Fluid-filled balance ring for a washing machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional balance rings for washing machines with internal ribs, baffles, and fins are difficult to design and manufacture, leading to high engineering costs and user dissatisfaction due to off-balanced loads causing vibrations and incomplete laundry cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A fluid-filled balance ring with a tubular, ring-like shape and a single uninterrupted annular chamber filled with a fluid of viscosity between 90 and 10,000 centipoise, eliminating the need for internal ribs, baffles, and fins, which simplifies design and manufacturing while maintaining counterbalancing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional balance rings with internal ribs, baffles, and fins are used, then counterbalancing performance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex internal ribs, baffles, and fins from the balance ring structure, extracting only the essential fluid-filled annular chamber that is needed for counterbalancing functionality. This simplification maintains the core counterbalancing performance while eliminating unnecessary structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a fluid-filled annular chamber as the core mechanism for counterbalancing. The fluid (with viscosity between 90 and 10,000 centipoise) within the rotating annular chamber provides the necessary counterbalancing force through hydraulic principles, replacing the need for complex mechanical internal structures.
2Reliability
If traditional balance rings with baffles are designed, then counterbalancing performance is improved, but engineering cost and design time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the time-consuming baffle design and manufacturing process by extracting this component entirely from the balance ring structure. The simplified annular chamber design requires no complex geometric calculations or precise alignment procedures, significantly reducing engineering time and costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies a viscosity range (90-10,000 centipoise) for the fluid in the annular chamber, providing a parameter-based solution that achieves counterbalancing performance without requiring complex structural parameters like baffle geometry and orientation.
3Reliability
If traditional balance rings with multiple baffles are used, then counterbalancing performance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the baffles entirely from the balance ring structure, eliminating the manufacturing precision challenges associated with baffle alignment. The simple annular chamber can be manufactured with standard tolerances without requiring precise angular or positional alignment of internal components.
4Reliability
If traditional balance rings are manufactured, then counterbalancing performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex internal structures (ribs, baffles, fins) from the balance ring, leaving only a simple annular chamber that can be manufactured using conventional, cost-effective processes. This dramatically improves ease of manufacture while maintaining the essential counterbalancing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies a viscosity range (90-10,000 centipoise) for the fluid in the annular chamber, providing a parameter-based solution that achieves counterbalancing performance without requiring complex structural parameters like baffle geometry and orientation.
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 fluid-filled balance ring effectively counteracts off-balanced loads, reducing vibrations and ensuring thorough laundry cleaning without the design and manufacturing complexities of traditional balance rings, achieving a comparable success rate while reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid in the first annular chamber has a viscosity of at least 90 centipoise
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine includes a washing machine housing, a wash unit tub, a drum and a first fluid-filled balance ring. The washing machine housing has an opening. The wash unit tub is mounted within the washing machine housing. The drum is rotatable within the wash unit tub. The drum includes a laundry compartment with an open end that is bounded by a rim of the drum. The first fluid-filled balance ring is mounted to the rim of the drum and rotates with the drum to counteract an off-balance load in the laundry compartment of the drum. The first fluid-filled balance ring has a tubular, ring-like shape with a first annular chamber that is sealed and partially filled with a fluid. The fluid in the first annular chamber has a viscosity of at least 90 centipoise.