Outer tub assembly and laundry treatment device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an outer tub assembly, and specifically provides an outer tub assembly and a laundry treatment device, aiming at solving the problem in existing laundry treatment devices that an outer tub assembly cannot achieve space occupancy reduction and ensure drainage efficiency at the same time. To achieve this objective, the present invention provides an outer tub assembly, comprising an outer tub body and a drainage structure. The drainage structure is offset at the bottom of a tub body of the outer tub body; a drainage cavity is formed in the drainage structure; the drainage cavity is communicated with the interior of the outer tub body; a front wall, side wall or rear wall of the drainage structure is provided with a water outlet; and a bottom wall of the drainage structure is inclined toward the water outlet side to cause water to flow toward the water outlet. By means of the above arrangement, the longitudinal dimension of the portion of the drainage structure extending downward from the bottom of the tub body can be reduced or eliminated. The water outlet is formed in the front wall, side wall or rear wall of the drainage structure, a pipe connected to the water outlet does not need to extend downward from the water outlet, and the bottom wall is inclined toward the water outlet side to cause water to flow toward the water outlet, thereby ensuring drainage efficiency.

Description

Outer tube assembly and garment handling equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. CN2024118345471, filed on December 12, 2024; Chinese patent application No. CN2025103235079, filed on March 18, 2025; Chinese patent application No. CN2025104656910, filed on April 14, 2025; and Chinese patent application No. CN2025117375027, filed on November 24, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to outer tube assembly, specifically providing an outer tube assembly and garment processing equipment. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, some garment handling equipment on the market is quite large, such as multi-drum garment handling units, which often exceed the installation space of a typical household washing machine. This is especially problematic for homes with limited space, making installation difficult and limiting the widespread use of such products. To address this issue, some manufacturers have introduced multi-drum garment handling units that are compatible with standard sizes (e.g., 600mm wide, 850mm high), typically including a large drum and a small drum. While these products have optimized dimensions, the limited space results in a smaller diameter for the smaller drum. Since drums rely on tumbling to wash clothes, a small drum diameter significantly reduces the tumbling effect, leading to a significant deficiency in the cleaning power of such garment handling equipment. Similarly, in single-drum garment handling units, a larger drum diameter is desirable within a limited space. However, to ensure drainage efficiency, the drainage structure design often occupies too much space in the outer drum assembly. Currently, there is no solution that optimizes space while maintaining drainage efficiency by modifying the drainage structure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, namely, the problem that the outer tube assembly of existing clothing processing equipment cannot both reduce space occupation and ensure drainage efficiency.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an outer cylinder assembly, comprising: an outer cylinder body; a drainage structure offset at the bottom of the outer cylinder body, the drainage structure having a drainage cavity communicating with the interior of the outer cylinder body, the drainage structure having a water outlet on its front wall, side wall or rear wall, and the bottom wall of the drainage structure being inclined toward the water outlet to facilitate water flow toward the water outlet.

[0006] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the water outlet is located on the front wall, and the bottom wall is inclined downward from back to front.

[0007] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the water outlet is located on the rear wall, and the bottom wall is inclined downward from front to back.

[0008] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the bottom wall includes a first part and a second part in sequence from one side of the bottom of the cylinder body to the opposite side of the bottom of the cylinder body, the second part is lower than the first part, and the water outlet is correspondingly provided with the second part.

[0009] In the above-mentioned optional technical solutions for the outer cylinder assembly, the first part has an inclined surface, which is inclined downward from one side of the bottom of the cylinder body to the opposite side of the bottom of the cylinder body.

[0010] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the water outlet is located on the first side wall opposite to the bottom of the cylinder of the drainage structure, and the bottom wall is inclined downward from one side of the bottom of the cylinder to the opposite side of the bottom of the cylinder.

[0011] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the inner side of the bottom wall is formed as a plane, and the bottom wall is directly connected to the bottom of the cylinder body.

[0012] In the above-mentioned optional technical solutions for the outer cylinder assembly, an angle α is formed between the plane and the tangent at the bottom of the cylinder body, and the value range of the angle α is: α≤30°.

[0013] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the drainage structure has a second sidewall, which is located between the bottom of the cylinder body and the bottom wall.

[0014] In the above-mentioned optional technical solutions for the outer cylinder assembly, the vertical distance from the bottom of the cylinder body to the lowest point of the bottom wall is h, and the radius of the outer cylinder body is r, satisfying 0 < h ≤ 0.15r.

[0015] In the optional technical solutions of the outer cylinder assembly described above, the outer cylinder assembly further includes a first protruding structure, which is disposed at the communication between the drainage structure and the outer cylinder body, and is located on one side of the drainage structure in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body.

[0016] In the above-mentioned optional technical solutions for the outer cylinder assembly, the first protruding structure is located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body, or on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body.

[0017] In the optional technical solution of the outer cylinder assembly described above, the outer cylinder assembly further includes a second protruding structure, which is disposed at the communication between the drainage structure and the outer cylinder body, and is located on the side of the drainage structure opposite to the first protruding structure in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body.

