JP7626877B2 - Wall-mounted washing machine - Google Patents

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202110454281.8, filed on April 26, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to the field of laundry, and more specifically to wall-mounted washing machine appliances.

As people's living standards improve, customized home appliances are appearing one after another. Wall-mounted washing machines (such as wall-mounted drum washing machines) have the advantages of compact structure, small space, low noise, and low manufacturing costs, and are attracting more and more users' attention. For example, some wall-mounted washing machines can wash small items such as underwear or infant clothes, which not only can realize the washing of light clothes, but also can prevent bacterial cross-infection between clothes, and has good economic and practical properties.

In order to achieve this multi-functionality, the prior art has developed a wall-mounted washing machine with a drying function. For example, Chinese invention patent application CN111809339A discloses a wall-mounted washing machine. The wall-mounted washing machine includes an outer tub and a drying device, and the drying device is at least partially integrally molded into the side wall of the outer tub. The drying device includes a first air duct and a second air duct, the first air duct communicates with the outer tub suction port to transport dry hot air into the inside of the outer tub, and the second air duct communicates with the outer tub outlet and the first air duct respectively to condense the moist air received from the outer tub in the second air duct into dry and cold air. However, due to the small overall volume of the wall-mounted washing machine and the limited internal space, the size of the second air duct is small, and the condensation effect of the moist air in the second air duct is low, so that the humidity of the air entering the first air duct is high. This not only reduces the heating efficiency of the heating element in the first air duct and increases energy consumption, but also reduces the drying efficiency significantly, as dry air with too high a humidity level has a reduced ability to remove moisture from the items being dried (e.g., clothes, shoes, caps, etc.).

In order to improve the condensation efficiency of the condensation assembly, a wall-mounted washing machine with an injection device has been developed in the prior art. For example, Chinese patent application CN107299486B discloses a washing machine drum and a drum washing machine. The drum of the washing machine includes an outer tub and a condensation passage. An injection port for connecting an injection device is installed at the top of the condensation passage, and a plurality of condensation sheets are installed on the inner wall surface of the condensation passage to form a flow gap and to be arranged crosswise. Condensed water enters the condensation passage through the injection port and flows from the upper condensation sheet to the lower condensation sheet among the adjacent condensation sheets, thereby increasing the flow length and flow time of the condensed water in the condensation passage, and further increasing the contact area and contact time between the condensed water injected from the injection port and the water vapor entering from the inner tub of the washing machine, thereby improving the drying efficiency. However, since the plurality of condensation sheets in the drum of the washing machine are installed crosswise in the condensation passage, the wind resistance of the air in the condensation passage increases significantly, and the air supply efficiency in the condensation passage is greatly reduced. In addition, after the condensed water enters the condensation passage from the nozzle, it flows sequentially along the multiple condensation sheets arranged in a cross pattern, and its movement trajectory is regular, so the contact area between the condensed water and the hot and humid air is limited, resulting in low condensation efficiency, and therefore there is room for improvement in the drum of this washing machine.

In response, the field needs new technical solutions to solve the above problems.

In order to solve the technical problem of low condensation efficiency of the condensing assembly in the wall-mounted washing machine in the prior art, the present invention provides a wall-mounted washing machine. The wall-mounted washing machine includes an outer tub and a condensing assembly, the condensing assembly includes an air duct body arranged on the side wall of the outer tub and extending vertically, and an air duct cover that is detachably fixed to the air duct body and surrounds a condensing chamber sealed with the air duct body, the air duct cover includes a drainage port on the inner wall of the air duct cover, a deflector plate on the inner wall, and a plurality of flow guide plates located below the drainage port and spaced apart from each other to form a flow guide port, the deflector plate is arranged and positioned to change the flow direction of the liquid entering the condensing chamber from the drainage port, and to guide the liquid onto the plurality of flow guide plates so that at least a portion of the liquid can flow out from the flow guide port.

As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention includes an outer tub and a condensation assembly. The condensation assembly includes an air duct body and an air duct cover. The air duct body is disposed on the side wall of the outer tub and extends vertically, and the air duct cover is removably fixed to the air duct body and encloses a condensation chamber sealed with the air duct body. It should be understood that since the air duct body is disposed to extend vertically, the condensation chamber also extends approximately vertically, and after the moist and hot air is converted into dry and cold air and condensed water, the condensed water is easily discharged from the condensation chamber by its own gravity. In addition, since the air duct cover is disposed to be removably fixed to the air duct body, the air duct cover and the air duct body are each processable and easy to manufacture, and the condensation chamber is easy to clean, maintain and repair after the air duct cover is removed. A drainage port is provided on the inner wall of the air duct cover, and a plurality of flow guide plates are provided below the drainage port at intervals, and a flow guide port is formed between adjacent flow guide plates. The deflector plate is arranged and positioned to change the flow direction of the liquid (e.g., condensed water) entering the condensation chamber from the drainage port, and to guide the liquid onto the multiple guide plates so that at least a portion of the liquid flows out of the guide port. After the liquid flows into the condensation chamber from the drainage port, at least a majority of the liquid collides with the deflector plate and the flow direction is changed toward the guide plate. The combination of the deflector plate and the multiple guide plates allows the liquid to be guided onto the multiple guide plates. It should be understood that some of the liquid is dispersed when it collides with the multiple guide plates, thereby diffusing into the condensation chamber, and the contact probability and contact area between the dispersed liquid and the moist hot air are significantly increased, and the condensation efficiency of the condensation assembly is further improved. In addition, the liquid flows out of the guide port installed between the adjacent guide plates, which increases the degree of dispersion of the liquid, making the distribution of the liquid in the condensation chamber more uniform, and further improving the condensation efficiency.

