Drying air cartridge and laundry treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a drying air box and a clothes treatment apparatus. The drying air box is arranged between a clothes treatment drum and a rear panel of the clothes treatment apparatus, and is configured to communicate the clothes treatment drum with an external environment. The drying air box is provided with a relief groove configured to avoid components in the clothes treatment apparatus. The relief groove provided by the drying air box can reserve a channel for accommodating or passing the components in the clothes treatment apparatus. The drying air box and other components in the clothes treatment apparatus can avoid position conflicts and direct contact, reduce wear and damage caused by component interference, and improve the utilization of the space of the clothes treatment apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a drying air box and clothing treatment equipment. Background Technology

[0002] As users' functional demands continue to increase, the number of integrated functional components in garment processing equipment is also growing. Limited by the equipment's layout space, the arrangement of various components is becoming increasingly dense, leading to interference between them, increasing the difficulty of assembly, and potentially raising the risk of malfunctions due to friction or compression between components, thus affecting the stable operation of the equipment. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, this disclosure provides a drying air box and a clothing processing device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a drying air box is provided, disposed between the clothing processing cylinder and the rear panel of a clothing processing device, for connecting the clothing processing cylinder with the external environment, and the drying air box is provided with a clearance groove for avoiding components inside the clothing processing device.

[0005] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: The drying air box provided by this disclosure, by setting an avoidance groove, can reserve a channel for the components inside the clothing processing equipment to accommodate or pass through. Without affecting the drying function, it avoids positional conflicts and direct contact between the drying air box and other components inside the equipment, reduces wear and damage caused by component interference, improves the utilization rate of equipment space, and provides a basis for equipment miniaturization.

[0006] In some possible implementations, the clearance groove has an opening facing the rear or front of the garment handling device. Wherein, a rearward-facing opening provides installation space for a water valve and electrical control box, while a frontward-facing opening provides installation space for components such as motor wiring harnesses and sensor probes.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the clearance groove includes a through groove running vertically through the entire structure. This vertically through structure can provide more sufficient clearance for components such as pipelines or other components with a certain height that are arranged vertically within the equipment, and can also provide some protection for these components.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the component includes a conduit that extends from the lower part of the drying air box through the clearance groove and extends onto the upper surface of the drying air box, wherein the contour edge of the clearance groove is configured to transition in an arc shape from the upper surface of the drying air box to the inner wall of the clearance groove. This arc-shaped transition design disperses the stress on the conduit through smooth curved surface contact, reduces local friction intensity, and prevents damage and aging of the conduit due to long-term contact with hard edges, thus ensuring the service life of the conduit and the safety of equipment operation.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the inner wall of the clearance groove is provided with a pipeline fixing part for fixing and constraining the pipeline. The pipeline fixing part can limit and fix the pipeline passing through the clearance groove, avoiding friction between the pipeline and the inner wall of the clearance groove or surrounding components. At the same time, the pipeline layout after fixing and constraining is more regular, reducing the possibility of pipeline damage due to entanglement or pulling caused by messy shaking, further ensuring the stable operation and service life of the pipeline.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the pipeline fixing part includes a pipeline groove, the opening width of which is smaller than the diameter of the pipeline. When the pipeline is embedded in the pipeline groove, the design that the opening width is smaller than the pipeline diameter can create a clamping effect on the pipeline, preventing the pipeline from coming out of the pipeline groove under equipment vibration or slight external pulling, thus ensuring the reliability of the pipeline fixing.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the garment processing device includes a first cylinder and a second cylinder disposed above the left side and a third cylinder disposed above the right side of the first cylinder, respectively. The drying air box is disposed between the second and third cylinders and the rear panel of the garment processing device. This allows the drying air box to provide air passages for drying to the second and / or third cylinders, enabling independent control and supply of drying airflow to the second and third cylinders.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the clearance groove is located between the second cylinder and the third cylinder in the left-right direction. Positioning the clearance groove between the second and third cylinders in the left-right direction allows for clearance of components arranged between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3, optimizing the internal space of the equipment.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the component includes a first water inlet pipe communicating with the second cylinder and a second water inlet pipe communicating with the third cylinder, and the clearance groove is used to avoid the first water inlet pipe and the second water inlet pipe. This structure helps to solve the interference problem between the water inlet pipe and the drying air box in a multi-cylinder layout, ensures the stable operation of the water supply system of the second and third cylinders, and ensures that the air passage function of the drying air box is not affected.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the drying air box includes two sub-boxes corresponding to the second cylinder and the third cylinder, respectively, wherein the two sub-boxes are symmetrically arranged with respect to the clearance groove. This structure allows both the first water inlet pipe connecting to the second cylinder and the second water inlet pipe connecting to the third cylinder to be routed through the central clearance groove, optimizing the internal space of the garment processing equipment.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the sub-box contains an air inlet channel and an exhaust channel. Each sub-box includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed opposite to each other. The first sidewall extends in a straight line, and the second sidewall is inclined relative to the first sidewall. The sub-box also contains a first partition and a second partition. The first partition is parallel to the first sidewall and forms one of the air inlet channel and the exhaust channel with the first sidewall. The second partition is parallel to the second sidewall and forms the other of the air inlet channel and the exhaust channel with the second sidewall. Constructing the drying air box to include two sub-boxes allows the second and third cylinders to each correspond to one of the sub-boxes. This helps to avoid interference between the drying airflow from different cylinders within the drying air box 11, ensuring the independence of the drying airflow supply to each cylinder.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the components also include an electrical control box, a water valve, and a fan, with the clearance groove designed to allow passage for one or more of the electrical control box, the water valve, and the fan.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a garment processing apparatus is provided, including a drying air box as described above.

