Water pressure-linked switch, automatic dispensing device, multi-drum front-load washing machine and control method

Abstract

A water pressure-linked switch and automatic dispensing device and a multi-drum washing machine and a control method, wherein the automatic dispensing device comprises two water supply pipelines (2) which can respectively convey incoming water to the water outlets of the corresponding water supply pipelines (2); a transfer part (10) which is the middle intersection of the two water supply pipelines (2) for the additives to be dispensed to flow in; a linkage switch (1) is respectively provided on the two water supply pipelines (2) for synchronously closing the water outlet of the other water supply pipeline (2) when water is inflowing into any one of the water supply pipelines (2), and the additives to be dispensed in the transfer part (10) only flow out from the water outlet of the water supply pipeline (2) that is inflowing. The automatic dispensing device is installed on a multi-drum washing machine, so that multiple water drums of the multi-drum washing machine can share a set of additive dispensing system, thereby achieving the purpose of controllably dispensing the additives into a selected water drum along with the incoming water flow.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic dispensing device for adding additives in a laundry processing process in a washing machine in the field of household appliances, and in particular to a water pressure-linked switch applied to the automatic dispensing device, and in particular to an automatic dispensing device for adding additives in a laundry processing process in the multi-drum washing machine and a washing machine control method.BACKGROUND

[0002] The additives used in the washing process of traditional washing machines, such as detergents, softeners, disinfectants, etc., are placed separately from the washing machine. There is no device for dispensing additives on the washing machine, and the additives cannot be automatically dispensed. This structure cannot realize the fully automatic washing control process of the washing machine. With the improvement of the automation of washing machines, most washing machines are configured to connect the additive box containing detergents and / or softeners with the water inlet pipeline, and the detergents and / or softeners in the additive box are flushed into the water drum through the water inlet. However, this structure requires that the detergents and / or softeners be placed in the additive box before each washing, and the fully automatic washing control process is also not realized.

[0003] At the same time, with the improvement of people's living standards, in order to meet the purpose of users' diverse and high demands for clothing processing, the applicant has previously proposed a multi-drum washing machine, which is provided with multiple water drums that are independently arranged and can process clothes separately, so as to achieve separate processing of different clothes of users and meet the needs of users for diverse and personalized processing of different clothes. Therefore, how to set up an automatic dispensing device to use the water inlet of the washing machine to deliver corresponding additives to different water drums has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] For example, the applicant's previous application provided an automatic dispensing device applicable to a multi-drum washing machine, which directly extracts the additives in the corresponding liquid storage box by using the negative pressure generated by the flowing water, and dispenses them into the corresponding drum along with the water flow. However, in the above technical solution, the negative pressure structure provided on the water path is used to provide driving force for the additives to be extracted from the liquid storage box into the water path and for the additives in the water path to be dispensed into the corresponding drum. There are problems such as the small extraction force for the additives in the liquid storage box resulting in a slow dispensing rate and inaccurate control during the dispensing process.

[0005] In view of this, the present invention is proposed.SUMMARY

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water pressure-linked switch to achieve the purpose of synchronous on-off switching control of different waterways. At the same time, the present invention provides a water pressure linkage switch to achieve the purpose of using the water pressure of the water flow flowing through any chamber to synchronously and linkage disconnect control another water channel.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the specific technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A water pressure-linked switch comprises a valve plug cavity with an elastic diaphragm arranged inside, wherein the elastic diaphragm divides the valve plug cavity into a first chamber and a second chamber which are independent of each other. When the water enters any chamber, the elastic diaphragm is deformed in the direction of expansion of the other chamber by the water pressure of the entering water, and the deformation of the elastic diaphragm is utilized to open the water inlet and the water outlet of the water inlet chamber, and synchronously close the water inlet and / or the water outlet of the other chamber.

[0008] Furthermore, a valve plug is provided in the first chamber, and the valve plug is installed on the elastic diaphragm. The valve plug moves synchronously with the deformation of the elastic diaphragm to correspondingly open or close the water inlet and / or water outlet of the chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, the valve plug is installed on the valve plate via a spring, and the spring is in a compressed state. The compressed spring pushes the valve plug to the water inlet and / or outlet of the corresponding closed chamber; preferably, the extension direction of the spring is set in the same direction as the direction in which the valve plate is deformed by the water pressure of the incoming water.

[0010] Furthermore, one side of the elastic diaphragm fits with the second water inlet of the second chamber, and the elastic diaphragm seals the second water inlet correspondingly under a normal state.

[0011] Furthermore, the other side of the elastic diaphragm is connected to the valve plug via a spring, and the extension direction of the spring is perpendicular to the elastic diaphragm. A first water inlet is provided on an end face of the first chamber away from the elastic diaphragm, and the end face of the valve plug fits with the first water inlet of the first chamber. The compressed spring applies a closing force to the valve plug to close the first water inlet, and applies a closing force to the elastic diaphragm to close the second water inlet. Preferably, a diaphragm bracket is installed on the side of the elastic diaphragm facing the first chamber, and the center of the diaphragm bracket is connected to one end of the spring, and the other end of the spring is connected to the valve plug.

[0012] Furthermore, a first water outlet is provided on the peripheral side wall of the first chamber, and the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug is in contact with the peripheral side wall of the first chamber. When the valve plug is pushed by the spring to close the first water inlet, the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug correspondingly closes the first water outlet. Preferably, the distance between the valve plug and the elastic diaphragm is greater than the axial width of the outer peripheral wall of the valve plug.

[0013] Furthermore, a connecting sleeve protruding into the first chamber is provided at the center of the diaphragm bracket. The valve plug includes a sealing plate corresponding to the water inlet of the end face of the first chamber, and the outer periphery of the sealing plate is provided with a circle of annular folds to constitute the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug. The middle part of the sealing plate is provided with two circles of concentrically arranged annular convex ribs on the side facing the diaphragm bracket. The connecting sleeve is correspondingly inserted into the annular gap between the two circles of annular convex ribs, and the two ends of the spring are respectively inserted and installed in the connecting sleeve and the annular gap.

[0014] Preferably, the axial height of the connecting sleeve is greater than the distance between the first water outlet and the first water inlet in the axial direction of the spring, and the axial height of the annular gap is greater than the distance between the first water outlet and the first water inlet in the axial direction of the spring.

[0015] Furthermore, a second water inlet is provided on an end face of the second chamber away from the elastic diaphragm, and a circle of annular sealing ribs protruding into the second chamber are provided on the inner wall of the chamber outside the second water inlet, and the end of the annular sealing rib is sealed and fitted with the elastic diaphragm. A second water outlet is provided on the peripheral side wall of the second chamber, and the second water inlet is located on the inner side of the annular sealing rib, and the second water outlet is located on the outer side of the annular sealing rib.

[0016] Furthermore, the elastic diaphragm is vertically arranged to cover any cross section of the valve plug cavity; the outer periphery of the elastic diaphragm is sealed and connected to the inner wall of the valve plug cavity, and the outer periphery of the elastic diaphragm is provided with at least one circle of folds constituting a deformation margin.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows: Through the above-mentioned arrangement, the elastic diaphragm separating different chambers is driven by the water pressure of the water inlet of any chamber to expand and deform, thereby achieving the effect of synchronously disconnecting the water channel in another chamber by utilizing the expansion deformation, achieving the technical effect of synchronously disconnecting the other water channel by only utilizing the water pressure of the water inlet of any water channel. At the same time, since the linkage switch described in the present application utilizes the water pressure of the water inlet for synchronous switching, the need to add components such as a drive unit to the linkage switch is avoided, thereby greatly reducing the cost of the switch.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic dispensing device to achieve the purpose of automatically dispensing additives to different dispensing units using one devices. Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic dispensing device to achieve the purpose of improving the efficiency of additive dispensing. Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic dispensing device and method to achieve the purpose of automatically dispensing additives to different dispensing units using different inlet water flows.

[0019] To achieve the above purpose, the specific technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An automatic dispensing device includes two water supply pipelines 2, which can respectively transport incoming water to the water outlets of the corresponding water supply pipelines 2; a transfer part 10, which is arranged at middle intersection of the two water supply pipelines 2 and for the additive to be dispensed to flow in. A linkage switch 1 is respectively provided on the two water supply pipelines 2, which is used to synchronously close the water outlet of the other water supply pipeline 2 when water is inflowed into any water supply pipeline 2, and the additives to be dispensed in the transfer part 10 only flows out from the water outlet of the water supply pipeline 2 with water inflow.

[0020] Furthermore, when water flows through any water supply pipeline 2, the water pressure generated by the flowing water acts on the linkage switch provided on the selected water supply pipeline 2, and the linkage switch acts on the other water supply pipeline 2 to disconnect the part of the other water supply pipeline 2 located downstream of the transfer part 10.