[0018] In the above-mentioned optional technical solutions for the outer cylinder assembly, the second protruding structure is located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body, or on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body.

[0019] In the above-mentioned optional technical solutions for the outer cylinder assembly, the second protruding structure is located on one side of the drainage structure at the bottom of the cylinder body, the length of the first protruding structure in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body is greater than that of the second protruding structure; and / or at least one of the first protruding structure and the second protruding structure is configured as a solid plate.

[0020] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the inner side of the first sidewall has a spiral guide surface, which is used to guide water to the outlet.

[0021] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the water outlet is located at the lower part of the spiral guide surface; and / or the spiral guide surface is connected to the bottom wall through an arc surface.

[0022] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, the top of the spiral guide surface is connected to the outer cylinder body through a connecting surface, which is located on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body.

[0023] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned outer cylinder assembly, a heating element is provided in the drainage cavity.

[0024] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a garment processing device, the garment processing device including a tube assembly, the tube assembly including an inner tube and an outer tube assembly as described in any of the above embodiments, the inner tube being rotatably disposed inside the outer tube body.

[0025] In the optional technical solution of the above-mentioned garment processing equipment, the tubular assembly includes a first tubular assembly, a second tubular assembly, and a third tubular assembly. The tubular capacity of the second tubular assembly and the third tubular assembly is smaller than that of the first tubular assembly. The second tubular assembly and the third tubular assembly are arranged side by side above the first tubular assembly. At least one of the first tubular assembly, the second tubular assembly, and the third tubular assembly has the outer tubular assembly.

[0026] In the optional technical solution of the above-mentioned clothing processing equipment, the outer cylinder body is installed on the housing of the clothing processing equipment through a vibration damping component. The clothing processing equipment also includes a drain pump. The water outlet is connected to the water inlet of the drain pump through a deformation pipe. The clothing processing equipment is configured such that when the outer cylinder body is in an unloaded state, the drain pump is lower than the water outlet, and when the outer cylinder body is in a loaded state, the drain pump is higher than the water outlet.

[0027] The outer cylinder assembly of the present invention includes an outer cylinder body and a drainage structure. The drainage structure is offset at the bottom of the outer cylinder body. The drainage structure has a drainage cavity that communicates with the interior of the outer cylinder body. The drainage structure has a water outlet on its front wall, side wall or rear wall. The bottom wall of the drainage structure is inclined toward the water outlet to promote water flow toward the water outlet. The drainage structure is offset at the bottom of the outer drum body, which can reduce or eliminate the longitudinal dimension of the drainage structure extending downward from the bottom of the drum body. At the same time, since the water outlet is located on the front wall, side wall or rear wall of the drainage structure, the pipe connected to the water outlet does not need to extend downward from the water outlet. In terms of longitudinal dimension, it saves at least L1+L2 distance as shown in Figure 1 of the prior art. When the clothing processing equipment is a multi-drum clothing processing equipment, the volume of the small drum above the outer drum body can be increased, thereby improving the washing ratio. At the same time, since the bottom wall of the drainage structure is inclined towards the water outlet, it promotes the water flow towards the water outlet. During drainage, the water entering the drainage structure will flow directly to the water outlet along the inclined slope, thereby ensuring drainage efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of existing garment processing equipment;

[0030] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention from a first perspective.

[0031] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view (a) of the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view (II) of the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention from a second perspective.

[0034] Figure 6 is a side view of the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view at point AA in Figure 6;

[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the flow state of water in the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the clothing processing device of the present invention in both unloaded and loaded states;

[0038] Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the outer cylinder assembly of the present invention.

[0039] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-First cylinder assembly; 11-Outer cylinder body; 111-Bottom of cylinder body; 12-Drainage structure; 121-Outlet; 122-Front wall; 123-Bottom wall; 1231-First part; 1232-Second part; 124-First side wall; 1241-Spiral guide surface; 125-Connecting surface; 126-Second side wall; 127-Drainage cavity; 128-Rear wall; 13-First protruding structure; 14-Second protruding structure; 15-Inner cylinder; 2-Second cylinder assembly; 3-Third cylinder assembly; 4-Drainage pump; 5-Deformation pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific applications.

[0041] It should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances. It should also be noted that, in the description of this invention, "upper" and "lower" refer to the upper and lower parts, based on the height direction, when the garment processing equipment is in use. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] To address the problem that existing garment processing equipment's outer tube assemblies cannot simultaneously reduce space occupation and ensure drainage efficiency, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, this invention provides an outer tube assembly including an outer tube body 11 and a drainage structure 12. The drainage structure 12 is offset at the bottom 111 (lowest point of the outer tube body) of the outer tube body 11. It is understood that the outer tube body 11 includes a bottom and a body, with the bottom and body forming the outer tube body 11. Furthermore, the drainage structure 12 has a drainage cavity 127 that communicates with the interior of the outer tube body 11. The front wall 122, side wall, or rear wall 128 of the drainage structure 12 are provided with water outlets 121. The bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 is inclined towards the water outlet 121 to facilitate water flow towards the water outlet 121.

