Dual-channel power plant and washing machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a dual waterline power plant and washing machine. [Solution] The power unit comprises a water channel connector (1), a filter (4) and two pumping devices (5). A water supply chamber (2) and two drain chambers (3) are installed in the water channel connector (1). The two drain chambers (3) are connected in parallel and in series to the water supply chamber (2). A filter (4) is installed in the water channel connector (1) and is located at the drain end of the water supply chamber (2). Two pumping devices (5) are installed in the two drain chambers (3) respectively. By optimizing the design of the cavity in the water channel connector (1), the two pumping devices (5) pump water through each drain chamber, thereby realizing more rational positioning. By filtering the water flow with only one filter (4), the installation space is reduced, thereby solving the problem of installing a washing machine in a limited space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority from Chinese Invention Patent Application No. "202310116707.8" filed on February 15, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of laundry machines, and more particularly to dual-flume power plants and laundry machines. [Background technology]

[0002] As an essential household appliance, a washing machine has internal water channels including an upper water supply system and a lower drainage channel. As requirements for environmental protection and economy increase, the market places higher requirements on washing machines in terms of functionality, environmental protection, and energy saving. However, as a compact household appliance, a washing machine urgently needs to find a device that can power more water channels within a limited space. In addition, other corresponding washing machines also have similar problems.

[0003] In the prior art, taking a washing machine as an example, there are generally two solutions to solve the problem of water supply and drainage in a washing machine. The first solution is to install two independent power pumps, which can be installed on either side of the washing machine or side by side, which increases costs and makes the failure rate more likely. Furthermore, this solution itself occupies a relatively large installation space, which compresses the space in the washing tub and reduces the washing capacity of a washing machine of the same size. The second solution is to use multiple pump heads in one cavity, which makes it difficult to optimize the orientation of the pump heads because the cavity is shared. As a result, the pump heads still occupy a relatively large space and are prone to water leakage from the water channels during actual operation. In order to ensure the independence of the water channels, the pump heads must be operated with a relatively low power.

[0004] Accordingly, in order to solve the above problems, the field needs to provide a power device for water supply and drainage. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above technical problem, that is, the problem of the waterline power unit occupying space in the limited installation space of the washing machine in the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To this end, the present invention provides a dual waterway power plant, the power plant comprising: A water supply chamber and two drainage chambers are installed, the two drainage chambers are connected in parallel, and a water channel connector is connected in series to the water supply chamber; a filter installed in the water channel connector and located at the drain end of the water supply chamber; and two pumping devices respectively installed in the two drainage chambers.

[0007] In a specific embodiment having the above-mentioned power unit, a drainage communication chamber is further installed in the water channel connector, the water supply chamber is connected to the drainage communication chamber, one of the drainage chambers is connected to one end of the drainage communication chamber, and the other of the drainage chambers is connected to the other end of the drainage communication chamber, and the two pumping devices are located on one side of the drainage communication chamber.

[0008] In a specific embodiment having the above-mentioned power unit, the drain end of the water supply chamber is connected to one end of the drain communication chamber, and the filter is installed at the connection point between the water supply chamber and the drain communication chamber.

[0009] In a specific embodiment having the above-described power unit, the height of the bottom surface of the drain communication chamber gradually decreases along a direction approaching the filter.

[0010] In a particular embodiment having a power unit as described above, the filter is removably connected to the waterway connector.

[0011] In a specific embodiment having the above-mentioned power unit, the filter includes a filter body and a fixing member, a mounting hole is provided on the waterway connector, the filter body is inserted into the mounting hole, and the fixing member is connected to the waterway connector and abuts against the filter body, thereby fixing the filter body to the drain end of the water supply chamber.

[0012] In a specific embodiment having the above-mentioned power device, the filter further includes a sealing member, and the sealing member is installed between the fixing member and the waterway connector to maintain a seal between the fixing member and the mounting hole.

[0013] In a specific embodiment having the power unit described above, a fixed end is provided on the waterway connector, thereby making the waterway connector fixedly connected to the connection target member.

[0014] In a specific embodiment having the above-mentioned power unit, the pumping device includes a pump head and a blade, the pump head is connected to the waterway connector, and the blade is installed at the output end of the pump head and located within the discharge chamber.

