Patent Description:
When a cavity of a household appliance rotates and the load is eccentric, there will be serious vibration. In the related art, a balancing ring is disposed on the cavity, and the balancing ring has a built-in movable balancer for balancing the eccentricity of the load. By controlling the movement of the balancer in the balancing ring, the vibration generated by the eccentricity of the load may be balanced. In order to achieve the above goals, it is necessary to detect the position of the balancer. <CIT> relates generally to a laundry machine equipped with a balancing unit.

The invention is defined by a balance assembly according to independent claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are set out in the dependent claims.

The present invention provides a balance assembly applied in a household appliance. The balance assembly includes a balancing ring, a balancer, an identification member, and a first detection member. The balancing ring has a chamber defined therein. The balancer is movably arranged in the chamber, and includes a rotating member and a driving member. The driving member is connected to the rotating member and is configured to drive the rotating member to rotate to drive a movement of the balancer within the chamber. The balance assembly is configured to cause a relative movement between the identification member and the first detection member during the movement of the balancer. The first detection member is configured to detect a number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member. The number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member is related to a position of the balancer.

In the above balance assembly, the rotating member can drive the movement of the balancer in the chamber. The first detection member can detect the number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member, and the number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member can be used to determine the position of the balancer.

The identification member is disposed on the rotating member.

The rotating member includes a gear; the chamber includes a first inner wall having a ring gear portion disposed thereon, the gear meshing with the ring gear portion; and the identification member is a tooth of the gear or a tooth of the ring gear portion.

In some embodiments, the first detection member includes at least one of an optical sensor, a Hall sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

In some embodiments, the balance assembly further includes a controller electrically connected to the first detection member; the chamber has an initial position; the controller is configured to determine a position of the balancer based on the initial position and the number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member.

In some embodiments, the balance assembly further includes a first guide member disposed on the balancer, and a second guide member. The chamber includes a first inner wall, and a second inner wall opposite to the first inner wall. The second guide member is disposed on the second inner wall. The first guide member is connected to the second guide member to guide the movement of the balancer.

In some embodiments, the first guide includes a roller connected to the second guide member.

In some embodiments, the balance assembly further includes a calibration member and a second detection member. The balance assembly is configured to cause a relative movement between the calibration member and the second detection member during the movement of the balancer and cause the second detection member to detect the calibration member for eliminating a position error of the balancer.

In some embodiments, the first detection member and the second detection member are both disposed on the balancer; the identification member is disposed on the rotating member; the calibration member is arranged on an inner wall of the chamber.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a household appliance. The household appliance includes a cavity having a rotation axis, and the balance assembly according to any one of the above embodiments. The balance assembly is mounted in the cavity. A central axis of the balancing ring is parallel to or coincident with the rotation axis of the cavity.

In the above household appliance, the rotating member can drive the movement of the balancer within the chamber. The first detection member can detect the number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member, and the number of times of the identification member passing through the first detection member can be used to determine the position of the balancer.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth, in part, from the following description, and in part will be apparent from the following description, or may be learned by practice of the present disclosure.

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to examples thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which same or similar elements, or elements having same or similar functions, are denoted by same or similar reference numerals. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are merely illustrative and are intended to explain, rather than limiting, the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance, or to implicitly show a number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly comprise one or more this feature. In the description of the present disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless specified otherwise.

