Helical Seam Design for Laundry Drum to Prevent Sudden Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional laundry appliances with straight-line seams in rotating components are prone to sudden separation during high-speed rotation, leading to potential damage from momentum impact on neighboring components.

Innovation Solution

A laundry appliance with a rotatable clothes vessel featuring a helical seam, formed by helically wrapping a rectangular strip of material to create a hoop with a seam that can gradually separate if necessary, reducing stress and improving durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a straight line axial seam is used in the rotating clothes vessel, then the manufacturing is simple and straightforward, but the seam may separate instantaneously during rotation causing momentum impact on neighboring components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseam construction simplicityVSAvoidseam separation control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The seam is configured in a helical pattern around the clothes vessel rather than as a straight axial line. This curved/helical geometry distributes stress differently and prevents instantaneous separation by creating a progressive separation path along the helix, reducing momentum impact on surrounding components while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard seaming processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Device complexity

If a straight line axial seam is used in the rotating clothes vessel, then the construction is straightforward, but sudden separation during high-speed rotation can impact neighboring components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseam configurationVSAvoidmomentum impact on components

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The helical seam configuration replaces the straight axial seam, creating a curved path that wraps around the clothes vessel. This curvature transforms the separation dynamics from a sudden linear event to a progressive helical unraveling, significantly reducing the momentum impact on neighboring components during high-speed rotation while adding minimal complexity to the overall design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If a helical seam is used in the rotating clothes vessel, then the seam separation is more gradual and controlled, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseam separation controlVSAvoidseam construction complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The helical seam is formed by wrapping the seam material in a spiral pattern around the clothes vessel during manufacturing. This can be achieved through conventional processes such as helical welding, helical stitching, or helical adhesive application, allowing the curved geometry to be created with standard equipment and techniques, thus limiting the increase in manufacturing complexity while achieving controlled progressive separation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS10738410B2Rotating component of a laundry appliance with a helical seam

Publication Date: 2020.08.11 HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

A laundry appliance defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction and a transverse direction that are mutually perpendicular to one another. The laundry appliance includes a cabinet defining an opening. A clothes vessel is rotatably mounted within the cabinet. The clothes vessel comprises a base and a hoop with a helical seam extending around the hoop. The clothes vessel is configured for receiving laundry articles to be rotated therein via the opening of the cabinet.