Notch sealing structure of outer barrel of washing machine and washing machine

Abstract

According to the notch sealing structure of the washing machine outer barrel and the washing machine, a notch is formed in at least one side of the washing machine outer barrel in the horizontal width direction of a washing machine shell, a flexible sealing piece capable of sealing the notch is arranged on the notch of the outer barrel, and the notch sealing structure of the washing machine outer barrel is characterized in that the flexible sealing piece is an integrally-closed flexible end cover; the washing machine further comprises an elastic supporting piece enabling the inner side face of the flexible sealing piece to be far away from the inner barrel of the washing machine all the time, and the flexible sealing piece is pressed and fixed to the notch of the outer barrel through an annular pressing plate. The utility model has the advantages that the flexible sealing element is used for directly sealing the notch of the outer barrel and is supported by the elastic supporting element, the sealing structure is simple, the flexible sealing element is completely separated from the enclosure, the vibration of the inner barrel and the outer barrel can be isolated from being transmitted to the box body, the operation stability of equipment is improved, and the risk that the flexible sealing element is pulled and damaged is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to an outer barrel structure of a washing machine, in particular to a washing machine sealing structure of an outer barrel cutout and a washing machine with the sealing structure. Background Art

[0002] The larger the inner drum diameter of a drum washing machine, the greater the centrifugal force generated by the clothes during the dehydration stage, and the better the dehydration effect; in the drying stage, the larger the inner drum diameter of the drum washing machine, the larger the space for the clothes to expand, and the better the drying effect. However, the size of the drum washing machine is limited by the installation environment. Under the limited size of the washing machine, how to obtain a larger inner drum diameter has always been the research direction of the industry.

[0003] In the prior art, improving the shock absorption system is a common way to increase the capacity of the inner drum, such as using variable damping shock absorbers or increasing the number of shock absorbers to reduce the safety gap between the washing machine casing and the outer drum to increase the diameter of the inner drum; or by increasing the strength of the inner drum and the outer drum to reduce the safety gap between the outer drum and the inner drum, thereby increasing the diameter of the inner drum. However, the method of reducing the safety gap has limited effect on increasing the diameter of the inner drum, and it is difficult to achieve a breakthrough improvement.

[0004] The Chinese utility model patent number 202222649579.7 previously applied by the applicant, "A washing machine outer drum and a drum washing machine using the same", is characterized in that by cutting a notch in the outer drum, the size of the outer drum in the direction of the width of the casing can be expanded to be equal to the width of the casing. The expansion of the outer drum effectively increases the size of the inner drum along the width of the casing; however, in the sealing scheme for the notch of the outer drum, one end of the flexible seal is fixed to the notch of the outer drum, and the other end is fixed to the side panel, and the side panel is fixedly connected to the casing, which will cause the flexible seal to be pulled during the operation of the machine, thereby increasing the risk of damage and leakage, and the assembly process is complicated. Therefore, further improvements are still needed in terms of the strength and service life of washing machines with this type of outer drum notch. Utility Model Content

[0005] The first technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a cutting sealing structure for the outer drum of a washing machine which has a simple structure and is more convenient to install in view of the above-mentioned existing technical status. The washing machine with the cutting sealing structure can effectively prevent the inner and outer drums from transmitting vibration to the casing during operation.

[0006] The second technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a washing machine which adopts the outer drum of the above-mentioned cutout sealing structure to realize operation in view of the above-mentioned existing technical status.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve the first technical problem mentioned above is: a cutout sealing structure of the outer barrel of a washing machine, wherein the outer barrel of the washing machine is provided with a cutout on at least one side along the horizontal width direction of the washing machine casing, and a flexible sealing member capable of closing the cutout is arranged on the cutout of the outer barrel, characterized in that: the flexible sealing member is an integrally closed flexible end cover, and also includes an elastic supporting member capable of keeping the inner side surface of the flexible sealing member away from the inner barrel of the washing machine at all times, and the flexible sealing member is pressed and fixed to the cutout of the outer barrel by an annular pressure plate.