[0018] 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

[0019] 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.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a garment processing device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the diagram.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a side view of a partial structure of a drying air box according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4A schematic diagram of a garment processing device is shown according to an exemplary embodiment, in which the top cover of the drying air box is hidden.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 11-Drying air box, 110-Sub-box body, 111-Inlet channel, 112-Exhaust channel, 113-First side wall, 114-Second side wall, 115-First partition, 116-Second partition, 12-Apartment groove, 121-Opening, 122-Support, 13-Pipeline fixing part, 2-Second cylinder, 3-Third cylinder, 4-First water inlet pipe, 5-Second water inlet pipe, 6-First drying air duct, 7-Second drying air duct, 8-Pipeline bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0025] 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.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides a drying air box 11, which is suitable for garment processing equipment. Garment processing equipment includes, but is not limited to, single-drum dryers, single-drum washer-dryers, double-drum dryers, double-drum washer-dryers, triple-drum dryers, and triple-drum washer-dryers.

[0027] The drying air box 11 provided in this disclosure is disposed between the clothes handling cylinder and the rear panel, for connecting the clothes handling cylinder with the external environment. The drying air box 11 is provided with a clearance groove 12, which is used to avoid components inside the clothes handling equipment.

[0028] The drying air box 11 connects the clothes handling drum to the external environment. It integrates air ducts inside for introducing fresh air for drying into the clothes handling drum and / or for expelling hot, humid air from the clothes handling drum to the external environment. To achieve the drying purpose, the equipment may also include a drying air duct located within the clothes handling drum. The drying air duct typically includes a fan section and a heating section. Under the action of the fan in the fan section, air from the external environment enters the drying air duct through the drying air box 11. The dry, hot air formed after being heated by the heating wires in the heating section enters the clothes handling drum and becomes hot, humid air upon contact with the clothes to be dried. This hot, humid air then exits the clothes handling drum through the drying air box and is expelled to the external environment. The drying air box 11 may integrate multiple air ducts, including inlet and / or outlet channels. That is, the drying air box 11 may have multiple inlet channels, or multiple outlet channels, or multiple inlet and outlet channels simultaneously.

[0029] The fresh air inlet and the humid gas outlet are typically located at the upper rear of the clothes handling drum, with the drying air box 11 positioned between the clothes handling drum and the rear panel of the equipment. However, considering the increasing functional demands of users, the number of integrated components within the clothes handling equipment is also growing. These components, such as water valves, water inlet pipes for supplying water to the clothes handling drum, electrical control boxes, and fans, may potentially conflict with or directly contact the drying air box 11. It should be noted that in the description of this disclosure, up, down, front, back, left, and right are defined based on the normal operating state of the equipment; that is, in normal operating condition, the side facing the user is the front side.

