CN108796993B

CN108796993B - Dewatering structure and dewatering method of washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN108796993B
Application number: CN201711007250.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李以民; 劳春峰; 郝兴慧; 吴迪
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Qingdao Haier Smart Technology R&D Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Qingdao Haier Smart Technology R&D Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-04-28
Filing date: 2017-10-25
Publication date: 2022-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-25
Also published as: CN108796993A

Abstract

The invention relates to a dewatering structure and a dewatering method of a washing machine.A casing of the washing machine is internally provided with an inner barrel which is a conical barrel with a small diameter at one end and a large diameter at the other end, a dewatering flow passage is arranged at the large opening end of the inner barrel, one end of the dewatering flow passage is communicated with the large opening end of the inner barrel, and the other end of the dewatering flow passage penetrates out of the inner barrel through the center of the large opening end and is communicated with a drainage pipe of the washing machine. The inner cylinder rotates at a certain rotating speed, so that water flow separated from clothes in the inner cylinder flows to the large opening end by attaching to the inner wall of the conical inner cylinder under the action of centrifugal force, flows out from the center of the large opening end of the inner cylinder along a dehydration flow channel arranged at the large opening end when the water flow reaches the large opening end of the inner cylinder, and flows out of the washing machine along the drain pipe, and the washing water in the inner cylinder is discharged outwards. By the arrangement and the method, the aim of normal dehydration of the washing machine with double effects of inner cylinder rotation and water holding is fulfilled; meanwhile, the outer barrel does not need to be sleeved outside the inner barrel, the volume of the inner barrel is increased, and the washing capacity of the washing machine is improved.

Description

Dewatering structure and dewatering method of washing machine

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the technical field of washing machines, particularly relates to a washing machine which is only provided with a rotatable inner barrel capable of containing water, and particularly relates to a dewatering structure of the washing machine and a dewatering method of the washing machine.

Background

In the prior art, a drum washing machine generally comprises an inner drum and an outer drum which are mutually sleeved, wherein the outer drum is sealed and used for containing water, and the inner drum is used for containing clothes and beating and washing the clothes by rotating the inner drum; meanwhile, the inner barrel is provided with dehydration holes, so that water in the outer barrel flows into the inner barrel through the dehydration holes to soak the clothes in the inner barrel, the water in the inner barrel flows out of the outer barrel through the dehydration holes, and moisture on the clothes in the inner barrel is discharged to the outer barrel through the dehydration holes when the inner barrel rotates at a high speed, so that the aim of washing the clothes is fulfilled.

However, because the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are mutually sleeved, dirt is easily accumulated between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder in the use process of the washing machine; meanwhile, because the inner drum and the outer drum are mutually sleeved, a user cannot clean the outer wall of the inner drum and the inner wall of the outer drum, so that bacteria in the washing machine are increased, and the washing efficiency of the washing machine and the cleanliness of washed clothes are reduced.

Meanwhile, in the existing washing machine, the outer cylinder is sleeved outside the inner cylinder, and clothes are beaten and washed through the rotation of the inner cylinder in the washing process of the washing machine, so that the washing capacity of the washing machine is based on the inner cylinder, the utilization rate of the internal space of the washing machine is low, and the washing capacity of the washing machine cannot be expanded on the existing basis.

In view of this, how to provide a washing machine, so as to integrate the inner and outer drums, and make the inner drum be a sealed container, which can not only contain water and clothes, but also rotate to beat the clothes for washing; meanwhile, because the washing machine is not provided with the outer cylinder or the outer cylinder and the washing machine shell are integrally arranged, the inner cylinder of the washing machine can be expanded to expand the washing capacity of the washing machine, and the development hotspot is generated.

However, since the inner tub is not only used for containing washing water, but also rotated to beat and clean the clothes in the tub, how to provide a dewatering structure suitable for the above washing machine becomes a problem to be solved urgently.

The present application is particularly proposed in view of the above technical drawbacks.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and to providing a dehydrating structure of a washing machine. According to the dewatering structure of the washing machine, the dewatering flow channel flowing from the periphery to the center is arranged at the large opening end of the inner barrel, so that water in the inner barrel is gathered and flows towards the large opening end under the action of centrifugal force and is discharged from the center of the large opening end of the inner barrel along the dewatering flow channel when the inner barrel rotates at a high speed, the problem of how to discharge water flow separated from clothes in the inner barrel is solved, and the purposes that the opening of the rotatable inner barrel is sealed, water enters the inner barrel and does not leak out in the normal working process of the washing machine, and the clothes separated water is discharged out through the dewatering water channel when the washing machine is dewatered are achieved; meanwhile, the inner drum and the outer drum of the drum washing machine are combined into a whole, so that the aim of expanding the washing capacity of the washing machine is fulfilled.

In order to solve the technical problems and achieve the technical effects, the basic design idea of the technical scheme adopted by the invention is as follows:

the dewatering structure of washing machine has one inner barrel with small diameter and large diameter, one dewatering flow passage with one end communicated with the large opening end of the inner barrel and the other end penetrating the inner barrel via the center of the large opening end and communicated with the drainage pipe of the washing machine, and one end of the dewatering flow passage is connected to the large opening end of the inner barrel.

Further, the inner cylinder is a conical cylinder with the diameter gradually increasing from the opening to the inner cylinder bottom, and the center of the inner cylinder bottom is arranged on the inner cylinder supporting piece through a rotating shaft; the dehydration flow passage is arranged on the inner side surface of the bottom of the inner barrel, one end of the dehydration flow passage is arranged at the intersection of the bottom of the inner barrel and the side wall of the inner barrel, the other end of the dehydration flow passage penetrates out of the center of the bottom of the inner barrel and penetrates through the rotating shaft along the axis, and the penetrating end of the dehydration flow passage is communicated with a drain pipe of the washing machine.

Furthermore, a plurality of dehydration flow channels are arranged on the inner cylinder bottom, one end of each dehydration flow channel is evenly distributed at equal interval angles on the periphery of the inner cylinder bottom and communicated with the inner part of the inner cylinder, and the other end of each dehydration flow channel is intersected at the center of the inner cylinder bottom and penetrates out from the center of the inner cylinder bottom to be communicated with a drain pipe of the washing machine.

