Dishwasher Power Isolation With External Cycle Completion Display
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Household appliances, such as dishwashers, continue to consume energy after completing a treatment cycle due to remaining connected to the power supply until manually deactivated, leading to increased energy consumption in the annual energy balance sheet.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating switching means that automatically isolate the appliance from the power supply network after a treatment cycle, allowing for a signal to be transmitted to an external display to indicate cycle completion, thereby reducing energy consumption by disconnecting power supply before user intervention is required, and utilizing a self-holding contact circuit with a bistable relay to ensure complete decoupling from the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the household appliance remains connected to the power supply network after completion of a treatment cycle, then the user can manually deactivate the appliance, but energy consumption increases due to standby losses
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance automatically isolates itself from the power supply network after treatment cycle completion without requiring user intervention. The control device detects cycle completion and activates switching means to disconnect power, making the system self-managing regarding power isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device prepares for automatic isolation by generating isolation signals in advance before the actual power disconnect occurs. This preliminary action ensures that the appliance is ready to disconnect immediately upon cycle completion, minimizing standby energy loss while maintaining operational readiness.
2Loss of energy
If the appliance is automatically isolated from the power supply network after treatment cycle completion, then energy consumption is reduced, but the user may not receive timely notification of cycle completion
Solution Approach 1:
An external display device serves as an intermediary between the appliance and the user. The control device transmits cycle completion signals via transmission interface to this external display, which then notifies the user visually. This allows the appliance to remain isolated from power while still communicating status information to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/local display system with an electronic transmission and external display system. Instead of relying on local visual indicators that require power, the system uses electronic signal transmission (e.g., radio, WLAN, Bluetooth, Powerline) to communicate with an external display device that can show notifications without consuming appliance power.
3Loss of information
If visual display means remain activated after treatment cycle completion, then the user can see the end of program indication, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display function is extracted from the appliance itself and placed in an external display device. The control device sends signals via transmission interface to the external display, which then shows the end of program indication. This separation allows the display to function independently without consuming appliance power after isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The information displayed on the appliance's local display is copied and transmitted to an external display device. The external display receives and reproduces the cycle completion notification, allowing the user to view the same information without the original display consuming power on the isolated appliance.
Data Source
AI summary
A household appliance, in particular a household dishwasher, includes an external display, a transmission interface connected for signal transmission to the external display, and a power supply network for supply of electrical energy. The household appliance is isolated from the power supply network after completion of a treatment cycle, and the transmission interface is configured to transmit a signal to activate the external display to display at least the completion of the treatment cycle before the household appliance is isolated from the power supply network.