LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE WITH LATERALLY COUPLED REMOVABLE AGITATOR

BACKGROUND

Laundry washing machines are used in many single-family and multi-family residential applications to clean clothes and other fabric items. Due to the wide variety of items that may need to be cleaned by a laundry washing machine, many laundry washing machines provide a wide variety of user-configurable settings to control various aspects of a wash cycle such as water temperatures and/or amounts, agitation, soaking, rinsing, spinning, etc. Nonetheless, the wash tubs of conventional laundry washing machine designs are generally of a single configuration, regardless of the types of loads being washed. Top-load washing machines, for example, often include an agitator that projects upwardly from the bottom of the wash tub and rotates about a vertical axis to agitate the load and/or the wash fluid in the wash tub to enhance washing performance. With some types of loads, however, the agitator is of less value, and in some instances, can make it more difficult to load and/or unload the washing machine. Bulky items such as blankets, comforters, and other bed linens, for example, do not benefit from the use of an agitator, and in many instances can be difficult to load and unload due to the presence of a body that projects upwardly in the center of the wash tub.

A need therefore exists in the art for a manner of customizing the physical configuration of a wash tub of a laundry washing machines to adapt to different types of loads.

SUMMARY

The invention addresses these and other problems associated with the art by providing a laundry washing machine and removable agitator therefor that removably couples to an impeller base through a lateral coupling that allows for relative movement between an agitator coupler of the removable agitator and a base coupler of the impeller base along a lateral coupling axis that intersects the axis of rotation of the impeller base.

Therefore, consistent with one aspect of the invention, a laundry washing machine may include a housing, a wash tub disposed within the housing, an impeller base disposed within the wash tub and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation, the impeller base including a base coupler, and a removable agitator including an agitator coupler configured to removably couple with the base coupler through movement along a lateral coupling axis that intersects the axis of rotation and to thereby removably secure the removable agitator to the impeller base.

In addition, in some embodiments, the lateral coupling axis is generally transverse to the axis of rotation. Also, in some embodiments, the lateral coupling axis forms a predetermined acute angle with a radial direction that is generally transverse to the axis of rotation. Moreover, in some embodiments, the predetermined acute angle is between about 15 degrees and about 45 degrees. Further, in some embodiments, the lateral coupling axis has a transverse component that extends generally transverse to the axis of rotation and an axial component that extends generally parallel to the axis of rotation. Also, in some embodiments, the transverse component of the lateral coupling axis is greater than or equal to the axial component of the lateral coupling axis.

Further, in some embodiments, the base coupler and the agitator coupler form a T-slot coupling arrangement. In some embodiments, the base coupler includes pair of projections defining a T-shaped void that includes an axial portion extending axially between the pair of projections and a transverse portion disposed at an impeller base facing end of the base coupler, and the agitator coupler includes a pair of channels sized and configured to receive the pair of projections of the base coupler. Also, in some embodiments, each of the pair of projections is L-shaped in cross-section, and each of the pair of channels includes at least one guide ramp configured to align a respective projection of the pair of projections within the respective channel.

Some embodiments may also include a cap including a cap coupler, the cap coupler including a pair of channels sized and configured substantially similar to the pair of channels of the agitator coupler to engage the base coupler when the removable agitator is disconnected from the impeller base. In some embodiments, the removable agitator includes a storage coupler disposed at an opposite end from the agitator coupler, the storage coupler including a pair of projections sized and configured substantially similar to the pair of projections of the base coupler to engage the cap coupler when the cap is removably secured to the removable agitator. Further, in some embodiments, the cap further includes a locking mechanism including a release actuator configured to pivot about a pivot axis and operably coupled to a latch that is biased to a locking position by at least one spring, the base coupler includes a catch that engages the latch of the of the locking mechanism when the cap is secured to the impeller base to restrict removal of the cap from the impeller base along the lateral coupling axis, and actuation of the release actuator disengages the latch from the catch to permit removal of the cap from the impeller base along the lateral coupling axis.

In some embodiments, the removable agitator further includes a locking mechanism including a release actuator operably coupled to a latch that is biased to a locking position by at least one spring, the base coupler includes a catch that engages the latch of the of the locking mechanism when the removable agitator is secured to the impeller base to restrict removal of the removable agitator from the impeller base along the lateral coupling axis, and actuation of the release actuator disengages the latch from the catch to permit removal of the removable agitator from the impeller base along the lateral coupling axis. Further, in some embodiments, the locking mechanism further includes a rocker arm configured to pivot about a first pivot axis, the removable agitator is configured to pivot about a second pivot axis and is operably coupled to a first end of the rocker arm, and the latch is operably coupled to a second end of the rocker arm such that actuation of the release actuator pivots the rocker arm about the first pivot axis to disengage the latch from the catch. Also, in some embodiments, the release actuator includes a depressible release button accessible from a sidewall of the removable agitator.

In addition, some embodiments may also include a connecting structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator and configured to allow the impeller base and the removable agitator to move along the lateral coupling axis between connected and disconnected states, and a positioning structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator to limit the position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state. In some embodiments, a width of the connecting structure changes monotonically along the lateral coupling axis and increases with an increase of axial height of the connecting structure. In addition, in some embodiments, the connecting structure includes a mortise and tenon structure arranged at an axial end of the removable agitator and an axial end of the impeller base, and at least a portion of the positioning structure is located in the mortise and tenon structure.

Also, in some embodiments, the positioning structure includes a positioning hole that extends axially through the mortise and tenon structure, and a telescopic rod that selectively engages the positioning hole when switching between a positioning state and an unlocked state. In addition, in some embodiments, the positioning structure further includes a handle coupled to the telescopic rod and disposed at an opposite end of the removable agitator from the mortise and tenon structure. In some embodiments, the positioning structure further includes a spring coupled to the telescopic rod to bias the positioning structure to the positioning state.

Further, in some embodiments, the mortise and tenon structure includes a tenon coupled to the removable agitator and a mortise coupled to the impeller base. In addition, some embodiments may also include a mortise and tenon pin capable of being secured in the mortise of the impeller base when the removable agitator is disconnected from the impeller base. Further, in some embodiments, the telescopic rod is a first telescopic rod, and the mortise and tenon pin includes a pin body including a channel extending in the axial direction, and a second telescopic rod that selectively engages the positioning hole when the mortise and tenon pin is positioned in the mortise of the impeller base. Moreover, in some embodiments, the mortise and tenon pin further includes a spring coupled to the second telescopic rod to bias the second telescoping rod to engage the positioning hole when the mortise and tenon pin is positioned in the mortise of the impeller base. Further, in some embodiments, the tenon is trapezoidal in cross-section.

Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a laundry washing machine may include a housing, a wash tub disposed within the housing, an impeller base disposed within the wash tub and configured to rotate about an axial direction, a removable agitator positioned above the impeller base and removably coaxially connected to with the impeller base, a connecting structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator and configured to allow relative movement between the impeller base and the removable agitator to move in a radial direction that is generally transverse to the axial direction between connected and disconnected states, and a positioning structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator to limit the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state.

Consistent with another aspect of the invention, a laundry washing machine may include a housing, a wash tub disposed within the housing, an impeller base disposed within the wash tub and configured to rotate about an axial direction, a removable agitator positioned above the impeller base and removably coaxially connected to with the impeller base, a connecting structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator and configured to allow the impeller base and the removable agitator to move in a first direction between connected and disconnected states, where the first direction forms a predetermined acute angle with a radial direction that is generally transverse to the axial direction, and a positioning structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator to limit the position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state.

These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the Drawings, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top-load laundry washing machine consistent with some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a front-load laundry washing machine consistent with some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional vertical section of the laundry washing machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one example embodiment of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 4, illustrating assembly of the removable agitator and base member thereof with one another.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken through lines 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6, after depression of a release actuator.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7, after sliding the removable agitator off of the base member while the release actuator is depressed.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view the load agitation assembly of FIG. 3, after removal of the removable agitator and installation of the cap.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 4, illustrating assembly of the cap and base member with one another.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken through lines 12-12 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 12, after depression of a release actuator.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 13, after sliding the cap off of the base member while the release actuator is depressed.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of another example embodiment of a load agitation assembly consistent with some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 15, illustrating assembly of the removable agitator and base member thereof with one another.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the impeller base of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the removable agitator of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the removable agitator of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the mortise and tenon pin of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the mortise and tenon pin illustrated in FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the impeller base of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 15, with the mortise and tenon pin secured thereto.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of another example embodiment of a load agitation assembly consistent with some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23, illustrating assembly of the removable agitator and base member thereof with one another.

FIG. 25 is a side view of the impeller base of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the removable agitator (excluding the first telescopic rod) of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the removable agitator illustrated in FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the tenon of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the mortise and tenon pin of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of mortise and tenon pin and impeller base of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 31 is an exploded three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the mortise and tenon pin and impeller base of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the mortise and tenon pin and impeller base of the load agitation assembly of FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments consistent with the invention may be used to adapt the physical configuration of a wash tub of a laundry washing machine through selective use of a removable agitator that in some embodiments is secured to an impeller base through a lateral coupling. As will be discussed in greater detail below, a lateral coupling may be implemented in a number of different manners, and may generally allow for connection and disconnection of the removable agitator through relative movement along a lateral coupling axis that intersects the axis of rotation of the impeller base.

Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates an example laundry washing machine 10 in which the various technologies and techniques described herein may be implemented. Laundry washing machine 10 is a top-load washing machine, and as such includes a top-mounted door 12 in a cabinet or housing 14 that provides access to a vertically-oriented wash tub 16 housed within the cabinet or housing 14. Door 12 is generally hinged along a side or rear edge and is pivotable between the closed position illustrated in FIG. 1 and an opened position (not shown). When door 12 is in the opened position, clothes and other washable items may be inserted into and removed from wash tub 16 through an opening in the top of cabinet or housing 14. Control over washing machine 10 by a user is generally managed through a control panel 18 disposed on a backsplash and implementing a user interface for the washing machine, and it will be appreciated that in different washing machine designs, control panel 18 may include various types of input and/or output devices, including various knobs, buttons, lights, switches, textual and/or graphical displays, touch screens, etc. through which a user may configure one or more settings and start and stop a wash cycle.

The embodiments discussed hereinafter will focus on the implementation of the hereinafter-described techniques within a top-load residential laundry washing machine such as laundry washing machine 10, such as the type that may be used in single-family or multi-family dwellings, or in other similar applications. However, it will be appreciated that the herein-described techniques may also be used in connection with other types of laundry washing machines in some embodiments. For example, the herein-described techniques may be used in commercial applications in some embodiments. Moreover, the herein-described techniques may be used in connection with other laundry washing machine configurations. FIG. 204, for example, illustrates a front-load laundry washing machine 20 that includes a front-mounted door 22 in a cabinet or housing 24 that provides access to a horizontally-oriented wash tub 26 housed within the cabinet or housing 24, and that has a control panel 28 positioned towards the front of the machine rather than the rear of the machine as is typically the case with a top-load laundry washing machine. Implementation of the herein-described techniques within a front-load laundry washing machine would be well within the abilities of one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure, so the invention is not limited to the top-load implementation discussed further herein.

FIG. 3 functionally illustrates a number of components in laundry washing machine 10. Wash tub 16 is vertically oriented, generally cylindrical in shape, opened to the top and capable of retaining water and/or wash liquor dispensed into the washing machine. Wash tub 16 may be supported by a suspension system such as a set of support rods 30 with corresponding vibration dampening springs 32.

Disposed within wash tub 16 is a wash basket 34 that is rotatable about a generally vertical axis A by a drive system 36. Wash basket 34 is generally perforated or otherwise provides fluid communication between an interior 38 of the wash basket 34 and a space 40 between wash basket 34 and wash tub 16. Drive system 36 may include, for example, an electric motor and a transmission and/or clutch for selectively rotating the wash basket 34. In some embodiments, drive system 36 may be a direct drive system, whereas in other embodiments, a belt or chain drive system may be used.

In addition, a load agitation assembly 42 may be disposed in the interior 38 of wash basket 34 to agitate items within wash basket 34 during a washing operation. Load agitation assembly 42 may be driven by drive system 36, e.g., for rotation about the same axis as wash basket 34, and a transmission and/or clutch within drive system 36 may be used to selectively rotate load agitation assembly 42. In other embodiments, separate drive systems may be used to rotate wash basket 34 and load agitation assembly 42. As will become more apparent below, load agitation assembly 42 may include a removable agitator or post that is supported by an impeller base to enable wash cycles to be performed using either an agitator configuration or an impeller configuration.

A water inlet 44 may be provided to dispense water into wash tub 16. In some embodiments, for example, hot and cold valves 46, 48 may be coupled to external hot and cold water supplies through hot and cold inlets 50, 52, and may output to one or more nozzles 54 to dispense water of varying temperatures into wash tub 16. In addition, a pump system 56, e.g., including a pump and an electric motor, may be coupled between a low point, bottom or sump in wash tub 16 and an outlet 58 to discharge greywater from wash tub 16. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to utilize multiple nozzles 54, and in some instances, oscillating nozzles 54, such that water dispensed into the wash tub is evenly distributed over the top surface of the load. As will become more apparent below, in some instances, doing so may maximize the amount of water absorbed by the load prior to water reaching the bottom of the wash tub and being sensed by a fluid level sensor.

In some embodiments, laundry washing machine 10 may also include a dispensing system 60 configured to dispense detergent, fabric softener and/or other wash-related products into wash tub 16. Dispensing system 60 may be configured in some embodiments to dispense controlled amounts of wash-related products, e.g., as may be stored in a reservoir (not shown) in laundry washing machine 10. In other embodiments, dispensing system 60 may be used to time the dispensing of wash-related products that have been manually placed in one or more reservoirs in the machine immediately prior to initiating a wash cycle. Dispensing system 60 may also, in some embodiments, receive and mix water with wash-related products to form one or more wash liquors that are dispensed into wash tub 16. In still other embodiments, no dispensing system may be provided, and a user may simply add wash-related products directly to the wash tub prior to initiating a wash cycle.

It will be appreciated that the particular components and configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 is typical of a number of common laundry washing machine designs. Nonetheless, a wide variety of other components and configurations are used in other laundry washing machine designs, and it will be appreciated that the herein-described functionality generally may be implemented in connection with these other designs, so the invention is not limited to the particular components and configuration illustrated in FIG. 3.

Load Agitation Assembly with Removable Agitator Coupled to Impeller Base by Lateral Coupling

As noted above, in some embodiments a load agitation assembly may be provided with a removable agitator, thereby enabling a laundry washing machine to operate in multiple configurations. In a first, agitator configuration, a removable agitator or post is attached to an impeller base, such that the laundry washing machine operates in a similar manner to a laundry washing machine that includes a fixed agitator, while in a second, impeller configuration, the removable agitator is removed from the impeller base, such that the laundry washing machine operates in a similar manner to a laundry washing machine that lacks a fixed agitator, and instead relies solely on an impeller to agitate a load. The latter configuration may be better suited, for example, for large or bulky loads including as blankets, comforters, and other bed linens, although both types of configurations have other benefits and better suitability for different types of loads.

Various manners of removably coupling a removable agitator to an impeller base have been proposed, with many focusing primarily on attachment via some form of axial movement along the axis of rotation of the load agitation assembly (e.g., vertical movement in the case of a top-load washing machine). In some embodiments consistent with the invention, however, a lateral coupling may be used to removably couple a removable agitator to an impeller base. In this regard, a lateral coupling may be considered to be a coupling where movement of the removable agitator relative to the impeller base during attachment and removal of the removable agitator is along a lateral coupling axis that intersects the axis of rotation of the load agitation assembly. As will become more apparent below, a lateral coupling axis in some embodiments may be substantially transverse or perpendicular to the axis of rotation (i.e., the lateral coupling axis forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the axis of rotation), while in other embodiments, a lateral coupling axis may form an angle with the axis of rotation that is less than 90 degrees, such that there is some component of axial movement in additional to lateral movement during attachment and removal of the removable agitator. In some embodiments, for example, a lateral coupling axis may form an angle between about 45 degrees and about 90 degrees with the axis of rotation. Furthermore, in some embodiments, a transverse component of the lateral coupling axis (i.e., the component that is transverse or perpendicular to the axis of rotation) may be equal to or greater than the axial component of the lateral coupling axis (i.e., the component that is parallel to the axis of rotation).

FIGS. 4-14, for example, illustrate one embodiment of a load agitation assembly 100 in which a lateral coupling 102 between a removable agitator 104 and an impeller base 106 includes a lateral coupling axis L₁that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation R of load agitation assembly 100 (see, e.g., FIG. 5). Load agitation assembly 100 may include various components for agitating a load when rotated, including, for example, one or more vanes or fins 108 disposed on removable agitator 104, one or more vanes or fins 110 disposed on impeller base 106, and/or one or more scooping members 112 that circulate wash fluid within the wash tub. Various agitator and/or impeller designs may be used in different embodiments, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure.

Lateral coupling 102, in the illustrated embodiment, includes an agitator coupler 114 and a base coupler 116, with the agitator coupler disposed proximate a first end 118 of removable agitator 104 and the base coupler disposed at the top of impeller base 106. In addition, a release actuator 120, e.g., a button, is disposed on removable agitator 104 to allow for relative movement between removable agitator 104 and impeller base 106 along the lateral coupling axis to remove the removable agitator from the impeller base. In other embodiments, however, the release actuator may be disposed on impeller base 106.

In addition, in some embodiments, it may also be desirable to provide a cap 122 that may be secured to base coupler 116 of impeller base 106 when removable agitator 104 has been removed (as illustrated in FIG. 10). Further, in some embodiments, it may also be desirable to provide a storage coupler 124 proximate an end 126 of removable agitator 104 to allow cap 122 to be stored on removable agitator 104 when removable agitator 104 is secured to impeller base 106 (as illustrated in FIG. 4). As will become more apparent below, cap 122 includes a cap coupler 128 that is configured similarly to agitator coupler 114, and base coupler 116 and storage coupler 124 are similarly configured such that cap 122 may be secured in a similar manner to each of base coupler 116 and storage coupler 124.

With reference to FIG. 11, lateral coupling 102 utilizes a T-slot coupling arrangement, whereby base coupler 116 includes a pair of L-shaped projections 130, 132 supported by an arcuate support member 134 to define a T-shaped void including a generally disc-shaped transverse portion 136 substantially spanning a width of the base coupler and disposed at an impeller base facing end of the base coupler and a centrally-positioned axial portion 138 through which a locking mechanism (discussed below) may be disposed. L-shaped projections 130, 132 are L-shaped in cross-section, with substantially vertical faces defining the axial portion 138 and substantially horizontal faces defining the transverse portion of the T-shaped void.

