Inner Drum Door Sealing for Holeless Washing Machine Dewatering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing washing machines with inner and outer drums suffer from water wastage and dirt accumulation between the drums, affecting washing efficiency and user experience, particularly due to the lack of sealing during high-speed dewatering.
Innovation Solution
A front-opening drum washing machine with a holeless inner drum and a pressure balancing mechanism to maintain sealing, ensuring washing water is contained within the inner drum and preventing water from flowing between the drums, along with an inner drum door lock system for safety during high-speed rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple dewatering holes are formed in the wall of the inner drum, then dewatering efficiency is improved, but washing water is wasted and dirt accumulates between the inner drum and outer drum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dewatering holes from the inner drum wall and extracts the dewatering function to a separate component - the outer drum. The inner drum becomes completely sealed (holeless), while the outer drum retains dewatering holes to enable water removal during the spin cycle, thus solving both water waste and dirt accumulation problems while maintaining dewatering efficiency
2Loss of substance
If the inner drum is made holeless to prevent water waste, then washing water is saved, but the sealing performance becomes critical and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function with the door assembly. The inner drum door incorporates a sealing ring that seals against the inner drum opening, creating a sealed cavity. This integration of sealing into the existing door structure avoids adding complex separate sealing mechanisms while achieving the water containment goal
3Reliability
If the inner drum door spins together with the inner drum at high speed, then the door remains sealed, but safety risks increase due to potential door detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a door locking mechanism that locks the inner drum door to the inner drum before high-speed rotation begins. This preliminary locking action ensures the door remains securely attached during the spin cycle, preventing door detachment while maintaining the sealed cavity for effective dewatering
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces water consumption, prevents dirt accumulation, enhances user safety, and maintains efficient washing performance by ensuring the inner drum remains sealed during operation, improving user experience and water resource conservation.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure balancing mechanism to maintain sealing
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A washing machine includes: an inner drum (18) provided with a washing cavity independently containing washing water; and an inner drum door (6) mounted at an opening of the inner drum (18) in an openable and closable mode, wherein the inner drum door (6) includes a door body inner shell (603), a door body outer shell (601) and a door body lining (604) clamped and fixed between the door body inner shell (603) and the door body outer shell (601), the door body outer shell (601) includes an outer shell supporting part (610) arranged on an outer shell body, the outer shell supporting part (610) extends to a blocking part of the door body lining (604) in an axial direction of the inner drum (18) to conduct extrusion support, and thus no water exists between the drums.