WATER TANK FOR PUMP DEVICE AND RELATED PUMP DEVICE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of water pumps, and in particular to a water tank used for a pump device and a related pump device.

When an indoor air conditioner is cooling or dehumidifying, the moisture or humidity in the air environment will condense, resulting in condensate. Condensate pumps are usually used to collect the condensate and pump it out. The condensate pump is mainly composed of a water pump, a water tank and a controller. The water tank is used to store the condensate, the water pump lifts the water to the discharge port, and the controller is used to control the start and stop of the water pump and monitor the water level.

In some cases, such as when inspecting a water pump or controller or cleaning a water tank, the water tank needs to be disassembled. However, the water tanks of condensate pumps currently on the market require tools or a lot of external force to be disassembled, causing great inconvenience to the user. In addition to the difficulty in disassembly, it also causes user injury due to improper operation when disassembling the water tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provide a water tank for a pump device, which includes: a housing defining an opening and having a locking matching portion; a cover, detachably mounted to a side of the housing at the opening, the cover having a first side facing away from the opening and a second side facing toward the opening; an operating member, disposed on the first side of the cover and configured to move between a first position and a second position under an external force; a locking mechanism, disposed on the second side of the cover; and a transmission member, extending through the cover and is transmission-coupled with the operating member and the locking mechanism to mechanically link the operating member and the locking mechanism; wherein the locking mechanism is configured to: in an assembled state of the housing and the cover, when the operating member is in the first position, cooperate with the locking matching portion to lock the housing and the cover, and when the operating member is in the second position, disengage from the locking matching portion to unlock the housing and the cover.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism includes: a first latch, configured to move in an unlocking direction or a locking direction on the second side of the cover, the first latch including a first locking portion for cooperating with the locking matching portion; and a cam, coupled to the transmission member and having a driving surface; wherein when the operating member moves from the first position to the second position, the cam rotates in a first direction driven by the transmission member and drives the first latch to move in the unlocking direction via the driving surface.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism further includes: at least one first resilient member, having one end fixed on the second side of the cover and another end abutting against the first latch; wherein when the operating member moves from the first position to the second position, the at least one first resilient member resiliently deforms in response to the movement of the first latch in the unlocking direction, and when the external force is removed, the first latch moves in the locking direction in response to a restoring force of the at least one first resilient member, and drives the cam to rotate in the second direction via the driving surface, which in turn drives the operating member to return to the first position through the transmission member, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

In some embodiments, the first locking portion has a guide surface in an installation direction of the cover, and during a installation process of the cover to the housing, the guide surface is pushed by a side wall of the housing to push the first latch to move in the unlocking direction, and causes the at least one first resilient element to resiliently deform; when the first locking portion is aligned with the locking matching portion, the first locking portion is matched with the locking matching portion in response to the restoring force of the at least one first resilient member.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism includes: a second latch coupled to the transmission member and including a receiving cavity, the second latch including a second locking portion configured to cooperate with the locking matching portion; a positioning pin partially disposed in the receiving cavity; a guide strip fixed on the second side of the cover and extending along a movement direction of the positioning pin, wherein the guide strip is configured to guide movements of the positioning pin; a second resilient member sleeved outside of the positioning pin, having one end fixed in the receiving cavity and another end coupled to the positioning pin, configured to exert a restoring force when the positioning pin moves along the guide strip.

In some embodiments, the guide strip has a first recessed portion and a second recessed portion facing toward the positioning pin, wherein when the operating member is located at the first position, the positioning pin is located in the first recessed portion, and when the operating member is located at the second position, the positioning pin is located in the second recessed portion.

