Eccentric-Protrusion Dishwasher Spray Arm Power Transfer Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers face challenges in efficiently rotating the spray arm without a separate driving mechanism, leading to reduced washing efficiency and potential clogging due to foreign substances.
Innovation Solution
The dishwasher incorporates a spray arm assembly with a fixed gear unit, a rotary gear unit, and a link member, where the rotary gear unit engages with the fixed gear unit to rotate the auxiliary arms, utilizing the repulsive force generated by water spray to rotate the main arm, and an elastic unit to ensure gear coupling and prevent non-rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate driving mechanism is used to rotate the spray arm, then the rotation control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spray arm assembly serves itself by utilizing the kinetic energy of water flow to rotate the spray arm. The water jet strikes the spray arm blades, generating rotational motion without requiring an external motor or driving mechanism. This self-service approach eliminates complex driving components while maintaining effective spray arm rotation for washing operations.
2Device complexity
If water spray repulsive force is used to rotate the main arm, then the need for a separate driving source is eliminated, but the reliability may be reduced due to potential clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the driving function from the water flow system by using water merely for cleaning purposes while a separate elastic unit provides the rotational drive. The elastic unit stores and releases energy to rotate the spray arm independently, preventing clogging issues from affecting the driving mechanism while maintaining the simplicity of eliminating a motor.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic unit acts as a cushioning element that stores energy in advance and releases it to maintain continuous rotation. This beforehand cushioning ensures that even if water flow is interrupted or clogged, the elastic unit can sustain the rotational motion, thereby improving reliability while maintaining device simplicity.
3Reliability
If gear coupling force is maintained through hydraulic pressure, then the gear engagement reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hydraulic pressure function with the existing water flow system. The same water that flows through the spray arm for cleaning purposes also generates hydraulic pressure to maintain gear coupling. This combining of functions eliminates the need for a separate hydraulic system while ensuring reliable gear engagement for the transmission mechanism.
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 design enhances washing efficiency by rotating the spray arm using the repulsive force of water spray, eliminating the need for a separate driving source and ensuring continuous operation despite potential clogging, while maintaining gear coupling force through hydraulic pressure.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing the repulsive force generated by water spray to rotate the main arm
Implementation Method 2
an elastic unit to ensure gear coupling and prevent non-rotation
Implementation Method 3
maintaining gear coupling force through hydraulic pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher may include a tub configured to accommodate one or more items to be washed, a spray arm rotatably mounted to the tub, and configured to spray water onto the one or more items to be washed, a sump disposed at a bottom surface of the tub and configured to store water and to supply stored water to the spray arm, a fixed gear unit fixed to the tub with gear teeth arranged along an outer circumferential surface of the fixed gear unit, a rotary gear unit rotatably mounted on the spray arm and configured to engage the gear teeth of the fixed gear unit, and a link member connected to the rotary gear unit and the spray arm, where the spray arm may include, a main arm with a pair of arms, and a pair of auxiliary arms rotatably connected to the main arm.