A household appliance

Abstract

The application relates to a household appliance, wherein the household appliance at least comprises a frame piece, a plurality of plate pieces arranged on a user-facing side of the household appliance, the plate pieces being respectively assembled on the frame piece, wherein the plate pieces have a first plate piece and a second plate piece abutting each other, the first plate piece has at least one first positioning structure, the second plate piece has at least one second positioning structure, and the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure constitute a positioning structure pair to define the relative position between the first plate piece and the second plate piece. The gap and the step between the adjacent plate pieces can be controlled in a cost-advantageous manner, so that the adjacent plate pieces remain aligned with each other, thereby meeting the appearance requirements of users.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a household appliance. Background Technology

[0002] Clothing handling equipment, such as washing machines or dryers, are common household appliances. These appliances typically have multiple panels on the user-facing side, such as display and / or control panels and front panels with doors, to cover different areas of the appliance and perform corresponding functions. These panels are assembled onto a frame. However, due to unavoidable manufacturing and assembly tolerances, precise positioning between adjacent panels cannot be guaranteed. This results in undesirable gaps or staggered positions between the panels, failing to meet the user's aesthetic requirements. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, one object of the embodiments of this application is to provide an improved household appliance in which the gap and step difference between adjacent panels can be controlled in a cost-effective manner, so that the adjacent panels remain aligned with each other, thereby meeting the user's aesthetic requirements.

[0004] According to this application, a household appliance is provided, wherein the household appliance comprises at least:

[0005] -Frame components;

[0006] - Multiple panels arranged on the user-facing side of the home appliance, each panel being assembled onto the frame member.

[0007] The plate has a first plate and a second plate that are adjacent to each other. The first plate has at least one first positioning structure and the second plate has at least one second positioning structure. The first positioning structure and the second positioning structure form a positioning structure pair to define the relative position between the first plate and the second plate.

[0008] Compared to existing technologies, in the household appliance according to this application, multiple panels are arranged on the user-facing side. These panels are respectively assembled on the frame. The first and second panels that are adjacent to each other form a positioning structure pair through their respective first and second positioning structures. The positioning structure pair defines the relative position between the first and second panels. This allows for direct positioning to ensure the alignment of adjacent panels, achieve a uniform gap between adjacent panels, and keep the step difference between adjacent panels within the desired range, thereby meeting the user's aesthetic requirements for the household appliance.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first positioning structure includes a protrusion extending along the mounting direction of the first plate relative to the second plate. This allows for simple and cost-effective manufacturing of the first positioning structure.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the second positioning structure includes a hole, and the protrusion engages with the hole for positioning in a plane perpendicular to the mounting direction. The protrusion of the first positioning structure can be easily inserted into the hole of the second positioning structure, and the relative position between the first plate and the second plate can be reliably defined by the engagement and positioning of the hole and the protrusion.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the mounting direction is the depth direction, and when viewed along the height direction, the extension dimension of the protrusion is equal to the extension dimension of the hole, such that the first plate and the second plate are mutually restrained in the height direction; and / or, when viewed along the width direction, the extension dimension of the protrusion is equal to the extension dimension of the hole, such that the first plate and the second plate are mutually restrained in the width direction. This allows for targeted definition of the relative positions of the first plate and the second plate in the height direction and / or the width direction, thereby reliably ensuring a uniform gap between the first plate and the second plate in the height direction and / or alignment between the first plate and the second plate in the width direction.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the protrusion has a guide ramp at its free end. The guide ramp allows the protrusion to be easily inserted into the hole, thereby simplifying the mating process between the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the second positioning structure includes a stop surface along the mounting direction, and the protrusion engages with the stop surface for positioning; and / or, the protrusion is configured as an elastic arm. The first positioning structure further includes a flange extending from the protrusion in a direction intersecting the mounting direction. The second positioning structure includes a hole along the mounting direction, and the flange engages with the hole for positioning. The engagement of the stop surface and the protrusion allows the first plate to be accurately positioned relative to the second plate and defines the relative positions of the first and second plates along the mounting direction. The engagement of the flange extending from the protrusion and the hole enables the first and second plates to be mutually fixed and prevents the first plate from undesirably detaching from the second plate.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first plate and the second plate are provided with a plurality of the positioning structure pairs on their adjacent edges. This enhances the limiting effect between the first plate and the second plate along the adjacent edges and ensures a uniform distribution of the force between the first plate and the second plate.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, at least two of the positioning structure pairs are provided at opposite ends of the adjacent edges, thereby effectively preventing undesirable misalignment of the first plate and the second plate at any end of the adjacent edges; and / or, each positioning structure pair is constructed differently from each other to respectively achieve limiting of the first plate and the second plate in different directions, which can flexibly assign limiting functions in different directions to different positioning structure pairs, thereby achieving cost-effective design and manufacture of the first plate and the second plate.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first plate and the second plate each have a bent portion extending rearward along the depth direction, and the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are respectively arranged on the corresponding bent portions. The bent portions of the first plate and the second plate provide arrangement space for the corresponding first positioning structure and the second positioning structure, which simplifies the construction and assembly of the positioning structure.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the first panel is configured as a display and / or control panel, and the second panel is configured as a front panel with a door mounted thereon, wherein the panel is fixedly mounted on the front crossbeam and / or side panel and / or the front panel of the frame member, and the front panel is fixedly mounted on the side panel of the frame member, the side panel and the front crossbeam being fixedly connected. In this case, with the panel and the front panel fixedly mounted separately, the relative position between the panel and the front panel can be defined, such that the panel and the front panel are aligned with each other.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the panel further includes a pull-out box cover and / or a maintenance door panel and / or a transition plate disposed between other panels; and / or, the first panel and the second panel are made of different materials. This allows the relative positions of the various panels on the user-facing side to meet requirements, thereby improving the appearance of the home appliance.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the household appliance further includes a plurality of decorative elements, which are respectively arranged on the user-facing side of the plurality of panels. The decorative elements can further enhance the appearance of the household appliance.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the decorative element is attached to the plate by adhesive, snap-fit, or magnetic means; and / or, a plurality of the decorative elements have the same thickness; and / or, the user-facing surfaces of the decorative elements are on the same plane; and / or, the user-facing surface of any one of the decorative elements is adjacent to the user-facing surface of at least another decorative element; and / or, a plurality of the decorative elements have similar or identical properties; and / or, the decorative element is made of at least one of the following materials: plastic, glass, sintered stone, or metal. This allows for the fulfillment of diverse aesthetic requirements by users.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the household appliance is a clothing processing device, which is configured as a washing machine, a dryer, or a washer-dryer combo. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The principles, features, and advantages of this application will be better understood below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings include:

[0023] Figure 1 An exploded view of a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 2a and Figure 2b An assembly view and an exploded view of a first plate and a second plate of a household appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of this application are shown respectively;

[0025] Figures 3a to 3c Schematic perspective views of positioning structures for household appliances according to different exemplary embodiments of this application are shown.

[0026] Reference numerals: Household appliance 100; Frame component 10; Plate component 20; First plate component 21; Second plate component 22; Panel 23; Front panel 24; Slide-out box cover 25; Maintenance door panel 26; Decorative component 30; Panel decorative component 31; Front panel decorative component 32; Slide-out box cover decorative component 33; Maintenance door panel decorative component 34; Door 40; 1; First positioning structure; 2; Second positioning structure; 3 Positioning structure pair; 4 Protrusion; 5 Hole; 6 Bending part; 7 Guide slope; 8 Stop surface; 9 Flange; Width direction X; Depth direction Y; Height direction Z. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Here, for the sake of brevity, elements with the same reference numerals are indicated only once in the drawings when necessary.

[0028] In the description of this embodiment, terms such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" are used to indicate orientation or positional relationships to illustrate the positional relationships of the constituent elements with reference to the accompanying drawings. This is solely for the convenience of describing this specification and for simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to has a specific orientation, or is constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. The positional relationships of the constituent elements may be appropriately changed depending on the direction in which each constituent element is described. Therefore, the description is not limited to the terms used in the specification and may be appropriately replaced as needed. Here, according to the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system definition in the accompanying drawings: the X direction corresponds to the width direction of the household appliance 100, the Y direction corresponds to the depth direction of the household appliance 100, and the Z direction corresponds to the height direction of the household appliance 100.

[0029] Figure 1 An exploded view of a household appliance 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2a and Figure 2b Assembly and exploded views of a first plate 21 and a second plate 22 of a household appliance 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of this application are shown, respectively. Here, the household appliance 100 is particularly a garment handling device, such as a washing machine, dryer, or washer-dryer combo. Of course, it can also be considered that the household appliance 100 is another electrical device that is meaningful to those skilled in the art. The household appliance 100 according to this application is explained below using a garment handling device as an example.

