Locking mechanism for inner tub and washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10612178-B2
Application number	US-201615754401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A locking mechanism of an inner tub comprises a locking rod and a driving unit for moving the locking rod in an axial direction. A lower end of the locking rod is connected with a link of a crank-link structure, and an idle stroke is arranged between the link and a crank and/or between the link and the locking rod. A locking hole is formed in the bottom of the inner tub. When the locking rod sticks out but not into the locking hole, the locking rod sticks to the bottom of the inner tub, the driving motor drives the crank or the link to move in the idle stroke. When the driving motor drives to move over the highest point, the driving motor further drives the locking rod to move downwards to reset and to re-enter the next working circle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A locking mechanism for an inner tub, comprising:
a locking rod configured to reciprocate along an axial direction;
a slideway for a movement of the locking rod;
a driving unit for driving the locking rod to move;
a crank-link structure, a lower end of the locking rod is connected with a link of the crank-link structure; and
an idle stroke is arranged between the link and a crank and/or between the link and the locking rod; wherein the link includes:
a connecting arm, hinge holes are separately formed in two ends of the connecting arm, the hinge hole of one end of the connecting arm is hinged to an end part of the locking rod, the hinge hole of another end of the connecting arm is hinged to the crank, and one or both of the hinge holes are elliptical holes; or
the link includes the connecting arm, a first spring and a slider,
a first end of the first spring is fixed to the connecting arm, a second end of the first spring is fixed to the slider, the slider is in a sliding connection with the connecting arm,
a first end, fixed to the first spring, of the connecting arm is hinged to the locking rod, and a second end, where the slider is arranged, of the connecting arm is hinged to the crank through the slider;
a fixing shell;
a fixing seat, the fixing shell is mounted on the fixing seat, the locking rod and the slideway are arranged in the fixing shell, and a sealing structure is arranged between the fixing shell and the locking rod;
the sealing structure is a sealing sleeve which can stretch and retract along with stretching and retracting of the locking rod, a first end of the sealing sleeve is in sealed connection with the fixing shell, a second end of the sealing sleeve is in sealed connection with the locking rod, a third end extending from the second end of the sealing sleeve along an axial direction is in sealed connection with a lower end of the fixing shell.

2. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein the idle stroke is a movement space provided along a length direction of the link, the crank and/or a connecting end of the locking rod moves in the movement space, and a locking state does not change.

3. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein a groove/an opening is formed in a middle of the connecting arm,
the first spring and the slider are connected in series and arranged in the groove/opening along a length direction of the connecting arm,
the slider is in a sliding connection with the groove/opening,
the first end of the first spring is fixed to an end part of the groove/opening, and the second end of the first spring is fixed to the slider.

4. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 3 , wherein mounting columns are separately arranged at the end part of the groove/opening and an end face, over against the end part of the groove/opening, of the slider, and two ends of the first spring separately sleeve on the mounting column.

5. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 3 , wherein the end faces of the mounting columns which are over against each other are slant faces or stepped end faces.

6. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein a boss is arranged at an upper part of the locking rod, a second spring is arranged below the boss, one end of the second spring is in contact with a lower surface of the boss, another end of the second spring is fixed, and the second spring is compressed when the locking rod moves downwards.

7. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein the slideway is arranged at a center of the fixing seat, the locking rod penetrates through the slideway.

8. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 7 , wherein the other end of the second spring is fixed with the fixing seat.

9. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein the crank is connected with a rotating motor, the rotating motor is arranged in a shell, a mounting part is arranged on the shell and is fixed below the fixing seat, or the mounting part and the fixing seat are formed integrally.

10. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 9 , wherein the crank is an eccentric wheel, an eccentric shaft of the eccentric wheel is hinged to the link, and a center of the eccentric wheel is connected with the rotating motor.

11. A washing machine with the locking mechanism according to claim 1 , comprising the locking mechanism arranged on an outer tub of the washing machine, and a locking hole formed in the inner tub,
wherein, the inner tub is locked when the locking rod sticks into the locking hole,
the inner tub is unlocked when the locking rod leaves the locking hole, and
a sealing structure is arranged between the locking mechanism and the outer tub.

12. The locking mechanism for the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing structure is a retractable sealing sleeve.

13. The washing machine with the locking mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a mounting hole of the locking mechanism is formed in an outer tub, the fixing seat of the locking mechanism is mounted at the bottom of the outer tub, the fixing shell of the locking mechanism is mounted in the mounting hole, and a sealing structure is arranged between the fixing shell and the mounting hole.

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Washing Mach Co

Inventors

• Lv Peishi
• Yang Lin
• Xu Jie
• Fang Dafeng
• Wang Lingchen

Classifications

• D06F37/12 Primary

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/26

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• D06F37/302 Primary

  Automatic drum positioning · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/267

  Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence) · CPC title