Detergent Supply Control for Refresh Washing Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines with automatic detergent supply systems often use excessive detergent and operate at high speeds, leading to waste and potential damage to laundry, especially when washing lightly contaminated or long-stored clothes, necessitating a refresh washing method that removes odors and mold without contamination removal.
Innovation Solution
A refresh washing course is implemented, using a smaller amount of detergent and water, lower motor operating rates, and reduced dehydration speeds, with optional omission of intermediate dehydration steps, to specifically target odor and mold removal without excessive detergent use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If detergent supply device automatically puts detergent according to laundry weight, then detergent supply automation is improved, but excessive detergent is used for lightly contaminated clothes causing waste
Solution Approach 1:
The washing machine dynamically adjusts the detergent supply amount based on the selected washing course (standard vs. refresh). The controller receives course selection signals and accordingly controls the detergent supply device to supply different amounts of detergent, enabling flexible adaptation to different washing needs while maintaining automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detergent supply parameter according to the washing course. For refresh washing courses, the controller reduces the detergent supply amount compared to standard courses, allowing the same automated system to operate with different parameters for different purposes.
2Productivity
If washing machine operates at high speed according to laundry weight, then washing productivity is improved, but laundry is damaged and lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The washing machine dynamically adjusts operating speed based on the selected course. The controller receives course selection signals and controls the motor to rotate the drum at different speeds for standard washing versus refresh washing, enabling speed adaptation to protect delicate or lightly contaminated laundry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the motor operating speed parameter according to the washing course. For refresh washing, the controller reduces the rotation speed compared to standard courses, allowing the same washing machine to operate at different speed parameters for different laundry types.
3Quantity of substance
If standard washing course uses high detergent amount and high speed, then contamination removal is improved, but resource consumption increases and laundry damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The washing courses are segmented into standard washing (for heavily contaminated laundry) and refresh washing (for lightly contaminated or odor-affected laundry). This segmentation allows the system to apply different resource consumption levels appropriate to each washing purpose.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters simultaneously based on course selection: detergent supply amount, water supply amount, and motor operating speed. For refresh washing, all these parameters are reduced compared to standard washing, optimizing resource consumption for the specific washing need.
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine that performs refresh washing in which smell or mold that permeates laundry can be removed, and a method of controlling the washing machine. When clothes that are kept for a long time without being worn or laundries that are hardly contaminated due to a short wearing time are washed, a refresh washing course in which various smell or mold that permeates laundry can be removed using a very small amount of detergent, is performed. Thus, overuse of detergent caused by an excessive use of detergent can be prevented, and since the necessity for rinsing is low due to the use of the very small amount of detergent, an intermediate dehydration operation may be omitted, or an intermediate dehydration revolutions per minute (rpm) may be reduced so that washing and rinsing operations do not need to be excessively performed and thus damage of laundry is reduced.