Track mechanism and front-loading washing machine with same

A track mechanism and a front-loading washing machine are provided. The track mechanism includes a base, the base is provided with a track portion configured to guide a movable body to move along the track portion, the base includes a supporting body and a track body, the track portion is arranged on the track body, the supporting body and the track body are stacked and combined relative to each other, and wear resistance of the track body is higher than that of the supporting body.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a technical field of clothes treatment devices, and more particularly to a track mechanism and a front-loading washing machine with same.

BACKGROUND

In the related art, a door unit of a front-loading washing machine is connected to a bearing by means of a supporting plate, the supporting plate is provided with a track portion fitted with the bearing, and thus the support plate needs to be made of a wear-resistant material. However, as the supporting plate is a one-piece part having a simple structure, both the processability and cost are high if the whole supporting plate is made of the wear-resistant material. The wear resistance is poor and the service life is short if the whole supporting plate is made of materials which are easy to process and low in cost.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure seeks to solve at least one of the problems existing in the related art. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a track mechanism with high use reliability.

The present disclosure further provides a front-loading washing machine with the above track mechanism.

The track mechanism according to embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, includes a base, the base is provided with a track portion configured to guide a movable body to move along the track portion, in which the base includes a supporting body and a track body, the track portion is arranged on the track body, the supporting body and the track body are stacked and combined relative to each other, and wear resistance of the track body is higher than that of the supporting body.

With the track mechanism according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting body and the track body are made of materials different in wear resistance, and then the base is assembled by them. Because the wear resistance of the track body is higher than that of the supporting body, the wear resistance of the base is improved. With the base, it is meant to give consideration to both performance requirement and manufacturing cost requirement, i.e. the desired performance requirement can be achieved with manufacturing cost reduced, which is beneficial to improvement of cost performance of the track mechanism A.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the track portion includes a plurality of tracks spaced apart from each other.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the supporting body is combined with the track body by means of a connecting member.

Optionally, the connecting member is a screw.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the supporting body is combined with the track body by embedding or casting in a mold.

Optionally, the track portion is an arc groove.

The front-loading washing machine according to embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure includes: a cabinet including a front panel, the front panel defining an opening; a tub defining an access port, arranged in the cabinet and configured to make the access port move upwards and downwards in the opening; a rotatable drum arranged in the tub; a door unit mounted to the tub and covering the access port; and the track mechanism according to above embodiments, in which the movable body is the door unit and the door unit moves upwards and downwards in the opening under guide of the track mechanism.

The front-loading washing machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure adopts the above track mechanism of the above embodiments, and the use reliability can be improved.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the front-loading washing machine further includes a movable portion, the movable portion is configured to move along the track portion, and the door unit is connected to the movable portion by means of a connecting part.

Optionally, the movable portion includes a body and a moving end rotatable relative to the body, the moving end and the body are provided with a rolling body therebetween, and the moving end is configured to be embedded in the track portion and can rotate along the track portion.

Optionally, the rolling body is a ball.

Furthermore, the moving end defines a recess in a portion in contact with the track portion, and the recess is fitted with the track portion.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, two track mechanisms are symmetrically provided at two sides of the cabinet respectively.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings. The same or similar elements and the elements having same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions. The embodiments described hereafter with reference to drawings are explanatory, used to understand the present disclosure, and shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure.

In the specification, unless specified or limited otherwise, relative terms such as “central”, “thickness”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “axial”, “radial” and “circumferential” should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the present disclosure be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be construed to limit the present disclosure.

A track mechanism A according to embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure is described hereafter with reference toFIG.1toFIG.3.

As shown inFIG.1toFIG.3, the track mechanism A according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a base. The base is provided with a track portion21configured to guide a movable body to move along the track portion21. The base includes a supporting body10and a track body20, and the track portion21is arranged on the track body20. The supporting body10and the track body20are stacked and combined relative to each other, and the wear resistance of the track body20is higher than that of the supporting body10.

In the track mechanism A according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting body10and the track body20are made of materials different in wear resistance, and then the base is assembled by them. Because the wear resistance of the track body20is higher than that of the supporting body10, the wear resistance of the base is improved. With the combined base, it is meant to give consideration to both performance requirement and manufacturing cost requirement, i.e. the desired performance requirement can be achieved with manufacturing cost reduced, which is beneficial to improvement of cost performance of the track mechanism A.

The supporting body10is provided with a guide portion11corresponding to the track portion21. That is, the guide portion11is in a shape matching that of the track portion21and in a position corresponding that of the track portion21. The track portion21and the guide portion11define arc grooves running through the track body20and the supporting body10in the thickness direction respectively. Thus, the track portion21and the guide portion11cooperatively constitute a new arc groove with a large depth.

Optionally, a surface area of the track body20is less than that of the supporting body10, and the track body20covers on a portion of the supporting body10adjacent to the guide portion11, thereby enhancing the structural strength and the wear resistance of the portion of the supporting body10adjacent to the guide portion11.

In some examples, the track body20may be made of high-strength wear-resistant material, while the supporting body10may be made of high-strength low-cost material with good processability through low-cost process. Then the track body20is connected to the supporting body10. Science the wear resistance of the track body20is higher than that of the supporting body10, the supporting body10is good in processability and low in manufacturing cost, such that the combined base has advantages of both. The fit between the track body20and a movable portion50is reliable, both the performance requirement and the manufacturing cost are taken in to account, and the cost performance of the track mechanism A are therefore improved.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable body may be connected to one movable portion, and the movable portion moves along the track portion21. The track portion21includes a plurality of tracks spaced apart from each other. Correspondingly, a plurality of movable portions are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of tracks one to one. Supporting for the movable body provided by the base is improved, and the movable body can move along the track portion21more smoothly and reliably.

