A dishwasher inner tank structure and a dishwasher

Abstract

This application relates to a dishwasher inner drum structure and a dishwasher. The inner drum structure includes an inner drum body and a hot air device disposed within the inner drum body. A washing chamber is formed within the inner drum body. The hot air device includes a hot air duct and a heating element and a fan assembly disposed on the hot air duct. An air inlet, an air guide chamber, and an air outlet are sequentially connected on the hot air duct. The air outlet is located on the side of the bottom plate of the inner drum body and communicates with the washing chamber. The initial position of the hot air entering the washing chamber through the air outlet is at a lower horizontal height than that of the dish racks in the washing chamber. In this application, the hot air discharged through the air outlet is first transported to the bottom of the washing chamber and converges, then rises along the height of the washing chamber, drying the dishes on the dish racks at different heights sequentially. This avoids the hot air discharged through the air outlet 203 directly blowing onto the dishes on the lower dish rack, preventing localized overheating of the dishes on the lower dish rack and potential damage to the dishes or burns to the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of dishwasher technology, and more particularly to a dishwasher inner tank structure and a dishwasher. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional dishwasher drying methods generally fall into two categories: the first utilizes residual heat from inside the dishwasher for drying, and the second uses a heating module in conjunction with a fan for drying. The first method, using residual heat, doesn't require additional parts, but it necessitates heating the final wash cycle to a very high temperature for effective drying, significantly impacting the overall energy consumption. In today's market, where energy efficiency is increasingly prioritized, using a heating module in conjunction with a fan for drying can significantly improve the drying effect of the dishes inside the dishwasher with only a slight increase in overall energy consumption. Therefore, more and more dishwashers on the market are adopting this drying method.

[0003] While the drying method using a heating module and a fan can improve the drying effect of tableware with only a slight increase in energy consumption, this method can easily lead to excessive heat accumulation in a certain area of ​​the washing chamber. This can cause some tableware to receive too much heat, potentially resulting in damage or burns to consumers due to excessively high temperatures in that area. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a dishwasher inner tank structure and a dishwasher to address the aforementioned problems with existing dishwashers.

[0005] The dishwasher inner tub structure provided in the first aspect of this application includes an inner tub body and a hot air device disposed on the inner tub body;

[0006] The inner liner body has a washing chamber;

[0007] The hot air device includes a hot air duct and a heating component and a fan component disposed on the hot air duct. The hot air duct is provided with an air inlet, an air guide cavity and an air outlet connected in sequence.

[0008] The air outlet is connected to the washing chamber on the side of the bottom plate of the inner liner body, and the initial position of the hot air entering the washing chamber through the air outlet is at a lower horizontal height than the dish rack in the washing chamber.

[0009] In one embodiment, the hot air duct includes a duct housing and an air guide cover. An installation port is provided on the side of the bottom plate of the inner liner body. The air inlet and the air guide cavity are formed on the duct housing. The air outlet is formed on the air guide cover. The air guide cover is located inside the washing chamber. One of the air guide cover and the duct housing passes through the installation port and is connected to the other.

[0010] In one embodiment, a sealing ring is provided between the air duct housing and the mounting port.

[0011] In one embodiment, the air guide cover is provided with a limiting post, the limiting post has a threaded hole, the air duct housing is provided with an assembly groove corresponding to the position of the limiting post, and a screw is provided between the air guide cover and the air duct housing, the threaded end of the screw passes through the assembly groove and connects to the threaded hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, the number of limiting posts is not less than two, and the not less than two limiting posts are distributed at intervals on the air guide cover. The number of assembly slots is the same as the number of limiting posts and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0013] In one embodiment, the duct housing includes a housing body and a duct connector, the duct connector being detachably connected to the air guide cover and the housing body respectively; the housing body forms the air inlet and the air guide cavity, the duct connector has an air passage cavity, and the air inlet, the air guide cavity, the air passage cavity and the air outlet are sequentially connected.

[0014] In one embodiment, the longitudinal section of the housing body is straight, and the longitudinal section of the air duct connector is L-shaped.

[0015] In one embodiment, an air guide plate is provided at the air outlet, and there are multiple air guide plates. The air guide plates are inclined to the central axis of the air outlet.

[0016] In one embodiment, the air outlet is at least divided into a first air outlet and a second air outlet, and the first air outlet and the second air outlet are respectively provided with the air guide plate, and the tilt direction of the air guide plate on the first air outlet is different from the tilt direction of the air guide plate on the second air outlet.