Furthermore, one end of at least one dehydration flow channel is arranged in the middle of the bottom of the inner cylinder and is communicated with the inside of the inner cylinder, and the other end of the dehydration flow channel penetrates out of the center of the bottom of the inner cylinder and is communicated with a drain pipe of the washing machine;

preferably, the ends of adjacent dewatering channels are staggered at the middle or outer periphery of the inner cylinder bottom.

Furthermore, each dehydration flow channel is composed of a hollow convex rib protruding from the inner side surface of the bottom of the inner barrel, and the hollow convex rib lifts and beats water flow and clothes in the inner barrel in the rotation process of the inner barrel so as to wash the clothes.

Furthermore, a drainage pump is arranged on the dehydration flow channel and/or the drainage pipe so as to apply pressure to the water flow flowing to the bottom of the inner drum of the washing machine and drain the water flow to the outside of the washing machine along the dehydration flow channel and the drainage pipe.

Another important objective of the present invention is to provide a dewatering method for a washing machine, so as to solve the problems of how to seal the inner tub of the washing machine with dual functions of water containing and rotation, and how to discharge the water from the clothes in the inner tub.

In order to achieve the purpose of the invention, the specific technical scheme is as follows:

the inner cylinder rotates at a certain speed, so that water flow separated from clothes in the inner cylinder flows to the large opening end along a dewatering flow channel arranged at the large opening end under the action of centrifugal force, flows out from the center of the large opening end of the inner cylinder along the dewatering flow channel arranged at the large opening end and flows out of the washing machine along a drain pipe, and washing water in the inner cylinder is discharged outside.

Further, the specific water discharging step is as follows,

step 1, rotating an inner drum of a washing machine at a certain rotating speed, dehydrating clothes in the inner drum, and enabling water flow separated from the clothes in the inner drum to flow to a joint with the side wall of the inner drum under the action of centrifugal force;

under the action of the conical inner cylinder, water flow attached to the side wall of the inner cylinder is guided by the side wall of the inner cylinder and is acted by centrifugal force in the rotating process of the inner cylinder, so that the water flow in the inner cylinder flows to the bottom of the inner cylinder with larger diameter;

and 3, enabling the water flowing to the bottom of the inner barrel to flow into a dehydration flow channel arranged at the bottom of the inner barrel, enabling the water to flow out of the inner barrel from the center of the inner barrel along the dehydration flow channel, and then discharging the water out of the washing machine along a drain pipe.

Further, in step 3, the drainage pump on the dewatering channel and/or the drainage pipe is operated to apply pressure to the water flow flowing to the bottom of the inner drum, so that the water flows along the dewatering channel and the drainage pipe and is discharged to the outside of the washing machine.

Furthermore, in the dewatering process of the washing machine, the inner barrel rotates at a medium-high speed, so that the water in the inner barrel is attached to the side wall of the inner barrel under the action of centrifugal force and flows to the large opening end of the inner barrel.

Compared with the washing machine in the prior art, the washing machine of the invention has the following beneficial effects:

by the arrangement and the method, water flow in the inner barrel is not acted by centrifugal force and does not converge and flow towards the large opening end of the inner barrel under the normal washing state of the washing machine, water flow in the inner barrel rotating at high speed is acted by centrifugal force and flows towards the drainage flow channel at the large opening end of the inner barrel and is discharged outside under the dehydration state of the washing machine, so that water contained in the inner barrel cannot flow out from the drainage opening when the inner barrel rotates normally, the effects that the inner barrel is sealed during the rotation process of the inner barrel, and the dehydration water flow is extruded into the dehydration flow channel by the centrifugal force during dehydration and is discharged outside normally are realized, and the aim of normal dehydration of the washing machine with double effects of rotation of the inner barrel and water containing is fulfilled; meanwhile, the outer barrel does not need to be sleeved outside the inner barrel, the volume of the inner barrel is increased, and the washing capacity of the washing machine is improved.

In order to make the design concept of the technical scheme of the invention clearer and facilitate further understanding of the beneficial effects brought by the technical scheme, the following detailed description of some specific embodiments of the invention is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the invention without limiting the invention to the right. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments, and that for a person skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from them without inventive effort. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a washing machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention in an unlocked state of the inner tub;

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram illustrating a locked state of an inner tub of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a closed state of a drain valve in the embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural view showing an opened state of the drain valve in the embodiment of the present invention.

The figure is marked with:

1. inner tube, 2, casing, 3, inner tube support piece, 4, door closure, 5, driving motor, 6, shock attenuation hanging spring, 7, shock attenuation bracing piece, 8, inner tube lid, 9, spring, 10, backup pad, 11, mounting groove, 12, pivot, 13, bearing, 14, sealed tube, 15, rake, 16, fixed part, 17, inlet tube, 33, drain pump, 36, dehydration runner, 101, inner tube barrel mouth, 102, the inner tube end.

It should be noted that the drawings and the description are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concept in any way, but to illustrate it by a person skilled in the art with reference to specific embodiments.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and the following embodiments are used for illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, but do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; can be mechanically or electrically connected; may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in specific cases to those skilled in the art.

