Laundry-care appliance having a pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry care devices lack the ability to efficiently manage multiple wash liquor circuits with a single drain pump system, limiting their functionality and requiring additional, cost-intensive pump drives for various functions.
Innovation Solution
A drain pump system with multiple pressure ports and a variable-speed drive allows for the efficient pumping of wash liquor through different circuits by reversing the direction of rotation, eliminating the need for additional pump drives and enabling multiple functions such as cleaning and storage without increasing component complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional drain pump with a single pressure port is used, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability to manage multiple wash liquor circuits is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pump is designed with multiple pressure ports (first and second pressure ports) that can be fluidically connected to different wash liquor circuits. By reversing the direction of rotation of the impeller, the pump can selectively pump wash liquor through different circuits, enabling a single pump to perform multiple functions that would traditionally require separate pump systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system incorporates a reversible drive mechanism that allows the impeller to rotate in either direction. This dynamic capability enables the single pump to adaptively switch between different washing circuits (pumping out circuit, pumping over circuit, and additional conveyor circuits) based on operational requirements, thereby achieving multi-circuit management without increasing the number of pump units.
2Productivity
If additional pump drives are installed to handle multiple functions, then the productivity and functionality increase, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single drain pump equipped with multiple pressure ports and reversible rotation capability is designed to handle multiple washing circuits including pump-out, pump-over, and additional conveyor functions. This universal pump design maintains high productivity by efficiently managing all wash liquor circuits while avoiding the need for multiple separate pump drives, thereby reducing device complexity and associated costs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pump rotates in a single direction, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability to serve different circuits is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pump drive system is designed to be reversible, allowing the impeller to rotate in either direction. This dynamic feature enables the pump to selectively serve different wash liquor circuits by changing rotation direction, providing adaptability without requiring multiple dedicated pumps. The reversible mechanism is integrated into the single pump design, maintaining relatively simple overall system architecture while achieving multi-circuit capability.
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 system effectively manages multiple wash liquor circuits with reduced operational costs by utilizing a single pump drive to perform various functions, including cleaning and storage, without requiring additional electronics or changeover valves, enhancing the laundry care device's operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
the orientations of the two nozzles can be different, one nozzle being positioned clockwise and the other exactly in the opposite direction. Due to the different positioning of the two pressure ports, the different delivery circuits can be charged by reversing the direction of pump rotation, i.e. the impeller in the pump pressure chamber is supplied to one pump port clockwise and the other pump port is charged with detergent solution in the counterclockwise direction.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a laundry care appliance (100) having a detergent solution container (109) for receiving washing detergent solution and a detergent solution pump (117) for pumping washing detergent solution, wherein the detergent solution pump (117) has a pump pressure chamber (125) and a first pressure port (127) fluidically connected to the pump pressure chamber (125) for discharging washing detergent solution under pressure, and is has a variable-speed pump drive (137) for driving the detergent solution pump (117). A second pressure port (129) for discharging washing detergent solution under pressure is fluidically connected to the pump pressure chamber (125), wherein the first and second pressure ports (127, 129) tangentially adjoin the pump pressure chamber (125).