A drain device for a washing machine without a perforated inner drum and a washing machine using the same

Abstract

The application discloses a drainage device of a non-porous inner drum washing machine, which is characterized in that the drainage device comprises a driving wheel, a non-porous inner drum with at least one drainage hole arranged along a circumference, a driven wheel rotatably arranged on the non-porous inner drum, and a belt tightly arranged on the non-porous inner drum and the driven wheel, wherein the belt does not slide relative to the non-porous inner drum, and a tangent point of the belt and the non-porous inner drum is located above a liquid level line of the non-porous inner drum; in a rotating state, the drainage hole located below the liquid level line of the non-porous inner drum is always blocked by the belt. The application further discloses a non-porous inner drum washing machine adopting the drainage device. The application has the advantages that the drainage device has a simple overall structure, a small number of components and low manufacturing cost; no additional drainage valve or other structure needs to be arranged, the structure is more compact and simplified, and is not limited by a rotating direction of a washing barrel and a position of the drainage hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a drainage device, particularly a drainage device for a non-perforated inner drum washing machine and a washing machine using the drainage device. Background Technology

[0002] Conventional front-loading washing machines typically have an inner drum and an outer drum. The outer drum is sealed and holds water, while the inner drum holds the clothes. The inner drum has a drain hole; water from the outer drum flows into the inner drum through this hole to soak the clothes, and water from the inner drum flows out back to the outer drum through the same hole. Water from the clothes is then drained out through the drain hole into the outer drum as the inner drum rotates at high speed, thus achieving the purpose of washing the clothes. However, washing machines with this inner and outer drum structure are prone to accumulating dirt that is difficult to clean. With increasing user demands for cleanliness and technological advancements, outer drum-less (holeless inner drum) washing machine technology is gaining more and more attention.

[0003] Holeless inner drum technology refers to washing machines where the inner drum does not have an inner hole. Currently, drainage is a challenge in washing machine technology solutions without an outer drum (holeless inner drum). Existing technologies include controlling drainage by opening a valve, such as using a one-way valve water seal structure to seal the water during washing and then opening the valve to drain the water directly to the outside of the washing machine through an independent pipe without passing through the outer drum; or using centrifugal force, water pumps, etc. However, the system structure implemented by the above drainage solutions is complex and has low reliability.

[0004] For example, the existing invention patent with patent number ZL201910075539.6, entitled "Washing Drum, Drum Washing Machine and Drainage Method of Drum Washing Machine," discloses a washing drum with a non-perforated inner drum structure. A drainage channel extending circumferentially along the side wall of the inner drum is provided. One end of the drainage channel is open to serve as a drainage inlet communicating with the interior of the inner drum, while the other end is closed. A drainage outlet is formed on the channel wall at a position away from the drainage inlet. The area of ​​the drum side wall other than the drainage inlet is a non-perforated area. However, the drainage channel in this patent is located within the inner wall of the inner drum, and the drainage channel is limited by the internal space of the inner drum, resulting in low working efficiency and poor drainage effect.

[0005] For example, Chinese invention patent ZL201810163964.6, entitled "An Inner Drum and a Self-Cleaning Washing Machine," relates to an inner drum. The inner drum has multiple lifting ribs extending along its structural lines. The lifting ribs are hollow inside, and their water-repelling surfaces have multiple permeable holes to connect the hollow parts of the lifting ribs to the inside of the inner drum. The rear end of the lifting ribs is located near the bottom of the inner drum and has a water outlet structure. This patent achieves drainage in a hole-less inner drum washing machine by creating holes in the lifting ribs. This makes the manufacturing process of the lifting ribs complex, and installation and replacement inconvenient. Furthermore, due to limitations in the number and size of the lifting ribs, it cannot achieve good drainage performance, resulting in low drainage efficiency.

[0006] In conclusion, further improvements are needed to the existing drainage structure of non-perforated inner drum (washing machine without outer drum) to achieve more reliable and efficient drainage. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The first technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a drainage device for a non-perforated inner drum washing machine that is simple in structure, highly reliable, and has low installation and manufacturing costs, in light of the above-mentioned existing technology.

