CN113493995A

CN113493995A - Outer barrel of washing machine and washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN113493995A
Application number: CN202010199626.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郭飞; 程宝珍; 吕佩师; 刘尊安
Original assignee: Chongqing Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Current assignee: Chongqing Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-03-20
Filing date: 2020-03-20
Publication date: 2021-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 2040-03-20
Also published as: CN113493995B

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of household appliance production, and particularly relates to an outer barrel of a washing machine and the washing machine, which at least partially solve the problem that a barrel opening of the outer barrel of the existing washing machine is easy to deform. The washing machine outer barrel of the invention comprises: the washing machine comprises a barrel body and an annular reinforcing piece, wherein the barrel body is used for containing washing water; the surface of the annular reinforcing part is attached to the surface of the side wall of the barrel body and forms an integral part with the barrel body in an injection molding mode, and the annular reinforcing part is arranged at a position close to a barrel opening of the barrel body. The invention also provides a washing machine, which comprises a box body, the outer barrel of the washing machine arranged in the box body and an inner barrel rotatably arranged in the outer barrel. Through moulding plastics the annular reinforcement in outer bucket lateral wall position that is close to the bung hole, not only increased the intensity at outer bucket bung hole position, avoided outer bucket bung hole position of washing machine to warp, improved the life of outer bucket, owing to the surface laminating of the lateral wall of the surface of this annular reinforcement and staving, also do benefit to the injection moulding of outer bucket moreover.

Description

Outer barrel of washing machine and washing machine

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the technical field of household appliance production, and particularly relates to an outer barrel of a washing machine and the washing machine.

Background

At present, with the acceleration of life rhythm, more and more people choose to wash clothes by using a washing machine, so that much time for washing the clothes by hands is saved.

An existing washing machine, taking a pulsator washing machine as an example, includes an outer tub for containing washing water, an inner tub rotatably installed inside the outer tub, and a pulsator rotatably installed at the bottom of the inner tub. The water in the inner barrel is driven to generate vortex by the rotation of the impeller, and the inner barrel can rotate at the same time, so that the clothes are rubbed with the washing water and the inner wall of the inner barrel, and the clothes are cleaned.

However, in the process of long-term use of the conventional washing machine outer barrel, the barrel opening part of the outer barrel is easy to deform and interfere with the inner barrel, so that the service life of the outer barrel is shortened.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above problems in the prior art, that is, to solve the problem that the tub opening of the outer tub of the prior washing machine is easy to deform, resulting in the shortened service life of the outer tub, the present invention provides an outer tub of a washing machine, comprising: a tub made of plastic and a ring-shaped reinforcement made of metal; the barrel body is used for containing washing water; the surface of the annular reinforcing part is attached to the surface of the side wall of the barrel body and forms an integral part with the barrel body in an injection molding mode; the annular reinforcing part is arranged at a position close to the bucket opening of the bucket body.

In the preferred technical scheme of the outer tub of the washing machine, the inner surface of the annular reinforcement is attached to the outer surface of the side wall, and the outer surface of the tub body is further provided with at least two first connecting ribs which extend along the axial direction parallel to the outer tub and wrap a part of the annular reinforcement; the barrel body, the annular reinforcing piece and the first connecting rib form an integrated piece in an injection molding mode.

In the preferred technical scheme of the washing machine outer barrel, at least one hanging rod seat for fixing the hanging rod is arranged at the bottom of the outer barrel, at least one second connecting rib is arranged on the hanging rod seat towards the direction of the barrel opening of the outer barrel, and the second connecting rib wraps a part of the annular reinforcing piece; the barrel body, the annular reinforcing piece, the first connecting rib, the lifting rod seat and the second connecting rib form an integrated piece in an injection molding mode; and/or the axial section of the annular reinforcing piece is in a circular, oval or rectangular shape, and the reinforcing ring is a cast aluminum reinforcing ring made of cast aluminum.

In the preferred technical scheme of the outer barrel of the washing machine, the outer barrel further comprises a heating device arranged on the barrel body; the heating device comprises a coil which is used for generating an alternating magnetic field under the excitation of alternating current so as to heat an inner barrel which is arranged in the barrel body and is made of metal.

In the preferred technical scheme of the outer barrel of the washing machine, the heating device further comprises a shell and a terminal; the shell is fixedly connected with the barrel body; the wiring terminal is positioned outside the shell, is fixedly connected with the shell and is used for being electrically connected with an alternating current power supply; the coil is disposed within the housing, with the input and output ends of the coil extending from the housing and electrically connected to the terminals.

In the preferred technical scheme of the outer barrel of the washing machine, the shell is arranged at the top end of the barrel body; and/or the shell is in a closed ring shape.

In the preferred technical scheme of the outer tub of the washing machine, a drain valve mounting opening is formed in the bottom of the outer tub, a drain valve component is mounted on the drain valve mounting opening and comprises a valve plug, and the drain valve component controls the valve plug to reciprocate so as to open or close a drain opening of the inner tub.