[0030] like Figure 1As shown, the home appliance 100 includes a frame 10 and a plurality of panels 20 arranged on the user-facing side of the home appliance 100, or the front side along the depth direction Y. The panels 20 are respectively mounted on the frame 10 and cover different areas of the home appliance 100 to achieve corresponding aesthetic effects and functionality. Here, the panels 20 have a first panel 21 and a second panel 22 adjacent to each other. Specifically, the first panel 21 can be configured as a panel 23 located above along the height direction Z for display and / or control. This panel 23 can be used to mount the control circuit board (not shown) of the home appliance 100 and is configured to mount operating components and / or display components. The operating components can be touchscreens that receive user touch commands, and the display components are used to display status information of the home appliance 100. The second panel 22 can be configured as a front panel 24 located below and adjacent to the panel 23 along the height direction Z. A door 40 is installed in the front panel 24, which covers components such as the rollers of a garment processing device. Exemplarily, panel 23 can be fixedly mounted on the front crossbeam 11, side panels 12, and front panel 24 of frame member 10, with front panel 24 fixedly mounted on side panels 12 of frame member 10, and side panels 12 and front crossbeam 11 fixedly connected to each other. Alternatively, panel 23 may be fixedly mounted on any one or two of the front crossbeam 11, side panels 12, and front panel 24. Furthermore, panel 20 of household appliance 100 may also include a pull-out cover 25 for covering, for example, a detergent dispensing area and a maintenance door 26 for covering, for example, a drain outlet. It is also possible that panel 20 includes transition plates arranged between other panels. Here, the various panels of household appliance 100 can be made of different materials; for example, panel 23 may be made of plastic and front panel 24 may be made of metal. The present application will now be explained in detail using panel 23 as the first panel 21 and front panel 24 as the second panel 22 as examples.

[0031] like Figure 2a and Figure 2b As shown, the front panel 23, which is the first plate 21, and the front plate 24, which is the second plate 22, are adjacent to each other. The first plate 21 has at least one first positioning structure 1, and the second plate 22 has at least one second positioning structure 2. The first positioning structure 1 and the second positioning structure 2 form a positioning structure pair 3 to define the relative position between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22. The positioning structure pair 3 enables direct and precise positioning of the first plate 21 relative to the second plate 22, significantly shortening the dimensional tolerance chain between the two plates. This allows the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 to be aligned with each other and keeps the gap and step difference between them within the desired range.

[0032] For example, such as Figure 2a and Figure 2bAs shown, the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 each have a bent portion 6 extending rearward along the depth direction Y. The first positioning structure 1 and the second positioning structure 2 are respectively arranged on the corresponding bent portion 6. The bent portion 6 provides space for the corresponding positioning structure, thereby simplifying the construction and assembly of each positioning structure. In addition, the bent portion 6 extending rearward along the depth direction Y can prevent the user from directly seeing the positioning structure pair 3 from the front, which can improve the appearance of the home appliance 100.

[0033] Figures 3a to 3c Schematic perspective views of the positioning structures of a household appliance 100 according to different exemplary embodiments of this application are shown.

[0034] like Figure 3a and Figure 3b As shown, the first positioning structure 1 includes a protrusion 4 extending along the mounting direction of the first plate 21 relative to the second plate 22, and the second positioning structure 2 includes a hole 5. On a plane perpendicular to the mounting direction, the protrusion 4 of the first positioning structure 1 engages with the hole 5 of the second positioning structure 2 for positioning. Here, the mounting direction of the first plate 21 relative to the second plate 22 is particularly the depth direction Y. During installation, the protrusion 4 can be inserted into the hole 5 along the depth direction Y.

[0035] like Figure 3a As shown, viewed along the height direction Z, the extension dimension of the protrusion 4 is equal to the extension dimension of the hole 5, causing the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 to be mutually restrained in the height direction Z. In this case, the protrusion 4 is vertically restrained in the hole 5 in the height direction Z, and this type of positioning structure 3 can achieve a uniform gap between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 along the height direction Z.

[0036] like Figure 3b As shown, viewed along the width direction X, the extension dimension of the protrusion 4 is equal to the extension dimension of the hole 5, causing the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 to be positioned relative to each other in the width direction X. In this case, the protrusion 4 is left and right restricted in the hole 5 in the width direction X, and this type of positioning structure 3 can ensure that the edges of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 are aligned in the width direction X.

