Dishwasher Multi-Stage Safety Catch for Accurate Door Status Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dishwasher technologies face issues with accurately determining the door status due to faulty tolerance settings in Hall effect sensors, leading to incorrect identification of the door being open or closed, which can result in operational errors and customer dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage or multi-stage safety catch mechanism associated with a lock and detected by acceleration sensors and gyroscopes ensures reliable door status detection by capturing dual or multiple peaks during door movement, filtering out interfering signals and providing a clear signal to the operating software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a Hall effect sensor is used to capture door status, then the door status can be detected, but incorrect door status identification occurs due to faulty tolerance settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the Hall effect sensor (electromagnetic field-based detection) with an acceleration sensor that detects mechanical movements and shocks. This substitution eliminates the tolerance setting issues inherent in magnetic field-based detection, as the acceleration sensor directly measures physical movements of the door and safety catch mechanism, providing more reliable door status identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a safety catch mechanism as an intermediary element between the door and the sensor system. The safety catch's traversal during door opening/closing provides a distinct mechanical event that the acceleration sensor can detect, serving as a reliable intermediary signal that clearly indicates door status changes without the ambiguity affecting direct sensor-to-door detection.
2Ease of operation
If the door status is detected using a sensor uncoupled from the movement-limiting element, then the door status can be identified, but incorrect signals are generated during mechanical shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the door status detection function with the safety catch mechanism, which is inherently coupled to the movement-limiting element (lock). By placing the acceleration sensor on the safety catch or door assembly and detecting the traversal of the safety catch, the system ensures that door status identification is directly coupled to the actual mechanical locking state, eliminating false signals during unrelated mechanical shocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety catch mechanism performs a preliminary mechanical action (traversal) during door opening/closing that precedes and indicates the final door status. The acceleration sensor detects this preliminary traversal event, providing advance confirmation of door status change before the door reaches its final position, thereby distinguishing true door status changes from subsequent mechanical shocks.
3Measurement precision
If a single-stage safety catch is used, then the door status can be detected, but interfering signals from mechanical shocks cannot be filtered out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the safety catch mechanism into multiple stages (first safety catch and second safety catch), each providing a distinct detection event. This segmentation creates multiple separate acceleration peaks during door operation, allowing the control unit to distinguish true door status changes from mechanical shocks by looking for the characteristic pattern of multiple sequential peaks rather than a single isolated signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-stage safety catch creates a periodic pattern of acceleration peaks during door opening/closing operations. The control unit is programmed to recognize this periodic pattern (first peak followed by second peak within a specific time interval), effectively filtering out non-periodic interference signals from mechanical shocks that do not follow this characteristic temporal pattern.
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 solution ensures accurate door status detection, preventing incorrect program termination and water supply interruptions, enhancing the reliability and customer satisfaction of the dishwasher by coupling the door status with the movement-limiting element, thus reducing errors and improving operational safety.
Implementation Method 1
The traversal of the two-stage or multi-stage safety catch can be captured via at least one acceleration sensor, with which the change in the orientation or the angular velocity co can be captured.
Implementation Method 2
A two-stage or multi-stage safety catch mechanism associated with a lock and detected by acceleration sensors and gyroscopes ensures reliable door status detection by capturing dual or multiple peaks during door movement.
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher, includes a dishwasher cavity for receiving an item to be washed. A door or flap is configured to close the dishwasher cavity and movable between an open and a closed position. Associated to the door or flap is a two-stage or multi-stage safety catch for transition between an open and a closed state of the door or flap. A device is provided to capture whether the door or flap is closed or open and to detect a traversal of the two-stage or multi-stage safety catch.