylinders are provided with the heater. The rollers include two rollers, which are respectively arranged in the main cavities of the two outer cylinders.

[0011] In this way, the two outer drums can process two batches of clothes simultaneously, improving processing efficiency when multiple garments need to be processed at the same time. Furthermore, users can process different types of clothing separately according to their needs, avoiding mutual interference. In addition, each outer drum is equipped with an air inlet duct and an air outlet duct, ensuring independent and uniform airflow, preventing mutual interference, and guaranteeing the drying effect of the garment processing device.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the air inlet duct structure is disposed at one end of the outer cylinder away from the cylinder opening, the heating chamber is connected to the side wall of the drum and the cylinder opening of the drum, and the heating chamber is provided with a guide plate, which is used to guide the air from one end of the heating chamber away from the cylinder opening of the drum to one end closer to the cylinder opening of the drum.

[0013] In this way, by setting up an air guide plate, the heated air can be guided from the end of the heating chamber away from the drum opening to the drum opening, so that the heated air flows along the depth direction of the drum, and thus the heated air can enter the drum evenly from the side wall and the drum opening, resulting in a better drying effect for clothes.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the air guide plate is disposed at the end of the heating chamber away from the cylinder opening, and is disposed between the heater and the cylinder wall of the drum.

[0015] This ensures that the air entering the drum is heated by the heater, and the fully heated air is evenly distributed into the drum by the air guide plate, further ensuring the drying effect of the garment processing device on the clothes.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, there is a guide gap between the air guide plate and the heater, and the guide gap is 2.8mm to 3.8mm.

[0017] This reduces the flow resistance between the air guide plate and the heater, allowing the air guide plate to effectively guide the air entering the heating chamber from the air inlet duct to flow from near the heater to the drum opening, and ensuring that the air entering the heating chamber from the air inlet duct is evenly distributed in the drum after being fully heated, thus improving the drying effect on clothes.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the cylinder wall of the roller is provided with a plurality of first through holes; the air guide plate is provided with a plurality of second through holes, the plurality of second through holes penetrating the air guide plate in a direction toward the cylinder wall of the roller, and the plurality of second through holes corresponding to the plurality of first through holes.

[0019] Thus, when air enters the heating chamber through the air inlet duct, after being heated by the heater, a portion of the air passes through the second through hole of the air guide plate and the corresponding first through hole in the drum wall to enter the drum. The other portion of the air, under the action of the air guide plate, flows along the depth direction of the drum towards the drum opening. This ensures that the heated air enters the drum from every point on the drum wall along the depth direction, further improving the drying effect of the garment processing device and making the drying of clothes more uniform.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the air inlet duct structure is integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder, and / or the air outlet duct structure is integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder.

[0021] This improves the overall strength and stability of both the inlet and outlet air duct structures, reducing structural weaknesses caused by excessive connection points. Furthermore, the one-piece molded duct structure better withstands airflow impacts, preventing structural deformation due to vibration or uneven airflow. In addition, the one-piece molded structure offers superior sealing, preventing air leakage. Moreover, the one-piece design reduces the number of components in the duct structure, simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0022] In some embodiments of this application, the bottom of the roller is provided with a decorative element, the surface of which has a plurality of third through holes; the garment processing device further includes a flange, which is connected to the rear end of the roller, and the flange forms a plurality of fourth through holes, all of which communicate with the plurality of third through holes and are connected with the air outlet duct.

[0023] In this way, the drum does not need a separate outlet for discharging the high-temperature gas after drying. The high-temperature gas can be discharged into the air duct simply through the third through-hole of the decorative part and the fourth through-hole of the flange. Furthermore, this ensures that the high-temperature gas from drying the clothes can be promptly discharged into the air duct through the third and fourth through-holes, preventing problems such as poor drying performance caused by the inability to expel the hot, humid air in time.

[0024] In some embodiments of this application, the housing further includes: a rear panel, the rear panel having a housing air inlet; the fan is a centrifugal fan, the fan including: a volute, the volute being disposed at one end of the outer cylinder away from the opening of the outer cylinder and connected to the outer cylinder, the volute having a volute air inlet and a volute air outlet; an impeller, the impeller being rotatably disposed within the volute, the volute air inlet communicating with the housing air inlet, and the volute air outlet communicating with the air inlet duct.

[0025] Thus, due to the high airflow efficiency of the centrifugal fan, negative pressure is generated when the impeller rotates, which rapidly draws air into the chamber from the air inlet, then into the volute from the air inlet, and finally, through the rotation of the impeller, blows the air out of the volute outlet into the air inlet duct. Using a centrifugal fan to blow air into the air inlet duct increases the speed and temperature of the airflow within it, thereby increasing the airflow velocity after heating in the heating chamber and improving the drying effect of the garment processing device to some extent.

