A washing machine with openable inner and outer drum covers

Abstract

The application provides a washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer drum covers, which comprises an outer shell, a driving element, an outer drum and an inner drum installed in the outer shell, the inner drum is sleeved in the outer drum, the driving element penetrates the outer drum and the inner drum, the inner drum is axially separated from the output shaft of the driving element to take out the inner drum from the outer drum, the upper end of the outer drum is provided with an outer drum seat, an outer drum upper cover is movably covered on the outer drum seat, the upper end of the inner drum is provided with an inner drum seat, an inner drum upper cover is movably covered on the inner drum seat, and the outer drum upper cover is rotationally connected with the inner drum upper cover. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer drum covers provided by the application can separately disassemble the inner drum, and the inner drum cover and the outer drum cover can be opened or disassembled relative to the inner drum seat and the outer drum seat, so that the inner drum is filled with water or clothes when the washing machine is running, and the washing machine is more flexible and convenient in use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of washing machine technology, specifically to a washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the inner tub (washing tub) of most washing machines on the market, as the core washing component, is fixedly assembled on the power output main shaft, meaning it is a non-removable structure and the space between the inner tub and the outer tub cannot be cleaned.

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical deficiencies, the applicant previously filed a Chinese utility model patent application with application number 202620392182X entitled "A Detachable Inner Tub Structure for a Washing Machine," in which the inner tub of the washing machine can be disassembled and installed independently in the axial direction.

[0004] However, the applicant discovered certain limitations in actual use of the patent. For example, it cannot solve the technical problems of manually adding water (in the case of a semi-automatic washing machine) and adding or removing clothes at any time. The steps for adding and removing clothes are cumbersome, and users can only perform these operations after removing the inner tub; therefore, it suffers from a poor user experience and insufficient practicality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] The problem to be solved by this application is to provide a washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer drum lids, which can overcome the defects in the prior art.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] The embodiments in this specification provide the following technical solutions:

[0009] This specification provides a washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids, including an outer shell and a drive unit, an outer tub, and an inner tub installed within the outer shell. The inner tub is fitted inside the outer tub, and the drive unit passes through the outer tub and the inner tub. The inner tub and the output shaft of the drive unit can be axially separated to remove the inner tub from the outer tub. The upper end of the outer tub is provided with an outer tub seat, and an outer tub cover is movably closed on the outer tub seat. The upper end of the inner tub is provided with an inner tub seat, and an inner tub cover is movably closed on the inner tub seat. The outer tub cover and the inner tub cover are rotatably connected. During washing, the outer tub cover is closed on the outer tub seat, and the inner tub cover is connected to the inner tub to achieve synchronous rotation. When pausing washing, the outer tub cover and the inner tub cover can be opened to remove or load clothes.

[0010] In some embodiments, the inner bucket cover is inserted and positioned on the inner bucket, the inner bucket cover is provided with a V-shaped guide block, and the inner bucket seat is provided with a guide groove that matches the shape of the guide block. The inner bucket cover can be directly positioned and inserted into the inner bucket seat through the guide block.

[0011] In some embodiments, the outer barrel cover is rotatably fastened to the upper end of the outer barrel. The outer barrel cover has a protrusion, and the inner side of the outer barrel seat has a groove that mates with the protrusion. The outer barrel cover has a handle that flips up, and the handle has an elastic limiting pin. The outer barrel seat also has a limiting groove that communicates with the groove. After the protrusion is locked with the groove, the limiting pin is placed in the limiting groove to form a self-locking mechanism, preventing the outer barrel cover from rotating relative to it. The protrusion enters one side of the groove through the limiting groove. Rotating the outer barrel cover allows the protrusion to engage with the groove, thereby limiting the vertical movement of the outer barrel cover. To unlock, lift the handle of the outer barrel cover upwards to disengage the limiting pin from the limiting groove, then rotate the outer barrel cover in the opposite direction to disengage the protrusion from the groove, and remove the outer barrel cover along the limiting groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, one end of the inner tub cover is rotatably mounted on the inner tub seat via a hinge. When the inner tub cover is closed onto the inner tub seat, it is secured by a snap fastener. The inner tub seat is provided with a locking groove corresponding to the snap fastener.

[0013] In some embodiments, the outer bucket cover and the inner bucket cover are integrated by a quick-release mechanism. The outer bucket cover and the inner bucket cover are rotatably engaged by bearings. When the inner bucket cover is limited to the inner bucket seat, the outer bucket cover is closed onto the outer bucket seat. The quick-release mechanism includes bolts or buckles, and the quick-release mechanism installs the outer bucket cover onto the inner bucket cover.

