Rotating Drum Lighting With Contactless Electromagnetic Power Feed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry machine drum lighting solutions are inefficient due to light intensity decrease with distance, energy wastage, and complexity in powering lighting devices within rotating drums, leading to reliability and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A contactless electromagnetic power feeding system transfers power from the machine's power source to lighting devices within the drum using transmitting and receiving coil elements, eliminating the need for mechanical connections and reducing component stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If lighting devices are arranged outside the drum, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the light intensity decreases with distance and energy wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical power transmission systems (brushes, contacts, sliding connections) with electromagnetic induction technology. A transmitting coil is mounted on the stationary drum support structure, while a receiving coil is mounted on the rotating drum. Power is transferred wirelessly through electromagnetic coupling between the coils, eliminating mechanical wear and ensuring reliable power supply to rotating lighting devices without energy loss from mechanical friction or contact degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from external lighting arrangement to internal lighting by placing lighting devices inside the drum cavity. This dimensional repositioning allows light sources to be closer to the laundry load, improving illumination effectiveness and reducing energy wastage while the electromagnetic power transmission system enables this internal placement without the constraints of mechanical power delivery.
2Illumination intensity
If lighting devices are arranged within the drum, then illumination effectiveness improves, but powering the devices becomes complex and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates complex mechanical power transmission systems by using electromagnetic induction. The transmitting coil on the stationary support and receiving coil on the rotating drum create a wireless power link that simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling reliable power delivery to internally mounted lighting devices, thus improving both illumination effectiveness and system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The electromagnetic field acts as an intermediary between the stationary power source and the rotating lighting devices. The transmitting coil generates an electromagnetic field that couples with the receiving coil on the drum, enabling power transfer without direct mechanical or electrical contact. This intermediary field-based transmission simplifies the power feeding system while maintaining reliability.
3Power
If mechanical connections are used to power lighting devices in the rotating drum, then power transmission is achieved, but component stress and wear increase leading to safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent completely replaces mechanical power transmission components (brushes, sliding contacts, rotary joints) with an electromagnetic induction system. The transmitting coil mounted on the stationary drum support and the receiving coil mounted on the rotating drum transfer power through electromagnetic coupling, eliminating all mechanical wear points and improving component durability and safety while maintaining effective power transmission to the lighting devices.
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 provides effective, reliable, and safe illumination of the drum interior with reduced energy wastage and component wear, enhancing user safety and machine reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a power feeding assembly associated with the encasing portion for power supplying said one or more lighting devices from outside of the drum, wherein the power feeding assembly comprises an electromagnetic apparatus arranged for power supplying, at least partially contactless, said one or more lighting devices
Implementation Method 2
the electromagnetic apparatus comprises a transmitting coil element arranged for generating an electromagnetic field, and a receiving coil element arranged for contactless receiving a second electric power corresponding to the transmitted first electric power when the transmitting coil element and the receiving coil element are in an electromagnetic coupling condition
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A laundry machine (100) is proposed. The laundry machine comprises a drum (115) for housing the laundry to be treated, an encasing portion (105,120) for encasing the drum (115), and a lighting apparatus (245) for illuminating the inside of the drum (115). The lighting apparatus (245) comprises one or more lighting devices (250) associated to the drum (115), and a power feeding assembly for power supplying said one or more lighting devices (250). In the solution according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the power feeding assembly comprises an electromagnetic apparatus (265) arranged for power supplying, at least partially contactless, said one or more lighting devices (250).