In the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, terms such as "install", "connect", "connect to" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection or a detachable connection or connection as one piece; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate; internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

Different embodiments or examples are provided by the disclosure of the present disclosure for implementing structures of the present disclosure. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present disclosure, components and arrangements of specific examples are provided below. Of course, the components and arrangements are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, reference numerals and/or reference letters may be repeatedly used in different examples of the present disclosure for a purpose of simplification and clearness, instead of indicating relationships between various embodiments and/or arrangements discussed herein. In addition, the present disclosure provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but the applicability of other processes and/or application of other materials may be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a balance assembly <NUM> provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied in a household appliance <NUM> (in conjunction with <FIG>). The balance assembly <NUM> includes a balancing ring <NUM>, a balancer <NUM>, an identification member <NUM>, and a first detection member <NUM>. The balancing ring <NUM> has a chamber <NUM> defined therein. The balancer <NUM> is movably arranged in the chamber <NUM> and includes a rotating member <NUM> and a driving member <NUM>. The driving member <NUM> is connected to the rotating member <NUM> and is configured to drive the rotating member <NUM> to rotate to drive a movement of the balancer <NUM> within the chamber <NUM>. The balance assembly <NUM> is configured to cause a relative movement between the identification member <NUM> and the first detection member <NUM> during the movement of the balancer <NUM>. The first detection member <NUM> is configured to detect a number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>, and the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM> is related to a position of the balancer <NUM>.

In the above balance assembly <NUM>, the rotating member <NUM> may drive a movement of the balancer <NUM> within the chamber <NUM>. The first detection member <NUM> may detect the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>, and the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM> may be used to determine the position of the balancer <NUM>.

It can be understood that, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, during the movement of the balancer <NUM> within the chamber <NUM>, the identification member <NUM> and the first detection member <NUM> move relative to each other, and the identification member <NUM> passes through the first detection member <NUM>. The number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM> is related to the position of the balancer <NUM>. Therefore, the moving distance of the balancer <NUM> may be determined by detecting the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>, and the position of the balancer <NUM> may be determined in combination with an initial position <NUM> of the balancer <NUM>. The initial position <NUM> may refer to a position where the balancer <NUM> is located before it begins to move within the chamber <NUM>, or a certain position that can be determined during the movement of the balancer <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the balancing ring <NUM> defines a chamber <NUM> along the circumferential direction, and the balancer <NUM> may move back and forth within the chamber <NUM> along the circumferential direction. That is, the balancer <NUM> may make a circular motion in the chamber <NUM> of the balancing ring <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, in the illustrated embodiment, the driving member <NUM> is connected to the rotating member <NUM>, and the driving member <NUM> drives the rotating member <NUM> to rotate on the inner wall of the chamber <NUM>, so as to drive a movement of the balancer <NUM> within the chamber <NUM>.

The rotating member <NUM> has an identification member <NUM> disposed thereon. In some examples, the chamber <NUM> has an identification member <NUM> disposed on an inner wall thereof. In this way, the identification member <NUM> can be detected in various manners, and thus the flexibility of the identification member <NUM> during mounting can be improved.

Further, referring to <FIG>, in the illustrated embodiment, the identification member <NUM> is disposed on the rotating member <NUM>. The rotating member <NUM> includes a gear <NUM>. The chamber <NUM> includes a first inner wall <NUM>, and the first inner wall <NUM> has a ring gear portion <NUM> disposed thereon. The gear <NUM> meshes with the ring gear portion <NUM>. The identification member <NUM> is a tooth of the gear <NUM> or a tooth of the ring gear portion <NUM>. In this way, the tooth of the gear <NUM> can be used as the identification member <NUM>, without requiring a separate identification member <NUM>. It can be understood that, in other embodiments, the identification member <NUM> may also be the tooth of the ring gear portion <NUM>.

There are grooves between the teeth of the gear <NUM> or between the teeth of the ring gear portion <NUM>, and the teeth and the grooves are evenly and alternately distributed. The gear <NUM> meshes with the ring gear portion <NUM> to rotate. When the gear <NUM> rotates, the balancer <NUM> may be driven to move relative to the ring gear portion <NUM>. In this case, the teeth of the gear <NUM> or the teeth of the ring gear portion <NUM> may serve as the identification member <NUM>, and correspondingly, the first detection member <NUM> may be mounted on the balancer <NUM>. The first detection member <NUM> includes a detection surface, and the detection surface faces the identification member <NUM>. When the teeth of the gear <NUM> are used as the identification member <NUM>, the rotating member <NUM> has the identification member <NUM> disposed thereon. When the teeth of the ring gear portion <NUM> arranged on the first inner wall <NUM> are used as the identification member <NUM>, the first inner wall <NUM> of the chamber <NUM> has the identification member <NUM>. In other embodiments, the identification member <NUM> may be disposed in a position other than the first inner wall <NUM> in the chamber <NUM>.