With additional reference to FIG. 5, agitator coupler 114 similarly includes a pair of channels 140, 142 supported by an arcuate support member 144 and sized and configured to receive projections 130, 132 of base coupler 116. In some embodiments, one or more guide ramps may also be defined within channels 140, 142 and/or on projections 130, 132 to appropriately align the agitator and base couplers 114, 116, as well as to provide tighter fitting coupling, while still facilitating insertion of the projections 130, 132 into the channels 140, 142. With reference to FIG. 11, for example, cap coupler 128, which includes channels 146, 148 that are substantially similarly sized and configured to channels 140, 142 of agitator coupler 114, may include guide ramps on respective bottom and side surfaces of each channel 146, 148, e.g., as illustrated at 150 and 152 for channel 148. It will be appreciated that similar guide ramps may be provided in agitator coupler 114, and in other embodiments, different configurations of guide ramps or other mating surfaces may be used.

With reference to FIGS. 6-9, release actuator 120 is part of a locking mechanism 154 that releasably locks removable agitator 104 to base member 106. Release actuator 120 is pivotably mounted to a bracket 156 to pivot about a pivot axis P₁, and includes a slot 158 that receives a pin 160 of a rocker arm 162 that pivots about a pivot axis P₂. At an opposite end from pin 160 is a latch 164 that is biased to a locking position by a spring 166 to engage a catch 168 on base coupler 116 when removable agitator 104 is secured to base member 106 (as shown in FIG. 6). As such, release actuator 120 is operably coupled to latch 164 such that actuation of the release actuator disengages the latch from the catch to permit removal of the removable actuator from the impeller base along the lateral coupling axis. In addition, in this embodiment, release actuator 120 forms a depressible release button that is accessible from the sidewall of removable agitator 104, thereby enabling a user to press on the release actuator to disengage the latch from the catch.

As such, and with reference to FIG. 5, in order to attach removable agitator 104 to impeller base 106, removable agitator 104 is moved linearly along lateral coupling axis L₁to insert projections 130, 132 of base coupler 116 into channels 140, 142 of agitator coupler 114, with the guide ramps in channels 140, 142 assisting with aligning removable agitator 104 with impeller base 106. During insertion, an inclined surface 170 of latch 164 engages a surface 172 of impeller base 106 to deflect latch 164 upwardly and against the bias of spring 166 until removable agitator 104 is seated in its secured position, at which time spring 166 urges latch 164 down and into engagement with catch 168, thereby restricting removal of removable agitator 106, as illustrated in FIG. 6. It should also be noted that, at this time, arcuate support members 134, 144 on base coupler 116 and agitator coupler 114 are aligned such that substantially the entire circumference of lateral coupling 102 is interior to these support members.

Removal of removable agitator 104 from impeller base 106 is illustrated in FIGS. 7-8, and begins as illustrated in FIG. 7 by pressing on release actuator 120, causing pivoting about pivot axis P₁, and via the pin and slot coupling with rocker arm 162, causing rocker arm 162 to pivot about pivot axis P₂, and latch 164 to be urged up and away from engagement with catch 168. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 8, removable actuator 104 may be slid along lateral coupling axis L₁to separate removable agitator 104 from impeller base 106.

Now turning to FIGS. 10-14, as noted above, when removable agitator 104 is separated from impeller base 106, it may be desirable to secure a separate cap 122 to impeller base 106, both for aesthetic purposes, and for reducing the risk of catching or snagging items in a load on base coupler 116 during washing. Cap 122 includes a cap coupler 128 that is configured similarly to agitator coupler 114, and includes channels 146, 148 that are similarly sized and configured to channels 140, 142 of agitator coupler 114, and that include guide ramps on respective bottom and side surfaces of each channel 146, 148, e.g., as illustrated at 150 and 152 for channel 148.

Cap 122 also includes a locking mechanism 174 including a release actuator 176 and configured to releasably lock cap 122 to base member 106. Release actuator 176 is pivotably supported on a pair of brackets 178, 180 to pivot about a pivot axis P₃, and includes a latch 182 that is biased to a locking position by a spring 184 to engage catch 168 on base coupler 116 when cap 122 is secured to base member 106 (as shown in FIG. 12). As such, release actuator 176 is operably coupled to latch 182 such that actuation of the release actuator disengages the latch from the catch to permit removal of the cap from the impeller base along the lateral coupling axis.

With reference to FIG. 11, in order to attach cap 122 to impeller base 106, cap 122 is moved linearly along lateral coupling axis L₁to insert projections 130, 132 of base coupler 116 into channels 146, 148 of cap coupler 128, with the guide ramps in channels 146, 148 assisting with aligning cap 122 with impeller base 106. During insertion, an inclined surface 186 of latch 182 engages surface 172 of impeller base 106 to deflect latch 182 upwardly and against the bias of spring 184 until cap 122 is seated in its secured position, at which time spring 184 urges latch 182 down and into engagement with catch 168, thereby restricting removal of cap 122, as illustrated in FIG. 11. It should also be noted that, at this time, arcuate support members 134, 188 on base coupler 116 and cap coupler 122 are aligned and fully circumscribe the lateral coupling between impeller base 106 and cap 122.

Removal of cap 122 from impeller base 106 is illustrated in FIGS. 13-14, and begins as illustrated in FIG. 13 by pressing on release actuator 176, causing pivoting about pivot axis P₃, and latch 182 to be urged up and away from engagement with catch 168. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 14, cap 122 may be slid along lateral coupling axis L₁to separate cup 122 from impeller base 206.

Load Agitation Assembly with Removable Agitator Coupled to Impeller Base by Mortise and Tenon Lateral Coupling

In another embodiment, a load agitation assembly may include an impeller base capable of rotating around an axial direction and a removable agitator that is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base, and with a connecting structure and a positioning structure arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator, where the connecting structure allows relative movement along a radial direction between the impeller base and the removable agitator to connect and disconnect, and the positioning structure defines the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state.

In some embodiments, the connecting structure includes a mortise and tenon structure arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator and at the axial end of the impeller base, with the mortise and tenon joint structure located in the middle area of the impeller base, and with the mortise and tenon joint structure corresponding to the radial direction that runs through the removable agitator and the impeller base. In addition, the positioning structure includes a positioning pin and a positioning hole arranged on the outside of the mortise and tenon structure.

In some embodiments, the removable agitator includes a body having a cavity, a first telescopic rod located in the cavity and coaxially arranged with the body to be translated along the axial direction, a positioning pin connected to the first telescopic rod and protruding from the axial first end of the body, and where the tenon is used for connecting with a groove formed on the impeller base to form the connection of the mortise and tenon structure, and the tenon is axially protruding from the first end of the body, extends from one radial end of the body to the other end, and the positioning pin is positioned at the radial outward side of the tenon. In some embodiments, the tenon includes a trapezoidal portion, and the trapezoidal portion is the end of the tenon that is far away from the body at one end in the axial direction, and the trapezoidal portion is reduced from the one end to the other end in the axial direction.

In some embodiments, one axial side of the groove is the open end of the groove close to the body, and the groove increases the cross-sectional area from the open end to the closed end in the axial direction. In some embodiments, the first telescopic rod includes a handle provided with a retractable first elastic piece between the axial direction and the body, the rod body is coaxially arranged with the handle and is connected to one side of the handle away from the first elastic piece, and one end of the rod body away from the handle is connected with the positioning pin.

In some embodiments, the impeller base includes a bottom plate provided with a plurality of rotary vanes along the axial direction, connecting bumps used for detachably connecting with the removable agitator, and a plurality of rotary vanes arranged around the connecting bumps, where the connecting bumps are formed to run through the groove in the radial direction, the wall surface of the groove can be butted against the wall surface of the tenon head, and the connecting bumps are provided with the positioning holes positioned at the outside of the grooves.

In some embodiments, the impeller base further includes a mortise and tenon pin that can fill the groove and is detachably connected with the connecting bump, and in some embodiments, the mortise and tenon pin includes a pin body having a through hole along the axial direction, with a side wall of the pin body capable of being butted against the groove, a second telescopic rod penetrating through the through hole and capable of moving along the axial direction, and a second elastic piece sleeved outside the second telescopic rod and located in the through hole, with two ends of the second elastic piece being respectively abutted with the pin main body and the second telescopic rod.

In some embodiments, the wall surface adjacent to the pin body and the through hole is in the form of steps, and the second telescopic rod includes a cylinder portion, the side wall of which is provided with a protrusion that extends outward and is axially abutted to the step at one end of the wall surface, and a handle portion connected to one end of the axial direction of the cylinder portion, where the second elastic piece is sleeved outside the side wall of the cylinder portion and is abutted between the protrusion portion and the step at the other end of the wall surface.

In the aforementioned embodiments, the connecting structure allows relative movement along the radial direction between the impeller base and the removable agitator to connect and disconnect, and the positioning structure defines the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state. The removable agitator may be detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base, so that the user can disassemble or install the removable agitator on the impeller base according to the actual washing needs. The impeller base and the removable agitator may all be provided with a connecting structure and a positioning structure, so that the connection structure and the positioning structure can carry out double limiting to the connection of the impeller base and the removable agitator, and disperse the bearing resistance through the connection structure and the positioning structure, i.e., the connection structure allows relative movement along the radial direction between the impeller base and the removable agitator to connect and disconnect, so that under the restriction of the connection structure, the impeller base and the removable agitator can be connected along the radial relative motion, and the positioning structure limits the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are not easy to produce relative motion, and the connection between the removable agitator and the impeller base can be more stable, and the connection reliability of the impeller base and the removable agitator is improved.