In some embodiments, the guide strip has a protruding portion between the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion, the protruding portion protruding toward the positioning pin, wherein the second resilient member is configured to exert a restoring force when the positioning pin is located at the protruding portion which is greater than the restoring force exerted when the positioning pin is located in the first recessed portion or the second recessed portion.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism includes: a third latch coupled to the transmission member and having a third locking portion configured to cooperate with the locking matching portion; a third resilient member having one end fixed to the second side of the cover and another end fixed to the third latch; wherein when the operating member moves from the first position to the second position, the third latch moves in a first direction driven by the transmission member to resiliently deform the third resilient member, and when the external force is removed, the third latch moves in a second direction in response to a restoring force of the third resilient member, which in turn drives the operating member to return to the first position through the transmission member, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

In some embodiments, the water tank further includes: at least one position limiting member disposed on the first side of the cover and corresponding to the first position or the second position or both, and the at least one position limiting member is configured to limit movements of the operating member.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a pump device incorporating a water tank according to any of the above embodiments of the first aspect.

The water tank according to embodiments of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to disassemble. Even non-professional users can install and disassemble it without using additional tools, and can ensure high safety. In addition, the water tank according to embodiments of the present invention will not cause forced deformation of parts during disassembly, thereby extending the service life of the water tank and saving use costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings. These drawings explain the embodiments and their operating principle, and only illustrate structures that are necessary to the understanding of the invention. These drawings are not to scale. In the drawings, like features are designated by like reference symbols.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic diagram showing the disassembly mechanism in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the cover when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is in the first position.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the cover when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is in the second position.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the water tank when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is in the first position.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the water tank when the operating member of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is in the second position.

FIG. 7 shows an exploded schematic diagram of another disassembly mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the cover when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 7 is in the first position.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the cover when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 7 is in the second position.

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the water tank when the operating member of the embodiment of FIG. 7 is in the first position.

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the water tank when the operating member of the embodiment of FIG. 7 is in the second position.

FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of an exploded view of another disassembly mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the bottom viewing angle of the water tank when the operating member is in the second position in the embodiment of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 shows a schematic diagram of an exploded view of another disassembly mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the cover when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 14 is in the first position.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the second side of the cover when the operating member in the embodiment of FIG. 14 is in the second position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. These drawings and descriptions explain embodiments of the invention but do not limit the invention. The described embodiments are not all possible embodiments of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and the structure and/or logic of the illustrated embodiments may be modified. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Before describing the embodiments, some terms used in this disclosure are defined here to help the reader better understand this disclosure.

In the descriptions below, terms such as “one,” “one group,” etc. do not limit the number of components, but means at least one.

In the descriptions below, terms such as “including” are intended to be open-ended and mean “including without limitation”, and can include other contents. “Based on” means “at least partly based on.” “An embodiment” means “at least one embodiment.” “Another embodiment” means “at least another embodiment,” etc. In this disclosure, the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Further, the various features, structures, materials or characteristics may be suitably combined in any of the one or more embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art may combine the various embodiments and various characteristics of the embodiments described herein when they are not contrary to each other.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a water tank for a pump device, which employs a disassembly mechanism composed of an operating member, a locking mechanism and a transmission member to connect the housing and the cover, so the overall structure of the water tank is relatively simple and easy to disassemble. Even non-professional users can install and disassemble without using additional tools, and can ensure high safety. In addition, the water tank according to embodiments of the present invention will not cause forced deformation of parts during disassembly, so the service life of the water tank can be extended and the use cost can be saved. The water tank according to embodiments of the present invention can be used in various pump devices, such as condensate pumps, sewage pumps, etc.

An exemplary water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the exemplary water tank 100 includes a housing 11, a cover 12, an operating member 13, a locking mechanism 14, and a transmission member 15. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the housing 11 is used to store liquids such as air conditioning condensate and contains components such as a pump body and a filter plate. The housing 11 defines an opening, and the cover 12 is detachably mounted to one side of the opening of the housing 11 and has a first side 121 facing away from the opening and a second side 122 facing toward the opening. The operating member 13 is rotatably disposed on the first side 121 of the cover 12. The locking mechanism 14 is disposed on the second side 122 of the cover 12. The transmission member 15 extends through the cover 12 and is transmission-coupled with the operating member 13 and the locking mechanism 14, so that the operating member 13 and the locking mechanism 14 are mechanically linked. When the operating member 13 rotates between the first position (i.e., the locked position) and the second position (i.e., the unlocked position) under the action of an external force, the locking mechanism 14 also moves accordingly. The housing 11 is provided with a locking matching portion 110. In the assembled state of the housing 11 and the cover 12 (i.e., the state shown in FIG. 1), when the operating member 13 is located at the first position, the locking mechanism 14 and the locking matching portion 110 engage with each other to lock the housing 11 and the cover 12; when the operating member 13 is located at the second position, the locking mechanism 14 and the locking matching portion 110 are released from the engagement to unlock the housing 11 and the cover 12, so that the user can easily separate the cover 12 from the housing 11.