In some examples, the track body20is provided with two track portions21, and each track portion21is embodied as an arc groove. The two arc grooves may be distributed and spaced along a circumferential direction of the same circumference, or may be distributed and spaced along a radial direction, which will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

As shown inFIG.1andFIG.2, in some optional examples, the supporting body10is detachably connected to the track body20by means of a connecting member30. For example, the connecting member30may include a plurality of screws, and the plurality of screws are distributed and spaced along a circumferential direction of the track portion21, which ensures that the track body20is reliably connected to the supporting body10, and the sides of the track body20and the supporting body10opposite to each other are appressed, thereby improving the overall performance of the base.

As shown inFIG.3, in some other optional examples, the supporting body10is combined with the track body20by embedding or casting in a mold. For example, during manufacturing, the track body20and the supporting body10are provided with profilings respectively, and shapes and positions of the profilings corresponds to each other. When the track body20is mounted to the supporting body10, a protruding profiling on the track body20is pressed into a groove profiling in the supporting body10to achieve stable connection therebetween, the operation is easy and the reliability of connection is high.

A front-loading washing machine according to embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure is described hereafter with reference toFIG.1toFIG.5. It should be noted that, in the present disclosure, the front-loading washing machine may refer to a clothes treatment device capable of washing clothes, such as a washing machine or a front-loading washer-dryer.

The front-loading washing machine according to the embodiments the present disclosure includes a cabinet, a tub, a rotatable drum, a door unit40and the track mechanism.

According to the above embodiments, the cabinet includes a front panel, and the front panel defines an opening. The tub defines an access port. The tub is arranged in the cabinet and configured to make the access port move upwards and downwards in the opening. The rotatable drum is arranged in the tub. The door unit40is mounted to the tub and covers on the access port.

The door unit40is configured as the movable body. During operation, the door unit40can swing in a vertical plane along with the tub, at the same time, the door unit40moves upwards and downwards in the opening under guide of the track mechanism A.

The front-loading washing machine according to the embodiments the present disclosure adopts the track mechanism A including the base combined of the supporting body10and the track body20, both the performance requirement and the manufacturing cost are taken in to account, and the cost performance of the front-loading washing machine can be improved on the premise that the front-loading washing machine can be reliably used.

As shown inFIG.4andFIG.5, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the front-loading washing machine further includes the movable portion50, and the movable portion50is configured to move along the track portion21. The door unit40is connected to the movable portion50by means of a connecting part. The tub drives the door unit40to swing when swinging in the vertical plane, while at the same time, the movable portion50on the door unit40moves long the track portion21of the track mechanism A.

In some examples, the track mechanism A is arranged at one side of the door unit40(a right side of the door unit40shown inFIG.4andFIG.5). The track body20is located at a side of the supporting body10facing the door unit40(a left side of the supporting body10shown inFIG.5). The track mechanism A is connected to the door unit40by means of fit between the movable portion50and the track portion21. The structure is simple and compact, and the connection is reliable.

The track portion21may be an arc groove extending along a circumferential direction of a swinging center of the tub. During movement of the door unit40, the movable portion50on the door unit40always slides along the track portion21. The fit between the track portion21and the movable portion50can used for limiting and further supporting the door unit40, which improves stability of the structure during operation and use reliability.

In some examples, the movable portion50includes a body and a moving end which is rotatable relative to the body. The body is connected to the door unit40by means of a connecting part. In some specific examples, the moving end may be fitted over the body and is spaced apart from the body in a radial direction. A rolling body is arranged between the moving end and the body, and the rolling body is a ball. The moving end is configured to be embedded in the track portion21and can rotate along with the track portion21. When the tub swings, the body of the movable portion50is stationary relative to the door unit40, and the moving end rotates relative to the body. The movement is stable and reliable.

In some optional examples, the moving end defines a recess in a portion in contact with the track portion21, and the recess is fitted with the track portion21. That is, the moving body of the movable portion50may be annular member, the annular member extends along a thickness direction of the base, and two ends of the annular member have sizes larger than that of a middle portion of the annular member. Therefore, the movable portion50straddles on the base, such that the recess in the middle portion of the moving end is fitted with an inner wall of the arc groove, which can prevent the movable portion50from falling off the base, and further ensures that the fit between the movable portion50and the base is reliable.

Of course, the movable portion50of the front-loading washing machine is not limited by this, for example, the movable portion50may be a pulley straddles on the base, and a shaft of the pulley is connected to the door unit40by means of the connecting part.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, two track mechanisms A are provided, and the two track mechanisms A are symmetrically arranged at two sides of the cabinet respectively. Specifically, the two track mechanisms A are arranged at a left side and a right side of the door unit40respectively, one the track mechanism A is opposite to an inner wall of a left side wall of the cabinet, and the other track mechanism A is opposite to an inner wall of a right side wall of the cabinet. When the tub swings, the door unit40moves under guide of the two track mechanisms A, and the structure is stable and reliable.

The front-loading washing machine according to the embodiments the present disclosure is simple and compact in structure, high in use reliability and cost performance, and both the performance requirement and the manufacturing cost are taken in to account.

Other configurations and operations of the front-loading washing machine according to embodiments the present disclosure are known to one of ordinary skill in the art, and will not be described in detail herein.

Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes, modifications, alternatives, and variations can be made in the above embodiments without departing from principles and purposes of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents.