Humidity Sensor Water Temperature Evaluation for Laundry Appliances
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry appliances often receive water at incorrect temperatures due to user errors or equipment failures, leading to degraded performance and user dissatisfaction, as they lack effective methods to ensure water is within the target temperature range during wash cycles.
Innovation Solution
A laundry appliance equipped with a humidity sensor and a controller that monitors the chamber humidity, determines if it matches the anticipated humidity based on the water supply valve settings, and takes corrective action to adjust water temperature by adjusting the water supply valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a temperature sensor is installed to directly measure water temperature, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses humidity as an intermediary parameter to indirectly measure water temperature. Instead of directly measuring temperature with a temperature sensor, the system measures chamber humidity and uses the relationship between humidity and temperature to determine water temperature, thus avoiding the need for direct temperature sensing while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional temperature sensing mechanism with a humidity sensing mechanism. By substituting the temperature sensor with a humidity sensor and using humidity measurements to infer temperature conditions, the system achieves temperature evaluation without the complexity of direct temperature measurement hardware
2Reliability
If no temperature verification is performed, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of wash cycle performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the controller continuously monitors chamber humidity and compares it against expected humidity values for proper water temperature conditions. When humidity deviates from expected ranges, the system can trigger alerts or corrective actions, ensuring reliable wash cycle performance through continuous verification without requiring complex temperature measurement hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing humidity sensor and environmental conditions within the washing machine chamber to self-verify water temperature adequacy. Rather than requiring an external temperature measurement system, the appliance uses its own operational environment and existing sensors to perform self-diagnosis of water temperature conditions
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
Ensures that wash cycles are performed with water at the correct temperature, preventing performance degradation and enhancing user satisfaction by accurately identifying and responding to temperature discrepancies.
Implementation Method 1
a humidity sensor positioned within the chamber for detecting a chamber humidity
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry appliance includes a basket rotatably mounted within a cabinet and defining a chamber configured for receiving a load of clothes, a water supply valve for regulating a flow of water into the chamber, and a humidity sensor positioned within the cabinet for monitoring a chamber humidity. A controller is configured to determine that the water supply valve is open to permit the flow of water into the chamber, identify an anticipated humidity within the chamber based at least in part on the water supply valve being open, obtain the chamber humidity using the humidity sensor, and implementing a responsive action if the chamber humidity does not correspond to the anticipated humidity.