As shown in fig. 1, the embodiment of the present invention describes a washing machine, which includes a housing 2, an inner cylinder 1 is disposed in the housing 2, an axis of the inner cylinder 1 extends horizontally or is inclined downward from front to back, a front end of the inner cylinder 1 is an open inner cylinder opening 101, and a rear end is a sealed inner cylinder bottom 102; the wall of the inner cylinder 1 is not provided with a through hole, so that the inner part of the inner cylinder 1 forms a sealed container only with an opening at the front part. Meanwhile, the front end of the washing machine shell 2 is provided with a door cover 4 which can be opened outwards, so as to seal the inner cylinder opening 101 after the door cover 4 is closed, and to throw clothes into the inner cylinder 1 from the inner cylinder opening 101 after the door cover 4 is opened. The rear end of the inner barrel 1 is arranged in the shell 2 of the washing machine through the inner barrel supporting piece 3, the inner barrel supporting piece 3 and the rear end of the inner barrel 1 are coaxially arranged, the upper end and the lower end of the inner barrel supporting piece 3 are respectively bent towards the barrel mouth direction at the front end of the inner barrel 1, the bent parts at least extend to the middle part of the inner barrel 1, and the upper bent parts and the lower bent parts are respectively connected with the shell 2 of the washing machine through the damping hanging spring 6 and the damping supporting rod 7, so that the aim that the inner barrel supporting piece 3 can be arranged in the shell 2 of the washing machine in a vibrating manner is fulfilled; meanwhile, the center of the inner drum bottom 102 is coaxially arranged with the motor shaft of the driving motor 5 of the washing machine to drive the inner drum 1 to rotate, and both the inner drum 1 and the driving motor 5 are fixedly arranged on the inner drum support 3. Preferably, the inner cylinder bottom 102 and the driving motor 5 are respectively arranged at two sides of the inner cylinder support 3, the driving motor 5 is fixedly connected with the inner cylinder support 3, a motor shaft of the driving motor 5 passes through the inner cylinder support 3 through a bearing and is coaxially and fixedly connected with the inner cylinder bottom 102, and the shaft of the driving motor 5 can rotate relative to the inner cylinder support 3, so that the purposes that the inner cylinder 1 and the driving motor 5 are arranged on the inner cylinder support 3 and the inner cylinder 1 can rotate to wash the internal clothes under the action of the driving motor 5 alone are achieved.

In the embodiment of the invention, in order to discharge the water flow after the clothes in the inner drum of the washing machine are separated and realize the normal washing of the inner drum sealed water containing in the working process of the washing machine, the following settings are carried out:

a dehydration structure of a washing machine is characterized in that an inner barrel 1 is arranged in a shell 2 of the washing machine, the inner barrel 1 is a conical barrel with a small diameter at one end and a large diameter at the other end, a dehydration flow passage 36 is arranged at the large opening end of the inner barrel 1, one end of the dehydration flow passage 36 is communicated with the large opening end of the inner barrel 1, and the other end penetrates out of the inner barrel 1 through the center of the large opening end and is communicated with a drain pipe 31 of the washing machine.

The embodiment of the invention also discloses a dewatering method of the washing machine, wherein the inner barrel rotates at a certain rotating speed, so that the washing water separated from the clothes in the inner barrel flows to the large opening end along the inner wall of the conical inner barrel under the action of centrifugal force, and flows out of the center of the large opening end of the inner barrel along a dewatering flow channel arranged at the large opening end and flows out of the washing machine along a drain pipe when the water flows to the large opening end of the inner barrel, thereby realizing the discharge of the washing water in the inner barrel.

In the normal washing process of the drum washing machine, the inner barrel 1 generally rotates at a low speed, and water in the inner barrel 1 is not subjected to too much centrifugal force, so that clothes and water flow in the inner barrel 1 rotate at the low speed along with the inner barrel to generate beating washing effect, and the water flow in the inner barrel 1 cannot converge and flow towards a large opening end and cannot be discharged out of the washing machine; when the drum washing machine is in a dehydration process, the inner cylinder 1 rotates at a medium-high speed, and water separated from clothes in the inner cylinder 1 is subjected to the action of the rotating centrifugal force of the inner cylinder, so that water flow in the inner cylinder 1 is gathered and flows towards the large opening end of the inner cylinder by adhering to the wall of the inner cylinder, flows into a dehydration flow channel 36 arranged at the large opening end of the inner cylinder, flows out of the inner cylinder 1 through the center of the large opening end of the inner cylinder 1 and is discharged out of the washing machine through the drainage pipe 31.

Through the arrangement, water flow in the inner barrel is not acted by centrifugal force and does not converge and flow towards the large opening end of the inner barrel under the normal washing state of the washing machine, water flow in the inner barrel rotating at high speed in the dehydration state of the washing machine is acted by centrifugal force and flows towards the dehydration flow channel at the large opening end of the inner barrel and is discharged outside, so that water contained in the inner barrel cannot flow out from the water discharge opening when the inner barrel rotates normally, the effects that the inner barrel is sealed during the rotation process of the inner barrel and water is separated from clothes in the inner barrel and is discharged normally when the water discharge valve is opened during water discharge are further realized, and the aim of normal dehydration of the washing machine with double effects of rotation of the inner barrel and water containing is fulfilled; meanwhile, the outer barrel does not need to be sleeved outside the inner barrel, the volume of the inner barrel is increased, and the washing capacity of the washing machine is improved.

Example one

As shown in fig. 1, in the present embodiment, there is described a dewatering structure of a washing machine, an inner cylinder 1 is installed in a casing 2 of the washing machine, the inner cylinder 1 is a tapered cylinder with a small diameter at one end and a large diameter at one end, a dewatering flow channel 36 is arranged at a large opening end of the inner cylinder 1, one end of the dewatering flow channel 36 is communicated with the large opening end of the inner cylinder 1, and the other end of the dewatering flow channel 36 passes through the center of the large opening end and penetrates out of the inner cylinder 1 and is communicated with a drain pipe 31 of the washing machine.

In the embodiment, the front end of the inner cylinder 1 is an inner cylinder opening 101, the rear end is an inner cylinder bottom 102, and the inner cylinder opening 101 is connected with the inner cylinder bottom 102 through the inner cylinder side wall; the side wall of the inner cylinder is a cone with the diameter gradually increasing from the cylinder opening 101 of the inner cylinder to the cylinder bottom 102 of the inner cylinder so as to form a cone-shaped inner cylinder 1, and the center of the cylinder bottom 102 is arranged on the inner cylinder supporting part 3 through a rotating shaft; the dehydration flow channel 36 is arranged on the inner side surface of the inner cylinder bottom 101, one end of the dehydration flow channel 36 is arranged at the intersection of the inner cylinder bottom 101 and the inner cylinder side wall, the other end penetrates out from the center of the inner cylinder bottom 101 and passes through the motor shaft along the axis, and the penetrating end of the dehydration flow channel 36 is communicated with the drainage pipe 31 of the washing machine.