In the preferred technical scheme of above-mentioned outer bucket of washing machine, the valve plug middle part sets to cavity, the temperature sensing piece is installed at the valve plug top, the temperature sensing piece is through wearing to establish wire in the valve plug is connected with the controller electricity, the controller is used for the basis temperature signal control that the temperature sensing piece sensing arrived heating device's operating condition.

In the preferred technical scheme of the outer barrel of the washing machine, the bottom of the barrel body is provided with at least one cable fixing frame which is integrally formed with the barrel body and used for fixing a cable positioned in a box body of the washing machine; and/or the middle part of the cable fixing frame is provided with a wire accommodating groove for fixing the cable.

The invention also provides a washing machine, which comprises a box body, the outer barrel of the washing machine arranged in the box body and an inner barrel rotatably arranged in the outer barrel.

As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the outer tub of the washing machine provided by the invention comprises a tub body made of plastic and an annular reinforcing member made of metal; the barrel body is used for containing washing water. In the process of draining water after washing in the washing machine, the washing water is directly discharged from the outer tub to the outside of the machine body. The surface of the annular reinforcing piece is attached to the surface of the side wall of the barrel body and is fixedly connected with the side wall of the barrel body. The annular reinforcement is arranged at a position close to the bung hole of the barrel body. Through the arrangement, the barrel opening of the barrel body is supported by the annular reinforcing part, so that the strength of the barrel opening of the barrel body is improved, the barrel opening of the outer barrel is not easy to deform in the long-term use process, and the service life of the outer barrel is prolonged.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of an outer tub of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1;

fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of an outer tub of another washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the outer tub of the washing machine of FIG. 3 from another perspective;

fig. 5 is a schematic view of an outer tub structure of another washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the outer tub of the washing machine of FIG. 5;

fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a heating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, taken along a vertical direction;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a drain valve assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the direction a-a of fig. 9.

In the drawings: 1. an annular reinforcement; 2. a barrel body; 21. a first connecting rib; 22. a boom base; 221. a second connecting rib; 222. a third connecting rib; 23. a cable fixing bracket; 231. a wire accommodating groove; 24. a drain hole; 25. a water collecting tank; 26. a water chute; 27. a drain valve mounting port; 28. a locking member mounting opening; 29. a cavity; 291. a trachea socket; 3. a heating device; 31. a terminal; 32. a housing; 33. a coil; 34. a screw seat; 4. a drain valve member; 41. a valve plug; 42. a temperature sensing member; 43. and (4) conducting wires.

Detailed Description

First, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are merely for explaining the technical principles of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. And can be adjusted as needed by those skilled in the art to suit particular applications.

Next, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms of direction or positional relationship indicated by the terms "inside", "outside", and the like are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which are merely for convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that a device or a member must have a specific orientation, be configured in a specific orientation, and operate, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" should be interpreted broadly, e.g., as being fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected; the two components can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and the two components can be communicated with each other. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

Some of the conventional pulsator washing machines include an outer tub for containing washing water and an inner tub rotatably installed inside the outer tub, and a pulsator rotatably provided at the bottom of the inner tub. The clothes are cleaned by the friction generated between the clothes and the washing water and between the clothes and the inner wall of the inner barrel through the rotation of the impeller. However, the bung hole of the outer tub is not supported, and the bung hole of the outer tub is easily deformed in the long-term use process, so that the service life of the outer tub is shortened.

The invention provides a washing machine, wherein a metal annular reinforcing piece is fixed on the side wall of an outer barrel. Specifically, the annular reinforcing part is fixed near the bung hole that is located at the staving, and the annular reinforcing part plays the supporting role to staving bung hole position for resist the deformation of staving bung hole position. That is, through the above configuration, the bung hole position of staving is difficult to deform in the long-term use process of washing machine outer barrel, has increased washing machine outer barrel's life.

Example one

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an outer tub of a washing machine according to the present embodiment, and as shown in fig. 1, the outer tub of the washing machine according to the present embodiment includes: a tub body 2 made of plastic and an annular reinforcement 1 made of metal, the annular reinforcement 1 is formed as a single piece with the tub body 2 by means of injection molding, and a surface of the annular reinforcement 1 is attached to a surface of a sidewall of the tub body 2, that is, the annular reinforcement 1 is located on an inner surface or an outer surface of the sidewall. The annular reinforcing member 1 is used for supporting the barrel body 2 and preventing the barrel body 2 from deforming.

Before the outer barrel is formed by injection molding, the annular reinforcing part 1 can be fixed in the mold, then the melted raw material is injected into the mold, after cooling forming, the outer barrel is taken down from the mold, and the annular reinforcing part 1 is fixed on the side wall of the barrel body 2 and forms an integral part with the barrel body.

It should be pointed out that, make annular reinforcement 1 and staving 2 into an organic whole through the mode of moulding plastics, not only reduced the process of secondary assembly, moreover because annular reinforcement 1 forms an organic whole with staving 2 after, the relative position of annular reinforcement 1 and staving 2 is fixed, still can not cause annular reinforcement 1 to produce the skew on staving 2 because of the long-term use of staving 2. In addition, set the annular reinforcement to the surface laminating with the lateral wall of staving, compare in the form of embedding the annular reinforcement to the staving lateral wall completely and reduced the degree of difficulty of moulding plastics, improved the efficiency of moulding plastics.

