| 摘要 |
<p>A washing machine wherein a drum-containing casing is supported within a cabinet so as to permit relative vibratory movement between the casing and the cabinet. The interior of the casing is sealed against loss of liquid and can accommodate an internal pressure above or below ambient. The support comprises resiliently extensible struts between the casing and the cabinet which generally centre the casing therewithin. A corrugated bellows surrounds and seals a circular opening in an end wall of the casing and at its other end a circular opening in an adjacent wall of the cabinet. The latter is closable by means of a door which seals to the opening therein. The corrugations are reinforced by at least one reinforcing helix or spiral in the form of a helical spring, which prevents the material forming the bellows sleeve from stretching or collapsing due to an increase or decrease in the pressure within the casing relative to ambient pressure outside the casing. The drum may be circular or pseudo-elliptical, when viewed axially. Water and detergent inlet ports, an air inlet port, an outlet port and a connection for a pressure gauge are located at a plurality of circularly spaced points around the cylindrical wall of the casing. Liquid can be supplied from a circulating pump which collects liquid from the housing and recirculates it under pressure preferably tangentially back into the housing. Incoming air is heated to 40°C. A heater is provided between the outer wall of the drum and the wall of the casing. An opening in the bellows supplies air to the casing during spin drying, or a diffuse mixture of water vapour and steam during washing. During drying air and water are drawn out of the casing by means of a suction pump (typically a venturi pump) so that a pressure lower than ambient exists during drying. A positive pressure in the range 1 to 5 psi over ambient is maintained in the casing and the drum during washing. Blades are fitted to extend radially of the drum wall. Where they protrude externally of the drum they assist in distributing air and liquid and diffusing vapour within the casing. A second drum or basket can be fitted within the first.</p> |
