CN106319854B

CN106319854B - Washing machine and balance ring for washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN106319854B
Application number: CN201510354693.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 崔旭利; 张维旺; 范宗文; 周艳
Original assignee: BSH Electrical Appliances Jiangsu Co Ltd; BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Electrical Appliances Jiangsu Co Ltd; BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2015-06-24
Filing date: 2015-06-24
Publication date: 2023-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2035-06-24
Also published as: WO2016207080A1; CN106319854A

Abstract

The invention discloses a balance ring for a washing machine, which comprises an annular channel, wherein viscous fluid and a plurality of spheres capable of rolling along the channel are arranged in the channel, and the radial width of the inner wall of the annular channel is larger than the axial width. When the washing machine barrel mounted with the balance ring starts to rotate at low speed, the viscous fluid can pass through the periphery of the ball body, especially the radial inner side of the inner wall of the channel when passing through the position of the ball body, so that the ball body cannot be pushed to move, and the ball body is prevented from continuously rising and then falling down to collide to generate noise in the washing process of the washing machine at low rotating speed. The invention also discloses a washing machine with the balance ring.

Description

Washing machine and balance ring for washing machine

[ technical field ] A method for producing a semiconductor device

The invention relates to a washing machine and a balancing mechanism thereof.

[ background of the invention ]

Washing machines typically have a tub that is rotatable by a motor. The laundry is subjected to washing and dehydrating operations in the tub. In order to balance the tub during rotation, thereby reducing vibration and noise generated by unbalanced rotation of the tub, a balance ring may be installed on the tub in a circumferential direction. The balancing ring comprises an annular channel and a plurality of balls which are arranged in the channel and can roll along the channel. In the dehydration process of the barrel rotating at high speed, the ball body automatically adjusts the distribution position according to the unbalanced distribution state of the clothes in the barrel, so that the whole barrel reaches or tends to be balanced. In order to reduce noise generated by the balls colliding with each other before reaching balance, a viscous fluid is injected into the passage, and collision kinetic energy of the balls is absorbed through viscous resistance, thereby reducing the noise.

However, when the drum is rotated at a low rotation speed during the washing stage, the balls are lifted against gravity due to the propelling action of the viscous fluid, and collision occurs due to a speed difference between the balls during the lifting of the balls, thereby generating noise.

[ summary of the invention ]

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved balancing ring for a washing machine, which reduces collision noise of balls in the balancing ring during washing.

Aiming at the purposes, the technical scheme adopted by the invention is as follows: a balance ring for a washing machine includes an annular channel having a viscous fluid therein and a plurality of balls rollable along the channel, the annular channel having an inner wall with a radial width greater than an axial width.

Because the radial width of the inner wall of the annular channel is greater than the axial width, when the annular channel is axially horizontally or obliquely arranged on the washing machine, the ball body is positioned at the bottom of the annular channel and is positioned at the radial outer side of the inner wall of the channel due to the action of gravity. When the washing machine barrel with the balance ring is installed starts to rotate at a low speed, the ball body cannot be driven to pass through the highest point of the channel. The ball and the viscous fluid move downwards under the action of gravity, and the viscous fluid moves upwards along with the rotation of the channel under the action of viscous force. Since the viscous fluid can pass through the periphery of the ball body, particularly the radial inner side of the inner wall of the channel, when the ball body moves downwards, the force of the viscous fluid acting on the ball body is not enough to push the ball body to move upwards, so that collision noise is prevented from being generated in the process that the ball body continuously rises through the highest point of the channel and then falls down in the washing process of the washing machine at low rotating speed. Wherein the low rotation speed is relative to the spin-drying rotation speed. When the washing machine barrel is rotated at a high speed for dewatering, the viscous fluid is adhered to the radial outer side of the inner wall of the channel under the action of a large centrifugal force to push the ball to move against the gravity, so that the balance effect is achieved.

As an alternative embodiment, the radial clearance of the ball from the annular channel is 2 to 4 times the axial clearance. Too low a radial width/radial gap may impede viscous fluid flow and thus the viscous fluid may still push against the ball. While too high a radial width/radial gap results in wasted space and material.

As an alternative embodiment, the radial width of the inner wall of the annular channel is configured to allow the viscous fluid to flow mostly from the side of the sphere facing the central axis of the channel when the annular channel is rotated at washing or rinsing rotational speed with the inner tub of the washing machine.

As an alternative embodiment, the inner wall of the annular channel comprises a first wall remote from the central axis of the channel, a second wall opposite the first wall and adjacent to the central axis of the channel, and two side walls connecting the first wall and the second wall, at least one of the two side walls having a stop portion thereon, thereby dividing the space within the channel into a distal portion remote from the central axis of the channel and a proximal portion adjacent to the central axis of the channel, the distal portion being in fluid communication with the proximal portion, the ball being constrained by the stop portion to be located in the distal portion. Because the ball is limited in the far shaft part by the blocking part, the noise caused by collision caused by radial movement of the ball in the ascending process due to the larger radial distance of the channel is avoided.