[0015] A washing machine comprising a return channel and a drain channel, further comprising a dual channel power unit as described in the above solution, wherein the return channel and the drain channel communicate with two of the drain chambers respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] When using the above technical solution, the present invention optimizes the cavity in the water channel connector and divides it into a water supply chamber and two drainage chambers, and installs two pumping devices in the two drainage chambers respectively, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that two pumping devices share one drainage chamber, making it impossible to optimize the installation position of the pumping device, and ultimately occupying space. By using two independent drainage chambers, the installation position of the two pumping devices can be reasonably optimized as needed, and the volume of the two pumping devices can be minimized, and one filter can be used to supply water. By attaching it to the drain end of the water chamber, the water after washing is first filtered, and regardless of which drain chamber it flows through, none of the water will carry impurities such as lint or debris. However, the two drain chambers can be selectively used as a drain outlet and a return outlet. Having two separate drain chambers optimizes the installation position of the pumping device, compresses space, and improves the space utilization rate of the washing machine. At the same time, it avoids the problem of water leakage from the waterway when one of the pumping devices is operating due to the pumping devices sharing one cavity, and also improves the water quality of the drain chamber for return water.

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the axial structure of the power plant according to the present invention, showing the installation positions of the filter and two pumping devices. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the power plant according to the present invention, showing the layout of the internal cavity of the waterway connector. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the filter according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in combination with a washing machine with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely intended to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios. For example, although the present invention is described in combination with a washing machine in the specification, this is not limiting, and those skilled in the art may apply the present invention to other washing devices as needed, as long as the washing device has the ability to drain and return water or to optimize installation space.

[0020] It should be explained that in describing the present invention, terms indicating directions or positional relationships, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," are directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are for ease of explanation only, and do not indicate or imply that the associated devices or elements necessarily have a particular orientation or must be configured and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, ordinal terms such as "first," "second," etc. are for explanatory purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0021] Furthermore, it should be further explained that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the terms "attach" and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection via an intermediate element. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to specific circumstances.

[0022] Furthermore, in order to more clearly present the core technical solution of the present invention, the following description will omit descriptions of known structures of washing machines, but such omissions are for ease of explanation only and do not mean that washing machines may be free of these structures.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the present invention provides a dual waterway power plant, which comprises: A water channel connector 1 in which a water supply chamber 2 and two drainage chambers 3 are installed, the two drainage chambers 3 are connected in parallel, and the water channel connector 1 is connected in series to the water supply chamber 2; A filter 4 is installed in the water channel connector 1 and located at the drain end of the water supply chamber 2; and two pumping devices 5 installed in the two drainage chambers 3, respectively.

[0024] In order to solve the problem of the installation space of the waterway power unit of the washing machine in the prior art, the present invention compresses the installation space of the power unit by optimizing and upgrading the waterway connector 1. The technical concept of the present invention is to re-partition and optimize the cavity space inside the waterway connector 1, thereby optimizing the installation position and installation direction of the pumping device 5 connected to the waterway connector 1, thereby maximizing the space occupied by installing the pumping device 5 and the waterway connector 1 inside the washing machine. Also, by installing the filter 4 on the waterway connector 1 at the drain end of the water supply chamber 2, only the single filter 4 can filter the water in the water supply chamber 2 and remove impurities. It should be noted that in the present invention, the installation space and position of the pumping device 5 are installation options made to optimize the internal cavity of the water channel connector 1, and those skilled in the art may select specific installation position optimization options according to actual installation needs. Therefore, any optimization of the installation space of the pumping device 5 by correspondingly optimizing the internal space of the water channel connector 1 should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] According to the above technical concept, one embodiment will be described in detail below. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, Figure 1 shows the overall structure after the installation of the pumping device 5, the waterway connector 1 and the filter 4, and Figure 3 shows the structure after the interior of the waterway connector 1 is cut away. Specifically, in Figure 1, two pumping devices 5 are installed in parallel on one side of the waterway connector 1, and the filter 4 is inserted inside the waterway connector member. By using this type of connection, the pumping devices 5 are installed in parallel on one side to fully utilize the space on one side of the waterway connector 1, and by installing the filter 4 inside the waterway connector 1, the installation space is further compressed. Figure 2 shows the internal cavity of the waterway connector 1, and the layout form of the water supply chamber 2 and the drainage chamber 3 can be adjusted according to installation needs. Preferably, the water supply chamber 2 and the drain chamber 3 may have multiple communication forms, with two pumping devices 5 each using one cavity to pump water, and the two drain chambers 3 being spaced apart and spaced a predetermined distance apart, with the emphasis being on minimizing the impact of one cavity when it is operating, thereby avoiding the problem of water leakage from the water channel, and a filter 4 being attached to the drain end of the water supply chamber 2, thereby filtering the water and improving the water quality, thereby improving the water quality of both drain chambers 3, and if one of the drain chambers 3 is a drain channel, it can prevent the piping from being clogged with threads and debris, and if the water is returned to the washing area of ​​the washing machine, the quality of the returned water can be improved, thereby achieving the purpose of water saving.