When the identification member <NUM> is the tooth of the gear <NUM>, the first detection member <NUM> may be mounted on the balancer <NUM> at a position directly facing the tooth of the gear <NUM>. When the gear <NUM> rotates, the first detection member <NUM> is relatively stationary. When the identification member <NUM> is the tooth of the ring gear portion <NUM>, the first detection member <NUM> may be mounted on the balancer <NUM> at a position directly facing the tooth of the ring gear portion <NUM>. When the gear <NUM> rotates, the balancer <NUM> moves and thus drives a movement of the first detection member <NUM> relative to the ring gear portion <NUM>. During the rotation of the gear <NUM>, the tooth of the gear <NUM> will continuously pass through the first detection member <NUM>. Therefore, the number of times of the tooth of the gear <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>, that is, the number of the teeth of the gear <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>, may be detected.

In addition, the gear <NUM> meshes with the ring gear portion <NUM> to drive the movement of the balancer <NUM>, and thus a slipping of the balancer <NUM> is prevented during the movement process to ensure the stability of the movement of the balancer <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the first detection member <NUM> may include at least one of an optical sensor, a Hall sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor. In this way, the first detection member <NUM> has selectivity and lower cost. The optical sensor may be, for example, an infrared sensor or the like.

In some embodiments, when the first detection member <NUM> includes one type of sensor, one of the optical sensor, the Hall sensor, and the ultrasonic sensor may be selected. When the first detection member <NUM> includes multiple types of sensor, two or more types of the optical sensor, the Hall sensor, or the ultrasonic sensor may be selected. The data detected by two or more sensors may be averaged as the output data of the first detection member <NUM>, or the data may be calculated with different weights or ratios to serve as the output data of the first detection member <NUM>.

It can be understood that with the development of technology, the manufacturing processes of the optical sensors, the Hall sensors, the ultrasonic sensors, etc. have been quite mature. Thus, the above types of sensors have smaller size and the manufacturing cost thereof is low, and they can be massively produced and suitable for being applied to the balance assembly <NUM>. By selecting the above types of sensors as the first detection member <NUM>, the detection function of the identification member <NUM> can be achieved, while reducing the manufacturing cost of the balance assembly <NUM>.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, the identification member <NUM> is the tooth of the gear <NUM>, and the first detection member <NUM> is an optical sensor, which can transmit and receive optical signals. Since a distance between the tooth of the gear <NUM> and the optical sensor is different from a distance between the groove of the gear <NUM> and the optical sensor, an intensity of the optical signal received by the optical sensor reflected by the tooth is different from that reflected by the groove. Through processing, a regular pulse signal may be obtained. The position of the balancer <NUM> can be obtained based on the number of pulses, i.e., the number of the teeth rotated by the gear <NUM>, from which the moving distance of the balancer <NUM> can be obtained, in combination with the initial position <NUM> of the balancer <NUM>. The optical sensor may be an infrared sensor. The mechanism of the ultrasonic sensor is similar to that of the optical sensor, which will not be repeated herein.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, the identification member <NUM> is a tooth of the gear <NUM>, and the first detection member <NUM> is a Hall sensor. Since the tooth and groove will affect the direction of the magnetic field lines of the Hall sensor, the density of the magnetic field lines passing through the Hall sensor will be changed. When the gear <NUM> rotates, the Hall sensor will output regular pulse signals. Based on the pulse signals, the number of the teeth in the rotation of the gear <NUM> can be calculated. Thus, the moving distance of the balancer <NUM> may be obtained, and in combination with the initial position <NUM> of the balancer <NUM>, the position of the balancer <NUM> may be obtained.

