Clothes treatment agent release device, washing machine and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010475-A1
Application number	US-201917294340-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Nov 15, 2018
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A clothes treatment agent release device includes: a storage cavity in which a clothes treatment agent is stored; a release cavity with a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet communicating with the storage cavity, a one-way turn-on part arranged at the liquid inlet, and a one-way turn-on part being at the liquid outlet; a reciprocating piston in the release cavity; and a driving mechanism to drive the piston mechanism, the liquid inlet turn-on part/the liquid outlet turn-on part respectively and unidirectionally turn on the liquid inlet/the liquid outlet in the reciprocating motion of the piston mechanism. The clothes treatment agent in the storage cavity is sucked into the release cavity from the liquid inlet, and is discharged and released from the liquid outlet.

First claim

1 . A clothes treatment agent release device, comprising:
a storage cavity in which a clothes treatment agent being stored; a release cavity being provided with a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet communicating with the storage cavity, a liquid inlet one-way turn-on part being arranged at the liquid inlet, and a liquid outlet one-way turn-on part being arranged at the liquid outlet; a piston mechanism being arranged in the release cavity in a reciprocating motion mode; and a driving mechanism being connected with the piston mechanism; wherein the driving mechanism drives the piston mechanism to do reciprocating motion in the release cavity, the liquid inlet one-way turn-on part or the liquid outlet one-way turn-on part respectively and unidirectionally turns on the liquid inlet or the liquid outlet in the reciprocating motion of the piston mechanism, and the clothes treatment agent in the storage cavity is sucked into the release cavity from the liquid inlet, and is discharged and released from the liquid outlet.

2 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 1 , wherein the piston mechanism comprises a piston and a piston rod;
the driving mechanism comprises a driving part and a driven part, the driven part is respectively in transmission connection with the driving part and the piston rod, and the driven part converts rotation of the driving part into reciprocating motion of the piston in the release cavity; or, the driving mechanism is provided with a driving end capable of reciprocating motion, and the driving end is connected with the piston rod to drive the piston to do reciprocating motion in the release cavity.

3 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 2 , wherein the driven part comprises a driven wheel, one end of the piston rod of the piston mechanism is eccentrically and rotatably connected with the driven wheel, while an other end of the piston rod of the piston mechanism is connected with the piston, the driving part drives the driven wheel to rotate, and the driven wheel drives the piston to do reciprocating motion in the release cavity by the piston rod; and
the driving part is provided with a rotating end, and the rotating end is connected with the driven wheel to drive the driven wheel to rotate; or the driving part comprises a driving motor and a driving gear connected with the driving motor, the driven wheel is a driven gear, and the driving gear is in engaged transmission with the driven gear.

4 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 2 , wherein the release cavity comprises a first release cavity for releasing one type of clothes treatment agent and a second release cavity for releasing an other type of clothes treatment agent, a first piston mechanism is arranged in the first release cavity, and a second piston mechanism is arranged in the second release cavity; the driven part comprises a first driven part in transmission connection with the first piston mechanism and a second driven part in transmission connection with the second piston mechanism; and the driving part is optionally in transmission connection with the first driven part or the second driven part to release the clothes treatment agent in the first release cavity or the second release cavity.

5 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 4 , wherein the driving part comprises the driving motor and the driving gear connected with the driving motor, the first driven part comprises a first driven gear, the second driven part comprises a second driven gear, one end of a piston rod of the first piston mechanism is eccentrically and rotatably connected with the first driven gear, and one end of a piston rod of the second piston mechanism is eccentrically and rotatably connected with the second driven gear; and the driving gear can move to be in engaged transmission with the first driven gear or in engaged transmission with the second driven gear so as to release the clothes treatment agent in the first release cavity or the second release cavity.

6 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 5 , wherein the first driven gear and the second driven gear are arranged at intervals in a horizontal direction, and are arranged up and down in a vertical direction; and the driving gear is arranged in an up-and-down movable mode between the first driven gear and the second driven gear, and the driving gear moves up and down to be respectively in engaged transmission with the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

7 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 6 , wherein a connection screw is arranged at an output end of the driving motor, a center of the driving gear is provided with a threaded hole in threaded connection with the connection screw, and the connection screw drives the driving gear to move up and down in a vertical direction to be respectively in engaged transmission with the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

8 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 5 , comprising a shell, wherein the shell is internally provided with the first release cavity, the second release cavity and a mounting cavity; the driving part, the first driven gear and the second driven gear are arranged in the mounting cavity, and one end of the piston rod of the first piston mechanism is connected with a piston, and an other end of the piston rod of the first piston mechanism extends into the mounting cavity to be eccentrically and rotatably connected with the first driven gear; one end of the piston rod of the second piston mechanism is connected with a piston, and an other end of the piston rod of the second piston mechanism extends into the mounting cavity to be eccentrically and rotatably connected with the second driven gear; the first release cavity is provided with a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet, a first liquid inlet one-way valve is arranged at the first liquid inlet, and a first liquid outlet one-way valve is arranged at the first liquid outlet; and the second release cavity is provided with a second liquid inlet and a second liquid outlet, a second liquid inlet one-way valve is arranged at the second liquid inlet, and a second liquid outlet one-way valve is arranged at the second liquid outlet.

9 . A washing machine with the clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 1 , comprising a detergent box, a liquid outlet of the clothes treatment agent release device communicating with the detergent box.

10 . A control method of the washing machine according to claim 9 , comprising:
in a water inflow process of the washing machine, a driving mechanism being controlled to drive a piston mechanism to do reciprocating motion in a release cavity, a liquid inlet or a liquid outlet being turned on respectively and unidirectionally in the reciprocating motion process of the piston mechanism by a liquid inlet one-way turn-on part or a liquid outlet one-way turn-on part, a clothes treatment agent in a storage cavity being sucked into the release cavity from the liquid inlet, and the clothes treatment agent being discharged and released from the liquid outlet.

11 . The clothes treatment agent release device according to claim 3 , wherein the release cavity comprises a first release cavity for releasing one type of clothes treatment agent and a second release cavity for releasing an other type of clothes treatment agent, a first piston mechanism is arranged in the first release cavity, and a second piston mechanism is arranged in the second release cavity; the driven part comprises a first driven part in transmission connection with the first piston mechanism

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Washing Mach Co
• Haier Smart Home Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Zhiqiang
• Lv Peishi
• Xu Sheng

Classifications

• D06F39/022 Primary

  in a liquid state (D06F39/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F33/37 Primary

  of metering of detergents or additives · CPC title

• D06F39/028

  Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments · CPC title

• D06F39/08

  Liquid supply or discharge arrangements (supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02) · CPC title

• D06F33/57

  of metering of detergents or additives · CPC title