[0026] Based on the above embodiment, referring to FIG. 2, the water supply chamber 2 and two drainage chambers 3 are connected by a drainage communication chamber 6, and the drainage communication chamber 6 and the water supply chamber 2 are separated by a partition plate in the water channel connector 1 to form two parallel cavities, and the two drainage chambers 3 are installed on one side of the drainage communication chamber 6 with a gap between them, and two pumping devices 5 are located on one side of the drainage communication chamber 6, and the two pumping devices 5 installed in parallel maximize the usable space and increase the drainage communication chamber 6, and the two drainage chambers 3 maintain a predetermined gap between them to further reduce interference between different water channels. In order to reduce the load and avoid the problem of water leakage from the waterway, the two pumping devices 5 can be installed opposite each other with their opposing parts occupying space, and the space between the two pumping devices 5 can also be utilized. It should be noted that the two drainage chambers 3 only need to be connected to the drainage communication chamber 6 while maintaining a gap between them, and the location of the drainage communication chamber 6 can be set according to installation needs, preferably near both ends of the drainage communication chamber 6, but as long as there is a gap, the location of the drainage chamber 3 does not necessarily have to be at both ends of the drainage communication chamber 6.

[0027] Based on the above embodiment, referring to Figure 2, preferably, the water supply chamber 2 is connected to one end of the drainage communication chamber 6, and the filter 4 is installed at the communication position between the water supply chamber 2 and the drainage communication chamber 6, but two drainage chambers 3 are arranged at an interval on one side of the drainage communication chamber 6, so that the drainage chamber 3 on the side away from the filter 4 has a longer settling space, the water quality of the drainage chamber 3 on the side away from the filter 4 is higher, and when the drainage chamber 3 on the side close to the filter 4 drains, as much of the dirty part as possible is discharged.

[0028] Based on the above embodiment, and still referring to FIG. 2, two drain chambers 3 are sequentially connected to the drain communication chamber 6 in the direction along the water flow, and preferably the drain chamber 3 on the side farther from the filter 4 is used as a return water outlet, and the drain chamber 3 on the side closer to the filter 4 is used as a drain outlet. Taking a washing machine as an example, when spray water is used in the washing or rinsing process, the water discharged from the drain chamber 3 on the side farther from the filter 4 can be used for rinsing, thereby realizing the purpose of water saving. In order to further improve the water quality, it is preferable to form the bottom of the drain communication chamber 6 at an angle. In other words, the height of the bottom surface is gradually lowered in the direction approaching the filter 4, so that the drain chamber 3 side that returns water to the washing machine is higher than the drain chamber 3 side for draining water, and when the water flows inside, the impurities in the water are deposited as much as possible on the relatively low side of the drain communication chamber 6 for draining water due to the action of the slope, thereby improving the water quality on the drain chamber 3 side that returns water to the washing machine, and at the same time, bringing the impurities closer to the drain chamber 3 side for draining water helps to discharge all the impurities, and also helps to discharge all the water in the water channel when finally draining water, thereby providing a higher discharge function.

[0029] Based on the above embodiment, the filter 4 is detachably connected to the water channel connector 1, which makes it easy for the user to replace it periodically. The filter 4 needs to be fixed to the water channel connector. Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, the filter 4 is in the form of a combination of a fixing member 8 and a filter body 7. The water channel connector 1 has a mounting hole for receiving the filter body 7. The fixing member 8 is attached to the water channel connector 1 and abuts against the filter body, thereby fixing the filter body in the water channel connector 1. The filter body is located at the outlet end of the water supply chamber 2, and the water from the water supply chamber 2 is The filter 4 can be filtered to remove impurities, and the fixing member 8 is detachably connected to the water channel connector 1. Specifically, the filter body and the fixing member 8 of the filter 4 can both be made of plastic materials, which has a longer service life. The fixing member 8 is in the form of a screw cap, and a center plate is installed in the center of the screw cap to improve operability. The screw cap and the water channel connector 1 are connected in the form of a screw thread to enable removal, and the screw cap and the filter body are positioned by a snap-in connection, which allows for easy and quick removal and attachment.

