Floating Suds Vent Design for Compact Laundry Appliance Space
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treating appliances face inefficiencies and potential shutdowns due to over-sudsing, which causes excessive friction and can lead to suds contacting electrical components, especially when there is insufficient space for traditional suds expulsion systems.
Innovation Solution
A suds expulsion assembly comprising a suds tube and suds vent, where the suds tube is fluidly coupled to the tub and the suds vent is fixed to the cabinet, forming a gap between them to facilitate a continuous stream of suds to be expelled externally, thereby avoiding contact with internal components and maintaining appliance operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional suds expulsion system is used, then suds can be expelled from the appliance, but the system requires sufficient space that is not available in compact designs
Solution Approach 1:
The suds tube is nested within the existing appliance structure, positioned between the tub and cabinet walls. The suds vent is integrated into the cabinet wall with an aperture that receives the suds tube outlet. This nesting approach allows the suds expulsion system to occupy minimal space while maintaining effectiveness, solving the contradiction between expulsion reliability and compact space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The suds expulsion system utilizes the vertical dimension by positioning the suds tube outlet above the suds vent aperture, creating a gap that allows suds to flow downward. This dimensional arrangement enables efficient suds expulsion without requiring additional horizontal space, resolving the space constraint in compact appliance designs.
2Device complexity
If suds are not expelled effectively, then the appliance structure remains simple, but excessive friction and electrical contact issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The suds expulsion function is extracted from the main appliance body and implemented through a dedicated suds tube and suds vent assembly. The suds tube is fluidly coupled to the tub to receive suds, and the suds vent is fixed to the cabinet with an aperture that expels suds externally. This extraction creates a simple, dedicated pathway for suds removal that prevents friction and electrical contact issues without complicating the overall appliance structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The suds tube acts as an intermediary component that bridges the tub interior and the external environment. It receives suds from the tub through fluid coupling and transports them to the suds vent aperture, preventing direct contact between suds and electrical components while maintaining a simple system architecture.
3Volume of moving object
If the suds vent is positioned close to the suds tube, then the system is compact, but suds may contact internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The suds vent aperture is positioned and sized in advance to receive the suds tube outlet with a predetermined gap. This preliminary positioning ensures that suds flow through the gap and are expelled externally before they can contact internal components. The aperture dimensions are carefully selected to maintain the necessary spacing for reliable suds expulsion while keeping the overall system compact.
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
The solution effectively expels suds from the appliance, preventing friction and electrical contact issues, ensuring efficient operation and reliability even in compact designs where traditional expulsion systems are not feasible.
Implementation Method 1
The suds vent may be spaced apart from the suds tube to form a gap between the suds tube and the suds vent. The suds vent may form an aperture that may be configured to receive the continuous stream of suds from the suds expulsion member and vent the continuous stream of suds away from an inner surface of the cabinet.
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating appliance including a cabinet, a tub, a drum, a suds tube, and a suds vent. The tub is disposed in the cabinet and configured to receive water and detergent. The drum is disposed in the tub and configured to receive the water and the detergent from the tub. The suds tube is fluidly coupled to the tub and configured to receive suds generated by the water and detergent. The suds vent includes a proximal portion disposed between the cabinet and the tub. The suds vent is configured to receive the suds from the suds tube and the suds vent is spaced apart from the suds tube to form a gap between the suds tube and the suds vent.