[0017] The second aspect of this application provides a dishwasher including the dishwasher inner tank structure described in any of the preceding claims.

[0018] The dishwasher inner tank structure and dishwasher in the above embodiments have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0019] This application provides a dishwasher in which the heating element and the fan element are respectively installed on the hot air duct. The fan element operates at the air inlet of the hot air duct to draw in outside air. The air entering the air guide cavity undergoes heat transfer with the heat generated by the heating element, thereby forming hot air that is discharged from the air outlet. The air outlet is connected to the washing chamber on the side of the bottom plate of the inner drum body. The initial position of the hot air entering the washing chamber through the air outlet is at a lower horizontal height than that of the dish rack in the washing chamber. The hot air discharged through the air outlet of the hot air duct is first transported to the bottom of the washing chamber and converges. Then it rises along the height of the washing chamber and dries the dishes on the dish racks of different heights in sequence. This can avoid the hot air discharged through the air outlet directly blowing on the dishes on the lower dish rack, which may cause local overheating of the dishes on the lower dish rack and lead to possible damage to the dishes or burns to the user. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the dishwasher inner tank structure in one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the dishwasher inner tank structure in one embodiment;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of section A;

[0023] Figure 4 A cross-section of the dishwasher inner tank structure in one embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of section B;

[0025] Figure 6 A cross-section of the dishwasher inner tank structure in one embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of section C;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air duct connector in one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air guide cover in one embodiment.

[0029] Figure label:

[0030] 10 Inner tank body, 11 Top plate, 12 Bottom plate, 13 Back plate, 14 Middle plate, 101 Washing chamber, 102 Installation port;

[0031] 20 Hot air device, 21 Hot air duct, 211 Duct housing, 2112 Housing body, 2113 Duct connector, 212 Air guide cover, 2121 Limiting post, 2122 Air guide plate, 213 Sealing ring, 214 Screw, 201 Air inlet, 203 Air outlet, 203a First air outlet, 203b Second air outlet, 205 Assembly groove, 206 Air passage cavity, 207 Threaded hole. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein.

[0034] like Figure 1-9 As shown, this embodiment provides a dishwasher inner tub structure, including an inner tub body 10 and a hot air device 20 disposed on the inner tub body 10;

[0035] A washing chamber 101 is provided inside the inner tank body 10;

[0036] The hot air device 20 includes a hot air duct 21 and a heating component and a fan component disposed on the hot air duct 21. The hot air duct 21 is provided with an air inlet 201, an air guide cavity and an air outlet 203 connected in sequence.

[0037] The air outlet 203 is connected to the washing chamber 101 on the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner liner body 10, and the initial position of the hot air entering the washing chamber 101 through the air outlet 203 is at a lower horizontal height on the washing chamber 101 than the horizontal height of the dish rack on the washing chamber 101.

[0038] This application discloses a dishwasher inner drum structure in which a heating component and a fan component are respectively disposed on a hot air duct 21. The fan component operates at the air inlet 201 of the hot air duct 21 to draw in external air. The air entering the air guide cavity undergoes heat transfer with the heat generated by the heating component, thereby forming hot air that is discharged from the air outlet 203. The air outlet 203 communicates with the washing chamber 101 on the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner drum body 10. The initial position of the hot air entering the washing chamber 101 through the air outlet 203 is lower than the horizontal height of the dish rack in the washing chamber 101. The hot air discharged through the air outlet 203 of the hot air duct 21 is first transported to the bottom of the washing chamber 101 and then rises along the height of the washing chamber 101 to dry the dishes on the dish racks of different heights in turn. This can avoid the hot air discharged through the air outlet 203 directly blowing on the dishes on the lower dish rack, which could cause local overheating of the dishes on the lower dish rack and potentially damage the dishes or burn the user.

[0039] The inner liner body 10 can be a frame structure with one open end. This frame structure includes a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, a back plate 13, and middle plates 14 distributed on the left and right sides of the back plate 13. The five plates are connected to form a washing chamber 101 for washing dishes. The dish rack can be a utensil for placing dishes to be washed inside the washing chamber 101. The dish rack can be divided into a lower dish rack, a middle dish rack, and an upper dish rack along the height direction of the washing chamber 101. It should be noted that the number of dish racks can be adjusted according to the volume of the washing chamber 101 or the washing needs. For example, in some dishwashers, only the upper dish rack and the lower dish rack are configured in the washing chamber 101.

