Household Appliance Usability Assessment by Component Load Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household appliances face challenges in determining their usability and remaining service life, leading to premature failure and resource inefficiency, as existing methods do not accurately assess the combined load capacities of components and their impact on overall appliance reliability.
Innovation Solution
A method that samples operating information, determines loads on components using load functions, and assesses usability based on these loads, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of remaining capacity and assigning a usability score, which can indicate the appliance's residual value and potential for further use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If components are dimensioned and designed to easily last for a predetermined period of operation, then the reliability of individual components is improved, but the overall appliance usability determination becomes inaccurate because existing methods do not assess the combined load capacities of components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the appliance into individual components and evaluates each component's load capacity separately. By determining the remaining load capacity of each component individually and then combining these assessments, the system achieves accurate overall appliance usability determination while maintaining high component reliability through proper dimensional design.
2Reliability
If a component is subjected to stress beyond its specifications, then the appliance may fail sooner, but replacing components at regular intervals regardless of actual condition leads to premature disposal and resource inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter for component replacement from fixed time intervals to dynamic load capacity assessment. By continuously monitoring and evaluating the remaining load capacity of components based on actual usage conditions, the system prevents premature replacement while avoiding operation beyond safe limits, thus improving reliability and resource efficiency simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously assessing the remaining load capacity of components and using this information to determine optimal replacement timing. This feedback mechanism prevents both premature disposal and operation beyond component specifications, resolving the contradiction between reliability and resource efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the usability of an appliance is determined without considering the combined load capacities of components, then the assessment process is simpler, but the determination of remaining service life becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the appliance to self-assess its usability by automatically determining the remaining load capacity of its own components. This self-service approach maintains operational simplicity while achieving accurate remaining service life determination through systematic evaluation of component load capacities.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for determining the usability of a household appliance comprises steps of sampling operating information of the household appliance; determining loads on various components of the household appliance based on the operating information; and determining the usability of the household appliance based on the determined loads and predetermined load functions for the components; wherein a load function maps a given load to a remaining load capacity.