As an alternative embodiment, the blocking portion comprises a rib extending circumferentially along the channel sidewall.

As an alternative embodiment, the distance between the rib and the first wall is slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere. This arrangement allows the ball to roll relatively freely between the rib and the first wall.

As an alternative embodiment, the distance between the rib and the first wall is similar to the distance between the two side walls.

The invention also provides a washing machine, which comprises a rotatable barrel driven by a motor, wherein the balance ring is arranged on the circumference of the barrel.

Preferably, the rotation axis of the tub is horizontally or obliquely arranged.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[ description of the drawings ]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a washer equipped with a balancing ring;

fig. 2 is a radial cross-sectional view of the gimbal at the bottom of the gimbal shown in fig. 1.

[ detailed description ] A

As shown in fig. 1, the washing machine 1 includes a cabinet 2, and a drum system 5 suspended in the cabinet 2 by an elastic suspension unit 3 and a damping support unit 4. Wherein the drum system 5 comprises an outer tub 6 connected with the elastic suspension unit 3 and the damping support unit 4, an inner tub 7 mounted substantially coaxially within the outer tub 6, and a motor 8 driving the inner tub 7 to rotate. The rotation shaft 13 of the inner tub 7 is substantially horizontal.

The inner barrel 7 is provided with balance rings 10 along the circumferential direction of the wall of the inner barrel 7 near the axial end parts at both sides. The balance ring 10 is arranged coaxially with the inner barrel 7. In alternative embodiments, the balance ring 10 may be disposed at only one end of the inner barrel 7.

As shown in fig. 2, the balance ring 10 includes an annular passage 11, viscous oil contained in the passage 11, and a plurality of balls 12 that roll along the passage. The spheres 12 are arranged in a single row within the channel 11 and the diameter of the spheres 12 is slightly less than the internal diameter of the channel 11.

The radial width W1 of the inner wall of the annular channel 11 is greater than the axial width W2. And the radial width W1 of the inner wall of the annular channel 11 is set to allow the viscous fluid to flow mostly from the side of the balls 12 facing the channel central axis 13' when the annular channel 11 rotates with the inner tub 7 at the washing or rinsing rotation speed. It is preferably provided that the radial clearance of the ball 12 from the annular channel 11 is between 2 and 4 times the axial clearance.

The inner wall of the annular channel 11 includes a first wall 110a far from the central axis 13', a second wall 110b opposite to the first wall 110a and close to the central axis 13', and two sidewalls 110c connecting the first wall 110a and the second wall 110 b. In order to avoid the noise caused by the collision of the ball 12 moving in the radial direction during the ascent due to the large radial width of the passage 11, one of the two side walls 110c has a stopper 14 to divide the space inside the passage 11 into a distal axis portion 11a distant from the passage center axis 13 'and a proximal axis portion 11b close to the passage center axis 13'. With the distal shaft portion 11a in fluid communication with the proximal shaft portion 11b. The ball 12 is located in the distal shaft portion 11a by being restricted by the stopper portion 14.

The blocking portion 14 is a rib extending circumferentially along the channel sidewall 110c. The distance between the ribs and the first wall 110a is slightly larger than the diameter of the ball 12, and the distance between the ribs and the first wall 110a is similar to the distance between the two side walls 110c.

The various embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not exhaustive of the invention. Any modifications made to the present invention by a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art within the scope of the basic technical idea of the present invention are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising a tub (7) rotatable by a motor (8), a balancing ring for a washing machine comprising an annular passage (11) adapted to be fitted to a circumferential direction of the rotatable tub (7) of the washing machine, wherein a rotation shaft (13) of the tub (7) is disposed horizontally or obliquely, and a viscous fluid and a plurality of balls (12) rollable along the passage are provided in the passage, characterized in that: the inner wall of the annular channel has a radial width (W1) which is greater than the axial width (W2), the inner wall of the annular channel (11) comprises a first wall (110 a) remote from the central axis (13 ') of the channel, a second wall (110 b) opposite the first wall and close to the central axis (13 ') of the channel, and two side walls (110 c) connecting the first wall and the second wall, at least one of the side walls having a barrier portion (14) thereon, dividing the space in the channel into a distal portion (11 a) remote from the central axis (13 ') of the channel and a proximal portion (11 b) close to the central axis of the channel, the distal portion being in fluid communication with the proximal portion, the ball (12) being constrained by the barrier portion (14) to be located in the distal portion (11 a).

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the radial clearance between the ball (12) and the annular channel (11) is 2 to 4 times the axial clearance.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the radial width (W1) of the inner wall of the annular channel (11) is arranged to allow the viscous fluid to flow mostly from the side of the sphere (12) facing the channel central axis (13') when the annular channel 11 rotates with the tub (7) of the washing machine at a washing or rinsing rotational speed.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the blocking portion (14) includes a rib extending circumferentially along the channel sidewall (110 c).

5. The washing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein: the distance between the ribs and the first wall (110 a) is slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere (12).

6. The washing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein: the distance between the rib and the first wall (110 a) is similar to the distance between the two side walls (110 c).