Drum Balancing Units With Continuous Power Contact for Vibration Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses face challenges in actively eliminating drum unbalance during rotation, particularly in transient vibration states and in immediately correcting unbalanced conditions, due to limitations in existing balancer technologies.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus equipped with at least two independently moving balancing units within a housing secured to the drum, powered through dedicated power lines, which includes a power supply system allowing continuous power contact and a controller to actively move the balancing units to attenuate unbalance, ensuring dynamic balance during rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ball balancers or fluid balancers are used, then the drum can be balanced under steady state vibration, but the balancer cannot actively eliminate unbalance in transient vibration states or immediately correct unbalanced conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple balancing units with different natural frequencies that can be selectively activated based on the vibration state. During transient vibration, units with higher natural frequencies are activated to provide immediate counterbalancing action, while during steady state, units with lower natural frequencies maintain balance. This dynamic selection of balancing units enables both rapid response and effective balance maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The balancer is divided into multiple independent balancing units, each capable of operating autonomously. Each unit contains a balancing mass that can be independently positioned to counteract unbalance forces. This segmentation allows different units to respond to different vibration frequencies and states simultaneously, providing both immediate transient response and sustained steady-state balance.
2Reliability
If multiple independently moving balancing units are used to actively eliminate unbalance, then transient vibration and immediate unbalance correction are improved, but the complexity of the power supply system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple balancing units share a common power supply system rather than each unit having a separate power source. The power supply unit is designed to simultaneously power all balancing units through a unified electrical connection scheme. This merging approach reduces the overall complexity compared to having independent power supplies for each unit, while still enabling all units to operate concurrently for effective unbalance elimination.
Solution Approach 2:
The power supply unit is designed as a universal system that can supply power to any combination of balancing units based on operational requirements. It can power one unit, multiple units, or all units simultaneously, providing flexible power distribution that simplifies the overall system architecture while supporting active unbalance elimination across different vibration states.
3Extent of automation
If continuous power supply to moving balancing units is ensured through housing power lines, then active unbalance elimination is enabled, but the reliability of power contact during drum rotation must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The housing power line acts as an intermediary electrical connection between the stationary power supply unit and the rotating balancing units. It is designed to maintain continuous electrical contact despite the rotational movement of the drum, providing reliable power transmission to the moving balancing units throughout their entire rotation cycle, thereby enabling consistent active unbalance elimination.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a laundry treatment apparatus. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a drum rotatably placed in a cabinet defining an external appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus, a housing secured to the drum, a receiving space defined in the housing, a balancing unit movably received in the receiving space, a housing power line installed in the receiving space to extend in a movement path of the balancing unit, the housing power line coming into contact with the balancing unit, and a power supply unit to supply power to the balancing unit through the housing power line.