[0021] Furthermore, the linkage switch 1 includes an active flow channel 101 and a passive flow channel 102. The active flow channel 101 is provided with an active component for generating a trigger instruction by utilizing the water flow flowing through the active flow channel 101, and the passive flow channel 102 is provided with a passive component for disconnecting the passive flow channel 102 by utilizing the trigger instruction. Preferably, the trigger instruction is a trigger signal or a trigger action.

[0022] Furthermore, the active flow channel 101 of the linkage switch 1 is connected in series to the water inlet section 201 of the selected water supply pipeline 2 located upstream of the transfer part 10, and the passive flow channel 102 is connected in series to the water outlet section 202 of another water supply pipeline 2 located downstream of the transfer part 10.

[0023] Furthermore, the water inlet section 201 of the water supply pipeline 2 is provided with a one-way valve to ensure that water flows to the transfer part 10. The one-way valve 8 is located between the active flow channel 101 provided on the water inlet pipe section 101 and the transfer part 10. And / or, the outlet pipe section 202 of the water supply pipeline 2 is provided with a one-way valve 8 to ensure that water flows toward the outlet direction of the water supply pipeline 2, and the one-way valve 8 is located between the passive flow channel 102 provided on the outlet pipe section 202 and the transfer part 10.

[0024] Furthermore, it also includes a liquid storage box 3 containing additives; the liquid storage box 3 is connected to the transfer part 10 via a pump 13, and the additives in the liquid storage box 3 are extracted to the transfer part 10 by the action of the pump 13.

[0025] Furthermore, it includes a plurality of liquid storage boxes 3; the outlets of each liquid storage box 3 are connected to the same transfer part 10 via corresponding pumps 13, and when the pumps 13 are in an operation state, the additives stored in the corresponding liquid storage box 3 are pumped into the transfer part 10.

[0026] Furthermore, the pump 13 is integrated with an on-off valve assembly; when the pump 13 is in a non-operating state, the outlet of the liquid storage box 3 is disconnected from the transfer part 10, and the additives stored in the liquid storage box 3 can no longer flow into the transfer part 10.

[0027] Furthermore, the pump 13 is integrated with a metering component for metering an amount of additives flowing through the pump 13 and pumped from the liquid storage box 3 to the transfer part 10.

[0028] Furthermore, the pump 13 is integrated with a one-way valve assembly for limiting the fluid flowing through the pump 13 to flow in only one direction along the liquid storage box 3 to the transfer part 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the water outlet end of each water supply pipeline 2 is respectively connected to a corresponding, different water outlet.

[0030] Furthermore, a one-way valve 8 is provided on the water supply pipeline 2 to ensure that the water in the pipeline flows in a single direction from the inlet end to the outlet end.

[0031] Furthermore, a water inlet valve 16 is provided at the inlet end of the water supply pipeline 2 to control the on-off of water flow into the pipeline.

[0032] Furthermore, the transfer part 10 is a single-section or multiple-section pipeline that intersects.

[0033] Furthermore, the transfer portion 10 is a labyrinth loop that is spirally arranged to extend the axial length of the pipeline.

[0034] Furthermore, the two ends of the labyrinth loop are respectively an inlet and an outlet, the inlet is connected to the outlet of the water inlet pipe section 201 of each water supply pipeline 2, and the outlet is connected to the inlet of the water outlet pipe section 202 of each water supply pipeline 2, and each liquid storage box 3 is connected to the inlet of the labyrinth loop or near the inlet through the pump 13, and the additive extracted from the liquid storage box 3 is put into the labyrinth loop.

[0035] Furthermore, the transfer part 10 is a chamber structure with an accommodating space, and the outlet of the water inlet pipe section 201 and the inlet of the water outlet pipe section 202 of each water supply pipeline 2 are connected to the chamber structure. Each liquid storage box 3 is connected to the chamber structure constituting the transfer part 10 through the pump 13, and the additives extracted from the liquid storage box 3 is dispensed into the chamber structure.

[0036] The present invention also provides a multi-drum washing machine, comprising at least two water drums 5; equipped with any of the above-mentioned automatic dispensing devices. The two water drums 5 are respectively connected to the two water outlets of the automatic dispensing device in a one-to-one correspondence, and the additives in the transfer part 10 is transported along with the incoming water only to the corresponding connected water drum 5 when any one water supply pipeline 2 supplies water.

[0037] Furthermore, the water inlet ends of each water supply pipe 2 of the automatic dispensing device are respectively connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine, and the washing water supplied by the water inlet structure of the washing machine serves as the water supply source for the water inlet ends of each water supply pipe 2. The washing water selectively flows into one of the water supply pipelines 2, and only flows from the water outlet of the water supply pipe 2 to the corresponding water drum 5, so that the additives pumped to the transfer part 10 are dispensed into the corresponding water drum 5 together with the inlet water flow of the washing machine.

[0038] Furthermore, the water inlet end of each water supply pipeline 2 is connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine via a water inlet valve 16 in an on-off manner.

[0039] The present invention also provides a control method for any of the above-mentioned multi-drum washing machines. When additives are added to any water drum 5, the water inlet structure of the washing machine feeds water into the corresponding water supply pipe 2 connected to the selected water drum 5, and the inlet water flow acts on the linkage switch 1 provided on the selected water supply pipe 2, and the linkage switch 1 disconnects the water outlet of another water supply pipe 2; the inlet water flow flows into the transfer part 10, and the additives at the transfer part 10 flow out along the selected water supply pipe 2 and are dispensed to the selected water drum 5.

[0040] Further, the method includes the following steps: pumping the additives in the selected liquid storage box 3 to the transfer part 10; supplying water to the corresponding water supply pipe 2 connected to the selected water drum 5, and when the incoming water flows to the water inlet pipe section 201 of the selected water supply pipe 2, disconnecting the water outlet pipe section 202 of another water supply pipe 2 by using the linkage switch 1 provided on the water inlet pipe section 201. The incoming water flows into the transfer part 10 along the water inlet pipe section 201, and flushes the additives in the transfer part 10 into the water outlet pipe section 202 of the selected water supply pipe 2 along the water flow; and flows into the selected water drum 5 along the opened water outlet pipe section 202 of the selected water supply pipe 2 to dispense the additives.

[0041] Preferably, the step of pumping the additive in the selected liquid storage box 3 to the transfer part 10 is performed before or simultaneously with the step of supplying water to the corresponding water supply pipeline 2 connected to the selected water drum 5.

[0042] Further, when water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, the first linkage switch 110 connects the first water inlet pipe section 211 and disconnects the second water outlet pipe section 222, and the water enters the transfer part 10 through the first water inlet pipe section 211, and the additives in the transfer part 10 flow out along the first water outlet pipe section 212 and flow into the first water drum 51 for dispensing. When water enters the second water supply pipeline 22, the second linkage switch 120 connects the second water inlet pipe section 221 and disconnects the first water outlet pipe section 212, and the water enters the transfer part 10 through the second water inlet pipe section 221, and the additives in the transfer part 10 flow out along the second water outlet pipe section 222 and flow into the second water drum 52 for dispensing.

[0043] Furthermore, when water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, the second linkage switch 120 synchronously disconnects the second water inlet pipe section 221 and connects the first water outlet pipe section 212. When water enters the second water supply pipeline 22, the first linkage switch 110 synchronously disconnects the first water inlet pipe section 211 and connects the second water outlet pipe section 222.

[0044] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows: Through the above device and method, the automatic dispensing device can pump the additives in different liquid storage boxes into the transfer part through the pump, and use the water flow through the corresponding water supply pipeline to trigger the linkage switch to disconnect the other water supply pipeline, so that the extracted additives can be delivered to the corresponding water outlet along with the water flow, thereby achieving the purpose of delivering the additives in the same liquid storage box to multiple locations separately through a set of systems. At the same time, the above-mentioned automatic dispensing device is installed on a multi-drum washing machine, so that multiple water drums of the multi-drum washing machine can share a set of additive dispensing systems, thereby achieving the purpose of controllably delivering the additives into a selected water drum along with the incoming water flow.

[0045] In addition, through the above-mentioned dispensing device, the water flow through the water supply pipeline directly triggers the linkage switch to act synchronously, so that the opening and closing of the water inlet valve of the water supply pipeline can directly open and close the outlets of two different water supply pipelines, which greatly simplifies the control structure of the multi-drum delivery device.

[0046] In addition, through the control method set above, the water inlet valve can be opened to let water in, and the state of adding additives to the corresponding drum can be directly switched, which greatly improves the switching reaction rate and simplifies the switching sequence of the automatic dispensing device. In addition, since the pump and the water supply pipeline can be executed together in the present application, the steps of extracting the additives from the liquid storage box into the water channel and the additives in the water channel are flushed and delivered into the water drum by the water flow can be run synchronously, which greatly reduces the time consumption of delivery and significantly improves the rate compared with the prior art.

