Dishwasher Door Opening Device with Multi-Sensor Latch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers face issues with odor generation due to moisture retention and increased power consumption when attempting to dry dishes, and automatic door opening/closing methods can lead to dish recontamination and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A door opening and closing device for dishwashers that includes a movable member, latch unit, and latch guide member to accurately control the door's state, combined with sensors to detect the door's position and movement, ensuring precise opening and closing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dishwasher is left idle for a long period, then water remaining in the pump may freeze in cold environments, but continuously running the dishwasher consumes energy and causes unnecessary wear on the pump
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary assessment of the idle time period and predicts whether water will freeze before the freezing actually occurs. Based on this prediction, the pump is activated only when necessary to remove water, rather than running continuously or never. This preliminary action prevents both unnecessary energy consumption and potential freezing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives feedback from the communication unit about the predicted idle time period and uses this information to make intelligent decisions about pump operation. The system continuously monitors the situation and adjusts pump operation based on the predicted risk of freezing versus the cost of energy consumption, creating a closed-loop feedback system.
2Reliability
If the pump runs frequently to remove water, then freezing risk is reduced, but the pump experiences increased wear and shorter service life
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of running the pump continuously (excessive action) or never (insufficient action), the system applies partial action by operating the pump only for the specific duration needed to remove water that poses a freezing risk. The control unit calculates the optimal operating period based on predicted idle time, activating the pump just enough to prevent freezing while minimizing wear and extending service life.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the dishwasher remains idle with water in the pump, then energy consumption is reduced, but the water may freeze and damage the pump in cold environments
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary assessment of the idle time period and predicts whether water will freeze before the freezing actually occurs. Based on this prediction, the pump is activated only when necessary to remove water, rather than running continuously or never. This preliminary action prevents both unnecessary energy consumption and potential freezing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives feedback from the communication unit about the predicted idle time period and uses this information to make intelligent decisions about pump operation. The system continuously monitors the situation and adjusts pump operation based on the predicted risk of freezing versus the cost of energy consumption, creating a closed-loop feedback system.
Data Source
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Figure 2b
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a dishwasher and a method of controlling the dishwasher. The dishwasher includes: a first sensor configured to detect whether a push bar for selectively opening and closing a door has deviated from a first reference point; a second sensor configured to detect changes in the signal attributable to the movement of the push bar based on a second reference point that is different from the first reference point; a third sensor configured to detect changes in the signal attributable to the movement of a movable member, to which the push bar can be coupled, based on a third reference point that is different from the second reference point; and a control unit configured to determine the opened/closed state of the door based on the detection result of at least one of the first, second, and third sensors.