A pulley structure, a bowl basket assembly and a dishwasher

Abstract

The application relates to a pulley structure, a bowl basket assembly and a dish washing machine. The pulley structure comprises an axle, a bearing and a roller. The bearing is a split bearing structure, and the inner ring of the bearing is matched with the shaft body of the axle. One end of the axle is provided with a first clamping part, and the other end is provided with a second clamping part. The first clamping part is used for clamping with the bowl basket body. The central part of the roller is provided with an assembly groove and a first through hole communicated with the assembly groove. The end of the bearing away from the first clamping part passes through the assembly groove and the first through hole in sequence. The second clamping part is clamped with the roller, and the outer ring of the bearing is matched with the inner wall of the assembly groove. Through the split bearing structure, the inner ring and the outer ring of the bearing are matched with the shaft body of the axle and the assembly groove of the roller respectively. When the roller rolls under force, the relative movement between the roller and the axle changes from direct sliding friction to rolling friction through the rolling balls in the bearing. The resistance of the rolling friction is far less than that of the sliding friction, so that the bowl basket is labor-saving and smooth when being pushed and pulled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of kitchen appliance technology, and in particular to a pulley structure, a dish rack assembly, and a dishwasher. Background Technology

[0002] In dishwashers, rollers are located on the left and right sides or bottom of the dish rack to support the rack and its load, and to facilitate the rack's entry and exit, reducing pushing and pulling force. However, most current dishwasher rack rollers use a plastic axle and roller connected by a snap-fit ​​structure. This increases the friction surface between the axle and the rack, turning rolling friction into sliding friction. This makes it very difficult and unsmooth for users to push and pull the rack, and the unsmooth experience and difficult pushing and pulling operation directly affect the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a pulley structure, a dish rack assembly, and a dishwasher to address the aforementioned problems.

[0004] This application provides a pulley structure, including an axle, a bearing, and a roller;

[0005] The bearing has a split bearing structure, and the inner ring of the bearing is fitted with the shaft body of the wheel axle;

[0006] One end of the axle is provided with a first snap-fit ​​part, and the other end is provided with a second snap-fit ​​part. The first snap-fit ​​part is used to snap-fit ​​with the bowl basket body.

[0007] The roller has a central mounting groove and a first through hole communicating with the mounting groove. The end of the bearing away from the first snap-fit ​​part passes through the mounting groove and the first through hole in sequence. The second snap-fit ​​part snaps into the roller, and the outer ring of the bearing mates with the inner wall of the mounting groove.

[0008] The pulley structure provided in this application assembles the axle onto the basket body via a first snap-fit ​​part, and axially assembles the axle with the bearing onto the roller via a second snap-fit ​​part and a first through hole, preventing the bearing or axle from axially shifting or falling off during the pushing and pulling of the basket body. The bearing is a split bearing structure, with the inner and outer rings respectively engaging with the axle shaft and the roller's mounting groove. When the roller rolls under force, the power transmission path is sequentially: roller, bearing outer ring, balls inside the bearing, bearing inner ring, and axle. During this process, the relative motion between the roller and axle changes from direct sliding friction to rolling friction via the balls inside the bearing. The resistance of rolling friction is much less than that of sliding friction, making it very effortless and smooth for the user to push and pull the basket.

[0009] In one embodiment, the diameter of the assembly groove is larger than the diameter of the first through hole, and a first limiting surface is formed on the side of the first through hole away from the assembly groove. The second engaging portion engages with the first limiting surface. By making the diameter of the assembly groove larger than the diameter of the first through hole to form a first limiting surface on the outside of the roller, and by having the second engaging portion directly engage with the limiting surface, a stable structure for axial locking from the outside is constructed. This allows the axle to pass through the bearing and the first through hole sequentially during assembly, and to directly engage with the roller using the second engaging portion at the end. This securely assembles the bearing in the assembly groove and effectively withstands the axial force generated when the basket is pushed and pulled, avoiding the risk of axial movement or even detachment of the pulley assembly during use, and providing reliability to the pulley structure.

[0010] In one embodiment, the second locking portion includes at least two circumferentially spaced elastic buckles. One end of each elastic buckle is connected to the axle body, and the other end is connected to a hooked portion. By using at least two circumferentially spaced elastic buckles with hooked portions in the second locking portion, a highly efficient and reliable locking structure is achieved. Multiple elastic buckles ensure even distribution of the locking force, reducing wobbling. Because the elastic buckles can undergo elastic deformation, they automatically spring open after passing through the first through hole, allowing the hooked portion to reliably hook onto the first limiting surface. This not only simplifies assembly operations and improves production efficiency but also ensures the connection stability of the pulley under long-term axial force of the basket's push-pull operation through mechanical self-locking.