[0047] At the same time, the invention has a simple structure, a concise method, and a significant effect, and is suitable for popularization and use.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0048] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2 to 5 are schematic diagrams of the structure of adding additives in different liquid storage boxes to different drums according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of the structure of the water pressure-linked switch according to different viewing angles in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the BB cross-sectional structure of Figure 7 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Main components: 1. linkage switch; 2. water supply pipeline; 3. liquid storage box; 5. water drum; 8. one-way valve; 10. transfer part; 13. pump; 14. liquid extraction pipeline; 16. water inlet valve; 161. first water inlet valve; 162. second water inlet valve; 21. first water supply pipeline; 31. first liquid storage box; 51. first water drum; 131. first pump; 141. first liquid extraction pipeline; 22. second water supply pipeline; 32. second liquid storage box; 52. second water drum; 132. second pump; 142. second liquid extraction pipeline; 101. active flow channel; 102. passive flow channel; 110. first linkage switch; 111. first active flow channel; 112. first passive flow channel; 120. second linkage switch; 121, second active flow channel; 122, second passive flow channel; 201, water inlet pipe section; 202, water outlet pipe section; 211, first water inlet pipe section; 212, first water outlet pipe section; 221, second water inlet pipe section; 222, second water outlet pipe section; 401, valve plug cavity; 402, elastic diaphragm; 403, first chamber; 404, second chamber; 405, first water inlet; 406, first water outlet; 407, second water inlet; 408, second water outlet; 409, diaphragm bracket; 410, valve plug; 411, spring; 412, annular sealing rib; 413, connecting sleeve; 414, sealing plate; 415, annular fold; 416, annular convex rib; 417, annular gap; 418, fold; 419, fixed portion; 420, shielding arc portion.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, an embodiment of the present invention introduces a multi-drum washing machine, which includes a plurality of water drums 5 independently arranged, and each water drum 5 can process clothes respectively. The washing machine is provided with a water inlet structure for introducing external water flow into the washing machine; the washing machine is also provided with an automatic dispensing device, which delivers additives along with the water flow flowing into the water inlet structure into the corresponding water drum 5, so as to use the additives delivered along with the water flow to process the clothes in the corresponding water drum 5.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present invention, the additives include but are not limited to the following types: detergents, softeners, disinfectants, fragrances, bleaches, etc.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, an automatic dispensing device is also introduced in an embodiment of the present invention. The automatic dispensing device can be applied to the above-mentioned multi-drum washing machine to dispense additives into the corresponding water drum 5 of the washing machine; it can also be applied to any existing equipment to dispense corresponding additives into any water channel in the equipment.

[0053] The automatic dispensing device described in the embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid storage box 3, which contains additives used for treating clothes. At least two water supply pipelines 2, the water inlet end of each water supply pipeline 2 is connected to a water supply source, and the water supply source is a water inlet structure of a washing machine. Each water supply pipeline 2 has different and corresponding water outlets that are connected to each other, so that each water supply pipeline 2 can transport the incoming water to the water outlet of the corresponding pipeline. A transfer part 10, the liquid storage box 3 is connected to the transfer part 10 through a pump 13, and the additives in the corresponding liquid storage box 3 are extracted into the transfer part 10 through the action of the pump 13; the transfer part 10 is connected in series with each water supply pipeline 2, and the additives extracted by the pump 13 in the transfer part 10 are flushed to the water outlet of the selected water supply pipeline 2 by the water flow flowing through the selected water supply pipeline 2.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present invention, when the automatic dispensing device is installed on a multi-drum washing machine, the water outlets of each water supply pipeline 2 of the automatic dispensing device are connected to each water drum 5 of the washing machine in a one-to-one correspondence, and the water supply source is provided by the water inlet structure of the washing machine, so that in the process of washing water entering the corresponding water drum 5 of the multi-drum washing machine, the additives are put into the corresponding water drum 5 together with the inlet water flow. Of course, for the needs of the design of the washing machine, the number of water outlets of the automatic dispensing device and the number of water drums can also be set to be different, so that at least one water drum 5 corresponds to multiple water outlets, or at least one water outlet corresponds to multiple water drums 5.

[0055] Through the above arrangement, the automatic dispensing device can extract additives from different liquid storage boxes into the transfer part through the pump, and use the water flow flowing through the corresponding water supply pipeline to deliver the extracted additives in the transfer part to the corresponding water outlet together with the water flow, thereby achieving the purpose of delivering the additives in the same liquid storage box to multiple locations respectively through a set of systems. At the same time, the above automatic dispensing device is installed on a multi-drum washing machine, so that multiple water drums of the multi-drum washing machine can share a set of additive delivery system. Thus, the additives can be controllably delivered into the selected one of the water drum along with the incoming water flow.

[0056] The automatic dispensing device described in the embodiment of the present invention includes at least two liquid storage boxes 3, each of which can store additives of different categories and / or different concentrations; of course, the same additives can also be stored in some of the liquid storage boxes 3, so that one or more of the liquid storage boxes 3 can be used as a backup. Each liquid storage box 3 is connected to the transfer part 10 through different liquid extraction pipelines 14; each liquid extraction pipeline 14 is provided with a pump 13, which is used to extract the additives in different liquid storage boxes 3 into the transfer part 10, so that different drums of the washing machine share a set of liquid storage boxes 3, so that various additives in a set of liquid storage boxes 3 can be controlled to be dispensed into different water drums 5. Preferably, in order to achieve the purpose of cost saving, multiple liquid storage boxes 3 can be selectively connected to the same pump 13 through a reversing valve, and the purpose of a single pump 13 can also be achieved to dispense additives in different liquid storage boxes 3 separately.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1, this embodiment introduces an automatic dispensing device, including a liquid storage box 3, which contains additives used for treating clothes. At least two water supply pipelines 2, the water inlets of the two water supply pipelines 2 are respectively connected to the water inlet structure of the multi-drum washing machine, and the water outlets of each water supply pipeline 2 are respectively connected to different, one-to-one corresponding water drums 5, so that each water supply pipeline 2 respectively transports the washing machine water to the corresponding water drum 5, so as to achieve the purpose of supplying washing water to any water drum 5 of the multi-drum washing machine. The middle part of the two water supply pipelines 2 intersects, and the intersection constitutes a transfer part 10 connected in series with both water supply pipelines 2. The transfer part 10 is connected to the liquid storage box 3 through a pump 13, so that the additive to be put in by the pumping and extraction enters the transfer part 10, and the water flowing through the transfer part 10 flows the additive to be put in along the corresponding water supply pipeline 2 into the corresponding water drum, so as to achieve the effect of putting the additive in the selected water drum 5. In order to prevent the two intersecting water supply pipelines 2 from crossing and causing problems such as mis-casting, the following settings are made in this application: In the embodiment of the present invention, a water pressure-linked switch 1 is respectively provided on the two water supply pipelines 2, which is used to synchronously close the water outlet of the other water supply pipeline 2 when water enters any one water supply pipeline 2, so that after the incoming water flows into the transfer part 10, it only flows out from the water outlet of the selected water supply pipeline 2, so as to achieve the effect of adding additives to the designated water drum 5, thereby effectively avoiding the occurrence of problems such as mis-addition and cross-flow when the two-inlet and two-outlet additive delivery device is delivering additives.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present invention, when the automatic dispensing device is installed on a multi-drum washing machine, the water outlets of the automatic dispensing device are connected to the water drums 5 of the washing machine in a one-to-one correspondence, and the water supply source is provided by the water inlet structure of the washing machine. So that in the process of washing water entering the corresponding water drum 5 of the multi-drum washing machine, the additives are dispensed into the corresponding water drum 5 together with the incoming water flow, so as to achieve the purpose of automatically dispensing the additives into the corresponding water drum 5 along with the incoming water flow, thereby achieving the effect of the two-input and two-output automatic dispensing device being controllable to use the same set of additive storage boxes to select one of the two water drums for designated dispensing.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, in order to realize the purpose of the water inlet structure of the washing machine to select one of the two water supply pipelines 2 for water supply, the following settings are made: a water inlet valve 16 is provided at the connection of the water inlet end of the two water supply pipelines 2 and the water inlet structure of the washing machine, which is used to control the on-off of the water flow of the water supply pipe 2. The water inlet valve 16 is arranged at the upstream part of the water pressure-linked switch 1 to realize the on-off control of the water inlet flow of the water supply pipeline 2; especially the on-off control of the water inlet flow of the water pressure-linked switch 1 arranged at the water inlet pipe section 201 of the water supply pipeline. Of course, the water inlet ends of the two water inlet pipelines 2 can also be connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine through the reversing valve, and the above-mentioned selective water supply effect can also be achieved.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present invention, when water flows through any water supply pipeline 2, the water pressure generated by the flowing water acts on the water pressure-linked switch 1 provided on the selected water supply pipeline 2, and the water pressure-linked switch 1 acts on another water supply pipeline 2 to disconnect the part of the other water supply pipeline 2 located downstream of the transfer part 10, so as to utilize the water pressure-linked switch 1 installed on the water supply pipeline 2 to perform corresponding on-off control on the water outlets of different water supply pipelines 2, thereby achieving the effect of causing the additives in the transfer part 10 to flow out to the designated water outlet and be placed into the designated water drum 5.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present invention, the water pressure-linked switch 1 has an active flow channel 101 and a passive flow channel 102. The active flow channel 101 is provided with an active component for generating a trigger instruction by utilizing the water flow flowing through the active flow channel, and the passive flow channel 102 is provided with a passive component for disconnecting the passive flow channel by utilizing the trigger instruction. Preferably, the trigger instruction can be a trigger signal issued by the active component, or a trigger action generated by the active component being acted upon by the water flow. The water pressure-linked switch 1 in the embodiment of the present invention can be any existing structure having the above structure, which can realize disconnection control of the passive flow channel 102 by utilizing the water flow flowing through the active flow channel 101.