[0040] The air duct housing 211 may be provided with an air guide cavity and an air inlet 201 and an air outlet 203 communicating with the air guide cavity. The heating component and the fan component may be installed in the air guide cavity. When the fan component is working, it draws in external air at the air inlet 201 of the hot air duct 21 and transmits it along the path of the air guide cavity. The air entering the air guide cavity undergoes heat transfer with the heat generated by the heating component to form hot air, and under the power of the fan component, the hot air is delivered to the washing chamber 101 of the inner tank body 10.

[0041] The hot air duct 21 can be connected to the washing chamber 101 at the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner tank body 10. For example, the air outlet 203 of the hot air duct 21 can extend into the washing chamber 101 from the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner tank body 10, or an air inlet groove can be provided on the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner tank body 10, and the air inlet groove and the air outlet 203 of the hot air duct 21 can be connected outside the washing chamber 101. Specifically, in this embodiment, the air outlet 203 of the hot air duct 21 extends from the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner liner body 10 into the washing chamber 101, and the horizontal height of the air outlet 203 on the washing chamber 101 is lower than the horizontal height of the lower dish rack on the washing chamber 101, so that the hot air discharged through the air outlet 203 of the hot air duct 21 is first transported to the bottom of the washing chamber 101. Based on the characteristic that hot air has low density, the hot air rises from the bottom of the washing chamber 101 along the height direction of the washing chamber 101 and flows through the dish racks of different heights in sequence.

[0042] like Figures 2 to 7 , Figure 9 As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further defines that: the hot air duct 21 includes a duct housing 211 and an air guide cover 212, an installation port 102 is provided on the side of the bottom plate 12 of the inner liner body 10, an air inlet 201 and an air guide cavity are formed on the duct housing 211, an air outlet 203 is formed on the air guide cover 212, the air guide cover 212 is located in the washing chamber 101, and one of the air guide cover 212 and the duct housing 211 is connected to the other after passing through the installation port 102.

[0043] The air guide cover 212 can be located inside the washing chamber 101, while the air duct housing 211 can be located outside the washing chamber 101. The air duct housing 211 can be tightly attached to the middle plate 14 of the inner tank body 10. The air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 can be connected by bolts, clips, or threads. The cross-sectional dimensions of the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 can be larger than the dimensions of the mounting opening 102, so that both the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 can abut against the inner tank body 10 at the mounting opening 102, ensuring that the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 are reliably fixed to the inner tank body 10 after connection.

[0044] It should be noted that the air guide cover 212 can be a long, strip-shaped plate structure with an air outlet 203. The air outlet 203 on the air guide cover 212 can be horizontally mounted on the mounting port 102 facing the central axis of the washing chamber 101, and the horizontal height of the air guide cover 212 on the washing chamber 101 is lower than the horizontal height of the dish rack on the washing chamber 101.

[0045] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further specifies that a sealing ring 213 is provided between the air duct housing 211 and the mounting port 102.

[0046] The above embodiment further specifies that a sealing ring 213 is provided between the air duct housing 211 and the mounting port 102. The sealing ring 213 can seal the gap between the air duct housing 211 and the mounting port 102, preventing the hot air discharged through the air duct housing 211 from escaping from the washing chamber 101 through the gap between the air duct housing 211 and the mounting port 102, thus affecting the drying effect.

[0047] like Figures 2 to 9 As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further specifies that: a limiting post 2121 is provided on the air guide cover 212, a threaded hole 207 is provided on the limiting post 2121, an assembly groove 205 is provided on the air duct housing 211 corresponding to the position of the limiting post 2121, a screw 214 is provided between the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211, and the threaded end of the screw 214 passes through the assembly groove 205 and connects to the threaded hole 207.

[0048] The above embodiments further define that the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 are detachably connected by the limiting post 2121, the assembly groove 205 and the screw 214. Moreover, as the screw 214 gradually penetrates into the threaded hole 207 on the limiting post 2121, the assembly of the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 on the inner liner body 10 becomes more stable. At the same time, the sealing performance between the air duct housing 211 and the air outlet 203 is better.

[0049] The limiting post 2121 can be a columnar structure protruding from the plate-like structure of the air guide cover 212, and the columnar structure has a threaded hole 207 that mates with the screw 214. The mounting groove 205 on the air duct housing 211 can be a groove structure with openings at both ends, and the diameter of the opening at one end of the groove structure is smaller than the diameter of the nut of the screw 214. Specifically, when the air guide cover 212 moves to the mounting port 102 in the washing chamber 101, the limiting post 2121 passes through the mounting port 102 and is inserted into the mounting groove 205 on the air duct housing 211, which facilitates the threaded end of the screw 214 to pass through the mounting groove 205 and connect with the threaded hole 207 until the nut in the screw 214 abuts against the opening of the mounting groove 205.