[0008] In order to facilitate assembly and achieve quick positioning, preferably, the cutout of the outer barrel is provided with a circle of annular grooves along the circumference, and protrusions that can be embedded in the annular grooves are respectively formed at both ends of the elastic support member.

[0009] In order to improve the reliability of the connection, preferably, the elastic support member is arranged on the inner side of the flexible sealing member, wherein both ends of the elastic support member include an S-shaped bending portion, and the S-shaped bending portion includes two continuously formed first convex portions and second concave portions; wherein, one end of the first convex portion is the free edge of the S-shaped bending portion, the other end of the first convex portion and one end of the second concave portion are a common edge, and the other end of the second concave portion is the fixed edge of the S-shaped bending portion, and the fixed edge is connected to the body of the elastic support member as a whole.

[0010] In order to prevent the first convex part from escaping from the annular groove, as a further preferred embodiment, the free edge of the S-shaped bending part is an elastic beveled edge inclined outward, the first convex part is formed by the elastic beveled edge and the common edge, and the first convex part can be embedded in the annular groove of the outer barrel cutout; the second concave part is formed by the common edge and the fixed edge, and the edge of the annular groove close to the outer barrel cutout forms a convex edge, and the convex edge can be embedded in the second concave part. Therefore, the elastic beveled edge structure makes the opening end of the first convex part larger than the size of the convex part. After the first convex part is inserted into the annular groove, the expansion force of the elastic beveled edge enables the first convex part to be always expanded in the annular groove, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the connection.

[0011] In order to save installation space and make the overall structure more compact, preferably, the cross-section of the flexible seal includes an elastic arc surface that is convex in the middle and S-shaped folded surfaces at both ends, and the shapes of the S-shaped bending parts at both ends of the elastic support member are adapted to the shapes of the S-shaped folded surfaces at both ends of the flexible seal.

[0012] In order to facilitate installation and disassembly, as a further preferred embodiment, the flexible sealing member is formed with a frame along the circumferential direction which can correspond to and be connected and fixed with the annular pressure plate.

[0013] In order to facilitate disassembly and maintenance and further enhance the reliability of the connection, as another preferred embodiment, the free edge of the S-shaped bend is arranged basically parallel to the common edge, the S-shaped bend is folded vertically outward along the free edge to form a connecting edge, and the notch of the annular groove forms a mounting end surface that can be abutted against the connecting edge.

[0014] Preferably, the mounting end surface, the connecting edge, the frame and the annular pressing plate are connected and fixed to the flexible sealing member, the elastic supporting member and the outer barrel by means of fixing members which are sequentially penetrated. Thus, the elastic supporting member, the flexible sealing member and the annular pressing plate are connected and fixed by fasteners through the edges which fit each other, and the reliability and safety of the connection are higher.

[0015] In order to simplify the installation, as another preferred embodiment, the elastic support member and the flexible sealing member can be provided separately or can be integrally injection molded.

[0016] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve the above-mentioned second technical problem is: a washing machine, including an outer barrel and an inner barrel, wherein the inner barrel is rotatably arranged in the outer barrel, and is characterized in that: a cutout is opened on at least one side of the outer barrel along the horizontal width direction of the casing, and the outer barrel adopts the outer barrel cutout sealing structure as described above.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the utility model are: by using a flexible seal to directly seal the incision of the outer barrel, the convenience of assembly can be greatly improved, and the flexible seal is supported by an elastic support member so that the flexible seal is completely separated from the casing, which can isolate the vibration of the inner barrel and the outer barrel from being transmitted to the box body, thereby improving the stability of the equipment operation; since the flexible seal is installed independently of the casing, it will not be subjected to any pulling during the dehydration process, which can greatly reduce the risk of damage to the flexible seal and extend the service life of the flexible seal; furthermore, an annular reinforcement plate structure is adopted to improve the strength of the incision of the outer barrel, the incision sealing structure is simple, and the reliability is high. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the outer barrel and inner barrel assembly structure of the first embodiment of the utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a partial three-dimensional exploded view of the outer barrel and inner barrel assembly structure of the first embodiment of the utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view of the sealing structure of the outer barrel cutout of the first embodiment of the utility model.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the elastic support member of the first embodiment of the utility model.