[0062] The water pressure-linked switch 1 is a four-way valve that uses the water pressure flowing through the active flow channel to control the opening and closing of the passive flow channel. For example: the four-way valve has four openings A, B, C, and D, the openings A and B are connected through the active flow channel, and the openings C and D are connected through the passive flow channel. The active flow channel 101 and the passive flow channel 102 are both in the same chamber and are two independent and non-connected flow channels. The active flow channel 101 is an elastic tube that can be elastically deformed by water flow, and a valve core that controls the opening and closing of the flow channel is provided on the passive flow channel 102. When water flows through the active flow channel 101, the water pressure generated by the water flow will cause the elastic tube to expand and deform, and the expanded and deformed elastic tube will trigger the valve core on the passive flow channel 102 to act, thereby disconnecting the passive flow channel, thereby achieving the effect of linkage control of different water supply pipelines 2, especially the purpose of disconnecting and controlling the outlet of any water supply pipeline 2 by using the water flow inlet of any water supply pipeline 2.

[0063] The water pressure-linked switch 1 can also be other linkage structures that use electromagnetic signals to interactively trigger the opening and closing control of the passive flow channel. For example: a flow sensor and a transmitting unit are provided on the active flow channel 101, and a trigger signal is generated when water is detected flowing through the active flow channel 101 and transmitted through the transmitting unit. A receiving unit and a switch valve are provided on the passive flow channel 102, which are communicatively connected to the transmitting unit, and after receiving the trigger signal, the switch valve is controlled to operate and the passive flow channel 102 is disconnected.

[0064] In this embodiment, the portion of each water supply pipeline 2 located upstream of the transfer part 10 is the water inlet pipe section 201, and the portion located downstream of the transfer part 10 is the water outlet pipe section 202. The active flow channel 101 of the water pressure-linked switch 1 is connected in series to the water inlet pipe section 201 located upstream of the transfer part 10 of the corresponding water supply pipeline 2, and the passive flow channel 102 is connected in series to the water outlet pipe section 202 located downstream of the transfer part 10 of the other water supply pipeline 2. So as to achieve the effect of disconnecting and controlling the outlet pipe section 202 of another water supply pipe 2 by utilizing whether the inlet pipe section 201 of the selected water supply pipe 2 is flowing with water.

[0065] In this embodiment, the water outlet of each water supply pipeline 2 is respectively connected to a corresponding and different water drum 5. Preferably, a one-way valve 8 is provided on the water supply pipeline 2 to ensure that the water in the pipeline flows in a single direction from the water inlet source end to the water outlet end. Thus, the automatic dispensing device is fed with water through different water supply channels to achieve water inflow and delivery of additives to different water drums. Preferably, in this embodiment, a one-way valve 8 is provided on the water inlet pipe section 201 of each water supply pipeline 2 to ensure that the water flows in the direction of the transfer part 10, and the one-way valve 8 is located between the active flow channel 101 of the water pressure-linked switch 1 and the transfer part 10; and / or, a one-way valve 8 is provided on the water outlet pipe section 202 of each water supply pipeline 2 to ensure that the water flows in the direction of the water outlet of the water supply pipeline 2, and the one-way valve 8 is located between the transfer part 10 and the water outlet of the water supply pipeline 2.

[0066] The following is an example of a multi-drum washing machine with two water drums 5, namely the first water drum 51 and the second water drum 52; and two liquid storage boxes 3, namely the first liquid storage box 31 and the second liquid storage box 32. The specific structure is as follows: As shown in Figures 1 to 5, in this embodiment, the first active flow channel 111 of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is connected in series to the first water inlet pipe section 211 of the first water supply pipeline 21, the inlet of the first water inlet pipe section 211 is provided with a first water inlet valve 161, and the outlet is connected to the transfer part 10. The second passive flow channel 122 of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is connected in series to the first water outlet pipe section 212 of the first water supply pipeline 21, the inlet of the first water outlet pipe section 212 is connected to the transfer part 10, and the outlet is connected to the first water drum 51. The second active flow channel 121 of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is connected in series to the second water inlet pipe section 221 of the second water supply pipeline 22, the inlet of the second water inlet pipe section 211 is provided with a second water inlet valve 162, and the outlet is connected to the transfer part 10. The second passive flow channel 112 of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is connected in series to the second water outlet pipe section 222 of the second water supply pipeline 22, the inlet of the second water outlet pipe section 222 is connected to the transfer part 10, and the outlet is connected to the second water drum 52.

[0067] In this embodiment, the first liquid storage box 31 is connected to the transfer part 10 via a first liquid extraction pipeline 141 provided with a first pump 131, and the second liquid storage box 32 is connected to the transfer part 10 via a second liquid extraction pipeline 142 provided with a second pump 132. Preferably, in order to avoid the problem that the liquid in the transfer part 10 flows back into the liquid storage box 3, a one-way valve 8 can be installed on the liquid extraction pipeline 14 provided with the pump 13, and the pump 13 can be directly integrated with a one-way valve assembly, or a one-way valve assembly can be integrated and installed at the liquid outlet of the liquid storage box 3, etc., so as to prevent the liquid from flowing back into the liquid storage box.

[0068] When the additive A in the first liquid storage box 31 is added into the first water drum 51, the automatic adding device is in the following state: As shown in Figure 2, the first water inlet valve 161 is opened, water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, and under the action of the inlet water flow, the first active flow channel 111 between AB of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is connected, and the first passive flow channel 112 between CD is disconnected. The water flowing in from the first water inlet valve 161 flows out to the first water drum 51 through the first water inlet pipe section 211, the transfer part 10, and the first water outlet pipe section 212 in sequence; and when the water flows through the transfer part 10, the additive A in the first liquid storage box 31 which is acted upon by the first pump 131 and pumped to the transfer part 10 through the first liquid extraction pipeline 141 is flushed into the first water drum 51 together, so as to achieve the effect of adding additive A into the first water drum 51.

[0069] When the additive B in the second liquid storage box 32 is added into the first water drum 51, the automatic adding device is in the following loading state: As shown in Figure 4, the first water inlet valve 161 is opened, water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, and under the action of the incoming water flow, the first active flow channel 111 between AB of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is connected, and the first passive flow channel 112 between CD is disconnected. The water flowing in from the first water inlet valve 161 flows out to the first water drum 51 through the first water inlet pipe section 211, the transfer part 10, and the first water outlet pipe section 212 in sequence; and when the water flows through the transfer part 10, the additive B in the second liquid storage box 32 that is pumped to the transfer part 10 through the second liquid extraction pipeline 142 by the second pump 132 is flushed into the first water drum 51 together, so as to achieve the effect of adding additive B into the first water drum 51.

[0070] When the additive A in the first liquid storage box 31 is added into the second water drum 52, the automatic adding device is in the following state: As shown in Figure 3, the second water inlet valve 162 is opened, water enters the second water supply pipeline 22, and under the action of the incoming water flow, the second active flow channel 121 between EF of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is connected, and the second passive flow channel 122 between GH is disconnected. The water flowing in from the second water inlet valve 162 flows out to the second water drum 52 through the second water inlet pipe section 221, the transfer part 10, and the second water outlet pipe section 222 in sequence; and when the water flows through the transfer part 10, the additive A in the first liquid storage box 31 that is pumped to the transfer part 10 through the first liquid extraction pipeline 141 by the first pump 131 is flushed into the second water drum 52, so as to achieve the effect of adding additive A into the second water drum 52.

[0071] When the additive B in the second liquid storage box 32 is added into the second water drum 52, the automatic adding device is in the following loading state: As shown in Figure 5, the second water inlet valve 162 is opened, water enters the second water supply pipeline 22, and under the action of the incoming water flow, the second active flow channel 121 between EF of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is connected, and the second passive flow channel 122 between GH is disconnected. The water flowing in from the second water inlet valve 162 flows out to the second water drum 52 through the second water inlet pipe section 221, the transfer part 10, and the second water outlet pipe section 222 in sequence; and when the water flows through the transfer part 10, the additive B in the second liquid storage box 32 that is pumped to the transfer part 10 by the second pump 132 through the second liquid extraction pipeline 142 is flushed into the second water drum 52, so as to achieve the effect of adding additive B into the second water drum 52.

