WASHING MACHINE WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL DRUM FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A washing machine without an external drum, comprising a single washing drum, and the functions of ordinary washing machines such as water injection, washing, drain, and dehydration are completed in the washing drum. Firstly, it simples the problem of the existing double drum washing machine to keep clean of the outer drum. Users can easily place and take out clothes by the opening of the washing drum, and clean the inner wall of the washing drum. So that the clothes will not contact with the other parts other than the inner wall of the washing drum, which prevents the clothes from being contaminated during the washing process. Secondly, the manufacturing cost of the washing machine can be saved to reduce the design of the outer drum. And since the water is only injected into a single washing drum during cleaning, it can save a lot of water compared with the existing double drum washing machine, and reduce laundry detergent, etc., so it is more environmentally friendly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention involves a washing machine, in particular a washing machine with a single washing drum.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, the washing machines on the market, including the top load and front load washing machines, adopt a double drums design, that is an inner drum and an outer drum. The inner drum is driven by a motor to complete operations such as washing, draining, and drying, while the outer drum is fixed and used to set the water inlet and drain to cooperate with the inner drum for completing all the laundry procedures. The double drums design can simplify the water inlet and drain of the washing machine, but it causes hygienic problems. Since the inner drum and outer drum of the washing machine cannot be easily disassembled for the user. After long-term use, the outer wall of the inner drum, the inner wall and where between, will hold a lot of dirt and may generate bacteria, etc. It cannot be cleaned. Then during the subsequent laundry process, the dirt and bacteria can contaminate the clothes in the inner drum. Although there are some detergents for cleaning washing machine drums on the market for washing the machine drums, which are designed to remove dirt and bacteria by soaking and washing, the effectiveness of these detergents is doubted as the outer walls of the inner drum and the inner walls of the outer drum are not reachable by hand or other equipment, and even not observable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention provides the washing machine without an external drum, combining the inner drum of the existing washing machine to form a single drum design, so that to improve the washing machine for completing the washing function without any further cleaning procedure of the drum, but ensuring hygiene, saving detergents and water, etc.

The invention provides the following solutions:

A washing machine without an external drum, comprisesa washing drum which is provided inside the washing machine, the washing drum is provided with an opening for placing and removing laundry;drain holes are provided on the washing drum;a valve for opening or closing all drain holes is provided on the washing drum and located at a corresponding position of the drain hole.

Further, the front end of the washing drum is smaller in diameter than the rear end, and the washing drum is in the shape of a truncated cone.

Further, a bevel is provided between the rear end and the side wall of the washing drum, and the drain holes are distributed on the bevel; the valve is at least one set of a sealing ring which is connected with a locking device for opening or closing the drain holes.

Further, a water inlet mechanism is provided; the water inlet mechanism comprises a water valve provided on the washing drum; a water channel is provided in the water valve and moves in the radial direction to connect the inner wall of the washing drum and the water pipe; during filling water, the water pipe pushes the water valve to move toward the inner wall of the washing drum and connects the water pipe to the inner wall by the water channel; after filing, the water valve moves outwards to close the water channel.

Further, the locking device is mounted on the spindle of the washing drum by a bearing and can be moved in the axial direction along the spindle; the locking device is also provided with a shaft, which is set in a tilted track; the track is connected to a movement driver.

Further, the sealing ring is pivotally installed on the rear end of the washing drum and is connected to a reset spring; the locking device comprises at least a clasp, which is movably mounted on the rear end of the washing drum; when locked, the clasp locks the sealing ring in position to close the drain holes.

Further, the drain holes are divided into several groups and set along the bevel, each group of drain holes is provided with a set of sealing ring, a reset spring and a locking device.

Further, the locking device provides a slide-to-close device for pushing the sealing ring to the position of closing the drain holes; the slide-to-close device moves along the axial direction which is parallel to the shaft of the washing drum; a plate is provided for pushing the sealing ring to the drain holes.

Further, an unlocking device is provided, and it is a collision block which is contacted with the clasp to unlock the sealing ring from the clasp; the collision block is L-shaped, one end is pivotally installed to the unlocking device and the other end is connected to the unlocking device by a compressed spring.

Further, a water inlet mechanism is provided; and it comprises a positioning device for aligning the washing drum with the water inlet mechanism and a filling control device; during water filling, the positioning device aligns the outlet of the filling control device with the drain holes of the washing drum.

Further, the positioning device can move parallel along the axial direction of the shaft of the washing drum, which comprises a block; when locking the washing drum, the block contact with one of the washing drum, the sealing ring or the clasp to stop the rotation of the washing drum.

Further, the filling control device comprises a water tank which can move parallel along the axial direction of the washing drum, and the water tank connects to a water supply by a water pipe.

Further, the filling control device comprises a water tank which can move parallel along the axial direction of the washing drum, and the water tank connects to a water supply by a water pipe.

Further, the water supply comprises a detergent dispenser, an inlet of the detergent dispenser connects to the water pipe, and an outlet of the detergent dispenser connects to the water tank.

Further, the water pipe of the water supply connects to a heater, and the outlet of the heater connects to the water tank.