[0026] In some embodiments of this application, the housing air inlet includes: a first air inlet; a second air inlet, the first air inlet and the second air inlet being arranged along the arrangement direction of the two outer cylinders, and the first air inlet and the second air inlet respectively corresponding to the volute air inlets of the two fans; the rear panel is also provided with a housing air outlet, the housing air outlet including: a first air outlet; a second air outlet, the first air outlet and the second air outlet being arranged along the arrangement direction of the two outer cylinders, and the first air outlet and the second air outlet respectively corresponding to the outlets of the two air ducts.

[0027] Therefore, separate air inlets are provided on the rear panel for each fan, ensuring sufficient airflow for each fan and providing an independent airflow path for each air inlet duct. This ensures that the airflow within each air inlet duct does not interfere with each other, improving the airflow efficiency of the garment handling unit in drying mode. The two air outlets on the rear panel ensure that the two air outlet ducts do not affect each other when expelling high-temperature gas. High-temperature gas can be discharged from the closest outlet, reducing the time that high-temperature gas remains inside the cabinet and protecting the components inside.

[0028] In some embodiments of this application, the garment processing device further includes: an air inlet pipe disposed within the housing, one end of which is connected to the air inlet of the volute and the other end of which is connected to the air inlet of the housing; and an exhaust pipe disposed within the housing, one end of which is connected to the outlet of the air outlet duct and the other end of which is connected to the air outlet of the housing.

[0029] In this way, the air inlet and exhaust pipes provide a complete air intake and exhaust path for the garment handling device in drying mode. All gas can enter the fan casing through the air inlet pipe without leaking into the chamber, ensuring sufficient airflow. Meanwhile, the exhaust pipe ensures all high-temperature gas is discharged from the chamber's outlet, preventing leakage and damage to components.

[0030] Secondly, some embodiments of this application provide a combined garment processing device, including: a first garment processing device; a second garment processing device, wherein the second garment processing device is the garment processing device described in the first aspect above, and the second garment processing device is detachably disposed on the top of the first garment processing device.

[0031] Thus, the combined garment processing equipment that adopts a second garment processing device only needs to be equipped with a heater to realize heating in both drying and washing modes. This reduces the number of components inside the second garment processing device and the space occupied inside the device, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the combined garment processing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clothing processing device disclosed in the embodiments of this application under one state;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clothing processing device disclosed in another embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a front view of the garment processing apparatus disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view at point AA;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the outer cylinder from one perspective, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the outer cylinder from another perspective, as shown in the embodiments of this application.

[0039] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the outer cylinder and roller after assembly, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 8 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air guide plate disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0042] Figure 10 This is an exploded view of the roller and flange disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 11 This is a rear view of the garment processing apparatus disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the clothing processing device (part of the housing is omitted) disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the combined garment processing device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0046] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0047] 100 - Clothing handling device;

[0048] 1-Enclosure; 11-Front panel; 11a-Opening; 12-Rear panel; 121-Enclosure air inlet; 121a-First air inlet; 121b-Second air inlet; 122-Enclosure air outlet; 122a-First air outlet; 122b-Second air outlet;

[0049] 21-Outer cylinder; 211-Water-containing cavity; 211a-Main cavity; 211b-Heating cavity; 22-Roller; 23-Air inlet duct structure; 23a-Air inlet duct; 231-Air inlet end; 232-Air outlet end; 24-Air outlet duct structure; 24a-Air outlet duct; 25-Decorative part; 25a-Third through hole;

[0050] 3-Fan; 31-Volume; 31a-Volume inlet; 32-Impeller;

[0051] 4-Heater;

[0052] 5-Air guide plate; 5a-Second through hole;

[0053] 6-Flange; 6a-Fourth through hole;

[0054] 7-Exhaust duct;

[0055] 300 - Modular garment processing equipment; 301 - First garment processing device;

[0056] M - Air guide gap. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0059] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0060] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; 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, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0061] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0062] The field of home appliance technology encompasses a wide range of product categories, including but not limited to refrigerators, laundry detergents, air conditioners, microwave ovens, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners. The technological development trends of these products primarily focus on smart technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, optimized user experience, and the application of new materials. Optimized user experience is achieved through design innovation and functional enhancement to meet consumers' needs for health, convenience, and personalization.