[0043] The drainage structure 12 is offset at the bottom 111 of the outer cylinder body 11, which can reduce or eliminate the longitudinal dimension of the drainage structure 12 extending downward from the bottom 111 of the cylinder body. Simultaneously, since the outlet 121 is located on the front wall 122, side wall, or rear wall 128 of the drainage structure 12 (i.e., the outlet 121 is located on one of these three walls), the pipe connected to the outlet 121 (such as the deformable pipe 5 described below) does not need to extend directly downward from the outlet 121. This reduces the longitudinal dimension... In terms of size, it saves at least L1+L2 distance as shown in Figure 1 of the prior art. When the clothing processing equipment is a multi-tub clothing processing equipment, the volume of the small tube above the outer tube body 11 can be increased, thereby improving the washing ratio. At the same time, since the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 is inclined towards the outlet 121 and promotes the water flow towards the outlet 121, during drainage, the water entering the drainage structure 12 will flow directly to the outlet 121 along the inclined slope, thereby ensuring drainage efficiency.

[0044] The drainage structure 12 of the present invention can have one high and one low at both ends in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body 11, that is, the communication port between the drainage structure 12 and the outer cylinder body 11 is placed on the side, so that the overall layout of the drainage structure 12 is offset relative to the bottom 111 of the cylinder body.

[0045] The following describes possible implementations of the outer cylinder assembly where the outlet 121 is located on the front wall 122 or the rear wall 128 of the drainage structure 12.

[0046] Referring to Figure 3, a specific embodiment in which the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 is inclined toward the outlet 121 can be that the outlet 121 is located on the front wall 122 of the drainage structure 12, and the bottom wall 123 is inclined downwards from back to front. Alternatively, the outlet 121 is located on the rear wall 128 of the drainage structure 12, and the bottom wall 123 is inclined downwards from front to back. After the drainage structure 12 is offset at the bottom 111 of the outer cylinder body 11, the drainage structure 12 is offset and raised from the bottom 111 of the cylinder body, and a spare space is formed at the front and / or rear between the drainage structure 12 and the outer cylinder body 11. Therefore, by setting the outlet 121 on the front wall 122 or the rear wall 128, the deformation pipe 5 and the drainage connector between the outlet 121 and the inlet of the drainage pump 4 do not occupy the space on the side and bottom, but can utilize the unused spare space at the front or rear, and will not reduce the width or height of the outer cylinder body 11 due to the space occupied by the deformation pipe 5 and the drainage connector.

[0047] It should be noted that the front wall 122 of the drainage structure 12 refers to the front side of the drainage structure 12 in the front-rear direction of the garment handling equipment, that is, the side of the drainage structure 12 closest to the door of the garment handling equipment in the axial direction of the outer drum body 11. The rear wall 128 of the drainage structure 12 refers to the rear side of the drainage structure 12 in the front-rear direction of the garment handling equipment, that is, the side of the drainage structure 12 closest to the back panel of the garment handling equipment in the axial direction of the outer drum body 11. The front-rear direction of the drainage structure 12 is consistent with the front-rear direction of the garment handling equipment.

[0048] As one possible implementation, referring to Figure 4, the bottom wall 123, from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side (in the example in the figure, from left to right), sequentially includes a first part 1231 and a second part 1232. The second part 1232 is lower than the first part 1231, and the outlet 121 is correspondingly arranged with the second part 1232, that is, the water flow on the second part 1232 can flow directly to the outlet 121. This arrangement allows the water flow from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side to be collected in the lower second part 1232 area. The collected water flow, guided by the inclined bottom wall 123 in the front-to-back direction, flows to the outlet 121 located on the front wall 122 or the rear wall 128, improving drainage efficiency and facilitating the complete drainage of water.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the first portion 1231 has an inclined surface that slopes downwards from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side. For example, the inclined surface includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, both of which slope downwards from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side. Furthermore, the first portion 1231 also includes a horizontally extending surface from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side, located between the first and second inclined surfaces. The first inclined surface is connected to the bottom 111 of the cylinder, and the second inclined surface is connected to the second portion 1232. Alternatively, the horizontal surface can be replaced with an inclined surface with a smaller downward angle compared to the first and second inclined surfaces. This configuration minimizes the longitudinal height while ensuring drainage efficiency. However, this is not a limitation; alternatively, the first portion 1231 can be configured as an inclined surface as a whole.

[0050] The second part 1232 may also be inclined downwards from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to its opposite side, such that the first part 1231 and the second part 1232 together form a continuous inclined surface inclined downwards from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to its opposite side; or, the second part 1232 may be inclined downwards from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to its opposite side, but the angle of inclination is different from that of the first part 1231. Alternatively, the second part 1232 may extend horizontally from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to its opposite side. These possible adjustments do not depart from the principles of the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0051] The following describes a possible implementation of the outer cylinder assembly with the outlet 121 located on the side wall of the drainage structure 12.

