A flow guiding structure and a washing machine containing the same.

Abstract

This utility model discloses a flow guiding structure and a washing machine including the same, comprising a pump housing, a cover, and a flow guide plate. The cover is screwed onto the outlet of the pump housing, and the flow guide plate is movably connected to the outer surface of the pump housing, and the flow guide plate can be flipped over to cover the cover. When the flow guide plate is on the outside of the cover, it is locked and fixed to the pump housing; when the flow guide plate is flipped open, one end of the flow guide plate abuts against the outer surface of the pump housing. This utility model connects the flow guide plate to the pump housing in a flip-over manner, so that the flow guide plate is normally blocked outside the cover. Before unscrewing the cover, the flow guide plate must be opened first, and then the cover can be unscrewed. This prevents residual water in the pump chamber from flowing directly to the ground and causing the ground to become damp when the cover is unscrewed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of washing machine design technology, and in particular to a flow guiding structure and a washing machine containing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most washing machine drain motors on the market are equipped with a water pump assembly. The main purpose of this assembly is to filter out foreign objects and prevent them from entering the impeller cavity, which could cause the impeller to jam and prevent drainage. However, when a lot of foreign objects accumulate in the water pump filter cavity, users need to unscrew the cover and remove the cover assembly for cleaning to avoid clogging the pump cavity.

[0003] However, when unscrewing the cover and cleaning foreign objects from the inner support, some water that has not been completely drained will remain in the pump chamber after the drain motor has finished working. As a result, without the guidance of the deflector, the remaining water will flow directly onto the ground, causing the ground to be damp and resulting in a very poor user experience for end users of household washing machines.

[0004] For details on the design of the flow guiding structure in the prior art, please refer to CN213740148U, such as Figure 1 As with the existing flow guiding structure, the guide plate 3 must be pulled out before the cover is unscrewed to prevent water from flowing directly to the ground. Therefore, when cleaning foreign objects from the pump chamber, the existing drainage pump must be operated in the following steps: ① pull out the guide plate, ② unscrew the cover, and ③ remove the cover.

[0005] During use, it cannot be guaranteed that users will follow the operating steps exactly. Therefore, when cleaning foreign objects from the pump chamber, there may be instances where the guide plate is not pulled out and the cover assembly is unscrewed directly, which will cause water to flow directly to the ground, resulting in the ground around the washing machine being damp. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the technical problem in existing washing machine flow guide structures where water flows directly to the ground due to the failure to extend the flow guide plate, this utility model provides a flow guide structure and a washing machine containing the same to solve the aforementioned problem.

[0007] This utility model proposes a flow guiding structure, including a pump casing, a cover, and a flow guide plate. The cover is screwed onto the outlet of the pump casing, and the flow guide plate is movably connected to the outer surface of the pump casing. The flow guide plate can be flipped over to cover the cover. When the flow guide plate is on the outside of the cover, the flow guide plate is fastened and fixed to the pump casing. When the flow guide plate is flipped open, one end of the flow guide plate abuts against the outer surface of the pump casing.

[0008] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, mounting posts are symmetrically provided on the outer surface of the pump casing, and mounting holes for the mounting posts to pass through are provided on both sides of the guide plate. The guide plate rotates around the mounting posts when it is flipped.

[0009] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, in the direction perpendicular to the water flow, the guide plate is a concave structure with both sides curving upwards.

[0010] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the guide plate includes an intermediate plate and outer plates located on both sides of the intermediate plate. When the guide plate is covered outside the cover, the outer plates are located on the side of the pump casing.

[0011] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the guide plate is connected to a mounting part at one end near the pump casing. The mounting part is U-shaped and protrudes outward, forming an outwardly protruding outer surface and limiting surfaces located on both sides of the outer surface. The mounting hole is located on the outer surface. The mounting column is a stepped columnar structure. The small diameter section of the mounting column is inserted into the mounting hole, and the large diameter section of the mounting column is located between the two limiting surfaces.

[0012] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, a panel is fixed on the outer surface of the pump casing, and slots are provided on both sides of the panel. The end of the guide plate away from the pump casing has a buckle. When the guide plate is covered outside the cover, the buckle engages with the slot.

