IP Library Granted Patent US 12692644
Granted Patent B2
US 12692644 · App. 18/579,621 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Washing machine and control method thereof

Inventors: Sheng Xu (Qingdao, CN); Peishi Lv (Qingdao, CN); Yanfen Lv (Qingdao, CN); Kai Liu (Qingdao, CN)
Assignees: QINGDAO HAIER WASHING MACHINE CO., LTD.; HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
D06F39/10D06F33/43D06F39/083D06F39/08D06F2103/14D06F2105/06D06F2105/08D06F2105/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692644
App. No.
18/579,621
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A washing machine and a control method thereof, the washing machine includes: a water container; a filtering device, communicating with the water container and configured to filter the water in the water container, the filtering device is provided with a discharge outlet for discharging filtered impurities outward; and a recovery device, separately arranged with the filtering device and communicating with the discharge outlet of the filtering device for collecting the discharged filtered impurities. The filtered impurities are collected by setting a recovery device, so that the filtered impurities are not directly discharged along with the drainage water of the washing machine. At the same time, the recovery device and the filtering device are separately arranged, and the filtered impurities are discharged into the recovery device without being accumulated in the filtering device, thus avoiding the influence on the filtering efficiency.

Claims (43)

1 . A washing machine, including:

a water container;

a filtering device, communicating with the water container and configured to filter water in the water container, wherein the filtering device is provided with a discharge outlet for discharging filtered impurities outward; and

a recovery device, separately arranged with the filtering device and communicating with the discharge outlet of the filtering device for collecting the discharged filtered impurities;

the recovery device includes:

a housing, provided with a recovery chamber inside; and

a filtering assembly, arranged within the recovery chamber and dividing the recovery chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber;

wherein:

the discharge outlet of the filtering device communicates with the first chamber, and sewage carrying the filtered impurities enters the first chamber, is filtered by the filtering assembly and enters the second chamber, and the filtered impurities are collected in the first chamber,

the housing is insertably/extractably mounted on the washing machine, and

an upper side of the housing is provided with an opening.

2 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein, a discharge pipeline is included, and one end of the discharge pipeline is connected with the discharge outlet of the filtering device, and an other end of the discharge pipeline communicates with the recovery device.

3 . The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein, the filtering device includes:

a filtering cavity, the discharge outlet is arranged thereon, and a water inlet communicating with the water container is further arranged thereon; and

a filtering mechanism, rotatably arranged within the filtering cavity and dividing inside of the filtering cavity into an outer cavity and an inner cavity;

the water inlet and the discharge outlet both communicate with the outer cavity, and the discharge outlet is arranged at a bottom part of the filtering cavity and is connected with the discharge pipeline.

4 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein, the filtering assembly includes a filter screen horizontally arranged at a certain height within the recovery chamber, and the filter screen divides the recovery chamber into the first chamber and the second chamber distributed up and down.

5 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein it includes a circulation filtering pipeline, a water inlet end and a water outlet end of which respectively communicating with the water container, and a circulation pump being arranged thereon;

the filtering device, arranged on the circulation filtering pipeline, provided with a discharge outlet for discharging filtered impurities outward;

the recovery device, communicating with the discharge outlet of the filtering device through a discharge pipeline; and

a discharge control valve, arranged on the discharge pipeline, and configured to control on-off of the discharge pipeline.

6 . The washing machine according to claim 5 , wherein, a three-way structure is arranged between a water outlet end of the circulation pump and a water outlet end of the circulation filtering pipeline, and the three-way structure is connected with an outward discharge pipeline for discharging water to the outside of the washing machine; and

the filtering device is arranged between the three-way structure and the water outlet end of the circulation filtering pipeline.

7 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein, the three-way structure includes a switching mechanism for controlling one of the filtering device and the outward discharge pipeline to communicate with a water outlet end of the circulation pump.

8 . The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein, a water return control valve is arranged between the filtering device and the water outlet end of the circulation filtering pipeline, which is configured to control on-off of the circulation filtering pipeline.

9 . A control method of the washing machine according to claim 5 , wherein, performing a discharge operation, including: opening the discharge control valve to open the discharge pipeline, and discharging the sewage carrying the filtered impurities in the filtering device into the recovery device.

10 . The control method of the washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein, performing a circulation filtering operation: closing the discharge control valve, turning on the circulation pump to introduce water in the water container into the circulation filtering pipeline, and making the water return to the water container after removing the filtered impurities by the filtering device.

11 . The control method of the washing machine according to claim 9 , wherein, a water return control valve is arranged between the filtering device and the water outlet end of the circulation filtering pipeline for controlling on-off of the circulation filtering pipeline;

the control method also includes a self-cleaning operation, including: closing the water return control valve, opening the discharge control valve to open the discharge pipeline, turning on the circulation pump to introduce the water in the water container into the filtering device, and discharging the water to the recovery device after cleaning the filtering device.

12 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , further including:

a water container water outlet being arranged on the water container;

a drainage waterway, a water inlet end of which being connected with the water container water outlet and configured to discharge water to outside of the washing machine;

a discharge pipeline, wherein a water inlet end of which is connected with the discharge outlet, and a water outlet end of which is connected with the drainage waterway; and

a discharge control valve, arranged on the discharge pipeline and configured to control on-off of the discharge pipeline.

13 . The washing machine according to claim 12 , wherein, when the discharge control valve is opened, the discharge pipeline is unidirectionally opened from the discharge outlet to the drainage waterway.

14 . The washing machine according to claim 13 , wherein, the discharge pipeline includes a sewage discharge section which vertically extends upward for a certain length, and an upper end of the sewage discharge section is connected with the drainage waterway; the discharge control valve is arranged on the sewage discharge section.

15 . The washing machine according to claim 14 , wherein, the drainage waterway includes an upper drainage pipe extending vertically for a certain length, in which the drainage water flow flows upwards; the upper end of the sewage discharge section is connected with a lower end of the upper drainage pipe.

16 . The washing machine according to claim 12 , wherein, a circulation pump is arranged between the water container water outlet and a water outlet end of the discharge pipeline on the drainage waterway, and a switching device is arranged between a water outlet end of the circulation pump and the water outlet end of the discharge pipeline; and

the switching device is connected with the filtering device, and controls one of a water inlet of the filtering device and the water outlet end of the drainage waterway to communicate with the water outlet end of the circulation pump.

17 . The washing machine according to claim 16 , wherein, a bottom part of the water container is provided with a water container water return port, and the filtering device is provided with a filtered water outlet for discharging the filtered water; the filtered water outlet communicates with the water container water return port through a water return pipeline, and a water return control valve for controlling on-off of the water return pipeline is arranged on the water return pipeline.

18 . The washing machine according to claim 17 , wherein, the water container water outlet and the water container water return port are both arranged on a container wall of the water container and are located at the bottom part of the water container.

19 . The washing machine according to claim 18 , wherein, the water container water outlet is arranged close to a container opening of the water container, and the water container water return port is arranged close to a container bottom of the water container; or

the water container water outlet is arranged near the container bottom of the water container, and the water container water return port is arranged near the container mouth of the water container.