[0052] Referring to Figure 7, the outlet 121 is located on the first side wall 124 opposite to the bottom 111 of the drainage structure 12. In this case, the bottom wall 123 is inclined downward from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder, so that the water flows directly to the outlet 121 along the inclined bottom wall 123, thereby improving the drainage efficiency.

[0053] As one possible implementation, the bottom wall 123 is inclined downwards from one side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the opposite side of the bottom 111 of the cylinder body. The inner side of the bottom wall 123 is formed as a plane, and the bottom wall 123 is directly connected to the bottom 111 of the cylinder body. That is, the bottom wall 123 is a continuous, stepless inclined surface starting from the bottom 111 of the cylinder body. This design can be used in any implementation where the outlet 121 is located on the first side wall 124, the front wall 122, and the rear wall 128. This arrangement makes the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 almost tangent to the bottom of the cylinder body. This not only makes the drainage structure 12 closer to the outline of the outer cylinder body 11 and occupies almost no longitudinal space, but also keeps the path of water flow from the cylinder body to the drainage structure 12 continuous. During drainage, the water flows smoothly along the inclined surface of the bottom wall 123 to the outlet 121, avoiding kinetic energy loss caused by structural abrupt changes.

[0054] As one possible implementation, an angle α is formed between the plane and the cross-section of the bottom 111 of the cylinder, and the value of the angle α is in the range of α≤30°. The present invention does not limit the specific value of the angle. For example, it can be 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, etc. By limiting the angle to less than or equal to 30°, the drainage structure 12 does not need to reserve too much longitudinal depth, allowing the diameter of the upper small cylinder to be larger.

[0055] It should be noted that although the above description of the present invention uses the example of the inner side of the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 being planar and the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 being directly connected to the bottom of the cylinder 111, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. The specific arrangement of the drainage structure 12 can be adjusted as long as it is offset from the bottom of the cylinder 111. For example, as shown in FIG10, the drainage structure 12 has a second side wall 126 located between the bottom of the cylinder 111 and the bottom wall 123. That is, the direct connection between the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 and the bottom of the cylinder 111 is replaced by the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 being connected to the bottom of the cylinder 111 through the second side wall 126. The second side wall 126 can be inclined relative to the bottom wall 123, for example, the angle formed between the second side wall 126 and the bottom wall 123 is greater than or equal to 90°, such as 90°, 135°, etc. The longitudinal length of the second sidewall 126 can be less than 10 mm, such as 5 mm or 7 mm, and its specific value can be adjusted according to the actual application. This makes the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 slightly lower than the cross-section of the bottom 111 of the drum, ensuring that the washing water can be drained when the garment processing equipment performs the drainage program.

[0056] As one possible implementation, the vertical distance from the bottom 111 of the cylinder to the lowest point of the bottom wall 123 is h, and the radius of the outer cylinder body 11 is r, satisfying 0 < h ≤ 0.15r, for example, h = 0.08r, h = 1r, etc. This arrangement, while ensuring that the drainage structure 12 has the necessary drainage drop to achieve efficient drainage, minimizes its vertical space occupation.

[0057] As one possible implementation, referring to Figures 4 and 5, the outer cylinder assembly further includes a first protruding structure 13. The first protruding structure 13 is located at the connection between the drainage structure 12 and the outer cylinder body 11, and is situated on one side of the drainage structure 12 circumferentially above the outer cylinder body 11, for guiding water into the drainage cavity 127. Specifically, the first protruding structure 13 is located on the side of the drainage structure 12 circumferentially above the outer cylinder body 11 away from the bottom 111 of the cylinder. The first protruding structure 13 can be a solid plate, such as a flat plate, and its shape can be rectangular, semi-circular, or irregular, etc. Specifically, the first protruding structure 13 can be positioned along the connection between the drainage structure 12 and the outer cylinder body 11.

[0058] During the spin cycle, viewed from the front of the outer drum, the inner drum 15 rotates counterclockwise (in the prior art, washing machines rotate counterclockwise during spin to prevent the fixing nuts from loosening). Some of the water flowing into the drain structure 12 is driven by the water flowing out of the inner drum 15 and is accelerated out of the outlet 121. Some of the water flowing into this area is propelled by the centrifugal force within the inner drum 15 towards the first protruding structure 13. The first protruding structure 13 guides the water flow into the drain structure 12, allowing the water to reach the outlet 121 in a shorter time and at a faster flow rate, significantly improving the drainage effect. Simultaneously, because the first protruding structure 13 successfully restricts the upward flow of this portion of the water, it effectively prevents the water from continuing to rise along the outer drum body 11. The water that flows downwards from the inner cylinder 15 and is collected at the top of the outer cylinder body 11 under the action of gravity no longer encounters the obstruction and interference of the upward water flow, making the water flow stable and smooth. This greatly enhances the drainage efficiency of the clothing processing equipment during the dehydration stage and effectively ensures the stable and efficient operation of the clothing processing equipment.

