Dual-Door Lock System for Vibration-Isolated Washing Machine Tub
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines transmit vibration and noise from the tub to the cabinet due to the rotational force of the drum, leading to unpleasant user experience and reduced tub capacity, necessitating an improved door-opening and closing structure to prevent this transmission.
Innovation Solution
The washing machine incorporates a cabinet door lock and a tub door lock system, where the tub door lock is activated or released based on the cabinet door's open or closed state, using a solenoid, tensile cable, and rotating hook mechanism to ensure synchronized opening and closing of both doors, eliminating the need for a gasket and enhancing tub capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gasket is used to ensure water seal between cabinet and tub, then water leakage is prevented, but vibration and noise are transmitted from tub to cabinet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the gasket from the system entirely, replacing it with a door-based sealing mechanism. The cabinet door and tub door with their respective seals create water tightness without the gasket that transmits vibration, thus extracting the harmful vibration transmission pathway while maintaining water seal functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the single cabinet door into two separate doors: a cabinet door for the cabinet and a tub door for the tub. This segmentation allows independent control and sealing of each opening, enabling the tub door to remain closed during operation to block vibration transmission while the cabinet door can be opened for loading/unloading.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cabinet door and tub door are separately constructed to prevent vibration transmission, then vibration isolation is improved, but door operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control of two doors into a single integrated door assembly. The cabinet door and tub door are structurally integrated such that opening or closing the cabinet door automatically controls the tub door state, simplifying user operation while maintaining vibration isolation benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the integrated door structure with interconnected seals and locking systems) that coordinates the operation of both doors. This intermediary ensures that when the cabinet door is opened, the tub door remains sealed, and vice versa, automatically managing the complex coordination without requiring separate user actions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the tub door is separately locked to prevent vibration transmission, then vibration isolation is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the door system automatically manages its own locking and sealing states. When the cabinet door is opened or closed, the tub door automatically responds by locking or unlocking through an interconnected mechanism, eliminating the need for separate manual locking operations by the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-configuring the door assembly with interconnected locking mechanisms that automatically engage or disengage based on the state of either door. This preliminary setup ensures that vibration isolation is maintained without requiring active user intervention during operation.
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 reduces vibration and noise transmission to the cabinet, facilitates easier door operation, increases tub capacity, and ensures the tub door is closed in response to the cabinet door, enhancing user experience and machine performance.
Implementation Method 1
a solenoid, tensile cable, and rotating hook mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a laundry device provided with: a cabinet which includes a front cabinet having a cabinet input hole formed therein; a tub which is installed inside the cabinet and has a tub input hole positioned on an extension line of the cabinet input hole; a cabinet door which is installed in the cabinet and opens and closes the cabinet input hole; a tub door which is installed in the tub and opens and closes the tub input hole; a cabinet door lock which senses whether the cabinet door is open or closed, as well as sets the lock state of the cabinet door; and a tub door lock which sets the lock state of the tub door according to whether the cabinet door is open or closed.