In this embodiment, a plurality of dewatering channels 36 are disposed on the inner barrel bottom 102, one end of each dewatering channel 36 is uniformly distributed at an equal interval angle on the outer periphery of the inner barrel bottom 102 and is communicated with the inside of the inner barrel 1, and the other end of each dewatering channel 36 intersects with the center of the inner barrel bottom 102 and penetrates out from the center of the inner barrel bottom 102 to be communicated with the drain pipe 31 of the washing machine.

In this embodiment, one end of at least one dehydration flow channel 36 is arranged in the middle of the inner cylinder bottom 102 and is communicated with the inside of the inner cylinder 1, and the other end penetrates out from the center of the inner cylinder bottom 102 and is communicated with the drain pipe 31 of the washing machine; preferably, the ends of adjacent dewatering channels 36 are staggered in the middle or outer periphery of the inner drum bottom 102. The inner cylinder bottom is provided with a plurality of uniformly distributed dehydration flow channels with the middle part or the outer peripheral part at the end part, so that the water flow at each part of the inner cylinder bottom is adsorbed and discharged outwards, and the dehydration efficiency of the water flow in the inner cylinder is improved.

In this embodiment, each dewatering channel 36 is formed by a hollow rib protruding from the inner side surface of the inner cylinder bottom 102, and the hollow rib lifts and beats water flow and clothes in the inner cylinder 1 in the rotation process of the inner cylinder 1 to wash the clothes, so that the inwardly protruding dewatering channel 36 has the auxiliary rib lifting function for lifting and beating the clothes in the inner cylinder 1.

In this embodiment, the drainage pump 33 is disposed on the dewatering channel 36 and/or the drainage pipe 31 to apply pressure to the water flowing to the inner bottom 102 of the washing machine, and discharge the water to the outside of the washing machine along the dewatering channel 36 and the drainage pipe 31, and the drainage pump 33 is turned on when the drum-type washing machine is in a normal washing state and does not operate and the drum-type washing machine executes a dewatering program, so as to control the discharge of the water flowing in the inner drum of the washing machine and provide a water driving force.

Example two

In this embodiment, a dewatering method for a washing machine is described based on the first embodiment, where the inner cylinder rotates at a certain rotation speed, so that washing water in the inner cylinder flows toward the large opening end by adhering to the inner wall of the tapered inner cylinder under the action of centrifugal force, and flows out of the washing machine along a dewatering flow channel arranged at the large opening end when the water flows to the large opening end of the inner cylinder, and flows out of the washing machine along a drain pipe, thereby realizing the discharge of the washing water in the inner cylinder.

By the method, water flow in the inner barrel is not influenced by centrifugal force and does not converge and flow towards the large opening end of the inner barrel under the normal washing state of the washing machine, water flow in the inner barrel rotating at high speed under the dehydration state of the washing machine is influenced by centrifugal force and flows towards the dehydration flow channel at the large opening end of the inner barrel and is discharged outside, so that water contained in the inner barrel cannot flow out from the dehydration opening when the inner barrel rotates normally, the effects of sealing the inner barrel in the rotation process of the inner barrel and opening the normal discharge of the water contained in the inner barrel by the dehydration valve when the inner barrel rotates and dehydrates are achieved, and the aim of normal dehydration of the washing machine with double effects of rotation of the inner barrel and water containing is fulfilled.

In this embodiment, the specific steps of the dewatering method of the washing machine are as follows,

step 1, rotating an inner barrel of a washing machine at a certain rotating speed, and enabling water flow in the inner barrel to flow to a position attached to the side wall of the inner barrel under the action of centrifugal force;

In this embodiment, in step 3, the drainage pump on the dewatering channel and/or the drainage pipe starts to work to apply pressure to the water flow flowing to the bottom of the inner drum, so that the water flows along the dewatering channel and the drainage pipe and is drained to the outside of the washing machine. When the washing machine executes other programs, the drainage pump on the dewatering flow channel and/or the drainage pipe does not work, so that water in the inner barrel is not adsorbed and discharged by the drainage pump, and the water in the inner barrel is retained to normally wash clothes.

In the embodiment, in the dewatering process of the washing machine, the inner barrel rotates at a medium-high speed, so that water in the inner barrel is attached to the side wall of the inner barrel under the action of centrifugal force and flows towards the large opening end of the inner barrel.

EXAMPLE III

In this embodiment, in order to seal the inner tub opening 101 when the washing machine is in operation, the following settings are performed:

as shown in fig. 1, in a washing machine, a door cover 4 is installed on a washing machine housing 2, the door cover 4 is connected with an inner cylinder cover 8 through an elastic mechanism in a relatively rotatable manner, so that the locking elastic force provided by the elastic mechanism to the inner cylinder cover 8 after the door cover 4 is closed enables the inner cylinder cover 8 to be in sealing contact with an inner cylinder opening 101, and the inner cylinder cover 8 rotates together with an inner cylinder 1, so that the purpose that the inner cylinder cover 8 is buckled with the inner cylinder opening 101 to seal the inner cylinder 1 after the door cover 4 is closed is achieved.

Through the arrangement, the inner cylinder cover which is pressed by the elastic force at the cylinder opening of the inner cylinder is sealed, the inner cylinder cover and the cylinder opening of the inner cylinder are in sealed contact and rotate together in the washing process of the washing machine, and the aim of dynamic sealing of the cylinder opening during rotation of the inner cylinder is fulfilled, so that the inner cylinder has double functions of rotation and water holding; meanwhile, the outer barrel does not need to be sleeved outside the inner barrel, the volume of the inner barrel is increased, and the washing capacity of the washing machine is improved.

In this embodiment, the door cover 4 and the inner cylinder cover 8 are coaxially arranged, and the door cover 4 is connected with the inner cylinder cover 8 through the elastic mechanism, so that the inner cylinder cover 8 is pressed at the inner cylinder opening 101 under the action of the elastic mechanism in a compressed state after the door cover 4 is closed.