[0063] As an important household appliance, garment handling devices greatly reduce people's housework burden. However, existing single-drum garment handling devices typically have a small washing capacity, requiring multiple washes to clean large loads of laundry, and they cannot perform separate washing for different types of clothing. If the drum of a single-drum garment handling device is designed to be too large, it is not only inconvenient to install and transport but also results in poor washing performance. If the drum is designed to be too small, it can hold too few clothes, leading to low washing efficiency.

[0064] Therefore, multi-drum laundry handling units have unique advantages. For example, some families need to wash different types of clothing separately, such as baby clothes needing to be washed separately from adult clothes, and underwear needing to be washed separately from outerwear. Multi-drum laundry handling units can meet these needs simultaneously, with different washing modes set for different drums.

[0065] However, the total width of the garment processing device is fixed. The more drums in the garment processing device, the smaller the drum volume becomes, and the less space is available inside the garment processing device for other components. In related technologies, the drying and washing pipelines of the garment processing device are set up separately, and each pipeline is equipped with a separate heater. This results in a large number of components and requires a large space inside the device, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the garment processing device.

[0066] Based on this, the present application provides a clothing processing device in which the drying pipeline and the washing pipeline share a single heater. The number of components is small, and the space occupied inside the box is small, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the clothing processing device.

[0067] The present technical solution will be further described below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0068] Please see Figure 1 This application provides a clothing handling device 100, which has a washing mode and a drying mode. When in washing mode, the clothing handling device 100 can wash clothing; when in drying mode, it can dry clothing. Specifically, the clothing handling device 100 includes a housing 1, which serves as the external structure of the clothing handling device 100 and is typically made of metal or plastic. It protects the internal components of the clothing handling device 100 and provides stable support. The housing 1 is designed with durability, heat dissipation, noise control, safety, and maintainability in mind.

[0069] like Figure 2As shown, the housing 1 includes a front panel 11, which is a decorative panel located on the front side of the garment handling device 100. An operable display screen is mounted on the front panel 11, allowing the user to select the operating mode of the garment handling device 100. The front panel 11 is also part of the outer shell of the housing 1. The outer shell also includes a back panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, and a top panel. In other words, the outer shell is composed of the front panel 11, the back panel, the left side panel, the right side panel, and the top panel. Of course, the outer shell may also include a bottom panel, which is designed according to the specific requirements.

[0070] The front panel 11 has two openings 11a, which are spaced apart along the width of the housing 1.

[0071] The garment handling device 100 also includes two cylinders (not shown in the figure), which are disposed inside the box 1 and are arranged side by side at intervals along the width direction of the box 1. Both cylinders have openings, and the openings of the two cylinders are respectively connected to two openings 11a.

[0072] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the drum body includes an outer drum 21, which has a water-holding cavity 211 for holding washing water when the clothes handling device 100 washes clothes in the washing mode.

[0073] like Figure 5 As shown, the water-filled cavity 211 includes a main cavity 211a and a heating cavity 211b. The heating cavity 211b is located at the bottom of the main cavity 211a and is connected to the main cavity 211a.

[0074] like Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the drum also includes a drum 22, which is disposed in the main cavity 211a of the outer drum 21 and can rotate relative to the outer drum 21. When the clothes handling device 100 is in the washing mode, the drum 22 rotates relative to the outer drum 21 to wash the clothes inside the drum 22; when the clothes handling device 100 is in the drying mode, the drum 22 rotates relative to the outer drum 21 to dry the clothes inside the drum 22.

[0075] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the cylinder also includes an air inlet duct structure 23, which is disposed on the outer wall of the outer cylinder 21. The air inlet end 231 of the air inlet duct structure 23 is connected to the outside of the housing 1, and the air outlet end 232 of the air inlet duct structure 23 is connected to the heating chamber 211b. The air inlet end 231 of the air inlet duct structure 23 is higher than the axis of the outer cylinder 21 in the height direction of the housing 1 (e.g., ...). Figure 6As shown by the dashed line, an air inlet duct 23a is formed within the air inlet duct structure 23. The air inlet duct 23a is used to intake air when the clothes handling device 100 is in the drying mode. When the clothes handling device 100 is in the washing mode, the water level in the water chamber 211 does not exceed the axis of the outer drum 21, so that water will not overflow from the air inlet end of the air inlet duct structure 23.

[0076] The cylinder also includes an air outlet duct structure 24, which is disposed on the outer wall of the outer cylinder 21. An air outlet duct 24a is formed inside the air outlet duct structure 24. The air outlet duct 24a is used to connect the main cavity 211a of the outer cylinder 21 to the outside of the box 1. When the clothing handling device 100 is in the drying mode, the high-temperature gas after drying is discharged to the outside of the box 1 through the air outlet duct 24a.