[0014] In some embodiments, the quick-release mechanism further includes a spline structure disposed between the outer barrel cover and the inner barrel cover. The spline structure includes a spline and a spline groove. The spline groove includes an inner spline and a sliding hole. The inner spline is disposed on the inner barrel cover. The spline shaft includes an outer spline and a sliding shaft. The outer spline is fitted on the bearing.

[0015] In some embodiments, the inner tub seat is provided with an inner tub seat handle, and the inner tub cover is provided with an inner tub cover handle ring. The washing machine is a top-loading washing machine or a front-loading washing machine. When the washing machine is a front-loading washing machine, a guide rib is provided inside the outer tub, and the inner tub can be quickly installed and inserted into the outer tub through the guide rib.

[0016] In some embodiments, a shock-absorbing pad is provided between the outer barrel cover and the inner barrel cover to provide shock absorption when the outer barrel and the inner barrel move relative to each other. A plurality of first shock-absorbing rubber particles are provided between the outer barrel cover and the outer barrel seat, and a plurality of second shock-absorbing rubber particles are provided between the inner barrel cover and the inner barrel seat. A flip cover is hinged to the top of the outer shell.

[0017] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the above-mentioned at least one technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this specification include at least the following: the inner tub can be disassembled separately, and the inner tub cover and the outer tub cover can be opened or disassembled relative to the inner tub seat and the outer tub seat, which makes it convenient to add water or clothes to the inner tub when the washing machine is running, making the washing machine more flexible and convenient to use. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a perspective view from this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a sectional view from this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a top view of the outer barrel in this application;

[0023] Figure 4 It is in this application Figure 3 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the outer barrel in this application;

[0025] Figure 6 It is in this application Figure 5 Enlarged view of section B;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a partial three-dimensional view of the card slot in this application;

[0027] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the outer and inner drums in this application;

[0028] Figure 9 It is in this application Figure 8 Enlarged view of section C;

[0029] Figure 10This is a cross-sectional view of Embodiment 2 in this application;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the outer barrel cover and inner barrel cover in the second embodiment of this application, separated.

[0031] The component names corresponding to the various reference numerals in the figure are as follows: 1. Outer shell; 2. Drive component; 3. Outer tub; 301. Guide rib; 4. Inner tub; 5. Outer tub cover; 501. Protrusion; 502. Limiting pin; 503. Outer tub cover handle; 6. Inner tub cover; 601. Guide block; 602. Inner tub cover handle ring; 7. Outer tub seat; 701. Slot; 702. Limiting slot; 8. Inner tub seat; 801. Guide slot; 802. Locking slot; 803. Inner tub seat handle; 9. Hinge; 10. Buckle; 11. External spline; 1101. Sliding shaft; 12. Internal spline; 1201. Sliding hole; 13. Bolt; 14. Bearing; 15. Shock-absorbing pad; 16. Flip cover; 17. First shock-absorbing rubber granule; 18. Second shock-absorbing rubber granule. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0035] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The illustrations only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0036] Additionally, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that practice can be carried out without these specific details.

[0037] Example 1:

[0038] Combination Figures 1-9 As shown, this application provides a washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids, including an outer shell 1 and a drive unit 2, an outer tub 3, and an inner tub 4 installed inside the outer shell 1. The inner tub 4 is fitted inside the outer tub 3. A flip cover 16 is hinged to the top of the outer shell 1. The drive unit 2 passes through the outer tub 3 and the inner tub 4. The output shaft of the inner tub 4 and the drive unit 2 can be axially separated to remove the inner tub 4 from the outer tub 3. An outer tub seat 7 is provided at the upper end of the outer tub 3, and an outer tub top cover 5 is movably closed on the outer tub seat 7. An inner tub seat 8 is provided at the upper end of the inner tub 4, and an inner tub top cover 6 is movably closed on the inner tub seat 8. The inner tub seat 8 is inserted into and fitted into the outer tub 3. At the end of the inner tub 4, the outer tub seat 7 is inserted and fitted into the end of the outer tub 3. The outer tub cover 5 and the inner tub cover 6 are rotatably connected. The lower end of the inner tub 4 is supported by the drive component 2, and the upper end is supported by the inner tub cover 6 and the outer tub cover 5. The inner tub 4 is supported at both the top and bottom, so it has good stability. The inner tub cover 6 can be opened to load or unload clothes without removing the inner tub 4. When washing, the outer tub cover 5 is closed on the outer tub seat 7, and the inner tub cover 6 is connected to the inner tub 4 to rotate synchronously. When pausing the washing, the outer tub cover 5 and the inner tub cover 6 can be opened to load or unload clothes.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3-7As shown, the inner bucket cover 6 is inserted and positioned on the inner bucket seat 8. The inner bucket cover 6 has a V-shaped guide block 601, and the inner bucket seat 8 has a guide groove 801 that matches the shape of the guide block 601. The inner bucket cover 6 can be directly inserted and fitted onto the inner bucket seat 8. The guide groove 801 allows for quick guidance and positioning at the fitting point and stable transmission of torque. The outer bucket cover 5 is rotated and fastened to the upper end of the outer bucket 3. The outer bucket cover 5 has a protrusion 501, and the inner side of the outer bucket seat 7 has a slot 701 that matches the protrusion 501. The outer bucket cover 5 has a flip-up handle 503, which has an elastic limiting pin 502. The outer bucket seat 7 also has a slot 701 that matches the slot 701. After the protrusion 501 and the slot 701 are locked together, the limiting pin 502 is placed in the limiting groove 702 to form a self-locking mechanism. The protrusion 501 enters the outer barrel seat 8 through the limiting groove 702. After rotating the outer barrel cover 5, the protrusion 501 is placed in the slot 701 to lock the outer barrel cover 5. At the same time, the limiting pin 502 is placed in the limiting groove 702. At this time, the outer barrel cover 5 cannot rotate relative to the outer barrel seat 8. When unlocking, lift the outer barrel cover handle 503 upward to disengage the limiting pin 502 from the limiting groove 702. Then rotate the outer barrel cover 5 in the opposite direction to disengage the protrusion 501 from the slot 701. Take out the outer barrel cover 5 along the limiting groove 702.

