Drying duct mounting structure and laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a drying tunnel mounting structure and a garment processing device. The drying tunnel mounting structure includes a cylinder, a lower cover of the drying tunnel, and a fan casing. The lower cover of the drying tunnel has a mounting portion connected to the cylinder. The fan casing has a first reinforcing structure corresponding to the mounting portion, and the first reinforcing structure is connected to the mounting portion. Through this technical solution, the mounting portion is structurally strengthened by the first reinforcing structure on the fan casing, thereby compensating for the insufficient structural strength caused by using sheet metal parts for the lower cover of the drying tunnel. This improves the connection strength between the lower cover of the drying tunnel and the cylinder, thus enhancing the reliability of the drying tunnel's fixation and the stability of its operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a drying tunnel installation structure and clothing processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for diverse functions, clothing processing equipment with drying capabilities is gaining popularity. Clothing drying can be achieved by configuring a drying duct. To facilitate the installation of fans and heating elements, drying ducts are typically modular structures. In related technologies, the connection between the drying duct and the washing drum is mainly divided into two types: connection between the lower cover of the drying duct and the washing drum, and connection between the duct casing and the washing drum. In the method of connecting the lower cover of the drying duct to the washing drum, since the lower cover is usually a sheet metal part, its strength is not high when connected to the washing drum, which can easily lead to unreliable fixing of the drying duct. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, this disclosure provides a drying tunnel installation structure and a garment processing device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a drying tunnel mounting structure is provided, comprising: a cylinder, a lower cover of the drying tunnel, and a fan volute, wherein the lower cover of the drying tunnel is provided with a mounting portion, the mounting portion is connected to the cylinder, and the fan volute is provided with a first reinforcing structure corresponding to the position of the mounting portion, the first reinforcing structure being connected to the mounting portion.

[0005] Optionally, the drying tunnel mounting structure further includes a first fastener. The first reinforcing structure is provided with a first mounting hole through which the first fastener passes. The wall of the first mounting hole is spaced apart from the first fastener. After the first fastener passes through the first mounting hole, it connects the mounting part to the cylinder.

[0006] Optionally, the drying tunnel mounting structure further includes a clamping member, wherein the first fastener passes through the clamping member and is capable of clamping the clamping member onto the cylinder.

[0007] Optionally, the clamping element is disposed within the first mounting hole.

[0008] Optionally, the clamping member is interference-fitted with the first mounting hole.

[0009] Optionally, the first reinforcing structure is provided with a first annular rib surrounding the first mounting hole and a first diverging rib extending radially on the outer peripheral wall of the first annular rib, wherein a plurality of the first diverging ribs are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0010] Optionally, a gasket is provided between the head of the first fastener and the clamping member.

[0011] Optionally, the clamping element is made of rubber.

[0012] Optionally, the mounting portion is provided with a second reinforcing structure.

[0013] Optionally, the mounting portion is provided with a second mounting hole, and the second reinforcing structure includes a second annular rib surrounding the second mounting hole and a second diverging rib extending radially on the outer peripheral wall of the second annular rib, wherein a plurality of the second diverging ribs are spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0014] Optionally, the drying tunnel mounting structure further includes a second fastener, which passes through the first reinforcing structure and the mounting portion in sequence to connect the first reinforcing structure and the mounting portion.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a garment processing apparatus is provided, including a drying tunnel mounting structure as described above.

[0016] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: The drying tunnel installation structure provided by this disclosure includes a lower cover of the drying tunnel with a mounting part for connection with the cylinder, and a first reinforcing structure provided on the fan volute. The first reinforcing structure is connected to the mounting part. That is, the drying tunnel installation structure provided by this disclosure strengthens the mounting part by means of the first reinforcing structure on the fan volute, thereby compensating for the problem of insufficient structural strength caused by the use of sheet metal parts for the lower cover of the drying tunnel. This is beneficial to improving the connection strength between the lower cover of the drying tunnel and the cylinder, thereby improving the reliability of the drying tunnel fixation and the stability of the operation.

[0017] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a garment processing device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a drying tunnel installation structure according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partially enlarged view of the installation structure of the intermediate drying tunnel.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0023] 1-Cylinder body, 2-Drying tunnel lower cover, 21-Mounting part, 3-Fan volute, 31-First reinforcing structure, 321-First annular rib, 322-First diverging rib, 41-Clamping part, 42-First fastener, 5-Gasket, 6-Second fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this exemplary embodiment provides a drying tunnel installation structure that can be applied to garment processing equipment with drying requirements. Garment processing equipment includes, but is not limited to, single-drum dryers, single-drum washer-dryers, twin-drum dryers, or twin-drum washer-dryers.

[0026] Specifically, the drying tunnel installation structure provided in this disclosure includes: a cylinder 1, a lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel, and a fan volute 3. The lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel is provided with an installation part 21, which is connected to the cylinder 1. The fan volute 3 is provided with a first reinforcing structure 31 corresponding to the position of the installation part 21, and the first reinforcing structure 31 is connected to the installation part 21.

