Tub for laundry treatment apparatus and laundry treatment apparatus

Abstract

This application relates to the field of laundry treatment apparatuses, and in particular, to a tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus. The tub (100) is provided with two end side sections (103, 104) opposite to each other along a horizontal direction, and the tub (100) includes a first tub body (1) and a second tub body (2), where the first tub body (1) and the second tub body (2) are coaxially coupled to each other. The first tub body (1) is provided with a first tub wall (11) and a first coupling portion (12) extending radially outward from the first tub wall (11). The second tub body (2) is provided with a second tub wall (21) and a second coupling portion (22) extending radially outward from the second tub wall (21). The first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) are at least partially welded to each other. A radial inner side of the first tub wall (11) and a radial inner side of the second tub wall (21) are on a same circumference. In addition, in the end side sections (103, 104), the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) extend to a same radially outer position in any radial direction (D1). According to this application, an end profile at a region where the first tub body (1) and the second tub body (2) are coupled is improved, so that a total wall thickness of the tub (100) is reduced, thereby allowing the tub (100) to have a larger internal volume.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This application relates to the field of laundry treatment apparatuses, and in particular, to a tub for a laundry treatment apparatus and a corresponding laundry treatment apparatus.BACKGROUND

[0002] A laundry treatment apparatus, especially a washing machine (for example, a drum washing machine), usually includes an outer case, a tub mounted in the outer case, and a drum relatively rotatably mounted in the tub. The tub is configured to receive to-be-treated laundry, and the drum forms a washing space. Generally, a laundry treatment capacity of the laundry treatment apparatus may depend on a size of the tub providing the washing space. However, a size of the tub, especially a width of the tub, is limited by a size of the outer case. Therefore, for a specific size of the outer case, a tub providing a larger washing space is advantageous.SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, this application is intended to provide an improved tub, which can be particularly advantageous to have a reduced tub wall thickness in a horizontal direction, so that the tub can have a larger washing space.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this application, a tub for a laundry treatment apparatus is provided. The tub is provided with two end side sections opposite to each other along a horizontal direction, and the tub includes a first tub body and a second tub body, where the first tub body and the second tub body are coaxially coupled to each other. The first tub body is provided with a first tub wall and a first coupling portion extending radially outward from the first tub wall. The second tub body is provided with a second tub wall and a second coupling portion extending radially outward from the second tub wall. The first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are at least partially welded to each other. A radial inner side of the first tub wall and a radial inner side of the second tub wall are on a same circumference. In addition, in the end side sections, the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion extend to a same radially outer position in any radial direction.

[0005] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the end side sections, radial widths of the first tub wall and the second tub wall are equal, and radial widths of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are equal.

[0006] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the end side sections, minimum radial widths of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are greater than or equal to a minimum welding support width related to a welding device.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the end side sections, the radial widths of the first tub wall and the second tub wall are in a range of 2 mm to 3 mm.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the end side sections, the radial widths of the first tub wall and the second tub wall are each 3 mm.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the end side sections, the minimum radial widths of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the end side sections, the minimum radial widths of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are each 4 mm.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the first coupling portion is provided with a welding protrusion, the welding protrusion is adapted to be welded to the second coupling portion, a radial width of the welding protrusion is less than the radial width of the first coupling portion, and an open outer overflow groove is formed in a radially outer portion of the welding protrusion.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the second tub wall is provided with an overflow retaining rib protruding in an axial direction toward the first tub wall, and in the tub, the overflow retaining rib comes into contact with or is engaged with a corresponding end surface of the first tub wall, and an inner overflow groove is defined by the overflow retaining rib and a radial inner side of the welding protrusion.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of this application, a product of a difference in axial lengths of the welding protrusion before and after welding and the radial width of the welding protrusion is less than or equal to a sum of horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove and the inner overflow groove.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment of this application, a radial inner side of the overflow retaining rib is arranged on a circumference of the radial inner side of the first tub wall.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment of this application, a radial width of the overflow retaining rib is in a range of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the radial width of the overflow retaining rib is 1 mm.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment of this application, a radial inner side of the welding protrusion is arranged on an extension line of a virtual boundary between the first coupling portion and the first tub wall.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the radial width of the welding protrusion is in a range of 2 mm to 4 mm.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the radial width of the welding protrusion is 3 mm.