[0008] The second technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a non-perforated inner drum washing machine that uses the above-mentioned drainage device, in view of the current state of the prior art.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the first technical problem mentioned above is: a drainage device for a non-perforated inner drum washing machine, characterized in that the drainage device includes:

[0010] The driving wheel is a non-perforated inner cylinder with at least one drainage hole along its circumference;

[0011] A driven wheel is rotatably mounted on the non-perforated inner cylinder, and the driven wheel shaft of the driven wheel is parallel to the driving wheel shaft of the non-perforated inner cylinder.

[0012] A belt is tensioned on the non-porous inner cylinder and the driven pulley. There is no relative sliding between the belt and the non-porous inner cylinder. Furthermore, the point of tangency between the belt and the non-porous inner cylinder is at least above the liquid level line of the non-porous inner cylinder. When the non-porous inner cylinder is rotating, the drain hole located below the liquid level line of the non-porous inner cylinder is always blocked by the belt.

[0013] To improve drainage efficiency, preferably, the drainage holes are uniformly spaced along the circumference of the non-perforated inner cylinder and are a ring of through holes that penetrate the radial direction of the non-perforated inner cylinder.

[0014] To improve dehydration performance, simplify the structure, and facilitate production, the non-perforated inner cylinder is preferably shaped like a frustum with a gradually increasing diameter, and the drain hole is located along the circumference of the inner wall with the larger diameter. Because the non-perforated inner cylinder is frustum-shaped and its inner wall is sloped, during dehydration, water flows towards the area with the larger diameter due to centrifugal force. The drain hole located at the larger diameter area allows as much water as possible to be discharged from the cylinder, reducing water residue inside. If the drain hole is located at the smaller diameter area of ​​the inner wall, some water will not be able to flow out.

[0015] To facilitate the assembly of the driven wheel, preferably, a bracket is provided on one side of the non-perforated inner cylinder, and a driven wheel shaft is provided on the bracket, located directly above the non-perforated inner cylinder, and the driven wheel is rotatably mounted on the driven wheel shaft.

[0016] To maintain a certain belt tension, preferably, the distance between the driven pulley shaft and the driving pulley shaft is such that the belt has tension while preventing relative slippage between the belt and the non-perforated inner cylinder. Traditional belt designs already ensure sufficient belt deformation, and existing tensioning mechanisms can also be used to achieve belt tension.

[0017] For ease of manufacturing and installation, preferably, a protruding post is provided on one end face of the non-perforated inner cylinder, and the bracket is fixedly mounted on the protruding post. The top of the bracket is formed with an inverted L-shaped bend, and the L-shaped horizontal axis of the bend serves as the driven wheel axle. Thus, the bracket can be integrally formed, and during installation, the driven wheel only needs to be directly mounted onto the L-shaped horizontal axis of the bracket, making operation convenient and simple.

[0018] To improve water leakage, it is preferable that the belt be coated with a hydrophobic material.

[0019] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the second technical problem mentioned above is: a washing machine, including a non-perforated inner drum, characterized in that: the washing machine adopts a drainage device as described above, which is disposed on the non-perforated inner drum.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: Compared with the existing drainage devices of non-perforated inner drum washing machines, the drainage device of this application has a simple overall structure, fewer parts, and lower manufacturing cost; the tension of the belt ensures that there is no relative slippage between the washing tub (inner drum) and the belt when the washing tub (inner drum) rotates, so that the belt wraps around the drain port of the washing tub, that is, blocks the drain hole below the water level in the washing tub, and only drains water from the drain hole where the washing tub and the belt are completely separated. As the washing tub rotates, the belt can both seal the drain hole below the water level and open the drain hole above the tangent point between the belt and the washing tub, eliminating the need for additional drain valves and other structures, making the structure more compact and simplified; when the centrifugal force on the water in the washing tub is greater than the gravity, the water in the tub can be discharged from the position above the tangent point between the belt and the inner drum through the unblocked drain hole, and is not limited by the rotation direction of the washing tub or the position of the drain hole. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the drainage device installation structure of a non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2This is the second schematic diagram of the drainage device installation structure of a non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the assembly structure of the drainage device of a non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] This embodiment discloses a drainage device suitable for a non-perforated inner drum washing machine and a non-perforated inner drum washing machine using the drainage device.