[0030] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the drying air box 11 provided in this disclosure has a clearance groove 12, which is used to reserve a channel for the components inside the clothing processing equipment to accommodate or pass through. Without affecting the drying function, it avoids positional conflicts and direct contact between the drying air box 11 and other components inside the equipment, reduces wear and damage caused by component interference, improves the utilization rate of equipment space, and eliminates the need to use a larger equipment box to avoid interference between components, thus providing a basis for equipment miniaturization.

[0031] This disclosure does not limit the shape of the clearance groove 12; any shape that can be used to avoid specific components within the equipment can be applied to this disclosure. In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the clearance groove 12 has an opening 121 facing the rear side of the garment handling device, or, in some other embodiments, the clearance groove 12 may also have an opening 121 facing the front side of the garment handling device.

[0032] In some related technologies, the rear panel of the garment processing equipment houses functional components such as water valves and electrical control boxes, which may interfere with the drying air box 11. However, the drying air box 11 provided in this disclosure has its clearance groove 12 opening facing rearward, i.e., towards the direction where the water valve and electrical control box are located, thus providing installation space for the water valve and electrical control box. In other related technologies, components such as motor connection harnesses and sensor probes are located near the garment processing drum, which may cause positional conflicts with the front of the drying air box 11 during equipment operation. However, the drying air box 11 provided in this disclosure has its clearance groove 12 opening facing forward, i.e., towards the garment processing drum and surrounding components, thus providing installation space for components such as motor connection harnesses and sensor probes.

[0033] In other related technologies, the clearance groove 12 may also include a through groove running vertically through the entire structure. That is, the clearance groove 12 may not have an opening facing the rear or front, but rather runs vertically through the entire structure. This vertically through structure can provide a more sufficient clearance passage for components such as pipelines or other components with a certain height that are arranged vertically within the equipment, and can also provide a certain degree of protection for these components.

[0034] The clearance groove 12 can be used to avoid various components. In some embodiments, the components include pipelines, such as water pipes or electrical wiring. The pipeline passes through the clearance groove 12 from the lower part of the drying air box 11 and extends to the upper surface of the drying air box 11. The outline edge of the clearance groove 12 is constructed as an arc-shaped transition from the upper surface of the drying air box 11 to the inner wall of the clearance groove 12. Since pipelines such as water inlet pipes and electrical wiring will come into contact with or even rub against the edge of the clearance groove 12 during installation and extension, right-angle or sharp-edge structures are prone to scratching the outer layer of the pipeline. The arc-shaped transition design can disperse the stress on the pipeline through smooth curved surface contact, reduce local friction intensity, and avoid problems such as damage and aging of the pipeline due to long-term contact with hard edges, thus ensuring the service life of the pipeline and the safety of equipment operation.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the inner wall of the clearance groove 12 can be provided with a pipeline fixing part 13 for fixing and constraining pipelines. The pipeline fixing part 13 can limit and fix the pipeline passing through the clearance groove 12, avoiding friction between the pipeline and the inner wall of the clearance groove 12 or surrounding components. At the same time, the pipeline layout after fixing and constraining is more regular, reducing the possibility of pipeline damage caused by messy shaking, entanglement, and pulling, further ensuring the stable operation and service life of the pipeline.

[0036] Optionally, the pipeline fixing part 13 includes a pipeline groove, the opening width of which is smaller than the diameter of the pipeline. When the pipeline is embedded in the pipeline groove, the smaller opening width than the pipeline diameter creates a clamping effect, preventing the pipeline from coming out of the groove under equipment vibration or slight external pulling, ensuring the reliability of the pipeline fixing. Simultaneously, this structure allows the pipeline to fit tightly within the pipeline groove, preventing displacement and shaking due to insecure fixing, and further reducing friction and wear with the inner wall of the clearance groove 12 or other components.

[0037] As consumers' demands for personalized clothing care increase, garment processing equipment capable of zoned washing and care is gaining attention. Taking a garment processing device with three washing drums as an example, it includes a first drum and a second drum 2 located on the upper left side and a third drum 3 located on the upper right side of the first drum. The first drum typically has a larger diameter and greater depth than the second and third drums. For different usage scenarios, the first drum is mostly used for washing everyday clothes, while the second and third drums can be used for handling underwear and baby clothes, meeting the needs of zoned processing for different types of clothing.