[0020] According to an optional embodiment of this application, a welding depth between the welding protrusion and the second coupling portion is in a range of 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm.

[0021] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the welding depth between the welding protrusion and the second coupling portion is 2 mm.

[0022] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in a lower end section of the tub, the first coupling portion is further provided with an additional protrusion spaced apart from the welding protrusion in the radial direction, and the additional protrusion is adapted to be welded to the second coupling portion, where the radial width of the welding protrusion in the lower end section is less than that of the welding protrusion in each of the end side sections, but a sum of the radial widths of the welding protrusion and the additional protrusion in the lower end section is greater than the radial width of the welding protrusion in each of the end side sections.

[0023] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the lower end section, the radial width of the welding protrusion is 2 mm, and the radial width of the additional protrusion is 2 mm.

[0024] According to an optional embodiment of this application, in the lower end section, an intermediate overflow groove is formed between the welding protrusion and the additional protrusion that are spaced apart from each other, where a sum of a product of a difference in axial lengths of the welding protrusion before and after welding and the radial width of the welding protrusion and a corresponding product of the additional protrusion is less than or equal to a sum of horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove, the inner overflow groove , and the intermediate overflow groove.

[0025] According to a second aspect of this application, a laundry treatment apparatus is provided, which includes any tub in this application.

[0026] According to an optional embodiment of this application, the laundry treatment apparatus is a drum-type laundry treatment apparatus. According to an optional embodiment of this application, the laundry treatment apparatus is a washing machine or an all-in-one washer-dryer combo. According to this application, profiles of corresponding ends of a first tub body and a second tub body in an existing tub for coupling are adjusted or improved, so that an improved tub with a reduced tub wall thickness in particular in a horizontal direction is implemented, thereby causing the tub to have a larger washing space.

[0027] It should be noted that the advantages and beneficial effects of this application are not limited to the advantages and beneficial effects mentioned above, and a person skilled in the art can understand other advantages and beneficial effects that are not mentioned in this application through the following specific implementations and claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Principles, features, and advantages of this application can be better understood through description of this application in more detail below with reference to accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1is a three-dimensional view of a tub according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. FIG. 2is a front view of the tub in FIG. 1. FIG. 3is an enlarged view of a region where a first tub body and a second tub body are coupled in an end side section of a tub in the related art. FIG. 4is a schematic diagram of a region where a first tub body and a second tub body are coupled in an end side section of a tub according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. FIG. 5is a view showing sizes of related components in the coupling region shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6is a schematic diagram of a part of a first tub body of a tub for coupling according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. FIG. 7is a schematic diagram of a part of a first tub body in a lower end section of a tub for coupling according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] To make technical problems to be resolved in this application, technical solutions, and beneficial technical effects clearer, this application is further described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings and a plurality of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely used to explain the principle of this application and are not used to limit the protection scope of this application. In the accompanying drawings of this application, features with a same structure or a similar function are indicated by a same reference numeral.

[0030] A first aspect of this application relates to a tub for a laundry treatment apparatus. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 respectively are a three-dimensional view and a front view of a tub 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the tub 100 is provided with an upper end section 101 and a lower end section 102 opposite to each other along a vertical direction. The tub 100 is further provided with two end side sections 103 and 104 that are opposite to each other along a horizontal direction, for example, a left end side section 103 and a right end side section 104 that are shown.