In a preferred technical proposal for the wall-mounted washing machine, a joint pipe integrally molded with the air duct cover is installed on the air duct cover, and the joint pipe has a liquid supply end that can be connected to a liquid pipe so as to introduce the liquid into the condensing chamber, and a liquid drain end that communicates with the liquid drain port. The joint pipe is arranged to be integrally molded with the air duct cover, which not only simplifies the manufacturing process and makes it easy to process, but also avoids drilling holes in the air duct cover, preventing air from leaking out of the holes, affecting air supply efficiency, and generating noise. The joint pipe has a liquid supply end that can be connected to a liquid pipe so as to introduce the liquid in the liquid pipe into the condensing chamber, and a liquid drain end that communicates with the liquid drain port.

In a preferred technical proposal for the wall-mounted washing machine, the coupling pipe is arranged to extend from the liquid supply end along its own center line horizontally or inclined downward to the inner wall, so that the center line and its vertical projection line on the air duct cover form a first predetermined angle α, and the vertical projection line and the longitudinal direction of the air duct cover form a second predetermined angle β, the first predetermined angle α being in the range of 5° to 10°, and the second predetermined angle β being in the range of 0° to 10°. The center line of the coupling pipe and its vertical projection line on the air duct cover form a first predetermined angle α, i.e., the center line of the coupling pipe and the plane on which the air duct cover is located form a first predetermined angle α, which makes it easy to process the coupling pipe and the air duct cover when they are integrally molded. In addition, the joint pipe extends from the liquid supply end to the inner wall of the air duct cover along its own center line, either horizontally or inclined downward, so that the joint pipe extends along the approximate longitudinal direction of the air duct cover, which is advantageous for the arrangement of the pipes when connecting the liquid pipe and the joint pipe, and makes the internal structure of the wall-mounted washing machine more compact. Furthermore, by arranging the joint pipe along the approximate longitudinal direction of the air duct cover, the initial flow direction of the liquid introduced from the joint pipe into the condensing chamber can extend along the approximate horizontal direction. Under the action of gravity, the liquid performs an approximately parabolic motion, which causes the liquid to have a tendency to disperse vertically, which is advantageous for further dispersing the liquid.

In the preferred technical solution of the wall-mounted washing machine, the deflector plate is disposed as an arc plate protruding toward the drainage port and the center line extends through the arc plate. The deflector plate is disposed near the drainage port, so that the liquid spurting from the drainage port can easily collide with the deflector plate. The installation of the arc plate allows the deflector plate to have a larger radial outer surface area, which increases the contact probability between the liquid and the arc plate and increases the utilization rate of the deflector plate. In addition, the arc plate is disposed to protrude toward the drainage port, so that the liquid is reflected when it contacts the radial outer surface of the arc plate, which increases the range of change in the flow direction and makes the liquid more uniformly distributed. In addition, the center line of the joint pipe is disposed to extend through the arc plate, which ensures that the position of the deflector plate does not deviate from the flow direction of the liquid, further improving the effectiveness of the deflector plate in guiding the liquid.

In a preferred technical solution of the wall-mounted washing machine, the arc plate is disposed to extend vertically outward from the inner wall to a first predetermined height _H1 , the first predetermined height _H1 being in the range of 12mm to 15mm. With the above arrangement, the arc plate has an appropriate height to effectively guide the liquid and change its flow direction, while preventing the height from being too large, which increases wind resistance and affects air supply efficiency.

In a preferred technical solution of the wall-mounted washing machine, the inner diameter of the joint pipe is d, and the radially warped outer arc surface of the arc plate has a first radius R ₁ and a first arc degree θ ₁ , where R ₁ = (3-5) x d, and the first arc degree θ ₁ is in the range of 0.5 rad to 1 rad. With the above arrangement, the radially outer arc surface of the arc plate has an appropriate arc length and arc degree, which satisfies the requirement of effectively guiding the liquid and changing its flow direction, and can prevent the arc length from being too large, which increases the wind resistance and affects the air supply efficiency, and can also avoid the arc degree from being too large, which causes a part of the arc plate to not contact the liquid and not function as a guiding member, thereby reducing the utilization rate of the entire arc plate.

In a preferred technical solution for the wall-mounted washing machine, the radially curved outer arc surface intersects with the inner wall to form an outer arc, and a tangent to the outer arc at the vertically upper end point forms a third predetermined angle γ with the vertical projection line, and the range of the third predetermined angle γ is 15° to 25°. With the above arrangement, the third predetermined angle γ between the tangent to the outer arc at the upper end point and the vertical projection line has an appropriate range, and the position of the arc plate in the circumferential direction is relatively fixed, resulting in a relatively good flow guidance effect.

In a preferred technical solution of the wall-mounted washing machine, each of the flow guide plates is disposed to extend vertically outward from the inner wall to a second predetermined height _H2 , and the second predetermined height _H2 is in the range of 8mm to 10mm. With the above-mentioned arrangement, each flow guide plate has an appropriate height, and it is possible to prevent the flow guide plate from failing to disperse liquid due to a too small height, and to prevent the flow guide plate from increasing wind resistance and affecting air supply efficiency due to a too large height.

