Drum washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618988-B2
Application number	US-201816969940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A drum washing machine includes a tub; a drum rotatably provided in the tub; an agitator rotatably provided in the drum and having a water spray hole; 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; a brake linked with the planetary gear assembly, and a water supply device configured to supply water to the agitator.

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 and having a water spray hole;
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;
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 mounted to a rear wall of the tub and 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; and
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 water supply device in communication with one of the tub and a water supply as well as the agitator separately, supplying water in the tub or the water supply to the agitator, and spraying the water into the drum through the water spray hole.

2. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the water supply device comprises a water supply pipe and a water supply pump, the water supply pipe has a first end in communication with the tub or the water supply and a second end connected to the agitator.

3. The drum washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the first end of the water supply pipe is in communication with a bottom of an inner cavity of the tub.

4. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the agitator has a water collection cavity and a water dividing passage in the agitator, the water collection cavity is in communication with the water supply device, and the water spray hole is in communication with the water collection cavity through the water dividing passage.

5. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the agitator facing an interior of the drum is provided with a plurality of ribs, each of the ribs extends in a radial direction of the agitator and the plurality of ribs are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the agitator, and the water spray hole is defined on the rib.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. The drum washing machine according to claim 8 , 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, the second shaft has a water supply passage therein, and the water supply device supplies water in the tub to the agitator through the water supply passage.

10. The drum washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the main shaft has cavity extending therethrough in an axial direction thereof, and the second shaft penetrates through the cavity.

11. 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.

12. The drum washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein an end of the second shaft extending out of the tub is provided with an adapter, and the water supply device is connected to the second shaft via the adapter.

13. The drum washing machine according to claim 12 , wherein the adapter is fitted over the end of the second shaft extending out of the tub via an adapter bearing.

14. The drum washing machine according to claim 13 , wherein the brake seat is provided with an avoidance hole, the second shaft passes through the avoidance hole, and the adapter is fitted with the avoidance hole and located outside the brake disk.

15. The drum washing machine according to claim 14 , wherein an inner peripheral surface of the avoidance hole is provided with an anti-rotation groove, an outer peripheral surface of the adapter is provided with an anti-rotation protrusion, and the anti-rotation protrusion is fitted with the anti-rotation groove.

16. The drum washing machine according to claim 15 , wherein a plurality of anti-rotation grooves are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the avoidance hole, a plurality of anti-rotation protrusions are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the adapter, the plurality of anti-rotation protrusions are fitted with the plurality of anti-rotation grooves in one-to-one correspondence.

17. The drum washing machine according to claim 15 , wherein the brake seat is provided with an axial hook the adapter is provided with an axial jaw, and the axial hook is hooked to the axial jaw, wherein a plurality of anti-rotation protrusions and a plurality of axial jaws are provided, the anti-rotation protrusions and the axial jaws are arranged alternately and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the adapter, a plurality of anti-rotation grooves and a plurality of axial hooks are provided, the plurality of anti-rotation protrusions are fitted with the plurality of anti-rotation grooves in one-to-one correspondence, and the plurality of

Assignees

• Wuxi Little Swan Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• D06F37/30 Primary

  Driving arrangements  (control circuits or arrangements D06F34/08) · CPC title

• D06F37/40

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

• D06F17/08

  Driving arrangements for the impeller · CPC title

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F17/10

  Impellers · CPC title