[0038] The drying air box 11 is disposed between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 and the rear panel of the garment processing equipment. This allows the drying air box 11 to provide air passages for drying the second cylinder 2 and / or the third cylinder 3, enabling independent control and supply of drying airflow to the second and third cylinders. For example, the drying air box 11 may be provided with two air inlet channels corresponding to the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 respectively, or the drying air box 11 may be provided with two air outlet channels corresponding to the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 respectively, or the drying air box 11 may provide both air inlet and air outlet channels for one of the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3, or the drying air box 11 may provide both air inlet and air outlet channels for both the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3.

[0039] In some embodiments, the clearance groove 12 is located between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 in the left-right direction. The space between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 can be fully utilized to optimize the internal space of the equipment. For example, the space between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 can be used to arrange pipelines and water pipes. Therefore, by positioning the clearance groove 12 between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 in the left-right direction, components arranged between the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 can be cleared, thus optimizing the internal space of the equipment.

[0040] In some implementations, such as Figure 1As shown, the component includes a first water inlet pipe 4 communicating with the second drum 2 and a second water inlet pipe 5 communicating with the third drum 3. A clearance groove 12 is used to avoid the first water inlet pipe 4 and the second water inlet pipe 5. In a device including three washing drums, the water inlets of the second drum 2 and the third drum 3 are typically located on the front side of the drum, while the water valves supplying water to them are located on the rear side of the device housing. The first water inlet pipe 4 communicating with the second drum 2 and the second water inlet pipe 5 communicating with the third drum 3 need to be led out from the rear side of the housing to the front side and connected to the water inlet. When the water inlet pipes pass through the area between the drum and the rear panel, they spatially intersect with the drying air box 11. The clearance groove 12 provided in the drying air box 11 of this disclosure can reserve a passage for the first water inlet pipe 4 and the second water inlet pipe 5 to pass through, avoiding contact and compression with the drying air box 11. This design helps to solve the interference problem between the water inlet pipe and the drying air box 11 in the multi-cylinder layout, ensures the stable operation of the water supply system of the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3, and ensures that the air passage function of the drying air box 11 is not affected.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the garment processing equipment can also include a pipeline support 8, which spans across the top of the drying air box 11 along the front-to-back direction of the garment processing equipment. Both ends of the pipeline support 8 are connected to the outer frame of the garment processing equipment to fix the pipeline. The drying air box 11 is provided with a support portion 122, which supports the lower surface of the pipeline support 8. The support portion 122 supports the lower surface of the pipeline support 8, improving the reliability of the pipeline fixation. Furthermore, while ensuring the drying function, the drying air box 11 can be reused as a support carrier for the pipeline support 8, eliminating the need for additional support components. This reduces the number of parts, simplifies the internal structure of the equipment, and avoids the space occupied by additional support components, making the internal structure of the equipment more compact.

[0042] The support portion 122 may include a screw post with internal threads, and the pipeline bracket 8 has mounting holes for bolts to pass through corresponding to the screw post positions. The screw post structure of the support portion 122 effectively supports the lower surface of the pipeline bracket 8 while achieving a rigid connection between the bolt and the screw post through threaded engagement. This threaded connection integrates the pipeline bracket 8 and the drying air box 11 into a single unit, enhancing the structural strength of the connection and helping to resist vibration and impact during equipment operation. It also prevents loosening or displacement of the support portion 122, further ensuring the reliability of the pipeline fixation.

[0043] Drying clothes in the second drum 2 and the third drum 3 can be done using a similar process. For ease of description, the following explanation will use drying clothes in the second drum 2 as an example. The first drying air duct 6 includes a fan section and a heating section. Under the action of the fan in the fan section, air from the external environment enters the first drying air duct 6 through the drying air box 11. After being heated by the heating wire in the heating section, the dry hot gas enters the second drum 2 and becomes humid hot gas after contacting the clothes to be dried. The humid hot gas is then discharged from the second drum 2 through the drying air box 11 to the external environment.