In the present embodiment, the annular reinforcing member 1 may be made of a variety of metal materials, for example, steel may be used. The present embodiment is not limited to the material of the annular reinforcing member 1.

Preferably, the annular reinforcing element 1 is made of cast aluminium. The annular reinforcing piece 1 is made of cast aluminum, on one hand, the rigidity of the cast aluminum is higher than that of plastic, and the annular reinforcing piece 1 made of the cast aluminum meets the strength requirement of the barrel body 2 made of the plastic; on the other hand, cast aluminum is easier to manufacture and easier to control dimensional tolerances and the like than other metal materials such as steel.

As shown in fig. 1, the axial cross section of the annular reinforcing member 1 is circular, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the axial cross section of the annular reinforcing member 1 may be elliptical. The reinforcing circular ring or the elliptical ring has a supporting effect on the barrel body 2, and the barrel body 2 is prevented from deforming in the long-term use process.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the annular reinforcing member 1 is a sheet structure matching the sidewall of the tub 2, that is, the axial section of the annular reinforcing member 1 is rectangular. The surface of the side wall of the flaky reinforcing ring and the barrel body 2 is attached to the side wall of the barrel body 2 and is fixedly connected with the side wall of the barrel body 2, and the flaky reinforcing ring is positioned at the position close to the barrel opening of the barrel body 2. The flaky reinforcing ring can further play a role in supporting the barrel body 2 in a larger range in the height direction, so that the deformation of the outer barrel of the washing machine possibly occurring in the long-term use process is further reduced, and the service life of the barrel body 2 is prolonged.

In this embodiment, the annular reinforcement 1 is fixed on the sidewall of the barrel body 2 and disposed close to the barrel mouth (for example, 2-5cm away from the end face of the barrel mouth of the barrel body 2), so that the strength of the sidewall portion at the position of the barrel mouth of the plastic barrel body 2 is improved by the annular reinforcement 1 made of metal, thereby avoiding deformation of the sidewall portion, avoiding interference between the outer barrel and the inner barrel, and ensuring safety of washing.

In some implementations, the number of the annular reinforcing members 1 may be plural. Illustratively, the number of the annular reinforcing members 1 is two, and the two annular reinforcing members 1 are distributed up and down on the side wall of the barrel body 2, wherein the annular reinforcing member 1 positioned below is positioned above the position 7cm away from the barrel mouth on the side wall of the barrel body 2. The present embodiment does not limit the number of the annular reinforcing members 1. Through increasing the quantity of annular reinforcement 1, can strengthen the supporting role of annular reinforcement 1 to staving 2, compare in the scheme that only adopts an annular reinforcement 1 that sets up in the bung hole position that is close to staving 2, can further improve the deformation that outer bucket probably takes place in the long-term in-process of using.

In some implementations, the surface of the annular stiffener 1 conforms to the inner surface of the sidewall of the bucket body 2. Wherein, the annular reinforcing member 1 and the inner surface of the sidewall of the barrel body 2 can adopt various connection modes, and exemplarily, the annular reinforcing member 1 and the inner surface of the sidewall of the barrel body 2 can adopt a screw connection. It should be noted that, when annular reinforcing member 1 is fitted to the inner surface of tub 2, the thickness of annular reinforcing member 1 should not be too large so as not to interfere with the inner tub, since annular reinforcing member 1 protrudes too much from the outer tub of the washing machine, in order to prevent the inner tub from rotating.

Referring to fig. 1, in some specific examples, the inner surface of the annular stiffener 1 conforms to the outer surface of the sidewall. Set up annular reinforcement 1 in the outside of staving 2 to with the surface laminating of staving lateral wall, can play the bung hole position of staving 2 and play the support, can guarantee again to be located the inside washing machine interior bucket of staving can not be easily with outer bucket emergence interference.

In summary, the metal annular reinforcing members 1 according to the embodiments of the present invention have a function of reinforcing and supporting the barrel body 2, especially at the position of the bung hole, and one or more annular reinforcing members 1 are disposed at the position of the bung hole of the barrel body 2 to prevent the deformation of the bung hole of the barrel body 2. In addition, using cast aluminum as the material for the annular metal member, the annular metal member is easier to manufacture and dimensional tolerances and the like are easier to control.

As shown in fig. 1, the tub 2 is a hollow cylindrical structure having an upper end opening for collecting washing water discharged from the inner tub of the washing machine. Specifically, the bottom of the tub 2 is circular, and the sidewall thereof is substantially perpendicular to the bottom and extends upward. In some implementations, an angle may exist between the sidewall of the tub 2 and the axis of the tub 2 so that the area of the tub opening of the tub 2 is larger than the area of the tub bottom, thereby having a large washing capacity and facilitating dehydration. The angle between the sidewall of the tub 2 and the axis of the tub 2 may range from 3 to 5 °. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the upper end of the tub 2, i.e., the end facing the user, has a bung, the lower end of the tub 2, i.e., the end away from the user, is blocked,

to prevent the washing water from flowing from the outer tub to the motor therebelow.