[0040] Example 2: See Figure 10 and Figure 11 The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that:

[0041] One end of the inner tub cover 6 is rotatably mounted on the inner tub seat 8 via a hinge 9. When the inner tub cover 6 is closed onto the inner tub seat 8, it is secured by a buckle 10. The inner tub seat 8 is provided with a locking groove 802 corresponding to the buckle 10. By moving the buckle 10 to disengage it from the locking groove 802, the outer tub cover 5 and the inner tub cover 6 can be flipped open. In this embodiment, the outer tub cover 5 and the inner tub cover 6 are formed as a whole by a quick-release mechanism. This quick-release mechanism includes a bolt 13 or a buckle, meaning that the outer tub cover 5 can be attached to the inner tub via a bolt or a buckle. The outer lid 6 is fixed in place. A quick-release mechanism installs the outer lid 5 onto the inner lid 6. After removing bolts 13 or clips, the outer lid 5 and inner lid 6 can be separated. The outer lid 5 and inner lid 6 are rotatably engaged via bearing 14. When the inner lid 6 is positioned on the inner tub seat 8, the outer lid 5 closes onto the outer tub seat 7. The quick-release mechanism simultaneously opens both the outer lid 5 and inner lid 6 while fixing them together. After disassembly, the outer lid 5 must be opened separately, followed by the inner lid 6. The outer tub cover 5 is provided with an outer tub cover handle 503 for opening the outer tub cover 5. When the inner tub cover 6 is assembled separately from the outer tub cover 5, the inner tub seat 8 is provided with an inner tub seat handle 803 for removing the entire inner tub 4. The inner tub cover 6 is provided with an inner tub cover handle ring 602 for opening the inner tub cover 6 separately. In this embodiment, the quick-release mechanism also includes a spline structure disposed between the outer tub cover 5 and the inner tub cover 6. The spline structure includes a spline 11 and a spline groove 12. The spline groove includes an inner spline 12 and a sliding hole 12. 01. The internal spline 12 is set on the inner barrel cover 6. The spline shaft includes the external spline 11 and the sliding shaft 1101. The external spline 11 is fitted on the bearing 14. A shock-absorbing pad 15 is provided between the outer barrel cover 5 and the inner barrel cover 6. When the inner barrel 4 and the outer barrel 3 rotate relative to each other, the axial elastic pre-tightening is provided to prevent the inner barrel 3 assembly from moving up and down, and to play a role in noise reduction and vibration reduction. Multiple first shock-absorbing rubber particles 17 are provided between the outer barrel cover 5 and the outer barrel seat 7, and multiple second shock-absorbing rubber particles 18 are provided between the inner barrel cover 6 and the inner barrel seat 8, all of which play a role in vibration reduction.

[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the washing machine is either a top-loading washing machine or a front-loading washing machine. When the washing machine is a front-loading washing machine, a guide rib 301 is provided inside the outer tub 3, and the inner tub 4 can be quickly installed and inserted into the outer tub 3 through the guide rib 301.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the user can configure whether the inner tub cover 6 and the outer tub cover 5 can be opened simultaneously according to actual usage needs. Opening both covers allows for adding or removing clothing or water as needed, and also allows the inner tub to be removed at any time to check the cleanliness of the outer tub. The buckle 10 and hinge 9 can be separately connected or integrally formed on the inner tub cover 6. The outer tub 3 and outer tub seat 7 can be separately or integrally formed. The bearing 14 is used to enable the mutual rotation of the outer tub cover 5 and the inner tub cover 6, and can be a rolling bearing. In one embodiment, the bearing 14 can be an oil-impregnated bearing.