In this embodiment, two position limiting members 1211 are further provided on the first side 121 of the cover 12, which are respectively located on both sides of the operating member 13 and correspond to the first position and the second position, and are used to limit the movement of the operating member 13. In other embodiments, no position limiting member or only one position limiting member 1211 may be provided.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the operating member 13 is a handle, which includes a gripping end 131 and a fixed end 132. The locking mechanism 14 includes a first latch 141, a cam 142 and two first resilient members 143. The transmission member 15 is formed by extending downward from the fixed end 132 of the operating member 13, that is, the transmission member 15 and the operating member 13 are an integrated structure. In other embodiments, the transmission member 15 and the operating member 13 can also be two individual but connected components. The transmission member 15 is a hollow cylinder with a plurality of protrusions 151 provided on its outer surface. A hole 1421 is provided in the middle of the cam 142, and a plurality of recesses 1422 matching the shapes of the plurality of protrusions 151 are provided around the hole 1421. During assembly, the transmission member 15 is placed in the hole 1421 of the cam 142, and the plurality of protrusions 151 cooperate with the plurality of recesses 1422 to fix the cam 142 and the transmission member 15 together. The cam 142 forms a driving surface 1423 on one side of its protrusion. The disassembly mechanism further includes a fixing member 16 (such as a screw) for fixing the transmission member 15 and the cam 142 more firmly together. In other embodiments, the fixing member 16 may be omitted. Alternatively, the transmission member 15 and the cam 142 may also be transmission-coupled in other ways.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, in this embodiment, the first latch 141 is substantially square in shape and has a square opening 1415 in the middle thereof. When the housing 11 and the cover 12 are assembled, the cam 142 and the fixing member 16 are located in the square opening 1415, and the driving surface 1423 of the cam 142 at least partially abuts against the inner surface 1414 of the first latch 141. One side of the first latch 141 is bent downward and then extended outward to form a first locking portion 1411 in the shape of a locking tongue. The cover 12 further includes a side plate 123 extending outward from a second side thereof. A first opening 1231 is provided on the side plate 123 at a position corresponding to the first locking portion 1411. The locking matching portion 110 is a second opening 110 located on the side wall of the housing 11 and at a position corresponding to the first locking portion 1411 and the first opening 1231. The first locking portion 1411 can extend into or disengage from the first opening 1231 and the second opening 110, thereby locking or unlocking the housing 11 and the cover 12. In other embodiments, the side plate 123 and the first opening 1231 may be omitted. Alternatively, the first locking portion 1411 and the locking matching portion 110 may also have other combinations, such as a combination of a locking tongue and a groove. In this embodiment, the first locking portion 1411 is further provided with a guide surface 1413 in the installation direction of the cover 12.

In this embodiment, one end of each of the two first resilient members 143 is fixed on the second side of the cover 12, and the other end is against the two shoulders 1412 of the first latch 141. When the operating member 13 is located at the first position, the two first resilient members 143 are in a first compressed state and have a first length; when the operating member 13 is located at the second position, the two first resilient members 143 are in a second compressed state and have a second length less than the first length. In other embodiments, the first resilient members may be omitted or only one first resilient member may be provided.