[0013] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the buckle includes a rectangular portion and a V-shaped portion. The rectangular portion is connected to the outer plate, and the V-shaped portion includes a first inclined surface that slopes towards the middle plate and a second inclined surface that slopes outward. The first inclined surface is connected to the rectangular portion, and the side of the rectangular portion cooperates with the slot so that the panel is clamped between the rectangular portions of the two buckles.

[0014] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the intermediate plate has an arc-shaped surface.

[0015] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the intermediate plate includes a base plate and inclined plates located on both sides of the base plate, the outer plate is connected to the inclined plates, and the base plate is arranged horizontally.

[0016] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the large diameter section of the mounting post has a diameter of 5-8 mm and a length of 5-7 mm, while the small diameter section of the mounting post has a diameter of 2.5-3.5 mm.

[0017] In an optional embodiment of this utility model, the large diameter section of the mounting post has a diameter of 5mm and a length of 7mm, while the small diameter section of the mounting post has a diameter of 3mm.

[0018] This utility model also proposes a washing machine, including the above-described airflow guiding structure.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0020] (1) The present invention connects the guide plate to the pump casing in a flip-top manner, so that the guide plate is blocked outside the cover under normal conditions. Before unscrewing the cover, the guide plate needs to be opened first, and then the cover can be unscrewed to prevent the water remaining in the pump chamber from being completely discharged when the cover is unscrewed, which will flow directly to the ground and cause the ground to be wet.

[0021] (2) The present invention achieves the flipping of the guide plate by rotating the mounting part and the mounting column. At the same time, the U-shaped design of the mounting part and the stepped column structure design of the mounting column ensure the stability of the flipping of the guide plate and avoid the guide plate tilting and shaking.

[0022] (3) This utility model adds a panel to the pump casing and sets a buckle on the guide plate to be connected with the panel, so that the guide plate is firmly covered outside the cover. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flow guiding structure in the prior art;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the pump casing in the flow guiding structure described in this utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the mounting column in the pump casing of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the flow guiding structure described in this utility model in the open state of the flow guiding plate;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flow guiding structure described in this utility model in the closed state of the flow guiding plate;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the guide plate in the flow guiding structure described in this utility model;

[0030] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of point I in the image;

[0031] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of section II in the image.

[0032] In the diagram, 1 is the pump casing, 101 is the outlet, 2 is the cover, 3 is the guide plate, 301 is the outer plate, 302 is the bottom plate, 303 is the inclined plate, 4 is the mounting column, 401 is the first shaft section, 402 is the second shaft section, 5 is the mounting hole, 6 is the panel, 601 is the slot, 7 is the buckle, 701 is the rectangular part, 702 is the V-shaped part, 7021 is the first inclined surface, 7022 is the second inclined surface, 8 is the mounting part, 801 is the outer side surface, and 802 is the limiting surface. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0034] A flow guiding structure includes a pump housing 1, a cover 2, and a flow guide plate 3. The cover 2 is screwed onto the outlet 101 of the pump housing 1. The flow guide plate 3 is movably connected to the outer surface of the pump housing 1, and the flow guide plate 3 can be flipped over to cover the cover 2. When the flow guide plate 3 is covering the cover 2, the flow guide plate 3 is fastened and fixed to the pump housing 1. When the flow guide plate 3 is flipped open, one end of the flow guide plate 3 abuts against the outer surface of the pump housing 1.

[0035] The flip-top design refers to opening or closing the guide plate 3 by flipping it. Compared to the sliding guide plate design in the prior art, the cover 2 can only be opened after the guide plate 3 is opened, thus avoiding user error that could cause water in the pump chamber to flow to the ground. The guide plate 3 is movably connected to the pump casing 1, allowing the guide plate 3 to flip while remaining detached from the pump casing 1. When the guide plate 3 is flipped open, the contact force between the guide plate 3 and the surface of the pump casing 1 keeps the guide plate 3 stable. Specifically, the guide plate 3 is inclined below the outlet 101 of the pump casing 1, thereby catching the water flowing out of the outlet 101 and guiding the water outward into the basin.