[0044] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the descriptions of the embodiments described later are relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the foregoing embodiments.

[0045] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids, comprising an outer shell (1) and a drive unit (2), an outer tub (3), and an inner tub (4) installed within the outer shell (1), wherein the inner tub (4) is fitted inside the outer tub (3), the drive unit (2) passes through the outer tub (3) and the inner tub (4), and the output shaft of the inner tub (4) and the drive unit (2) is axially separable to remove the inner tub (4) from the outer tub (3); characterized in that: The outer tub (3) has an outer tub seat (7) at its upper end, and an outer tub cover (5) is movably closed on the outer tub seat (7). The inner tub (4) has an inner tub seat (8) at its upper end, and an inner tub cover (6) is movably closed on the inner tub seat (8). The outer tub cover (5) and the inner tub cover (6) are rotatably connected. When washing clothes, the outer tub cover (5) is closed on the outer tub seat (7), and the inner tub cover (6) is connected to the inner tub (4) to achieve synchronous rotation. When pausing washing, the outer tub cover (5) and the inner tub cover (6) can be opened to take out or put in clothes.

2. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner barrel cover (6) is inserted and positioned on the inner barrel seat (8). The inner barrel cover (6) is provided with a V-shaped guide block (601), and the inner barrel seat (8) is provided with a guide groove (801) that matches the shape of the guide block (601).

3. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer barrel cover (5) is rotated and fastened to the upper end of the outer barrel (3). The outer barrel cover (5) is provided with a protrusion (501). The inner side of the outer barrel base (7) is provided with a groove (701) that mates with the protrusion (501). The outer barrel cover (5) is provided with a handle (503) that flips up. The handle (503) is provided with a flexible limiting pin (502). The outer barrel base (7) is also provided with a limiting groove (701) that communicates with the groove (701). 02), after the protrusion (501) is locked with the slot (701), the limiting pin (502) is placed in the limiting groove (702) to form a self-locking mechanism; when unlocking, lift the handle (503) of the outer bucket cover upwards to disengage the limiting pin (502) from the limiting groove (702), then rotate the outer bucket cover (5) in the opposite direction to disengage the protrusion (501) from the slot (701), and take out the outer bucket cover (5) along the limiting groove (702).

4. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the inner barrel cover (6) is rotatably mounted on the inner barrel seat (8) via a hinge (9). When the inner barrel cover (6) is closed onto the inner barrel seat (8), it is fastened and fixed by a buckle (10). The inner barrel seat (8) is provided with a locking groove (802) corresponding to the buckle (10).

5. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer barrel cover (5) and the inner barrel cover (6) are integrated by a quick-release mechanism. The outer barrel cover (5) and the inner barrel cover (6) are rotated and engaged by a bearing (14). When the inner barrel cover (6) is positioned and engaged on the inner barrel seat (8), the outer barrel cover (5) is closed onto the outer barrel seat (7).

6. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 5, characterized in that, The quick-release mechanism includes a bolt (13) or a buckle, which installs the outer barrel cover (5) onto the inner barrel cover (6).

7. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 6, characterized in that, The quick-release mechanism also includes a spline structure disposed between the outer barrel cover (5) and the inner barrel cover (6). The spline structure includes a spline and a spline groove. The spline groove includes an inner spline (12) and a sliding hole (1201). The inner spline (12) is disposed on the inner barrel cover (6). The spline shaft includes an outer spline (11) and a sliding shaft (1101). The outer spline (11) is fitted on the bearing (14).

8. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner bucket seat (8) is provided with an inner bucket seat handle (803), and the inner bucket cover (6) is provided with an inner bucket cover handle ring (602).

9. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, The washing machine is a top-loading washing machine or a front-loading washing machine. When the washing machine is a front-loading washing machine, a guide rib (301) is provided inside the outer tub (3), and the inner tub (4) can be quickly installed and inserted into the outer tub (3) through the guide rib (301).

10. The washing machine with openable and closable inner and outer tub lids according to claim 1, characterized in that, A shock-absorbing pad (15) is provided between the outer barrel cover (5) and the inner barrel cover (6). A plurality of first shock-absorbing rubber particles (17) are provided between the outer barrel cover (5) and the outer barrel seat (7). A plurality of second shock-absorbing rubber particles (18) are provided between the inner barrel cover (6) and the inner barrel seat (8). A flip cover (16) is hinged to the top of the outer shell (1).

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