Referring to FIGS. 3-6 and FIG. 1, the disassembly and assembly process of the water tank 100 in this embodiment is described. In the assembled state of the housing 11 and the cover 12, the operating member 13 is located at the first position, and the driving surface 1423 of the cam 142 abuts against the inner surface 1414 of the first latch 141. As shown in FIG. 5, the first locking portion 1411 extends into the first opening 1231 on the side plate 123 and the second opening 110 on the housing 11. When the water tank 100 needs to be disassembled, the user holds the gripping end 131 of the operating member 13 and applies a force to rotate the operating member 13 from the first position to the second position. In this process, the cam 142 is driven by the transmission member 15 to rotate in the first direction with the operating member 13 and drives the first latch 141 to move in the unlocking direction via the driving surface 1423. In this embodiment, the first direction is the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 3, and the unlocking direction is the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3. The movement of the first latch 141 in the unlocking direction causes the two first resilient members 143 to be resiliently deformed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the first locking portion 1411 is disengaged from the second opening 110, and the user can separate the cover 12 from the housing 11. When the user's hand is released from the gripping end 131 of the operating member 13, the restoring force of the two first resilient members 143 pushes the first latch 141 to move in the locking direction, and the first locking portion 1411 re-extends from the first opening 1231 on the side plate 123 of the cover 12. The movement of the first latch 141 in the locking direction also drives the cam 142 to move in the second direction via the driving surface 1423, and then drives the operating member 13 to return to the first position through the transmission member 15. In this embodiment, the second direction is the direction indicated by the arrow A′ in FIG. 4, and the locking direction is the direction indicated by the arrow B′ in FIG. 4.

When the cover 12 needs to be installed on the housing 11, the cover 12 is placed above the opening side of the housing 11 and moved downward. Because the first locking portion 1411 extends out of the first hole 1231 on the side plate 123 of the cover 12, when the first locking portion 1411 contacts the side wall of the housing 11, its guide surface 1413 is pushed by the side wall, so that the first locking portion 1411 retracts and pushes the entire first latch 141 to move in the unlocking direction and causes the two first resilient members 143 to resiliently deform. When the first locking portion 1411 is aligned with the second hole 110 on the housing 11, the restoring force of the two first resilient members 143 pushes the first locking portion 1411 to extend into the second hole 110, thereby locking the housing 11 and the cover 12. In this embodiment, the guide surface 1413 is provided to facilitate the quick installation of the cover 12 on the housing 11 without rotating the operating member 13. In other embodiments, the guide surface 1413 may be omitted. In such embodiments, the housing 11 and the cover 12 are locked by rotating the operating member 13 to the second position to retract the first locking portion 1411, and then releasing the operating member 13 after the cover plate 12 covers the opening of the housing 11.

Another exemplary water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. The arrangement of the first side of the cover 22 of the exemplary water tank 200 is similar to that of the water tank 100 of FIG. 1, and will not be described in detail here. In addition, the structure of the disassembly mechanism in this embodiment is substantially the same as the disassembly mechanism described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, so only the different parts are described.

In this embodiment, the water tank 200 includes a housing 21, a cover 22, an operating member 23, a locking mechanism 24 and a transmission member 25. The cover 22 has a hollow accommodation space, in which a plurality of components, such as a circuit board and a cable, are accommodated. In this embodiment, the operating member 23 has a different appearance design and a similar structure to the operating member 13 in FIG. 2, and also includes a gripping end 231 and a fixed end 232. The locking mechanism 24 includes a first latch 241, a cam 242 and two first resilient members 243. The transmission member 25 extends downward from the fixed end 232 of the operating member 23, that is, the transmission member 25 and the operating member 23 are an integrated structure. The cam 242 includes an upper and lower part, and a hole 2421 runs through it for receiving the transmission member 25. A plurality of protrusions 2422 are also formed on the outer surface of the upper part of the cam 242 for fixing with the cover 22. The lower part of the cam 242 forms a driving surface 2423 on one side of a protrusion. The fixing member 26 (such as a screw) is used to fix the transmission member 25 and the cam 242 more firmly together. One side of the first latch 241 extends outward to form a first locking portion 2411 in the shape of a locking tongue. The cover 22 also includes a side plate 223 extending outward from its second side 222. The side plate 223 is provided with a first opening 2231 corresponding to the position of the first locking portion 2411. The side wall of the housing 21 is provided with a locking matching portion 210, and its position corresponds to the first locking portion 2411 and the first opening 2231. In this embodiment, the locking matching portion 210 is a groove. The first locking portion 2411 can extend into or disengage from the first opening 2231 and the groove 210, thereby locking or unlocking the housing 21 and the cover 22.