Further, a water basin is provided under the washing drum for receiving the water discharged from the drain holes, the water level in the water basin is lower than the lowest position of the washing drum.

The benefits of the present invention are: using a single washing drum to complete the functions of the ordinary washing machine such as water filling, washing, draining and de-watering in the drum, is more simple in structure. During water filling, the water inlet or the drain holes can be opened to let the water pipe fill the drum; during washing, the drain holes are closed to keep the washing drum sealed to roll the drum and finish the whole process of the laundry; during drainage, the drain holes are opened to drain the washing drum; during dehydration, the drain holes keep opening and the washing drum rolls in high speed, and due to the truncated cone design of the drum, water flows along the inner wall to the drain holes and is discharged. The above design can simplify the problem of how to clean up the double drums washing machine. The user can easily clean the inner wall of the washing drum while placing or taking the clothes. Also, water and clothes will not contact with other places than the inner wall of the washing drum to prevent the clothes from being contaminated during the washing process. Further, the manufacturing cost of the washing machine can be saved by reducing the design of the outer drum. And, as water is only injected into a single drum during washing, it is possible to save a lot of water and reduce the amount of detergent, etc., compared to the existing double drums washing machine, which is more environmentally friendly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

With reference toFIG.1, the washing machine without an external drum1is provided with a single washing drum1in the washing machine. In the front end3of washing drum1, an opening2is provided for putting and taking the laundry. According to the current design of washing machines, there are two kinds, the top load and front load washing machines, and the present invention can also be used for the above two kinds. For the top load one, the washing drum1is vertically set, and the opening2does not need a door to seal the washing machine drum, and for water filling, the water inlet is set at the opening2to refill the washing drum1with water as common top load washing machine do. For the front load one, the washing drum1should be horizontally set. The opening2can be set on the front end3or the side wall of the washing drum1, and then a door is set and sealed the opening2, and it rotates with the washing drum. So that the washing drum1is sealed during the washing process.

The drain holes5may be located on the side wall and/or the rear end4of the washing drum. However, considering that most of the control systems of the washing machine are installed on the rear end, referring toFIG.2, especially for the drainage convenience of the top load type washing machine. Therefore, in the present invention, the drain holes5are preferably provided on the rear end4of the washing drum1. These drainage holes5can be punched directly on the rear end4. In order to drain faster and dehydrate. a large number of drain holes5need to be evenly arranged on the rear end4. The rear end4of the washing drum1is provided with a valve for opening or closing all the drain holes5. Different from the existing washing machine, the valve must be able to open and close all the drain holes5, and the common drain valve of the existing washing machine cannot be achieved. The valve will be described in detail below. In addition, the drain holes5of the present invention must be sealed at a whole, so is different from the common drain holes5of the existing washing machine. If the drain holes5are set on the side wall as the existing washing machine does, the drain valve will be more complicated and cause leakage. Therefore, the present invention preferably provides the drain holes5on the rear end4, but in order to improve the efficiency of drainage and dehydration, the diameter of the front end3of the washing drum1is smaller than the diameter of the rear end4, and form a truncated cone shape. For a top load washing machine, the rear end4, that is, the bottom surface of the washing drum1, has a larger diameter, and more drainage holes5can be provided for drainage. At the same time, when dehydrating, the entire washing drum1fast rotates, although the side wall is not provided with drain holes5, the water thrown out of the clothes will flow to the large diameter rear end4under the action of inertia and flow out through the drain holes5, which can also achieve more efficient dehydration. For the front load washing machine, the rear end4is larger in diameter, and then the side wall forms an inclined surface from the front end3to the rear end4, so that the water in the washing drum1can be fully drained along the inclined surface. During dehydration, water will also flow to the rear end4under the action of inertia to achieve drainage.

Similar to the drive mode of the conventional washing machine, the washing drum1is connected to the driving mechanism through the rotating shaft6. The present invention also provides specific embodiments for reference. One end of the rotating shaft6of the washing drum1is connected to the motor of the washing machine, and the other end is provided with two or more sets of driving forks. The forks are matched with the groove of the washing drum1and embedded in the groove to fix.

To further improve the drainage efficiency of the rear end4, a bevel7is provided between the rear end4and the side wall of the washing drum1, and the drain holes5are arranged on the bevel7, referring toFIG.2andFIG.7. The bevel7can provide larger drainage area, so that more drain holes5can be arranged to facilitate rapid drainage. Also, all the drain holes5must be closed after drainage, so the valve is at least one set of sealing ring8that fit with the surface of the bevel7, and the sealing ring8can cover all the drain holes5. The sealing ring8can open or close the drain hole5driven by the locking device.

The locking device can be implemented by using different structures according to different arrangements of the drain holes5. One is that the locking device is sleeved on the spindle6of the washing drum1through a bearing. When the spindle6rotates, the locking device can move along the axial direction of the spindle6. Specifically, the locking device is a claw plate, and the sealing ring8is fixed on the claw plate. The sealing ring8opens or closes the drain holes5through the forward and backward movement of the claw plate. For driving the claw plate, it is also provided with a shaft10, and the shaft10is arranged in a tilted track11, and then a movement driver drives the track11to move longitudinally. When the shaft10slides along the track11, the claw plate is driven to move back and forth, referring toFIG.3.

