Laundry treatment apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses face challenges in actively and immediately resolving unbalanced states of rotating drums, particularly during transient vibrations, and struggle to address unbalances on both transverse and longitudinal planes effectively.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus with multiple balancers spaced at regular intervals around the drum, each divided into front and rear chambers for liquid accommodation, and a channel unit for guiding liquid to these chambers, along with a supply unit that can concurrently or selectively supply liquid to both channels, actively addresses unbalances by inclining the drum and strategically positioning liquid to counteract unbalanced laundry distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ball balancers or fluid balancers are used to control unbalanced state by moving ball or fluid toward the lowest point of rotational orbit, then steady state vibration can be controlled within predetermined range, but transient vibration before steady state is reached cannot be effectively resolved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by proactively supplying liquid to balancers before the drum reaches steady state rotation. The control unit detects drum rotation and supplies liquid to balancers at specific rotation angles (e.g., 0-90 degrees or 0-180 degrees) during the transient phase, rather than waiting for steady state to be established. This preemptive liquid supply counteracts unbalance forces during the critical transient period when conventional balancers are ineffective.
2Reliability
If conventional balancers are used to resolve unbalanced state, then some vibration control is achieved, but immediate and active resolution of unbalance cannot be accomplished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydraulics by using liquid (water or other fluids) supplied through channels to balancers fixed to the drum. The liquid supply unit delivers liquid to specific balancers based on detected unbalance conditions, and the liquid's weight provides immediate counterbalancing force. This hydraulic approach enables rapid adjustment of mass distribution compared to mechanical ball balancers that rely on slow ball movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using a detection unit (such as vibration sensors or unbalance detection devices) to continuously monitor drum rotation and identify unbalanced states. The control unit receives this feedback information and automatically adjusts liquid supply to appropriate balancers in real-time, creating a closed-loop control system that rapidly responds to and resolves unbalance conditions.
3Reliability
If balancers are incorporated into the drum structure, then unbalance control is possible, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the drum's balancing function into multiple discrete balancers positioned at different locations around the drum (e.g., at 0, 120, and 240 degree intervals). Each balancer can be independently controlled by the liquid supply unit, allowing targeted balancing of specific unbalance conditions. This modular segmentation simplifies the control strategy compared to a single complex balancing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves universality by designing a liquid supply system that can serve multiple balancers through a single centralized supply unit. The same liquid supply mechanism can distribute liquid to any or all balancers based on real-time unbalance detection, making the system versatile and adaptable to different unbalance scenarios without requiring separate control systems for each balancer.
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 resolves unbalanced rotation by actively supplying liquid to the drum's balancers, minimizing vibration and noise, and addressing unbalances on both transverse and longitudinal planes, thereby improving the stability and efficiency of the laundry treatment process.
Implementation Method 1
When a drum rotates in an unbalanced state, vibration is generated. The vibration of the drum is transmitted to a tub or a cabinet and generates noise. Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses are typically equipped with a balancer to resolve an unbalanced state of a drum. Balancers incorporated in such conventional laundry treatment apparatuses include ball balancers or fluid balancers in which a ball or fluid is contained in a housing fixed to a drum.
Implementation Method 2
When a drum is in the unbalanced state, the drum exhibits the highest rotational speed when laundry incurring the unbalanced state passes through the lowest point of the rotational orbit of the drum and exhibits the lowest rotational speed when laundry incurring the unbalanced state passes through the highest point of the rotational orbit of the drum. Therefore, a ball balancer or a fluid balancer incorporated in conventional laundry treatment apparatuses controls an unbalanced state by moving a ball or fluid toward the lowest point of a rotational orbit of a drum when laundry incurring the unbalanced state moves toward the highest point of the rotational orbit of the drum.
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
A laundry treatment apparatus (100) including at least three balancers (55) fixed to a drum (3) such that they are spaced apart from one another at regular angular intervals around a rotational center of the drum (3), each of the at least three balancers (55) being divided into a front chamber (F) close to the front side of the drum (3) and a rear chamber (R) close to a rear side of the drum (3) for accommodation of liquid and including a guide channel member for guiding liquid to the rear chamber (R), a channel unit comprising a first channel member for supplying liquid to the front chambers (F) of the balancers (55) and a second channel member for supplying liquid to the guide channel members of the balancers (55), and a supply unit capable of concurrently supplying liquid to both the first and second channel members or of selectively supplying liquid to one of the first and second channel members is disclosed.