Clothes treating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for coupling ball balancers with drums in clothes treating apparatuses are time-consuming and reduce productivity, as they require screw coupling, which increases the time needed for assembly and can lead to vibration and noise due to dynamic imbalance during drum rotation.
Innovation Solution
A hook-coupling mechanism is introduced, where the drum's circumferential surface is partially cut to form bent hook portions that are inserted into corresponding accommodating portions on the ball balancer, allowing for quick and secure fixation without screws, thereby preventing backward movement and maintaining dynamic balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw coupling is used to fix ball balancers to the drum, then the coupling force is strong and reliable, but the assembly time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is divided into two functional parts: hook portions formed on the drum's outer circumferential surface and hook accommodating portions on the ball balancer. This segmentation allows for rapid engagement while maintaining coupling strength, eliminating the need for time-consuming screw assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook portions are formed by cutting and bending the drum's outer circumferential surface itself, making the drum self-providing the coupling feature. This eliminates the need for separate coupling components and reduces assembly steps, improving productivity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple screws are used to couple ball balancers to the drum, then the coupling is secure and prevents movement, but the number of assembly steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hook portions and hook accommodating portions are designed to engage in a single integrated coupling action. This merging of coupling functions into one step reduces the number of assembly operations while ensuring secure attachment that prevents ball balancer movement during drum rotation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional screw coupling is used, then the coupling force is sufficient to prevent vibration and noise, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling features (hook portions) are extracted directly from the drum's outer circumferential surface through cutting and bending operations. This eliminates the need for separate coupling components and complex assembly processes while maintaining the coupling force necessary to prevent vibration and noise during operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a clothes treating apparatus (100), including a drum (110) having a hook portion (114) formed by cutting an outer circumferential surface thereof to be bent inwardly by an external force, and a ball balancer (120) having a hook accommodating portion (121) protruding from the outer circumferential surface to accommodate the hook portion (114) therein, wherein the hook portion (114) is bent to be closely adhered on the hook accommodating portion (121), and restricts a movement of the ball balancer (120) in a forward or backward direction of the drum (110) due to a rotation of the drum (110).