In a preferred technical solution of the wall-mounted washing machine, each of the baffles is arranged as an arc-shaped baffle, and all of the arc-shaped baffles together form a radial outer arc surface protruding away from the drain port, and the radial outer arc surface has a second radius _R2 and a second arc degree _θ2 , where _R2 =(2-3.2)×d, and the second arc degree _θ2 ranges from 2.4rad to 3.14rad. The baffles are arranged as arc-shaped baffles, and all of the arc-shaped baffles together form a radial outer arc surface protruding away from the drain port, so that the baffles have a larger radial outer surface area, which increases the contact probability between the liquid and the baffles, and improves the effect of the baffles in dispersing the liquid. In addition, with the above-mentioned arrangement, the radial flow guiding outer arc surface has an appropriate arc length and arc degree, which satisfies the requirement for effectively dispersing the liquid, while preventing the arc length and arc degree from being too large, which would increase the wind resistance and affect the air supply efficiency. Furthermore, it prevents a situation in which some of the flow guiding plates do not come into contact with the liquid and therefore do not function to disperse the liquid, thereby reducing the utilization rate of the flow guiding plates.

In the preferred technical solution of the wall-mounted washing machine, the width of the flow outlet is in the range of 3mm to 5mm. With the above arrangement, the flow outlet has an appropriate width (i.e., the gap distance between adjacent flow plates), which can prevent the width from being too small, reducing the probability of liquid flowing out of the flow outlet, and can also prevent the width from being too large, which causes most of the liquid to flow directly through the flow outlet without being blocked by the flow plate, affecting the effect of dispersing the liquid.

In a preferred technical solution of the above wall-mounted washing machine, a solenoid valve is arranged in the liquid pipe to control the flow rate of the liquid. By installing the solenoid valve, the flow rate of the liquid entering the condensing chamber can be adjusted according to different operating conditions to meet the demands of different operating conditions.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a wall-mounted washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a partial structure of a wall-mounted washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an embodiment of an outer tub of a wall-mounted washing machine according to the present invention; 1 is a front schematic view of an embodiment of an air duct cover for a wall-mounted washing machine appliance of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of part A of the embodiment of the air duct cover of the wall-mounted washing machine apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of an embodiment of an air duct cover for a wall-mounted washing machine according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of part B of the embodiment of the air duct cover of the wall-mounted washing machine apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 .

Below, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely intended to explain the technical principles of the present invention and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "up," "down," "left," "right," "inside," "outside," etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are merely for ease of description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements necessarily have a specific orientation, or are constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "attachment," "installation," and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or even internal communication between two elements. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

To solve the technical problem of low condensation efficiency of the condensation assembly of a wall-mounted washing machine in the prior art, the present invention provides a wall-mounted washing machine 1. The wall-mounted washing machine 1 includes an outer tub 10 and a condensation assembly 40. The condensation assembly 40 includes an air duct body 41 that is disposed on the side wall 121 of the outer tub 10 and extends vertically, and an air duct cover 42 that is detachably fixed to the air duct body 41 and surrounds a condensation chamber 43 sealed with the air duct body 41. The air duct cover 42 includes an inner wall 422 of the air duct cover 42 on which a drainage port 4221 is installed, a deflector plate 4222 and a plurality of flow guide plates 4223 that are located below the drainage port 4221 and spaced apart from each other, and a flow guide port 4224 is formed between adjacent flow guide plates 4223. Here, the deflector plate 4222 can change the flow direction of the liquid entering the condensation chamber 43 from the drainage port 4221, and is arranged and positioned so that the liquid can be guided onto the plurality of flow guide plates 4223 so that at least a portion of the liquid can flow out from the flow guide port 4224.

In the terms referred to in this specification, unless otherwise specified, "longitudinal direction" means a direction extending horizontally to the left and right based on the orientation shown in FIG. 4, "°" is the unit of angle, which is degrees, and "rad" is the unit of radians, which is radians.

