Roller washing machine
By adding a water inlet connector to the inner wall of the outer drum of the drum washing machine, the water inlet path is changed, forming a water curtain-like flow from top to bottom, which solves the problem of insufficient detergent dissolution and improves the washing effect and resource utilization.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423035938.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-06
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-06
AI Technical Summary
The design of the water inlet of a drum washing machine leads to insufficient dissolution of detergent, resulting in poor washing performance, detergent residue, and significant water waste.
Adding a water inlet connector to the inner wall of the outer drum of the drum washing machine changes the water flow path, allowing water to enter the space between the inner and outer drums from the top of the outer drum, forming a water curtain-like flow from top to bottom, ensuring that water enters the inner drum at a higher position.
It improves the penetration and solubility of detergent, reduces detergent sedimentation and accumulation at the bottom of the outer drum, enhances washing effect, and reduces energy consumption and water waste.
Smart Images
Figure CN223576798U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a drum washing machine. BACKGROUND
[0002] The drum washing machine refers to a washing machine with a rotatable drum inside for loading and washing clothes. The drum washing machine is favored by consumers due to its high washing efficiency, low wear, water and electricity saving, diversified functions, low noise, and large capacity. The water inlet process of the drum washing machine usually includes: tap water enters the water inlet hose through the water inlet valve, then enters the detergent box, washes the detergent into the water inlet bellows, and then passes through the water inlet hole on the outer drum to reach between the inner and outer drums, and then enters the inner drum to soak the clothes.
[0003] In related technologies, space is needed above the outer drum of the drum washing machine to install a drying assembly or an electric control assembly, so the water inlet hole is usually installed in the upper middle of the outer drum. However, after the tap water enters the water inlet hole in the upper middle, it is easy to flow downward along the outer wall of the inner drum to the lowest point of the outer drum of the washing machine, forming a deposit at the lowest point, causing insufficient dissolution of the detergent, poor washing effect, and detergent residue. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL
[0004] Therefore, the purpose of the present application is to provide a drum washing machine.
[0005] The technical scheme adopted by the present application to solve the above technical problems is as follows:
[0006] The present application provides a drum washing machine, which comprises: a water inlet assembly;
[0007] a washing drum assembly comprising an outer drum and an inner drum rotatably installed in the outer drum, an outer side wall of the outer drum being provided with a water inlet portion, and a water outlet end of the water inlet assembly being communicated with the water inlet portion; and
[0008] a water inlet connector located on an inner side wall of the outer drum, the water inlet portion being communicated with a water inlet end of the water inlet connector, the water inlet connector extending from the water inlet portion along the inner side wall of the outer drum in a circumferential direction and close to the top of the outer drum, and a water outlet end of the water inlet connector being communicated with the inner drum.
[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, the water outlet end of the water inlet connector extends circumferentially along the inner side wall of the outer drum.
[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, the water outlet end of the water inlet connector is a continuous long strip-shaped water spray hole; or the water outlet end of the water inlet connector is a segmented long strip-shaped water spray hole; or the water outlet end of the water inlet connector is a point-like shower-type water spray hole.
[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, the area of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint is smaller than the area of the water outlet end of the water inlet part.
[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, a flow guide surface is arranged between the water inlet end of the water inlet joint and the water outlet end of the water inlet joint, and the flow guide surface is arranged to be inclined in the direction close to the inner cylinder.
[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, the inner side wall of the outer cylinder is provided with a mounting groove, and the water inlet joint is located in the mounting groove.
[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, a sealing strip is arranged between the outer side wall of the water inlet joint and the groove wall of the mounting groove.
[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, a first connecting part is arranged on the water inlet joint, a second connecting part is arranged on the mounting groove, and the first connecting part and the second connecting part are fixedly connected.
[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, the side wall of the inner cylinder is provided with a plurality of water inlet holes, and the orthogonal projection of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint on the side wall of the inner cylinder covers at least part of the water inlet holes.
[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present application, the water inlet assembly comprises a water inlet valve, a water inlet hose, a detergent box and a water inlet bellows arranged in sequence and communicated, and the water inlet bellows is communicated with the water inlet part.