[0072] In this embodiment, the transfer part 10 can be a labyrinth loop; the labyrinth loop is composed of a flow channel that is arranged in a spiral and extends the axial length of the pipeline. The inlet of the labyrinth loop is respectively connected to the outlet of the first water inlet pipe section 211 and the second water inlet pipe section 221; the outlet of the labyrinth loop is connected to the inlet of the first water outlet pipe section 212 and the second water outlet pipe section 222, respectively. Each liquid storage box 3 is connected to the inlet of the labyrinth loop via the pump 13. Of course, it is also possible, as shown in Figure 1, that the transfer part 10 is a chamber with a volume, and the chamber is respectively connected to the first water inlet pipe section 211, the first water outlet pipe section 211, the second water inlet pipe section 221 and the second water outlet pipe section 222; each liquid storage box 3 is connected to the bottom of the chamber via the pump 13.

[0073] In this embodiment, in order to realize the metering detection of the dosage of the additive, the following settings can be made: a metering device for detecting the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the transfer part 10 is provided on the liquid extraction pipeline 14 connecting the transfer part 10 and the pump 13. Of course, in the embodiment of the present invention, in order to simplify the structure, the metering component can also be directly integrated on the pump 13, so that the pump 13 itself is a metering pump, and the parameters of the pump 13 are used to directly measure and count the dosage of the additive. The pump 13 can be any existing metering pump with a metering function, for example: a metering pump that indirectly obtains the dosage by counting any parameter such as the number of revolutions of the impeller in the pump, the speed, time, power, etc. In addition, it is also possible to directly count the number of times the transfer part 10 is filled with the additive, and then indirectly obtain the dosage of the additive.

[0074] This embodiment also introduces a control method applied to the above-mentioned automatic dispensing device. When dispensing additives, the pump 13 corresponding to the selected liquid storage box 3 is turned on, so that the additives in the selected liquid storage box 3 are pumped into the transfer part 10. The water at the water supply source flows through a selected water supply pipeline 2 to the corresponding water outlet, and under the action of the water flow through the selected water supply pipeline 2, the water outlet of the other water supply pipeline 2 is disconnected by the water pressure-linked switch 1, so that after the incoming water flow flows into the transfer part 10, the additives extracted in the transfer part 10 are flushed to the water outlet of the selected water supply pipeline 2 along with the water flow flowing into the water supply pipeline 2, so as to achieve the effect of switching control of the two-inlet and two-outlet automatic dispensing device.

[0075] In this embodiment, the steps of pumping the additive in the liquid storage box 3 into the transfer part 10 via the pump 13 and introducing water into the water supply pipe 2 to flush the pumped additive in the transfer part 10 into the water drum 5 can be performed simultaneously. Or the steps of first pumping the additive in the liquid storage box 3 into the transfer part 10 via the pump 13 and then introducing water into the water supply pipe 2 to flush the additive in the transfer part 10 into the water drum 5 can be performed alternately.

[0076] Therefore, the control method of the present invention has more diverse delivery methods and can realize different delivery logics compared to the limited technology. In particular, through the above-mentioned setting, when the additive is delivered, the additive in the liquid storage box can be pumped into the water channel through the pump, and the water in the designated water supply pipeline can be filled to deliver the additive in the water channel into the water drum, making the delivery process more concise and time-saving.

[0077] In this embodiment, during the normal water intake process of the washing machine: the water inlet structure of the washing machine intakes water into the corresponding water drum 5 through the selected water supply pipe 2, and the intake water flow will definitely flow through the transfer part 10, and the flowing water flow will flush the transfer part 10, and the additives pumped into the transfer part 10 will be mixed into the intake water flow, so that the intake water flow can put the additives into the corresponding water drum. At the same time, preferably, the water supply pipe 2 intakes water into the water drum 5 and pumps the additives into the transfer part 10 can be executed simultaneously.

[0078] In this embodiment, the automatic dispensing device can dispense different types of additives stored in each liquid storage box 3. When the automatic dispensing device dispenses additives, water is selected from one of the two water supply pipelines 2, and the water flow is used to trigger the water pressure-linked switch 1 set on the water inlet pipe section 201 to control the disconnection of the water outlet pipe section 202 of the other water supply pipeline 2, so that the water in the dispensing device can only flow out of the selected water supply pipeline 2. So that the additives in the corresponding liquid storage box 3 are extracted to the transfer part 10 and then dispensed into the corresponding water drum 5 together with the water flow flowing through the water supply pipeline 2.

[0079] The following is an example of a multi-drum washing machine with two water drums 5, namely the first water drum 51 and the second water drum 52; and two liquid storage boxes 3, namely the first liquid storage box 31 and the second liquid storage box 32. The specific control method is as follows: When the additive A stored in the first liquid storage box 31 is added into the first water drum 51; as shown in Figure 2, the first pump 131 is turned on first, and the additive A in the first liquid storage box 31 is pumped into the transfer part 10 through the first liquid extraction pipeline 141 by the first pump 131.

[0080] Then, the first water inlet valve 161 is opened, water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, and under the action of the incoming water flow, the first active flow channel 111 connected to AB of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is connected, and the first passive flow channel 112 connected to CD is disconnected. At the same time, the second water inlet valve 162 is closed, and no water enters the second water supply pipeline 22, the second active flow channel 121 connected to EF of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is disconnected, and the second passive flow channel 122 connected to GH is connected. Water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, and the water flowing in from the first water inlet valve 161 flows out to the first water drum 51 through the first water inlet pipe section 211, the transfer part 10, and the first water outlet pipe section 212 in sequence, and flushes the additive A extracted from the transfer part into the first water drum 51 for dispensing.

[0081] When the additive A stored in the first liquid storage box 31 is added into the second water drum 52, as shown in Figure 3, the first pump 131 is turned on first, and the additive A in the first liquid storage box 31 is pumped into the transfer part 10 through the first liquid extraction pipeline 141 by the first pump 131.

[0082] Then, the first water inlet valve 161 is closed, and water does not flow into the first water supply pipeline 21. The first active flow channel 111 connected to AB of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is disconnected, and the first passive flow channel 112 connected to CD is connected. The second water inlet valve 162 is opened, the second active flow channel 121 connected to EF of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is connected, and the second passive flow channel 122 connected to GH is disconnected. Water flows into the second water supply pipeline 22, and the incoming water flows out to the second water drum 52 through the second water inlet pipe section 221, the transfer part 10, and the second water outlet pipe section 222 in sequence, and the additive A extracted from the transfer part is flushed into the second water drum 52 for dispensing.

[0083] When the additive B stored in the second liquid storage box 32 is added into the first water drum 51, as shown in Figure 4, the second pump 132 is first turned on, and the additive B in the second liquid storage box 32 is pumped into the transfer part 10 through the second liquid extraction pipeline 142 by the second pump 132.

[0084] Then, the first water inlet valve 161 is opened, water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, and under the action of the incoming water flow, the first active flow channel 111 connected to AB of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is connected, and the first passive flow channel 112 connected to CD is disconnected. At the same time, the second water inlet valve 162 is closed, and no water enters the second water supply pipeline 22, the second active flow channel 121 connected to EF of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is disconnected, and the second passive flow channel 122 connected to GH is connected. Water enters the first water supply pipeline 21, and the water flowing in from the first water inlet valve 161 flows out to the first water drum 51 through the first water inlet pipe section 211, the transfer part 10, and the first water outlet pipe section 212 in sequence, and flushes the additive B extracted from the transfer part 10 into the first water drum 51 for release.

[0085] When the additive B stored in the second liquid storage box 32 is added into the second water drum 52, as shown in Figure 5, the second pump 132 is first turned on, and the additive B in the second liquid storage box 32 is pumped into the transfer part 10 through the second liquid extraction pipeline 142 by the second pump 132.

[0086] Then, the first water inlet valve 161 is closed, and water does not flow into the first water supply pipeline 21. The first active flow channel 111 connected to AB of the first water pressure-linked switch 110 is disconnected, and the first passive flow channel 112 connected to CD is connected. The second water inlet valve 162 is opened, the second active flow channel 121 connected to EF of the second water pressure-linked switch 120 is connected, and the second passive flow channel 122 connected to GH is disconnected. Water flows into the second water supply pipeline 22, and the incoming water flows out to the second water drum 52 through the second water inlet pipe section 221, the transfer part 10, and the second water outlet pipe section 222 in sequence, and the additive B extracted from the transfer part 10 is flushed into the second water drum 52 for dispensing.

[0087] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, an embodiment of the present invention further introduces a water pressure-linked switch, which constitutes the linkage switch 1 described in the above embodiment, and is used to achieve the effect of synchronous on-off switching of two different water circuits in linkage, especially to achieve the effect of synchronously disconnecting the other water circuit by utilizing the water pressure generated by the water inflow in any water circuit.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present invention, the water pressure-linked switch includes a housing, the interior of the housing has a valve plug cavity 401, the valve plug cavity 401 is provided with an elastic diaphragm 402, which is used to separate the valve plug cavity 401 into two independent parts, a first chamber 403 and a second chamber 404. At least two water inlets and at least two water outlets are provided on the housing, the first water inlet 405 and the first water outlet 406 are connected to the first chamber 403, and the second water inlet 407 and the second water outlet 408 are connected to the second chamber 404.