[0031] It should be understood herein that in this specification, terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "front", "rear", "left", and "right" that indicate orientations or positional relationships are used to describe positional relationships of corresponding constituent elements with reference to the accompanying drawings based on the positioning of the tub as the tub is mounted in the laundry treatment apparatus, and are merely used for facilitating description of this specification and simplifying description, rather than indicating or implying that the corresponding constituent elements have a specific orientation and are constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the expressions should not be construed as a limitation on this application.

[0032] In addition, it should be understood that the upper end section, the lower end section, and the end side section are divided to for ease of description. The sections may be connected to each other to form a complete circumference. Alternatively, the sections may respectively be sub-sections of a section connected to each other, or any combination thereof. For example, the end side section is a section respectively including points corresponding to 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock on the circumference of the tub 100, the upper end section is a section including a point corresponding to 12 o'clock on the circumference of the tub 100, and the lower end section is a section including a point corresponding to 6 o'clock on the circumference of the tub 100.

[0033] Compared with a size of the tub 100 along the vertical direction (namely, a distance between the foregoing 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock), a size of the tub 100 along the horizontal direction (namely, a distance between the foregoing 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock) is more significantly limited by a size of an outer case of a laundry treatment apparatus. Therefore, to further enlarge the size of the tub 100 in a case that the size of the outer case is limited, a total wall thickness of the tub 100 (namely, a distance between a radial inner side of the tub 100 and a radial outer side of the tub 100) needs to be optimized, especially a total wall thickness along the horizontal direction.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the tub 100 may generally include a first tub body 1 and a second tub body 2. As shown in the figures, the first tub body 1 may be, for example, a front tub, and the second tub body 2 may be, for example, a rear tub. The tub 100 or the first tub body 1 is provided with a front side opening 3, and a washing space defined by the tub 100 may be accessed through the front side opening 3. To form the tub 100, the first tub body 1 and the second tub body 2 may be coaxially coupled to each other. In other words, central axes of the first tub body 1 and the second tub body 2 are the same and constitute a central axis D2 of the tub 100.

[0035] The first tub body 1 is provided with a first tub wall 11, and the second tub body 2 is provided with a second tub wall 21. FIG. 3 is a view of a cross section corresponding to a cross section taken along a line A-A marked in FIG. 2 and an enlarged view of a coupling region (namely, a marked region B) between a first tub body and a second tub body in a tub in the related art. FIG. 4 shows a coupling region corresponding to the coupling region shown in FIG. 3 in a tub according to this application. In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, similar components or parts use similar reference numeral.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, in the related art, a first tub body 1' is provided with a first tub wall 11' and a first coupling portion 12' extending radially (namely, along a radial direction D1) outward from the first tub wall 11'. A second tub body 2' is provided with a second coupling portion 22' extending radially outward from a second tub wall 21'. The first tub wall 11' is welded to the second coupling portion 22' to form a welding region (a region filled with cross lines in FIG. 3), so as to weld the first tub body 1' to the second tub body 2'. In addition, the second tub body 2' is further provide with a first overflow retaining rib 211' extending axially outward from the second tub wall 21' located on a radial inner side and a second overflow retaining rib 212' extending axially outward from the second coupling portion 22' located on a radial outer side. The first overflow retaining rib 211' and the second overflow retaining rib 212' extend toward a same direction, and are configured to block an outflow generated by a welding process in a radial direction during the welding, to prevent a radial protrusion from being formed.

[0037] In the existing tub shown in FIG. 3, a total wall thickness of the tub, namely, a radial distance from the radial inner side of the second tub wall 21' to the radial outer side of the first coupling portion 12', is equal to a wall thickness of the second tub body 2'. In addition, to implement the welding, the first coupling portion 12' and the second coupling portion 22' need to provide opposite welding support surfaces to support a welding device. Therefore, minimum radial widths of the first coupling portion 12' and the second coupling portion 22' both need to be at least equal to a minimum welding support width of the welding device. In this case, the wall thickness of the second tub body 2' is at least equal to a sum of the minimum welding support width, a radial width of the first tub wall 11', and a radial width of the second tub wall 21'.

