Drawer and clothes treating machine including the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
In clothes treating machines, detergent or softener overflows from the manual supply unit can contaminate the inner space and spoil the appearance, as the existing designs lack effective mechanisms to prevent overflow and manage the storage of treatment agents efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A drawer design with a protruding portion that separates the storage unit from the housing accommodation part, featuring a fluid outlet port to direct overflows into the tub, and a support system to stabilize the treatment agent housing, preventing unnecessary movement and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If detergent or softener is supplied in advance to a storage container, then the user's convenience is enhanced, but the risk of overflow and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer is divided into separate compartments: a storage container accommodation space and a manual supply unit space. This segmentation prevents overflow from the manual supply unit from contaminating the storage container, while still allowing advance supply of detergent to the storage container for user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall is introduced as an intermediary structure between the storage container accommodation space and the manual supply unit. This partition acts as a barrier that prevents direct communication between the two spaces, thereby preventing contamination while maintaining the benefits of both advance supply and manual supply options.
2Device complexity
If the manual supply unit is made smaller to reduce volume, then the device complexity is reduced, but the risk of overflow into other spaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer is segmented into distinct spaces with a partition wall separating the manual supply unit from the storage container accommodation space. This segmentation allows the manual supply unit to be compact while preventing its overflow from affecting other spaces, as the partition creates isolated compartments.
3Device complexity
If the storage container and manual supply unit share the same space, then the device complexity is reduced, but the contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer interior is segmented into separate compartments using a partition wall. The storage container is accommodated in one compartment while the manual supply unit occupies another compartment. This spatial segmentation prevents contamination between the two units while maintaining efficient use of the drawer space.
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall serves as an intermediary structure that physically separates the storage container accommodation space from the manual supply unit space. This intermediary barrier prevents direct contact between potential overflow sources and storage areas, eliminating contamination risk while maintaining compact design.
Data Source
AI summary
A drawer of a clothes treating machine includes a drawer frame that extends in a lengthwise direction and defines an inner space, and a storage unit disposed in the inner space of the drawer frame and configured to accommodate a clothes treatment agent therein. The drawer frame includes a housing accommodation part that defines a space separated from the inner space, a clothes treatment agent housing that is configured to be inserted into the housing accommodation part, and a protruding portion that separates the housing accommodation part and the clothes treatment agent housing from each other.