[0089] Through the above-mentioned arrangement, the elastic diaphragm separating different chambers is driven by the water pressure of the water inlet of any chamber to expand and deform, thereby achieving the effect of synchronously disconnecting the water channel in another chamber by utilizing the expansion deformation, achieving the technical effect of synchronously disconnecting the other water channel by only utilizing the water pressure of the water inlet of any water channel. At the same time, since the interlocking switch described in the present application utilizes the water pressure of the water inlet for synchronous switching, the need to add components such as a drive unit to the interlocking switch is avoided, thereby greatly reducing the cost of the switch.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present invention, the elastic diaphragm 402 arranged in the valve plug cavity 401 can produce elastic deformation to expand toward the other side cavity under the action of the water pressure of the water inlet in any of the two sides. The elastic deformation of the elastic diaphragm 402 can be used to synchronously close the water inlet and / or water outlet set in the other cavity, thereby realizing that when water enters any cavity of the water pressure-linked switch, the water pressure of the water inlet drives the elastic diaphragm 402 to deform and synchronously close the water inlet and / or water outlet of the other cavity, thereby realizing the effect of synchronously disconnecting the water path connected to any cavity when water flows through the water path connected to the other cavity.

[0091] In the embodiment of the present invention, the housing of the water pressure-linked switch is composed of a first part and a second part that are interlocked with each other, and an elastic diaphragm 402 is clamped and fixed at the interlocking connection between the first part and the second part. The first part and the second part have relatively open grooves inside, so that the internal grooves of the first part and the second part after interlocking and installation respectively enclose the first chamber 403 and the second chamber 404 together with the elastic diaphragm 402. The housing is provided with a first water inlet 405 and a first water outlet 406 connected to the first chamber 403, and a second water inlet 407 and a second water outlet 408 connected to the second chamber 404. Preferably, the first water inlet 405 and the second water inlet 407 are respectively arranged on the opposite left and right sides of the housing, and the first water outlet 406 and the second water outlet 408 are both arranged on the upper side of the housing. Further preferably, the first water inlet 405 is composed of a lower bending joint with an inlet opening downward and an outlet opening horizontally, the second water inlet 407 is composed of an upper bending structure with an inlet opening upward and an outlet opening horizontally, and the outlets of the upper bending structure and the lower bending joint are coaxially arranged. The first water outlet 406 and the second water outlet 408 are respectively composed of straight joints extending vertically upward.

[0092] In an embodiment of the present invention, the on-off control of different chambers of the water pressure-linked switch can be directly achieved by the elastic deformation of the elastic diaphragm 402 caused by the water pressure. For example, when water enters the first chamber 403, the elastic diaphragm 402 expands and deforms toward the second chamber 404, and the deformed elastic diaphragm 402 corresponds to the chamber inner wall outside the second water inlet 407 to block the second water inlet 407; and when water enters the second chamber 404, the elastic diaphragm 402 expands and deforms toward the first chamber 403, and the deformed elastic diaphragm 402 corresponds to the chamber inner wall outside the first water inlet 405 to block the first water inlet 405 (not indicated in the drawings).

[0093] In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the reliability of closing the water inlet of the chamber under the impact of water pressure, a valve plug 410 can be further provided in the chamber, and the elastic deformation of the elastic diaphragm 402 can be used to drive the valve plug to move, and then the valve plug 410 can be used to directly correspond to the water inlet and / or water outlet of the chamber to be opened and closed. Or, the inlet water pressure can be directly applied to the valve plug 410, driving the valve plug 410 to generate displacement in the chamber to correspond to the water inlet and / or water outlet of the chamber to be opened and closed. For example, valve plugs 410 are respectively arranged in the first chamber 403 and the second chamber 404, and the valve plugs 410 are connected to the elastic diaphragm 402 via a spring 411. The two valve plugs 410 are driven by the elastic force of the spring 411 to close the water inlet of the corresponding chamber. When water enters the first chamber 403, the water pressure drives the first valve plug to move into the first chamber 403 to open the first water inlet 405 accordingly, and at the same time, the first valve plug pushes the elastic diaphragm 402 to expand and deform into the second chamber 404 via the spring 411, and then uses the spring 411 to push the second valve plug to fit tightly against the second water inlet 407 to achieve blocking of the second water inlet 407. When water enters the second chamber 404, the water pressure drives the second valve plug to move into the second chamber 404 to open the second water inlet 407 accordingly, and at the same time, the second valve plug pushes the elastic diaphragm 402 into the first chamber 403 through the spring 411 to expand and deform, and then the spring 411 pushes the first valve plug to fit tightly against the first water inlet 405 to achieve blocking of the first water inlet 405 (not indicated in the drawings).

[0094] In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to improve the accuracy of the opening and closing control of the water inlets of the two chambers, the following settings are performed: As shown in Figures 6 to 8, a valve plug 410 is only provided in the first chamber 403. The valve plug 410 is connected to the elastic diaphragm 402 via a spring 411. The valve plug 410 correspondingly closes the first water inlet 405 and / or the first water outlet 406; while no valve plug 410 is provided in the second chamber 404, and the elastic diaphragm 402 directly closes the second water inlet 407. Similarly, the effect of synchronously disconnecting the water inlet of the opposite side chamber by utilizing the water pressure when water is entering different side chambers can be achieved.

[0095] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, in the embodiment of the present invention, the elastic diaphragm 402 is vertically arranged in the valve plug cavity 401, corresponding to cover any cross section of the valve plug cavity 401. The outer periphery of the elastic diaphragm 402 is sealed and connected to the peripheral wall of the valve plug cavity 401, so that the left and right sides of the valve plug cavity 401 respectively constitute independent spaces, the first cavity 403 and the second cavity 404. The elastic diaphragm 402 is made of a flexible material that can produce elastic deformation, such as rubber. At least one circle of folds 418 is provided on the elastic diaphragm 402. The folds 418 can provide a margin for the deformation of the elastic diaphragm 402 itself, so that the elastic diaphragm 402 can be deformed to expand toward the other side chamber when the water pressure from the water inlet into the chamber on one side is applied. Preferably, in order to increase the deformation margin and to reduce the blocking effect of the deformation on the water flow in the chamber, the folds 418 are generally provided on the periphery of the elastic diaphragm 402, and at least one circle of folds 418 folded and bent toward the first chamber side is provided on the periphery of the elastic diaphragm 402.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present invention, for ease of description, the left side of the elastic diaphragm 402 is used as the first chamber 403 and the right side is used as the second chamber 404. However, the present application is not limited to the vertical arrangement of the elastic diaphragm 402. The elastic diaphragm 402 can also be arranged horizontally or inclined, etc., and the effect of synchronous on-off control of different chambers by utilizing the inlet water pressure can also be achieved.

[0097] A valve plug 410 is arranged on the left side of the elastic diaphragm 402, and the valve plug 410 is connected to the elastic diaphragm 402 via a spring 411. Under the pushing action of the spring 411, the valve plug 410 corresponds to closing the first water inlet 405 of the first chamber 403. The right side of the elastic diaphragm 402 fits the second water inlet 407 of the second chamber 404, and the elastic diaphragm 402 corresponds to sealing the second water inlet 407 under the pushing action of the spring 411. The spring 411 is coaxially arranged in the valve plug cavity 401 along the left-right direction, and when water does not enter the cavities on both sides, the spring 411 is in a compressed state. The two ends of the compressed spring 411 respectively apply elastic force to the valve plug 410 and the elastic diaphragm 402, pushing the valve plug 410 to contact the left end face of the valve plug cavity 401 and correspondingly close the first water inlet 405 arranged on the left end face, and pushing the elastic diaphragm 402 to contact the right end face of the valve plug cavity 401 and correspondingly close the second water inlet 407 arranged on the right end face. When water enters any chamber on one side, the water pressure will push the valve plug 410 or the elastic diaphragm 402 to move in the direction of the compression spring 411, which will open the water inlet on the corresponding side to connect the water inlet and the water outlet of the chamber on the corresponding side, and use the spring 411 to apply a greater push force to the valve plug 410 or the elastic diaphragm 402 connected to the other end, driving the valve plug 410 or the elastic diaphragm 402 to more tightly close the water inlet of the chamber on the other side to achieve the effect of synchronously blocking the water inlet of the chamber on the other side.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present invention, the left side of the elastic diaphragm 402 is connected to the valve plug 410 via the spring 411, and the extension direction of the spring 411 is perpendicular to the elastic diaphragm 402. The end face of the valve plug 410 is in contact with the first water inlet 405 of the first chamber 403, and when the elastic diaphragm 402 and the spring 411 are both in normal state, the end face of the valve plug 410 corresponds to the first water inlet 405 provided on the left end face of the closed valve plug cavity 401.