Fig. 2 is a top view of fig. 1. Illustratively, as shown in fig. 2, a drain hole 24 is formed at the bottom of the tub 2, the drain hole 24 is disposed near the sidewall of the tub 2, a water collecting tank 25 is disposed around the drain hole 24, and a water guiding tank 26 communicated with the water collecting tank 25 is disposed at the connection between the bottom of the tub 2 and the sidewall, that is, the water guiding tank 26 is disposed around the axis of the outer tub. After entering the tub, the washing water is discharged through the drain hole 24. When the amount of washing water in the tub 2 is small, the washing water in the tub 2 is collected in the water collecting tank 25 through the water guide tank 26 and then discharged from the water discharge hole 24.

With continued reference to fig. 2, the bottom of the tub 2 may also be provided with a drain valve mounting port 27 and a locking member mounting port 28, the drain valve mounting port 27 for mounting a drain valve member and the locking member mounting port 28 for mounting a locking member. It is easy to understand that the bottom of the washing machine inner barrel is correspondingly provided with a water outlet and a locking hole. The valve plug can move up and down in the drain valve mounting port 27, when the valve plug moves up, the drain port at the bottom of the inner barrel is plugged, and when the valve plug moves down, the drain port at the bottom of the inner barrel is opened to drain water. The locking member is movable up and down in the locking member mounting hole 28, and when the locking member is moved up, the upper end of the locking member is inserted into the locking hole at the bottom of the inner tub, thereby locking the inner tub of the washing machine with the tub 2 and preventing the inner tub of the washing machine from rotating with respect to the tub 2.

The following briefly describes the draining process of the washing machine so that those skilled in the art can better understand the solution of the present embodiment:

when the washing machine needs to drain water, the locking component moves upwards to prevent the inner barrel from rotating relative to the barrel body 2, and the valve plug moves downwards to open the water outlet of the inner barrel. The washing water in the inner tub flows into the inside of the tub 2 through the drain hole and is then discharged to the outside of the washing machine through the drain hole 24 at the bottom of the tub 2.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an outer tub of a washing machine according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 3, the outer surface of the barrel body 2 is further provided with at least two first connecting ribs 21, the first connecting ribs 21 extend in the axial direction parallel to the outer barrel (i.e. in the up-down direction shown in fig. 3) and wrap a part of the annular reinforcement 1, when the number of the first connecting ribs 21 is two, the two first connecting ribs 21 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the outer surface of the outer barrel, when the number of the first connecting ribs 21 exceeds two, the first connecting ribs 21 can be uniformly arranged around the circumference of the barrel body 2, that is, the distance between two adjacent first connecting ribs 21 on the annular reinforcement 1 is equal. The present embodiment does not limit the arrangement of the first connecting ribs 21 on the outer surface of the outer tub, as long as the first connecting ribs 21 can fix the annular reinforcement 1 on the outer surface of the tub 2. Fix annular reinforcement 1 on 2 surfaces of staving through a plurality of first splice bars 21 and be close to bung hole position department, can guarantee that annular reinforcement 1 is connected more firmly with staving 2.

In some realizations, the cross section of the first connection rib 21 in the axial direction of the tub may be various shapes. Illustratively, as shown in fig. 3, the cross section of the first connecting rib 21 along the axial direction of the tub is triangular, one side of the triangle is connected with the outer surface of the tub 2, and the annular reinforcement 1 passes through the inside of the triangle. The present embodiment does not limit the cross-sectional shape of the first connecting rib 21 along the axial direction of the tub, as long as the first connecting rib 21 can wrap a part of the annular reinforcing member 1 and reliably fix the annular reinforcing member 1 on the outer surface of the tub 2.

The tub 2, the ring-shaped reinforcement 1, and the first coupling rib 21 may be formed as an integral piece by injection molding. Make staving 2, annular reinforcement 1, first splice bar 21 into an organic whole through the mode of moulding plastics, both avoided the process of secondary operation, guarantee again to be connected more stably between annular reinforcement 1 and staving 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the tub in fig. 3 at different viewing angles. As shown in fig. 4, the bottom of the outer tub is provided with at least one hanger bar seat 22 for fixing a hanger bar, and illustratively, the hanger bar seat 22 is provided with a through hole (not shown in the figure), an axial direction of the through hole is parallel to an axial direction of the outer tub, one end of the hanger bar passes through the through hole and is fixed with the through hole, and the other end of the hanger bar is detachably mounted on the case, so that the outer tub is hung inside the case through the hanger bar. The hanger base 22 is provided with at least one second coupling rib 221 (see fig. 4) toward the bung of the top end of the outer tub, and the second coupling rib 221 extends upward.

It should be noted that the number of the second connection ribs 221 may be one or more. When the number of the second connection ribs 221 provided on the hanger base 22 toward the tub opening of the tub is one, the second connection ribs 221 are usually located at a middle position above the hanger base 22. When the number of the second connection ribs 221 arranged on the hanger base 22 toward the tub opening of the tub is plural, the plural second connection ribs 221 are arranged in parallel above the hanger base 22.

In this embodiment, the second connecting rib 221 extending upward is disposed on the lifting rod seat 22, and the second connecting rib 221 wraps a part of the annular reinforcing member 1, so that the connection strength between the annular reinforcing member 1 and the barrel body 2 can be improved.

