Flowmeter for a domestic appliance, in particular a dishwasher
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dishwasher designs require multiple components and complex assembly processes, leading to increased manufacturing and assembly costs, as well as potential inaccuracies in flow measurement due to joining tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A dishwasher design featuring an impeller directly accommodated within a chamber formed by two shells, where the inlet and outlet channels have sections with cross-sectional walls formed by either one or both shells, eliminating the need for a separate insert and reducing assembly complexity, with the second section's geometry ensuring high accuracy by being an integral part of one shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a separate insert is used to form the chamber and cross-sectional walls, then the chamber can be assembled from multiple components, but the assembly complexity increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the chamber formation and cross-sectional wall formation into a single injection-molded shell component. The shell is designed with integrated first and second sections, where the first section forms part of the chamber and the second section forms the cross-sectional wall with precise geometry. This eliminates the need for separate inserts and reduces assembly steps while maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Measurement precision
If the cross-sectional wall is formed by joining two shells, then the chamber can be assembled from multiple components, but joining tolerances reduce flow measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-sectional wall is formed as an integral part of a single injection-molded shell rather than being assembled from multiple joined components. This eliminates joining tolerances that would otherwise affect the precision of the flow cross-sectional geometry, thereby ensuring accurate flow measurement by the impeller.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple components are used to form the chamber and channels, then manufacturing flexibility increases, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional elements (chamber, inlet channel, outlet channel, and cross-sectional wall) into a single integrated shell component manufactured by injection molding. This reduces the total number of components while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the versatility of injection molding technology, which can produce complex geometries in a single process.
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
This design simplifies assembly, reduces manufacturing costs, and enhances flow measurement accuracy by eliminating joining tolerances and the need for a separate insert, while ensuring precise cross-sectional geometry through integral shell design.
Implementation Method 1
an impeller (5) for flow measurement which is accommodated directly in the chamber (6)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The appliance (1) has a vane wheel for flow measurement, and a first shell (3) and a second shell forming a common chamber (6) in which the vane wheel is directly accommodated. Inlet- and/or outlet passages (7, 8) are fluid-conductively connected with the chamber. The inlet- and/or outlet passages have a first portion (11) whose cross-section wall (13) is formed by both the shells, and a second portion (12) whose cross-section wall (21) is formed by only one of the two shells. The first shell comprising the second portion is manufactured by an injection molding process. An independent claim is also included for a method for manufacturing a household appliance.