[0099] Preferably, in order to enhance the push-elastic force at the contact point between the spring 411 and the elastic diaphragm 402 and prevent the elastic diaphragm 402 from being deflected due to uneven force, a diaphragm bracket 409 is installed on the side of the elastic diaphragm 402 facing the first chamber 403. The center of the diaphragm bracket 409 is connected to one end of the spring 411, and the other end of the spring 411 is connected to the valve plug 410. The diaphragm bracket 409 is a baffle structure covering the side of the elastic diaphragm 402 facing the first chamber 403, and the center of the baffle structure is provided with a fixing portion 419 protruding toward the second chamber 404 side, and the center of the elastic diaphragm 402 is provided with a fixing hole. The fixing portion 419 passes through the fixing hole accordingly, and the outer periphery of the fixing portion 419 is provided with a radially protruding snap-fitting protrusion, and the snap-fitting protrusion is located on the second chamber 404 side of the elastic diaphragm 402, so that the diaphragm bracket 409 is snap-fitted and fixed on the elastic diaphragm 402. At the same time, the outer periphery of the diaphragm bracket 409 is provided with a circle of shielding arc portion 420 bent and protruding toward the first chamber 403 side. The shielding arc portion 420 is located on one side of the fold 418 to shield and protect the fold 418 to prevent the fold 418 from being impacted by water flow and unable to reset, or being clamped by foreign objects.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first water outlet 406 is provided on the peripheral side wall of the first chamber 403, and the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug 410 is in contact with the peripheral side wall of the first chamber 403. When the elastic diaphragm 402 and the spring 411 are in normal state, the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug 410 corresponds to close the first water outlet 406, so that when the valve plug 410 is in a closed position, the end surface of the valve plug 410 is used to close the first water inlet 405, and the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug 410 is used to close the first water outlet 406, so as to achieve the effect of the valve plug 410 synchronously closing the first water inlet 405 and the first water outlet 406 and doubly blocking and closing the first chamber 403, thereby greatly improving the reliability of the valve plug 410 in controlling the water path connecting the first chamber 403. Preferably, the distance between the valve plug 410 and the elastic diaphragm 402 is greater than the axial width of the outer wall of the valve plug 410, so that the valve plug 410 can produce sufficient inward contraction displacement when subjected to the impact of the water pressure of the water inlet of the first chamber 403 alone, so as to ensure that the moved valve plug 410 can open the first water outlet 406.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to ensure that the valve plug 410 will not deviate when it is displaced by the impact of the water pressure, the following settings are made: a connecting sleeve 413 protruding into the first chamber 403 is provided at the center of the diaphragm bracket 409. The plug 410 includes a sealing plate 414 corresponding to the water inlet of the end face of the first chamber 403, and a circle of annular folds 415 are arranged on the outer periphery of the sealing plate 414 to form the outer periphery of the valve plug 410. The middle part of the sealing plate 414 is provided with two circles of concentrically arranged annular convex ribs 416 on the side facing the diaphragm bracket 409. Preferably, the annular convex ribs 416 are coaxially arranged with the sealing plate 414; the connecting sleeve 413 is correspondingly inserted into the annular gap 417 between the two circles of annular convex ribs 416, and the two ends of the spring 411 are respectively inserted and installed in the connecting sleeve 413 and the annular gap 417. Thus, a plug-in connection is formed between the valve plug 410 and the diaphragm bracket 409, and the displacement of the valve plug 410 is guided by the plugged annular convex ribs 416 and the connecting sleeve 413, thereby ensuring that the valve plug 410 can only produce a contraction displacement along the axis of the first chamber 403, and effectively avoiding the occurrence of problems such as the displacement and tilt of the valve plug 410.

[0102] Preferably, the axial height of the connecting sleeve 413 is greater than the distance between the first water outlet 406 and the first water inlet 405 in the axial direction of the spring 411, and the axial height of the annular gap 417 is greater than the distance between the first water outlet 406 and the first water inlet 405 in the axial direction of the spring 411. Thereby ensuring that when the valve plug 410 is displaced into the first chamber 403, there is sufficient displacement space between the connecting sleeve 413 and the annular gap 417, which is used to ensure that the valve plug 410 after movement can be interlaced with the first water outlet 406, thereby ensuring that the first water outlet 406 is opened.

[0103] In the embodiment of the present invention, a second water inlet 407 is provided on the right end face of the second chamber 404, and a circle of annular sealing ribs 412 protruding into the second chamber 404 is provided on the right inner wall of the chamber outside the second water inlet 407, and the end of the annular sealing rib 412 is sealed and fitted with the elastic diaphragm 402. A second water outlet 408 is provided on the peripheral side wall of the second chamber 404, and the second water inlet 407 is located on the inner side of the annular sealing rib 412, and the second water outlet 408 is located on the outer side of the annular sealing rib 412. So that when the elastic diaphragm 402 is sealed and fitted with the end of the annular sealing rib 412, the second water inlet 407 and the second water outlet 408 are separated, so as to achieve the effect that water cannot flow through the second chamber 404. By setting an annular sealing rib 412 in the second chamber 404 and utilizing the annular sealing rib 412 in conjunction with the elastic diaphragm 402 to open and close the second water inlet 407, the deformation displacement of the elastic diaphragm 402 required for the opening and closing control of the second water inlet 407 is reduced, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of the opening and closing control of the second water inlet 407.

[0104] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modify the technical contents suggested above into equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water pressure-linked switch, comprising: a valve plug cavity, in which an elastic diaphragm is arranged, wherein, the elastic diaphragm is configured to divide the valve plug cavity into a first chamber and a second chamber which are independent of each other; characterized in that, when any one chamber intakes water, the elastic diaphragm is deformed to the other chamber due to a water pressure of the intaking water; and a water inlet and a water outlet of the chamber intaking water are opened, and synchronously a water inlet and / or a water outlet of the other chamber by the deformation of the elastic diaphragm are closed.

2. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, a valve plug is provided in the first chamber, the valve plug is installed on the elastic diaphragm, and the valve plug is configured to move synchronously with the deformation of the elastic diaphragm to correspondingly open or close the water inlet and / or outlet of the chamber.

3. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 2, characterized in that, the valve plug is installed on a valve plate via a spring, the spring is in a compressed state, and the compressed spring is configured to push the valve plug to close the water inlet and / or water outlet of the chamber correspondingly; preferably, an extension direction of the spring is arranged in the same direction as a direction in which the valve plate is deformed by the water pressure of the intaking water.

4. The water pressure-linked switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one side of the elastic diaphragm is in contact with a second water inlet of the second chamber, and the elastic diaphragm is configured to seal the second water inlet correspondingly under a normal state.

5. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, an other side of the elastic diaphragm is connected to the valve plug via the spring, and the extension direction of the spring is perpendicular to the elastic diaphragm; a first water inlet is provided on an end surface of the first chamber away from the elastic diaphragm, and an end surface of the valve plug is in contact with the first water inlet of the first chamber; the compressed spring is configured to apply a closing force to the valve plug to close the first water inlet and apply a closing force to the elastic diaphragm to close the second water inlet; preferably, a diaphragm bracket is installed on a side of the elastic diaphragm facing the first chamber, a center of the diaphragm bracket is connected to one end of the spring, and another end of the spring is connected to the valve plug.

6. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 5, characterized in that, a first water outlet is provided on a peripheral side wall of the first chamber, and an outer peripheral surface of the valve plug is in contact with the peripheral side wall of the first chamber; when the valve plug is pushed by the spring to close the first water inlet, the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug closes the first water outlet; preferably, a distance between the valve plug and the elastic diaphragm is greater than an axial width of the outer peripheral wall of the valve plug.

7. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 5, characterized in that, a connecting sleeve protruding into the first chamber is provided at the center of the diaphragm bracket; the valve plug includes a sealing plate closes the water inlet at an end surface of the first chamber, and an outer periphery of the sealing plate is provided with a circle of annular folds to form the outer peripheral surface of the valve plug; a middle part of the sealing plate is provided with two circles of concentrically arranged annular convex ribs on a side facing the diaphragm bracket; the connecting sleeve is correspondingly inserted into an annular gap between the two annular convex ribs, and the two ends of the spring are respectively installed in the connecting sleeve and the annular gap in an inserted manner; preferably, an axial height of the connecting sleeve is greater than a distance between the first water outlet and the first water inlet in an axial direction of the spring, and an axial height of the annular gap is greater than the distance between the first water outlet and the first water inlet in the axial direction of the spring.

8. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, a second water inlet is provided on an end surface of the second chamber away from the elastic diaphragm, and a circle of annular sealing rib protruding into the second chamber is provided on an inner wall of the chamber at outer periphery of the second water inlet, and the end of the annular sealing rib is sealed and fitted with the elastic diaphragm; a second water outlet is provided on a peripheral side wall of the second chamber, and the second water inlet is located on an inner peripheral side of the annular sealing rib, and the second water outlet is located on an outer peripheral side of the annular sealing rib.