[0044] The drying air box 11 may include two sub-boxes 110 corresponding to the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3, respectively, wherein the two sub-boxes 110 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the clearance groove 12. That is, the clearance groove 12 is located in the middle of the drying air box 11. This structure allows the first water inlet pipe 4 connecting the second cylinder 2 and the second water inlet pipe 5 connecting the third cylinder 3 to be routed through the central clearance groove 12, optimizing the internal space of the clothing processing equipment.

[0045] Optionally, such as Figure 4 As shown, the sub-box 110 is provided with an air intake channel 111 and an exhaust channel 112. The sub-box 110 includes a first sidewall 113 and a second sidewall 114 disposed opposite to each other. The first sidewall 113 extends in a straight line, and the second sidewall 114 is disposed at an angle relative to the first sidewall 113. The sub-box 110 is provided with a first partition 115 and a second partition 116. The first partition 115 is parallel to the first sidewall 113 and forms one of the air intake channel 111 and the exhaust channel 112 with the first sidewall 113. The second partition 116 is parallel to the second sidewall 114 and forms the other of the air intake channel 111 and the exhaust channel 112 with the second sidewall 114.

[0046] The drying air box 11 is constructed to include two sub-boxes 110, allowing the second cylinder 2 and the third cylinder 3 to each correspond to one of the sub-boxes 110. This helps to prevent the drying airflow from different cylinders from interfering with each other within the drying air box 11, ensuring the independence of the drying airflow supply to each cylinder. Furthermore, the air passage can be defined by the parallel relationship between the side walls and the partition, eliminating the need for complex structural design. At the same time, the partition is integrally constructed within the drying air box 11, which also helps to ensure structural stability. Even under the impact of airflow during operation, it can prevent air passage deformation or airflow leakage due to structural loosening, ensuring the reliability of the intake / exhaust function.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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 air box, characterized in that, Located between the garment processing drum and the rear panel of the garment processing equipment, it connects the garment processing drum with the external environment. The drying air box is provided with a clearance groove, which is used to avoid components inside the garment processing equipment.

2. The drying air box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clearance groove has an opening facing the rear or front of the garment processing device.

3. The drying air box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clearance groove includes a through groove running vertically through the entire groove.

4. The drying air box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The component includes a conduit that extends from the lower part of the drying air box through the clearance groove and extends on the upper surface of the drying air box, wherein the contour edge of the clearance groove is configured to transition in an arc shape from the upper surface of the drying air box to the inner wall of the clearance groove.

5. The drying air box according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inner wall of the clearance groove is provided with a pipeline fixing part for fixing and constraining the pipeline.

6. The drying air box according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pipeline fixing part includes a pipeline groove, and the opening width of the pipeline groove is smaller than the diameter of the pipeline.

7. The drying air box according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The garment processing device includes a first cylinder and a second cylinder and a third cylinder respectively disposed on the upper left side and upper right side of the first cylinder. The drying air box is disposed between the second cylinder and the third cylinder and the rear panel of the garment processing device.

8. The drying air box according to claim 7, characterized in that, The clearance groove is located between the second cylinder and the third cylinder in the left-right direction.

9. The drying air box according to claim 7, characterized in that, The component includes a first water inlet pipe communicating with the second cylinder and a second water inlet pipe communicating with the third cylinder, and the clearance groove is used to avoid the first water inlet pipe and the second water inlet pipe.

10. The drying air box according to claim 9, characterized in that, The drying air box includes two sub-boxes corresponding to the second cylinder and the third cylinder, respectively, wherein the two sub-boxes are symmetrically arranged with respect to the clearance groove.

11. The drying air box according to claim 10, characterized in that, The sub-box body is provided with an air intake channel and an exhaust channel. The sub-box body includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed opposite to each other. The first sidewall extends in a straight line, and the second sidewall is disposed at an angle relative to the first sidewall. The sub-box body is provided with a first partition and a second partition. The first partition is parallel to the first sidewall and forms one of the air intake channel and the exhaust channel with the first sidewall. The second partition is parallel to the second sidewall and forms the other of the air intake channel and the exhaust channel with the second sidewall.

12. The drying air box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The component also includes an electrical control box, a water valve, and a fan, and the clearance groove is used to avoid one or more of the electrical control box, the water valve, and the fan.

13. A garment processing device, characterized in that, Includes the drying air box as described in any one of claims 1-12.

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