[0077] The garment handling device 100 also includes a fan 3 (see Figure 10 The fan 3 is connected to the air inlet duct 23a and is higher than the axis of the outer drum 21 in the height direction of the housing 1. The fan 3 is used to provide the drying airflow in the drying mode of the clothes handling device 100. When the clothes handling device 100 is in the washing mode, since the fan 3 is higher than the axis of the outer drum 21 in the height direction of the housing 1, the water in the water chamber 211 will not enter the fan 3, ensuring the normal operation of the fan 3.

[0078] It should be noted that the width direction of box 1 is... Figure 2 The direction of the X-axis is [missing information], and the depth direction of box 1 is [missing information]. Figure 2 The direction of the Y-axis is such that the height direction of box 1 is... Figure 2 The direction of the Z-axis.

[0079] Combination Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the garment handling device 100 also includes a heater 4, which is disposed in the heating chamber 211b of the outer drum 21. When the garment handling device 100 is in the drying mode, the fan 3 can introduce gas into the air inlet duct 23a and into the heating chamber 211b. The heater 4 is used to heat the gas in the heating chamber 211b, and the heated gas in the heating chamber 211b dries the clothes in the drum 22. When the garment handling device 100 is in the washing mode, the liquid in the main cavity 211a of the outer drum 21 can enter the heating chamber 211b. The heater 4 is used to heat the liquid in the heating chamber 211b. The heating chamber 211b of the outer drum 21 contains water for washing clothes. The heater 4 heats the water to achieve a better washing effect on the clothes in the drum 22.

[0080] In related technologies, the outer drum 21 of the garment handling device 100 is separately equipped with an air inlet duct 23a and a heating chamber 211b. That is to say, the air inlet duct 23a and the heating chamber 211b are not connected and are two separate parts. In this case, when the garment handling device 100 is in the drying mode, the airflow in the air inlet duct needs to be heated; while when the garment handling device 100 is in the washing mode, the water in the heating chamber 211b needs to be heated. This requires heaters 4 to be installed in both the air inlet duct 23a and the heating chamber 211b of the outer drum 21, which means that two heaters 4 need to be installed in the outer drum 21. However, the width of the housing 1 of the clothing processing device 100 is fixed and cannot be infinitely large. This means that the space inside the housing 1 is limited. In order to pursue a large capacity of the roller 22 and outer cylinder 22 inside the housing 1, the space of other components inside the housing 1 will be less. At this time, the air inlet duct 23a and the heating chamber 211b are set up separately and each is equipped with a heater 4. This will result in an increase in the number of components inside the housing 1, increasing their occupation of the space inside the housing 1, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the housing 1.

[0081] In this embodiment, since the air inlet duct 23a of the outer cylinder 21 is connected to the heating chamber 211b, a heater 4 can be installed in the heating chamber 211b of the outer cylinder 21 to heat the airflow entering the heating chamber 211b from the air inlet duct 23a in the drying mode, and heat the water entering the heating chamber 211b from the main chamber 211a in the washing mode. Therefore, it is not necessary to install heaters 4 in both the air inlet duct 23a and the heating chamber 211b, which reduces the number of components in the housing 1 and thus reduces the space occupied in the housing 1, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the clothing handling device 100.

[0082] In some embodiments, heater 4 includes a PTC heater. A PTC heater is a heating element composed of a PTC ceramic heating element and an aluminum tube. PTC heaters have the advantages of low thermal resistance and high heat exchange efficiency, and are an automatic temperature-controlled, energy-saving electric heater. Under any application, they do not produce the surface "red-hot" phenomenon seen in electric heating tube heaters, thus avoiding safety hazards such as burns and fires. Furthermore, during drying or washing, electric heating tube heaters often reach higher temperatures, which can damage clothing. PTC heaters, compared to electric heating tube heaters, have heating temperatures more suitable for drying or washing clothes, preventing damage. In addition, PTC heaters automatically reduce power after reaching the set temperature to avoid overheating, thus improving heating efficiency and saving energy.

[0083] In some embodiments, the outer cylinder 21 includes two outer cylinders, which are arranged side by side and spaced apart in the horizontal direction within the housing 1. The outer walls of the two outer cylinders 21 are provided with an air inlet duct structure 23 and an air outlet duct structure 24. The heating chambers 211b of the two outer cylinders 21 are each provided with a heater 4. The rollers 22 include two rollers, which are respectively arranged in the main cavities 211a of the two outer cylinders 21.