Referring to FIGS. 8 to 11, the disassembly and assembly process of the water tank 200 in this embodiment is described. In the assembled state of the housing 21 and the cover 22, the operating member 23 is located at the first position, and the driving surface 2423 of the cam 242 abuts against the inner surface 2414 of the first latch 241. As shown in FIG. 10, the first locking portion 2411 extends into the first opening 2231 on the side plate 223 and the groove 210 on the housing 21. When the water tank 200 needs to be disassembled, the user holds the gripping end 231 of the operating member 23 and applies a force to rotate the operating member 23 from the first position to the second position. In this process, the cam 242 is driven by the transmission member 25 to rotate in the first direction along with the operating member 23 and drives the first latch 241 to move in the unlocking direction via the driving surface 2423. In this embodiment, the first direction is counterclockwise, i.e., the direction indicated by arrow C in FIG. 8, and the unlocking direction is clockwise, i.e., the direction indicated by arrow D in FIG. 8. The movement of the first latch 241 in the unlocking direction causes the two first resilient members 243 to be resiliently deformed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, the first locking portion 2411 is disengaged from the groove 210, and the user can separate the cover 22 from the housing 21. When the user's hand is released from the gripping end 231 of the operating member 23, the restoring force of the two first resilient members 243 pushes the first latch 241 to move in the locking direction, and the first locking portion 2411 re-extends from the first opening 2231 on the side plate 223 of the cover 22. The movement of the first latch 241 in the locking direction also drives the cam 242 to move in the second direction via the driving surface 2423, which in turn drives the operating member 23 to return to the first position through the transmission member 25. In this embodiment, the second direction is the direction indicated by the arrow C′ in FIG. 9, and the locking direction is the direction indicated by the arrow D′ in FIG. 9.

When the cover 22 needs to be installed on the housing 21, the cover 22 is placed above the opening side of the housing 21 and moved downward. Since the first locking portion 2411 extends out of the first hole 2231 on the side plate 223 of the cover 22, when the first locking portion 2411 contacts the side wall of the housing 21, its guide surface 2413 is pushed by the side wall, so that the first locking portion 2411 retracts and pushes the entire first latch 241 to move in the unlocking direction and causes the two first resilient members 243 to resiliently deform. When the first locking portion 2411 is aligned with the groove 210 on the housing 21, the restoring force of the two first resilient members 241 pushes the first locking portion 2411 to extend into the groove 210, thereby locking the housing 21 and the cover 22. In this embodiment, the guide surface 2413 is provided to facilitate the quick installation of the cover 22 on the housing 21 without rotating the operating member 23. In other embodiments, the guide surface 2413 may be omitted. In such embodiments, the housing 21 and the cover 22 are locked by rotating the operating member 23 to the second position to retract the first locking portion 2411, covering the opening of the housing 21 with the cover plate 22, and then releasing the operating member 23.

Another exemplary water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 12-13. The arrangement of the first side of the cover 32 of the exemplary water tank 300 is similar to that of the water tank 100 of FIG. 1, and will not be described in detail here. In addition, the structure of the disassembly mechanism in this embodiment is partially the same as the disassembly mechanism described with reference to FIGS. 1-6, so only the different parts are described.