[0027] Drum 1 is suitable for holding clothes. In a multi-drum garment processing equipment, the drying tunnel installation structure can be applied to any one of the drums 1. The drying tunnel is an air duct with an internal fan and heating device. The fan provides the power to circulate the air. The humid and hot air inside the drum 1 is condensed into dry and cold air, which enters the drying tunnel under the action of the fan. It is heated into dry and hot gas in the air duct and then circulates back into the drum 1 to dry the clothes.

[0028] Typically, a drying tunnel includes a fan housing, a lower cover 2, a fan volute 3, and a lower upper cover. The fan volute 3 is detachably fitted onto the top of the lower cover 2 to form a fan cavity for housing the fan, and the upper cover is detachably fitted onto the top of the lower cover 2 to form a heating cavity for housing the heating device.

[0029] The drying tunnel is fixedly installed on the cylinder 1, either through a lower cover 2 or a fan casing 3. Regarding the connection method between the lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel is usually constructed as a sheet metal part, and the connection between the lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1 is a skirt structure, which makes the connection strength between the lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1 not high. Considering the vibration generated when the fan is working and the vibration of the cylinder 1 during the drying operation, the connection strength between the lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1 affects the reliability of the entire drying tunnel fixation, and thus affects the stability of the drying process.

[0030] The drying tunnel installation structure provided in this disclosure includes a mounting portion 21 on the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel. The mounting portion 21 is used to connect with the cylinder 1, thereby installing the drying tunnel onto the cylinder 1. The mounting portion 21 can be a lug structure that protrudes laterally from the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel, or it can directly utilize the skirt structure of the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel; this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. Based on the connection method between the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel and the cylinder 1, a first reinforcing structure 31 is provided on the fan casing 3 corresponding to the position of the mounting portion 21, and the first reinforcing structure 31 is connected to the mounting portion 21.

[0031] This disclosure does not limit the form of the first reinforcing structure 31. Any structure that can be connected to the mounting part 21 and can strengthen the mounting part 21 can be applied in this disclosure. For example, the first reinforcing structure 31 can be constructed as an ear plate. Such an ear plate-shaped reinforcing structure can improve the connection strength between the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel and the cylinder 1 by providing a larger contact area, and can also provide a larger mounting area to facilitate the connection of the first reinforcing structure 31 to the mounting part 21.

[0032] The drying tunnel installation structure provided in this disclosure strengthens the installation part 21 by means of the first reinforcing structure 31 on the fan volute 3, thereby compensating for the insufficient structural strength caused by the use of sheet metal parts for the drying tunnel lower cover 2. This helps to improve the connection strength between the drying tunnel lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1, thereby improving the reliability of the drying tunnel fixation and the stability of the operation.

[0033] This disclosure does not limit the connection method between the first reinforcing structure 31 and the mounting part 21. In some embodiments, the first reinforcing structure 31 and the mounting part 21 can be connected together by welding. In other embodiments, the first reinforcing structure 31 and the mounting part 21 can be connected together by screwing.

[0034] In embodiments where the first reinforcing structure 31 and the mounting portion 21 are connected by screws, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the drying tunnel mounting structure may further include a first fastener 42. The first reinforcing structure 31 is provided with a first mounting hole through which the first fastener 42 passes. The wall of the first mounting hole is spaced apart from the first fastener 42. After the first fastener 42 passes through the first mounting hole, it connects the mounting part 21 to the cylinder 1. The first fastener 42 serves to install the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel onto the cylinder 1. The first fastener 42 and the wall of the first mounting hole on the first reinforcing structure 31 are spaced apart, that is, there is no connection between the first fastener 42 and the first reinforcing structure 31. The first mounting hole of the first reinforcing structure 31 serves as a clearance, reducing positioning errors when multiple parts are assembled and reducing assembly complexity. At the same time, the first mounting hole, as a clearance, also helps to avoid stress concentration around the first reinforcing structure 31, which would affect the reinforcement effect on the mounting part 21.

[0035] In some implementations, such as Figure 3 As shown, the drying tunnel mounting structure also includes a clamping member 41. A first fastener 42 passes through the clamping member 41 and can press the mounting part 21 onto the cylinder 1. In this embodiment, the first fastener 42 serves to connect the mounting part 21 to the cylinder 1 and to provide clamping force to the clamping member 41. After the first fastener 42 passes through the first mounting part 21, it connects to the cylinder 1. Thus, during the tightening of the first fastener 42, the clamping member 41 is pushed downward, thereby pressing the clamping member 41 against the first mounting part 21, and further pressing the mounting part 21 against the cylinder 1. In this way, even under the vibration generated when the fan is working and the vibration of the cylinder 1 during the drying operation, the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel is not easy to move, which helps to improve the reliability of the drying tunnel fixation and the stability of the operation.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first reinforcing structure 31 is provided with a first mounting hole, and the clamping member 41 is disposed within the first mounting hole. Optionally, the clamping member 41 is interference-fitted with the first mounting hole. The position of the clamping member 41 is pre-fixed, which prevents the clamping member 41 from shifting during the insertion of the first fastener 42, thereby improving the installation efficiency of the first fastener 42. In other embodiments, the clamping member 41 may also be integrally vulcanized in the first mounting hole.