[0038] Different from the prior art, this application provides an improved end profile at a region where the first tub body and the second tub body are coupled, especially in the end side sections 103 and 104, which reduces a minimum total wall thickness of the tub, thereby allowing the tub to have a larger internal volume.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, in the tub 100 of this application, the first tub body 1 is provided with a first tub wall 11 and a first coupling portion 12 extending radially outward from the first tub wall 11, the second tub body 2 is provided with a second tub wall 21 and a second coupling portion 22 extending radially outward from the second tub wall 21, and the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 are at least partially welded to each other. Particularly, a radial inner side of the first tub wall 11 and a radial inner side of the second tub wall 21 are on a same circumference. In the end side sections 103 and 104, the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 extend to a same radially outer position in any radial direction D1.

[0040] Therefore, in the end side sections 103 and 104, the total wall thickness of the tub 100 is equal to a wall thickness of the first tub body 1, and is also equal to a wall thickness of the second tub body 2. In other words, projections of a wall thickness region of the first tub body 1 and a wall thickness region of the second tub body 2 in an axial direction D2 are substantially overlapped, which reduces a radial width that needs to be occupied by the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 for welding connection, thereby reducing the total wall thickness of the tub 100.

[0041] In the shown embodiment, preferably, in the end side sections 103 and 104, radial widths W1 of the first tub wall 11 and the second tub wall 21 are equal, and radial widths W2 of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 are equal. Therefore, the wall thickness of the first tub body 1 and the wall thickness of the second tub body 2 may be further reduced.

[0042] Further, in the end side sections 103 and 104, minimum radial widths W2 of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 are greater than or preferably equal to a minimum welding support width related to the welding device. When the radial widths W2 of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 are equal to the minimum welding support width related to the welding device, the wall thickness of the first tub body 1 and the wall thickness of the second tub body 2 each reach a minimum value. In an example, the minimum welding support width may be 4 mm.

[0043] Optionally, in the end side sections 103 and 104, the radial widths W1 of the first tub wall 11 and the second tub wall 12 may be in a range of 2 mm to 3 mm, which may further be specifically set based on a material of the tub. In a preferred example, in the end side sections 103 and 104, the radial widths W1 of the first tub wall 11 and the second tub wall 12 may be 3 mm.

[0044] Additionally or alternatively, in the end side sections 103 and 104, the minimum radial widths W2 of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 may be in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm. In a preferred example, in the end side sections 103 and 104, the minimum radial widths W2 of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 may be 4 mm.

[0045] If the radial widths W1 of the first tub wall 11 and the second tub wall 12 are each 3 mm and the minimum welding support width is 4 mm, a minimum single-side total wall thickness of a tub in the related art is at least equal to 10 mm. However, a minimum single-side total wall thickness of the tub 100 in this application may be reduced to 7 mm. Therefore, compared with the related art, in the solution of this application, the minimum single-side total wall thickness of the tub can be reduced in a case that a same minimum welding support width is provided, for example, reduced by 3 mm in this example, so that an inner diameter of the tub is generally increased by 6 mm, which further enables an increase of about 1.85 L in the inner volume of the tub in a standard outer case.

[0046] Optionally, in the end side sections 103 and 104, radial outer sides of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 extend vertically, namely, extend uprightly upward and downward. In this way, the minimum total wall thickness of the tub 100 in the horizontal direction (namely, in a diameter direction passing the foregoing 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock) can be facilitated to implement, and strength of the end side sections 103 and 104 is increased.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the first coupling portion 12 is provided with a welding protrusion 121. The welding protrusion 121 is adapted to be welded to the second coupling portion 22, a radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 is less than the radial width W2 of the first coupling portion 12, and an open outer overflow groove 123 is formed in a radially outer portion (namely, between a radial outer side of the welding protrusion 121 and a radially outer end portion of the first coupling portion 12 / the second coupling portion 22) of the welding protrusion 121. Compared with the tub in the related art shown in FIG. 3, the tub 100 in this application eliminates the second overflow retaining rib 212' located at the radial outer side, which eliminates a width occupied by the second overflow retaining rib 212' in the radial direction of the second coupling portion 22' or the second tub body 2', thereby helping reduce the total wall thickness of the tub 100. Even if a radial protrusion is formed on the radial outer side of the tub 100 due to a welding overflow, the radial protrusion may be easily removed after a welding process is completed.