Figure 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an embodiment of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an embodiment of a partial structure of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention, Figure 3 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an embodiment of an outer tub of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention, Figure 4 is a schematic front view of an embodiment of an air duct cover of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention, Figure 5 is a partially enlarged view of part A of the embodiment of the air duct cover of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a schematic rear view of the embodiment of the air duct cover of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a partially enlarged view of part B of the embodiment of the air duct cover of a wall-mounted washing machine of the present invention shown in Figure 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the wall-mounted washing machine 1 is a wall-mounted drum washing machine. Alternatively, the wall-mounted washing machine 1 may be a wall-mounted dryer or other suitable type of washing machine. The wall-mounted washing machine 1 includes components such as an outer tub 10, an inner tub (not shown), a fan 20, an air supply duct 30, and a condensing assembly 40, so that the wall-mounted washing machine 1 has functions such as, but not limited to, washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and/or drying.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the outer tub 10 includes a back plate 11, a tub body 12, an outer tub cover 13, a window packing 14, and an observation window 16. Based on the orientation shown in FIG. 1, the rear end of the tub body 12 is fixed integrally with the front end of the back plate 11, the outer tub cover 13 covers the front end of the tub body 12, and the observation window 16 is fixed to the outer tub cover 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the back plate 11 is substantially flat. Mounting holes (not shown) are provided at four diagonal corners of the back plate 11. The mounting holes can be engaged with mounting members (not shown), so that the wall-mounted washing machine 1 can be fixed to a predetermined wall by the back plate 11. The tub body 12 is a substantially cylindrical cavity for defining a space of the inner tub that can accommodate laundry and other laundry. Preferably, the back plate 11 and the tub body 12 can be integrally molded by injection molding using PP, ABS, or other suitable resin material. Alternatively, the back plate 11 and the tub body 12 may be manufactured separately and then fixed together. The fixing method may be welding, screw fixing, bolt fixing, or other suitable fixing method. The outer tub cover 13 may be integrally molded by injection molding using PP, ABS, or other suitable resin material. The outer tub cover 13 may be fixed to the tub body 12 by methods including, but not limited to, welding, screws, and bolts. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer tub cover 13 is formed with an annular wall 131 extending vertically outwardly around the central axis of the tub body 12, thereby defining a substantially circular opening 15. As shown in FIG. 3, in one or more embodiments, an outer tub suction port 1311 is formed at the top of the annular wall 131 so that it can be connected to the air supply duct 30 to transport dry hot air for drying clothes or other items into the tub body 12. In one or more embodiments, the outer tub suction port 1311 is arranged to be substantially rectangular and chamfered. Alternatively, the outer tank suction port 1311 may be arranged in other suitable shapes, such as trapezoidal, elliptical, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, in one or more embodiments, a window packing 14 is arranged inside the annular wall 131. The window packing 14 includes a substantially annular window packing body 141 and a hollow connecting portion 142 that extends vertically outward from the window packing body 141 along its radial direction. The connecting portion 142 penetrates the outer tank suction port 1311 to butt with the supply air duct 30. The window packing 14 can be integrally molded by an injection molding process using a suitable material such as rubber. As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the observation window 16 is pivotally attached to the outer tank cover 13. The observation window 16 is arranged to be able to seal the opening 15. The observation window 16 can be made of ABS, tempered glass, or other suitable material. Preferably, the observation window 16 has a certain degree of transparency, so that the washing status of the laundry being washed in the inner tub can be observed through the observation window 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the fan 20 is disposed on the top of the tank body 12 and adjacent to the right side of the tank body 12. Alternatively, the fan 20 may be disposed on the top of the tank body 12 and adjacent to the left side of the tank body 12. The fan 20 includes a volute 21, an impeller 22 (shown in FIG. 2), and a motor (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the volute 21 includes an upper volute 211 and a lower volute 212 that butt against each other, thereby defining an outlet passage 214 (shown in FIG. 2) having a fan inlet (not shown) and a fan exhaust port 213 (shown in FIG. 2). In order to simplify the manufacturing process, both the upper volute 211 and the lower volute 212 are integrally molded by injection molding using PP, ABS, or other suitable resin material. The upper volute 211 and the lower volute 212 are fixed by welding, screw fixing, bolt fixing, or other suitable form. The impeller 22 is disposed within the volute 21. In one or more embodiments, the impeller 22 is disposed as a forward impeller. Alternatively, the impeller 22 may be disposed as a radial impeller or a backward impeller. To simplify the manufacturing process, the impeller 22 may be integrally molded by injection molding using PP, PPS or other suitable resin materials. The motor shaft of the motor is fixed to the impeller 22, and the motor is electrically connected to a controller (not shown) of the wall-mounted washing machine 1, so that the rotation of the impeller 22 can be driven by controlling the power on and off of the motor. The motor may include, but is not limited to, a stepping motor, a brushless motor, a servo motor, or other suitable types of motors.

2, in one or more embodiments, a heating element 23 is installed in the volute 21 at a position adjacent to the fan exhaust port 213. The heating element 23 can heat the air generated by the fan 20 to convert it into dry air with dry heat. The heating element 23 includes a heater that converts electrical energy into thermal energy. The heater can be a heating tube, a heating wire, a heating sheet, or other suitable element. Preferably, the heating element 23 further includes a temperature control switch (not shown) for controlling the temperature of the heater, and the heater is electrically connected to the control system of the wall-mounted washing machine 1 through the temperature control switch, thereby automatically controlling the power off of the heater when the heater overheats.

