Drum washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11286607-B2
Application number	US-201816969984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A drum washing machine includes a tub; a drum rotatably provided in the tub; an agitator rotatably provided in the drum; a driver in transmission connection with the drum via a main shaft, and the main shaft transmitting a torque of the driver to the drum; a planetary gear assembly in transmission connection with the main shaft and the agitator separately, and transmitting the torque of the main shaft to the agitator; and a brake linked with the planetary gear assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drum washing machine, comprising:
a tub;
a drum rotatably provided in the tub;
an agitator rotatably provided in the drum;
a driver in transmission connection with the drum via a main shaft, and the main shaft transmitting a torque of the driver to the drum;
a planetary gear assembly in transmission connection with the main shaft and the agitator separately and switchable between a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state, the planetary gear assembly transmits a torque of the main shaft to the agitator, to rotate the agitator and the drum in a same direction, and in the second state, the planetary gear assembly transmits the torque of the main shaft to the agitator in an opposite direction, to rotate the agitator and the drum in opposite directions; and
a brake, comprising:
a brake disk linked with the planetary gear assembly, wherein when the brake disk is allowed to rotate freely, the planetary gear assembly is in the first state, and when the brake disk is braked, the planetary gear assembly is in the second state;
a brake seat provided with a slideway;
a brake pawl provided to the brake seat and switchable between a tightening state and a releasing state, wherein in the tightening state, the brake pawl holds the brake disk tightly to brake the brake disk, and in the releasing state, the brake pawl releases the brake disk to allow the brake disk to rotate freely;
a brake lever slidably fitted with the slideway between an extending position and a retracting position and linked with the brake pawl, wherein the brake pawl is switched to the tightening state when the brake lever is located at the extending position, and the brake pawl is switched to the releasing state when the brake lever is located at the retracting position;
a brake driver mounted to the brake seat, in transmission connection with the brake lever, and driving the brake lever to move between the extending position and the retracting position; and
a brake cam, wherein the brake driver is configured as an electric motor and in transmission connection with the brake lever via the brake cam, the brake cam converting a rotational motion of an electric motor shaft of the electric motor into a linear motion of the brake lever in the slideway.

2. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein when the agitator and the drum are rotated in opposite directions, a rotation speed of the agitator is less than a rotation speed of the drum.

3. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein when the agitator and the drum are rotated in the same direction, a rotation speed of the agitator is equal to a rotation speed of the drum.

4. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the planetary gear assembly comprises a planetary gear component, and the planetary gear component comprises:
a planet carrier;
a plurality of planetary gears rotatably mounted on the planet carrier separately and mesh with the main shaft separately;
a planetary gear outer teeth casing fitted over the plurality of planetary gears, meshing with the plurality of planetary gears, and in transmission connection with the agitator,
wherein the brake disk is linked with the planet carrier, when the planet carrier is allowed to rotate freely, the planetary gear assembly is in the first state, and when the planet carrier is braked, the planetary gear assembly is in the second state.

5. The drum washing machine according to claim 4 , further comprising a second shaft meshing with the planet carrier, wherein the brake is provided to the second shaft and linked with the planet carrier through the second shaft.

6. The drum washing machine according to claim 5 , wherein the main shaft has cavity extending therethrough in an axial direction thereof, and the second shaft penetrates through the cavity.

7. The drum washing machine according to claim 5 , further comprising a detector configured to detect power of the driver, wherein when the power of the driver reaches a predetermined value, the brake controls the planet carrier to be allowed to rotate freely through the second shaft.

8. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein an outer peripheral surface of the brake disk is provided with gear teeth, and an inner side surface of the brake pawl is provided with pawl teeth, when the brake pawl is in the tightening state, pawl teeth mesh with gear teeth, and when the brake pawl is in the releasing state, pawl teeth are disengaged from the gear teeth.

9. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the brake pawl comprises:
a first pawl portion having a first end pivotally mounted to the brake seat;
a second pawl portion having a first end pivotally mounted to the brake seat, the brake disk being located between the first pawl portion and the second pawl portion,
when the brake pawl is in the tightening state, a second end of the first pawl portion and a second end of the second pawl portion are adjacent to each other, and when the brake pawl is in the releasing state, the second end of the first pawl portion and the second end of the second pawl portion are away from each other.

10. The drum washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein at least a part of the first pawl portion is configured to be in a shape of an arc matching a shape of the brake disk, and at least a part of the second pawl portion is configured to be in a shape of an arc matching a shape of the brake disk.

11. The drum washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the brake seat is provided with a first rotation column and a second rotation column in the brake seat, the first pawl portion is provided with a first pivot hole pivotally fitted over the first rotation column, the second pawl portion is provided with a second pivot hole pivotally fitted over the second rotation column.

12. The drum washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the brake lever is provided with a first drive chute and a second drive chute obliquely respect to a sliding direction of the brake lever separately, the second end of the first pawl portion is provided with a first drive column slidably fitted with the first drive chute, and the second end of the second pawl portion is provided with a second drive column slidably fitted with the second drive chute, wherein an end of the first drive chute away from the brake disk and an end of the second drive chute away from the brake disk are adjacent to each other, and an end of the first drive chute adjacent to the brake disk and an end of the second drive chute adjacent to the brake disk are away from each other, and wherein the brake lever is provided with a first limiting groove and a second limiting groove separately parallel to a sliding direction of the braking lever respectively, the first limiting groove is in communication with the first drive chute and extends from the first drive chute in a direction away from the brake disk, the second limiting groove is in communication with the second drive chute and extends from the second drive chute in a direction away from the brake disk, the first drive column slides into the first limiting groove and the second drive column slides into the second limiting groove when the brake pawl is in the tightening state.

13. The drum washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the brake seat is provided with a first guide chute and a second guide chute obliquely respect to a sliding direction of the brake lever separately, a first guide column slidably fitted with the first guide chute is provided between two ends of the first pawl portion, and a second guide column slidably fitted with the second guide chute is

Assignees

• Wuxi Little Swan Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Guangfang
• Lu Song
• Liu Xiangkuan
• Gu Chaolin

Classifications

• D06F37/36

  for rotating the receptacle at more than one speed {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F16H2200/2005

  with one sets of orbital gears · CPC title

• D06F37/40

  for driving the receptacle and an agitator or impeller, e.g. alternatively {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F16H2200/2033

  with one engaging means · CPC title

• D06F37/04

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title