[0050] like Figures 2 to 3 , Figures 8 to 9 As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further specifies that: the number of limiting posts 2121 is not less than two, the not less than two limiting posts 2121 are distributed at intervals on the air guide cover 212, and the number of assembly grooves 205 is the same as that of limiting posts 2121 and they are set in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0051] The above embodiments further define that the air guide cover 212 and the air duct housing 211 are connected by at least two sets of limiting posts 2121, assembly grooves 205 and screws 214 to ensure the reliability of the connection and to ensure the sealing of the air guide cover 212, the air duct housing 211 and the mounting port 102.

[0052] The number of limiting posts 2121 can be no less than two; for example, there are three limiting posts 2121, which are spaced apart along the length of the air guide cover 212. Correspondingly, there are also three mounting slots 205 on the air duct housing 211, each mounting slot 205 corresponding to one limiting post 2121. It should be noted that in some embodiments, taking three limiting posts 2121 as an example, the centrally distributed limiting posts 2121 can divide the air outlet 203 into a first air outlet 203a and a second air outlet 203b. In addition, in other embodiments, the projection of the limiting posts 2121 on the air guide cover 212 is outside the range of the air outlet 203.

[0053] In addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further defines that: the air duct housing 211 includes a housing body 2112 and an air duct connector 2113, and the air duct connector 2113 is detachably connected to the air guide cover 212 and the housing body 2112 respectively;

[0054] The main body 2112 of the shell has an air inlet 201 and an air guide cavity. An air passage cavity 206 is opened in the air duct connector 2113. The air inlet 201, the air guide cavity, the air passage cavity 206 and the air outlet 203 are connected in sequence.

[0055] The duct housing 211 may include a first housing and a second housing, which are detachably connected and can enclose an air inlet 201 and a guide cavity. Both the fan assembly and the heating assembly can be installed in the guide cavity. It should be noted that the first housing and the second housing can be detachably connected by bolts, clips, or other means, which facilitates the assembly of the fan assembly and the heating assembly or future maintenance.

[0056] The air duct connector 2113 can form an air passage cavity 206 with openings at both ends, so that the air duct connector 2113 can be used to connect the air guide channel and the air outlet 203. In addition, the air duct connector 2113 can be detachably connected to the housing body 2112 by means of bolts, clips, etc.

[0057] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further specifies that: the longitudinal section of the housing body 2112 is straight, and the longitudinal section of the air duct connector 2113 is L-shaped.

[0058] The shell body 2112 can be a flat, elongated shell structure, and the air duct connector 2113 can be an L-shaped shell structure. Based on the shell body 2112 and the air duct connector 2113 being distributed from top to bottom along the height of the dishwasher, the overall longitudinal section of the air duct shell 211 is L-shaped. Specifically, the shell body 2112 is partially attached to the outer wall of the inner tub body 10, making full use of the unused space between the inner tub body 10 and the dishwasher shell, without increasing the overall volume of the dishwasher. The vertical part of the air duct connector 2113 is also attached to the outer wall of the inner tub body 10, consistent with the shell body 2112, while the protruding part of the air duct connector 2113 is inserted into the washing chamber 101 of the inner tub body 10, avoiding the need to arrange complex air ducts in the narrow space between the inner tub body 10 and the dishwasher shell, thus improving the rationality of the dishwasher design.

[0059] In addition, the L-shaped design of the air duct housing 211 provides good bending rigidity. The vertical part of the air duct housing 211 is attached to the outer wall of the inner tub body 10 for support, and the protruding part is inserted into the washing cavity 101 and fixed at the connection point. Together with the fixing points of the air duct housing 211 on the outer shell or the inner tub body 10, a stable support is formed for the air duct housing 211, making it less likely to deform or produce abnormal noise when the dishwasher is working.

[0060] like Figure 9 As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further specifies that: an air guide plate 2122 is provided at the air outlet 203, and there are multiple air guide plates 2122, which are inclined to the central axis of the air outlet 203.