1, in one or more embodiments, the air supply duct 30 includes an inlet end 31 connected to the fan exhaust port 213 of the volute 21, and an outlet end 32 connected to the outer tank suction port 1311. In one or more embodiments, the air supply duct 30 includes an upper air supply air duct case part and a lower air supply air duct case part (not shown), and the upper air supply air duct case part and the upper volute 211, and the lower air supply air duct case part and the lower volute 212 are all integrally molded by an injection molding process, so that when air passes through the inlet end 31, the presence of a mounting gap does not increase the wind resistance and affect the air supply efficiency. The outlet end 32 of the air supply air duct 30 has a rectangular and chamfered cross section. Alternatively, the outlet end 32 may be installed in other suitable cross sections, such as trapezoidal, elliptical, etc. The blowing end 32 of the air supply duct 30 is positioned so that it can be inserted into the connection part 142 of the window packing 14 and extend into the outer tank suction port 1311, thereby enabling the air supply duct 30 to achieve an effective seal with the outer tank suction port 1311, preventing dry air from leaking out of the mounting gap, affecting drying efficiency, and generating noise.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the condensation assembly 40 includes an air duct body 41 and an air duct cover 42. The condensation assembly 40 is arranged to convert the hot and humid air in the outer tub 10 into dry and cold air and condensed water. Based on the orientation shown in FIG. 1, the air duct body 41 is arranged to extend along a substantially vertical direction and is positioned on the right side wall 121 of the outer tub 12. Alternatively, the air duct body 41 may be arranged to extend along a substantially vertical direction and is positioned on the left side wall 121 of the outer tub 12. The air duct body 41 is arranged to extend along a substantially vertical direction, so that the condensed water is easily discharged from the condensation chamber by its own gravity. Preferably, the air duct body 41 is integrally formed with the tub body 12 by an injection molding process using PP, ABS or other suitable resin material, so that the structure of the entire wall-mounted washing machine 1 is more compact. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, based on the orientation shown in FIG. 3, the air duct body 41 includes a part of the arc-shaped wall 411 formed on the right side wall 121 of the tank body 12, an inverted L-shaped peripheral wall 412 extending from the edge of the arc-shaped wall 411 to the right along a substantially horizontal direction, and a top wall 413 formed on the upper part of the inverted L-shaped peripheral wall 412. A bottom inlet 416 is installed at a position close to the bottom of the arc-shaped wall 411. The bottom inlet 416 overlaps with the outer tank air outlet 1211. A top outlet 415 is installed on the top wall 413. The top outlet 415 is arranged so that it can be butted against the fan intake port. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the inverted L-shaped peripheral wall 412 and the top wall 413 define a side opening 414 extending along a substantially vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the air duct cover 42 is removably fixed to the air duct body 41 and arranged to seal the side opening 414. The air duct cover 42 and the air duct body 41 enclose a sealed condensation chamber 43 (shown in FIG. 2). The fixing manner of the air duct cover 42 and the air duct body 41 includes, but is not limited to, screw connection, bolt connection, or rivet connection. In addition, by arranging the air duct cover 42 to be removably fixed to the air duct body 41, the process requirements for integrally molding the air duct body 41 and the outer tank 10 can be met, and the user can easily remove the air duct cover 42, thereby facilitating cleaning, maintenance, and maintenance of the condensation chamber 43 from the side opening 414. In one or more embodiments, in order to simplify the manufacturing process and facilitate manufacturing, the air duct cover 42 is arranged to be integrally molded by injection molding using PP, ABS, or other suitable resin material. Preferably, a seal member (not shown) is disposed between the air duct cover 42 and the side opening 414, so that the air duct cover 42 can effectively seal the air duct body 41 and prevent air from escaping through the mounting gap.

As shown in FIG. 4, the air duct cover 42 has a substantially flat air duct cover body 424. The air duct cover body 424 has an outer wall 421 and an inner wall 422. In one or more embodiments, the outer wall 421 is formed with a reinforcing rib 4211 that extends along the longitudinal direction of the air duct cover 42 (i.e., the left-right direction shown in FIG. 4) and along the height direction of the air duct cover 42 (i.e., the up-down direction shown in FIG. 4). The provision of the reinforcing rib 4211 increases the strength and rigidity of the air duct cover 42, thereby extending the service life of the air duct cover 4242.

As shown in FIG. 4, in one or more embodiments, the joint pipe 423 is formed on the upper part of the outer wall 421 and on the right side of the outer wall 421. Alternatively, the joint pipe 423 may be disposed on the upper part of the outer wall 421 and on the left side of the outer wall 421. Preferably, the joint pipe 423 is integrally molded with the air duct cover body by injection molding process using a suitable resin material, which is advantageous to simplify the manufacturing process and avoid drilling holes in the air duct cover body 424, preventing air from leaking out of the holes, affecting the air delivery efficiency, and generating noise. As shown in FIG. 4, the joint pipe 423 is disposed in a hollow tubular structure and has a liquid supply end 4231 and an opposite liquid drain end 4232. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid supply end 4231 is disposed to be connectable with the first end 441 of the liquid pipe 44 to receive the liquid transported from the liquid pipe 44. As shown in FIG. 4, a liquid supply port 42311 is formed in the liquid supply end 4231. The liquid supply port 42311 has a circular cross section, and the diameter of the liquid supply port 42311 is d (shown in FIG. 6). The diameter d ranges from 7 mm to 11 mm. Preferably, the diameter of the liquid supply port 42311 is 9 mm. Alternatively, the liquid supply port 42311 may be provided in other suitable cross sections, such as, for example, elliptical, semicircular, etc. The liquid drain end 4232 is formed on the outer wall 421 and extends to the inner wall 422 along the direction of the center line C of the joint tube 423, thereby forming a liquid drain port 4221 on the inner wall 422. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in one or more embodiments, the joint tube 423 is disposed to extend from the liquid supply end 4231 to the outer wall 421 of the air duct cover 42 at an inclination downward along the center line C of the joint tube 423, i.e., the center line C of the joint tube 423 forms a certain angle with the plane on which the air duct cover 42 is located. Specifically, the vertical projection line of the center line C of the joint pipe 423 on the air duct cover 42 is _C1 , and the center line C forms a first predetermined angle α with the vertical projection line _C1 . The range of the first predetermined angle α is 5° to 10°. With the above-mentioned arrangement, a predetermined angle is sandwiched between the joint pipe 423 and the air duct cover main body 424, and processing and manufacturing are facilitated when integrally molding the joint pipe 423 and the air duct cover main body 424. Furthermore, the joint pipe 423 is arranged so as to extend from the liquid supply end 4231 to the air duct cover 42 at an inclination downward along its center line C, that is, the center line C of the joint pipe 423 sandwiches a certain angle with the longitudinal direction D of the air duct cover 42. Specifically, the vertical projection line _C1 of the center line C of the joint pipe 423 on the air duct cover 42 and the longitudinal direction D of the air duct cover 42 form a second predetermined angle β. The range of the second predetermined angle β is 0°<β≦10°. Alternatively, the joint pipe 423 may be arranged to extend horizontally from the liquid supply end 4231 along its center line C to the air duct cover 42. In this case, the second predetermined angle β is 0°. The joint pipe 423 extends from the liquid supply end 4231 along its center line C to the air duct cover 42 horizontally or inclined downward, so that the joint pipe 423 extends along the approximate longitudinal direction D of the air duct cover 42, and therefore, when connecting the liquid pipe 44 and the joint pipe 423, the space behind the air duct body 41 can be utilized, which is advantageous for the pipe arrangement, and therefore the internal structure of the wall-mounted washing machine 1 becomes more compact. Also, the joint pipe 423 may be arranged to extend along the approximate longitudinal direction D of the air duct cover 42, and the initial flow direction of the liquid introduced from the joint pipe 423 into the condensing chamber 43 may be arranged to extend along the approximately horizontal direction. Gravity causes the liquid to undergo an approximately parabolic motion, which tends to disperse the liquid in a vertical direction, which is favorable for further dispersing the liquid.