In this embodiment, the exemplary water tank 300 includes a housing 31, a cover 32, an operating member 33, a locking mechanism 34 and a transmission member 35. The operating member 33 is the same as the operating member 13 in FIG. 2, and also includes a gripping end 331 and a fixed end 332. The locking mechanism 34 includes a second latch 341, a positioning pin 342, a second resilient member 343 and a guide strip 344. The transmission member 35 extends downward from the fixed end 332 of the operating member 33, that is, the transmission member 35 and the operating member 33 are an integrated structure. The transmission member 35 is a hollow cylinder and a plurality of protrusions 351 are provided on its outer surface. A hole 3411 is provided in the middle of the second latch 341, and a plurality of recesses 3412 matching the shapes of the plurality of protrusions 351 are provided around the hole 3411. During assembly, the transmission member 35 is placed in the hole 3411 of the second latch 341, and the plurality of protrusions 351 cooperate with the plurality of recesses 3412 to fix the second latch 341 and the transmission member 35 together. The disassembly mechanism further includes a fixing member 36 (such as a screw) for fixing the transmission member 35 and the second latch 341 together more firmly. A second locking portion 3413 in the shape of an arc is formed on one side of the second latch 341. A locking matching portion 310 is provided on the side wall of the housing 31, and its position corresponds to the second locking portion 3413. In this embodiment, the locking matching portion 310 is an opening. The second locking portion 3413 can extend into or disengage from the opening 310, thereby locking or unlocking the housing 31 and the cover 32. Although not shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cover 32 may also have a side panel with an opening, and the second locking portion 3413 may extend into or disengage from the opening.

The second latch 341 also has a receiving cavity 3413. In the assembled state, the positioning pin 342 is partially disposed in the receiving cavity and one end thereof protrudes out of the receiving cavity. The second resilient member 343 is sleeved outside the positioning pin 342, and one end thereof is fixed in the receiving cavity 3413, and the other end abuts against the shoulder 3421 of the positioning pin 342. The guide strip 344 is fixed on the second side 322 of the cover 32 and extends along the movement direction of the positioning pin 342, and is used to guide the movement of the positioning pin 342. One end of the positioning pin 342 protruding from the receiving cavity abuts against the guide strip 344. In the process of the positioning pin 342 moving along the guide strip 344, the second resilient member 343 always maintains a compressed state, provides a restoring force to the positioning pin 342, and thus assists in guiding the movement of the positioning pin 342.

In this embodiment, a first recessed portion 3441 and a second recessed portion 3442 are formed at both ends of the guide strip 344, which face toward the positioning pin 342 and correspond to the first position and the second position of the operating member 33, respectively. A protruding portion 3443 is formed between the first recessed portion 3441 and the second recessed portion 3442. When the operating member 33 is located at the first position, the positioning pin 342 is located in the first recessed portion 3441, and when the operating member 33 is located at the second position, the positioning pin 342 is located in the second recessed portion 3442. The first recessed portion 3441 and the second recessed portion 3442 can prevent the positioning pin 342 from moving back and forth. When the positioning pin 342 is located in the first recessed portion 3441 or the second recessed portion 3442, the second resilient member 343 is in a third compressed state and has a third length; when the positioning pin is located in the protruding portion 3443, the second resilient member 343 is in a fourth compressed state and has a fourth length less than the third length. In other words, the restoring force provided by the second resilient member 343 when the positioning pin 342 is located in the protruding portion 3443 is greater than the restoring force provided when the positioning pin 342 is located in the first recessed portion 3441 and the second recessed portion 3442.

