Laundry treatment apparatus and method of controlling the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treatment apparatuses using induction heating face inefficiencies and safety concerns due to overheating issues with lifters, particularly in drum designs where lifters are exposed to direct heating, leading to energy loss and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus that controls the induction module's output based on the sensed or estimated position of the lifter, reducing heat generation in lifter-mounted areas and ensuring uniform heating by varying the heating temperature across the drum's surface, thereby preventing overheating and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If induction heating is applied to the drum, then heating efficiency is improved, but the lifter may overheat and be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different heating strategies to different regions of the drum. The control unit identifies the lifter region and applies reduced heating power to that specific area while maintaining normal heating power in other regions. This localized quality adjustment allows the system to achieve overall heating efficiency while protecting the lifter from overheating damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the heating power based on the real-time position of the lifter. The control unit continuously monitors drum rotation and modifies the induction heating output accordingly - reducing power when the lifter is in the heating zone and restoring full power when it rotates away. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining heating efficiency and preventing lifter damage.
2Reliability
If the lifter position is monitored to prevent overheating, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the control unit receives signals about the lifter's position (from sensors or rotation monitoring) and adjusts the induction heating power accordingly. This feedback loop enables automatic safety protection without requiring complex manual intervention systems. The control unit processes the position information and dynamically modulates heating output to prevent lifter overheating while maintaining simple overall system architecture.
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
This solution effectively prevents lifter overheating, reduces energy loss, and maintains stability while minimizing changes to the drum and lifter shapes, ensuring efficient and safe operation by optimizing heat transfer and distribution.
Implementation Method 1
an induction module spaced apart from a circumferential surface of the drum and configured to generate a magnetic field by current flow in a coil
Implementation Method 2
heating the circumferential surface of the drum by the magnetic field
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a laundry treatment apparatus, which directly heats a drum accommodating laundry therein, and which is enhanced in efficiency and safety. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a drum formed of a metal material and provided to accommodate laundry therein, an induction module spaced apart from a circumferential surface of the drum and provided to heat the circumferential surface of the drum via a magnetic field that is generated when current is applied to a coil, a lifter provided in the drum to move the laundry inside the drum when the drum rotates, and a module controller configured to control an output of the induction module so as to control an amount of heat generated from the circumferential surface of the drum. The module controller variably controls the amount of heat that is generated based on a change in a position of the lifter that occurs when the drum rotates.