Laundry treatment appliance with coordinated drawing up of treatment agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry appliances with auto-dosing functionality often lead to uneven usage of treatment agents in multi-dose compartments, resulting in residues drying out and forming encrustations, which can cause operational issues and affect washing performance.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment appliance with a control unit that coordinates the drawing up of treatment agent doses from multiple compartments during a washing cycle, ensuring gradual concurrent emptying to prevent residue drying and encrustation, thereby maintaining appliance efficiency and washing effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If treatment agent doses are drawn up from multi-dose compartments sequentially (one compartment at a time), then the auto-dosing functionality is simplified, but residues dry out and form encrustations in unused compartments
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the treatment agent dispensing process by dividing it into multiple compartments (first and second compartments), each with its own pump device. This allows independent control and coordinated operation of multiple compartments to prevent residue encrustation while maintaining simplified auto-dosing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit coordinates the pump devices to draw up treatment agent doses from both compartments simultaneously or in alternating sequence during washing cycles, ensuring continuous usage of both compartments. This prevents residues from drying out and forming encrustations in unused compartments.
2Ease of operation
If one multi-dose compartment is used extensively while the other remains unused for long periods, then the dosage control is simplified, but encrustations form in the unused compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the usage status of both compartments and adjusts the dispensing strategy accordingly. By coordinating the pump devices to draw from both compartments in a balanced manner, the system ensures both compartments are used regularly, preventing encrustation formation while maintaining simple dosage control for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which compartment is used and when, based on coordinated control of multiple pump devices. This dynamic allocation ensures both compartments remain actively used rather than one being stagnant, preventing encrustation while keeping dosage control simple.
3Device complexity
If treatment agent residues remain in compartments for extended periods, then the system structure is simplified, but washing performance deteriorates due to encrustations
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit proactively coordinates the pump devices to draw up treatment agent doses from both compartments in a balanced sequence, preventing residues from remaining in any single compartment for extended periods. This preliminary coordinated action prevents encrustation formation before it can degrade washing performance.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A laundry treatment appliance (100) is proposed. The laundry treatment appliance (100) comprises: - a drawer comprising a first (2101) and a second (2101) compartments each one adapted to contain multiple doses of a treatment agent for laundry treatment, - first and second pump devices adapted to draw up treatment agent doses from the first (2101) and second (2102) compartments, respectively, and - a control unit (130) for controlling the first and second pump devices, wherein the control unit (130) is configured to cause the first and second pump devices to coordinately draw up the treatment agent doses over at least one washing cycle by determining a gradual concurrent emptying of the first (2101) and second (2102) compartments over said at least one washing cycle.