In other embodiments, the identification member <NUM> may be black and white stripes, and the first detection member <NUM> may be an optical sensor. The black and white stripes may be arranged on the gear <NUM>, or on the part that rotates coaxially with the gear <NUM>, or arranged on the inner wall of the chamber <NUM> to form a ring and concentrically with the ring gear portion <NUM>. The optical sensor may be mounted on the balancer <NUM> at a position facing the black and white stripe. Since the black stripe absorbs light and the white stripe reflects light, during the movement of the balancer <NUM>, the black and white stripes will continuously pass through the optical sensor. Therefore, the number of times of white stripes passing through the optical sensor, that is, the number of white stripes passing through the optical sensor, may be detected. Based on the optical signal received by the optical sensor, the regular pulse signals may be obtained, and the number of pulses is the number of the white stripes by which the balancer <NUM> rotates. Since the widths of the white stripes and the black stripes are known, the moving distance of the balancer <NUM> can be obtained, and thus, in combination with the initial position <NUM> of the balancer <NUM>, the position of the balancer <NUM> may be obtained.

It should be noted that the above identification member <NUM> may also have other structures. For example, the rotating member <NUM> may be a wheel having a plurality of spokes at intervals, and the identification member <NUM> may be a spoke of the wheel. The first detection member <NUM> may detect the number of times that the spoke passes through the first detection member <NUM>. The specific detection mechanism is similar to the above.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in some embodiments, the chamber <NUM> has an initial position <NUM>. The balance assembly <NUM> includes a controller <NUM>, and the controller <NUM> is electrically connected to the first detection member <NUM>. The controller <NUM> is configured to determine a position of the balancer <NUM> based on the initial position <NUM> and the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>. In this way, it is convenient to determine the position where the balancer <NUM> is located.

It can be understood that the initial position <NUM> of the balancer <NUM> refers to a default position when the balancer <NUM> is stationary in the chamber <NUM> when the balancer <NUM> does not move. The controller <NUM> records the initial position <NUM>, and determines the position of the balancer <NUM> in combination with the moving distance the balancer <NUM> when the balancer <NUM> starts to move from the default position. In some embodiments, the first detection member <NUM> may output regular pulse signals based on the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>. The pulse signals output by the first detection member <NUM> are received and processed by the controller <NUM> to obtain, in combination with the initial position <NUM> of the balancer <NUM>, the moving distance of the balancer <NUM>. In this way, the specific position of the balancer <NUM> may finally be calculated. The controller <NUM> may be a controller of the balancer <NUM>. The balancer has a control board (not shown) mounted thereon, and the controller <NUM> may be arranged on the control board. The specific position of the balancer <NUM> may be transmitted to a main controller <NUM> of the household appliance <NUM> in a wired or wireless manner. In other embodiments, the controller <NUM> may also be located outside the balancer <NUM>, for example, at other positions on the balancing ring <NUM>.

It can be understood that, in another embodiment, the balancer <NUM> may also transmit the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM> to the main controller <NUM> of the household appliance <NUM> in a wireless or wired manner, and the specific position of the balancer <NUM> is determined by the main controller <NUM>, which is not described in detail herein.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is a plurality of initial positions <NUM> in the chamber <NUM>. In a case that a plurality of balancers <NUM> is disposed in the chamber <NUM>, one balancer <NUM> is located in one initial position <NUM>. In an embodiment, there are two initial positions <NUM> in the chamber <NUM>, and the number of the balancers <NUM> is two. When the two balancers <NUM> are not in motion, one balancer <NUM> remains stationary in one initial position <NUM>. Preferably, the two initial positions <NUM> are symmetrically arranged at <NUM> degrees. In this way, the balancers <NUM> can be kept balanced when the balancers <NUM> are not in motion. In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, there are an initial position 191a and an initial position 191b in the chamber <NUM>. One balancer <NUM> is located at each of the initial position 191a and the initial position 191b. In other embodiments, one, three, or more initial positions <NUM> may be provide, and the specific positions thereof may be set as required, which is not limited herein.