9. The water pressure-linked switch according to claim 4, characterized in that, the elastic diaphragm is vertically arranged and configured to cover a cross-section of the valve plug cavity; an outer periphery of the elastic diaphragm is sealingly connected to an inner wall of the valve plug cavity, and the outer periphery of the elastic diaphragm is provided with at least one circle of folds constituting a deformation margin.

10. An automatic dispensing device, comprising: two water supply pipelines (2), being configured to respectively transport the intaking water to water outlets of the water supply pipelines (2); a transfer part (10), being arranged at middle intersection of the two water supply pipelines (2) and used for allowing the additives to be dispensed to flow in; characterized in that, a linkage switch (1) is provided on each of the two water supply pipelines (2) for synchronously closing the water outlet of an other water supply pipeline (2) when water flows into one of the water supply pipelines (2), so that the additive to be dispensed in the transfer part (10) flows out only from the water outlet of the water supply pipeline (2) that intakes water.

11. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 10, characterized in that, when water flows through one of the water supply pipeline (2), the water pressure generated by the flowing water acts on the linkage switch provided on the selected water supply pipeline (2), and the linkage switch acts on the other water supply pipeline (2) to disconnect a part of the other water supply pipeline (2) located downstream of the transfer part (10).

12. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, the linkage switch (1) comprises an active flow channel (101) and a passive flow channel (102); the active flow channel (101) is provided with an active component for generating a trigger instruction by the water flowing through the active flow channel (101); and the passive flow channel (102) is provided with a passive component for disconnecting the passive flow channel (102) by utilizing the trigger instruction; preferably, the trigger instruction is a trigger signal or a trigger action.

13. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 12, characterized in that, the active flow channel (101) of the linkage switch (1) is connected in series to a water inlet pipe section (201) of the selected water supply pipeline (2) located upstream of the transfer part (10), and the passive flow channel (102) is connected in series to a water outlet pipe section (202) of the other water supply pipeline (2) located downstream of the transfer part (10).

14. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 13, characterized in that, a one-way valve (8) is provided on the water inlet pipe section (201) of the water supply pipeline (2) to allow water flow to the transfer part (10); the one-way valve (8) is located between the active flow channel (101) provided on the water inlet pipe section and the transfer part (10); and / or, the one-way valve (8) is provided on the water outlet pipe section (202) of the water supply pipe (2) to allow water flow to the water outlet of the water supply pipe (2), and the one-way valve (8) is located between the passive flow channel (102) and the transfer part (10) provided on the water outlet pipe section (202).

15. The automatic dispensing device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising a liquid storage box (3) for containing additives; characterized in that the liquid storage box (3) is connected to the transfer part (10) via a pump (13), and the additives in the liquid storage box (3) is extracted into the transfer part (10) by the pump (13).

16. The automatic dispensing device according to claim 15, comprising a plurality of the liquid storage boxes (3); characterized in that, outlets of the respective liquid storage boxes (3) are connected to the transfer part (10) via pumps (13) respectively, and when the pumps (13) are in an operation state, the additives stored in the corresponding liquid storage boxes (3) are pumped into the transfer part (10); preferably, the pump (13) is integrated with an on-off valve assembly; when the pump (13) is in a non-operating state, an outlet of the liquid storage box (3) is disconnected from the transfer part (10), and the additive stored in the liquid storage box (3) is configured not to flow into the transfer part (10); preferably, the pump (13) is integrated with a metering component for metering an amount of additives flowing through the pump (13) and pumped from the liquid storage box (3) to the transfer part (10); preferably, the pump (13) is integrated with a one-way valve assembly, which is configured to limit the fluid flowing through the pump (13) to flow in only one direction, from the liquid storage box (3) to the transfer part (10).

17. The automatic dispensing device according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that, water outlet ends of the water supply pipelines (2) are respectively connected to different water outlets; preferably, the water supply pipeline (2) is provided with the one-way valve (8) to allow the water in the pipeline to flow in one direction from an inlet end to the outlet end; preferably, a water inlet valve (16) is provided at the inlet end of the water supply pipeline (2) for controlling the on-off of water flow into the pipeline.

18. The automatic dispensing device according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that, the transfer part (10) is a single section or multiple intersecting sections of pipeline; preferably, the transfer portion (10) is a labyrinth loop that is arranged in a spiral manner and extends an axial length of the pipeline; further preferably, two ends of the labyrinth loop are respectively an inlet and an outlet, the inlet is connected to the outlet of the water inlet pipe section (201) of each the water supply pipeline (2), and the outlet is connected to an inlet of the water outlet pipe section (202) of each the water supply pipeline (2), and each the liquid storage box (3) is connected to the inlet of the labyrinth loop or a part close to the inlet via a pump (13), so that the additives extracted from the liquid storage box (3) is placed into the labyrinth loop.

19. The automatic dispensing device according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that, the transfer part (10) is a chamber with an accommodation space, and the outlet of the water inlet pipe section (201) and the inlet of the water outlet pipe section (202) of each the water supply pipeline (2) are both connected to the chamber; each the liquid storage box (3) is connected to the chamber constituting the transfer portion (10) via the pump (13), and the additives extracted from the liquid storage box (3) is dispensed into the chamber.

20. The automatic dispensing device according to any one of claims 10 to 19, characterized in that, the linkage switch (1) is the water pressure-linked switch described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

21. A multi-drum washing machine, comprising at least two water drums (5); characterized in that, the washing machine is provided with the automatic dispensing device as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 20, the two water drums (5) are respectively connected to two water outlets of the automatic dispensing device in a one-to-one correspondence, and when water enters one of the water supply pipeline (2), the additives in the transfer part (10) is transported along with the water to the connected water drum (5).

22. The multi-drum washing machine according to claim 21, characterized in that, the water inlet ends of the water supply pipelines (2) of the automatic dispensing device are respectively connected to a water inlet structure of the washing machine, and washing water supplied by the water inlet structure of the washing machine serves as a water supply source for the water inlet ends of the water supply pipelines (2); the washing water is configured to flow into a first the water supply pipelines (2), and only flows from the water outlet of the first water supply pipe (2) to the corresponding water drum (5), so that the additives pumped into the transfer part (10) are dispensed into the corresponding water drum (5) together with the inlet water flow; preferably, the water inlet end of each the water supply pipeline (2) is connected to the water inlet structure of the washing machine via a water inlet valve (16) in an on-off manner.

23. A control method for the multi-drum washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 22, comprising, when the additives are added to any water drum (5), feeding water into the corresponding water supply pipeline (2) connected to the selected water drum (5) through the water inlet structure of the washing machine, the inlet water flow acting on the linkage switch (1) provided on the selected water supply pipeline (2), and disconnecting the water outlet of another water supply pipeline (2) by the linkage switch (1); the inlet water flowing into the transfer part (10), and the additive at the transfer part (10) flowing out along the selected water supply pipeline (2) and being dispensed to the selected water drum (5).

24. The control method of the multi-drum washing machine according to claim 23, characterized in that, following steps are included: pumping the additives in the selected liquid storage box (3) to the transfer part (10); intaking water into the corresponding water supply pipeline (2) connected to the selected water drum (5), when the inlet water flows to the water inlet pipe section (201) of the selected water supply pipeline (2), disconnecting the water outlet pipe section (202) of another water supply pipeline (2) by using a linkage switch (1) provided on the water inlet pipe section (201); the inlet water flowing along the inlet pipe section (201) into the transfer part (10), and the additives in the transfer part (10) being flushed into the outlet pipe section (202) of the selected water supply pipeline (2) along with the water flow; the water flowing into the selected water drum (5) along the opened water outlet pipe section (202) of the selected water supply pipe (2) to dispense additives; preferably, the step of pumping the additives in the selected liquid storage box (3) to the transfer part (10) is performed before or simultaneously with the step of supplying water to the corresponding water supply pipeline (2) connected to the selected water drum (5).

25. The control method of the multi-drum washing machine according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that, when water enters a first water supply pipeline (21), a first linkage switch (110) connects a first water inlet pipe section (211) and disconnects a second water outlet pipe section (222), and the water enters the transfer part (10) through the first water inlet pipe section (211), and the additives in the transfer part (10) flows out along a first water outlet pipe section (212) and flows into the first water drum (51) for dispensing; when water flows into a second water supply pipeline (22), a second linkage switch (120) connects a second water inlet pipe section (221) and disconnects the first water outlet pipe section (212), and the water enters the transfer part (10) through the second water inlet pipe section (221), and the additives in the transfer part (10) flows out along the second water outlet pipe section (222) and flows into the second water drum (52) for dispensing; preferably, when water flows into the first water supply pipeline (21), the second linkage switch (120) simultaneously disconnects the second water inlet pipe section (221) and connects the first water outlet pipe section (212); when water flows into the second water supply pipeline (22), the first linkage switch (110) simultaneously disconnects the first water inlet pipe section (211) and connects the second water outlet pipe section (222).

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