In this embodiment, the inner cylinder cover 8 is fixedly connected to the door cover 4, so that the inner cylinder cover 8 operates together with the opening and closing of the door cover 4, thereby achieving the purpose of opening and closing the inner cylinder opening 101 by the inner cylinder cover 8. Meanwhile, the inner cylinder cover 8 and the door cover 4 can rotate around the central axis relatively, so that the inner cylinder cover 8 and the inner cylinder 1 are fixedly connected in a sealing way after the washing machine is closed, and the inner cylinder cover 8 can rotate together with the inner cylinder 1.

Preferably, in this embodiment, in order to increase the sealing performance between the inner cylinder cover 8 and the inner cylinder opening 101 after the inner cylinder cover 8 is fastened, the inner cylinder cover 8 and the inner cylinder opening 101 may be elastically fastened to each other, so that the inner cylinder cover is fixedly fastened to the inner cylinder opening 101 after the door cover 4 is closed, and the inner cylinder cover moves together with the door cover 4 and is separated from the inner cylinder opening 101 after the door cover 4 is opened, thereby achieving the purpose of fastening the sealed contact portion between the inner cylinder cover 8 and the inner cylinder opening 101 to enhance the sealing performance of the inner cylinder opening 101.

In this embodiment, a rotating shaft 12 extending to the outside of the inner cylinder along the axial direction of the inner cylinder 1 is connected to the center of the inner cylinder cover 8, and the inner cylinder cover 8 can rotate around the rotating shaft. One end of the rotating shaft 12 is rotatably connected with the inner cylinder cover 8, the other end of the rotating shaft is connected with the door cover 4 through an elastic mechanism, the elastic mechanism applies an elastic force to the inner cylinder cover 8 to drive the inner cylinder cover 8 to move towards the inner cylinder opening 101, so that the inner cylinder cover 8 is hermetically buckled at the inner cylinder opening 101, and the sealing of the inner cylinder opening 101 is realized.

In this embodiment, an installation groove 11 protruding outward is formed in the center of the outer side of the inner cylinder cover 8, a rotating shaft 12 installed through a bearing is arranged in the installation groove 11, and the rotating shaft 12 extends along the axial direction of the inner cylinder 1, so that the inner cylinder cover 8 can rotate relative to the rotating shaft 12; the end of the rotating shaft 12 is fixedly connected with the door cover 4 through a spring 9, so that after the door cover 4 is closed, the spring 9 is in a compressed state, the inner cylinder cover is in sealing contact with the cylinder opening 101 of the inner cylinder, and the inner cylinder cover 8 can rotate around the rotating shaft relative to the door cover 4. Preferably, the insertion end of the rotating shaft 12 inserted into the mounting groove 11 of the inner cylinder cover 8 is provided with a protruding part protruding radially outward to be clamped with the mounting groove 11 of the inner cylinder cover 8, so that the rotating shaft 12 and the inner cylinder cover 8 are fixed in the axial direction.

In this embodiment, in order to improve the pressing force of the spring and the stability of the inner cylinder cover after being fastened, the following settings are specially performed: as shown in fig. 1 and 2, an installation groove 11 protruding outwards is formed in the center of the outer side of the inner cylinder cover 8, a rotating shaft 12 installed through a bearing is arranged in the installation groove 11, and the rotating shaft 12 extends along the axial direction of the inner cylinder 1, so that the inner cylinder cover 8 can rotate relative to the rotating shaft 12; the end of the rotating shaft 12 is provided with a supporting plate 10 which is vertical to the axis of the rotating shaft 12, and the outer periphery of the supporting plate 10 is fixedly connected with the door cover 4 through a plurality of springs 9.

In this embodiment, the diameter of the support plate 10 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the opening 101 of the inner cylinder, the support plate 10 is arranged coaxially with the inner cylinder 1, the springs 9 are symmetrically arranged on the outer periphery of the support plate 10 relative to the axis of the inner cylinder 1, and the springs 9 are arranged in a direction parallel to the axis of the inner cylinder 1.

Through install the backup pad that is connected with the pivot additional between washing machine door closure and interior cylinder cover to be connected the backup pad in the spring and the door closure of periphery through a plurality of equipartitions, so that interior cylinder cover receives the spacing elasticity of the different springs of a plurality of directions, make interior cylinder cover can be steady, do not produce the sealed contact mutually in the inner tube nozzle of skew, improved the reliability of washing machine inner tube nozzle department sealed.

The inner cylinder cover is connected with the door cover through the rotating shaft additionally provided with the spring, so that after the door cover is closed, the inner cylinder cover is contacted with the cylinder opening of the inner cylinder to compress the spring, the spring provides elastic force for the inner cylinder cover to move towards the direction of the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder cover is tightly attached to the cylinder opening of the inner cylinder, and the purpose of limiting the inner cylinder cover, the inner cylinder cover and the cylinder opening of the inner cylinder to be in tight contact after the door cover is closed is further achieved; meanwhile, the inner cylinder cover and the rotating shaft can rotate relatively, so that when the inner cylinder is driven by a driving motor of the washing machine to rotate, the inner cylinder cover can rotate together with the inner cylinder under the action of friction force, and the aim of sealing the opening of the inner cylinder is fulfilled; in addition, the front end of the inner cylinder is connected with the door cover through the inner cylinder cover, the rotating shaft and the spring, so that the front end of the inner cylinder can be elastically installed in the shell of the washing machine in a vibrating manner, the front end of the inner cylinder is supported and installed with the shell of the washing machine, the supporting action point of the inner cylinder is improved, and the stability of the inner cylinder in the operation process is enhanced.

In this embodiment, a water inlet pipe 17 is coaxially installed at the rotating shaft 12, one end of the water inlet pipe 17 penetrates into the inner cylinder 1 through the inner cylinder cover 8, and the other end thereof penetrates out of the rotating shaft 12 and is bent upward to be communicated with a water inlet structure of the washing machine, so that the inlet water of the washing machine flows into the inner cylinder 1 from the center of the inner cylinder opening 101, and the purpose of the inlet water of the inner cylinder 1 from the center of the inner cylinder cover 8 at the front end is achieved. Preferably, a water seal is arranged at the hinged position of the inner cylinder cover 8 and the rotating shaft 12 to ensure the sealing property of the inner cylinder 1.