[0084] In this way, the two outer drums 21 are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction, allowing two batches of clothes to be processed simultaneously, thus improving processing efficiency when multiple garments need to be processed at the same time. Furthermore, users can process different types of clothing separately according to their needs, avoiding mutual interference. In addition, each outer drum 21 is equipped with an air inlet duct structure 23 and an air outlet duct structure 24, ensuring independent and uniform airflow, preventing mutual interference of airflows, and guaranteeing the drying effect of the clothing processing device 100 on the clothes.

[0085] Of course, when the garment handling device 100 has two outer drums 21 and two rollers 22, the space requirements inside the cabinet 1 are extremely strict in order to ensure that the two rollers 22 have a large space to accommodate the clothes. In this case, installing a heater 4 in the heating chamber 211b of the outer drum 21 can achieve heating of the airflow in the drying mode and heating of the water in the washing mode. This means that only two heaters 4 need to be installed in the two outer drums 21 respectively, reducing the number of components inside the cabinet 1 and reducing the space occupied inside the cabinet 1.

[0086] It should be noted that the horizontal direction is Figure 3 The X-axis direction in the diagram, that is... Figure 3 The direction from left to right or from right to left.

[0087] In some embodiments, such as Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the air inlet duct structure 23 is located at the end of the outer cylinder 21 away from the cylinder opening. The heating chamber 211b is connected to the side wall of the drum 22 and the cylinder opening of the drum 22. An air guide plate 5 is provided inside the heating chamber 211b, which guides the air from the end of the heating chamber 211b away from the cylinder opening of the drum 22 to the end closer to the cylinder opening of the drum 22. It should be noted that the side wall of the drum 22 has multiple through holes, which allow heated air to enter the drum 22 to dry the clothes inside.

[0088] If the heating chamber 211b does not have an air guide plate 5, most of the heated air in the air inlet duct 23a will enter the drum 22 directly from a certain part of the side wall of the drum 22, making it impossible to distribute the heated air evenly inside the drum 22. Therefore, by setting the air guide plate 5 in this embodiment, the heated air can be guided from the end of the heating chamber 211b away from the drum opening of the drum 22 to the drum opening of the drum 22, so that the heated air flows along the depth direction of the drum 22, thereby allowing the heated air to enter the drum 22 evenly from the side wall and the drum opening of the drum 22, resulting in a better drying effect for clothes.

[0089] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 4 and Figure 8 The air guide plate 5 is located at the end of the heating chamber 211b away from the cylinder opening, and is positioned between the heater 4 and the cylinder wall of the drum 22. This means that the heater 4 is also located at the end of the heating chamber 211b away from the cylinder opening. In this way, after the air in the air inlet duct 23a enters the heating chamber 211b, it is heated by the heater 4, and then flows towards the cylinder opening under the guidance of the air guide plate 5. This ensures that all the air entering the drum 22 is heated by the heater 4. The fully heated air is evenly distributed into the drum 22 by the air guide plate 5, further ensuring the drying effect of the clothes processing device 100 on the clothes.

[0090] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, there is an air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4, which is 2.8mm to 3.8mm.

[0091] When the air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 is less than 2.8mm, it means that the air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 is too small. This causes the air in the air inlet duct 23a to have too much resistance when passing between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4. As a result, the air cannot flow to the cylinder opening and accumulates between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4, causing local overheating and affecting the drying uniformity of the clothing processing device 100.

[0092] When the air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 is greater than 3.8mm, it means that the air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 is too large. An excessively large gap may cause the airflow path between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 to become irregular, resulting in uneven flow and potentially uneven heating of the air after heating. As a result, some of the air entering the heating chamber 211b from the air inlet duct 23a is not fully heated before flowing along the air guide plate 5 and entering the drum 22, reducing the drying effect on the clothes.

[0093] Therefore, in this embodiment, by setting the air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 to 2.8mm to 3.8mm, the flow resistance of the air between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 is reduced. This allows the air guide plate 5 to effectively guide the air entering the heating chamber 211b from the air inlet duct 23a from near the heater 4 to the opening of the drum 22, ensuring that the air entering the heating chamber 211b from the air inlet duct 23a is evenly distributed in the drum 22 after being fully heated, thus improving the drying effect on clothes. For example, the air guide gap M between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 is 3.3mm. In this case, the 3.3mm air guide gap M can guide the air from near the heater 4 to the drum 22, ensuring that the air is evenly distributed in the drum 22 after being fully heated, improving the efficiency of the air flow between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4, and reducing flow resistance. Furthermore, the 3.3mm air guide gap ensures that the air between the air guide plate 5 and the heater 4 can fully contact the heater 4, thereby improving heating efficiency and allowing the air in the heating chamber 211b to reach the ideal temperature before entering the drum 22, thus improving the drying effect of clothes.