As shown in FIG. 6, in one or more embodiments, a drain port 4221 is formed on the upper part of the inner wall 422. The drain port 4221 extends approximately along the center line C direction of the joint pipe 423 and is arranged to have a substantially elliptical shape, so that the drain port 4221 has a large opening area. When the liquid enters the condensation chamber 43 from the drain port 4221, the liquid is subjected to a strong restraining action from the drain port 4221, and the guiding action of the drain port 4221 on the liquid is strengthened.

As shown in FIG. 6 , in one or more embodiments, a deflector plate 4222 is installed on the inner wall 422. The deflector plate 4222 is positioned in close proximity to the drainage port 4221, so that the liquid flowing into the condensation chamber 43 from the drainage port 4221 can easily collide with the deflector plate 4222. In one or more embodiments, the deflector plate 4222 is arranged as an arc plate 42221 protruding toward the drainage port 4221. The arc plate 42221 has a larger radial outer surface area than a straight plate in the same lateral length (i.e., the projected length in the longitudinal direction D of the air duct cover 42). Therefore, under the same wind resistance condition, the probability of contact between the liquid and the arc plate 42221 is higher. Alternatively, the deflector plate 4222 may be arranged in other suitable structures, such as a straight plate, a corrugated plate, etc. In one or more embodiments, the center line C of the joint pipe 423 extends through the arc plate 42221, positioning the arc plate 42221 in a flow direction that is not deviated from the liquid, and further improving the effectiveness of the arc plate 42221 in guiding the flow. In one or more embodiments, the arc plate 42221 is disposed to extend vertically outward from the inner wall 422 to a first height H _1. The first height H ₁ ranges from 12 mm to 15 mm, so that the arc plate 42221 has an appropriate height to effectively guide the liquid and prevent the height from being too large, which increases the wind resistance and affects the air supply efficiency. The arc plate 42221 has an arc-shaped radially deflected outer arc surface 221. The center of the radially deflected outer arc surface 221 is O ₁ , and has a first radius R ₁ and a first arc degree θ ₁ . Here, the first radius R ₁ = (3 to 5) × d, and the range of the first arc degree θ ₁ is 0.5 rad to 1 rad. With the above arrangement, the arc plate 42221 has an appropriate arc length and arc degree, and can effectively guide the liquid and change its flow direction, while preventing the arc length from being too large, which increases the wind resistance and affects the air supply efficiency, and avoiding the arc degree from being too large, which causes some of the arc plates 42221 to not contact the liquid and not function as a guide, thereby reducing the utilization rate of the entire arc plate 42221. The radially curved outer arc surface 221 intersects with the inner wall 422 to form an outer arc line 2211. The outer arc line 2211 has an upper end point 2211a in the vertical direction and an opposing lower end point 2211b. 7, a tangent E passing through the upper end point 2211a of the outer arc 2211 and a vertical projection _C1 of the center line C of the joint pipe 423 onto the air duct cover 42 form a third predetermined angle γ. The third predetermined angle γ ranges from 15° to 25°, so that the position of the arc plate 42221 in the circumferential direction is relatively fixed, and a relatively good air guide effect is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 6, in one or more embodiments, three baffles 4223 are arranged below the drainage port 4221 and spaced apart from each other. The baffles 4223 can disperse some of the liquid guided by the deflector 4222, thereby greatly increasing the contact probability and contact area between the hot and humid air and the liquid, and improving the condensation efficiency of the condensing assembly 40. Alternatively, the number of baffles 4223 may be more or less than three, or any other suitable number. Each baffle 4223 is arranged to extend vertically outward from the inner wall 422 to a second predetermined height H _2. The second predetermined height H ₂ ranges from 8 mm to 10 mm, so that each baffle 4223 has an appropriate height, and can prevent the baffle 4223 from failing to disperse the liquid due to a too small height, and can also prevent the baffle 4223 from increasing wind resistance and affecting air delivery efficiency due to a too large height. Between adjacent guiding plates 4223, guiding ports 4224 are formed, which are the first guiding port 224a and the second guiding port 224b, respectively. The guiding ports 4224 are provided so that a part of the liquid guided by the deflector plate 4222 can flow out from the guiding ports 4224, improving the dispersion of the liquid, making the liquid more uniformly distributed in the condensing chamber 43, and further improving the condensation efficiency. The width range of each guiding port 4224 is 3mm to 5mm, so that the guiding port 4224 has an appropriate width, and can prevent the width from being too small, which reduces the probability of the liquid flowing out of the guiding port 4224, and can also prevent the width from being too large, which causes most of the liquid to flow directly through the guiding port 4224 without being blocked by the guiding plate, affecting the effect of dispersing the liquid. Preferably, each guiding port 4224 is provided with the same width. Alternatively, each of the guide openings 4224 may be set to different widths, for example, the width of the first guide opening 224a is 3mm, and the width of the second guide opening 224b is 5mm, so as to obtain more abundant products to meet actual demand. As shown in FIG. 7, in one or more embodiments, each guide plate 4223 is arranged as a circular arc guide plate 42231, which is the first circular arc guide plate 231a, the second circular arc guide plate 231b, and the third circular arc guide plate 231c in order, and all the circular arc guide plates 42231 form a radial guide outer arc surface 4225 protruding in the direction away from the drainage opening 4221. By setting the circular arc guide plate 42231, the guide plate 4223 has a larger radial outer surface area, which increases the contact probability between the liquid and the guide plate 4223, and improves the effect of the guide plate 4223 in dispersing the liquid. As shown in FIG. 7, the center of the radial flow guide outer arc surface 4225 is O ₂ , and has a second radius R ₂ and a second arc degree θ _2. Here, the second radius R ₂ = (1 to 1.6) × d, and the second arc degree θ ₂ ranges from 2.4 rad to 3.14 rad. With the above arrangement, the arc-shaped flow guide plate 42231 has an appropriate arc length and arc degree. While effectively dispersing the liquid, it is possible to prevent the arc length and arc degree from being too large, which increases the wind resistance and affects the air supply efficiency, and also to avoid a situation where some of the flow guide plates 4223 do not come into contact with the liquid and do not function to disperse the liquid, thereby reducing the utilization rate of the flow guide plate 4223.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one or more embodiments, the liquid pipe 44 is arranged as a hollow hose to facilitate the pipe arrangement. The liquid pipe 44 can be made of PVC, PU, or other suitable materials. The liquid pipe 44 has a first end 441 and a second end 442 opposite to each other. The first end 441 is arranged to be connected to the liquid supply end 4231 of the coupling pipe 423, and the second end 442 is arranged to be in communication with the output end of a solenoid valve (not shown). The solenoid valve is electrically connected to the control system of the wall-mounted washing machine 1, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the liquid in the liquid pipe 44 by controlling the opening degree of the solenoid valve to meet the demands in different operating conditions. The solenoid valve includes, but is not limited to, a direct-acting solenoid valve, a step direct-acting solenoid valve, a pilot-operated solenoid valve, and the like. In one or more embodiments, the input end (not shown) of the solenoid valve is in communication with a condensate collection box (not shown) in the wall-mounted washing machine 1, so as to transport the condensate into the condensation chamber 43 through the liquid pipe 44. Alternatively, the input of the solenoid valve may be connected to another suitable liquid line, such as a tap water supply.