[0018] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the present application at least has the following beneficial effects:
[0019] The drum washing machine provided by the embodiments of the present application adds a water inlet joint between the water inlet part of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, changes the water flow path, and the water in the water inlet assembly flows along the water inlet joint after entering the water inlet joint from the water inlet part, that is, flows towards the top of the outer cylinder. After the water flow passes through this path, it enters the space between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder from the water outlet end with a higher horizontal height, and then flows into the inner cylinder. This water flow path effectively ensures that the water enters the inner cylinder at the highest possible position, forming a top-down water curtain type water flow. The water curtain can more evenly cover the wet clothes, improve the permeability and dissolution rate of the detergent, improve the washing effect, reduce the deposition and accumulation of the detergent at the bottom of the outer cylinder, and avoid the problems of detergent residue and poor washing effect, thereby reducing energy consumption and water resource waste. In summary, the drum washing machine provided by the present application optimizes the water inlet path and adjusts the water flow direction through the water inlet joint, which not only improves the dissolution rate of the detergent and the clothes cleaning effect, but also reduces water waste, thereby improving the overall washing efficiency and resource utilization rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application, wherein:
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drum washing machine provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner drum and water inlet connector in a drum washing machine provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a water inlet connector provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another water inlet connector provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Top view of the provided water inlet connector;
[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;
[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a front outer cylinder provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the outer drum and water inlet connector in a drum washing machine provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged view of section I;
[0030] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a water inlet component provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0032] 100-Drum washing machine;
[0033] 10-Water inlet assembly; 11-Water inlet valve; 12-Water inlet hose; 13-Detergent dispenser; 14-Water inlet corrugated pipe;
[0034] 20-Outer cylinder; 21-Front outer cylinder; 211-Water inlet; 212-Mounting groove; 2121-Second connecting part; 213-Third connecting part; 22-Rear outer cylinder; 221-Fourth connecting part;
[0035] 30 - Inner cylinder; 31 - Water inlet;
[0036] 40 - water inlet; 41a - continuous long strip-shaped water outlet; 41b - sectional long strip-shaped water outlet; 42 - flow guide surface; 43 - sealing strip; 44 - first connecting part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be apparently and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without any creative effort fall within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0038] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element indicated must have a unique orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically limited.
[0039] In the present application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment described as exemplary in the present application is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present application. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without the use of these specific details. In other instances, well known structures and processes are not elaborated upon in order to avoid unnecessary detail, which might obscure the description of the present application. Thus, the present application is not intended to be limited by the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
[0040] In order to facilitate the understanding of the scheme of the present application, the spline curves and arrows used in the reference signs in the drawings are described as follows: the components indicated by the spline curves without arrows are solid components, i.e. components with solid structures; the components indicated by the spline curves with arrows are virtual components, i.e. components without solid structures.
[0041] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The embodiment of the present application provides a drum washing machine 100, which comprises: a water inlet assembly; a washing drum assembly, which comprises an outer drum 20 and an inner drum 30 rotatably installed in the outer drum 20, an outer side wall of the outer drum 20 is provided with a water inlet part 211, and a water outlet end of the water inlet assembly is communicated with the water inlet part 211; and a water inlet connector 40, which is located on an inner side wall of the outer drum 20, the water inlet part 211 is communicated with a water inlet end of the water inlet connector 40, the water inlet connector 40 extends from the water inlet part 211 along the inner side wall of the outer drum 20 in a circumferential direction and close to a top of the outer drum 20, and a water outlet end of the water inlet connector 40 is communicated with the inner drum 30.
[0042] It should be noted that in the drum washing machine 100 provided by the present application, the water inlet part 211 is located in the upper middle of the outer drum 20, so as to reserve space for a drying assembly and an electric control assembly.
[0043] It can be understood that the water inlet connector 40 extends from the water inlet part 211 along the inner side wall of the outer drum 20 in a circumferential direction and close to the top of the outer drum 20, which means that the horizontal height of the water outlet end of the water inlet connector 40 is higher than that of the water inlet part 211, and a water flow path in the water inlet connector 40 is formed between the water inlet connector 40 and the inner side wall of the outer drum 20.