[0011] In one embodiment, the diameter of the first through hole gradually decreases in the direction away from the assembly groove. The maximum distance between the two relatively distributed barbs is greater than the minimum diameter of the first through hole, and the barbs are formed with guide surfaces. The guide surfaces are designed with an inclination to fit the inner wall of the first through hole. By designing the first through hole as a tapered structure with a gradually decreasing diameter, and designing the barbs with inclination guide surfaces that fit it, while ensuring that the maximum distance between the barbs is greater than the minimum diameter of the first through hole, this design utilizes the tapered hole to achieve automatic centering. The guide surfaces smoothly convert the axial thrust into the radial contraction of the elastic buckle, greatly reducing the frictional resistance and operational difficulty during assembly. This makes the installation process effortless and smooth. At the same time, the interference fit design causes the elastic buckle to spring back and lock after passing through the minimum diameter of the first through hole, ensuring the stability of the connection strength after the barbs and the first limiting surface are engaged, effectively improving production efficiency and product reliability.

[0012] In one embodiment, the outer diameters of the two opposing elastic buckles are larger than the inner ring diameter of the bearing. By ensuring the outer diameters of the opposing elastic buckles are larger than the inner ring diameter, the elastic buckles, once installed and in place, can continuously apply a radial clamping force to the inner ring, effectively eliminating the assembly gap between the split bearing inner ring and the axle body. This ensures the inner ring fits tightly against the axle without relative rotation or movement, and also contributes to a tight fit between the bearing outer ring and the roller mounting groove. Ultimately, this results in a more stable connection and smoother operation of the entire rolling friction system composed of the bearing, axle, and roller.

[0013] In one embodiment, a plurality of spaced-apart limiting ribs are provided on the end of the axle surface away from the second engaging portion. The inner ring of the bearing abuts against the limiting ribs, and the outer ring of the bearing abuts against the wall of the mounting groove. By providing limiting ribs on the axle surface and abutting against the inner ring of the bearing, while simultaneously achieving a tight fit between the roller mounting groove and the outer ring of the bearing, both radial and circumferential fixation of the bearing is achieved. This effectively prevents relative sliding between the inner ring of the bearing and the axle, and between the outer ring of the bearing and the roller, ensuring that all relative motion occurs on the raceway inside the bearing, thus converting it into efficient rolling friction.

[0014] In one embodiment, a groove is provided at the end of the axle away from the second engaging portion, and bent portions are provided on both sides of the groove. The two bent portions and the groove cooperate to form the first engaging portion. The first engaging portion is a composite structure formed by the groove and the bent portions on both sides. The groove is used to support and hook the basket body, and the elastic bent portions on both sides of the groove act like a pair of clamps to tightly hold the basket body's handle, preventing the second engaging portion from loosening or shaking from the basket body's handle.

[0015] In one embodiment, a second through hole is provided on the axle, and the second through hole is coaxially arranged with the axle shaft. The second through hole engages with a basket rod arranged in a first direction on the basket body, and the first snap-fit ​​part engages with a basket rod arranged in a second direction on the basket body. By providing a second through hole on the coaxial axle to connect with the basket rod in the first direction of the basket, and by using the first snap-fit ​​part to engage with the basket rod in the second direction of the basket, the pulley structure can be accurately positioned and firmly fixed by the basket rods in two perpendicular directions. This enhances the connection strength between the pulley and the basket body and prevents the pulley from shaking or falling off during operation.

[0016] This application also provides a bowl basket assembly, including a bowl basket body and a pulley structure as described in any of the above claims, wherein the bowl basket body has at least two pulley structures on a first side and at least two pulley structures on a second side, and the first side and the second side of the bowl basket body are disposed opposite to each other.

[0017] This application also provides a dishwasher, including the aforementioned dish rack assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the pulley structure in one embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the pulley structure in one embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0020] Figure 3 An explosion of the pulley structure in one embodiment Figure 1 ;

[0021] Figure 4 An explosion of the pulley structure in one embodiment Figure 2 ;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the pulley structure in one embodiment.

[0023] Figure label:

[0024] 10. Wheel axle, 110. First snap-fit ​​part, 120. Second snap-fit ​​part, 130. Limiting rib, 111. Snap groove, 112. Bending part, 121. Elastic buckle, 122. Barb part, 1221. Guide surface, 101. Second through hole.