In the embodiment, a circle of inclined parts 15 which incline outwards are arranged at the periphery of the inner cylinder cover 8, and the inclined parts 15 are conical surfaces with diameters gradually increasing from the periphery of the inner cylinder 1 to the direction of the door cover 4; a circle of fixing parts 16 which are correspondingly attached and contacted with the inclined parts 15 are arranged at the position of the inner cylinder opening 101; preferably, the outer end of the fixing portion 16 is provided with a chamfer bending outwards to guide the inner cylinder cover 8 to slide into the inner cylinder opening 101, so that the fixing portion 16 is correspondingly attached to the inclined portion 15 to realize sealing.

Preferably, the outer periphery of the inner cylinder cover 8 is provided with two sections of conical surfaces with different curvatures and diameters gradually increasing towards the door cover 4, and two sides of the first conical surface are respectively connected with the outer periphery of the door cover 4 and one side of the second conical surface; the first conical surface corresponds to a horizontal bending surface of the inner cylinder opening 101, the horizontal bending surface is a cylindrical surface which is horizontally bent from the inner cylinder opening 101 to the outside of the inner cylinder 1, and the inner diameter of the horizontal bending surface is equal to or slightly smaller than the maximum diameter of the first conical surface; the end portion of the horizontal bending surface is gradually inclined outward to form a tapered fixing portion 16, and the second tapered surface forms an inclined portion 15 to come into contact with the fixing portion 16.

In this embodiment, a tubular sealing tube 14 which can be extended and contracted along the radial direction is further arranged between the inner cylinder cover 8 and the door cover 4, one end of the sealing tube 14 is hermetically connected with the periphery of the door cover 4, and the other end of the sealing tube 14 is fixedly connected with the door cover 4, so that the elastic mechanism is hermetically installed inside the sealing tube 14, and the inner cylinder cover 8 can move relative to the door cover 4 along with the extension and contraction of the sealing tube 14; the sealing tube 14 is made of a bellows made of an elastic rubber material. Preferably, the end of the sealing tube 14 is sleeved on the door cover 4 to be relatively rotatable around the axis of the inner cylinder 1, so that the sealing tube 14 cannot rotate together when the door cover 4 rotates together with the inner cylinder 1.

Example four

In the embodiment of the invention, in order to discharge the inlet water in the inner cylinder of the washing machine and realize the normal washing of the inner cylinder with sealed water in the working process of the washing machine, the following settings are carried out:

as shown in fig. 1 to 5, in a drainage structure of a washing machine, an inner cylinder 1 is installed in a casing 2 of the washing machine, a drainage port 23 is arranged on the inner cylinder 1, and a drainage valve 24 in a normally closed state is installed at the drainage port 23; the washing machine is provided with a positioning locking mechanism which rotates the inner barrel 1 to a fixed drainage position and fixes the inner barrel; the washing machine is provided with a valve core opening mechanism for opening the drain valve 24 after the inner barrel 1 rotates to a fixed drain position, so that when the washing machine is in a drain state, the inner barrel 1 rotates to the fixed drain position and then the drain valve 24 is opened to discharge the washing water in the inner barrel.

When the washing machine is in a normal working process, the drain valve is closed, the water outlet is in a closed state, and water in the inner barrel cannot flow out from the water outlet; when the washing machine is in a drainage state, the inner barrel of the washing machine rotates to a fixed drainage position under the action of the positioning locking mechanism, the valve core opening mechanism on the washing machine is opened to push the drain valve plug to be opened, the drainage outlet is in an opening state, and water in the inner barrel flows out from the drainage outlet.

Through the arrangement, the drain valve is in a closed state under the normal state of the washing machine, and is in an open state under the combined action of the positioning locking mechanism and the valve plug opening mechanism when the washing machine drains water, so that the water contained in the inner cylinder cannot flow out of the water drainage port when the inner cylinder rotates normally, the effect of sealing the inner cylinder during the rotation of the inner cylinder and the effect of normally discharging the water contained in the inner cylinder when the drain valve opens during the draining are further realized, and the purpose of normally draining the washing machine with double effects of the rotation of the inner cylinder and the water containing is achieved; meanwhile, the outer barrel does not need to be sleeved outside the inner barrel, the volume of the inner barrel is increased, and the washing capacity of the washing machine is improved.

In this embodiment, the water outlet 23 is disposed on the outer sidewall or the outer periphery of the front and rear ends of the inner cylinder 1; preferably, the inner cylinder 1 is a conical cylinder with a small diameter at one end and a large diameter at the other end, and the water outlet 23 is arranged at the periphery of the large opening end of the inner cylinder 1. The water outlet is arranged at the large opening end of the conical inner cylinder, so that water in the inner cylinder is converged and flows towards the water outlet, and the purpose that all water in the inner cylinder is discharged from the water outlet is achieved.

In this embodiment, the rear end of the inner cylinder 1 is formed by an inner cylinder bottom 102, the front end is formed by an inner cylinder opening 101, and the two are connected through the inner cylinder side wall; the side wall of the inner cylinder is a conical surface with the diameter gradually enlarged from the opening 101 of the inner cylinder to the bottom 102 of the inner cylinder, a water outlet 23 horizontally arranged in a penetrating way is arranged at the periphery of the bottom 102 of the inner cylinder, and a drain valve 24 is arranged at the position of the water outlet 23; the drain valve 24 includes a valve core 25 covering the drain port 23, and the valve core 25 is connected to the inner cylinder bottom 102 through a limiting spring 26, so that the valve core 25 blocks the drain port 23 from the inside to the outside under the action of the limiting spring 26. The valve core is connected with the bottom of the inner cylinder through the limiting spring, so that the limiting spring provides elastic tension force to the valve core in the outer direction of the inner cylinder, the valve core is correspondingly and tightly attached to the bottom of the inner cylinder under the action of the elastic force, and the purpose of blocking the water outlet and sealing the water outlet is achieved.