Also, the aforementioned embodiments also provide a load washing machine including a wash basket and a load agitation assembly, the wash basket has a wash tub for accommodating clothing, is located in the wash tub, and the impeller base is connected to the bottom of the wash basket. The clothing handling equipment of the embodiment of the present invention includes a wash basket and a load agitation assembly, the impeller base is connected to the bottom of the wash basket, and when washing clothes, the impeller base rotates forward and backward and drives the removable agitator to rotate together, thereby driving the water flow in the fuselage and the movement of clothes. When the impeller base rotates forward and reverse and drives the removable agitator to rotate together, because the friction between the clothes and the removable agitator is carried out in the water, the removable agitator is subjected to a larger rotational resistance, so that the structure used for the rotation limit of the impeller base and the removable agitator is configured to bear a sufficient rotational resistance to provide a stable connection between the impeller base and the removable agitator.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a load agitation assembly 200 includes an impeller base 202 and a removable agitator 204. The impeller base 202 can rotate around the axial direction, and the removable agitator 204 is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base 202, that is, the removable agitator 204 is coaxially arranged with the impeller base 202, the removable agitator 204 is detachably connected with the impeller base 202, and in the state that the impeller base 202 is connected with the removable agitator 204, the impeller base 202 can rotate around the axial direction, and the removable agitator 204 can be driven to rotate around the axial direction together. The side wall of the removable agitator 204 is also provided with several vanes or fins, which can be kept within 360° and rotate back and forth quickly or slowly according to different clothing textures, dirty degrees, washing quality, etc., and the clothes may be rubbed back and forth in the arms to remove the stains.

A connecting structure 206 and a positioning structure 208 are arranged on the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 to realize that the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 are detachably connected. The connecting structure 206 allows the relative movement along the radial direction between the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 to connect and disconnect, and it can be understood that the connecting structure 206 allows relative movement along the radial direction between the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204, for example, when the portion of the connecting structure 206 disposed on the impeller base 202 and the portion of the connecting structure 206 disposed on the removable agitator 204 move relative along the radial direction to having an overlapping part, the impeller base 202 is connected with the removable agitator 204. When the portion of the connecting structure 206 disposed on the impeller base 202 and the portion of the connecting structure 206 disposed on the removable agitator 204 move radially to the point that there is no overlapping part, the impeller base 202 is disconnected from the removable agitator 204. The positioning structure 208 limits the radial position of the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 in the connected state, and it can be understood that when the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 are in a connected state, the relative motion between the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 can still be disconnected along the radial direction, and the positioning structure 208 can limit the relative motion of the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 along the radial direction, so as to limit the radial position of the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 in the connected state, so that the connection between the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 can be more stable, and it is not easy to produce relative motion along the radial direction.

The removable agitator of this embodiment is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base, so that the user can disassemble or install the removable agitator on the impeller base according to the actual washing needs. The impeller base and the removable agitator are all provided with a connecting structure and a positioning structure, so that the connection structure and the positioning structure can carry out double limiting to the connection of the impeller base and the removable agitator, and disperse the bearing resistance; through the connection structure and the positioning structure, that is, the connection structure allows the relative movement along the radial direction between the impeller base and the removable agitator to connect and disconnect, so that under the restriction of the connection structure, the impeller base and the removable agitator can be connected along the radial relative motion, and the positioning structure limits the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are not easy to produce relative motion, and the connection between the removable agitator and the impeller base can be more stable, and the connection reliability of the impeller base and the removable agitator is improved.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the connecting structure 206 includes a mortise and tenon structure 210 arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator 204 and at the axial end of the impeller base 202, whereby the portion of the mortise and tenon structure 210 arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator 204 and the portion of the mortise and tenon structure 210 arranged at the axial end of the impeller base 202 can be connected and disconnected, the mortise and tenon structure 210 is located in the middle area of the impeller base 202, so that the removable agitator 204 is connected in the middle area of the impeller base 202 through the mortise and tenon structure 210, and when used in the load washing machine, the removable agitator 204 is positioned in the middle area of the wash basket, so that when washing clothes, the friction force between the clothes in the wash basket and the removable agitator 204 is relatively uniform. The mortise and tenon joint structure 210 corresponds to the radial direction that penetrates through the removable agitator 204 and the impeller base 202, that is, the mortise and tenon joint structure 210 corresponds to the radial direction of the overall structure formed through the removable agitator 204 and the impeller base 202, for example, the mortise and tenon joint structure 210 of the removable agitator 204 penetrates radially through the tenon and tenon joint structure 210 of the removable agitator 202 along the radial direction, so that the relative movement along the radial direction between the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 is realized. With further reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, the positioning structure 208 includes a positioning pin 212 and a positioning hole 214, the positioning pin 212 and the positioning hole 214 are arranged on the outside of the mortise and tenon joint structure 210, and the positioning pin 212 can be inserted into the positioning hole 214, thereby limiting the radial position of the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 in the connected state.

The mortise and tenon joint connection is a concave-convex connection method adopted on two components. The protruding part is generally referred to as a tenon, and the concave part is generally referred to as a mortise, and the mortise and tenon are occluded to play a connecting role. The mortise and tenon structure is a combination of mortise and tenon, which can effectively limit the twisting of connected pieces in all directions. The most basic mortise and tenon structure consists of two members, one of which is inserted into the socket of the other, so that the two members are connected and fixed. The part of the tenon that protrudes into the mortise is called the tongue, and the rest is called the shoulder.

The connecting structure of the illustrated embodiment includes a mortise and tenon joint structure arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator and the axial end of the impeller base, and the mortise and tenon joint structure corresponds to the radial direction that penetrates the removable agitator and the impeller base, so that the impeller base and the removable agitator can move relative along the radial direction, so as to realize the connection and disengagement connection between the impeller base and the removable agitator; the positioning structure includes a positioning pin and a positioning hole, that is, the positioning pin can be inserted into the positioning hole, thereby limiting the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are not easy to produce relative motion, and the connection between the removable agitator and the impeller base can be more stable, and the connection reliability of the impeller base and the removable agitator has been improved.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the removable agitator 204 includes a body 216, a first telescopic rod 218 and a tenon 220. Body 216 includes a cavity 222, first telescopic rod 218 is located in the cavity 222, the first telescopic rod 218 is coaxially arranged with the body 216, and the first telescopic rod 218 can produce relative translation with the body 216 along the axial direction. The positioning pin 212 is connected to the first telescopic rod 218, so the positioning pin 212 can produce relative translation along the axial direction with the first telescopic rod 218; the positioning pin 212 protrudes from the first end 224 of the axial direction of the body 216, and the first end 224 refers to one end of the body 216 that is close to the impeller base 202 along the axial direction; the tenon 220 is used for connecting with a groove 226 formed on the impeller base 202 to form a mortise and tenon structure 210, that is, tenon 220 slides into groove 226 along radial direction, thereby connects into the connection of mortise and tenon structure 210; tenon 220 axially protrudes to the first end 224 of body 216 and is arranged, tenon 220 extends from one radial end of body 216 to the other end, and positioning pin 212 is positioned at tenon 220 radial outward.

The removable agitator of the illustrated embodiment includes a body, the first telescopic rod and the tenon, the first telescopic rod can produce relative translation with the body along the axial direction, the positioning pin is connected to the first telescopic rod, so the positioning pin can produce relative translation along the axial direction with the body along the axial direction along with the first telescopic rod, and the tenon is used for being connected with the groove that is formed on the impeller base to form the connection of a mortise and tenon structure. For example, when the removable agitator is installed on the impeller base, the first telescopic rod may be pulled to drive the positioning pin to move in the direction away from the impeller base together, so that the positioning pin does not interfere with the radial sliding of the tenon. After the mortise and tenon structure is connected in place, the first telescopic rod can be released and the positioning pin can be inserted into the positioning hole to limit the radial position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state, and is installed in place simultaneously. Therefore, when the removable agitator is disassembled from the impeller base or the removable agitator is installed on the impeller base, the first telescopic rod can be pulled in the direction far away from the impeller base to drive the positioning pin to move in the direction away from the impeller base together, so that the positioning pin will not interfere with the connection and disassembly of the mortise and tenon joint structure.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, the tenon 220 includes a trapezoidal portion 228, the trapezoidal portion 228 is an end of the tenon 220 away from the body 216 at one end in the axial direction, the trapezoidal portion 228 is the end that the tenon 220 is connected with the body 216 at the other end in the axial direction, the trapezoidal portion 228 decreases from one end to the other end in the axial direction, and correspondingly, the groove 226 formed on the impeller base 202 increases the cross-sectional area from one end close to the removable agitator 204 to the other end away from the removable agitator 204 in the axial direction, so that when the tenon 220 is connected with the groove 226 that is formed on the impeller base 202 to form the connection of a mortise and tenon structure 210, that is, after the tenon 220 slides into the groove 226 along the radial direction and cooperates with the groove 226, the tenon 220 is not easy to move along the axial direction and detach, specifically, when the tenon 220 moves along the direction of the open end of the groove 226 axially, because the cross-sectional area of the groove 226 gradually decreases with the proximity to the open end, the groove 226 causes the axial movement restriction to the part of the relatively larger cross-sectional area of the tenon 220, so that the tenon 220 cannot move along the axial direction and is confined in the groove 226. Moreover, after the tenon 220 slides into the groove 226 along the radial direction and cooperates with the groove 226, the removable agitator 204 and the impeller base 202 are also difficult to rotate along the circumferential direction under the connection of the mortise and tenon structure 210.