In one or more embodiments, the wall-mounted washing machine 1 further includes a filter assembly (not shown). The filter assembly may be disposed at a suitable position in the condensation chamber 43, for example, near the top of the bottom inlet 416, to filter the hot and humid air flowing in from the bottom inlet 416 and prevent foreign matter such as lint from blocking the condensation chamber 43 or affecting the cleanliness of the condensation chamber 43. The filter assembly may be disposed at a suitable position in the air supply duct 30, for example, near the air supply end 31, to filter the hot and dry air flowing in from the fan exhaust port and prevent foreign matter such as lint from blocking the air supply duct 30 or flowing into the outer tub 10. The filter assembly includes a filter (not shown), which may be a metal rubber filter net, a nylon filter net, or other suitable filter. In addition, the filter assembly may be disposed in the condensation chamber 43 and the air supply duct 30 at the same time to improve the filtering effect.

When the wall-mounted washing machine 1 of the present invention is in a drying operation state, the user can select different preset drying programs through the control system. Alternatively, to meet the customization needs of the user, each parameter of the drying process, such as drying temperature, drying time, etc., may be manually set. When the drying function is turned on, the impeller 22 rotates by the motor to draw in the air in the condensation chamber 43 and into the volute 21. When the air passes over the surface of the heating member 23, it is heated to dry air with dry heat. The dry air is guided by the air supply air duct 30 and transported into the outer tub 10 through the outer tub suction port 1311. The dry air exchanges heat with the items to be dried in the inner tub, carries away moisture in the items to be dried and converts it into moist air, thereby achieving the purpose of drying the items to be dried. The moist air is discharged from the tub body 12 through the outer tub outlet 1211 installed on the side wall 121 and enters the condensation chamber 43 again. At this time, the solenoid valve is in the power-on state, has a small opening, and the flow rate of the liquid (e.g., condensed water) in the liquid pipe (44) is slow. The liquid is transported into the condensation chamber 43 through the joint pipe 423. After the liquid flows out of the drainage port 4221, it collides with the deflector plate 4222 adjacent to the drainage port 4221, and its flow direction is changed and guided onto the guide plate 4223. Some of the liquid collides with the guide plate 4223 and is dispersed, and some of the liquid passes through the guide port 4224 between the guide plates 4223 arranged at intervals, and uniformly distributes the liquid in the condensation chamber 43. The moist air and the liquid are sufficiently in contact with each other, so that the moist air is converted into dry and cold air and condensed water. The dry and cold air is sucked into the volute 21 again by the action of the impeller 22, thereby realizing air circulation in the wall-mounted washing machine 1. In addition, due to the effect of its own weight, the condensed water and liquid enter the tank body 12 from the bottom opening 416 (i.e., the outer tank outlet 1221) at the bottom of the air duct body 41, flow along the bottom wall of the tank body 12 to the drain outlet (not shown), and collect in the condensed water collection box, thereby realizing the recycling of the condensed water.