[0025] 20 bearings;

[0026] 30 Roller, 310 First limiting surface, 301 Assembly groove, 302 First through hole. Detailed Implementation

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a pulley structure, including axle 10, bearing 20 and roller 30;

[0030] The bearing 20 has a split bearing structure, and the inner ring of the bearing 20 is fitted with the shaft body of the wheel axle 10.

[0031] One end of the axle 10 is provided with a first snap-fit ​​part 110 and the other end is provided with a second snap-fit ​​part 120. The first snap-fit ​​part 110 is used to snap-fit ​​with the bowl basket body.

[0032] The roller 30 has an assembly groove 301 and a first through hole 302 communicating with the assembly groove 301 in the center. The end of the bearing 20 away from the first snap-fit ​​part 110 passes through the assembly groove 301 and the first through hole 302 in sequence. The second snap-fit ​​part 120 snaps into the roller 30, and the outer ring of the bearing 20 is matched with the inner wall of the assembly groove 301.

[0033] The pulley structure disclosed in this application assembles the axle 10 onto the basket body via a first engaging portion 110. A second engaging portion 120, in conjunction with a first through hole 302, axially assembles the axle 10, which has a bearing 20 installed, onto the roller 30, preventing axial movement or detachment of the bearing 20 or axle 10 during the pushing and pulling of the basket body. The bearing 20 is a split bearing structure, with its inner and outer rings engaging with the shaft of the axle 10 and the mounting groove 301 of the roller 30, respectively. When the roller 30 rolls under force, the power transmission path is sequentially: roller 30, outer ring of bearing 20, balls within bearing 20, inner ring of bearing 20, and axle 10. During this process, the relative motion between the roller 30 and axle 10 changes from direct sliding friction to rolling friction via the balls within bearing 20. The resistance of rolling friction is much less than that of sliding friction, making the user feel very effortless and smooth when pushing and pulling the basket.

[0034] The first snap-fit ​​part 110 can be used to fix the entire pulley structure to the bowl basket body, so as to realize the rigid connection between the pulley structure and the bowl basket; the second snap-fit ​​part 120 can be used to snap-fit ​​with the roller 30, and axially position the roller 30 and the bearing 20 on the wheel axle 10 to prevent them from falling off.

[0035] The bearing 20 can be used to enable the roller 30 to rotate relative to the axle 10. The bearing 20 can be a split bearing structure, allowing no fewer than two separate sub-bearings 20 to be separately assembled at designated positions on the axle 10. At the same time, the inner ring of the bearing 20 is tightly engaged with the axle 10 and remains stationary with the axle 10. The outer ring of the bearing 20 engages with the inner wall of the mounting groove 301 of the roller 30, allowing it to roll freely, thereby driving the roller 30 to rotate smoothly. The roller 30 can be directly connected to the guide rail of the dishwasher inner liner, supporting the load of the dish rack and enabling the smooth movement of the dish rack through rolling.

[0036] It should be noted that the mounting groove 301 is used to accommodate and fix the outer ring of the bearing 20, and to transfer the rolling of the bearing 20 to the roller 30 itself; the first through hole 302 is used to provide space for the ends of the axle 10 and the bearing 20 to pass through, and cooperates with the second snap-fit ​​part 120 to complete the final axial fixation.

[0037] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the diameter of the assembly groove 301 is larger than the diameter of the first through hole 302. A first limiting surface 310 is formed on the side of the first through hole 302 away from the assembly groove 301, and the second snap-fit ​​part 120 snaps into the first limiting surface 310.

[0038] The above embodiment further defines the diameter of the assembly groove 301 as larger than the diameter of the first through hole 302 to form a first limiting surface 310 on the outside of the roller 30, and allows the second snap-fit ​​part 120 to directly snap into the limiting surface, thus constructing a stable structure for axial locking from the outside. This allows the wheel axle 10 to pass through the bearing 20 and the first through hole 302 in sequence during assembly, and to directly snap into the roller 30 using the second snap-fit ​​part 120 at the end, thereby firmly assembling the bearing 20 in the assembly groove 301 and effectively bearing the axial force generated when the basket is pushed and pulled. This avoids the risk of axial movement or even detachment of the pulley assembly during use, and provides reliability for the pulley structure.

[0039] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the second snap-fit ​​portion 120 includes at least two elastic buckles 121 that are circumferentially spaced. One end of the elastic buckle 121 is connected to the axle of the wheel axle 10, and the other end is connected to a part with a barb 122.