[0022] Figure 5This is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view of the sealing structure of the outer barrel cutout of the second embodiment of the utility model.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the elastic support member of the second embodiment of the utility model.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view of the sealing structure of the outer barrel cutout of the third embodiment of the utility model.

[0025] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the elastic support member of the third embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The present application discloses a washing machine with an outer barrel 1 having a cutout 11. The washing machine comprises an outer barrel 1 and an inner barrel 2 rotatably arranged in the outer barrel 1. The outer barrel 1 is provided with a cutout 11 on both sides along the horizontal width direction of a casing 6 of the washing machine.

[0028] After the incision 11 is opened in the outer barrel 1, the capacity of the inner barrel 2 is improved to a certain extent, but the strength of the outer barrel 1 will be reduced. After strength simulation, the maximum stress of the outer barrel 1 after the incision 11 is 21.12MPa, while the maximum stress of the complete outer barrel 1 is only 13MPa; therefore, it is necessary to add a certain reinforcement structure at the incision 11 while sealing the incision 11 of the outer barrel 1, so as to enhance the strength of the outer barrel 1.

[0029] The following embodiments 1, 2 and 3 are three different sealing structures of the incision 11 of the outer barrel 1 provided for the outer barrel 1 behind the incision 11 .

[0030] Embodiment 1, as Figure 1 to Figure 4 As shown:

[0031] In this embodiment, a flexible seal 3 that can close the incision 11 is provided on the incision 11 of the outer barrel 1. The flexible seal 3 is an integrated closed flexible end cover. The cross-section of the flexible seal 3 includes an elastic arc surface that is convex in the middle and S-shaped folded surfaces at both ends. The flexible seal 3 is pressed and fixed on the incision 11 of the outer barrel 1 by the annular pressure plate 5. In order to facilitate installation and disassembly, the flexible seal 3 is formed with a frame 31 along the circumferential direction that can correspond to and be connected and fixed to the annular pressure plate 5.

[0032] When the washing machine is working, when the inner drum 2 rotates at a high speed, an adsorption force that attracts the flexible seal 3 inward is generated. In order to prevent the flexible seal 3 from being attracted and deformed, an elastic support member 4 is also included to keep the inner side of the flexible seal 3 away from the inner drum 2 of the washing machine. The number of the elastic support members 4 can be set according to actual needs, so as to maintain the elasticity of the flexible seal 3 and prevent the flexible seal 3 from lacking support. In this embodiment, it is best to set three at intervals, see Figure 2 .

[0033] The elastic support member 4 of this embodiment is arranged on the inner side of the flexible seal 3, wherein both ends of the elastic support member 4 include S-shaped bending portions. In order to save installation space and make the overall structure more compact, the shapes of the S-shaped bending portions at both ends of the elastic support member 4 are adapted to the shapes of the S-shaped folded surfaces at both ends of the flexible seal 3.

[0034] In order to facilitate assembly and achieve rapid positioning, the cutout 11 of the outer barrel 1 is provided with a circle of annular grooves 12 along the circumference, and protrusions that can be embedded in the annular grooves 12 are respectively formed at both ends of the elastic support member 4.

[0035] Specifically, the S-shaped bending portion of the elastic support member 4 includes two continuously formed first convex portions 41 and second concave portions 42; wherein, one end of the first convex portion 41 is a free edge 43 of the S-shaped bending portion, the other end of the first convex portion 41 and one end of the second concave portion 42 are a common edge 44, and the other end of the second concave portion 42 is a fixed edge 45 of the S-shaped bending portion, and the fixed edge 45 is connected to the main body 40 of the elastic support member 4 as a whole.