Referring to FIG. 12-FIG. 13, the disassembly and assembly process of the water tank 300 in this embodiment is described. In the assembled state of the housing 31 and the cover 32, the operating member 33 is located at the first position, the positioning pin 342 is located in the first recessed portion 3441, and the second locking portion 3413 of the second latch 341 extends out of the hole 310 on the side wall of the housing 31. The restoring force provided by the second resilient member 343 to the positioning pin 342 makes the positioning pin 342 firmly abut against the surface of the first recessed portion 3441. When the water tank 300 needs to be disassembled, the user holds the gripping end 331 of the operating member 33 and applies a force to rotate the operating member 33 from the first position to the second position. In this process, the second latch 341 rotates with the operating member 33 under the drive of the transmission member 35, which in turn drives the positioning pin 342 to move along the guide strip 344 toward the direction of the second recessed portion 3442. When the positioning pin 342 moves to the protruding portion 3443, the restoring force of the second resilient member 343 causes the positioning pin 342 to quickly move to the second recessed portion 3442. At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, the second locking portion 3413 is disengaged from the hole 310, and the user can separate the cover 32 from the housing 31. When the user releases his hand from the gripping end 331 of the operating member 33, the restoring force provided by the second resilient member 343 to the positioning pin 342 causes the positioning pin 342 to rest firmly against the surface of the second recessed portion 3442.

When the cover 32 needs to be installed on the housing 31, the user holds the gripping end 331 of the operating member 33 and applies a force to rotate the operating member 33 from the second position to the first position. During this process, the second latch 341 rotates along with the operating member 33 under the drive of the transmission member 35, which in turn drives the positioning pin 342 to move along the guide strip 344 toward the direction of the first recessed portion 3441. When the positioning pin 342 moves to the protruding portion 3443, the restoring force of the second resilient member 343 urges the positioning pin 342 to quickly move to the first recessed portion 3441. At this time, the second locking portion 3413 extends into the hole 310 to lock the cover 32 and the housing 31. When the user releases his hand from the gripping end 331 of the operating member 33, the restoring force provided by the second resilient member 343 to the positioning pin 342 causes the positioning pin 342 to rest firmly against the surface of the first recessed portion 3441. The provision of the protruding portion 3443 helps the operating member 33 to quickly move from one of the first and second positions to the other one, so that the operator can easily disassemble and install the water tank, thereby improving the user experience.

Another exemplary water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. The arrangement of the first side of the cover 42 of the exemplary water tank is similar to that of the water tank 100 of FIG. 1, and will not be described in detail here. In addition, the structure of the disassembly mechanism in this embodiment is partially the same as the disassembly mechanism described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, so only the different parts are described.

In this embodiment, the exemplary water tank includes a housing (not shown in the figure), a cover 42, an operating member 43, a locking mechanism 44 and a transmission member 45. The operating member 43 is the same as the operating member 13 in FIG. 2, and also includes a gripping end 431 and a fixed end 432. The locking mechanism 44 includes a third latch 441 and a third resilient member 442. The third resilient member 442 can be, for example, a torsion spring. The transmission member 45 extends downward from the fixed end 432 of the operating member 43, that is, the transmission member 45 and the operating member 43 are an integrated structure. The transmission member 45 is in a hollow cylindrical shape and a plurality of protrusions 451 are provided on its outer surface. A hole 4411 is provided in the middle of the second latch 441, and a plurality of recesses 4412 are provided around the hole 4411 and match the shapes of the plurality of protrusions 451. On one side of the second latch 441, a position limiting space whose shape matches the third resilient member 442 is formed by a position limiting plate 4413. When assembling, the third resilient member 442 is placed in the position limiting space. One end 4421 of the third resilient member 442 is located outside the position limiting space and is fixed on the second side 422 of the cover plate 42, while the other end 4422 is fixed in the position limiting space. The transmission member 45 passes through the third resilient member 442 and is placed in the hole 4411 of the third latch 441, and the plurality of protrusions 451 cooperate with the plurality of recesses 4412 to fix the third latch 441 and the transmission member 45 together. The disassembly mechanism also includes a fixing member 46 (such as a screw), which is used to fix the transmission member 45 and the third latch 441 more firmly together. A third locking portion 4414 in the shape of an arc is formed on one side of the third latch 441. The cover 42 further includes a side plate 423 extending outward from the second side 422 thereof. The side plate 423 is provided with a hole corresponding to the position of the third locking portion 4414. A locking matching portion (not shown in the figure) is provided on the side wall of the housing, and its position corresponds to the third locking portion 4414 and the hole on the side plate 423. The locking matching portion can be, for example, a hole or a groove. The third locking portion 4413 can extend into the hole on the side plate 423 and the hole or groove on the side wall of the housing, or be disengaged therefrom, thereby locking or unlocking the housing and the cover 42.