[0094] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 8 and Figure 9 The drum 22 has multiple first through holes (not shown in the figure) on its cylinder wall. The multiple first through holes are used for the heated air in the heating chamber 211b to enter the drum 22 through the first through holes.

[0095] The air guide plate 5 is provided with a plurality of second through holes 5a, which penetrate the air guide plate 5 along the direction toward the cylinder wall of the roller 22, and the plurality of second through holes 5a correspond to a plurality of first through holes.

[0096] By creating a second through hole 5a on the air guide plate 5 that corresponds to the first through hole in the cylinder wall of the drum 22, the air entering the heating chamber 211b from the air inlet duct 23a is prevented from failing to enter the drum 22 through the cylinder wall corresponding to the air guide plate 5. When the air enters the heating chamber 211b from the air inlet duct 23a, after being heated by the heater 4, a portion of the air passes sequentially through the second through hole 5a of the air guide plate 5 and the corresponding first through hole in the cylinder wall of the drum 22 into the drum 22. The other portion of the air flows along the depth direction of the drum 22 towards the opening of the drum 22 under the action of the air guide plate 5. This ensures that the heated air can enter the drum 22 from every part of the cylinder wall along the depth direction of the drum 22, further improving the drying effect of the garment processing device 100 and making the drying of the garments more uniform.

[0097] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6As shown, the air inlet duct structure 23 is integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder 21. This integral design improves the overall strength and stability of the air inlet duct structure 23, reducing structural weaknesses caused by excessive connection points. Furthermore, the integrally formed air inlet duct structure 23 can better withstand the impact of airflow, preventing structural deformation due to vibration or uneven airflow. In addition, the integrally formed air inlet duct structure 23 reduces connection points, thereby improving the sealing performance of the air inlet duct 23a and preventing air leakage. Moreover, the integral design reduces the number of components in the air inlet duct structure 23, simplifying the manufacturing and assembly process and thus improving production efficiency.

[0098] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the air outlet duct structure 24 is integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder 21. The air outlet duct 24a and the bottom of the outer cylinder 21 form a whole, which can better withstand the impact of airflow and avoid structural deformation caused by vibration or uneven airflow. Furthermore, the integrally formed air outlet duct 24a can better optimize the airflow path, reduce airflow resistance and eddies, thereby improving the efficiency of airflow and ensuring that the high-temperature gas after drying can flow smoothly to the outside of the chamber 1 when it is discharged from the drum 22.

[0099] It should be noted that a partition is also provided inside the outer cylinder 21, and an air inlet duct 23a and an air outlet duct 24a are formed between the partition and the bottom of the outer cylinder 21. That is to say, the channels formed between the air inlet duct structure 23 and the air outlet duct structure 24 integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder 21 and the partition are the air inlet duct 23a and the air outlet duct 24a, and the air inlet duct 23a and the air outlet duct 24a are not connected to each other.

[0100] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the bottom of the roller 22 is provided with a decorative part 25, and the surface of the decorative part 25 has a plurality of third through holes 25a, which are connected to the internal space of the roller 22.

[0101] The garment handling device 100 also includes a flange 6 connected to the rear end of the drum 22. The flange 6 has multiple fourth through holes 6a, which communicate with multiple third through holes 25a and are connected to the air outlet duct 24a. In this case, the drum 22 does not need a separate outlet for discharging the high-temperature gas after drying; the high-temperature gas can be discharged into the air outlet duct 24a simply through the third through holes 25a of the decorative piece 25 and the fourth through holes 6a of the flange 6. This ensures that the high-temperature gas after drying can be discharged promptly from the third through holes 25a and fourth through holes 6a into the air outlet duct 24a, preventing poor drying results due to the inability to dissipate the high-temperature, humid air in a timely manner.

[0102] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the enclosure 1 also includes a rear panel 12, which is disposed opposite to the front panel 11, and the rear panel 12 is provided with an air inlet 121.

[0103] The fan 3 is a centrifugal fan. The fan 3 includes a volute 31, which is located at the end of the outer cylinder 21 away from the cylinder opening of the outer cylinder 21 and is connected to the outer cylinder 21. The volute 31 has a volute inlet 31a and a volute outlet (not shown in the figure).

[0104] The fan 3 also includes an impeller 32, which is rotatably disposed inside the volute 31. The air inlet 31a of the volute is connected to the air inlet 121 of the housing, and the air outlet of the volute is connected to the air inlet duct 23a.