With continued reference to fig. 4, in some examples, the outer surface of the tub 2 is further provided with at least two first connection ribs 21, the first connection ribs 21 extending in parallel with the axial direction of the tub and wrapping a portion of the annular reinforcement 1; meanwhile, the hanger base 22 at the bottom of the outer tub is provided with at least one second connecting rib 221 towards the direction of the tub opening of the outer tub, and the second connecting rib 221 wraps a part of the annular reinforcement 1. Through first splice bar 21 and second splice bar 221 combined action, with the firm surface of fixing on staving 2 of annular reinforcement 1, compare in using first splice bar 21 or second splice bar 221 to fix annular reinforcement 1 on the surface of staving 2 alone, joint strength is higher.

In some implementations, one or more first connecting ribs 21 may be disposed between the second connecting ribs 221 disposed on the tops of two adjacent hanger seats 22. When the number of the first connecting ribs 21 between the second connecting ribs 221 at the tops of two adjacent lifting rod bases 22 is one, the first connecting ribs 21 can be located at the middle position between the two lifting rod bases 22, and the first connecting ribs 21 can extend downwards to the bottom of the barrel body 2. When the number of the first connecting ribs 21 between the second connecting ribs 221 at the top of two adjacent lifting rod bases 22 is plural, for example, fig. 4 shows that the number of the first connecting ribs 21 between two adjacent lifting rod bases 22 is three, at this time, the first connecting rib 21 located at the middle portion may extend downward to the bottom of the barrel body 2. The two adjacent hanger bar bases 22 can be connected through the third connecting rib 222, so that a net-shaped reinforcing rib can be formed outside the barrel body 2 through the first connecting rib 21 to the third connecting rib 222, and the overall structural strength of the outer barrel is improved.

In some implementations, the tub body 2, the annular reinforcement 1, the first connection rib 21, the hanger bar seat 22, and the second connection rib 221 are formed as an integral body by injection molding, so that the structural strength of the tub is further improved.

With continued reference to fig. 4, a cavity 29 is provided at a position near the bottom of the tub 2, the cavity 29 is formed in a vertical cylindrical shape, i.e., a vertically arranged cylindrical shape, and a side surface of the vertical cylindrical cavity 29 is fixedly connected with a side surface of the tub 2. Preferably, a cavity 29 is formed at a side of the tub 2 using an injection molding method to sense a water level through the cavity 29.

The bottom end of the cavity 29 is open to form an open end and the top end of the cavity 29 is closed. It should be noted that the bottom end of the cavity 29 is made open so that the cavity 29 can be injection molded. In use, the open end of the bottom of the cavity 29 may be sealed with a cover. An air pipe socket 291 is inserted into the top of the cavity 29, the air pipe socket 291 is connected to one end of an air pipe, and the other end of the air pipe is connected to a pressure sensor, so that the water level in the outer tub is sensed by the pressure sensor.

The side surface of the cavity 29 connected with the barrel body 2 is provided with a communication port, and the cavity 29 is communicated with the barrel body 2 through the communication port. When the washing water flows into the tub 2, a part of the washing water enters the chamber 29 through the communication port, and the gas in the chamber 29 is compressed upward, so that the pressure sensor senses such a pressure change and converts the pressure change into a water level.

It should be noted that "cylindrical" is herein understood in a broad sense, i.e., the cross-section of the cylindrical shape is not limited to a circular shape, and the dimensions of the respective cross-sections of the cylindrical shape may be equal or different. In addition, "upright disposition" means that the axis of the cylindrical shape extends substantially in the up-down direction shown in fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 4, at least one cable fixing bracket 23 integrally formed with the tub 2 is provided below the side of the tub 2, and the cable fixing bracket 23 is provided with a cable accommodating groove 231 for fixing a cable. Illustratively, the cable holder 23 and the wire accommodating groove 231 are integrally formed by injection molding. In some implementations, through holes are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the line accommodating groove 231.

When the washing machine is assembled, when the cable of the electrical original located at the bottom of the tub body 2 needs to be fixed, the cable of the electrical original can be bundled, then the bundled cable is placed in the wire accommodating groove 231, then the cable passes through the through holes at two sides of the wire accommodating groove 231, one end of the cable passes through the through hole at one side, and the other end of the cable passes through the through hole at the other side, so that the cable can be fixed in the wire accommodating groove 231 through the cable located in the two through holes, that is, when the cable passing through the two through holes is bundled, the fixing of the cable in the wire accommodating groove 231 is completed. The cable fixing frame 23 is arranged at the bottom of the barrel body 2, so that the electric appliance element cable positioned at the bottom of the barrel body 2 is fixed at the bottom of the barrel body 2, and the cable in the washing machine can be arranged conveniently.

In summary, the outer tub provided by the invention has the advantages that the annular reinforcing part 1 supports the tub body 2 at the tub opening part, so that the tub opening part of the tub body 2 is not easy to deform after long-term use, and the use of the outer tub of the washing machine is prolonged.