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG>, in some embodiments, the balance assembly <NUM> includes a first guide member <NUM> and a second guide member <NUM>. The first guide member <NUM> is disposed on the balancer <NUM>. The chamber <NUM> has a first inner wall <NUM>, and a second inner wall <NUM> opposite to the first inner wall <NUM>. The second guide member <NUM> is disposed on the second inner wall <NUM>. The first guide member <NUM> is connected to the second guide member <NUM> to guide the movement of the balancer <NUM>. In this way, the balancer <NUM> may be guided to stabilize the movement of the balancer <NUM>.

It can be understood that the balancer <NUM> may vibrate when moving in the chamber <NUM>. Thus, the balancer <NUM> may deviate from the moving track when moving at a high speed, which may affect the movement of the balancer <NUM>. By providing the first guide member <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM>, the balancer <NUM> can move against the second inner wall <NUM>, and thus the balancer <NUM> is guided to increase the stability of the balancer <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the first guide member <NUM> includes a roller <NUM>, and the roller <NUM> is connected to the second guide member <NUM>. In this way, the frictional force between the balancer <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM> can be reduced when the balancer <NUM> is moving.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second guide member <NUM> is an annular guide rail arranged on the second inner wall <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the first guide member <NUM> includes two rollers <NUM> connected by a rotating shaft <NUM>. The two rollers <NUM> can roll on the guide rail, and the two rollers <NUM> may clamp the guide rail. Along the length direction of the balancer <NUM>, two first guide members <NUM> are arranged at both ends of the balancer <NUM> to further improve the smoothness of the movement of the balancer <NUM>. In other embodiments, the first guide member <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM> may be connected to each other by means of embedding, meshing and abutting, and may also play a guiding role. Other embodiments are not described in detail herein.

Further, the first guide member <NUM> includes a mounting member <NUM>, a connecting member <NUM>, and an elastic member <NUM>. The mounting member <NUM> has a blind hole for accommodating the elastic member <NUM> defined therein. One end of the elastic member <NUM> is connected to the connecting member <NUM>, and the other end of the elastic member <NUM> abuts against the bottom wall of the blind hole. The roller <NUM> is rotatably connected to the connecting member <NUM>. The first guide member <NUM> is mounted on the balancer <NUM> through the mounting member <NUM>. When the roller <NUM> is connected to the second guide member <NUM>, the roller <NUM> may elastically compress the elastic member <NUM> through the connecting member <NUM> under the action of an excessively great force between the roller <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM>. In this way, the elastic member <NUM> generates an elastic force facing away from the second guide member <NUM>, which buffers the force between the roller <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM>. Therefore, the friction between the balancer <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM> can be reduced to achieve the effect of vibration reduction. At the same time, the elastic member <NUM> may ensure that the roller <NUM> is always connected to the second guide member <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the first guide member <NUM> has two elastic members <NUM> disposed thereon and connected to the connecting member <NUM>, and thus the mounting member <NUM> may bear a greater force.

Referring to <FIG> again, the balancer <NUM> further includes a bearing member <NUM>. The bearing member <NUM> is fixedly connected to the driving member <NUM> and is configured to bear the centrifugal force of the circular motion of the balancer <NUM>. The bearing member <NUM> has sliding wheels. The sliding wheels of the bearing member <NUM> move along the first inner wall <NUM> of the chamber <NUM> during the movement of the balancer <NUM>. In this way, the bearing member <NUM> may abut against the first inner wall <NUM> to provide the support force of the first inner wall <NUM> to the balancer <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to the guiding function of the first guide member <NUM> and the second guide member <NUM>, the frictional force between the balancer <NUM> and the first inner wall <NUM> may be reduced at the same time.