[0059] On the other hand, the essence wash program, as an efficient and water-saving washing method, has been gradually adopted by users. This program typically uses a small amount of water and detergent mixture, which is sprayed directly onto the clothes inside the inner drum 15. The clothes quickly absorb most of the water and detergent mixture, achieving rapid penetration and washing. However, during the washing process, foam generation is inevitable due to the interaction between the liquid and air. Due to the properties of the surfactants in the detergent, the foam gradually increases during the washing process. If this foam is not effectively controlled, it may be carried to the functional area between the inner drum 15 and the outer drum body 11, causing adverse effects. For example, it may enter the drying air duct through the air vent of the outer drum body 11, affecting the drying effect. The foam may also enter the distribution box along the water inlet on the outer drum body 11, affecting subsequent washing programs and causing uneven detergent distribution or other adverse effects. To address this, the first protruding structure 13 of this invention can act as a scraper when the inner drum 15 rotates. Under the action of the scraper, the foam is effectively guided and retained in the drainage structure 12, preventing the foam from continuing to move upward and entering other areas of the equipment.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the first protruding structure 13 is located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11 or on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11.

[0061] With the first protruding structure 13 located on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11, the lateral flow space for the water flowing out of the inner cylinder 15 is widened. This allows the ejected water to quickly slide down the top surface of the first protruding structure 13. The widened area prevents the water flowing out of the inner cylinder 15 from accumulating into a "water wall" that can block the water from gathering on the inner wall of the upper outer cylinder body 11. The water flowing down naturally due to gravity and gathering on the inner wall of the upper outer cylinder body 11 can then reach the drainage structure 12 area without obstruction, allowing the clothes to be efficiently dehydrated. With the first protruding structure 13 located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11, the drainage structure 12 has a sufficiently large volume while maintaining a safe distance between the first protruding structure 13 and the inner cylinder 15. It also smoothly transitions with the outer cylinder body 11, effectively maintaining the streamlined profile of the outer cylinder. The streamlined profile not only improves structural reliability but also makes the outer cylinder easier to demold during injection molding, reducing manufacturing difficulty and production costs.

[0062] In one possible implementation, the outer cylinder assembly further includes a second protruding structure 14. The second protruding structure 14 is located at the connection between the drainage structure 12 and the outer cylinder body 11, and is situated on the side of the drainage structure 12 opposite to the first protruding structure 13 in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body 11. The second protruding structure 14 is used to guide water into the drainage cavity 127. The second protruding structure 14 can be a solid plate, such as a flat plate, and its shape can be rectangular, semi-circular, or irregular, etc. Specifically, the second protruding structure 14 can be arranged along the connection between the drainage structure 12 and the outer cylinder body 11.

[0063] During the essence washing program, the inner drum 15 rotates clockwise and counterclockwise alternately. Therefore, the present invention also provides a second protruding structure 14 on the other side opposite to the first protruding structure 13, so that the second protruding structure 14 can be used as a scraper. Under the action of the scraper, the foam is effectively guided and retained in the drainage structure 12, preventing the foam from continuing to move upward and entering other areas of the device.

[0064] In one possible implementation, the first protruding structure 13 is longer than the second protruding structure 14 in the circumferential direction of the outer drum body 11. Since the inner drum 15 rotates counterclockwise, not clockwise, during the spin-drying process in normal washing mode in mainstream garment processing equipment, and the amount of water removed in this mode is relatively large, the first protruding structure 13 is made longer to achieve better airflow. When the garment processing equipment performs a de-foaming wash, the water volume is relatively small, so the second protruding structure 14 can be made shorter. A shorter second protruding structure 14 can also achieve the purpose of defoaming.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the end of the second protruding structure 14 in the protruding direction is provided as a tip. For example, the thickness of the second protruding structure 14 gradually narrows from the root to the tip in the protruding direction. The tip can contact the foam with a smaller contact area, concentrating pressure on a very small area upon contact, making it easier to puncture the liquid film of the foam and allow the gas inside the foam to escape, thereby achieving the purpose of defoaming. Furthermore, the tip's action when puncturing the foam is relatively smooth, reducing the possibility of secondary foam formation due to vigorous liquid movement causing air to be re-entered.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the second protruding structure 14 is located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11. This arrangement prevents foam from rising within the drainage structure 12 when the inner cylinder 15 rotates clockwise, and guides foam smoothly into the drainage structure 12 when the inner cylinder 15 rotates counterclockwise. However, this is not a limitation; as an alternative implementation, the second protruding structure 14 can be located on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11.

[0067] As one possible implementation, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the inner side of the first sidewall 124 has a spiral guide surface 1241, which is used to guide water to the outlet 121.