[0026] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the drainage device in this embodiment includes a driving wheel 1, a driven wheel 2, and a belt 3. The driving wheel 1 is a non-perforated inner drum (washing tub) with at least one drain hole 11 along its circumference. To improve drainage efficiency, the drain holes 11 in this embodiment are evenly spaced along the circumference of the non-perforated inner drum and are a ring of through holes that penetrate the radial direction of the non-perforated inner drum. The more drain holes 11 there are, the higher the drainage efficiency. The tangent point 5 between the belt 3 and the non-perforated inner drum is at least above the liquid level line of the non-perforated inner drum. That is, drainage can be achieved from the drain holes 11 located above the tangent point 5 between the belt 3 and the non-perforated inner drum (washing tub). See [reference needed]. Figure 1 .

[0027] Driven wheel 2 can rotate together with driving wheel 1, and the driven wheel shaft 421 of driven wheel 2 is parallel to the shaft of driving wheel 1 of the non-perforated inner cylinder. To facilitate the installation of driven wheel 2, driven wheel 2 can be mounted on the non-perforated inner cylinder via bracket 4. For ease of manufacturing and installation, a protruding post 12 is provided on one side end face of the non-perforated inner cylinder, and bracket 4 is fixedly mounted on the protruding post 12. The structure of bracket 4 can vary. In this embodiment, bracket 4 includes a circular bracket body 41 and a straight bracket connecting rod 42. The bracket body 41 is fixedly mounted on the protruding post 12, and the top of bracket connecting rod 42 is formed with an inverted L-shaped bend. The horizontal axis of the L-shaped bend is the driven wheel shaft 421, that is, the driven wheel shaft 421 is located directly above the non-perforated inner cylinder. See [reference needed]. Figure 3 .

[0028] The bracket 4 can be manufactured in one piece. During installation, the driven wheel 2 can be directly installed on the L-shaped horizontal shaft of the bracket 4, which is convenient and simple to operate.

[0029] To prevent water leakage during normal washing, the belt 3 in this embodiment needs to be tensioned on the non-porous inner drum (driving wheel 1) and driven wheel 2. There is no relative sliding between the belt 3 and the non-porous inner drum, that is, the point of tangency between the belt 3 and the non-porous inner drum is at least above the liquid level line of the non-porous inner drum.

[0030] When the non-perforated inner drum rotates during washing, the drain hole 11 located below the tangent point 5 between the belt 3 and the non-perforated inner drum (i.e., below the liquid level line of the non-perforated inner drum) can always be blocked by the belt 3, that is, the drain hole 11 at the part where the belt 3 and the non-perforated inner drum are in close contact is sealed; when drainage and dehydration are required, the non-perforated inner drum rotates at a speed higher than the washing speed. When the centrifugal force on the water is greater than the gravity, the water can be discharged from the position above the tangent point between the belt 3 and the non-perforated inner drum through the unblocked drain hole 11.

[0031] The tension of belt 3 can be easily adjusted by the driven pulley 2. By adjusting the distance between the driven pulley 2 and the driving pulley 1, the tension of belt 3 can be adjusted. The traditional design of belt 3 can already guarantee the amount of deformation of belt 3. Alternatively, the tensioning of belt 3 can be achieved by using the existing tensioning mechanism, which will be slightly more complicated in terms of structure and assembly.

[0032] The non-perforated inner drum of this embodiment can be made into a cylindrical inner drum used in traditional washing machine structures. The water in the cylindrical inner drum is affected by centrifugal force, and the water surface is parallel to the rotation axis. When the water is discharged, the water surface keeps getting closer to the drum wall. However, due to processing and assembly errors, the cylindrical drum cannot completely drain the water.

[0033] To improve dehydration performance and simplify the structure for easier production, the non-perforated inner cylinder in this embodiment is designed as a frustum of a cone with a gradually increasing diameter. The drain hole 11 is located along the circumference of the inner wall of the non-perforated inner cylinder at the point with the larger diameter. Because the non-perforated inner cylinder is frustum-shaped, the inner wall of the inner cylinder 1 is sloped. During dehydration, water is affected by centrifugal force and flows towards the point with the larger diameter. At this point, the drain hole 11, located at the point with the larger diameter, can effectively drain the water flowing to this point, reducing water residue inside the cylinder. Theoretically, the drainage rate can reach 100%. If the drain hole 11 is located at the point with the smaller diameter of the inner wall, some water will not be able to flow out. Actual experimental testing shows that the dehydration rate achievable with a cylindrical inner cylinder is approximately 90-95% of that with a frustum-shaped inner cylinder.