Example two

The tub body may be further provided with a coil electromagnetically excited by using an alternating current, so that the inner tub made of stainless steel provided in the outer tub is heated by the coil, and thus washing water in the inner tub is heated. Therefore, the heated washing water can be used for washing, so that on one hand, the diffusion rate of the detergent in the hot washing water is higher, and the washing effect is higher compared with that of cold water; on the other hand, the washing water is heated to a certain temperature for a certain time to play a role of sterilization.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of an outer tub of a washing machine according to the present embodiment, fig. 6 is an exploded view of fig. 5, fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a heating device according to the present embodiment taken along a vertical direction, and fig. 8 is a partially enlarged schematic view of fig. 7. As shown in fig. 5 to 8, the heating device 3 includes a coil 33, a case 32, and a terminal 31. Wherein, the coil 33 is disposed in the housing 32, and the input terminal and the output terminal of the coil 33 are respectively provided with the terminal 31 and electrically connected with the alternating current power supply through the terminal 31, so that the coil 33 can be supplied with the alternating current of high frequency by the alternating current power supply to generate the alternating magnetic field near the coil 33. Since the magnetic field generated near the coil 33 is changed, that is, the magnetic field lines near the coil 33 are changed with time, the inner tub cuts the magnetic field lines, and then generates heat, and the heat is transferred to the washing water in the inner tub, thereby heating the washing water.

Illustratively, the housing 32 may be formed of a rigid plastic material to facilitate machining. In a specific design, the housing 32 may be designed as a closed ring or a semi-ring, etc. For example, the housing 32 may have a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the bung at the top end of the tub 2, so that the top end of the tub 2 can directly support the heating apparatus 3. It is easily understood that when the casing 32 is designed in a closed ring shape, the coil provided in the casing 32 can surround the inner barrel, and thus when the coil 32 is excited by high-frequency alternating current, the entire radial section of the inner barrel can be heated, thereby improving the heating efficiency thereof.

The housing 32 and the barrel 2 may be connected in various ways, and the housing 32 and the barrel 2 are connected by screws. Specifically, as shown in fig. 6 to 7, a plurality of screw seats 34 protruding outward are provided at the bottom of the housing 32, and each screw seat 34 is provided with a plurality of through holes for passing screws, and the axis of the through holes is parallel to the axis of the barrel body 2. Correspondingly, a plurality of screw holes matched with the through holes are arranged at the top of the barrel opening of the barrel body 2, and screws penetrate through the through holes of the screw seat 34 and are screwed into the screw holes at the top of the barrel body 2, so that the shell 32 is fixed above the barrel opening of the barrel body 2. Through setting up casing 32 in 2 bung holes tops of staving, played the effect that further improves 2 bung holes intensity of staving, prevent that the bung holes position department of staving 2 from taking place to warp in long-term use in-process staving 2.

As shown in fig. 7 to 8, the coil 33 may be wound at least one turn inside the cavity of the housing 32, and it is worth mentioning that the more turns of the coil 33 are wound in the housing 32, the faster the heating rate is, thereby facilitating the improvement of the washing efficiency. The number of winding turns of the coil 33 in the housing 32 is not limited in this embodiment, and can be determined by those skilled in the art according to actual needs. The coil 33 is made of a metal material having good electrical conductivity, and copper is selected as the material of the coil 33.

The coil 33 may be secured within the interior cavity of the housing 32 in a variety of ways. For example, if a hard plastic is used as the material of the housing 32, the bent coil 33 is fixed inside a mold before the housing 32 is injection molded, the molten material is injected into the mold, and after cooling molding, the housing 32 is removed from the mold, and the coil 33 is fixed in a cavity inside the housing 32.

In some implementations, in order to prevent the heating device 3 from generating short circuit or electric leakage, an insulating glue is disposed outside the coil 33, and the insulating glue can effectively prevent the short circuit or electric leakage of the coil 33.

As shown in fig. 8, a terminal 31 for electrically connecting the coil and an ac power source is provided on the outside of the case 32. Illustratively, the terminal 31 is a box-shaped structure, and the coil 33 extends from the cavity of the housing 32 into the terminal 31 and extends from the bottom of the terminal 31 for connection to an ac power source. It should be understood that the terminal 31 and the outer wall of the housing 32 may be connected in various ways, and for example, the terminal 31 and the housing 32 are connected by screws. The terminal 31 is arranged outside the shell 32, so that the two ends of the coil 33 are prevented from being directly exposed outside after extending out of the shell 32, water splashes out of the outer barrel and falls on the two ends of the coil 33 to cause short circuit of the coil 33, and the heating device is also favorable for being electrically connected with an alternating current power supply.

The operation principle of the washing machine provided with the above-mentioned heating device 3 is described below so that those skilled in the art can better understand the technical solution of the present invention.

When washing is needed, a main control water inlet valve of the washing machine feeds water into the inner barrel, and then or at the same time, an electronic element such as a transistor provides high-frequency alternating current for a coil 33 of the heating device 3, so that an alternating magnetic field is generated around the coil 33, metal molecules of a metal inner barrel positioned in the outer barrel move irregularly at high speed under the action of the magnetic field, the molecules collide and rub with each other to generate heat, the heat is transferred to the washing water from the inner barrel, the heat is promoted to be diffused in the washing water through the rotation of a wave wheel, all the washing water in the inner barrel is heated, and the effect of heating the inner barrel is achieved.