[0037] For example, such as Figure 3a and Figure 3b As shown, the protrusion 4 has a guide slope 7 at its free end. The guide slope 7 makes it easier for the protrusion 4 to be inserted into the hole 5, thereby simplifying the assembly process of the positioning structure 3.

[0038] like Figure 3cAs shown, the first positioning structure 1 includes a protrusion 4 extending along the mounting direction of the first plate 21 relative to the second plate 22, particularly in the depth direction Y. The second positioning structure 2 includes a stop surface 8 extending upward in the height direction Z, particularly from the bend 6 of the second plate 22. In this case, during installation, the stop surface 8 stops the movement of the protrusion 4 along the mounting direction, thereby achieving a matching and limiting relationship between the stop surface and the protrusion 4 along the mounting direction. This controls the step difference between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 in the depth direction Y and ensures that the front sides of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 are aligned. However, it is also possible that, instead of the protrusion 4 of the first plate 21 and the stop surface 8 of the second plate 22, the first plate 21, particularly the panel 23, is matched and limited by the stop surface on the front crossbeam 11 and / or side plate 12 of the frame member 10 via the protrusion 4.

[0039] like Figure 3c As shown, the protrusion 4 of the first positioning structure 1 can be configured as an elastic arm, and the first positioning structure 1 also includes a flange 9 extending downward from the protrusion 4 in a direction intersecting the installation direction, such as the height direction Z. The second positioning structure 2 includes a hole 5, and the flange 9 engages with the hole 5 for positioning along the installation direction. During installation, when the flange 9 reaches the position of the hole 5, the flange 9 extends into the hole 5 under the elastic action of the protrusion 4 and abuts against the front side of the hole 5 in the depth direction Y. This further ensures the front sides of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 are aligned and prevents the first plate 21 from undesirably moving forward in the depth direction Y relative to the second plate 22. However, it is also possible that, instead of the engagement and positioning of the elastic snap formed by the flange 9 and the hole 5, the first plate 21, especially the panel 23, is fixed to the second plate 22 and / or the front crossbeam 11 and / or the side plate 12 at multiple fixed positions by means of screws, elastic snaps, etc., thereby avoiding local deformation and preventing gaps.

[0040] For example, such as Figure 2a and Figure 2b As shown, the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 are provided with multiple positioning structure pairs 3 on their adjacent edges. This enhances the limiting effect between the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 and ensures a uniform distribution of the force generated by positioning. In particular, at least two positioning structure pairs 3 are provided at the opposite ends of the adjacent edges of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22, thereby effectively preventing local deformation at the ends. Here, the individual positioning structure pairs 3 can be constructed differently to respectively achieve limiting of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22 in different directions. Figure 2a and Figure 2bAs shown, the positioning structure pair 3 at the left end of the adjacent edge provides a fitting limit in the height direction Z, the positioning structure pair 3 at the right end provides a fitting limit in the width direction X, and the positioning structure pair 3 in the middle area provides a fitting limit in the depth direction Y. This allows for flexible allocation of the limiting functions in different directions to different positioning structure pairs 3, thereby achieving a cost-effective design and manufacturing of the first plate 21 and the second plate 22. Alternatively, the limiting functions in all three directions can be integrated into a single positioning structure pair 3.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the home appliance 100 also includes a plurality of decorative elements 30, which are respectively arranged on the user-facing side of a plurality of panels 20. These decorative elements 30 can meet the diverse aesthetic needs of users. For example, the decorative elements 30 may include a panel decorative element 31 arranged on the panel 23 and a front panel decorative element 32 arranged on the front panel 24, with the panel decorative element 31 particularly constructed of a display touchscreen. Furthermore, the decorative elements 30 may also include a pull-out box cover decorative element 33 arranged on the pull-out box cover 25 and a maintenance door panel decorative element 34 arranged on the maintenance door panel 26. Of course, other decorative elements deemed meaningful by those skilled in the art can also be considered. Here, the decorative elements 30 can be attached to the panels 20 by adhesive, snap-fit, or magnetic means. In particular, the plurality of decorative elements 30 can have the same thickness, which, when adjacent panels 20 are aligned with each other, can significantly shorten the dimensional tolerance chain between adjacent decorative elements 30 and ensure that adjacent decorative elements 30 are also aligned with each other, thereby improving the appearance of the home appliance 100. In particular, the user-facing surfaces of multiple decorative elements 30 can be on the same plane, thereby improving the appearance of the home appliance 100. Specifically, the user-facing surface of any one decorative element 30 can be adjacent to the user-facing surface of at least one other decorative element 30 (e.g., with a gap of less than 1 mm), thereby improving the appearance of the home appliance 100. Here, the decorative elements 30 are made of at least one of the following materials: plastic, glass, sintered stone, and metal. In particular, the multiple decorative elements 30 have similar or identical properties, which achieves a uniform overall appearance for the decorative elements 30.

