Dryer Additive Dispensing Synchronized with Washer Cycle Completion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often forget to transfer laundry from the washing machine to the dryer promptly, leading to damp clothes remaining in the washing machine for extended periods, which can result in undesirable odors due to bacterial growth, and existing solutions require manual addition of dryer additives that are not always effective or properly dosed.
Innovation Solution
A dryer appliance with an additive dispensing assembly and controller that communicates with the washing machine to initiate a dry cycle and dispense dryer additives based on the washing machine's operation end time, ensuring timely and variable additive application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If users manually add dryer additives to each drying load, then odor control may be achieved, but user convenience deteriorates and dosing precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer appliance automatically detects when a washing machine cycle completes and autonomously dispenses the appropriate amount of additive without requiring user intervention. The system self-monitors the delay time and self-adjusts the dispensing quantity, eliminating the need for manual user action while maintaining effective odor control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system receives feedback from the washing machine about cycle completion and uses this information to trigger additive dispensing. The controller monitors the time delay between washing and drying cycles and adjusts dispensing accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that responds to actual conditions rather than relying on user estimation.
2Ease of operation
If users add additives once prior to starting a dry cycle, then operation simplicity is improved, but additive effectiveness deteriorates due to improper timing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of washing machine cycle completion and calculates the required additive amount in advance, then dispenses the additive at the optimal moment before the drying cycle begins. This preliminary action ensures both operational simplicity and timing accuracy by automating the entire process from detection to dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of users adding additives is replaced with an automated electronic control system that communicates with the washing machine, calculates timing, and triggers additive dispensing mechanically or electronically, ensuring precise timing without user involvement.
3Ease of operation
If users estimate or guess the appropriate amount of additive, then ease of operation is improved, but dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system receives precise feedback data from the washing machine about the wash cycle characteristics and uses this information to calculate the exact additive amount needed. The controller processes this feedback to determine the precise dosing quantity based on the actual delay time and load conditions, eliminating user estimation errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the dosing parameter dynamically based on the measured delay time between washing and drying cycles. Rather than using a fixed user-estimated amount, the controller adjusts the additive quantity parameter according to the actual conditions detected, ensuring precise dosing that adapts to each specific situation.
Data Source
AI summary
A dryer appliance may include a cabinet, a drum, an additive dispensing assembly, and a controller. The drum may define a drying chamber for receipt of clothes for drying. The additive dispensing assembly may be positioned within the cabinet and configured to selectively provide a dryer additive to the drying chamber. The controller may be in operable communication with the additive dispensing assembly. The controller may be configured to initiate a drying operation. The drying operation may include obtaining washer operating parameters from a washing machine appliance, determining an occurrence end time of a washing operation occurrence based on obtaining washer operating parameter, initiating a dry cycle for a laundry load following obtaining the washer operating parameters, and directing a supplemental dispensing action of the dryer additive at the additive dispensing assembly based on the occurrence end time of the washing operation occurrence.