In conclusion, the heating device 3 which is arranged on the outer barrel and is used for heating through electromagnetism heats the washing water in the inner barrel, so that the detergent can be diffused in the washing water more quickly, the washing effect is improved, and the sterilization effect can be achieved. In addition, when setting up heating device 3 in the bung hole top of staving 2, can also strengthen the intensity at 2 bung holes positions of staving, staving 2 is difficult to deform in the long-term use bung hole position department.

Further, since the water temperature is lower than 56 ℃, the sterilization effect cannot be achieved, and when the water temperature exceeds 90 ℃, the clothes are damaged, the heating device 3 needs to be controlled to heat the water in the inner tub to 56-90 ℃. In view of this, a temperature sensing member may be further provided to sense the temperature of the washing water. When the inner barrel is a non-porous inner barrel, the temperature sensing piece can be arranged on the impeller; when the inner barrel is provided with holes, the temperature sensing element can be arranged on the outer barrel.

A scheme of providing a temperature sensing member on a drain valve member to detect the temperature of wash water will be described with reference to fig. 5, 6, 9 and 10, wherein fig. 9 is a schematic view showing the drain valve member, and fig. 10 is a sectional view of fig. 9 taken along a direction a-a.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the bottom of the tub 2 of the outer tub is provided with a drain valve mounting port 27, the drain valve part 4 is mounted in the drain valve mounting port 27, and a portion of the drain valve part 4 extends to below the tub 2.

Referring to fig. 10, the drain valve member 4 includes a valve plug 41, and the drain valve member 4 controls the valve plug 41 to reciprocate in the drain valve mounting port 27. When the valve plug 41 moves upward in the drain valve mounting port 27, the valve plug 41 closes the drain port of the inner tub, and when the valve plug 41 moves downward in the drain valve mounting port 27, the drain port of the inner tub is opened and the inner tub drains outward.

The valve plug 41 is a hollow columnar structure, and the top of the valve plug 41 is tightly connected with a temperature sensing element 42 for detecting the water temperature in the inner barrel when the valve plug 41 plugs the water outlet of the inner barrel. The temperature sensing element 42 and the valve plug 41 can be connected in various ways, and for example, as shown in fig. 10, the temperature sensing element 42 is embedded in the top of the valve plug 41. In this embodiment, the connection manner between the valve plug 41 and the temperature sensing element 42 is not particularly limited, and a person skilled in the art can select a suitable connection manner according to actual needs, as long as it is ensured that the washing water does not enter the valve plug 41 through the connection between the temperature sensing element 42 and the valve plug 41. Of course, the kind of the temperature sensing element 42 is also non-limiting, and a thermocouple may be used as the temperature sensing element 42 by way of example. The thermocouple is used as the temperature sensing element 42, and the measurement accuracy is high, the measurement range is wide, and the structure is simple. One skilled in the art can select a commercially available thermocouple as the temperature sensing element 42.

With continued reference to fig. 10, the bottom of the temperature sensing element 42 is connected to one end of a wire 43, the other end of the wire 43 extends out from the bottom of the valve plug 41 to be connected to a controller, for example, a control panel of a washing machine, and the temperature sensing element 42 and the wire 43 are electrically connected to the control panel. Of course, the drain valve unit 4 may further include other elements, such as a drain valve driving member for driving the valve plug 41 to reciprocate, a transmission mechanism for connecting the valve plug 41 and the drain valve driving member, and the like. Other elements known on the market may be selected by the person skilled in the art to constitute the drain valve part 4 together with the valve plug 41.

The operation of the discharge valve part 4 provided with the temperature sensing member 42 will be described so that those skilled in the art can better understand the solution of the present embodiment.

When washing is needed, the valve plug 41 moves upwards in the drain valve mounting port 27 under the driving of the drain valve part 4, an inner barrel water discharge port in the outer barrel is plugged, water enters the inner barrel, the water is heated by the heating device 3 on the top of the outer barrel after the water enters, the temperature sensing piece 42 on the top of the valve plug 41 measures the temperature of the washing water, when the water temperature reaches a first preset value, for example, 90 degrees, the temperature sensing piece 42 transmits a signal to the control panel, the control panel controls to stop providing the alternating current power supply for the heating device 3, and the heating stops. When the water temperature is cooled to a second preset value, for example, 56 °, the temperature sensing element 42 transmits a signal to the control panel again, the control panel controls to supply the ac power to the heating device 3, and the heating device 3 starts to heat the washing water.

Through set up the temperature sensing piece 42 that is used for measuring the temperature at valve plug 41 top, be convenient for with water control in certain temperature range, prevent that the temperature from crossing lowly losing bactericidal effect, the too high damage clothing of temperature.

