Detachable Sensing Device Holder for Drum-Based Clothes Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothes treating apparatuses lack an efficient method to securely mount and operate sensing devices, leading to potential loss and reduced efficiency in washing and drying cycles.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treating apparatus with a holder system that allows a sensing device to be detachably mounted on the door or drum, utilizing magnetic coupling and a lifter mechanism to ensure the sensing device moves within the drum for temperature and humidity measurement, and is automatically separated during operation to prevent loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensing device is fixedly mounted on the door or drum, then the sensing device is securely held, but the sensing device cannot move within the drum to measure temperature and humidity during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic mounting system where the sensing device can transition between a held state (when mounted on the holder) and a free-moving state (when separated from the holder during drum rotation). The holder is positioned on the door or drum, and during operation, the sensing device separates and moves within the drum to measure temperature and humidity at different locations, combining secure mounting with measurement versatility.
2Measurement precision
If the sensing device is allowed to move freely within the drum, then the sensing device can measure temperature and humidity effectively, but the sensing device may be lost during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the sensing device's state: during idle periods, the device is held securely by the holder on the door or drum; during operation, the device separates and moves freely within the drum to perform measurements. The holder's position and the drum's rotation create conditions where the sensing device naturally separates during operation but can be resecured afterward, balancing measurement freedom with device retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder acts as an intermediary between the sensing device and the drum. It provides a mounting point during idle periods and facilitates controlled separation during operation. The holder's design allows the sensing device to be released into the drum interior where it can move freely for measurement while still being part of the overall system structure, preventing complete loss.
3Reliability
If a complex mounting mechanism is used to secure the sensing device, then the sensing device is reliably retained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system utilizes the drum's own rotation and operational characteristics to achieve sensing device retention and release. During drum rotation, centrifugal force and movement patterns cause the sensing device to separate from the holder and move within the drum for measurement. During idle periods, the holder naturally secures the device. This self-service approach leverages existing operational dynamics rather than requiring additional complex active control mechanisms.
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
The solution enables secure storage and operation of the sensing device, enhancing the efficiency of washing and drying cycles by ensuring accurate measurement and reducing user intervention.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing magnetic coupling and a lifter mechanism to ensure the sensing device moves within the drum for temperature and humidity measurement, and is automatically separated during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes treating apparatus including a cabinet having a laundry inlet; a door configured to open and close the laundry inlet; a drum inside the cabinet to accommodate clothes received in the drum through the laundry inlet while the laundry inlet is opened by the door; a sensing device including a sensor to measure a temperature or a humidity in the drum; and a holder on the door or the drum. The sensing device is separably mountable to the holder so that, when the sensing device is mounted to the holder, the sensing device is held by the holder and, when the sensing device is separated from the holder, the sensing device is allowed to move with respect to the drum, within the drum, so as to measure the temperature or the humidity in the drum while clothes accommodated in the drum are being treated.