[0036] It should be noted that the guide plate 3 is placed over the cover 2 to prevent the cover 2 from opening, not to seal the outlet 101. Therefore, the guide plate 3 does not necessarily have to completely cover the cover 2.

[0037] The guide plate 3 and the pump housing 1 can be connected by rotating shaft or by soft plastic, so that the guide plate 3 can be flipped.

[0038] The flow guiding structure is described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] like Figures 2-5As shown, a flow guiding structure includes a pump housing 1, a cover 2 and a flow guide plate 3. The cover 2 is screwed onto the outlet 101 of the pump housing 1. When removing the cover 2, the cover 2 is rotated in the opposite direction to remove it.

[0041] The rotatable connection between the pump casing 1 and the guide plate 3 is achieved through the following structure:

[0042] The outer surface of the pump casing 1 is symmetrically provided with mounting posts 4, and the sides of the guide plate 3 have mounting holes 5 for the mounting posts 4 to pass through. When the guide plate 3 is flipped, it rotates around the mounting posts 4. Figure 2 As shown, there are two symmetrically arranged mounting columns 4. Since the guide plate 3 is located below the outlet 101 when it is opened, the mounting columns 4 are set slightly below the outside of the pump casing 1.

[0043] Structure of deflector 3:

[0044] To prevent water from flowing out from both sides of the guide plate 3, the guide plate 3 has an inwardly concave structure with both sides curving upwards in the direction perpendicular to the water flow. For example... Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the guide plate 3 is concave in the center and curved upwards at both ends in the left-right direction, allowing water to flow along the length of the guide plate 3. Specifically, the guide plate 3 includes a middle plate and outer plates 301 located on both sides of the middle plate. When the guide plate 3 covers the cover 2, the outer plates 301 are located on the side of the pump casing 1. The outer plates 301 can block the side water flow, and at the same time, when the guide plate 3 covers the cover 2, the outer plates 301 have a protective covering effect on the cover 2. The intermediate plate can be a flat panel 6, an arc-shaped plate, or a combination of multiple flat panels 6. In this embodiment, the intermediate plate includes a base plate 302 and inclined plates 303 located on both sides of the base plate 302. The outer plate 301 is connected to the inclined plates 303. The base plate 302 is horizontally arranged. Both the base plate 302 and the inclined plates 303 are flat panels 6. The two inclined plates 303 and the two outer plates 301 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the base plate 302. The horizontal arrangement of the base plate 302 means that the height of the base plate 302 is equal in the left and right directions and there is no slope. The base plate 302 and the inclined plates 303, and the inclined plates 303 and the outer plates 301 are connected by an arc surface transition. Compared with the arc-shaped intermediate plate structure, the horizontal arrangement of the base plate 302 can form a water flow cross section of a certain width in the middle of the guide plate 3. The water flow will not only flow at the very center of the intermediate plate, which increases the water flow cross section, reduces the water flow velocity, and avoids water splashing.

[0045] The guide plate 3 is movably connected to the outer surface of the pump housing 1, and the guide plate 3 can be flipped to cover the cover 2. When the guide plate 3 is covering the cover 2, the guide plate 3 is fastened and fixed to the pump housing 1. When the guide plate 3 is flipped open, one end of the guide plate 3 abuts against the outer surface of the pump housing 1.

[0046] The fastening structure between the guide plate 3 and the pump casing 1:

[0047] A panel 6 is fixed to the outer surface of the pump casing 1. The panel 6 has slots 601 on both sides. The end of the guide plate 3 away from the pump casing 1 has a buckle 7. When the guide plate 3 is placed over the cover 2, the buckle 7 engages with the slots 601. The addition of the panel 6 provides a fixing space for the guide plate 3. Figure 4 As shown, since the guide plate 3 is located below the outlet 101 of the pump casing 1, and the guide plate 3 is snapped onto the panel 6 after being flipped up, the panel 6 is located on the upper part of the pump casing 1. The structure of the slot 601 and the buckle 7 can be the same as the prior art. For example, the slot 601 is a groove located in the middle of the panel 6, and the buckle 7 is inserted into the groove and snapped on. In this embodiment, the specific structural form is as follows:

[0048] The buckle 7 includes a rectangular portion 701 and a V-shaped portion 702. The rectangular portion 701 is connected to the outer panel 301. The V-shaped portion 702 includes a first inclined surface 7021 inclined towards the middle panel and a second inclined surface 7022 inclined outward. The first inclined surface 7021 is connected to the rectangular portion 701. The side of the rectangular portion 701 engages with the slot 601, so that the panel 6 is clamped between the rectangular portions 701 of the two buckles 7. Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the slot 601 is an L-shaped step on both sides of the panel 6, and the rectangular part 701 and the outer plate 301 also form an L-shaped step. The two cooperate with each other, and the rectangular part 701 fits against the side of the slot 601 to achieve width direction limitation.

[0049] The first inclined surface 7021 and the second inclined surface 7022 connect to make the middle part of the V-shaped portion 702 protrude into the interior of the guide plate 3, and the two ends extend obliquely outwards to guide the exterior of the guide plate 3. The second inclined surface 7022 is located at the end of the buckle 7 and extends outwards obliquely. It can play a guiding role in the process of the buckle 7 engaging with the slot 601, thereby guiding the assembly of the guide plate 3. The middle parts of the V-shaped portions 702 protrude relatively, and the distance between the middle parts of the two V-shaped portions 702 is less than the distance between the two slots 601. When the middle part of the V-shaped portion 702 passes through the slot 601, the buckle 7 can be limited by the panel 6, thereby realizing the engagement of the buckle 7 with the slot 601.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] Based on the above embodiment, the guide plate 3 and the pump housing 1 are rotatably connected through the cooperation of the mounting post 4 and the mounting hole 5. Due to the irregularity of the structure, there will be a certain distance between the mounting hole 5 and the pump housing 1. If the mounting post 4 is too long, it will affect its structural strength. In addition, the guide plate 3 is usually thin, and the mounting hole 5 is also thin, which cannot effectively limit the mounting post 4. The guide plate 3 is prone to shaking during the flipping process. To solve this problem, the following improvements are made in this embodiment:

[0052] like Figure 3 and Figure 8As shown, the guide plate 3 is connected to a mounting part 8 near the pump casing 1. The mounting part 8 is U-shaped and protrudes outward, forming an outwardly protruding outer surface 801 and limiting surfaces 802 located on both sides of the outer surface 801. The mounting hole 5 is located on the outer surface 801. The mounting column 4 is a stepped columnar structure. The small-diameter section of the mounting column 4 is inserted into the mounting hole 5, and the large-diameter section of the mounting column 4 is located between the two limiting surfaces 802. For ease of description, the small-diameter section of the mounting column 4 is named the first shaft section 401, and the large-diameter section of the mounting column 4 is named the second shaft section 402. One end of the second shaft section 402 is connected to the pump casing 1, and the other end of the second shaft section 402 is connected to the first shaft section 401. The mounting part 8 is located at the end of the outer plate 301 and tapers towards the middle plate. Its purpose is to bring the mounting part 8 closer to the pump casing 1 and minimize the length of the mounting column 4. The first shaft segment 401 mates with the mounting hole 5 to form a rotating shaft, while the limiting surface 802 mates with the second shaft segment 402 to increase the mating area and prevent the mounting post 4 from shifting or wobbling relative to the mounting hole 5.

[0053] This embodiment increases the mating length between the mounting column 4 and the mounting part 8 without increasing the thickness of the guide plate 3 through the U-shaped design of the mounting part 8. This can increase the diameter of the mounting column 4 and ensure the stability of the relative movement between the guide plate 3 and the pump casing 1.

[0054] For the conventional pump casing 1 structure, the dimensions of the mounting column 4 are designed as follows: the large diameter section of the mounting column 4 has a diameter of 5-8mm and a length of 5-7mm, and the small diameter section of the mounting column 4 has a diameter of 2.5-3.5mm.

[0055] In the specific experiment, the mounting column 4 used in this invention has a large diameter of 5mm and a length of 7mm, and a small diameter of 3mm. It has been verified that the connection stability between the guide plate 3 and the pump casing 1 is good under this size, and the service life of the mounting column 4 is longer.

[0056] Example 3

[0057] A washing machine includes the aforementioned flow-guiding structure. When wastewater needs to be drained, the flow-guiding plate 3 is opened, and then the cover 2 is unscrewed to allow the wastewater to drain through the flow-guiding plate 3, preventing the wastewater from flowing directly onto the ground through the surface of the washing machine.

[0058] After the sewage is discharged, first tighten the cap 2, then fix the guide plate 3 to the panel 6 by interference fit between the buckle 7 and the slot 601 of the panel 6.

[0059] The flow guiding structure described in this utility model requires the flow guiding plate 3 to be opened before the cover 2 is unscrewed; otherwise, the cover 2 cannot be unscrewed directly. This design effectively solves the problem in the prior art where the cover 2 assembly is unscrewed directly without pulling out the flow guiding plate 3, thus preventing the ground around the washing machine from becoming damp.

[0060] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0061] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0062] In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0063] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of this utility model, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of this utility model. The technical scope of this utility model is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A flow guiding structure, characterized by: The pump housing (1), the cover (2), and the guide plate (3) are included. The cover (2) is screwed onto the outlet (101) of the pump housing (1). The guide plate (3) is movably connected to the outer surface of the pump housing (1) and can be flipped over to cover the cover (2). When the guide plate (3) is covering the cover (2), the guide plate (3) is fastened and fixed to the pump housing (1). When the guide plate (3) is flipped open, one end of the guide plate (3) abuts against the outer surface of the pump housing (1).

2. The flow guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the pump casing (1) is symmetrically provided with mounting columns (4), and the two sides of the guide plate (3) have mounting holes (5) for the mounting columns (4) to pass through. When the guide plate (3) is flipped, it rotates around the mounting columns (4).

3. The flow guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the direction of vertical water flow, the guide plate (3) is a concave structure with both sides curving upward.

4. The flow guiding structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide plate (3) includes an intermediate plate and an outer plate (301) located on both sides of the intermediate plate. When the guide plate (3) is covered outside the cover (2), the outer plate (301) is located on the side of the pump casing (1).

5. The flow guiding structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide plate (3) is connected to a mounting part (8) at one end near the pump casing (1). The mounting part (8) is U-shaped and protrudes outward, forming an outwardly protruding outer surface (801) and limiting surfaces (802) located on both sides of the outer surface (801). The mounting hole (5) is located on the outer surface (801). The mounting column (4) is a stepped column structure. The small diameter section of the mounting column (4) is inserted into the mounting hole (5), and the large diameter section of the mounting column (4) is located between the two limiting surfaces (802).

6. The flow guiding structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer surface of the pump housing (1) is fixed with a panel (6), and the panel (6) has slots (601) on both sides. The end of the guide plate (3) away from the pump housing (1) has a buckle (7). When the guide plate (3) is covered outside the cover (2), the buckle (7) engages with the slot (601).

7. The flow guiding structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The buckle (7) includes a rectangular portion (701) and a V-shaped portion (702). The rectangular portion (701) is connected to the outer plate (301). The V-shaped portion (702) includes a first inclined surface (7021) inclined towards the middle plate and a second inclined surface (7022) inclined outward. The first inclined surface (7021) is connected to the rectangular portion (701). The side of the rectangular portion (701) cooperates with the slot (601) so that the panel (6) is sandwiched between the rectangular portions (701) of the two buckles (7).

8. The flow guiding structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The intermediate plate has an arc-shaped surface.

9. The flow guiding structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The intermediate plate includes a base plate (302) and inclined plates (303) located on both sides of the base plate (302). The outer plate (301) is connected to the inclined plates (303), and the base plate (302) is arranged horizontally.

10. The flow guiding structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The large diameter section of the mounting post (4) has a diameter of 5-8 mm and a length of 5-7 mm, while the small diameter section of the mounting post (4) has a diameter of 2.5-3.5 mm.

11. The flow guiding structure according to claim 10, characterized in that: The large diameter section of the mounting post (4) is 5mm in diameter and 7mm in length, and the small diameter section of the mounting post (4) is 3mm in diameter.

12. A washing machine, characterized in that: Includes the flow guiding structure as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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