To sum up, the outer barrel of the washing machine provided by the embodiment is provided with the heating device 3, so that the outer barrel has the function of heating the inner barrel to heat the washing water, the washing effect is improved, and the sterilization function is also realized. In addition, the heating device 3 is fixed at the position of the outer barrel opening, and the strength of the outer barrel opening is also improved, so that the opening is not easy to deform in the long-term use process of the outer barrel. Meanwhile, a temperature sensing member 42 is provided on the top of the valve plug 41 for measuring the temperature of the washing water, thereby preventing the washing water from being excessively low or high during the heating process of the heating device 3.

EXAMPLE III

On the basis of the above embodiments, the present embodiment further provides a washing machine, which includes a box body, an outer tub disposed in the box body, and an inner tub rotatably disposed in the outer tub. The washing machine can be applied to cleaning of clothes in daily life.

The washing machine provided by the embodiment uses the above washing machine outer barrel, the washing machine outer barrel comprises a barrel body 2 and an annular reinforcing part 1, the annular reinforcing part 1 is arranged at a position close to the barrel opening of the barrel body 2, and the surface of the annular reinforcing part 1 is attached to the surface of the side wall of the barrel body 2 and is tightly connected with the side wall of the barrel body 2. The barrel opening part of the barrel body 2 is supported by the annular reinforcing part 1, and the strength of the barrel opening part of the barrel body 2 is increased. Meanwhile, the heating device 3 is arranged at the position of the top barrel opening of the outer barrel, so that the inner barrel positioned in the outer barrel can be heated to heat washing water, and the effects of sterilizing and improving the washing effect are achieved.

Of course, the washing machine provided in this embodiment also includes a washing machine using a "nonporous inner tub", in which the inner tub is simply used as the water tub, the outer tub only covers the bottom of the nonporous inner tub and a portion near the bottom, and the outer tub is used for collecting water drained from the inner tub.

The barrel opening part is not easy to deform in the long-term use process of the outer barrel of the washing machine. The outer barrel of the washing machine has long service life, the outer barrel of the washing machine does not need to be replaced frequently, and the use cost is low. The outer barrel is provided with a heating device 3 which has the function of heating the washing water, thereby improving the washing effect and playing the role of sterilization.

So far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in connection with the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, but it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Equivalent changes or substitutions of related technical features can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle of the invention, and the technical scheme after the changes or substitutions can fall into the protection scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An outer tub for a washing machine, comprising: a tub made of plastic and a ring-shaped reinforcement made of metal;

the barrel body is used for containing washing water;

the surface of the annular reinforcing part is attached to the surface of the side wall of the barrel body and forms an integral part with the barrel body in an injection molding mode;

the annular reinforcing part is arranged at a position close to the bucket opening of the bucket body.

2. The outer tub of a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the annular reinforcement is attached to the outer surface of the sidewall, and the outer surface of the tub is further provided with at least two first connection ribs extending in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the outer tub and wrapping a portion of the annular reinforcement;

the barrel body, the annular reinforcing piece and the first connecting rib form an integrated piece in an injection molding mode.

3. The outer tub of a washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the bottom of the outer tub is provided with at least one hanger base for fixing the hanger, the hanger base is provided with at least one second connecting rib toward the tub opening of the outer tub, and the second connecting rib wraps a part of the annular reinforcement;

the barrel body, the annular reinforcing piece, the first connecting rib, the lifting rod seat and the second connecting rib form an integrated piece in an injection molding mode; and/or the presence of a gas in the gas,

the axial cross section of the annular reinforcing piece is circular, oval or rectangular, and the reinforcing ring is a cast aluminum reinforcing ring made of cast aluminum.

4. The washing machine tub according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a heating device mounted on the tub;

the heating device comprises a coil which is used for generating an alternating magnetic field under the excitation of alternating current so as to heat an inner barrel which is arranged in the barrel body and is made of metal.

5. The outer tub of a washing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the heating device further comprises a casing and a terminal;

the shell is fixedly connected with the barrel body;

the wiring terminal is positioned outside the shell, is fixedly connected with the shell and is used for being electrically connected with an alternating current power supply;

the coil is disposed within the housing, with the input and output ends of the coil extending from the housing and electrically connected to the terminals.

6. The outer tub of a washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the casing is mounted at the top end of the tub; and/or the presence of a gas in the gas,

the shell is in a closed ring shape.

7. The outer tub of a washing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein a drain valve mounting opening is provided at a bottom of the outer tub, a drain valve unit including a valve plug is mounted to the drain valve mounting opening, and the valve plug is controlled by the drain valve unit to reciprocate to open or close a drain opening of the inner tub.

8. The outer tub of claim 7, wherein the valve plug is hollow in the middle, a temperature sensing element is installed on the top of the valve plug, the temperature sensing element is electrically connected to a controller through a wire penetrating through the valve plug, and the controller is configured to control the operating state of the heating device according to a temperature signal sensed by the temperature sensing element.

9. The outer tub of a washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bottom of the tub is provided with at least one cable fixing bracket integrally formed with the tub for fixing a cable inside the washing machine cabinet; and/or the presence of a gas in the gas,

and the middle part of the cable fixing frame is provided with a wire accommodating groove for fixing a cable.

10. A washing machine comprising a cabinet, an outer tub of a washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 disposed in the cabinet, and an inner tub rotatably disposed in the outer tub.