[0048] The second tub wall 21 is provided with an overflow retaining rib 211 protruding in an axial direction D2 toward the first tub wall 11, and in the tub 100, the overflow retaining rib 211 comes into contact with or is engaged with a corresponding end surface of the first tub wall 11, and an inner overflow groove 124 is defined by the overflow retaining rib 211 and a radial inner side of the welding protrusion 121.

[0049] The outer overflow groove 123 and the inner overflow groove 124 may receive the welding overflow from the welding protrusion 121 and the second coupling portion 22 in opposite directions during a welding process.

[0050] In the tub of the related art shown in FIG. 3, the first overflow retaining rib 211' is closer to the central axis D2 of the tub than the first tub wall 11'. In some cases, the welding overflow may overflow from an end of the first overflow retaining rib 211' to a radial inner side of the first overflow retaining rib 211'. The overflow that reaches the radial inner side of the first overflow retaining rib 211' is easily removed in a subsequent process, and may fall off during use of the tub or the laundry treatment apparatus.

[0051] In the tub of this application, as shown in FIG. 4, a radial inner side of the overflow retaining rib 211 is preferably arranged on a circumference of the radial inner side of the first tub wall 11. Therefore, the overflow retaining rib 211 may form a (closed) space along with the welding protrusion 121 to prevent the welding overflow from forming a protrusion radially protruding from the radial inner side of the second tub wall 21 and scraping a rotating drum, thereby avoiding such a scraping risk existing for the tub in the related art shown in FIG. 3.

[0052] Optionally, a radial width W5 of the overflow retaining rib 211 may be in a range of 1 mm to 2 mm. In a preferred example, the radial width W5 of the overflow retaining rib 211 may be 1 mm.

[0053] FIG. 6 separately shows a part of a first tub body 1 of the tub 100 according to this application. As shown in FIG. 6, a radial inner side of the welding protrusion 121 (namely, a left side of the welding protrusion 121 in FIG. 6) is arranged on an extension line L of a virtual boundary between the first coupling portion 12 and the first tub wall 11. In this way, the welding protrusion 121 and the second coupling portion 22 can extend outward from a same radial position along the radial direction D1, which is more beneficial for the welding device to act on the welding protrusion at the second coupling portion.

[0054] A radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 may be in a range of 2 mm to 4 mm. In a preferred example, the radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 may be 3 mm. Additionally or alternatively, a welding depth W4 between the welding protrusion 121 and the second coupling portion 22 may be in a range of 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm. In a preferred example, the welding depth W4 between the welding protrusion 121 and the second coupling portion 22 may be 2 mm. In another preferred example, the welding depth W4 between the welding protrusion 121 and the second coupling portion 22 accounts for 50% of a total axial length of the second coupling portion 22.

[0055] Preferably, a product of a difference in axial lengths of the welding protrusion 121 before and after welding and the radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 is less than or equal to a sum of horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove 123 and the inner overflow groove 124. During welding, the axial length of the welding protrusion 121 may decrease due to the engagement with the second coupling portion 22. Therefore, a difference in the axial lengths may be formed before and after the welding. A corresponding part corresponds to the generated overflow. In a case that consistency of a vertical height is considered, a product of the foregoing difference and the radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 represents a volume of an overflow that needs to be accommodated by the overflow groove. In some cases, the product is less than or equal to the sum of the horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove 123 and the inner overflow groove 124. In other words, volumes of the outer overflow groove 123 and the inner overflow groove 124 can be sufficient to accommodate the overflow. At least one of the outer overflow groove 123 and the inner overflow groove 124 may be completely filled with the overflow, or may be partially filled with the overflow. The horizontal cross section herein may be a cross section that extends along a horizontal direction and includes a straight line where a diameter from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock is located.