[0068] The spiral guide surface 1241 conforms to the principles of fluid dynamics. When the inner cylinder 15 rotates counterclockwise at high speed, a large amount of water thrown out drives the water flow gathered here to rush towards the first side wall 124 of the drainage structure 12. The spiral structure can capture the water flow accordingly. Its curved shape provides the water flow with a continuous and gradual guiding force. The moment the water flow contacts the spiral guide surface 1241, it is drawn into the spiral trajectory. The originally chaotic turbulent flow is quickly sorted into a regular spiral flow, making its direction of motion accurately turn towards the outlet 121, accelerating the water flow convergence and discharge process, and greatly increasing the drainage flow rate. Furthermore, the spiral guide surface 1241 has a buffering and energy dissipation function. The high-speed water flow has a strong impact force, and direct impact on the drainage structure 12 can easily cause noise. However, the spiral guide surface 1241 can gradually dissipate the impact force of the water flow, dispersing the concentrated energy throughout the spiral trajectory, converting it into the power to drive the water flow forward, and reducing noise. Possibly, the spiral guide surface 1241 is connected to the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 by an arc surface to ensure that the water flow is seamlessly connected when transitioning from the bottom wall 123 of the drainage structure 12 to the spiral guide surface 1241, so as to naturally conform to the movement trajectory of the water flow and allow the water flow to rise smoothly along the arc surface to the spiral guide surface 1241.

[0069] As one possible implementation, the outlet 121 is located at the lower part of the spiral guide surface 1241 to follow the laws of gravity and the natural flow direction of water. After the water flows through the spiral guide, it does not need to consume additional energy to change the flow direction, thus achieving a near-linear and efficient discharge.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the spiral guide surface 1241 is connected to the outer cylinder body 11 via a connecting surface 125, which is located on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body 11. This arrangement widens the space for the lateral flow of water from the inner cylinder 15, allowing the ejected water to quickly slide down the inclined connecting surface 125. The widened area prevents the water from the inner cylinder 15 from accumulating into a "water wall" that can block the water from gathering on the upper cylinder wall. The water that gathers on the inner wall of the upper outer cylinder body 11 can flow down naturally due to gravity and reach the drainage structure 12 area without obstruction, maintaining the orderly overall water flow direction inside the outer cylinder body 11 and enabling efficient dehydration of clothes. At the same time, the inclined connecting surface 125 utilizes the component of gravity to promote the rapid downward flow of water, precisely guiding it to the spiral guide surface 1241. The water flows out of the equipment with the shortest path and fastest speed, reducing water accumulation and improving the drainage efficiency of the equipment.

[0071] As one possible implementation, a heating element is provided in the drain cavity 127 to meet the normal heating requirements of the garment processing equipment. The present invention does not limit the specific form of the heating element; for example, the heating element can be a heating rod or a heating wire, etc. It can be inserted into the drain structure 12 and partially located in the drain cavity 127, or it can be entirely installed in the drain cavity 127.

[0072] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a garment processing device, which includes a tubular assembly, the tubular assembly including an inner tubular 15 and an outer tubular assembly as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the inner tubular 15 is rotatably disposed inside the outer tubular body 11 of the outer tubular assembly.

[0073] Possibly, as shown in Figure 9, the tubing assembly includes a first tubing assembly 1, a second tubing assembly 2, and a third tubing assembly 3. Each tubing assembly may have an outer tubing body 11 and an inner tubing 15 rotatable inside the outer tubing body 11 to perform washing, dehydration, and / or drying operations on clothing. The tubing capacity of the second tubing assembly 2 and the third tubing assembly 3 is smaller than that of the first tubing assembly 1. The second tubing assembly 2 and the third tubing assembly 3 are arranged side by side above the first tubing assembly 1. At least one of the first tubing assembly 1, the second tubing assembly 2, and the third tubing assembly 3 has the outer tubing assembly described in this invention. Preferably, the first tubing assembly 1, the second tubing assembly 2, and the third tubing assembly 3 all have this outer tubing assembly.

[0074] In addition, the front panel of the casing is provided with a first injection port, a second injection port, and a third injection port. The first injection port is connected to the opening of the outer cylinder body 11 of the first cylinder assembly 1 via a first window gasket. The second injection port is connected to the opening of the outer cylinder body 11 of the second cylinder assembly 2 via a second window gasket. The third injection port is connected to the opening of the outer cylinder body 11 of the third cylinder assembly 3 via a third window gasket. The front panel is also provided with a first door, a second door, and a third door. The first door is used to open and close the first injection port, the second door is used to open and close the second injection port, and the third door is used to open and close the third injection port.

[0075] Regarding capacity settings, the capacity of both the second and third cylinder components 2 and 3 is preferably 0.5-2 kg, for example, 1 kg, which is more suitable for handling small items of clothing (such as underwear, socks, etc.). The capacity of the first cylinder component 1 is preferably 8-14 kg, for example, 8 kg, 10.5 kg, or 12.5 kg, which is mainly suitable for handling large items of clothing (such as bed sheets, duvet covers, coats, etc.) or batches of clothing.