The tenon of the illustrated embodiment includes a trapezoidal part, the trapezoidal part is from one end to the other end in the axial direction, the cross- sectional area is reduced, correspondingly, the groove that is set up on the impeller base is axial from one end close to the removable agitator to the other end away from the removable agitator, and the cross-sectional area increases, so that when the tenon moves along the direction of the axial groove opening end, because the cross-sectional area of the groove gradually decreases with the proximity to the open end, the groove causes the axial movement restriction to the part of the tenon cross-sectional area that is relatively larger, so that the tenon cannot move along the axial direction and is confined in the groove, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are restricted in the axial direction.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, one end of the groove 226 in the axial direction is the open end of the groove 226 close to the body 216, and the cross-sectional area of the groove 226 increases from the open end to the closed end in the axial direction. That is to say, the cross-sectional area of groove 226 at the open end of the axial direction is smaller, and the cross-sectional area of the closed end in the axial direction is larger, so that when the tenon 220 is connected with the groove 226 that is formed on the impeller base 202 to form the connection of tenon and tenon structure 210, that is, after the tenon 220 slides into the groove 226 along the radial direction and is matched with the groove 226, the tenon 220 is not easy to move along the axial direction and detached, specifically, when the tenon 220 moves along the direction of the open end of the axial groove 226, because the cross-sectional area of the groove 226 gradually decreases with the close to the open end, the groove 226 causes the axial movement restriction to the part of the relatively larger cross-sectional area of the tenon 220, thereby the tenon 220 cannot move axially and is confined in the groove 226.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, the first telescopic rod 218 includes a handle 230 and a rod body 232. Wherein, the handle 230 is provided with a retractable first elastic piece 234 between the axial direction and the body 216, for example, the first elastic piece 234 may be a spring, etc.; the rod body 232 is coaxially arranged with the handle 230 and is connected to one side of the handle 230 that is far away from the first elastic piece 234, and one end of the rod body 232, away from the handle 230, is connected with a positioning pin 212. Wherein, when the removable agitator 204 is connected with the impeller base 202, the first elastic piece 234 is in a compressed state initially, the first elastic piece 234 resists the first telescopic rod 218 so that the positioning pin 212 is stably inserted into the positioning hole 214, so as to limit the radial position of the impeller base 202 and the removable agitator 204 in the connected state, so that the removable agitator 204 and the impeller base 202 are stably connected; when the removable agitator 204 is disassembled from the impeller base 202 or the removable agitator 204 is installed on the impeller base 202, the first telescopic rod 218 can be pulled in the direction away from the impeller base 202 to drive the positioning pin 212 to move together in the direction away from the impeller base 202, and the first elastic piece 234 is further compressed at this moment, and when the mortise and tenon joint structure 210 is installed or disassembled in place, release the first telescopic rod 218, the first elastic piece 234 reverts to its original state, and resists the first telescopic rod 218, so that the positioning pin 212 is inserted into the positioning hole 214, and the removable agitator 204 is installed in place; or the mortise and tenon structure 210 releases the first telescopic rod 218 after dismantling, and the disassembly is completed simultaneously.

The first telescopic rod in the illustrated embodiment includes a handle and a rod body, the handle is provided with a retractable first elastic piece between the axial direction and the body, when the removable agitator is connected with the impeller base, the initial state of the first elastic piece is a compression state, the first elastic piece resists the first telescopic rod and makes the positioning pin stably inserted into the positioning hole, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are stably connected; when the removable agitator is removed from the impeller base or the removable agitator is installed on the impeller base, the first telescopic rod can be pulled in the direction away from the impeller base to drive the positioning pin to move in the direction away from the impeller base together, the first elastic piece is further compressed at this moment, and when the mortise and tenon joint structure is installed or disassembled in place, the first telescopic rod is released, the first elastic piece returns to its original state, and resists the first telescopic rod, so that the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, and the removable agitator is installed in place.

The resistance of the first elastic piece ensures that the removable agitator and the impeller base can be stably connected in the axial direction, and when the mortise and tenon joint structure is installed or disassembled in place, the first telescopic rod that is pulled can be restored to its original state under the resistance of the first elastic piece in order to avoid the positioning pin from interfering with the connection of the mortise and tenon joint structure, and the positioning pin and the positioning hole can also be installed or disassembled in place.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 17, the impeller base 202 includes a bottom plate 236 and a connecting bump 238. Wherein, the bottom plate 236 is provided with a plurality of rotary vanes 240 along the axial direction, and the plurality of rotary vanes 240 is uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction, and when the impeller base 202 rotates, the plurality of rotary vanes 240 increases the friction force between the clothing and the impeller base 202, so that the clothes and the impeller base 202 are rubbed and decontaminated and cleaned. The connecting bump 238 is positioned at the center position of the impeller base 202, the connecting bump 238 is used for detachably connecting with the removable agitator 204, and a plurality of rotary vanes 240 are arranged around the connecting bump 238. The connecting bump 238 is formed to run through the radial groove 226, and the wall surface of the groove 226 can be butted against the wall surface of the tenon 220, so that the circumferential rotation of the tenon 220 relative to the impeller base 202 is limited; the connecting bump 238 is provided with a positioning hole 214 located on the outside of the groove 226, and the positioning hole 214 includes a plurality, such as two, and the two positioning holes 214 are located at two sides of the groove 226.

The impeller base of the embodiment of the present invention includes a bottom plate and a connecting bump, and a plurality of rotary vanes increase the frictional force between the clothing and the impeller base, so that the clothing and the wavy wheel are rubbed and decontaminated and cleaned; the connecting bump is provided with the groove that penetrates the radial direction, and the wall surface of the groove can be butted against the tenon wall, thereby limiting the circumferential rotation of the tenon relative to the impeller base. The movement of the tenon in the axial direction is also limited by itself, the positioning hole that is positioned at the outside of the groove is arranged on the connecting bump, when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole, the radial movement of the tenon relative to the groove can be limited, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are restricted in the circumferential, axial, radial directions, and the friction between the clothes and the removable agitator is carried out in water, cause the greater rotational resistance that the removable agitator is subjected to is borne by the mortise and tenon structure, and the mortise and tenon joint structure has sufficient structural strength, so that the connection between the impeller base and the removable agitator is more stable, and in fact the radial force that the removable agitator is subjected to along the groove extension direction is smaller, so the positioning structure that the positioning pin and the positioning hole are connected is enough to support the connection of the removable agitator and the impeller base.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 20, the impeller base 202 further includes a mortise and tenon pin 242 that functions as a cap, and the mortise and tenon pin 242 can be fit within groove 226 and is detachably connected with the connecting bump 238, so that when the removable agitator is removed, the gap generated on the impeller base can be inserted by the mortise and tenon pin in a detachable manner, so as to prevent the gap from being wrapped around the clothes.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the mortise and tenon pin 242 includes a pin body 244, a second telescopic rod 246 and a second elastic piece 248. The shape of the mortise and tenon pin 242 is similar to the structure of the tenon. Wherein, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 22, the pin body 244 has a through hole 250 along the axial direction, the side wall of the pin body 244 can be countered with the groove 226, thereby limiting the circumferential rotation of the pin body relative to the impeller base, so that the pin body moves stably along the radial direction relative to the impeller base; the second telescopic rod 246 penetrates through the through hole 250 and can move along the axial direction; the second elastic piece 248 is sleeved outside the second telescopic rod 246 and is located in the through hole 250, the two ends of the second elastic piece 248 are respectively butted with the pin main body 244 and the second telescopic rod 246, the second elastic piece 248 is in a compression state in the initial state, and the counteracting pin main body 244 and the second telescopic rod 248 are in the initial position. When the second telescopic rod 246 moves along the axial direction, the second elastic piece 248 is driven to move and is further compressed, and when the second telescopic rod 246 is released, the second elastic piece 248 recovers and drives the second telescopic rod 246 to return to the initial state together. When the pin body 244 and the second telescopic rod 246 are in the initial position, the second telescopic rod 246 protrudes from one end of the pin body 244 close to the impeller base 202, and the part of the second telescopic rod 246 protruding from the pin body 244 can be inserted into the central hole of the impeller base 202 to limit the relative motion of the impeller base 202 and the mortise and tenon pin 242 along the radial direction, so as to limit the radial position of the impeller base 202 and the mortise and tenon pin 242 in the connected state. When installing or disassembling the mortise and tenon pin 242, the second telescopic rod 246 is pulled along the direction far away from the impeller base 202 first, so that the second telescopic rod 246 does not protrude from the pin main body 244, and then the pin main body 244 is installed in the groove 226 along the radial sliding.

The mortise and tenon pin of the embodiment of the illustrated embodiment includes a pin body. The second telescopic rod and the second elastic piece, the side wall of the pin main body can be butted against the groove, so that the circumferential rotation of the pin main body relative to the impeller base is limited, so that the pin main body moves stably along the radial direction relative to the impeller base. The second telescopic rod protrudes from one end of the pin main body close to the impeller base, and the part of the second telescopic rod protruding from the pin main body can be inserted into the central hole of the impeller base to limit the relative motion of the impeller base and the mortise and tenon pin along the radial direction, so as to limit the radial position of the impeller base and the mortise and tenon pin in the connected state. The resistance of the second elastic piece ensures that the mortise and tenon and the impeller base can be stably connected in the axial direction, and when the pin body is installed or disassembled in place, in order to avoid the protruding part of the second telescopic rod to interfere with the connection of the pin body and the groove, the second telescopic rod that is pulled can be restored to its original state under the pressure of the second elastic piece, and the protruding part of the second telescopic rod and the central hole of the impeller base can also be installed or disassembled in place.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the wall surface adjacent to the pin body 244 and the through hole 250 is in the form of steps, and the second telescopic rod 246 includes a cylinder portion 252 and a handle portion 254. The side wall of the cylinder portion 252 is provided with a protrusion 256 extending outward, the protrusion 256 is axially connected to the step at one end of the wall surface adjacent to the pin body 244 and the through hole 250, the steps of the wall surface adjacent to the pin body 244 and the through hole 250 are at two ends in the axial direction, therefore, the second telescopic rod 246 moves in the space at two ends of the steps of the wall surface adjacent to the pin body 244 and the through hole 250 under the restriction of the protrusion 256; the handle portion 254 is connected to one end of the cylinder portion 252 that is far away from the impeller base 202 in the axial direction of the cylinder portion 252, and the handle portion 254 is pulled to drive the cylinder portion 252 and the protrusion portion 256 to move together in the axial direction. The second elastic piece 248 is sleeved outside the side wall of the cylinder portion 252, and the second elastic piece 248 is butted between the protruding portion 256 and the step at the other end, that is, the second elastic piece 248 is located in the two end spaces at the steps of the wall surface adjacent to the pin body 244 and the through hole 250.