[0042] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this application, even when only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. The feature examples provided in this application are intended for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, unless otherwise stated. In practice, multiple features may be combined with each other as needed and where technically feasible. Various substitutions, modifications, and alterations are also conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.

Claims

1. A household appliance (100), characterized in that, The household appliance (100) includes at least: -Frame components (10); - A plurality of panels (20) arranged on the user-facing side of the household appliance (100), the panels (20) being respectively mounted on the frame member (10), The plate (20) has a first plate (21) and a second plate (22) that are adjacent to each other. The first plate (21) has at least one first positioning structure (1), and the second plate (22) has at least one second positioning structure (2). The first positioning structure (1) and the second positioning structure (2) form a positioning structure pair (3) to define the relative position between the first plate (21) and the second plate (22).

2. The household appliance (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first positioning structure (1) includes a protrusion (4) that extends along the mounting direction of the first plate (21) relative to the second plate (22).

3. The household appliance (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second positioning structure (2) includes a hole (5), and the protrusion (4) is engaged with the hole (5) for positioning on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction.

4. The household appliance (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The installation direction is the depth direction (Y), and Viewed along the height direction (Z), the extension dimension of the protrusion (4) is equal to the extension dimension of the hole (5), such that the first plate (21) and the second plate (22) are mutually restrained in the height direction (Z); and / or Viewed along the width direction (X), the extension dimension of the protrusion (4) is equal to the extension dimension of the hole (5), such that the first plate (21) and the second plate (22) are positioned relative to each other in the width direction (X).

5. The household appliance (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protrusion (4) has a guide slope (7) at its free end.

6. The household appliance (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second positioning structure (2) includes a stop surface (8), and along the installation direction, the protrusion (4) cooperates with the stop surface (8) for limiting; and / or The protrusion (4) is constructed as an elastic arm. The first positioning structure (1) further includes a flange (9) extending from the protrusion (4) in a direction intersecting the installation direction. The second positioning structure (2) includes a hole (5). Along the installation direction, the flange (9) and the hole (5) cooperate to limit the positioning.

7. The household appliance (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first plate (21) and the second plate (22) are provided with a plurality of positioning structure pairs (3) on their adjacent edges.

8. The household appliance (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, At least two pairs of the positioning structures (3) are provided at opposite ends of the adjacent edges; and / or Each positioning structure (3) is constructed differently from each other to respectively limit the first plate (21) and the second plate (22) in different directions.

9. The household appliance (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first plate (21) and the second plate (22) each have a bent portion (6) extending rearward along the depth direction (Y), and the first positioning structure (1) and the second positioning structure (2) are respectively arranged on the corresponding bent portion (6).

10. The household appliance (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first plate (21) is configured as a panel (23) for display and / or control, and the second plate (22) is configured as a front plate (24) with a door (40) installed, wherein the panel (23) is fixedly mounted on the front crossbeam (11) and / or side plate (12) and / or the front plate (24) of the frame member (10), and the front plate (24) is fixedly mounted on the side plate (12) of the frame member (10), and the side plate (12) and the front crossbeam (11) are fixedly connected.

11. The household appliance (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The panel (20) further includes a pull-out box cover (25) and / or a maintenance door panel (26) and / or a transition plate arranged between other panels; and / or The first plate (21) and the second plate (22) are made of different materials.

12. The household appliance (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The household appliance (100) also includes a plurality of decorative elements (30), which are respectively arranged on the user-facing side of the plurality of panels (20).

13. The household appliance (100) according to claim 12, characterized in that, The decorative element (30) is attached to the plate (20) by adhesive, snap-fit, or magnetic attraction; and / or Multiple decorative elements (30) have the same thickness; and / or The user-facing surfaces of the decorative element (30) are on the same plane; and / or The user-facing surface of any one of the decorative elements (30) is adjacent to the user-facing surface of at least another decorative element; and / or Multiple decorative elements (30) have similar or identical characteristics; and / or The decorative element (30) is made of at least one of the following materials: plastic, glass, slate, metal.

14. The household appliance (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The household appliance (100) is a garment processing device, which is configured as a washing machine, a dryer, or a washer-dryer combo.

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