Patent Description:
A clothes processing machine generally includes a tub that accommodates clothes. For some clothes processing machines, tap water from a public water source needs to be connected to a tub through a pipeline. In the process of washing clothes or the tub itself, the tub is filled with a mixed liquid of detergent. Under some extreme conditions, a negative pressure may be generated in the pipeline, and the mixed liquid in the tub may be sucked into the pipeline and then may enter an external water source, causing pollution to the public water source.

Generally, adopting a non-return valve is a means for preventing back suction of the liquid. However, the non-return valve still has the possibility of failure. If all household clothes processing machines adopt a non-return valve structure, the risk that an urban tap water system is polluted by the mixed liquid of detergent that is sucked back is high. Therefore, product standards of some countries or regions put forward strict requirements for this.

In the Chinese invention patent application No. <CIT>, a washing-drying machine is disclosed, which includes: a tub, a rotary drum rotatably arranged in the tub and configured to receive clothes, a water inlet branch passage, a water outlet branch passage, a ventilation duct which connects the tub to a surrounding environment of the washing-drying machine, and a drying duct. The drying duct includes: a condenser, the condenser being equipped with a distributed spraying device using a liquid to spray the condenser; a fan configured to drive an airflow from an inlet to an outlet through the drying duct; and a heater configured to heat the airflow, the heater being arranged at a down stream relative to the condenser, and the drying duct being connected into the tub at the inlet and the outlet of the drying duct. The condenser is configured for indirect cooling of the airflow, the spraying device includes a free air path separated from the drying duct, and the ventilation duct is connected to the free air path and a case of a distributor that belongs to the water inlet branch passage.

The ventilation duct is connected to the spraying device, and can balance an air pressure in a spraying pipeline, which fundamentally prevents an unclean mixed liquid in the tub from being sucked back into the public water source. However, the structure still has some limitations and disadvantages. For example, water in the spraying pipeline is easy to enter the ventilation duct, which wastes the water that enters the ventilation duct and weakens the flushing effect. In order to reduce the water that enters the ventilation duct, a special design is required, such as increasing a pipe diameter of the spraying pipeline located at a down stream of a joint of the ventilation duct. However, if the pipe diameter of the spraying pipeline is increased, the kinetic energy of water is weakened, and the flushing effect is worsened.

Besides, for many clothes processing machines, there may be a certain fluid resistance at an end of a water delivery pipeline connected to a tub for various reasons, thus further increasing the proportion of water entering the ventilation duct. The fluid resistance may be caused because the pipe diameter of the water delivery pipeline is small, or the water delivery pipeline is divided into a plurality of pipelines, or the pipeline has a large bending, etc..

The publication <CIT> discloses a laundry washing machine comprising: a laundry drum supported within a washing tub suitable to hold a washing liquid, a detergent basin suitable to hold a detergent, a first supply valve connectable to the water supply system, a first supply conduit connecting the first supply valve in flow communication with the detergent basin so as to supply mains water in the detergent basin, a second conduit connecting the detergent basin in flow communication with the interior of the laundry drum, and pumping means connected to the second supply conduit and actuatable for suctioning mains water along with the detergent from the detergent basin by means of an accelerated jet or Venturi jet and for spraying the suctioned mixture of water and detergent directly into the laundry drum. The geometry of the Venturi with narrowing and the abrupt speed and flow direction changes within an ejector concur to an intense mixing between the detergent and the mains water before the application thereof onto the laundry.

The publication <CIT> discloses a washing machine comprising:
a bubble spray part provided at an upper side of a tub and configured to discharge bubbles from a top to a bottom inside the tub; a wash liquid jet nozzle provided inside the bubble spray part and configured to jet wash liquid; a blowing fan provided in the bubble spray part and configured to blow air in a direction in which the wash liquid jet nozzle jets the wash liquid; and a porous plate member provided at a front end of the bubble spray part and including a plurality of holes, wherein when the wash liquid jetted from the wash liquid jet nozzle collides with the porous plate member, bubbles are generated. In embodiments, the wash liquid jet nozzle is connected to a circulation pipe connected to a circulation pump and configured to circulate water received in the tub, and the circulation pipe is provided with a detergent suction part configured to suck detergent. Preferably, the detergent suction part comprises a venturi pipe.

A purpose of the present invention is to improve an existing clothes processing machine, and in particular, to improve a water delivery system of the clothes processing machine.

