# US 12,768,094 B2 · Washing apparatus

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- Number: US 12,768,094 B2
- Document ID: US12768094B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/855,084
- Filed: 2023-03-06
- Published: 2025-08-14
- Granted: 2026-10-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-12
- Assignees: Qingdao Haier Laundry Electric Appliances Co., Ltd.; Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Qingdao Haier Laundry Electric Appliances Co., Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Zhiqiang Zhao; Sheng Xu; Peishi Lv
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12768094B2

## CPC

- D06F 39/083: {Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements}
- D06F 23/025: {with a rotatable imperforate tub}
- D06F 37/065: {ribs or lifters having means for circulating the washing liquid}
- F16K 24/04: for venting only (F16K24/02 takes precedence)
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}

## Abstract

A washing apparatus to solve the problems in existing washing machines of a drain solenoid valve of a non-porous inner drum being prone to circuit failure and the requirement for the overall layout being excessively high. A drain valve group is configured such that a drain outlet can move and open merely under a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of a non-porous inner drum, without the need to electrically drive a valve core to move, so as to allow the non-porous inner drum to discharge water outwards, and the drain outlet can be reset and blocked under an elastic force, thus achieving no-power operation. When the drain valve group is configured on the non-porous inner drum, it is not necessary to consider the spatial layout and waterproofing of power elements and their circuits, reducing the drainage arrangement costs when the washing machine is equipped with a non-porous inner drum.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A washing apparatus, comprising:
an outer cylinder,
an inner cylinder having a cylinder wall without water passing holes,
a drainage valve group, and
a drainage pipe group;
wherein the outer cylinder is communicated with an outside of the washing apparatus through the drainage pipe group;
wherein the inner cylinder is coaxially rotatably arranged inside the outer cylinder, and a drainage port is provided on the cylinder wall of the inner cylinder;
wherein the drainage valve group comprises a connection assembly, an elastic member, and a valve core, and the valve core is connected to the inner cylinder through the connection assembly and the elastic member respectively;
wherein the elastic member is configured to be capable of urging the valve core to maintain a state of blocking the drainage port in non-drainage situations, and to be capable of allowing the valve core to move away from the drainage port by means of a centrifugal force overcoming an elastic force through elastic deformation of the elastic member when the inner cylinder rotates for drainage, thereby opening the drainage port;
wherein the connection assembly is configured to be capable of guiding the valve core to move away from the drainage port in drainage situations, and to be capable of guiding the valve core to move for resetting through a springback action of the elastic member in non-drainage situations,
wherein the connection assembly comprises a connecting rod assembly, and the valve core is connected to the inner cylinder through the connecting rod assembly;
wherein the connecting rod assembly can guide the valve core to move away from the drainage port through expansion/retraction deformation, and can guide the valve core to move toward the drainage port through retraction/expansion deformation for resetting;
wherein the connecting rod assembly is arranged inside the inner cylinder, and the connecting rod assembly comprises first and second symmetrically arranged rod groups, each of which comprises a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod that are pivotally connected;
wherein one end of the first connecting rod of the first rod group that is away from the second connecting rod of the first rod group is pivotally connected to an inner side of the inner cylinder, and one end of the second connecting rod of the first rod group that is away from the first connecting rod of the first group is pivotally connected to the valve core;
wherein one end of the first connecting rod of the second rod group that is away from the second connecting rod of the second rod group is pivotally connected to an inner side of the inner cylinder, and one end of the second connecting rod of the second rod group that is away from the first connecting rod of the second group is pivotally connected to the valve core;
wherein in a case where the valve core moves away from the drainage port, an angle between the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod of each of the first and second rod groups increases to guide the valve core to move toward an outside of the inner cylinder through expansion deformation; and
wherein in a case where the valve core moves for resetting, the angle between the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod of each of the first and second rod groups decreases to guide the valve core to move toward the drainage port through retraction deformation for resetting.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drainage valve group further comprises a counterweight member, which is arranged on the connecting rod assembly for assisting in deformation movement of the connecting rod assembly under the action of centrifugal force when the inner cylinder rotates for drainage and thus urging the valve core to move away from the drainage port.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drainage valve group further comprises a counterweight member, which is arranged on the valve core for urging the valve core to move away from the drainage port under the action of centrifugal force when the inner cylinder rotates for drainage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring arranged inside the inner cylinder, and two ends of the spring are connected to the inner cylinder and the valve core respectively, so that the spring can allow the valve core to move away from the drainage port through stretching deformation of the spring, and can urge the valve core to move for resetting through contracting and springing back of the spring.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guide structure is provided on the inner cylinder, and the guide structure is aligned with the drainage port so that the valve core is guided to move in a state of being aligned with the drainage port.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inner side wall of the inner cylinder is provided with a lifting rib, which comprises a shell and water passing holes provided on the shell, and the drainage port is arranged on the side wall of the inner cylinder and covered by the shell; and
the connection assembly, the elastic member, and the valve core are all arranged inside the shell, and the valve core is connected to an inner side of the side wall of the inner cylinder through the connection assembly and the elastic member respectively.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The washing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the lifting rib further comprises an installation bracket, which is arranged inside the shell, and the connection assembly and the elastic member are connected to the inner cylinder through the installation bracket.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve core comprises a valve core body and a sealing structure arranged on the valve core body, and the valve core blocks the drainage port through the sealing structure.