The second telescopic rod of the illustrated embodiment includes a cylinder portion and a handle portion, the side wall of the cylinder portion is provided with a protrusion that extends outward, the protrusion portion is axially abutted to the step of one end of the wall surface adjacent to the pin main body and the through hole, the second elastic piece is abutted between the protrusion portion and the step of the other end of the wall surface adjacent to the through hole, so that the second elastic piece is stably in the initial position by resisting the protrusion portion thereby resisting the cylinder body portion, and so that the portion of the cylinder portion protruding from the pin main body can be stably inserted into the central hole of the impeller base, thereby realizing the stable limit. The setting of the handle portion is convenient for being used for holding the handle portion to pull the cylinder portion to move along the axial direction.

Load Agitation Assembly with Removable Agitator Coupled to Impeller Base by Acute Angle Lateral Coupling

In some embodiments of the invention, a load agitation assembly may include an impeller base that can rotate around an axial direction, and a removable agitator that is positioned above the impeller base and is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base. A connecting structure and a positioning structure are arranged on the impeller base and the removable agitator. The connecting structure allows the movement between the impeller base and the removable agitator along the first direction to connect and disconnect and the positioning structure limits the position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state. The first direction corresponds to the radial direction that runs through the impeller base and the removable agitator, and the angle between the first direction and the radial direction is a first preset acute angle.

In some embodiments, the first preset angle is between 15 degrees and 45 degrees. In some embodiments, the width of the connecting structure changes monotonically along the first direction and increases with the increase of the axial height of the connecting structure, and the direction where the width is located is perpendicular to the first direction. In some embodiments, the connecting structure includes a mortise and tenon structure arranged at an axial end of the removable agitator and at an axial end of the impeller base, and the positioning structure is located in the corresponding mortise and tenon structure.

In some embodiments, the removable agitator includes a body, which has a cavity extending axially in the body, and a tenon used for forming a connection of the mortise and tenon structure with the groove formed on the impeller base. The tenon is arranged along the axial protrusion at the first end of the body, and an end face of the tenon is far away from the body and extends along the first direction. The inside of the tenon is provided with a through hole that extends axially and communicates with the cavity, and a first telescopic rod can move along the cavity and the through hole to switch between a positioning state protruding over the tenon and an unlocking state in the retracted through hole or cavity; wherein in the positioning state, the part of the first telescopic rod protruding from the tenon and the positioning hole formed in the groove of the impeller base forms the connection of the positioning structure.

In some embodiments, the tenon is at one end of the axial direction and the tenon is the end of the tenon that is far away from the body, the tenon decreases the cross-sectional area from the one end to the other end in the axial direction, the groove is the open end of the groove close to the body at one end in the axial direction and the groove is the butting end of the groove far away from the body at the other end of the axial direction, and the area of the cross-sectional perpendicular to the axial direction increases from the open end to the butting end.

In some embodiments, the first telescopic rod includes a handle is arranged axially protruding from the second end of the body, the rod body is located in the cavity, is coaxially arranged with the handle and moves in the cavity and the through hole, and one end of the rod body is far away from the handle to form a positioning structure of the removable agitator, and the handle is provided with a buckle structure to be detachably connected with the body.

In some embodiments, the impeller base includes a bottom plate, and the bottom plate is provided with a plurality of rotary vanes along the axial direction, the connecting projections are used for detachably connecting with the removable agitator, the rotating vanes are arranged around the connecting projections, the top end of the connecting projections is formed to penetrate the groove of the connecting projections along the first direction, the wall surface of the groove can be abutted with the wall surface of the tenon head, and the connecting projections are provided with the positioning structure that extends axially along the bottom of the groove.

In some embodiments, the impeller base further includes a mortise and tenon pin that can fill the groove and is detachably connected with the connecting bump. In some embodiments, the mortise and tenon pin includes a pin main body inside and a channel through the axial direction, and the pin main body can be butted against the wall surface of the groove. In addition, a second telescopic rod can penetrate the channel and move along the channel to highlight the pin main body and be connected with the positioning structure at the bottom of the groove, and retract the channel and disconnect from the positioning structure.

In the aforementioned embodiments, the connecting structure allows the impeller base and the removable agitator to move along a first direction to connect and disconnect, the positioning structure limits the position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the connected state, the first direction corresponds to the radial direction that runs through the impeller base and the removable agitator, and the angle between the first direction and the radial direction is a first preset acute angle. The removable agitator is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base, so that the user can disassemble or install the removable agitator on the impeller base according to the actual washing needs, e.g., when the removable agitator and the impeller base are disassembled, the positioning structure is first disassembled, and then the connection structure is disassembled, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base can move along the first direction to disconnect from the connection. Because the angle between the first direction and the radial direction of the impeller base and the removable agitator is a first preset acute angle, the removable agitator can move diagonally upwards or obliquely downwards relative to the impeller base, and when the removable agitator is disassembled, the user can exert an oblique force upward to pull the removable agitator to move, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are disconnected. At this time, because the removable agitator moves obliquely upward, the movement space of the removable agitator is larger, and it is less likely to be limited by the wall of the wash basket, so that the disassembly of the removable agitator and the impeller base is convenient, and when the user pulls it by hand, the removable agitator is pulled obliquely upwards to facilitate the human muscle to exert force, and conforms to the setting of human body mechanics. When the removable agitator and the impeller base are installed, the user can apply an oblique downward force to promote the movement of the removable agitator, so that the removable agitator is connected with the impeller base, and the gravity of the removable agitator also makes itself have a downward trend, so that the installation of the removable agitator and the impeller base is also convenient. Through the joint action of the connecting structure and the positioning structure, the connection between the impeller base and the removable agitator can be made stable, so that when the impeller base drives the removable agitator to rotate together, the structure used for the limit of the impeller base and the removable agitator is not easy to break, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base can be stably limited and rotate together.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and FIG. 24, a load agitation assembly 300 may include an impeller base 302 and a removable agitator 304. The impeller base 302 can rotate around the axial direction, and the axial direction is as shown in the L₂direction shown in FIG. 24. The removable agitator 304 is located above the impeller base 302 and is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base 302, that is, the removable agitator 304 is coaxially arranged with the impeller base 302, the removable agitator 304 is detachably connected with the impeller base 302, and in the state that the impeller base 302 is connected with the removable agitator 304, the impeller base 302 can rotate around the axial direction, and the removable agitator 304 can be driven to rotate around the axial direction together. The side wall of the removable agitator 304 is also provided with several vanes or fins, which can be kept within 360° and rotate back and forth quickly or slowly according to different clothing textures, dirty degrees, washing quality, etc., and the clothes are rubbed back and forth to remove stains.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, a connecting structure 306 and a positioning structure 308 are arranged on the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 to realize that the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 are detachably connected. The connecting structure 306 allows the movement between the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 to be connected and disconnected along the first direction, and the first direction is the L₃direction shown in FIG. 24. The connecting structure 306 arranged on the impeller base 302 and the connecting structure 306 arranged on the removable agitator 304 are matched with each other and are detachably connected, so that the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 are detachably connected. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the positioning structure 308 limits the position of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 in the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 in the connection state, it can be understood that when the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 is in the connected state, the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 can still move along the first direction to disconnect, and the positioning structure 308 can limit the position of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 in the connection state of the connecting structure 306, so that when the positioning structure 308 is limited in place, the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 can no longer move along the first direction to disconnect, so that the connection between the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 can be more stable, and it is not easy to produce relative motion along the first direction.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the first direction corresponds to the radial direction that runs through the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304, and the first direction correspondingly refers to the radial direction that the portion of the connecting structure 306 arranged on the impeller base 302 runs through the impeller base 302, and the portion of the connecting structure 306 disposed on the removable agitator 304 runs through the radial direction of the removable agitator 304. The angle between the first direction and the radial direction is the first preset acute angle, the radial direction is the L₄direction shown in FIG. 24, and the first preset acute angle is the θ angle shown in FIG. 24. When disassembling the removable agitator 304, the user can exert an oblique upward force to pull the removable agitator 304 to move, so that the removable agitator 304 is disconnected from the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302; when the removable agitator 304 and the impeller base 302 are installed, the user can apply the force obliquely downward to promote the movement of the removable agitator 304, so that the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the removable agitator 304 is connected with the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302.