When the wall-mounted washing machine 1 of the present invention is in a clean operating state, the solenoid valve is in a power-on state, has a relatively large opening, and the flow rate of the liquid in the liquid pipe 44 is relatively fast. The liquid is transported into the condensation chamber 43 through the joint pipe 423 and has a large impact force. The liquid collides with the deflector plate 4222, changes its flow direction and proceeds to the flow guide plate 4223, and some of the liquid collides with the flow guide plate 4223 to wash away foreign matter such as lint on the deflector plate 4222 and the flow guide plate 4223, thereby making it possible to easily and effectively clean the condensation chamber 43 without removing the air duct cover 42, greatly improving the user experience.

So far, the technical solution of the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, but those skilled in the art can easily understand that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. On the premise of not departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can combine technical features from different embodiments, and can make equivalent modifications or substitutions to related technical features, and all of these modified or substituted technical solutions are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

1...wall-mounted washing machine, 10...outer tub, 11...back plate, 12...tub body, 121...side wall, 1211...outer tub air outlet, 13...outer tub cover, 131...annular wall, 1311...outer tub suction port, 14...window packing, 141...window packing body, 142...connection part, 15...opening, 16...observation window, 20...fan, 21...volute, 211...upper volute , 212...lower volute, 213...fan exhaust port, 214...blowout passage, 22...impeller, 23...heating member, 30...air supply air duct, 31...suction end, 32...blowout end, 40...condensation assembly, 41...air duct body, 411...circular wall, 412...inverted L-shaped peripheral wall, 413...top wall, 414...side opening, 415...top outlet, 416...bottom inlet, 42 ...Air duct cover, 421...Outer wall, 4211...Reinforcement rib, 422...Inner wall, 4221...Drain port, 4222...Bending plate, 42221...Arc plate, 221...Radially curved outer arc surface, 2211...Outer arc line, 2211a...Upper end point, 2211b...Lower end point, 4223...Flow guide plate, 42231...Arc-shaped flow guide plate, 231a...First arc-shaped flow guide plate, 231b...Second Arc-shaped flow guide plate, 231c...third arc-shaped flow guide plate, 4224...flow guide port, 224a...first flow guide port, 224b...second flow guide port, 4225...radial flow guide outer arc surface, 423...joint tube, 4231...liquid supply end, 42311...liquid supply port, 4232...liquid drain end, 424...air duct cover body, 43...condensation chamber, 44...liquid tube, 441...first end, 442...second end

Claims (5)

an outer vessel and a condensation assembly, the condensation assembly comprising:
An air duct body disposed on a side wall of the outer tank and extending vertically;
an air duct cover that is detachably fixed to the air duct body and surrounds a condensation chamber sealed with the air duct body, the air duct cover having an inner wall on which a drainage port is provided, and a deflector plate and a plurality of flow guide plates that are positioned below the drainage port and spaced apart from each other to form a flow guide port are formed on the inner wall;
wherein the deflector plate is arranged and positioned to change the flow direction of liquid entering the condensing chamber from the drain outlet and to guide the liquid onto the plurality of flow guide plates so as to allow at least a portion of the liquid to flow out of the flow guide port ;
a joint pipe integrally formed with the air duct cover is installed on the air duct cover, the joint pipe having a liquid supply end connectable to a liquid pipe so as to introduce the liquid into the condensing chamber, and a liquid drain end communicating with the liquid drain port;
the coupling pipe is arranged to extend from the liquid supply end along its own center line horizontally or inclined downward to the inner wall, whereby the center line and a vertical projection line thereof on the air duct cover form a first predetermined angle α, and the vertical projection line and a longitudinal direction of the air duct cover form a second predetermined angle β, the first predetermined angle α being in the range of 5° to 10° and the second predetermined angle β being in the range of 0° to 10°;
The wall-mounted washing machine is characterized in that the deflector plate is disposed as an arc plate adjacent to the drain outlet and protruding toward the drain outlet, and the center line extends through the arc plate . The arc plate is disposed to extend perpendicularly outwardly from the inner wall a first predetermined height _H1 , the first predetermined height _H1 being in the range of 12 mm to 15 mm;
The inner diameter of the coupling pipe is d, and the radially deflected outer arc surface of the arc plate has a first radius R ₁ and a first arc degree θ ₁ , where R ₁ = (3 to 5) × d, and the first arc degree θ ₁ ranges from 0.5 rad to 1 rad;
The wall-mounted washing machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the flow guide plates is disposed to extend vertically outward from the inner wall to a second predetermined height H2, the second predetermined height H2 _being in _the range of 8 mm to 10 mm . The wall-mounted washing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the radially-warped outer arc surface intersects with the inner wall to form an outer arc, a tangent to the outer arc at an upper end point located in the vertical direction forms a third predetermined angle γ with the vertical projection line, and the third predetermined angle γ is in the range of 15° to 25°. The wall-mounted washing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the flow guide plates is arranged as an arc-shaped flow guide plate, and all of the arc-shaped flow guide plates together form a radial outer flow guide arc surface protruding in a direction away from the drain port, and the radial outer flow guide arc surface has a second radius _R2 and a second arc degree _θ2 , where _R2 = (2 to 3.2) x d, and the second arc degree _θ2 is in the range of 2.4 rad to 3.14 rad. The wall-mounted washing machine according to claim 4 , wherein the width of the flow guide port is in the range of 3 mm to 5 mm.