Further, the balancer <NUM> includes a bracket <NUM>. In some embodiments, the balancer <NUM> may further include a power supply apparatus <NUM>, and the power supply apparatus <NUM> can supply power to the balancer <NUM>. The bracket <NUM> is designed as an arc-shaped structure along the circumferential direction of the chamber <NUM>. The first detection member <NUM>, the driving member <NUM>, the controller <NUM>, the first guide member <NUM>, and the power supply apparatus <NUM> may all be arranged on the bracket <NUM>. In this way, the balancer <NUM> may cooperate with the annular structure of the balancing ring <NUM> to move in the chamber <NUM> to avoid collision with the inner wall of the chamber <NUM>. The bracket <NUM> may be made of thick stainless-steel plate, and thus the bracket <NUM> will not deform during the entire working process of the balancer <NUM>. The power supply apparatus <NUM> may use a rechargeable battery to power the balancer <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, in some embodiments, the balance assembly <NUM> includes a calibration member <NUM> and a second detection member <NUM>. The balance assembly <NUM> is configured to cause a relative movement between the calibration member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM> during the movement of the balancer <NUM>, and cause the second detection member <NUM> to detect the calibration member <NUM> for eliminating a position error of the balancer <NUM>.

It can be understood that, since the balancer <NUM> moves for a long time, accumulated errors may occur when the first detection member <NUM> detects the information about the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>. Therefore, when the moving distance of the balancer <NUM> is calculated based on the information about the number of times with errors, an error occurs in the determined position of the balancer <NUM>. Therefore, the position error of the balancer <NUM> may be eliminated by providing the calibration member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM>.

In some embodiments, when the second detection member <NUM> passes through each calibration member <NUM>, the information of the calibration member <NUM> detected by the second detection member <NUM> will be transmitted to the controller <NUM>. Further, the controller <NUM> will set the position of the balancer <NUM> to a value of <NUM>, that is, it is regarded as the origin to recalculate the moving distance of the balancer <NUM>. In this way, the accumulated distance error caused by the long-term movement of the balancer <NUM>, which may result in the inability to accurately determine the position of the balancer <NUM>, can be avoided. In this embodiment, after the second detection member <NUM> passes through each calibration member <NUM>, the information about the number of times of the first detection member <NUM> passing through the identification member <NUM> will be fed back to the controller <NUM> from <NUM> again by means of a pulse signal, and the controller <NUM> starts to calculate the moving distance of the balancer <NUM> again and obtains the precise position information of the balancer <NUM> where the balancer <NUM> is located.

Referring to <FIG>, a plurality of calibration members <NUM> is distributed and arranged at intervals on the inner wall of the chamber <NUM>, such as the second inner wall <NUM>. Each calibration member <NUM> includes a different number of calibration portions <NUM>. The second detection member <NUM> may be one of an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a Hall sensor. The second detection member <NUM> may trigger different pulse signals after passing through different numbers of calibration portions <NUM>, and the number of pulses of the pulse signal is the same as the number of calibration portions <NUM>. Thus, it can be determined based on the pulse signal output by the second detection member <NUM> that the balancer <NUM> is passing through a certain calibration member <NUM>, and the specific position of the balancer <NUM> in the chamber <NUM> can be determined. In this way, the position of the balancer <NUM> may be tracked within the chamber <NUM>. In an example, the inner wall of the chamber <NUM> has a calibration member <NUM> every <NUM> degrees, and the number of the calibration portions <NUM> is one, two, three and four, respectively.