[0076] In one possible implementation, the outer tube body 11 is mounted on the housing of the garment processing equipment via a vibration damping assembly. The vibration damping assembly may include dampers and suspension springs. The suspension springs may be distributed on opposite sides of the outer tube body 11 of the first tube assembly 1, and / or respectively disposed on the outer tube bodies 11 of the second tube assembly 2 and the third tube assembly 3. The bottom end of the suspension spring is connected to the corresponding outer tube body 11, and the top end of the suspension spring is hung on the housing. The dampers may be distributed on opposite sides of the outer tube body 11 of the first tube assembly 1. The bottom end of the damper is fixed to the bottom plate or support beam of the housing, and the top end of the damper is connected to the bottom or side of the outer tube body 11. The second tube assembly 2 and the third tube assembly 3 may be connected together and hung in the housing via suspension springs, and supported on support beams on the side walls of the housing via vibration dampers. Alternatively, the second cylinder assembly 2 and the third cylinder assembly 3 can be connected to the lower first cylinder assembly 1 and share a set of vibration damping components. For example, the vibration damper can be installed on the outer cylinder body 11 of the lower first cylinder assembly 1, and the suspension spring can be installed on the outer cylinders of the upper second cylinder assembly 2 and the third cylinder assembly 3, etc. These adjustments do not deviate from the principle of the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention. Of course, the above description is only exemplary, and the vibration damping component can be any existing or future structure, as long as it does not restrict the vertical movement of the outer cylinder body 11 and can dampen vibration.

[0077] The garment processing equipment also includes a drain pump 4. The outlet 121 is connected to the inlet of the drain pump 4 via a deformation pipe 5. Referring to Figure 9(a), the garment processing equipment is configured such that when the outer drum body 11 is unloaded, the drain pump 4 is lower than the outlet 121; referring to Figure 9(b), when the outer drum body 11 is loaded, the drain pump 4 is higher than the outlet 121. Preferably, the outlet 121 on the outer drum body 11 of the first drum assembly 1 is connected to the inlet of the drain pump 4 via the deformation pipe 5. The drain pump 4 can be mounted on the base plate of the garment processing equipment.

[0078] During the operation of the garment processing equipment, water and clothes are added to the inner drum 15. When the outer drum body 11 is loaded, the drain pump 4 is higher than the outlet 121. This can be understood as the drain pump 4 being higher than the outlet 121 when the water inflow reaches the minimum water level set in the program. When the outer drum body 11 is unloaded, the drain pump 4 is lower than the outlet 121. This can be understood as the drain pump 4 being lower than the outlet 121 when no water has entered the outer drum body 11.

[0079] In the design, when the outer drum body 11 is unloaded, that is, when no water enters the outer drum body 11, the drain pump 4 is positioned below the outlet 121. This allows water to flow naturally into the drain pump 4 through the deformation pipe 5 under gravity, ensuring the smooth operation of the drain pump 4 and the normal drainage of water from the clothing processing equipment. When the outer drum body 11 is loaded, that is, after water and clothes are added to the inner drum 15, based on the aforementioned vibration-damping connection between the outer drum body 11 and the casing, the outer drum body 11 will move downwards within the casing under gravity. As the outer drum body 11 moves downwards, the drain pump 4 will eventually be positioned above the outlet 121. During drainage, the initial water level is high, and there is sufficient water at the drain pump 4, which does not affect drainage. As the drainage operation continues, the water volume inside the outer drum body 11 gradually decreases, the overall weight of the outer drum body 11 gradually decreases, and the overall height of the outer drum body 11 within the casing gradually increases. This causes the position of the drain pump 4 to be lower than the outlet 121, meaning that no water remains inside the outer drum body 11. In this way, while ensuring that the drain pump 4 can complete its drainage work normally, the position of the outer drum body 11 can be designed lower compared to traditional methods, further reducing the space occupied by the equipment in the vertical direction. This makes the overall structure of the garment processing equipment more compact and better meets the actual needs of space utilization.

[0080] The aforementioned deformation pipe 5 can be a corrugated pipe or a rubber pipe, etc. The present invention does not limit its specific arrangement, as long as it has a certain degree of elasticity. Furthermore, the outlet 121 can be connected to one end of the deformation pipe 5 via a drain connector, and the other end of the deformation pipe 5 can be connected to the inlet of the drainage pump 4. However, the drain connector can also be omitted, as long as the connection between the outlet 121 and the deformation pipe 5 is ensured.

[0081] It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely used to illustrate the principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can adjust the above structure so that the present invention can be applied to more specific application scenarios.

[0082] For example, as an alternative implementation, at least one of the first protruding structure 13, the second protruding structure 14, and the heating element can be omitted.