Embodiments of the present invention include a clothes processing machine, including: a tub which accommodates clothes; and a box which is fluid-connected to the tub and from which a liquid in the box is capable of flowing into the tub under gravity. The tub is capable of accommodating a liquid used for clothes processing, and the box is in communication with ambient atmosphere. A first end of a water delivery pipeline is in communication with an external clean water source through a water valve, and a second end is in fluid communication with the tub. The water delivery pipeline includes a constricted section, in which section the water delivery pipeline has a flow cross-section gradually reduced along a water flow direction. One end of a ventilation pipeline is fluid-connected to the constricted section of the water delivery pipeline or fluid-connected next to a down stream of the constricted section, and the other end of the ventilation pipeline is fluid-connected to the box. The tub is connected to a heat exchange chamber, and the second end of the water delivery pipeline is in communication with the heat exchange chamber, to provide water used for cleaning and/or heat exchange. The water valve either provides a water flow having a first flow rate that is relatively large or a water flow having a second flow rate that is relatively small; the second end of the water delivery pipeline is connected to a water division device; a first water division pipe and a second water division pipe are connected between the water division device and the heat exchange chamber; and the water division device is arranged to guide the water flow having the first flow rate to the first water division pipe, and guide the water flow having the second flow rate to the second water division pipe according to different flow speeds from the water delivery pipeline.

The ventilation pipeline is connected to the water delivery pipeline, which can prevent a liquid in a tub from being sucked back into an external clean water source. During the water supply to the tub through the water delivery pipeline, when water flows through the constricted section, a flow speed of water increases, and a negative pressure is generated. Under the negative pressure, water is less likely to enter the ventilation pipeline against a pressure direction. Thus it can be seen that, compared with the prior art, water in the water delivery pipeline is less likely to enter the ventilation pipeline, or less water in the water delivery pipeline enters the ventilation pipeline. A utilization ratio of water is higher, and water resources are saved. In addition, a flow speed of water increases after the water passes through the constricted section, which makes it easier to overcome a fluid resistance at a down stream. Further, water outputted from the water delivery pipeline has a better cleaning effect when being used for flushing. Thus it can be seen that, technical effects brought by the improved clothes processing machine are very remarkable, which makes a great contribution to the complex problems existing in the existing water delivery system.

The water flow having the first flow rate that is relatively large may be used for flushing the heat exchange chamber, and the water flow having the second flow rate that is relatively small may exchange heat with process air passing through the heat exchange chamber during a drying process. Since the down stream of the water delivery pipeline is divided into two water pipes, the fluid resistance increases, and improving the kinetic energy of water through the constricted section is particularly advantageous.

In some implementations, the box is a treating agent adding box, and is capable of accommodating a clothes treating agent. In this way, there is no need to arrange an additional box in communication with the atmosphere, and the ventilation pipeline is connected to the atmosphere through the existing treating agent adding box.

Optional implementations further include: one end of the ventilation pipeline that is connected to the water delivery pipeline is higher than a maximum water level in the tub in a gravity direction. This is particularly necessary because it can be prevented that water in the tub overflows a connection end of the ventilation pipeline and the water delivery pipeline when reaching the maximum water level, causing the air pressure out of balance, and accordingly, a risk of back-suction arising therefrom can be prevented. The maximum water level in the tub may be a water level at which water overflow results from excessive water entering the tub by accident.

Optional implementations further include: the water delivery pipeline includes an expansion section at the down stream of the constricted section, the water delivery pipeline has a flow cross-section gradually expanding along the water flow direction at the expansion section, and the ventilation pipeline is connected between the constricted section and the expansion section. The expansion section can reduce a fluid resistance, and can further reduce the amount of water entering the ventilation pipeline.

Implementations of the present invention further include: the water delivery pipeline includes a U-shaped water seal formed in a bending manner, and the U-shaped water seal is located between the constricted section and the second end, to cut off a passage between the tub and the box and a passage between the tub and the atmosphere when no water passes through the water delivery pipeline. During a drying operation performed by the clothes processing machine, especially when no water enters the water delivery pipeline, the U-shaped water seal can prevent wet and hot process air in the tub from overflowing from the machine through the water delivery pipeline and the ventilation pipeline. A function of the constricted section on the water delivery pipeline is thus particularly obvious: due to the function of the constricted section, the flow speed of water flow increases, and the kinetic energy of water flow increases. In the process of water supply, a resistance generated by the U-shaped water seal can be broken through, and overflow from the ventilation pipeline can be reduced.

Implementations of the present invention further include: the water delivery pipeline includes a first pipe and a second pipe, the ventilation pipeline includes a third pipe, and a connection pipe component connects the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe, where the constricted section is arranged on the connection pipe component. The connection pipe component is arranged for connecting the water delivery pipeline and the ventilation pipeline, which makes the structure and installation simple and is easy to implement.

Implementations of the present invention further include: the connection pipe component is fixed to a casing of the clothes processing machine through a bracket.

