Drawer-type laundry treating device and composite washing machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing drawer-type washing machines are inconvenient to operate due to the need for manual opening and closing of the door, which also leads to a reduced sealing effect over time due to frequent friction between the door and the box body.

Innovation Solution

A drawer-type laundry treating device with a mechanical transmission system that includes a moving body and a movable plate, where the plate vertically moves to expose or seal a cavity through horizontal movement of the body, using gear and chain transmission mechanisms to ensure a tight seal and reduce manual operation inconvenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a dedicated door is provided for the drawer-type washing device, then the inlet position is elevated and user operation is facilitated, but the door needs to be manually opened and closed twice which brings inconvenience and causes frequent friction affecting sealing effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser operation convenienceVSAvoiddoor operation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the door opening/closing operation with the drawer extension/retraction operation. When the drawer is extended outward, the door automatically opens; when the drawer is retracted inward, the door automatically closes. This merging of operations eliminates the need for separate manual door operations, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The door system is designed to open and close automatically through the mechanical transmission portion that couples door movement to drawer movement. The system serves itself by using the drawer's own movement to drive the door operation, eliminating the need for additional manual intervention and reducing wear from frequent independent door operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If a dedicated door is provided for the drawer-type washing device, then the inlet position is elevated and user operation is facilitated, but frequent opening and closing causes frequent friction between the door and box body affecting sealing effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser operation convenienceVSAvoidsealing effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By merging door operation with drawer operation, the system reduces the number of separate door cycles. The door only opens when laundry needs to be loaded/unloaded (when drawer is extended), and only closes when drawer is retracted, minimizing unnecessary friction cycles and preserving sealing reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The automatic door operation system reduces manual handling and associated friction. The mechanical transmission ensures smooth, controlled movement that minimizes impact and friction between door and box body, maintaining sealing effect over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the movable plate is made to seal the cavity tightly, then water leakage is prevented, but the mechanical transmission system becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater leakage preventionVSAvoidmechanical transmission complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is merged with the existing mechanical transmission system. The movable plate's sealing action is integrated into the same gear and chain transmission that controls door and drawer movement, rather than adding a separate sealing mechanism. This maintains water leakage prevention while avoiding additional complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing system utilizes the motion already generated by the mechanical transmission. The movable plate is driven by the same transmission components to achieve sealing, allowing the system to serve multiple functions (door operation, drawer operation, and sealing) through a single transmission mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 solution provides a convenient and efficient way to load and unload laundry by exposing a larger cavity area and dynamically adjusts the seal to maintain effective closure even with wear, preventing water leakage and ensuring proper ventilation and heat exchange during washing and drying.

Implementation Method 1

The mechanical transmission portion comprises a mechanical transmission portion based on gear transmission

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGear transmission: Gear

Implementation Method 2

a mechanical transmission portion based on chain transmission

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChain transmission: Chain

Data Source

PatentEP3812503B1Drawer-type laundry treating device and composite washing machine
Publication Date: 2023.12.06 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3812503B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3812503B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3812503B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A drawer-type laundry treating device (100) and a composite washing machine. The drawer-type laundry treating device includes a fixed portion (101) and a moving portion (102). The fixed portion (101) is adapted to accommodate and support the moving portion (102), and the moving portion (102) is adapted to move at least partially outside the fixed portion (101) relative to the fixed portion (101). The moving portion (102) includes a body (103) with a cavity (104) and a movable plate (105) disposed above the body (103). The drawer-type laundry treating device includes a mechanical transmission portion (106) adapted to cause the movable plate (105) to vertically move upwards to expose the cavity (104) when the body (103) horizontally moves outwards relative to the fixed portion (101) and cause the movable plate (105) to vertically move downwards to seal the cavity (104) when the body (103) horizontally moves inwards relative to the fixed portion (101). The embodiments of this application can increase a cross-sectional area for putting in or taking out laundry, avoid inconvenience caused by manually opening and closing the door when an existing drawer-type washing device is operated, and effectively seal the cavity.