[0044] The drum washing machine 100 provided by the embodiment of the present application adds the water inlet connector 40 between the water inlet part 211 of the outer drum 20 and the inner drum 30, changes the water flow path, and the water in the water inlet assembly flows along the water inlet connector 40 after entering the water inlet connector 40 through the water inlet part 211, that is, flows towards the top of the outer drum 20, and then flows into the space between the outer drum 20 and the inner drum 30 from the water outlet end with a higher horizontal height, and then flows into the inner drum 30; this water flow path effectively ensures that the water enters the inner drum 30 at a position as high as possible, forms a water curtain type water flow from top to bottom, and the water curtain can more evenly cover the wet clothes, improve the permeability and dissolution rate of the detergent, improve the washing effect, reduce the deposition and accumulation of the detergent at the bottom of the outer drum 20, avoid the problems of detergent residue and poor washing effect, and reduce the energy consumption and waste of water resources. In summary, the drum washing machine 100 provided by the present application optimizes the water inlet path and adjusts the water flow direction through the water inlet connector 40, which not only improves the dissolution rate of the detergent and the clothes cleaning effect, but also reduces the water flow waste, improves the overall washing efficiency and resource utilization rate.
[0045] It can be understood that by arranging the water inlet joint 40 on the inner side wall of the outer drum 20, the water inlet joint 40 is located between the outer drum 20 and the inner drum 30, and the water inlet joint 40 can extend to the highest point of the outer drum 20 as much as possible, so that the water flows into the inner drum 30 from top to bottom. The present scheme avoids changing the water inlet path on the outer side wall of the outer drum 20, thereby avoiding occupying the space outside the outer drum 20 and not increasing the volume of the drum washing machine 100.
[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, referring again to Figure 2 , the same end side of the inner drum 30 and the outer drum 20 is open to form a clothes feeding port, the outer drum 20 includes a front outer drum 21 and a rear outer drum 22, and the front outer drum 21 is arranged close to the clothes feeding port, wherein the water inlet joint is arranged on the inner side wall of the front outer drum 21.
[0047] Specifically, the front outer drum 21 and the rear outer drum 22 are detachably connected. It can be understood that detachable connection is conducive to separate preparation of the front outer drum 21 and the rear outer drum 22, and reassembly into the outer drum 20. If the outer drum 20 is directly prepared, it is not convenient to demold. When assembling the outer drum 20 and the inner drum 30, the rear outer drum 22 and the inner drum 30 are first assembled, the water inlet joint 40 is installed on the inner side wall of the front outer drum 21, and then the front outer drum 21 and the rear outer drum 22 are assembled.
[0048] Further, the outer side wall of the front outer drum 21 is protrudingly provided with a third connecting part 213, and the third connecting part 213 has a third connecting hole. The outer side wall of the rear outer drum 22 is protrudingly provided with a fourth connecting part 221, and the fourth connecting part 221 has a fourth connecting hole. The number and position of the third connecting hole and the fourth connecting hole are one-to-one corresponding, and the third connecting hole and the fourth connecting hole are penetrated by the second connecting piece to realize the connection of the front outer drum 21 and the rear outer drum 22.
[0049] In some embodiments of the present application, the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 extends circumferentially along the inner side wall of the outer drum 20. In other words, the water inlet joint 40 extends from the water inlet part 211 in a circumferential direction along the inner side wall of the outer drum 20 and close to the top of the outer drum 20, and the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 also extends in a circumferential direction along the inner side wall of the outer drum 20 and close to the top of the outer drum 20, so as to as much as possible increase the horizontal height of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 and improve the water inlet effect of the inner drum 30.
[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 3 , the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 is a continuous long strip-shaped water spray hole 41a.
[0051] In some other embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 4 , the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 is a segmented long strip-shaped water spray hole 41b.
[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 is a point-shaped shower nozzle.