In this embodiment, the drainage port 23 on the inner cylinder 1 is a tapered hole gradually widened from inside to outside, the small end of the tapered hole is closed, the side wall of the tapered hole is provided with a through hole to communicate the inside and outside of the inner cylinder 1, the valve core 25 is a plate structure covering the large end of the tapered hole, the tapered hole is provided with a limiting spring 26 extending along the axis, one end of the limiting spring 26 is connected with the sealing part of the small end of the tapered hole, the other end of the limiting spring is connected with the valve core 25, and the limiting spring 26 is in a tensioning state to apply a thrust force to the valve core 25 in the direction outside the inner cylinder 1, so that the valve core 25 blocks the drainage port 24.

In the embodiment, the rear end of the inner barrel 1 is provided with an inner barrel supporting piece 3, and the inner barrel supporting piece 3 is arranged in the shell 2 of the washing machine through a damping hanging spring 6 and/or a damping supporting rod 7; the valve core opening mechanism is mounted on the inner cylinder support 3.

In the embodiment, when the inner cylinder 1 is at the fixed drainage position, the drainage port 23 is at the lowest position of the inner cylinder 1, and water flow in the inner cylinder 1 is converged to the drainage port 23 and flows out from the drainage port 23 opened by the drainage valve 24; the valve core opening mechanism is arranged on one side of the inner cylinder supporting part 3 far away from the inner cylinder 1 and is arranged opposite to the periphery of the inner cylinder 1, and the water outlet 23 and a connecting rod 28 of the valve core opening mechanism are coaxially arranged correspondingly when the inner cylinder 1 is at a fixed water drainage position, so that the connecting rod 28 generates axial expansion under the pushing of a stepping motor and a rotating wheel 27, and pushes the valve core 25 of the water drainage valve 24 to move towards the inner direction of the inner cylinder 1 and open the water outlet 23.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the valve core opening mechanism includes a stepping motor installed on the inner cylinder support 3, a rotating wheel 27 coaxially and fixedly connected is installed at an output end of the stepping motor, an outer periphery of the rotating wheel 27 is hinged to one end of a connecting rod 28, and the other end of the connecting rod 28 passes through a limiting hole formed in the inner cylinder support 3 and telescopically moves toward the drain valve 23, so as to push the valve core 25 to move toward the inner cylinder 1 to open the drain valve 24 for draining.

In this embodiment, a water collecting tank 30 is correspondingly disposed outside the water outlet 23 of the inner tub 1, and the bottom of the water collecting tank 30 is communicated with the water outlet 31 of the washing machine, so as to collect and discharge the water flow discharged from the water outlet 23 of the inner tub 1.

In this embodiment, the water outlet 23 is arranged at the periphery of the inner cylinder bottom 102, and when the inner cylinder 1 is at the fixed water drainage position, the water outlet 23 rotates to a position right below the axis of the inner cylinder 1; the water collecting tank 30 includes a groove correspondingly disposed below the water outlet 23, and a rear side wall of the groove vertically extends upward to a rear side of the water outlet 23 and is spaced from the water outlet 23 by a certain distance to guide the water flowing out of the water outlet 23 to fall into the water collecting tank 30, thereby preventing the water flowing out of the water outlet from being splashed to the outside of the washing machine. Meanwhile, the front side wall of the water collecting tank 30 is attached to the lower part of the inner drum 1 of the washing machine, or the gap is a minimum distance, so that water in the water collecting tank 30 is prevented from being splashed out from the front end, and the condition of inner drum drainage overflow is avoided.

In this embodiment, the water collecting tank 30 is installed on the inner drum support 3 of the washing machine or integrally formed with the inner drum support 3, and the valve core opening mechanism is installed on the water collecting tank 30.

In this embodiment, the positioning locking mechanism may be any one of the existing mechanisms that can control the inner drum of the washing machine to rotate to a fixed drainage position and be fixed, such as: the driving motor for driving the inner cylinder to rotate is provided with a corresponding control program for controlling the inner cylinder to rotate to a fixed drainage position and locking, so that the inner cylinder does not rotate any more. The positioning locking mechanism can be further arranged as follows: as shown in fig. 2 and 3, an inwardly recessed locking groove 34 is provided on the sidewall of the inner tub 1, and a locking pin 41 provided corresponding to the locking groove 34 is installed on the washing machine; the locking pin 41 can be arranged on the washing machine shell 2 or the inner cylinder support member 3 in a telescopic way along the radial direction of the inner cylinder; as shown in fig. 2, when the locking pin 41 is retracted inward by the driving device, the locking pin 41 is disengaged from the locking groove 42, and the inner cylinder 1 is free to rotate; as shown in fig. 3, when the locking pin 41 is ejected outward by the driving device, the locking pin 41 extends into the locking groove 42 on the inner cylinder 1, the inner cylinder 1 does not rotate any more, and the inner cylinder 1 is in a fixed drainage position, so that the drainage port 23 is in a position corresponding to the valve core opening mechanism.

As shown in fig. 4, in the normal washing process of the washing machine, the drain valve is closed, the inner cylinder rotates normally, and water contained in the inner cylinder cannot flow out from the drain outlet to wash the clothes normally; as shown in fig. 5, in the drainage process of the washing machine, the inner cylinder rotates to a fixed drainage position, the stepping motor pushes the rotation wheel to rotate, the rotation wheel drives the connecting rod to move towards the inner cylinder, the end part of the connecting rod pushes the valve plug of the drainage valve at the opposite position to move towards the inside of the inner cylinder, the valve plug overcomes the spring tension to push the drainage port to be opened, water in the inner cylinder flows out from the drainage port to be opened, and the outflow water flows through the water collection tank to be collected and then is discharged to the outside of the washing machine from the outside of the drainage pipe, so that the aim of discharging the water contained in the inner cylinder outwards is fulfilled.