Implementations of the present invention further include: the bracket and the connection pipe component are formed integrally.

The above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined.

Some specific implementations of the present invention are described below by giving examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a clothes processing machine <NUM>, in particular, a clothes washing-drying machine. The clothes processing machine <NUM> includes a tub <NUM> located in a casing <NUM> and accommodating clothes. The tub <NUM> may accommodate a liquid used for clothes processing during running of a washing program. A rotary drum <NUM> which is rotatable is arranged in the tub <NUM>. The rotary drum <NUM> is in fluid communication with the tub <NUM>, and thus a liquid for washing clothes and air for drying clothes can flow between the two. Clothes are actually located in the rotary drum <NUM> and move with the rotation of the rotary drum <NUM>. Clothes are soaked in a liquid in the tub <NUM>, in particular, a solution mixed with a treating agent, to remove stains from the clothes.

A treating agent adding box <NUM> is fluid-connected to the tub <NUM>, and a liquid in the treating agent adding box <NUM> may flow into the tub <NUM> under gravity. The treating agent adding box <NUM> is connected to an external clean water source. In the washing program, clean water is supplied into the treating agent adding box <NUM> and mixed with a treating agent that is added into the treating agent adding box <NUM> in advance, and then an obtained mixture enters the tub <NUM> and is used for washing clothes. The treating agent adding box <NUM> is in communication with ambient atmosphere.

The tub <NUM> is further connected to a heat exchange chamber <NUM>. A fan <NUM> and an air heating passage <NUM> are successively arranged at a down stream of the heat exchange chamber <NUM> along a direction of airflow. When the fan <NUM> is turned on, process air used for drying clothes enters the heat exchange chamber <NUM>, in which a temperature of the process air decreases, and moisture in the process air is condensed and accordingly separated from the process air. Subsequently, the process air passes through the air heating passage <NUM> and is heated again. Heated process air enters the tub <NUM> and heats wet clothes, to evaporate moisture in the clothes. Process air carrying the evaporated moisture re-enters the heat exchange chamber <NUM>. The above operations are repeated in cycles until the clothes are dried.

A water delivery pipeline <NUM> supplies, to the heat exchange chamber <NUM>, a water flow having a first flow rate that is relatively large used for cleaning the heat exchange chamber <NUM>, and a water flow having a second flow rate that is relatively small used for cooling process air. As a result, a first end <NUM> of the water delivery pipeline <NUM> is in communication with the external clean water source through a water valve <NUM>, and a second end <NUM> is in fluid communication with the tub <NUM> through the heat exchange chamber <NUM>. The water delivery pipeline <NUM> provides water flows having different flow rates through the water valve <NUM>. That is, the water valve <NUM> optionally provides the water flow having the first flow rate that is relatively large or the water flow having the second flow rate that is relatively small.

The second end <NUM> of the water delivery pipeline <NUM> is connected to a water division device <NUM>. A first water division pipe <NUM> and a second water division pipe <NUM> are connected between the water division device <NUM> and the heat exchange chamber <NUM>. The water division device <NUM> is arranged to guide the water flow having the first flow rate to the first water division pipe <NUM>, and guide the water flow having the second flow rate to the second water division pipe <NUM> according to different flow speeds from the water delivery pipeline <NUM>. In some implementations shown in <FIG>, the first water division pipe <NUM> is first connected to the fan <NUM> and then indirectly connected to the heat exchange chamber <NUM>. The water flow having the first flow rate that is relatively large first flushes the fan <NUM>, and then enters the heat exchange chamber <NUM> slightly lower than the fan <NUM> under gravity, to flush the heat exchange chamber. In other implementations, the first water division pipe <NUM> may alternatively be directly connected to the heat exchange chamber <NUM>. After passing through the second water division pipe <NUM>, the water having the second flow rate enters the heat exchange chamber <NUM>, exchanges heat with the process air passing through the heat exchange chamber, and cools the process air to condense the moisture in the process air.

The water delivery pipeline <NUM> may also be understood as including the water division device <NUM>, and the first water division pipe <NUM> and the second water division pipe <NUM> at a down stream.

In some implementations, the water delivery pipeline <NUM> may alternatively be directly connected to the fan <NUM> or the heat exchange chamber <NUM> without dividing a flow.