[0105] Because centrifugal fans have high airflow efficiency, when the impeller 32 rotates, it can generate negative pressure, thereby quickly drawing air from the air inlet 121 into the housing 1, then from the air inlet 31a into the volute 31, and finally, after the rotation of the impeller 32, blowing the air from the air outlet into the air inlet duct 23a. Selecting a centrifugal fan to blow air into the air inlet duct 23a increases the speed and temperature of the airflow within it, thereby increasing the airflow speed after heating in the heating chamber 211b and improving the drying effect of the clothing treatment device 100 to some extent.

[0106] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, there are two fans 3, which are respectively installed on two outer cylinders 21. The air inlet 121 of the housing includes a first air inlet 121a and a second air inlet 121b. The first air inlet 121a and the second air inlet 121b are arranged along the arrangement direction of the two outer cylinders 21, and the first air inlet 121a and the second air inlet 121b correspond to the volute air inlet 31 of the two fans 3 respectively.

[0107] The rear panel 12 also has a cabinet air outlet 122, which includes a first air outlet 122a and a second air outlet 122b. The first air outlet 122a and the second air outlet 122b are arranged along the direction of the two outer cylinders 21, and the first air outlet 122a and the second air outlet 122b correspond to the outlets of the two air ducts 24a, respectively. It should be noted that the direction of the arrangement of the two outer cylinders 21 is... Figure 11 The direction from left to right or from right to left is the width direction of box 1.

[0108] In other words, each of the two outer cylinders 21 in the garment processing device 100 is equipped with an independent fan 3, and the back panel 12 has a separate air inlet corresponding to each fan 3. This ensures that each fan 3 has a sufficient airflow source and provides an independent airflow path for each air inlet duct 23a, ensuring that the airflow in the two air inlet ducts 23a does not interfere with each other, thus improving the airflow efficiency of the garment processing device 100 in drying mode. The two air outlets on the back panel 12 ensure that the two air outlet ducts 24a do not affect each other when venting high-temperature gas. The high-temperature gas can be discharged from the closest air outlet, reducing the time that the high-temperature gas stays in the chamber 1 and protecting the components inside the chamber 1.

[0109] In some embodiments, the garment handling device 100 further includes an air inlet pipe (not shown in the figure), which is disposed inside the housing 1. One end of the air inlet pipe is connected to the air inlet 31a of the volute, and the other end of the air inlet pipe is connected to the air inlet 121 of the housing.

[0110] like Figure 4 and Figure 12 As shown, the clothing handling device 100 also includes an exhaust pipe 7, which is installed inside the housing 1. One end of the exhaust pipe 7 is connected to the outlet of the air duct 24a, and the other end of the exhaust pipe 7 is connected to the air outlet 122 of the housing.

[0111] The air inlet duct draws air from outside the housing 1 into the volute 31 of the fan 3. The impeller 32 of the fan 3 then blows the air into the air inlet duct 23a. After being heated by the heater 4 in the heating chamber 211b, the air enters the drum 22 to dry the clothes. After drying, the air enters the exhaust duct 7 from the exhaust duct 24a and is then discharged from the housing outlet 122 outside the housing 1. Thus, the air inlet and exhaust ducts 7 provide a complete air intake and exhaust path for the clothes handling device 100 in drying mode. All air enters the volute 31 of the fan 3 from the air inlet duct, preventing leakage into the housing 1 and ensuring sufficient airflow. Similarly, the exhaust duct 7 discharges all the high-temperature air from the housing outlet 122 outside the housing 1, preventing leakage and damage to components.

[0112] See Figure 13Secondly, this application discloses a combined garment processing device 300, which includes a first garment processing device 301 and a second garment processing device. The second garment processing device is the garment processing device 100 described in the first aspect, and is detachably mounted on top of the first garment processing device 301. The first garment processing device 301 can be a drum washing machine, dryer, washer-dryer combo, etc., and can be selected according to different user needs. This allows the combined garment processing device 300 to perform categorized washing or separate washing and drying functions. For example, the first garment processing device 301 can be used to wash large items such as blankets, quilts, or coats, while the second garment processing device is used to wash small garments; or, the first garment processing device 301 can be used for washing, and the second garment processing device can be used for both washing and drying.

[0113] It should be noted that the widths of the first garment processing device 301 and the second garment processing device stacked vertically in the combined garment processing equipment 300 are equal, making the combined garment processing equipment 300 look neater and more aesthetically pleasing.

[0114] The combined garment processing equipment 300 adopts a second garment processing device. The second garment processing device only needs to be equipped with a heater to realize heating in both drying and washing modes. This reduces the number of components inside the second garment processing device and the space occupied inside the device, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the combined garment processing equipment 300.