The disassembly and installation process of the water tank in this embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. In the assembled state of the housing and the cover 42, the operating member 43 is located in the first position, and the third resilient member 442 is in a natural uncompressed state. The third locking portion 4414 extends into the opening on the side plate 423 and the opening or groove on the side wall of the housing. When the water tank needs to be disassembled, the user holds the gripping end 431 of the operating member 43 and applies a force to rotate the operating member 43 from the first position to the second position. In this process, the third locking member 441 is driven by the transmission member 45 to rotate in the first direction along with the operating member 43, so that the third resilient member 442 is resiliently deformed. At this time, the third locking portion 4414 is disengaged from the opening or groove on the side wall of the housing, and the user can separate the cover 42 from the housing. When the user releases his hand from the gripping end 431 of the operating member 43, the restoring force of the third resilient member 442 causes the third locking member 441 to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby driving the operating member 43 to return to the first position through the transmission member 45. In this embodiment, the first direction is the direction indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 15, and the second direction is the direction indicated by the arrow E′ in FIG. 16.

When the cover 42 needs to be installed on the housing, the user holds the gripping end 431 of the operating member 43 and applies a force to rotate the operating member 43 from the first position to the second position. During this process, the third latch 441 rotates in the first direction along with the operating member 43 under the drive of the transmission member 45, so that the third resilient member 442 is resiliently deformed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 16, the third locking portion 4414 begins to retract from the outside of the side plate 423. After the cover 42 covers the opening of the housing, the user releases his hand, and under the action of the restoring force of the third resilient member 442, the third locking portion 4414 re-extends from the hole of the side plate 423 and extends into the hole or groove on the side wall of the housing.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a cover assembly for a water tank of a pump device, the cover assembly including: a cover, which is detachably mounted to an opening side of a housing of the water tank and has a first side away from the opening and a second side toward the opening; an operating member, which is arranged on the first side of the cover and is configured to move between a first position and a second position under the action of an external force; a locking mechanism, which is arranged on the second side of the cover; and a transmission member, which extends through the cover and is transmission-coupled with the operating member and the locking mechanism so that the operating member and the locking mechanism are mechanically linked; wherein the housing has a locking matching portion, and the locking mechanism is configured to: in the assembled state of the housing and the cover, when the operating member is in the first position, cooperate with the locking matching portion to lock the housing and the cover; when the operating member is in the second position, disengage from the locking matching portion to unlock the housing and the cover.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a disassembly mechanism for detachably installing a cover of a water tank to a housing of the water tank, the disassembly mechanism including: an operating member, which is arranged on a first side of the cover and is configured to move between a first position and a second position under the action of an external force, the first side of the cover facing away from the opening of the housing; a locking mechanism, which is arranged on a second side of the cover, the second side of the cover facing the opening of the housing; and a transmission member, which extends through the cover and is transmission-coupled with the operating member and the locking mechanism so that the operating member and the locking mechanism are mechanically linked; wherein the housing is provided with a locking matching portion, and the locking mechanism is configured to: in the assembled state of the housing and the cover, when the operating member is in the first position, cooperate with the locking matching portion to lock the housing and the cover; when the operating member is in the second position, disengage from the locking matching portion to unlock the housing and the cover.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a pump device, incorporating a water tank according to any one of the above embodiments.

It should be understood that the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 16 only show and mark the main implementation units or components in the water tank and the pump device including the water tank according to embodiments of the present invention, and the shape and arrangement of each unit or component are only for illustration and not limiting. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the water tank and the pump device including the water tank of the present invention may adopt units or components of other shapes or sizes.

While the present invention is described above using specific examples, these examples are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, additions and deletions can be made to the water tank for pump device and related pump device of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

WATER TANK FOR PUMP DEVICE AND RELATED PUMP DEVICE

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (1)