[0040] The above embodiment further defines the second snap-fit ​​portion 120 as an elastic buckle 121 with a barb portion 122 distributed at least two circumferential intervals, realizing an efficient and quick installation and reliable locking structure; multiple elastic buckles 121 ensure uniform distribution of snap-fit ​​force and reduce shaking. Since the elastic buckle 121 can undergo elastic deformation, it automatically pops open after passing through the first through hole 302, so that the barb portion 122 reliably hooks the first limiting surface 310. This not only simplifies the assembly operation and improves production efficiency, but also ensures the connection stability of the pulley when it is subjected to the axial force of the bowl basket for a long time through mechanical self-locking.

[0041] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the diameter of the first through hole 302 gradually decreases in the direction away from the assembly groove 301. The maximum distance between the two relatively distributed barb portions 122 is greater than the minimum diameter of the first through hole 302. The barb portions 122 are formed with a guide surface 1221. The guide surface 1221 is designed to be inclined and adapted to the inner wall of the first through hole 302.

[0042] The above embodiment further defines the first through hole 302 as a tapered structure with a gradually decreasing diameter, and the barb part 122 is designed with an inclined guide surface 1221 that matches it. At the same time, it ensures that the maximum distance of the barb part 122 is greater than the minimum diameter of the first through hole 302. This design uses the tapered hole to achieve automatic centering, and the axial thrust is smoothly converted into the radial contraction of the elastic buckle 121 through the guide surface 1221, which greatly reduces the frictional resistance and operation difficulty in the assembly process, making the installation process labor-saving and smooth. At the same time, the interference fit design causes the elastic buckle 121 to spring back and lock after passing through the minimum diameter of the first through hole 302, ensuring the stability of the connection strength after the barb part 122 and the first limiting surface 310 are engaged, effectively improving production efficiency and product reliability.

[0043] The diameter of the first through hole 302 gradually decreases in the direction away from the mounting groove 301. When installing the axle 10, this gradually narrowing structure can more easily guide the barb portion 122 of the elastic buckle 121, so that it can be smoothly aligned and begin to compress, thereby avoiding the problem of the buckle being unable to be installed or damaged due to misalignment. In addition, since the maximum distance between the two relatively distributed barb portions 122 is greater than the minimum diameter of the first through hole 302, it is ensured that the elastic buckle 121 must be compressed to pass through the minimum diameter of the first through hole 302. This ensures that after the barb portion 122 is engaged with the first limiting surface 310, it has sufficient pre-tightening force and holding force to prevent the component from loosening under vibration.

[0044] In one embodiment, the outer diameter of the two opposing elastic buckles 121 is larger than the inner ring diameter of the bearing 20.

[0045] The above embodiment further specifies that the outer diameter of the elastic buckle 121 is larger than the inner diameter of the bearing 20. This allows the elastic buckle 121 to continuously apply a radial clamping force to the inner ring of the bearing 20 after it is installed and in place. This effectively eliminates the assembly gap between the inner ring of the split bearing 20 and the shaft of the wheel axle 10, thereby ensuring that the inner ring of the bearing 20 can fit tightly against the wheel axle 10 without relative rotation or movement. It also helps to ensure a tight fit between the outer ring of the bearing 20 and the mounting groove 301 of the roller 30. Ultimately, this makes the entire rolling friction system consisting of the bearing 20, the wheel axle 10, and the roller 30 more stable and its operation more stable.

[0046] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of spaced limiting ribs 130 are provided on the end of the wheel axle 10 away from the second snap-fit ​​part 120. The inner ring of the bearing 20 abuts against the limiting ribs 130, and the outer ring of the bearing 20 abuts against the groove wall of the assembly groove 301.

[0047] The above embodiment further defines that the surface of the wheel axle 10 is provided with a limiting rib 130 and abuts against the inner ring of the bearing 20. At the same time, the assembly groove 301 of the roller 30 is tightly fitted with the outer ring of the bearing 20, which together achieves the radial and circumferential dual fixation of the bearing 20. This can effectively prevent relative sliding between the inner ring of the bearing 20 and the wheel axle 10, and between the outer ring of the bearing 20 and the roller 30, ensuring that all relative motion occurs on the raceway inside the bearing 20, which is converted into efficient rolling friction.

[0048] In one embodiment, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, a slot 111 is provided at one end of the axle 10 away from the second engaging part 120. Bending parts 112 are provided on both sides of the slot 111. The two bending parts 112 and the slot 111 cooperate to form the first engaging part 110.