The removable agitator of the embodiment of the present invention is detachably coaxially connected with the impeller base, so that the user can disassemble or install the removable agitator on the impeller base according to the actual washing needs; for example, when the removable agitator and the impeller base are disassembled, the positioning structure is first disassembled, and then the connection structure is disassembled, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base can move along the first direction to disconnect from the connection. Because the angle between the first direction and the radial direction of the impeller base and the removable agitator is the first preset acute angle, then, the removable agitator can move diagonally upwards or obliquely downwards relative to the impeller base, the circumferential side of the removable agitator is provided with a wash basket, and when the removable agitator is disassembled, the user can exert the force of oblique upward to pull the removable agitator to move, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are disconnected. In addition, at this time, due to the oblique upward movement of the removable agitator, the movement space of the removable agitator is larger, so it is not easy to be limited by the wall of the wash basket, which is convenient for the disassembly of the removable agitator and the impeller base, and when the user pulls it by hand, the oblique upward pull of the removable agitator is convenient for the human muscle to exert force, which conforms to the setting of human body mechanics. When the removable agitator and the impeller base are installed, the user can apply an oblique downward force to promote the movement of the removable agitator, so that the removable agitator is connected with the impeller base, and the gravity of the removable agitator also makes itself have a downward trend, so that the installation of the removable agitator and the impeller base is also convenient. Through the joint action of the connecting structure and the positioning structure, the connection between the impeller base and the removable agitator can be made stable, so that when the impeller base drives the removable agitator to rotate together, the structure used for the limit of the impeller base and the removable agitator is not easy to break, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base can be stably limited and rotate together.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the first preset angle θ is between about 15 degrees and about 45 degrees. For example, the first preset angle θ can be about 25 degrees. The first preset angle θ should not be too small, otherwise it may cause the user to pull out the removable agitator 304 roughly along the radial direction when disassembling and assembling the removable agitator 304 and the impeller base 302, so that the user is easily restricted by the wall of the laundry bucket when disassembling and assembling the removable agitator, so that it is inconvenient for the user to operate; the first preset angle θ should not be too large, otherwise when the removable agitator 304 is connected with the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302, the removable agitator 304 has a tendency to move to one side along the first direction, for example, the low side of the first direction in the transverse direction, thereby causing the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the removable agitator 304 and the impeller base 302 to be difficult to maintain balance when it is connected, and also have a strong movement tendency. If the first preset angle θ is too large, and the connecting structure 306 is set too steeply, the force required for the positioning structure 308 to overcome the gravity effect to realize the positioning of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 is also large, therefore, after long-term use, it is easy to cause the positioning structure to break and fail.

The illustrated embodiment may have a certain tendency of oblique downward movement relative to the impeller base, but because the size of the first preset angle is smaller, the force that needs to be borne when positioning structure positioning is also smaller, and the positioning structure can better keep the position of removable agitator and impeller base when it is in connection with the connected state, so that removable agitator and impeller base can be easily maintained at the position when it is in connection state, and so that the removable agitator and impeller base are convenient to disassemble and assemble at the same time, and its connection strength is also more reliable.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the width of the connecting structure 306 changes monotonically along the first direction, and the monotonic change means that the width of the connecting structure 306 increases or decreases all the way along the first direction, but the change value is not constant. The width of the connecting structure 306 increases with the increase of the axial height of the connecting structure 306, and the direction where the width is located is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction can be roughly understood as the length extension direction of the connecting structure 306, and the direction where the width is located is the Ls direction shown in FIG. 25. It can be understood that the connecting structure 306 is in the high position in the axial direction, and its width is larger, and the connecting structure 306 is in the low position in the axial direction, and its width is smaller. When installing the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304, the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the removable agitator 304 can only be inserted into the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302 from the end of the larger width, that is, it can only be installed from the high position of the connecting structure 306 in the axial direction to the low position, that is, the oblique downward movement is installed, until it moves to the end of the smaller width, the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the removable agitator 304 can no longer move, so that the removable agitator 304 can be connected to the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302 in place, and the balance of the oblique downward movement of the removable agitator 304 can be maintained. When the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 are disassembled, the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the removable agitator 304 moves from the end with a smaller width to the end with a larger width, thereby detaching from the portion of the connecting structure 306 of the impeller base 302, that is, from the low position of the connecting structure 306 in the axial direction to the high position, that is, the oblique upward movement is carried out for disassembly.

The width of the connecting structure of the illustrated embodiment is smaller at the low end of the axial direction, and the removable agitator can be limited relative to the tendency of the impeller base to move obliquely downward, and the balance when the connecting structure of the removable agitator and the impeller base is connected to the position is guaranteed to a certain extent.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the connecting structure 306 includes a mortise and tenon structure 310 including portions arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator 304 and at the axial end of the impeller base 302, whereby the portion of the mortise and tenon structure 310 arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator 304 and the portion of the mortise and tenon structure 310 arranged at the axial end of the impeller base 302 can be connected and disconnected, the mortise and tenon structure 310 is located in the middle area of the impeller base 302, so that the removable agitator 304 is connected in the middle area of the impeller base 302 through the mortise and tenon structure 310, and when used in a laundry washing machine, the removable agitator 304 is positioned in the middle area of the wash basket, so that when washing clothes, the friction force between the clothes in the wash basket and the removable agitator 304 is relatively uniform. Combined with FIGS. 25 and 26, the positioning structure 308 is located in the corresponding mortise and tenon structure 310, that is, the positioning structure 308 is distributed in the range of the mortise and tenon structure 310, then when the impeller base 302 is connected to the portion of the mortise and tenon structure 310 of the removable agitator 304 in place, the positioning structure 308 can be installed in place, so that the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 can be positioned in the range of the mortise and tenon structure 310, so that the position of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 in the connection state of the mortise and tenon structure 310 is limited.

The mortise and tenon joint connection in the illustrated embodiment is a concave-convex connection adopted on two components. The protruding part is generally referred to as a tenon, and the concave part is generally referred to as a mortise, and the mortise and tenon are occluded to play a connecting role. The mortise and tenon structure is a combination of mortise and tenon, which can effectively limit the twisting of connected pieces in all directions. The most basic mortise and tenon structure consists of two members, one of which is inserted into the socket of the other, so that the two members are connected and fixed. The part of the tenon that protrudes into the mortise is called the tongue, and the rest is called the shoulder.

The connecting structure of the illustrated embodiment includes a mortise and tenon joint structure arranged at the axial end of the removable agitator and the axial end of the impeller base, so that the impeller base and the removable agitator can move relative along the first direction, so as to realize the connection and disconnection between the impeller base and the removable agitator. The mortise and tenon structure connection makes the overall structure of the impeller base and the removable agitator more firm. The positioning structure is located in the corresponding mortise and tenon joint structure, thereby limiting the position of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the mortise and tenon joint structure connection state, so that the removable agitator and the removable agitator are restricted from producing relative motion in the first direction, such that the connection between the removable agitator and the impeller base can be more stable. The positioning structure is located in the corresponding mortise and tenon structure, so that the connection strength of the removable agitator and the impeller base is more reliable and can withstand greater rotational resistance.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the removable agitator 304 includes a body 312, a first telescopic rod 314 and a tenon 316. The tenon 316 can be detachably connected with the body 312 to replace the tenon 316 of suitable size. As shown in FIG. 24, the body 312 has a cavity 318 extending axially. The tenon 316 is used for forming a connection of the mortise and tenon structure 310 with a groove 320 formed on the impeller base 302, that is, the tenon 316 slides into the groove 320 along the first direction, thereby connecting into the connection of the mortise and tenon structure 310. The tenon 316 is arranged along the axial protrusion from a first end 322 of the body 312 that is close to the impeller base 302 along the axial direction, and an end face S of the tenon 316 away from the body 312 extends along the first direction. With reference to FIGS. 25 and 28, a through hole 324 extends axially and communicates with the cavity 318, and is arranged inside the tenon 316, and the through hole 324 runs through the tenon 316. The first telescopic rod 314 can move along the cavity 318 and the through hole 324 to switch between a positioning state protruding in the tenon 316 and an unlocked state in through hole 324 or cavity 318. A tubular structure 326 can be arranged in the cavity 318, so that the first telescopic rod 314 moves in the tubular structure 326, so that the motion of the first telescopic rod 314 is guided. In the positioning state, the part of the first telescopic rod 314 protruding from the tenon 316 forms a connection with a positioning hole 328 formed in the groove 320 of the impeller base 302. It can be understood that when in the positioning state, the first telescopic rod 314 passes through the cavity 318 and the through hole 324 and protrudes from the tenon 316 to be received in the positioning hole 328, thereby limiting the position of the mortise and tenon structure 310 of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 in the connected state. When in the unlocked state, the first telescopic rod 314 is retracted into the through hole 324 or the cavity 318, the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 are not limited by the positioning structure 308 at this moment, and the portions of the mortise and tenon joint structure 310 of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 can move along the first direction to connect and disconnect.

The removable agitator of the illustrated embodiment includes a body, a first telescopic rod and a tenon used for the connection with a groove that is formed on the impeller base to form a mortise and tenon structure. The mortise and tenon structure connection firmly connects the impeller base and the removable agitator, and the first telescopic rod can move along the cavity and the through hole to switch between the positioning state that protrudes in the tenon and tenon and the unlocked state in the retracted through hole or the cavity. In the positioning state, the part of the first telescopic rod that protrudes from the tenon forms a connection with the positioning hole that is formed in the groove inside the impeller base. Thus, through the back and forth expansion and contraction of the first telescopic rod along the axial direction, the positioning of the impeller base and the removable agitator in the mortise and tenon joint structure connection state can be controlled, the structure is simple, and the operation is convenient.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the tenon 316 is positioned away from the body 312 at one end in the axial direction, and is connected with the body 312 at the other end in the axial direction, and the cross-sectional area of the tenon 316 decreases from one end to the other end in the axial direction. As also illustrated in FIG. 25, an open end 330 of the groove 320 is close to the body 312 in the axial direction, and another end 332 of the groove 320 is far away from the body 312 in the axial direction, and the area of the cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction increases from the open end 330 to the axially opposed end 332. That is to say, the cross-sectional area of groove 320 at the open end 330 in the axial direction is smaller, and the cross-sectional area of the end 332 in the axial direction is larger, so that when the tenon 316 is connected with the groove 320 that is formed on the impeller base 302 to form the connection of mortise and tenon structure 310, that is, after the tenon 316 slides obliquely into the groove 320 along the first direction and is matched with the groove 320, the tenon 316 is not easy to move along the axial direction and is detached, specifically, when the tenon 316 moves along the direction of the open end 330 of the groove 320, because the cross-sectional area of the groove 320 gradually decreases with the proximity to the open end 330, the groove 320 causes the axial movement restriction to the part with the relatively larger cross-sectional area of the tenon 316, thereby the tenon 316 cannot move axially and is confined in the groove 320.