[0053] It can be understood that the continuous long strip-shaped water outlet hole 41a, the segmented long strip-shaped water outlet hole 41b, and the point-shaped shower nozzle are all extended along the inner side wall of the outer cylinder 20 in the circumferential direction and in the direction close to the top of the outer cylinder 20.
[0054] In some embodiments of the present application, the width of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 along the radial direction of the outer cylinder 20 is less than or equal to 8mm, for example, it can be 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, or any range between any two values.
[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, the area of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 is less than the area of the water outlet end of the water inlet part 211. Further, the area of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 is 1 / 4-1 / 3 of the area of the water outlet end of the water inlet part 211. In this way, after the water flow enters the water inlet joint 40 from the water inlet part 211, the water flow velocity will increase with the decrease of the water flow cross-sectional area, providing the water flow with a kinetic energy for upward flow. When the water flow flows out of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40, the water flow can be sprayed as directly as possible into the inner cylinder 30 at a faster flow rate, rather than flowing along the space between the inner cylinder 30 and the outer cylinder 20 to the bottom of the outer cylinder 20.
[0056] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , a flow guide surface 42 is arranged between the water inlet end of the water inlet joint 40 and the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40, and the flow guide surface 42 is arranged in a direction close to the inner cylinder 30. The flow guide surface 42 can help guide the water flow to the water outlet end and flow out at a higher horizontal position and into the inner cylinder 30.
[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 7 , the inner side wall of the outer cylinder 20 is provided with a mounting groove 212, and the water inlet joint 40 is located in the mounting groove 212. Further, the mounting groove 212 is located on the inner side wall of the front outer cylinder 21.
[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, referring again to Figure 3 and Figure 5A sealing strip 43 is arranged between the outer side wall of the water inlet joint 40 and the groove wall of the mounting groove 212. It should be noted that the sealing strip 43 is located on the circumferential side of the outer side wall of the water inlet joint 40. The sealing strip 43 can effectively seal the gap between the water inlet joint 40 and the mounting groove 212, preventing water from flowing out from the gap; the sealing strip 43 can also play a role in preventing collision and buffering, avoiding collision between the water inlet joint 40 and the mounting groove 212 when the drum washing machine 100 shakes; the sealing strip 43 also has the effect of blocking noise, reducing the spread of noise.
[0059] In some embodiments of the present application, the water inlet joint 40 is provided with a first connecting part 44, and the mounting groove 212 is provided with a second connecting part 2121, and the first connecting part 44 and the second connecting part 2121 are fixedly connected. Further, the first connecting part 44 is provided with two first connecting parts 44, which are respectively located near the water inlet end of the water inlet joint 40 and near the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40, and the second connecting part 2121 is provided with two second connecting parts 2121, which are respectively located at both ends of the mounting groove 212 along the circumferential side of the inner side wall of the outer cylinder 20, to ensure the connection reliability of the water inlet joint 40.
[0060] Specifically, the first connecting part 44 is a first connecting hole, and the second connecting part 2121 is a second connecting hole, and a first connecting member is arranged to pass through the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole, so as to realize the fixed connection of the water inlet joint 40 and the mounting groove 212. It should be noted that due to the high flow rate and strong impact force of the water flow in the water inlet joint 40, the fixed connection of the first connecting part 44 and the second connecting part 2121 can avoid the water flow from impacting and falling off the water inlet joint 40 from the mounting groove 212, and further improve the installation stability of the water inlet joint 40.
[0061] When installing the water inlet joint 40 and the outer cylinder 20, the sealing strip 43 is first sleeved on the circumferential side of the outer side wall of the water inlet joint 40, with one of the side walls as a limiting surface, and abutting against one of the inner side walls of the mounting groove 212, and then the other side walls are sequentially pushed into the mounting groove 212 and abut against the other inner side walls of the mounting groove 212, at this time the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole are aligned, and a screw is driven to connect the water inlet joint 40 and the outer cylinder 20.