In embodiments shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the water delivery pipeline <NUM> further includes a first pipe <NUM>, a second pipe <NUM>, and a connection pipe component <NUM> that connects the first pipe <NUM> and the second pipe <NUM>. The connection pipe component <NUM> is formed in a three-way pipe shape, and includes: a first branch pipe <NUM>, a second branch pipe <NUM>, and a third branch pipe <NUM>. The first branch pipe <NUM> is connected to the first pipe <NUM>, the second branch pipe <NUM> is connected to the second pipe <NUM>, and the third branch pipe <NUM> is connected to a ventilation pipeline <NUM>. The other end of the ventilation pipeline <NUM> is fluid-connected to the treating agent adding box <NUM>. Structurally, the ventilation pipeline <NUM> includes a third pipe <NUM>. The third pipe <NUM> connects the third branch pipe <NUM> and the treating agent adding box <NUM>. Thus, the ventilation pipeline <NUM> is in communication with the atmosphere, and meanwhile, water that unexpectedly enters the ventilation pipeline <NUM> can flow into the tub <NUM> through the treating agent adding box <NUM>.

An outlet of the first branch pipe <NUM> and an inlet of the second branch pipe <NUM> are arranged facing each other, to make water from the first pipe <NUM> pass through the first branch pipe <NUM> and then rush forward into the second branch pipe <NUM> and the second pipe <NUM>. Advantageous implementations further include: the first branch pipe <NUM> and the second branch pipe <NUM> extend coaxially. An extending direction of the third branch pipe <NUM> intersects the first branch pipe <NUM> and the second branch pipe at angles. Thus, the water from the first pipe <NUM> is less likely to enter the third pipe <NUM>.

The connection pipe component <NUM> is fixed to a casing <NUM> of the clothes processing machine <NUM> through a bracket <NUM>, in particular, to a position on the casing <NUM> close to the top. The bracket <NUM> and the connection pipe component <NUM> are formed integrally, and may be, for example, formed integrally by injection molding.

It is particularly advantageous that the water delivery pipeline <NUM> includes a constricted section <NUM>. In embodiments shown in <FIG>, the constricted section <NUM> is formed on the first branch pipe <NUM> of the connection pipe component <NUM>. At the constricted section <NUM>, the water delivery pipeline <NUM> has a flow cross-section gradually reduced along a water flow direction. The third branch pipe <NUM> is fluid-connected to the constricted section <NUM> or fluid-connected next to a down stream of the constricted section <NUM>.

In some embodiments, an expansion section <NUM> is included on the second branch pipe <NUM>. At the expansion section <NUM>, the water delivery pipeline <NUM> has a flow cross-section gradually expanding along the water flow direction. The third branch pipe <NUM> is connected between the constricted section <NUM> and the expansion section <NUM>, and thus the ventilation pipeline <NUM> is connected between the constricted section <NUM> and the expansion section <NUM>.

One end of the ventilation pipeline <NUM> that is connected to the water delivery pipeline <NUM> is required to be higher than a maximum water level in the tub <NUM> in a gravity direction. Thus, the connection pipe component <NUM> is arranged at a high position, to meet the requirement of being higher than the maximum water level in the tub <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A clothes processing machine (<NUM>), comprising: a tub (<NUM>) which accommodates clothes, and a box (<NUM>) which is fluid-connected to the tub (<NUM>) and from which a liquid in the box (<NUM>) is capable of flowing into the tub (<NUM>) under gravity, wherein the tub (<NUM>) is capable of accommodating a liquid used for clothes processing, the box (<NUM>) is in communication with ambient atmosphere, a first end (<NUM>) of a water delivery pipeline (<NUM>) is in communication with an external clean water source through a water valve (<NUM>), and a second end (<NUM>) is in fluid communication with the tub (<NUM>), wherein the water delivery pipeline (<NUM>) comprises a constricted section (<NUM>), in which section the water delivery pipeline (<NUM>) has a flow cross-section gradually reduced along a water flow direction, one end of a ventilation pipeline (<NUM>) is fluid-connected to the constricted section (<NUM>) of the water delivery pipeline (<NUM>) or fluid-connected next to a down stream of the constricted section (<NUM>), and the other end of the ventilation pipeline (<NUM>) is fluid-connected to the box (<NUM>),
characterized in that the tub (<NUM>) is connected to a heat exchange chamber (<NUM>), and the second end of the water delivery pipeline (<NUM>) is in communication with the heat exchange chamber (<NUM>), to provide water used for cleaning and/or heat exchange, and wherein the water valve (<NUM>) either provides a water flow having a first flow rate that is relatively large or a water flow having a second flow rate that is relatively small; the second end (<NUM>) of the water delivery pipeline (<NUM>) is connected to a water division device (<NUM>); a first water division pipe (<NUM>) and a second water division pipe (<NUM>) are connected between the water division device (<NUM>) and the heat exchange chamber (<NUM>); and the water division device (<NUM>) is arranged to guide the water flow having the first flow rate to the first water division pipe (<NUM>), and guide the water flow having the second flow rate to the second water division pipe (<NUM>) according to different flow speeds from the water delivery pipeline (<NUM>).