[0061] The above embodiment further specifies that multiple air guide plates 2122 are provided at the air outlet 203 at an angle to the central axis of the air outlet 203. Based on this, the multiple angled air guide plates 2122 disperse and guide the high-speed hot air that may have been concentrated from the center of the air outlet 203 to different directions, so that the hot air can cover the internal space of the washing chamber 101 more widely, especially diffuse to the sides, top and bottom, instead of just shooting straight forward, thereby ensuring that the tableware at different positions and heights in the washing chamber 101 can receive the drying effect of the hot air more evenly.

[0062] The air guide plate 2122 can change the direction of hot air entering the washing chamber 101 at the air outlet 203. The air guide plate 2122 can be a plate-like structure or a ribbed structure. The air guide plate 2122 can be inclined with respect to the central axis of the air outlet 203. For example, the air guide plate 2122 located on the left side of the central axis of the air outlet 203 is inclined towards the opening direction of the washing chamber 101, and the air guide plate 2122 located on the right side of the central axis of the air outlet 203 is inclined towards the back plate 13 of the inner tank body 10. It should be noted that the air guide plate 2122 can be set parallel to the central axis near the central axis of the air outlet 203, or the air guide plate 2122 can be omitted.

[0063] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, in addition to the features of the above embodiments, this embodiment further specifies that: the air outlet 203 is at least divided into a first air outlet 203a and a second air outlet 203b, and the first air outlet 203a and the second air outlet 203b are respectively provided with air guide plates 2122, and the tilting direction of the air guide plate 2122 on the first air outlet 203a is different from the tilting direction of the air guide plate 2122 on the second air outlet 203b.

[0064] This embodiment provides a dishwasher, including the dishwasher inner tank structure described above.

[0065] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dishwasher inner drum structure, characterized in that, It includes an inner liner body (10) and a hot air device (20) disposed on the inner liner body (10); The inner liner body (10) has a washing chamber (101) inside; The hot air device (20) includes a hot air duct (21) and a heating component and a fan component disposed on the hot air duct (21). The hot air duct (21) is provided with an air inlet (201), an air guide cavity and an air outlet (203) connected in sequence. The air outlet (203) is connected to the washing chamber (101) on the side of the bottom plate (12) of the inner liner body (10), and the initial position of the hot air entering the washing chamber (101) through the air outlet (203) is lower than the horizontal height of the dish rack in the washing chamber (101).

2. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot air duct (21) includes a duct housing (211) and an air guide cover (212). An installation port (102) is provided on the side of the bottom plate (12) of the inner liner body (10). The air inlet (201) and the air guide cavity are formed on the duct housing (211). The air outlet (203) is formed on the air guide cover (212). The air guide cover (212) is located inside the washing chamber (101). One of the air guide cover (212) and the duct housing (211) passes through the installation port (102) and is connected to the other.

3. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, A sealing ring (213) is provided between the air duct housing (211) and the mounting port (102).

4. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air guide cover (212) is provided with a limiting post (2121), and the limiting post (2121) is provided with a threaded hole (207). The air duct housing (211) is provided with an assembly groove (205) corresponding to the position of the limiting post (2121). A screw (214) is provided between the air guide cover (212) and the air duct housing (211). The threaded end of the screw (214) passes through the assembly groove (205) and connects to the threaded hole (207).

5. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The number of the limiting posts (2121) is not less than two, and the not less than two limiting posts (2121) are distributed at intervals on the air guide cover (212). The number of the assembly grooves (205) is the same as that of the limiting posts (2121) and they are set in a one-to-one correspondence.

6. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air duct housing (211) includes a housing body (2112) and an air duct connector (2113). The air duct connector (2113) is detachably connected to the air guide cover (212) and the housing body (2112). The housing body (2112) forms the air inlet (201) and the air guide cavity. The air duct connector (2113) has an air passage cavity (206). The air inlet (201), the air guide cavity, the air passage cavity (206), and the air outlet (203) are connected in sequence.

7. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The longitudinal section of the main body of the shell (2112) is straight, and the longitudinal section of the air duct connector (2113) is L-shaped.

8. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, An air guide plate (2122) is provided at the air outlet (203). There are multiple air guide plates (2122), and the air guide plates (2122) are inclined to the central axis of the air outlet (203).

9. The dishwasher inner tank structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The air outlet (203) is at least divided into a first air outlet (203a) and a second air outlet (203b). The first air outlet (203a) and the second air outlet (203b) are respectively provided with the air guide plate (2122). The tilt direction of the air guide plate (2122) on the first air outlet (203a) is different from the tilt direction of the air guide plate (2122) on the second air outlet (203b).

10. A dishwasher, characterized in that, The dishwasher inner tank structure includes any one of claims 1-9.

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