[0083] For example, as an alternative implementation, the second cylinder assembly 2 and the third cylinder assembly 3 can be omitted. Having only the first cylinder assembly 1 can still reduce the longitudinal space occupied by the outer cylinder assembly while ensuring its drainage effect.

[0084] For example, although the present invention is described in terms of the connection between the spiral guide surface 1241 and the outer cylinder body 11 via the connecting surface 125, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For example, the spiral guide surface 1241 may be directly connected to the outer cylinder body 11, and these adjustments do not deviate from the principles of the present invention and are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0085] As an alternative implementation, the second tube assembly 2 and / or the third tube assembly 3 can be replaced with a single tube assembly to adapt to different garment handling needs.

[0086] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An outer cylinder assembly, characterized in that, include: Outer cylinder body (11); A drainage structure (12) is offset at the bottom (111) of the outer cylinder body (11). The drainage structure (12) has a drainage cavity (127) that communicates with the interior of the outer cylinder body (11). The front wall (122), side wall or rear wall (128) of the drainage structure (12) is provided with a water outlet (121). The bottom wall (123) of the drainage structure (12) is inclined toward the water outlet (121) to promote water flow toward the water outlet (121).

2. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water outlet (121) is located on the front wall (122), and the bottom wall (123) is inclined downward from back to front.

3. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water outlet (121) is located on the rear wall (128), and the bottom wall (123) is inclined downward from front to back.

4. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The bottom wall (123) consists of a first part (1231) and a second part (1232) in sequence from one side of the bottom of the cylinder (111) to the opposite side of the bottom of the cylinder (111). The second part (1232) is lower than the first part (1231). The outlet (121) is correspondingly provided with the second part (1232).

5. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first part (1231) has an inclined surface that is inclined downward from one side of the bottom of the cylinder (111) to the opposite side of the bottom of the cylinder (111).

6. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet (121) is located on the first side wall (124) opposite to the bottom (111) of the cylinder of the drainage structure (12), and the bottom wall (123) is inclined downward from one side of the bottom (111) of the cylinder to the opposite side of the bottom (111) of the cylinder.

7. The outer cylinder assembly according to any one of claims 2, 3, and 6, characterized in that, The inner side of the bottom wall (123) is formed as a plane, and the bottom wall (123) is directly connected to the bottom of the cylinder (111).

8. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, An angle α is formed between the plane and the cross-section of the bottom (111) of the cylinder, and the value of the angle α is in the range of α≤30°.

9. The outer cylinder assembly according to any one of claims 2, 3, and 6, characterized in that, The drainage structure (12) has a second sidewall (126) located between the bottom (111) of the cylinder and the bottom wall (123).

10. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical distance from the bottom (111) of the cylinder body to the lowest point of the bottom wall (123) is h, and the radius of the outer cylinder body (11) is r, satisfying 0 < h ≤ 0.15r.

11. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer cylinder assembly also includes a first protruding structure (13), which is located at the connection between the drainage structure (12) and the outer cylinder body (11), and is located on one side of the drainage structure (12) in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body (11).

12. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first protruding structure (13) is located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body (11), or on the outside of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body (11).

13. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The outer cylinder assembly also includes a second protruding structure (14), which is located at the connection between the drainage structure (12) and the outer cylinder body (11), and is located on the side of the drainage structure (12) opposite to the first protruding structure (13) in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder body (11).

14. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second protruding structure (14) is located on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body (11), or on the outer side of the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body (11).

15. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second protruding structure (14) is located on one side of the drainage structure (12) at the bottom (111) of the cylinder body, and the first protruding structure (13) has a greater circumferential length in the outer cylinder body (11) than the second protruding structure (14); and / or At least one of the first protruding structure (13) and the second protruding structure (14) is configured as a solid plate.

16. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner side of the first sidewall (124) has a spiral guide surface (1241) for guiding water to the outlet (121).

17. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 16, characterized in that, The outlet (121) is located at the lower part of the spiral guide surface (1241); and / or The spiral guide surface (1241) is connected to the bottom wall (123) by an arc surface; and / or The top of the spiral guide surface (1241) is connected to the outer cylinder body (11) via a connecting surface (125), which is located outside the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder body (11).

18. The outer cylinder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heating element is provided in the drainage cavity (127).

19. A garment processing device, characterized in that, The garment processing device includes a tubular assembly, which includes an inner tubular assembly (15) and an outer tubular assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the inner tubular assembly (15) is rotatably disposed inside the outer tubular body (11).

20. The garment processing equipment according to claim 19, characterized in that, The outer cylinder body (11) is mounted on the housing of the garment processing equipment via a vibration damping component. The garment processing equipment also includes a drain pump (4). The outlet (121) is connected to the inlet of the drain pump (4) via a deformation pipe (5). The garment processing equipment is configured such that when the outer cylinder body (11) is unloaded, the drain pump (4) is lower than the outlet (121), and when the outer cylinder body (11) is loaded, the drain pump (4) is higher than the outlet (121).

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