[0036] In order to prevent the first protrusion 41 from escaping from the annular groove 12, the free edge 43 of the S-shaped bend is an elastic beveled edge inclined outward, and the first protrusion 41 is formed by the elastic beveled edge and the common edge 44. The first protrusion 41 can be embedded in the annular groove 12 of the cutout 11 of the outer barrel 1; the second recess 42 is formed by the common edge 44 and the fixed edge 45, and the edge of the annular groove 12 close to the cutout 11 of the outer barrel 1 forms a convex edge 121, which can be embedded in the second recess 42.

[0037] Therefore, the elastic bevel structure makes the opening end of the first protrusion 41 larger than the sealing end. After the first protrusion 41 is inserted into the annular groove 12, the frame 31 and the annular pressure plate 5 fix the flexible seal 3 and the elastic support 4 to the cutout 11 of the outer barrel 1 through the fixing parts that are sequentially penetrated. The elastic expansion force of the elastic bevel enables the first protrusion 41 to be always expanded and tightened in the annular groove 12 to prevent it from escaping from the annular groove 12, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the connection.

[0038] Embodiment 2, as Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown:

[0039] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the free edge 43 and the common edge 44 of the S-shaped bending portion in this embodiment are substantially parallel to each other. Figure 6 That is, the first protrusion 41 of the S-shaped bending portion is roughly U-shaped, wherein the S-shaped bending portion is folded vertically outward along the free edge 43 to form a connecting edge 46, and a mounting hole 461 is opened on the connecting edge 46. The notch of the annular groove 12 forms a mounting end surface that can be abutted against the connecting edge 46, and the mounting end surface is a part of the barrel body of the outer barrel 1.

[0040] Therefore, the mounting end surface, the connecting edge 46, the frame 31 and the annular pressing plate 5 are connected and fixed to the flexible sealing member 3, the elastic supporting member 4 and the outer barrel 1 through the fixing members that are sequentially penetrated. The elastic supporting member 4, the flexible sealing member 3 and the annular pressing plate 5 are connected and fixed by the same fastener through the edges that fit each other, and the connection is more convenient, and has higher reliability and safety.

[0041] Embodiment three, as Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown:

[0042] In order to simplify the installation, the present embodiment is different from the previous two embodiments in that the elastic support member 4 and the flexible sealing member 3 are integrally formed by in-film injection molding.

[0043] Specifically, both ends of the elastic support member 4 include a C-shaped bending portion 47, one end of the C-shaped bending portion 47 is a free end 471, and the other end is a fixed end 472 connected to the body 40 of the elastic support member 4. The free end 471 of the C-shaped bending portion is vertically folded outward to form an inner edge 473. When the elastic support member 4 and the flexible seal 3 are both injection molded, the inner edge 473 can be directly embedded in the flexible seal 3. See Figure 7 .

[0044] Usually, during the dehydration process of the washing machine, when the drum speed reaches the resonance point of the machine (about 180-200rpm), the tub assembly reaches the maximum vibration amount in the left and right directions, and when the drum stabilizes at a high speed, the tub assembly reaches a stable vibration amount in the left and right directions.

[0045] Therefore, when at the resonance point, if the minimum gap between the flexible seal 3 and the casing is smaller than the vibration amount of the barrel assembly, the flexible seal 3 will collide with the casing in a very short time, causing the flexible seal 3 to sink inward. In this embodiment, an elastic support member 4 is arranged on the flexible seal 3. The support of the elastic support member 4 can prevent the flexible seal 3 from being damaged by friction with the inner cylinder 2 after being sunken. At high speed, due to the negative pressure between the outer barrel 1 and the inner cylinder 2, the atmospheric pressure will also cause the flexible seal 3 to sink inward. The elastic support member 4 can also support the flexible seal 3 so that it does not rub against the inner cylinder 2 and cause damage.

[0046] The sealing structure of the outer barrel 1 of this embodiment can significantly increase the diameter of the inner barrel 2 without changing the size of the casing 6; at the same time, it can prevent the flexible seal 34 from being pulled by lateral forces at high speeds and being damaged, thereby extending the service life.