[0034] In conventional designs, belt 3 typically serves as a power transmission belt. In this embodiment, belt 3 primarily functions as a seal. The drive pulley 1 provides power, and the driven pulley 2 outputs power. After assembly, belt 3 needs to maintain a certain tension to ensure that belt 3 does not slip relative to drive pulley 1. Slipping or non-slipping of driven pulley 2 is acceptable, as long as slipping is prevented in most cases. A small probability of slipping does not affect the use.

[0035] During normal washing, the tension of belt 3 can block the drain hole 11 below the water level. At this time, the gravity and centrifugal force of the water are less than the force of belt 3 sticking to the wall of the non-perforated inner drum, and belt 3 plays a sealing role. During drainage and dehydration, the rotation speed of the non-perforated inner drum increases until the centrifugal force is greater than the gravity, and the water can be discharged from the drain hole 11 above the non-perforated inner drum (the place where belt 3 does not contact the non-perforated inner drum).

[0036] Regarding drainage and dehydration, specifically: given the centrifugal acceleration... Where ω is the angular velocity, r is the inner radius of the washing tub, and the gravitational acceleration g can be taken as 9.8 m² / s². If the rotational speed of the water in the washing tub is set to n (rpm), it is known that... Generally speaking, the inner diameter r of washing tubs on the market is mostly around 0.25m. Therefore, when a > g, that is... When the centrifugal acceleration a of water is greater than the gravitational acceleration g and n > 60 rpm, drainage can be carried out.

[0037] In actual operation, the water and clothes do not rotate synchronously with the washing tub's rotation speed. Therefore, the washing tub's rotation speed needs to be slightly higher than 60 rpm when draining, and this speed is related to the radius of the washing tub. In this implementation, the washing tub radius is set to 0.17m, therefore, the required water rotation speed is 72 rpm. During the experiment, drainage was initiated when the washing tub's rotation speed reached 90 rpm. If a faster drainage speed is needed, the rotation speed can be increased further.

[0038] During the drainage stage, traditional washing machines rely on gravity to drain water from the holes in the inner tub, which then flows into the outer tub and is discharged from the system via a drain pump or through a drain valve.

[0039] The drainage speed of a traditional washing machine is mainly limited by the flow rate of the drain pump or the flow capacity of the drain valve, as well as the air pressure balance between the inside of the tub and the outside. The drainage capacity of this embodiment is mainly limited by the size of the drain hole 11, the number of drain holes 11, and the rotation speed of the washing tub. Compared with a traditional washing machine, the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain hole 11 in this embodiment is much smaller than that of the inner tub of a traditional washing machine, but there is no significant difference between the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain hole 11 of the outer tub of a traditional washing machine. Therefore, the drainage speed is not limited by the size and number of holes.

[0040] During the dehydration stage, the non-perforated inner drum of traditional washing machines did not offer any advantage due to its larger cross-sectional area (the amount of water is small during the dehydration stage, and the dehydration resistance is mainly the tension between the clothes and the water). Experiments have shown that limiting the cross-sectional area and number of holes in the non-perforated inner drum of traditional washing machines to the same scheme as in this embodiment does not limit the dehydration speed and dehydration capacity.

[0041] This embodiment proposes a drainage device for a non-perforated inner drum that is simple in structure, highly reliable, easy to manufacture, and low in cost. Compared with existing non-perforated inner drum washing machines, such as those using U-shaped tube drainage devices (e.g., invention patent applications CN201910075539.6 "Washing Machine with Non-perforated Inner Drum, Drum Washing Machine and Drainage Method of Drum Washing Machine" and CN201810607503.3 "A Two-Way Washing Drum, Washing Machine and Control Method"), this embodiment does not need to consider the rotation direction of the washing drum during drainage. The rotation direction of the washing drum is unrestricted, and drainage mainly relies on a certain washing drum rotation speed. Drainage is achieved by using appropriate centrifugal force to resist the component of gravity, making the operation simpler.

[0042] In addition, during the experiment, when the inner drum was stationary, the sealing ability was strong because the belt and the drain hole below the water level in the inner drum were always closed. Through experimental testing, both rubber and PVC belts could guarantee a leakage rate of less than 1% for 24 hours. When the inner drum was running at the washing speed (the experimental speed range was set to 30-60 rpm), the initial water level was half the height of the drum. After running for 30 minutes, the leakage rate was less than 12%, and after running for another 30 minutes, the leakage rate was less than 20%. This amount of leakage did not affect the actual washing process.

