Drawer Laundry Cabinet Stabilization With Counterweight Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Front-loading laundry treating devices with drawer types face instability due to the movement of the drawer's center of gravity when pulled out for washing or drying, leading to inclining issues.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating apparatus with a cabinet, a drawer, and a transfer part that includes a magnetic force detecting unit and a drum drive unit, where the drawer is maintained at a preset reference distance and only activated when a separate laundry treatment device is seated on the top surface, ensuring stability and preventing inclining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drawer type laundry treating device is used to raise the entrance height for user convenience, then the ease of operation is improved, but the stability of the device deteriorates due to center of gravity movement when the drawer is pulled out
Solution Approach 1:
A counterweight is provided in the cabinet that moves in the opposite direction to the drawer when it is pulled out or pushed in. This counterweight mechanism balances the center of gravity of the entire device, preventing the cabinet from inclining toward the drawer pull-out direction and maintaining stability while preserving the ease of operation benefits
2Adaptability or versatility
If the drawer is pulled out for washing or drying laundry, then the functionality is improved, but the device inclines toward the drawer pull-out direction causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The counterweight moves in opposition to the drawer's movement, compensating for the shift in center of gravity that occurs during drawer pull-out or push-in operations. This maintains the device's stability while allowing full functionality of the drawer for washing and drying laundry
3Productivity
If the drum drive unit is activated without verifying device stability, then the productivity is improved, but the device may incline causing operational issues
Solution Approach 1:
A detection device detects whether the drawer is in the pulled-out state, and the control unit uses this feedback information to determine whether to activate the drum drive unit. This ensures the device is in a stable configuration before operation, preventing inclining issues while maintaining productivity through automated control
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
The apparatus effectively stabilizes the drawer type laundry treating device by ensuring it remains upright when in use, allowing for efficient washing or drying operations without the risk of inclining, and only activates the drum drive unit when a separate device is properly seated on the top surface.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet provided to one of the drawer and the cabinet, a magnetic force detecting unit provided to the other one of the drawer and the cabinet to detect a magnetic force of the magnet
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for treating laundry includes a cabinet having a top surface providing a space for seating an object therein, a front surface provided with a first perforated hole and a second perforated hole and a top surface perforated hole configured to perforating the top surface, a drawer drawable from the cabinet through the first perforated hole, a drum rotatably provided within the drawer to provide a space for storing the laundry therein, a slide exposed to the front surface of the cabinet through the second perforated hole to maintain a state that the drawer is drawn from the cabinet in a preset reference distance, and a transfer part exposed to the top surface of the cabinet through the top surface perforated hole so as to move the slide into the cabinet if an object is seated on the top surface.