[0049] The above embodiment further defines the first snap-fit ​​part 110 as a composite structure formed by the snap-fit ​​groove 111 and the bent parts 112 on both sides thereof. The snap-fit ​​groove 111 is used to support and hook the basket body. The elastic bent parts 112 on both sides of the snap-fit ​​groove 111 act like a pair of clamps to tightly hold the basket rod of the basket body, preventing the second snap-fit ​​part 120 from loosening and shaking from the basket rod of the basket body.

[0050] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, a second through hole 101 is provided on the axle 10. The second through hole 101 is coaxially arranged with the shaft of the axle 10. The second through hole 101 cooperates with the basket rod arranged in the first direction of the basket body. The first snap-fit ​​part 110 cooperates with the basket rod arranged in the second direction of the basket body.

[0051] The above embodiment further specifies that the coaxial axle 10 is provided with a second through hole 101 to be inserted into the basket rod in the first direction of the bowl basket, and the first snap-fit ​​part 110 is snapped into the basket rod in the second direction of the bowl basket, so that the pulley structure can be accurately positioned and firmly fixed through the basket rods in two vertical directions, which enhances the connection strength between the pulley and the bowl basket body and avoids the pulley from shaking or falling off during operation.

[0052] This embodiment also provides a bowl basket assembly, including a bowl basket body and any of the above-mentioned pulley structures. The bowl basket body has at least two pulley structures on the first side and at least two pulley structures on the second side. The first side and the second side of the bowl basket body are arranged opposite to each other.

[0053] This embodiment also provides a bowl basket assembly, including the bowl basket assembly described above.

[0054] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0055] 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 pulley structure, characterized in that, Includes axle (10), bearing (20) and roller (30); The bearing (20) is a split bearing structure, and the inner ring of the bearing (20) is matched with the shaft body of the wheel axle (10); One end of the axle (10) is provided with a first snap-fit ​​part (110), and the other end is provided with a second snap-fit ​​part (120). The first snap-fit ​​part (110) is used to snap-fit ​​with the bowl basket body. The roller (30) has a central mounting groove (301) and a first through hole (302) communicating with the mounting groove (301). The bearing (20) has one end away from the first snap-fit ​​part (110) passing through the mounting groove (301) and the first through hole (302) in sequence. The second snap-fit ​​part (120) snaps into the roller (30), and the outer ring of the bearing (20) is engaged with the inner wall of the mounting groove (301).

2. The pulley structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the assembly groove (301) is larger than the diameter of the first through hole (302). A first limiting surface (310) is formed on the side of the first through hole (302) away from the assembly groove (301). The second snap-fit ​​part (120) snaps into the first limiting surface (310).

3. The pulley structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second snap-fit ​​portion (120) includes at least two elastic buckles (121) distributed circumferentially. One end of the elastic buckle (121) is connected to the shaft of the wheel axle (10), and the other end is connected to a part with a barb (122).

4. The pulley structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The diameter of the first through hole (302) gradually decreases in the direction away from the assembly groove (301), the maximum distance between the two oppositely distributed barbs (122) is greater than the minimum diameter of the first through hole (302), and the barb (122) is formed with a guide surface (1221), which is inclined and adapted to the inner wall of the first through hole (302).

5. A pulley structure according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the two elastic buckles (121) arranged opposite to each other is larger than the inner ring diameter of the bearing (20).

6. The pulley structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axle (10) has a plurality of spaced limiting ribs (130) on one end away from the second snap-fit ​​part (120). The inner ring of the bearing (20) abuts against the limiting ribs (130), and the outer ring of the bearing (20) abuts against the groove wall of the assembly groove (301).

7. The pulley structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axle (10) has a slot (111) at one end away from the second snap-fit ​​part (120). The two sides of the slot (111) are provided with bending parts (112). The two bending parts (112) and the slot (111) cooperate to form the first snap-fit ​​part (110).

8. A pulley structure according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The axle (10) is provided with a second through hole (101), the second through hole (101) is coaxially arranged with the shaft of the axle (10), the second through hole (101) cooperates with the basket rod arranged in the first direction of the basket body, and the first snap-fit ​​part (110) cooperates with the basket rod arranged in the second direction of the basket body.

9. A bowl basket assembly, characterized in that, The basket includes a basket body and a pulley structure as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the basket body has at least two pulley structures on a first side and at least two pulley structures on a second side, and the first side and the second side of the basket body are arranged opposite to each other.

10. A dishwasher, characterized in that, Includes the bowl basket assembly as described in claim 9.

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