[0030] Based on the above embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, it is necessary to install a seal between the filter 4 and the water channel connector 1. In this embodiment, the sealing member 9 uses a rubber ring to seal, and the fixing member 8 presses the rubber ring against the inner wall of the mounting hole to achieve the seal. The sealing member 9 may have other structural forms to achieve the sealing effect depending on the mounting dimensions and needs.

[0031] Based on the above embodiment, referring to FIG. 2, the installation position and layout of the pumping device 5 can greatly solve the problem of installation space. In this embodiment, the pumping device 5 adopts a form combining a pump head 11 and a blade 12. The pump head 11 is attached to the water channel connector 1 with bolts, and the blade 12 is attached to the rotating output end of the pump head 11 and is located in the two drain chambers 3, which respectively move the water flow in each chamber and prevent water leakage from the water channel.

[0032] Based on the above embodiment, the waterway connector 1 may adopt a separate structure during manufacture, or may be a left-right structure or an up-down structure, and may be constructed by a welding process. In addition, a fixed end 10 is installed on the waterway connector 1. In this embodiment, the fixed end 10 is a flange-shaped end connected by a bolt, which makes it easy to install the waterway connector 1 inside the washing machine.

[0033] In this embodiment, a washing machine is further provided, and in this embodiment, a washing machine is taken as an example. However, it should be noted that using a washing machine as an example is for the purpose of illustrating the structure and effects of the present invention and does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. The washing machine has a return water channel and a drain water channel, and is connected to the double water channel type power unit in the above solution, and the two water channels are respectively connected to the two drain chambers 3. In the above embodiment, the return water channel is preferably connected to the return water chamber with relatively high water quality. The double water channel type power unit in the present invention can reduce the installation space and provide more space for the washing machine. It is also applicable to all conventional washing machines, does not require changing the drainage means of the conventional washing machine, and allows users to easily clean the integrated filter 4. It has fewer valves and piping, a simple structure with high reliability and low risk of damage.

[0034] Although the technical solutions of the present invention have been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make equivalent modifications or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and all such modified or substituted technical solutions fall within the protection scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Waterway Connector 2 Water supply room 3 Drain room 4 Filter 5. Pressure feeding device 6 Drainage communication room 7 Filter body 8 Fixing member 9 Sealing material 10 Fixed end 11 Pump head 12 blades

Claims

1. A dual waterway power plant, a water channel connector in which a water supply chamber and two drainage chambers are installed, the two drainage chambers are connected in parallel, and the water channel connector is connected in series to the water supply chamber; a filter installed in the water channel connector and located at the drain end of the water supply chamber; and two pumping devices installed in the two discharge chambers, respectively.

2. A double water channel type power unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that a drainage communication chamber is further installed in the water channel connector, the water supply chamber is connected to the drainage communication chamber, one of the drainage chambers is connected to one end of the drainage communication chamber, and the other of the drainage chambers is connected to the other end of the drainage communication chamber, and the two pumping devices are located on one side of the drainage communication chamber.

3. A double water channel type power unit as described in claim 2, characterized in that the drain end of the water supply chamber is connected to one end of the drain communication chamber, and the filter is installed at the connection point between the water supply chamber and the drain communication chamber.

4. 4. The double water channel type power plant according to claim 3, wherein the height of the bottom surface of the drain communication chamber gradually decreases in a direction approaching the filter.

5. 5. The dual water channel power plant according to claim 1, wherein the filter is removably connected to the water channel connector.

6. The double water channel type power unit described in claim 5, characterized in that the filter includes a filter body and a fixing member, an attachment hole is provided in the water channel connector, the filter body is inserted into the attachment hole, the fixing member is connected to the water channel connector and abuts against the filter body, thereby fixing the filter body to the discharge end of the water supply chamber.

7. 7. The double water channel type power unit according to claim 6, wherein the filter further comprises a sealing member, and the sealing member is installed between the fixing member and the water channel connector to maintain a seal between the fixing member and the mounting hole.

8. A double waterway type power plant as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a fixed end is provided on the waterway connector, thereby fixedly connecting the waterway connector to the connection target member.

9. The double water channel power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pumping device includes a pump head and a blade, the pump head is connected to the water channel connector, and the blade is installed at the output end of the pump head and located in the discharge chamber.

10. A washing device having a return water channel and a drain water channel, A laundry machine further comprising the dual water channel type power unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the return water channel and the drain water channel are each in communication with two of the drain chambers.

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