Dishwasher Door Opening Inhibition Using Presence Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers pose a hazard due to uncontrolled door opening caused by broken cables in the door opening module, leading to potential harm to living beings and requiring costly repairs.
Innovation Solution
A water-conducting domestic appliance equipped with a detector to sense the presence of living beings in the vicinity and inhibit automatic door opening, using motion sensors, infrared, HF, ultrasound, or image recognition devices, and a control device to prevent door opening until the hazard is mitigated, ensuring safety and reducing repair costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a door opening module is provided to assist drying by automatically opening the door, then the drying effectiveness is improved, but the safety hazard increases due to uncontrolled door opening when cables break
Solution Approach 1:
The control device checks the operational status of the door opening module before activating it. If a cable break or malfunction is detected, the door opening operation is prevented in advance, avoiding uncontrolled door opening and ensuring safety while still allowing the drying function to proceed through other means
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the status of the door opening module and provides feedback to the control device. When a malfunction is detected, the control device receives this feedback and adjusts the door opening operation accordingly, preventing harmful effects while maintaining safe drying functionality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cable break sensor is provided to detect malfunctions, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity and repair costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The door opening module monitors its own operational status and provides self-diagnosis information to the control device. This self-monitoring capability enables the system to detect cable breaks or malfunctions without requiring additional complex sensor systems, thereby maintaining safety while minimizing device complexity and repair costs
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
Prevents automatic door opening when living beings are detected, ensuring safety and reducing the risk of damage or injury, while allowing controlled operation and maintenance alerts to users, thus enhancing user safety and appliance functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the detector can include a motion sensor, an infrared motion sensor, an HF sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a Doppler radar sensor and/or an image recognition device
Implementation Method 2
a Doppler radar sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A water-conducting domestic appliance includes a washing container, a door which is pivotably mounted to the washing container to define with the washing container a washing chamber for washing items, and a door opening module configured to automatically open the door. A detector detects a presence of a living being in a defined area in front of the domestic appliance. In the event the presence of a living being has been detected by the detector in the defined area, a control device prevents the door opening module from automatically opening the door.