[0056] For example, in an embodiment, the welding depth W4 is 2 mm, the difference in the axial lengths of the corresponding welding protrusion 121 before and after welding is 2 mm, an axial length of a remaining part of the welding protrusion 121 after welding is also 2 mm, and the radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 is 3 mm. In this case, the radial width of the outer overflow groove 123 may be 1 mm, and the radial width of the inner overflow groove 124 may be 2 mm. The structure where the first tub body 1 and the second tub body 2 in the end side sections 103 and 104 of the tub 100 are coupled is described above. This is mainly because in a case of a specific outer case, a more severe requirement is imposed on the total wall thickness of the tub 100 in the end side sections 103 and 104 (especially in a diameter direction passing through 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock), while the tub may have a same total wall thickness or a larger total wall thickness in an upper end section 101 and a lower end section 102 of the tub 100. The features described above may also be additionally applied to the upper end section 101 and the lower end section 102 of the tub 100.

[0057] In addition, the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 extend outward along the radial direction D1 by a shorter distance in the end side sections 103 and 104 than in the upper end section 101 and the lower end section 102. This is because a relatively thick total wall thickness of the tub in the upper end section 101 and the lower end section 102 may help improve coupling strength to resist the gravity of the tub.

[0058] Particularly, because water pressure is higher at a lower portion of the tub 100, double-layer welding may be used for the lower end section 102, namely, a structure of a part of the first tub body 1 for coupling shown in FIG. 7. As shown in the figure, in the lower end section 102, the first coupling portion 12 is further provided with an additional protrusion 122 spaced apart from the welding protrusion 121 in the radial direction D1, and the additional protrusion 122 is adapted to be welded to the second coupling portion 22. The additional protrusion 122 and the welding protrusion 121 have a same radial width or different radial widths herein. Particularly, the welding protrusion 121 in the lower end section 102 is less than radial width of the welding protrusion 121 in each of the end side sections 103 and 104, but a sum of radial widths of the welding protrusion 121 in the lower end section 102 and the additional protrusion 122 is greater than the radial width of the welding protrusion 121 in each of the end side sections 103 and 104. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the radial width of the welding protrusion 121 is 2 mm, and the radial width of the additional protrusion 122 is 2 mm. After the welding, an intermediate overflow groove is formed between the additional protrusion 122 and the welding protrusion 121 that are spaced apart from each other. In this case, a sum of the product of the difference in the axial lengths of the welding protrusion 121 before and after welding and the radial width W3 of the welding protrusion 121 and a corresponding product of the additional protrusion 122 (namely, a product of a difference in axial lengths of the additional protrusion 122 before and after welding and the radial width of the additional protrusion 122) is less than or equal to a sum of the horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove 123, the inner overflow groove 124, and the intermediate overflow groove. For example, in an embodiment, differences in axial lengths of the welding protrusion 121 and the additional protrusion 122 before and after welding are each 2 mm, axial lengths of corresponding remaining parts of the welding protrusion 121 and the additional protrusion 122 after welding are also each 2 mm, and the radial widths of the welding protrusion 121 and the additional protrusion 122 are each 2 mm. In this case, the radial width of the outer overflow groove 123 may be 1 mm, the radial width of an inner overflow groove 124 may be 2 mm, and a radial width of the intermediate overflow groove may be 2 mm. In this case, the radial width W2 of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 may be at least 7 mm. In addition, in this example, the sum of the radial widths of the welding protrusion 121 and the additional protrusion 122 in the lower end section 102 is 4 mm, which is greater than the radial width 3 mm of the welding protrusion 121 in the end side sections 103 and 104 described above. In one aspect, the increased radial width may help provide greater connection strength. In another aspect, the two projections 121 and 122 that are spaced apart from each other may have greater torsional resistance than a single projection having a same radial width (for example, 4 mm), thereby helping enhance stiffness of the tub 100. Therefore, for the lower end section 102 that bears a larger force and has a higher sealing requirement, cooperation of the welding protrusion 121 and the additional protrusion 122 is more advantageous. The additional protrusion 122 may also be applicable to the upper end section 101. Same as in the end side sections 103 and 104, radial outer sides of the first coupling portion 12 and the second coupling portion 22 may extend along a same circumference respectively in the upper end section 101 and the lower end section 102.