[0115] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A laundry treating apparatus, characterized by, The garment processing device has a drying mode and a washing mode, and the garment processing device includes: Box; An outer cylinder is disposed within the housing, and a water-holding cavity is formed within the outer cylinder, the water-holding cavity comprising: main cavity; A heating chamber, which is located at the bottom of the main cavity and communicates with the main cavity; A roller is disposed in the main cavity of the outer cylinder and is rotatable relative to the outer cylinder; An air inlet duct structure is provided on the outer wall of the outer cylinder. The air inlet end of the air inlet duct structure is connected to the outside of the housing, and the air outlet end of the air inlet duct structure is connected to the heating cavity. The air inlet end of the air inlet duct structure is higher than the axis of the outer cylinder in the height direction of the housing, and an air inlet duct is formed inside the air inlet duct structure. An air outlet duct structure is provided on the outer wall of the outer cylinder, and an air outlet duct is formed within the air outlet duct structure. The air outlet duct is used to connect the main cavity and the outside of the housing. A fan is connected to the air inlet duct and is higher than the axis of the outer cylinder in the height direction of the housing. The fan is used to introduce gas from outside the housing into the air inlet duct and into the heating chamber. A heater is disposed inside the heating chamber. When the clothing handling device is in the drying mode, the fan can introduce gas into the air inlet duct and into the heating chamber. The heater is used to heat the gas inside the heating chamber. When the clothing handling device is in the washing mode, the liquid in the main chamber can enter the heating chamber. The heater is used to heat the liquid inside the heating chamber. 2.The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein The heater includes a PTC heater.

3. The garment processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer cylinder includes two outer cylinders, which are arranged side by side at a distance in the horizontal direction inside the box. The outer walls of the two outer cylinders are provided with the air inlet duct structure and the air outlet duct structure. The heating chambers of the two outer cylinders are provided with the heater. The rollers include two rollers, which are respectively disposed in the main cavities of the two outer cylinders. 4.The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein The air inlet duct structure is located at the end of the outer cylinder away from the cylinder opening. The heating chamber communicates with the side wall of the drum and the cylinder opening of the drum. The heating chamber is provided with: An air guide plate is used to guide air from one end of the heating chamber away from the drum opening to the other end closer to the drum opening. 5.The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 4, wherein The air guide plate is located at the end of the heating chamber away from the cylinder opening, and is positioned between the heater and the cylinder wall of the drum. 6.The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein There is an air guide gap between the air guide plate and the heater, and the air guide gap is 2.8mm to 3.8mm.

7. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drum wall is provided with: Multiple first through holes; The air guide plate is equipped with: Multiple second through holes penetrate the air guide plate along the direction toward the cylinder wall of the roller, and the multiple second through holes correspond to the multiple first through holes. 8.The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The air inlet duct structure is integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder, and / or the air outlet duct structure is integrally formed on the bottom of the outer cylinder.

9. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the drum is provided with: The decorative element has a plurality of third through holes on its surface; The garment processing device further includes: A flange is connected to the rear end of the roller. The flange has a plurality of fourth through holes, which are all connected to a plurality of third through holes and are connected to the air outlet duct. 10.The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The enclosure includes: The rear panel is provided with an air inlet for the enclosure; The fan is a centrifugal fan, and the fan includes: A volute is disposed at one end of the outer cylinder away from the opening of the outer cylinder and connected to the outer cylinder. The volute has a volute air inlet and a volute air outlet. An impeller is rotatably disposed inside the volute. The air inlet of the volute is connected to the air inlet of the housing, and the air outlet of the volute is connected to the air inlet duct. 11.The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The air inlet of the enclosure includes: First air inlet; The second air inlet is arranged along the arrangement direction of the two outer cylinders, and the first air inlet and the second air inlet correspond to the air inlets of the volutes of the two fans respectively. The rear panel is also provided with an air outlet for the enclosure, the air outlet including: First air outlet; The second air outlet is arranged along the direction of the arrangement of the two outer cylinders, and the first air outlet and the second air outlet correspond to the outlets of the two air outlet ducts respectively. 12.The laundry treating apparatus of claim 11, wherein The garment processing device further includes: An air inlet pipe is provided inside the housing, with one end of the air inlet pipe connected to the air inlet of the volute and the other end of the air inlet pipe connected to the air inlet of the housing. An exhaust duct is installed inside the housing. One end of the exhaust duct is connected to the outlet of the air duct, and the other end of the exhaust duct is connected to the air outlet of the housing. 13.A combination laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that, include: First garment processing device; The second garment processing device is the garment processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and the second garment processing device is detachably disposed on the top of the first garment processing device.

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