Drawer Washer Sealing and Water Routing for Ergonomic Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses, such as front-loading washing machines, require users to stoop to load or unload laundry, making the process inconvenient, and they often struggle with efficient water supply, discharge, and moisture management, leading to issues like water remaining in discharge units and moisture leakage.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus with a detachable second treatment unit that includes a retractable drawer, a tub with a rotating drum, and a sealing system to manage water supply and discharge, along with a recovery unit to condense and recycle moisture, ensuring easy operation and minimizing water retention and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a support platform is added to raise the introduction port height, then user convenience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the support platform function with a second laundry treatment apparatus (drawer-type washing machine) into a single integrated unit. The drawer unit serves both as structural support to raise the main apparatus to an ergonomic height and as a functional laundry treatment device, eliminating the need for a separate non-functional support platform while providing additional washing capacity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a retractable drawer with accommodation unit is provided, then laundry treatment functionality is improved, but water supply and discharge efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guider as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the retractable drawer and the water supply/discharge system. The guider includes rotatable bodies with channels that guide water flow and accommodate the drawer's movement, ensuring efficient water supply to and discharge from the accommodation unit while maintaining sealing during retraction and extension.
3Reliability
If a sealing unit is added to prevent water leakage, then water management reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible sealing components including a door seal that conformally seals the tub introduction port and a water supply seal within the guider that maintains sealing during relative movement. These flexible sealing elements prevent water leakage at critical interfaces without requiring complex rigid sealing mechanisms, achieving reliable water management through elastomeric or rubber-like materials that adapt to movement and pressure changes.
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 enhances user convenience by allowing easy loading and unloading of laundry at a comfortable height, improves water management by facilitating efficient supply and discharge, and reduces moisture leakage through condensation and recycling, thereby improving washing performance and preventing water retention issues.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing unit that is configured to provide a seal between the door and the tub introduction port
Implementation Method 2
an inclined portion provided at the tub and configured to guide washing water toward the open upper surface of the drum
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treatment apparatus is disclosed. A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet, a drawer retractably provided in the cabinet and defining an introduction port, a tub body provided in the drawer, the tub body defining a space for receiving washing water and having an open upper surface, a drum rotatably provided in the tub body, the drum defining a space for receiving laundry and having an open upper surface, a tub cover defining a tub introduction port that provides a passage from the introduction port to the drum, the tub cover being coupled to the upper surface of the tub body, a door rotatably hinged to the tub cover and configured to open and close the tub introduction port, and a sealing unit that is configured to provide a seal between the door and the tub introduction port.