When the second detection member <NUM> includes an optical sensor, the calibration member <NUM> may be arranged on the second inner wall <NUM>, and the calibration portion <NUM> may be a black and white stripe. The optical sensor may transmit an optical signal to the second inner wall <NUM> and receive the optical signal reflected on the second inner wall <NUM>. When the balancer <NUM> passes through the calibration member <NUM>, the optical sensor will pass through the black and white stripe to change the intensity of the received optical signal, and thus pulse signals corresponding to the number of the calibration portions <NUM> can be output. Based on the pulse signals, the number of times of the balancer <NUM> passing through the calibration portion <NUM> may be determined, and the current position of the balancer <NUM> may be determined based on the position of the calibration member <NUM>. In other embodiments, the calibration portion <NUM> may also be a groove or a protrusion. Depending on the intensity of the optical signal received by the optical sensor, the pulse signals corresponding to the number of the calibration portion <NUM> can also be obtained to finally determine the current position of the balancer <NUM>. The mechanism of the ultrasonic sensor is similar to that of the optical sensor, and will not be repeated herein.

When the second detection member <NUM> includes a Hall sensor, the calibration portion <NUM> may be a protruding structure made of a metal material. It can be understood that, when the balancer <NUM> passes through the calibration member <NUM>, the calibration member <NUM> will affect the direction of the magnetic field lines of the Hall sensor to change the density of the magnetic field lines passing through the Hall sensor, and the Hall sensor will output pulse signals corresponding to the number of calibration portions <NUM>. Based on the pulse signals, the number of times of the calibration portion <NUM> passing through the sensor can be determined, and thus the current position of the balancer <NUM> can be determined based on the position of the calibration member <NUM>.

It should be noted that, the number and position of the calibration members <NUM> as well as the number of the calibration portions <NUM> of the calibration member <NUM> may be adjusted based on specific conditions, and are not limited to the above embodiments.

In some embodiments, referring to <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the first detection member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM> are both disposed on the balancer <NUM>, and the identification member <NUM> is disposed on the rotating member <NUM>, and the calibration member <NUM> is disposed on an inner wall of the chamber <NUM>. In this way, the mounting may be facilitated and the structure may be simplified.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rotating member <NUM> includes a gear <NUM>, and the identification member <NUM> is a tooth of the gear <NUM>. The calibration member <NUM> is disposed on the second inner wall <NUM>, and the calibration member <NUM> is a protrusion. The first detection member <NUM> is mounted on the balancer <NUM> at a position facing the identification member <NUM>, and the second detection member <NUM> is mounted on the balancer <NUM> at a position facing the second inner wall <NUM>. The first detection member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM> may be of the same type or different types. For example, the first detection member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM> may be both an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a Hall sensor.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the balancer <NUM> includes a controller <NUM>. The controller <NUM> is connected to the first detection member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM>, and the controller <NUM> is configured to centrally process the detection results of the first detection member <NUM> and the second detection member <NUM>. Thus, the controller <NUM> may be directly arranged on the balancer <NUM>, without additionally arranging other controllers <NUM> on the balancing ring <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, a household appliance <NUM> is provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The household appliance <NUM> includes a cavity <NUM> and the balance assembly <NUM> as described in any of the above embodiments. The cavity <NUM> has a rotation axis L. The balance assembly <NUM> is mounted in the cavity <NUM>, and a central axis of a balancing ring <NUM> is parallel to or coincident with the rotation axis L of the cavity <NUM>.

In the above household appliance <NUM>, the rotating member <NUM> may drive the balancer <NUM> to move within the chamber <NUM>. The first detection member <NUM> may detect the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM>, and the number of times of the identification member <NUM> passing through the first detection member <NUM> may be used to determine the position of the balancer <NUM>.

It can be understood that, when the central axis of the balancing ring <NUM> is parallel to or coincident with the rotation axis L of the cavity <NUM>, the balancer <NUM> can reduce the vibration of the cavity <NUM>.