[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The side wall of the inner cylinder 30 is provided with a plurality of water inlet holes 31, and the water inlet holes 31 are used to guide the water flow into the inner cylinder 30 to wash the clothes. The orthogonal projection of the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 on the side wall of the inner cylinder 30 covers at least part of the water inlet holes 31. In this way, more water flow flowing out from the water outlet end of the water inlet joint 40 can directly enter the inner cylinder 30 along the water inlet holes 31 to wet the clothes, reducing the waste of water resources.
[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 10The water inlet assembly includes a water inlet valve 11, a water inlet hose 12, a detergent dispenser 13, and a water inlet corrugated pipe 14, which are connected in sequence. The water inlet corrugated pipe 14 is connected to the water inlet section 211. The detergent dispenser 13 is used to store and dispense detergent. When water flows through the detergent dispenser 13, it dissolves the detergent and carries it into the inner drum 30 for washing clothes.
[0064] When the drum washing machine 100 is washing, the water inlet valve 11 is opened, and tap water flows into the water inlet assembly from the water inlet valve 11. After passing through the water inlet hose 12, it enters the detergent box 13, dissolves the detergent, and carries the detergent through the water inlet corrugated pipe 14 into the water inlet section 211. The water containing detergent flows towards the top of the outer drum 20 in the flow path defined by the inner wall of the outer drum 20 and the water inlet connector 40. Then, it is sprayed out from the water outlet of the water inlet connector 40 at a higher horizontal height. The sprayed water enters the inner drum 30 along the water inlet hole 31 at a higher horizontal height on the side wall of the inner drum 30, wetting the clothes from top to bottom for washing. The drum washing machine 100 provided in this application fully improves the dissolution of detergent by the water flow, avoids the deposition of detergent at the bottom of the outer drum 20, and the water flow can effectively wet the clothes, reducing the waste of water resources.
[0065] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.
[0066] For each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other material such as articles, books, specifications, publications, and documents referenced in this application, the entire contents of that patent application are incorporated herein by reference, except for historical application documents that are inconsistent with or conflict with the content of this application, and documents that limit the broadest scope of the claims of this application (currently or subsequently appended to this application). It should be noted that if there are any inconsistencies or conflicts between the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in the supplementary materials of this application and the content of this application, the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in this application shall prevail.
Claims
1. A drum washing machine, characterized in that, include: Water inlet components; A washing tub assembly includes an outer tub and an inner tub rotatably mounted within the outer tub. A water inlet is provided on the outer side wall of the outer tub, and the water outlet of the water inlet assembly communicates with the water inlet. A water inlet connector is located on the inner wall of the outer cylinder. The water inlet part is connected to the water inlet end of the water inlet connector. The water inlet connector extends from the water inlet part along the circumference of the inner wall of the outer cylinder and close to the top of the outer cylinder. The water outlet end of the water inlet connector is connected to the inner cylinder.
2. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet end of the water inlet connector extends circumferentially along the inner sidewall of the outer cylinder.
3. The drum washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The water outlet of the water inlet connector is a continuous elongated spray hole; or, the water outlet of the water inlet connector is a segmented elongated spray hole; or, the water outlet of the water inlet connector is a dotted shower-type spray hole.
4. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area of the outlet end of the water inlet connector is smaller than the area of the outlet end of the water inlet part.
5. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, A guide surface is provided between the inlet end and the outlet end of the water inlet connector, and the guide surface is inclined in the direction close to the inner cylinder.
6. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the outer cylinder is provided with an installation groove, and the water inlet connector is located in the installation groove.
7. The drum washing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, A sealing strip is provided between the outer wall of the water inlet connector and the wall of the mounting groove.
8. The drum washing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The water inlet connector is provided with a first connecting part, and the mounting groove is provided with a second connecting part, and the first connecting part and the second connecting part are fixedly connected.
9. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner cylinder has several water inlet holes on its side wall, and the orthographic projection of the water outlet end of the water inlet connector on the side wall of the inner cylinder at least covers part of the water inlet holes.
10. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water inlet assembly includes a water inlet valve, a water inlet hose, a detergent dispenser, and a water inlet corrugated pipe arranged in sequence, with the water inlet corrugated pipe connected to the water inlet section.