EXAMPLE five

The present embodiment is different from the fourth embodiment in that: the valve core opening mechanism comprises an electromagnet arranged on the inner cylinder supporting piece 3, the electromagnet is arranged corresponding to the drain valve 23, so that the drain valve 23 and the electromagnet are in the coaxial direction when the inner cylinder 1 rotates to a fixed drain position; a magnet is arranged on the valve core 25 of the drain valve 23 or the valve core is integrally formed by the magnet, so that the electromagnet provides electromagnetic repulsion to the valve core 25 after being electrified, and pushes the valve core 25 to move towards the inner side direction of the inner cylinder 1 to open the drain valve 23 for draining.

In the normal washing process of the washing machine, the drain valve is closed, the inner cylinder rotates normally, and water contained in the inner cylinder cannot flow out from the water outlet to wash the clothes normally; in the drainage process of the washing machine, the inner cylinder rotates to a fixed drainage position, the electromagnet is electrified, and provides a repulsion force for the valve core, so that the valve core overcomes the elastic force of the spring to move towards the inner direction of the inner cylinder under the action of the repulsion force, a drainage port of the inner cylinder is opened, water in the inner cylinder flows out from the opened drainage port, the outflow water flows through the water collecting tank to be collected and then is discharged to the outside of the washing machine from the outside of the drainage pipe, and the aim of discharging the water contained in the inner cylinder can also be fulfilled.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dewatering structure of a washing machine, characterized in that: the washing machine comprises a shell, wherein an inner barrel is arranged in the shell, the axis of the inner barrel horizontally extends or gradually inclines downwards from front to back, the front end of the inner barrel is an inner barrel opening with an opening, and the rear end of the inner barrel is an inner barrel bottom with a sealing arrangement; the wall of the inner cylinder is not provided with a normally open through hole, so that the inner part of the inner cylinder forms a sealed container only with an opening at the front part; the inner cylinder is a conical cylinder with a small diameter at one end and a large diameter at the other end, a dehydration flow passage is arranged at the large opening end of the inner cylinder, one end of the dehydration flow passage is communicated with the large opening end of the inner cylinder, and the other end of the dehydration flow passage penetrates out of the inner cylinder through the center of the large opening end and is communicated with a drain pipe of the washing machine;

the washing machine shell is provided with a door cover, the door cover is connected with the inner cylinder cover in a relatively rotating way through an elastic mechanism, the elastic mechanism provides locking elastic force for the inner cylinder cover after the door cover is closed, so that the inner cylinder cover is in sealing contact with the opening of the inner cylinder, and the opening of the inner cylinder is sealed by the inner cylinder cover in the rotating process of the inner cylinder;

a tubular sealing tube which can be extended and contracted along the radial direction is arranged between the inner cylinder cover and the door cover, one end of the sealing tube is hermetically connected with the periphery of the inner cylinder cover, and the other end of the sealing tube is fixedly connected with the door cover, so that the elastic mechanism is hermetically arranged in the sealing tube, and the inner cylinder cover can move relative to the door cover along with the extension and contraction of the sealing tube.

2. The dewatering structure of a washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner tub is a tapered tub having a diameter gradually increasing from the opening toward a bottom of the inner tub, a center of the bottom of the inner tub being mounted on the inner tub support through a rotating shaft; the dehydration flow passage is arranged on the inner side surface of the bottom of the inner barrel, one end of the dehydration flow passage is arranged at the intersection of the bottom of the inner barrel and the side wall of the inner barrel, the other end of the dehydration flow passage penetrates out of the center of the bottom of the inner barrel and penetrates through the rotating shaft along the axis, and the penetrating end of the dehydration flow passage is communicated with a drain pipe of the washing machine.

3. The dewatering structure of a washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of dewatering channels are provided on the inner tub bottom, one end of each of the dewatering channels is equally spaced at an angle and is uniformly distributed on the outer periphery of the inner tub bottom and is communicated with the inside of the inner tub, and the other end of each of the dewatering channels intersects with the center of the inner tub bottom and passes through the center of the inner tub bottom to be communicated with a drain pipe of the washing machine.

4. The dewatering structure of a washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein one end of at least one dewatering channel is provided in the middle of the bottom of the inner tub and communicates with the inside of the inner tub, and the other end thereof penetrates out of the center of the bottom of the inner tub and communicates with a drain pipe of the washing machine.

5. The dewatering structure of a washing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ends of adjacent dewatering channels are staggered at the middle or outer periphery of the inner tub bottom.

6. The dewatering structure of a washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the dewatering channels is formed by a hollow rib protruding from an inner surface of the bottom of the inner tub, and the hollow rib lifts and beats water flow and laundry in the inner tub during rotation of the inner tub to wash the laundry.

7. A dewatering structure for a washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a drain pump is provided in the dewatering channel and/or the drain pipe to apply pressure to the water flowing to the bottom of the inner tub of the washing machine, and the water is discharged to the outside of the washing machine along the dewatering channel and the drain pipe.

8. A dehydration method of a washing machine, characterized in that: the washing machine is provided with the dewatering structure of the washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, the inner barrel rotates at a certain rotating speed, so that water flow separated from clothes in the inner barrel flows to the large opening end by attaching to the inner wall of the conical inner barrel under the action of centrifugal force, flows out of the center of the large opening end of the inner barrel along a dewatering flow channel arranged at the large opening end when the water flow reaches the large opening end of the inner barrel, and flows out of the washing machine along the drain pipe, and therefore washing water in the inner barrel is discharged outside.

9. The dehydrating method of a washing machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the concrete draining step is as follows,

10. The dewatering method of claim 9, wherein in step 3, the drainage pump of the dewatering channel and/or the drainage pipe is operated to apply pressure to the water flow flowing to the bottom of the inner tub, so that the water flows along the dewatering channel and the drainage pipe and is drained to the outside of the washing machine.

11. A dewatering method for a washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the inner drum is rotated at a medium to high speed during dewatering of the washing machine, so that water in the inner drum is forced by centrifugal force to adhere to the side wall of the inner drum and flow towards the large mouth end of the inner drum.