Annular Washing Machine Balancer for Fast Replacement and Low Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines with ball balancers have high manufacturing costs, long assembly times, and require the entire spin tub to be replaced if a balancer fails, due to a seam-welded structure that generates noise and vibration and is difficult to replace.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine design featuring annular-shaped balancers with open front and rear ends, where the balancer is housed in recesses of the spin tub's front and rear members, containing viscous fluid and metal balls, allowing for rapid assembly and replacement, and a quadrilateral cross-section to facilitate smooth ball movement and dynamic balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ball balancers are seam-welded to the spin tub with an entire circumferential edge, then the balancer is firmly fixed to maintain dynamic balance, but the manufacturing cost increases and assembly time lengthens
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer is divided into modular components: a body portion and a separate holding portion that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing and assembly processes while maintaining the structural integrity needed for dynamic balance, eliminating the need for extensive seam-welding along the entire circumferential edge.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding portion is designed to be inserted into and held by the body portion, creating a nested structure. This nesting approach allows the balancer components to be easily assembled and disassembled without complex welding operations, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and assembly time while maintaining firm fixation during operation.
2Reliability
If ball balancers are seam-welded to the spin tub, then the balancer is firmly fixed, but the assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer is divided into modular components: a body portion and a separate holding portion that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing and assembly processes while maintaining the structural integrity needed for dynamic balance, eliminating the need for extensive seam-welding along the entire circumferential edge.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding portion is designed to be inserted into and held by the body portion, creating a nested structure. This nesting approach allows the balancer components to be easily assembled and disassembled without complex welding operations, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and assembly time while maintaining firm fixation during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If fusion scraps are generated around a long fusion portion, then the balancer structure is formed, but irregular stepped structures are created causing noise and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer is divided into modular components: a body portion and a separate holding portion that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing and assembly processes while maintaining the structural integrity needed for dynamic balance, eliminating the need for extensive seam-welding along the entire circumferential edge.
4Reliability
If the entire spin tub is replaced when a ball balancer fails, then quality control is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer is divided into modular components: a body portion and a separate holding portion that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing and assembly processes while maintaining the structural integrity needed for dynamic balance, eliminating the need for extensive seam-welding along the entire circumferential edge.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design of the balancer with separable body and holding portions allows the holding portion to be replaced independently when worn or damaged, while the body portion can be retained and reused. This extends the service life of the balancer assembly and reduces waste, improving cost-effectiveness while maintaining quality control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces manufacturing and assembly costs, allows for easy balancer replacement, and minimizes noise and vibration by enabling rapid and stable balancer assembly and disassembly, improving the dynamic balance of the spin tub during high-speed spinning.
Implementation Method 1
the balancer includes viscous fluid and a plurality of balls disposed and movable within an internal space of the balancer
Implementation Method 2
the steel balls compensates for this unbalance, and thus the spin tub can maintain the dynamic balance
Data Source
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AI summary
A washing machine is provided having at least one balancer (20) and a method of manufacturing a balancer (20) thereof is further provided, the method and machine capable of reducing a manufacturing cost and an assembly time, and allowing the balancer (20) assembled to a spin tub (10) to be easily replaced with a new balancer. The balancer (20) applied to the washing machine and the method of manufacturing the balancer (20) of the washing machine are adapted such that a pipe is formed in an annular shape and is assembled to a spin tub (10), so that a manufacturing cost and an assembly time can be reduced to improve mass productivity. Further, when the balancer (20) is determined to fail after being assembled to the spin tub (10), the balancer (20) can be rapidly and conveniently replaced with a new balancer, so that material costs can be reduced.