The tenon of the illustrated embodiment is from one end far away from the body to the other end in the axial direction, and the cross-sectional area decreases. Correspondingly, the groove formed on the impeller base is axially from one end close to the removable agitator to the other end away from the removable agitator, and the cross-sectional area increases, so that when the tenon moves along the axial direction to the open end of the groove, because the cross-sectional area of the groove gradually decreases with the proximity to the open end, the groove causes the axial movement restriction to the part of the tenon cross-sectional area that is relatively larger, so that the tenon cannot move along the axial direction and is confined in the groove, and so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are restricted in the axial direction.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 24-26, the first telescopic rod 314 includes a handle 334 and a rod body 336. The handle 334 is arranged axially protruding from a second end 338 of the body 312, the second end 338 being an end of the body 312 that is axially away from the impeller base 302. The rod body 336 is located in the cavity 318, is coaxially arranged with the handle 334 and moves in the cavity 318 and the through hole 324, and one end of the rod body 336 is far away from the handle 334 to form the portion of the positioning structure 308 of the removable agitator 304. The handle 334 is provided with a buckle structure 340 to be detachably connected with the body 312. When the handle 334 is connected with the buckle structure 340 of the body 312, the rod body 336 part protrudes from the tenon 316 at this moment, and is inserted into the positioning hole 328, and the position of the portions of the mortise and tenon structure 310 of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 in the connected state can be limited at this moment. When the impeller base and the removable agitator need to be disassembled, the buckle structure 340 of the handle 334 and the body 312 is disassembled, the handle 334 is lifted upward, the rod body 336 is retracted upwards into the through hole 324 or the cavity 318, such that the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 are not restricted by the positioning structure 308 at this moment, and the portions of the mortise and tenon joint structure 310 of the impeller base 302 and the removable agitator 304 can move relative to one another along the first direction to be disconnected.

The first telescopic rod of the illustrated embodiment thus includes a handle and a rod body, and the handle protrudes from the body along the axial direction. In this embodiment, the size of the handle may be larger, roughly disc-shaped, and may be convenient for the user to hold and pull back and forth.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the impeller base 302 includes a base plate 342 and a connecting bump 344. The base plate 342 is provided with a plurality of rotary vanes 346 along the circumferential direction, and the plurality of rotary vanes 346 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction. When the impeller base 302 rotates, the plurality of rotary vanes 346 increase the friction between the clothing and the impeller base 302, so that the clothes are rubbed against the impeller base 302 and cleaned. The connecting bump 344 is positioned at the center position of the impeller base 302, and is detachably connected with the removable agitator 304, and the plurality of rotary vanes 346 are arranged around the connecting bump 344. The top end of the connecting bump 344 is formed to penetrate the groove 320 of the connecting bump 344 along the first direction, the wall surface of the groove 320 can be abutted against the wall surface of the tenon 316, such that the tenon 316 slides obliquely into the groove 320 along the first direction and is matched with the groove 320. Consequently, the removable agitator 304 and the impeller base 302 are also difficult to rotate along the circumferential direction under the connection of the mortise and tenon structure 310, so that the removable agitator 304 and the impeller base 302 can only move along the first direction. The connecting bump 344 is provided with a portion of the positioning structure 308 that is positioned at the bottom of the groove 320 and extends axially, that is, the positioning hole 328, and the part of the first telescopic rod 314 protruding from the tenon 316 can be inserted into the positioning hole 328 along the axial direction, so that the connection state of the mortise and tenon joint structure 310 is located.

The impeller base of the illustrated embodiment thus includes a base plate and a connecting bump, and a plurality of rotary vanes increase the frictional force between the clothing and the impeller base, so that the clothing and the impeller base are rubbed and cleaned; the connecting bump offers the groove that runs through the first direction, and the wall surface of the groove can be butted against the tenon, thereby limiting the circumferential rotation of the tenon relative to the impeller base; and the movement of the tenon in the axial direction is also limited by itself. The positioning hole that is positioned at the bottom of the groove is arranged on the connecting bump and extends along the axial direction, such that when the first telescopic rod is inserted into the positioning hole, the tenon can be limited along the first direction with respect to the groove, so that the removable agitator and the impeller base are restricted in the circumferential, axial, and radial directions, and friction is carried out in water between the clothes and the removable agitator, so that the larger rotational resistance that the removable agitator is subjected to is borne by the mortise and tenon structure, and the mortise and tenon joint structure has sufficient structural strength, so that the connection of the impeller base and the removable agitator is more stable, and in fact the resistance of the removable agitator along the first direction is smaller, so the positioning structure is sufficient to support the connection of the removable agitator and the impeller base.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the impeller base 302 may also support a mortise and tenon pin 348, and the mortise and tenon pin 348 can slide into groove 320 to be detachably connected with the connecting bump 344.

The mortise and tenon pin 348 may include a structure similar to a tenon, and the mortise and tenon pin 348 allows relative motion along the first direction between itself and the impeller base 302 to connect and disconnect, and the mortise and tenon pin 348 also limits the position of itself and the impeller base 302 in the connected state. The axial length of the mortise and tenon pin 348 is much smaller than the length of the removable agitator 304, and basically only has the effect of filling the groove 320, but does not have the effect of agitating a load. The impeller base of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention also comprises a mortise and tenon pin, and the mortise and tenon pin can be slid into the groove and may be detachably connected with the connecting bump, so that when the removable agitator is removed, the gap generated on the impeller base can be filled by the mortise and tenon pin in a detachable manner, so as to prevent the gap from being wrapped around the clothes.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, the mortise and tenon pin 348 includes a pin body 350 and a second telescopic rod 352. The shape of the pin body 350 is similar to the structure of a tenon, that is, from the third end 354 far away from the impeller base 302 to the fourth end 356 axially close to the impeller base 302, the pin body 350 has a section with an increased cross-sectional area. When placed normally, the pin body 350 has a section that the cross-sectional area increases from top to bottom, so that when the mortise and tenon pin 348 moves axially to the open end 330 of the groove 320 along the axial direction, that is, when it is pulled up along the axial direction, because the cross-sectional area of the groove 320 gradually decreases from bottom to top, the size of the pin body 350 is just matched with the size of the groove 320, and the part with a larger cross-sectional area below the pin body 350 is difficult to move up to the part with a smaller cross-sectional area above the groove 320, and the pin body 350 can only slide out of the groove 320 along the first direction, so that the mortise and tenon pin 348 cannot move along the axial direction and is limited in the groove 320. A channel 358 running through the axial direction is formed inside the pin body 350, and the pin body 350 can be abutted against the wall surface of the groove 320, so that the circumferential rotation of the pin body 350 relative to the impeller base 302 is limited, so that the pin body 350 moves stably along the first direction with respect to the impeller base 302.

As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, the second telescopic rod 352 can penetrate the channel 358 and move along the channel 356 within the pin main body 350 and be connected with the positioning structure 308 at the bottom of the groove 320, and retract the channel 358 and disconnect from the positioning structure 308. The second telescopic rod 352 and the pin body 350 can also be detachably connected through the buckle structure 340. When the second telescopic rod 352 is connected with the pin main body 350, the part of the second telescopic rod 352 protruding from the pin main body 350 can be inserted into the positioning hole 328 at this moment, the position of the impeller base 302 and the mortise and tenon pin 348 in the connected state can be limited at this moment. When the impeller base 302 and the mortise and tenon pin 348 need to be disassembled, the second telescopic rod 352 and the pin body 350 are disassembled, the second telescopic rod 352 is lifted upwards, the second telescopic rod 352 is retracted upwards into the channel 358, the impeller base 302 and the mortise and tenon pin 348 are not restricted by the positioning structure 308 at this moment, and the impeller base 302 and the mortise and tenon pin 348 move relative to one another along the first direction to disconnect from the connection.

It will also be appreciated that, while certain features may be discussed herein in connection with certain embodiments and/or in connection with certain figures, unless expressly stated to the contrary, such features generally may be incorporated into any of the embodiments discussed and illustrated herein. Moreover, features that are disclosed as being combined in some embodiments may generally be implemented separately in other embodiments, and features that are disclosed as being implemented separately in some embodiments may be combined in other embodiments, so the fact that a particular feature is discussed in the context of one embodiment but not another should not be construed as an admission that those two embodiments are mutually exclusive of one another. Various additional modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments consistent with the invention. Therefore, the invention lies in the claims hereinafter appended.

Number	Date	Country	Kind
202310801380.8	Jun 2023	CN	national
202311143769.4	Sep 2023	CN	national

LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE WITH LATERALLY COUPLED REMOVABLE AGITATOR

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (2)