In the present disclosure, the household appliance <NUM> may be provided with a vibration sensor (not shown) and a main controller <NUM>. The vibration sensor may be configured to detect the vibration information of the cavity <NUM> or the vibration information of other components connected to the cavity <NUM>. The main controller <NUM> may control, based on the vibration information, the movement of the balancer <NUM> to adjust the specific position of the balancer <NUM> in the cavity <NUM>, to counteract or reduce the vibration of the cavity <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the main controller <NUM> may be in communication with the controller <NUM> of the balance assembly <NUM> in a wired or wireless manner, to transmit a current state signal and movement signal of the balancer <NUM> and the like. The current state signal of the balancer <NUM> includes a current position of the balancer <NUM>, whether the balancer <NUM> is in a moving state, a communication connection state, and the like. The main controller <NUM> may transmit the movement signal to the controller <NUM>, and based on the movement signal, the controller <NUM> controls the movement of the balancer <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may transmit the current state signal of the balancer <NUM> to the main controller <NUM>, and the current state signal of the balancer <NUM> is received and analyzed by the main controller <NUM> to obtain the current position, movement state and communication connection state, and the like of the balancer <NUM>.

It should be noted that the household appliance <NUM> may be a laundry appliance such as a washing machine or a dryer, or other household appliances <NUM> having a rotatable cavity <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the household appliance <NUM> is a washing machine for washing clothes. The cavity <NUM> is an inner drum, and the inner drum is rotatably disposed in the outer drum <NUM>. Clothes are placed in the inner drum. During the working of the washing machine (such as a dehydration stage), the inner drum rotates at a high speed, and the clothes in the inner drum may be unevenly distributed, which may result in an eccentric vibration. When the inner drum rotates at high speed, the washing machine may vibrate strenuously. Since the vibration of the inner drum may be transmitted to the outer drum <NUM>, by detecting the vibration information of the outer drum <NUM>, it may be determined whether the inner drum is in a state of eccentric vibration. The balancing ring <NUM> is connected and fixed to the inner drum can rotate together with the inner drum. Therefore, the movement of the balancer <NUM> in the chamber <NUM> may be controlled based on the vibration information to offset or reduce the eccentric mass during the rotation of the inner drum.

In addition, in order to further reduce the transmission of the vibration inside the household appliance <NUM> to the outside, the outer drum <NUM> may be connected to a mounting plate <NUM> through a vibration damping structure <NUM>, and the mounting plate <NUM> may be fixed on a housing bottom plate of the household appliance <NUM>. The vibration damping structure <NUM> may adopt vibration damping methods such as spring and hydraulic pressure.

Claim 1:
A balance assembly (<NUM>), applied in a household appliance (<NUM>), the balance assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
a balancing ring (<NUM>) having a chamber (<NUM>) defined therein;
a balancer (<NUM>) movably arranged in the chamber (<NUM>) and comprising a rotating member (<NUM>) and a driving member (<NUM>), wherein the driving member (<NUM>) is connected to the rotating member (<NUM>) and is configured to drive the rotating member (<NUM>) to rotate to drive a movement of the balancer (<NUM>) within the chamber (<NUM>);
an identification member (<NUM>); and
a first detection member (<NUM>),
wherein the balance assembly (<NUM>) is configured to cause a relative movement between the identification member (<NUM>) and the first detection member (<NUM>) during the movement of the balancer (<NUM>), wherein the first detection member (<NUM>) is configured to detect a number of times of the identification member (<NUM>) passing through the first detection member (<NUM>), the number of times of the identification member (<NUM>) passing through the first detection member (<NUM>) being related to a position of the balancer (<NUM>), characterized in that the identification member (<NUM>) is disposed on the rotating member (<NUM>), and wherein the rotating member (<NUM>) comprises a gear (<NUM>), wherein the chamber (<NUM>) comprises a first inner wall (<NUM>) having a ring gear portion (<NUM>) disposed thereon, the gear (<NUM>) meshing with the ring gear portion (<NUM>), and wherein the identification member (<NUM>) is a tooth of the gear (<NUM>) or a tooth of the ring gear portion (<NUM>).