Another structure of the locking device is: the sealing ring8is rotatably mounted on the rear end4of the washing drum1and connected to the reset spring12, and the reset spring12sets sealing ring8in an open state by default. The locking device at least includes a clasp13, which is movably installed at the rear end of the washing drum1, referring toFIG.8. When locking, the clasp13moves to toward the sealing ring8and locks the sealing ring8to close the drain holes5. When unlocking, just simply move the clasp13away, and the sealing ring8is opened under the action of the reset spring12. Specifically, the clasp13is opened by the unlocking device, referring toFIG.9. The unlocking device includes a collision block21, which is L-shaped as a whole. One end of the collision block21is pivotally installed to the unlocking device, and the other end is connected to the unlocking device through a compressed spring. The unlocking device moves to the clasp13, so that the clasp13is in contact with the collision block21and the clasp13is separated from the sealing ring, so the sealing ring8is opened under the action of the reset spring12. When the washing drum1rotates, other parts of the washing drum1maybe collide with the collision block21, the compressed spring then will be compressed, so that the collision block21will avoid stopping the washing drum1from rotating. To improve the drainage speed, the drain holes5can be divided into multiple groups along the bevel7, and each group of drain holes5is respectively provided with a set of sealing ring8, a reset springs12and a locking device. Because of the reset spring12, the sealing ring8is set in an open state by default. In order to close the sealing ring8, the locking device further includes a slide-to-close device14that pushes the sealing ring8to close the drain holes5. The slide-to-close device14cmoves along the axial direction which is parallel to the shaft of the washing drum1, and is provided with a plate15for pushing the sealing ring8to close the drain holes5. When the drain holes5need to be closed, the slide-to-close device14drives the plate15to move toward the washing drum1and pushes the clasp13overcoming the elastic force of the reset spring12to close the seal ring8, and then the clasp13locks the seal ring8.

For the top load washing machine, it is vertically placed and the opening2needs not to be sealed, so water can be directly filled through the opening2. However, for front load washing machine, the opening2needs to be sealed after the clothes are put into the washing drum1, so an additional water inlet mechanism must be provided, and the water inlet mechanism can be of various structures. One of the solutions is that the water inlet mechanism includes a water valve9arranged on the washing drum1. The water valve9can move along the radial direction of the washing drum1, and a water channel is provided in the water valve9to connect the inner wall of the washing drum1with the water pipe. When filling water, the washing drum1rotates to the position that let the water pipe align to the water valve9, and is locked by the positioning device. The structure of the positioning device will be described in detail below. Then the water pipe pushes the water valve9moves toward the inner wall of the washing drum1, so that the water channel connects the water pipe to the inner wall, and the valve of the water pipe is opened to fill water into the washing drum1. After the water filling is completed, the water valve9moves outward to close the water channel to prevent water leakage. At the same time, the water pipe is also separated from the water valve9to avoid stopping the rotation of the washing drum1.

Another solution for the water inlet mechanism of the front load washing machine is to set the water inlet mechanism at the position of the drain holes5and directly fill water through the drain holes5. In order to ensure the water inlet mechanism aligns with the drain holes5during water filling, the positioning device and a filling control device are provided for positioning the washing drum1and the water inlet mechanism, referring toFIG.9. When filing water, the positioning device matches the drain holes5of the washing drum1with the water outlet of the filling control device. Specifically, the positioning device can be moved along an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the washing drum1. It includes a block16. When positioning the washing drum1, the positioning device moves to the washing drum1to let the block16contact with the washing drum1, the sealing ring8or the clasp13to prevent the washing drum1from rotating, so that the water outlet of the filling control device is aligned to the drain holes5, and then open the sealing ring8to fill the washing drum1with water. Referring toFIG.10, the filling control device includes a water tank17which moves axially parallel to the rotation axis of the washing drum1. Since the drain holes5are arranged on the bevel7, the water tank17must fit with the bevel7to prevent leakage, the water tank17is respectively set along two sets of slide rails, and at the end of one set of slide rails is provided with an inclined section. The water tanks17are respectively provided with rolling shafts corresponding to the two sets of slide rails. When the rolling shafts of the water tank17slide to the inclined section of the slide rails, the water tank17inclines to align the water outlet with the bevel7.

The water tank17connects to the water supply through a water pipe, and the water supply includes a detergent dispenser18, the inlet of which connects to the water pipe, and the outlet of which connects to the water tank17for providing room temperature water for washing. The water pipe also connects to the heater19, and the outlet of the heater19connects to the water tank17for providing warm or hot water for washing.

The water flowing out of the drain hole5must be collected and then discharged out of the washing machine. Therefore, the water basin20for receiving the water discharged from the drain holes5is provided below the washing drum1. Generally, the water level in the water basin20is lower than the lowest end of the washing drum1, referring toFIG.5andFIG.6.