[0043] When the inner cylinder is running, the drain hole below the liquid level in the inner cylinder is sealed by the belt. The belt is in direct contact with the water at this point. When the belt leaves the drain hole at the seal, some water will still remain on the belt. When the belt passes the driven pulley, this water will be squeezed off by the driven pulley and drip from the driven pulley. This leakage can be improved by spraying a hydrophobic material on the belt. After improvement, the overall leakage of the machine can be reduced from 12% to less than 5%.

[0044] Multiple experiments have verified that, under the same initial water level, a leakage rate within the range of 5%-30% has no significant impact on the overall washing effect. However, changing the initial water level significantly affects the washing effect regardless of whether there is leakage. Therefore, compared with traditional washing machines, the washing efficiency of this solution is not affected when using the same water level. Moreover, compared with traditional washing machines, the actual water consumption of the drainage device in this embodiment is less under the same water level. The leakage caused by the sealing method of the belt-sealed drainage hole in this solution does not result in a waste of resources.

[0045] In this embodiment, the drainage time was compared by selecting different drainage speeds, the number of drainage holes, the diameter of the drainage holes, and the angle θ between the two tangent points of the belt and the center of the bucket under the same experimental platform. The experimental data results are shown in Tables 1 to 3.

[0046]

[0047] Table 1

[0048]

[0049] Table 2

[0050]

[0051] Table 3

[0052] As can be seen from Tables 1 to 3 above, the drainage time is shortened with the increase of the number of drainage holes, the increase of the diameter of the drainage holes, and the increase of the angle between the tangent point of the belt and the center of the bucket. By reasonably arranging the angle between the belt and the center of the bucket, and by increasing the number and diameter of the drainage holes, the drainage time can be effectively shortened, thereby improving the drainage efficiency.

[0053] The specification and claims of this invention use terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom," to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the invention. However, these terms are used herein merely for ease of explanation and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0054] In the description of this invention patent, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an adhesive connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention patent based on the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A drainage device for a non-perforated inner drum washing machine, characterized in that, The drainage device includes: The driving wheel (1) is a non-perforated inner cylinder with at least one drain hole (11) along its circumference; The driven wheel (2) is rotatably mounted on the non-perforated inner cylinder, and the driven wheel shaft (421) of the driven wheel (2) is parallel to the driving wheel shaft (1) of the non-perforated inner cylinder. A belt (3) is tensioned on the non-porous inner cylinder and the driven wheel (2). There is no relative sliding between the belt (3) and the non-porous inner cylinder. Furthermore, the point of tangency between the belt (3) and the non-porous inner cylinder is at least above the liquid level line of the non-porous inner cylinder. When the non-porous inner cylinder is rotating, the drain hole (11) located below the liquid level line of the non-porous inner cylinder is always blocked by the belt (3).

2. The drainage device of the non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drainage holes (11) are uniformly spaced along the circumference of the non-perforated inner cylinder and are a ring of through holes that penetrate the radial direction of the non-perforated inner cylinder.

3. The drainage device of the non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-perforated inner cylinder is in the shape of a frustum with a diameter that gradually increases from small to large, and the drainage hole (11) is opened along the circumference of the inner wall of the non-perforated inner cylinder at the larger diameter.

4. The drainage device of the non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bracket (4) is provided on one side of the non-perforated inner cylinder, and a driven wheel shaft (421) is provided on the bracket (4) located directly above the non-perforated inner cylinder. The driven wheel (2) is rotatably mounted on the driven wheel shaft (421).

5. The drainage device of the non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The distance between the driven wheel shaft (421) and the driving wheel shaft (1) is such that the belt (3) has tension and that there is no relative slippage between the belt (3) and the non-perforated inner cylinder.

6. The drainage device of the non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The non-perforated inner cylinder has a protruding post (12) on one side end face. The bracket (4) is fixedly mounted on the protruding post (12). The top of the bracket (4) is formed with an inverted L-shaped bend. The L-shaped horizontal axis of the bend is the driven wheel shaft (421).

7. The drainage device of the non-perforated inner drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The belt (3) is coated with a hydrophobic material.

8. A washing machine, comprising a perforated inner drum, characterized in that: The washing machine employs a drainage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, the drainage device being disposed on the non-perforated inner drum.

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