[0059] In this application, the first tub body 1 and the second tub body 2 may be welded through a welding process such as friction welding (also referred to as vibration welding) to achieve sealing, including air tightness and liquid tightness. The welding connection manner is better than a connection manner of combining sealing rings and screwing used in the related art.

[0060] A second aspect of this application relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, including any tub in this application.

[0061] The laundry treatment apparatus in this application may be a drum-type laundry treatment apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, the laundry treatment apparatus in this application is a washing machine or an all-in-one washer-dryer combo. For example, the laundry treatment apparatus in this application is a drum washing machine or a drum all-in-one washer-dryer combo.

[0062] It should be noted that all individual values and range endpoint values mentioned herein may separately include the value and a value within an acceptable deviation range of the value that is determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art. The acceptable deviation range is caused, for example, by a measurement error or a processing error. For example, a single value (or an endpoint value of a range) mentioned herein may be represented as being within one or more standard deviation ranges of the value, or being within ±50%, ±40%, ±30%, ±20%, ±10%, or ±5% of the value.

[0063] It should be understood that terms such as "first" and "second" herein are merely used for the purpose of description, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating a quantity of technical features indicated. A feature restricted by "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly indicate that at least one of the features is included.

[0064] In addition, in the descriptions of the specification, a description with reference to a term such as "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described with reference to the embodiment or the example are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In the specification, exemplary descriptions of the above terms are not necessarily directed at the same embodiment or example. Besides, the specific features, the structures, the materials, or the characteristics that are described may be combined in proper manners in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, a person skilled in the art may integrate or combine different embodiments or examples described in the specification and features of the different embodiments or examples in a case without conflict.List of reference numerals

[0065] 100. Tub 101. Upper end section 102. Lower end section 103, 104. End side section 1. First tub body 2. Second tub body 3. Opening 11. First tub wall 12. First coupling portion 121. Welding protrusion 122. Additional protrusion 123. Outer overflow groove 124. Inner overflow groove 21. Second tub wall 22. Second coupling portion 211. Overflow retaining rib D1. Radial direction D2. Axial direction L. Extension line of a virtual boundary between a first coupling portion and a first tub wall W1. Radial width of a first tub wall or a second tub wall W2. Radial width of a first coupling portion or a second coupling portion W3. Radial width of a welding protrusion W4. Welding depth between a welding protrusion and a second coupling portion W5. Radial width of an overflow retaining rib

Claims

1. A tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the tub (100) is provided with two end side sections (103, 104) opposite to each other along a horizontal direction; the tub (100) comprises a first tub body (1) and a second tub body (2), wherein the first tub body (1) and the second tub body (2) are coaxially coupled to each other; the first tub body (1) is provided with a first tub wall (11) and a first coupling portion (12) extending radially outward from the first tub wall (11), the second tub body (2) is provided with a second tub wall (21) and a second coupling portion (22) extending radially outward from the second tub wall (21), and the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) are at least partially welded to each other; a radial inner side of the first tub wall (11) and a radial inner side of the second tub wall (21) are on a same circumference; and in the end side sections (103, 104), the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) extend to a same radially outer position in any radial direction (D1).

2. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that in the end side sections (103, 104), radial widths (W1) of the first tub wall (11) and the second tub wall (12) are equal, and radial widths (W2) of the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) are equal.

3. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that in the end side sections (103, 104), minimum radial widths (W2) of the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) are greater than or equal to a minimum welding support width related to a welding device.

4. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that in the end side sections (103, 104), the radial widths (W1) of the first tub wall (11) and the second tub wall (12) are in a range of 2 mm to 3 mm; and / or in the end side sections (103, 104), the minimum radial widths (W2) of the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) are in a range of 4 mm to 7 mm.

5. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that in the end side sections (103, 104), the radial widths (W1) of the first tub wall (11) and the second tub wall (12) are each 3 mm; and / or in the end side sections (103, 104), the minimum radial widths (W2) of the first coupling portion (12) and the second coupling portion (22) are each 4 mm.

6. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the first coupling portion (12) is provided with a welding protrusion (121), the welding protrusion (121) is adapted to be welded to the second coupling portion (22), a radial width (W3) of the welding protrusion (121) is less than the radial width (W2) of the first coupling portion (12), and an open outer overflow groove (123) is formed in a radially outer portion of the welding protrusion (121).

7. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the second tub wall (21) is provided with an overflow retaining rib (211) protruding in an axial direction (D2) toward the first tub wall (11), and in the tub (100), the overflow retaining rib (211) comes into contact with or is engaged with a corresponding end surface of the first tub wall (11), and an inner overflow groove (124) is defined by the overflow retaining rib (211) and a radial inner side of the welding protrusion (121).

8. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that a product of a difference in axial lengths of the welding protrusion (121) before and after welding and the radial width (W3) of the welding protrusion (121) is less than or equal to a sum of horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove (123) and the inner overflow groove (124).

9. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a radial inner side of the overflow retaining rib (211) is arranged on a circumference of the radial inner side of the first tub wall (11); and / or a radial width (W5) of the overflow retaining rib (211) is in a range of 1 mm to 2 mm.

10. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the radial width (W5) of the overflow retaining rib (211) is 1 mm.

11. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that a radial inner side of the welding protrusion (121) is arranged on an extension line (L) of a virtual boundary between the first coupling portion (12) and the first tub wall (11).

12. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the radial width (W3) of the welding protrusion (121) is in a range of 2 mm to 4 mm, and / or a welding depth (W4) between the welding protrusion (121) and the second coupling portion (22) is in a range of 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm; and / or in a lower end section (102) of the tub (100), the first coupling portion (12) is further provided with an additional protrusion (122) spaced apart from the welding protrusion (121) in the radial direction (D1), and the additional protrusion (122) is adapted to be welded to the second coupling portion (22), wherein the radial width of the welding protrusion (121) in the lower end section (102) is less than that of the welding protrusion (121) in each of the end side sections (103, 104), but a sum of the radial widths of the welding protrusion (121) and the additional protrusion (122) in the lower end section (102) is greater than the radial width of the welding protrusion (121) in each of the end side sections (103, 104).

13. The tub (100) for a laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that in the end side sections (103, 104), the radial width (W3) of the welding protrusion (121) is 3 mm; and / or the welding depth (W4) between the welding protrusion (121) and the second coupling portion (22) is 2 mm; and / or in the lower end section (102), the radial width of the welding protrusion (121) is 2 mm, and the radial width of the additional protrusion (122) is 2 mm; and / or in the lower end section (102), an intermediate overflow groove is formed between the welding protrusion (121) and the additional protrusion (122) that are spaced apart from each other, wherein a sum of a product of a difference in axial lengths of the welding protrusion (121) before and after welding and the radial width (W3) of the welding protrusion (121) and a corresponding product of the additional protrusion (122) is less than or equal to a sum of horizontal cross-sectional areas of the outer overflow groove (123), the inner overflow groove (124), and the intermediate overflow groove.

14. A laundry treatment apparatus, characterized by comprising the tub (100) according to any of claims 1 to 13.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the laundry treatment apparatus is a drum-type laundry treatment apparatus; and / or the laundry treatment apparatus is a washing machine or an all-in-one washer-dryer combo.

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