[0047] In the specification and claims of the present invention, terms indicating directions, such as "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", "side", "top", "bottom", etc., are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the present invention, but these terms are used here only for the purpose of convenience of description and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present invention can be arranged in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only used as explanations and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "up" and "down" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

Claims

1. A notch sealing structure for a washing machine outer drum, wherein the outer drum (1) of the washing machine is provided with a notch (11) on at least one side along the horizontal width direction of the washing machine casing, and a flexible sealing member (3) capable of closing the notch (11) is provided on the notch (11) of the outer drum (1), characterized in that: The flexible seal (3) is an integrated closed flexible end cover, and also includes an elastic support member (4) that enables the inner side surface of the flexible seal (3) to always be away from the inner drum (2) of the washing machine, and the flexible seal (3) is pressed and fixed to the cutout (11) of the outer drum (1) via an annular pressure plate (5).

2. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of the washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cutout (11) of the outer barrel (1) is provided with a circle of annular grooves (12) along the circumferential direction, and protrusions which can be embedded in the annular grooves (12) are respectively formed at both ends of the elastic support member (4).

3. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of a washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic support member (4) is arranged on the inner side of the flexible sealing member (3), wherein both ends of the elastic support member (4) include an S-shaped bending portion, and the S-shaped bending portion includes two continuously formed first convex portions (41) and second concave portions (42); wherein one end of the first convex portion (41) is a free edge (43) of the S-shaped bending portion, the other end of the first convex portion (41) and one end of the second concave portion (42) are a common edge (44), and the other end of the second concave portion (42) is a fixed edge (45) of the S-shaped bending portion, and the fixed edge (45) is connected to the main body (40) of the elastic support member (4) as a whole.

4. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of the washing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The free edge (43) of the S-shaped bending portion is an elastic beveled edge inclined outward, the first convex portion (41) is formed by the elastic beveled edge and the common edge (44), and the first convex portion (41) can be embedded in the annular groove (12) of the cutout (11) of the outer barrel (1); the second concave portion (42) is formed by the common edge (44) and the fixed edge (45), and the edge of the annular groove (12) close to the cutout (11) of the outer barrel (1) forms a convex edge (121), and the convex edge (121) can be embedded in the second concave portion (42).

5. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of a washing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cross section of the flexible sealing member (3) comprises an elastic arc-shaped surface convex in the middle and S-shaped folded surfaces at both ends, and the shapes of the S-shaped bent portions at both ends of the elastic support member (4) are adapted to the shapes of the S-shaped folded surfaces at both ends of the flexible sealing member (3).

6. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of a washing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flexible sealing member (3) is formed with a frame (31) along the circumferential direction and can correspond to and be connected and fixed to the annular pressing plate (5).

7. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of a washing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The free edge (43) of the S-shaped bent portion is substantially parallel to the common edge (44), and the S-shaped bent portion is folded vertically outward along the free edge (43) to form a connecting edge (46). The cutout (11) of the outer barrel (1) is provided with a circle of annular grooves (12) along the circumferential direction, and the notch of the annular groove (12) forms a mounting end surface that can be abutted against the connecting edge (46).

8. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of a washing machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mounting end surface, the connecting edge (46), the frame (31) and the annular pressing plate (5) connect and fix the flexible sealing member (3), the elastic supporting member (4) and the outer barrel (1) through fixing members that are sequentially inserted.

9. The incision sealing structure of the outer drum of a washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic support component (4) and the flexible sealing component (3) are integrally injection-molded.

10. A washing machine, comprising an outer drum (1) and an inner drum (2), wherein the inner drum (2) is rotatably arranged in the outer drum (1), characterized in that: The outer tub (1) is provided with a cutout (11) on at least one side along the horizontal width direction of the casing, and the outer tub (1) adopts the cutout sealing structure of the outer tub of a washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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