[0037] The structural strength of the first reinforcing structure 31 itself will affect the connection strength between the mounting part 21 and the cylinder 1. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the first reinforcing structure 31 is provided with a first annular rib 321 surrounding the first mounting hole and a first diverging rib 322 provided on the outer peripheral wall of the first annular rib 321. Multiple first diverging ribs 322 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. The stress of the mounting part 21 is concentrated at the position where the first fastener 42 passes through. Therefore, by structurally reinforcing the position of the first fastener 42, the connection strength between the lower cover of the drying tunnel and the cylinder can be further improved, thereby improving the reliability of the drying tunnel fixation and the stability of the operation.

[0038] In some implementations, such as Figure 3 As shown, a shim 5 can be provided between the head of the first fastener 42 and the clamping member 41. The shim 5 helps to increase the contact area between the first fastener 42 and the clamping member 41, thereby increasing the clamping force exerted by the first fastener 42 on the clamping member 41 and preventing local stress concentration on the clamping member 41. In addition, the clamping member 41 can be made of rubber. A rubber clamping member 41 can provide reliable clamping force to the mounting part 21 without causing damage to the mounting part 21 through hard contact.

[0039] To compensate for the adverse effects of using sheet metal parts on the connection strength of the drying tunnel lower cover 2, in addition to structurally reinforcing the mounting part 21 with the first reinforcing structure 31, the connection strength between the drying tunnel lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1 can also be improved by reinforcing the structure of the mounting part 21 itself. In some embodiments, the mounting part 21 is provided with a second mounting hole, and the second reinforcing structure includes a second annular rib surrounding the second mounting hole and a second diverging rib disposed on the outer peripheral wall of the second annular rib. Multiple first diverging ribs are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The second mounting hole is for the first fastener 42 to pass through. By structurally reinforcing the position of the first fastener 42, the connection strength between the drying tunnel lower cover 2 and the cylinder 1 can be further improved, thereby improving the reliability of the drying tunnel fixation and the stability of its operation.

[0040] In some implementations, such as Figure 3 As shown, the drying tunnel mounting structure may further include a second fastener 6, which passes through the first reinforcing structure 31 and the mounting part 21 to connect the first reinforcing structure 31 and the mounting part 21, thereby connecting the fan volute 3 and the lower cover 2 of the drying tunnel together, and further improving the connection strength between the mounting part 21 and the first reinforcing structure 31. Multiple second fasteners 6 may be provided, and these multiple second fasteners 6 are positioned to avoid the reinforcing ribs.

[0041] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 1 As shown, a garment processing device is also provided, which includes the drying tunnel installation structure of any of the above-mentioned items and has all of its beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0042] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

[0043] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drying tunnel installation structure, characterized in that, include: The device comprises a cylinder, a lower cover for the drying tunnel, and a fan volute. The lower cover for the drying tunnel is provided with a mounting part, which is connected to the cylinder. The fan volute is provided with a first reinforcing structure corresponding to the position of the mounting part, and the first reinforcing structure is connected to the mounting part.

2. The oven installation structure according to claim 1, wherein The drying tunnel mounting structure further includes a first fastener. The first reinforcing structure is provided with a first mounting hole through which the first fastener passes. The wall of the first mounting hole is spaced apart from the first fastener. After the first fastener passes through the first mounting hole, it connects the mounting part to the cylinder.

3. The oven installation structure according to claim 2, wherein The drying tunnel mounting structure also includes a clamping member, through which the first fastener passes and can press the mounting part onto the cylinder.

4. The oven installation structure according to claim 3, wherein The clamping element is disposed in the first mounting hole.

5. The oven installation structure according to claim 4, wherein The clamping member is interference-fitted with the first mounting hole.

6. The oven installation structure according to claim 4, wherein The first reinforcing structure is provided with a first annular rib surrounding the first mounting hole and a first diverging rib extending radially on the outer peripheral wall of the first annular rib, and multiple first diverging ribs are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

7. The oven installation structure according to claim 3, wherein A gasket is provided between the head of the first fastener and the clamping member.

8. The oven installation structure according to claim 3, wherein The clamping element is made of rubber.

9. The oven installation structure according to claim 1, wherein The mounting section is provided with a second reinforcing structure.

10. The oven installation structure according to claim 9, wherein The mounting part is provided with a second mounting hole, and the second reinforcing structure includes a second annular rib surrounding the second mounting hole and a second diverging rib extending radially on the outer peripheral wall of the second annular rib. The second diverging rib is provided with a plurality of ribs spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

11. The oven installation structure according to claim 1, wherein The drying tunnel mounting structure further includes a second fastener, which passes through the first reinforcing structure and the mounting part in sequence to connect the first reinforcing structure and the mounting part.

12. A garment processing device, characterized in that, Includes the drying tunnel installation structure as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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