Laundry Machine Door Safety Mechanism Preventing Child Suffocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treatment machines do not effectively prevent children from suffocating, as they lack a reliable mechanism to ensure the door remains unlocked when not in use, potentially trapping them inside.
Innovation Solution
A safety device that can be activated externally, using an input device to communicate mechanically, electrically, or electro-mechanically with the lock, ensuring the door remains unlocked and leaves a gap when not in use, preventing the door from being fully closed and locked, thus preventing suffocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the door is designed to lock automatically when closed, then the machine can operate safely with the door closed, but children may become trapped and suffocate inside when the machine is not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The door positioning unit dynamically adjusts the door position based on operational state. During operation, the door is held in a fully closed locked position. When not in use, the positioning unit allows the door to remain slightly ajar, preventing suffocation while maintaining operational safety through state-dependent positioning behavior
Solution Approach 2:
The door positioning unit acts as an intermediary mechanism between the door and the cabinet. It controls the degree of door closure by maintaining a predetermined gap when not in use, while allowing full closure during operation. This intermediary device mediates between the conflicting requirements of complete closure for safety and partial opening for child protection
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the door is kept slightly open to prevent suffocation, then children cannot be trapped, but the machine cannot be properly operated requiring the door to be fully closed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions between two door positioning states: a slightly open position during idle periods to prevent suffocation, and a fully closed position during operation. The door positioning unit enables this dynamic adjustment, and the control system coordinates the transition based on operational requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The door positioning unit preliminarily positions the door in a slightly open state during idle periods. When operation is required, the system prepares for full closure by activating the positioning unit to hold the door in the correct position, ensuring smooth transition to the closed state needed for operation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a complex safety device is added to prevent door locking when children are present, then suffocation can be prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door positioning unit serves multiple functions: it maintains the predetermined gap to prevent suffocation, enables full door closure when needed for operation, and works integrally with the existing lock mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate safety devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The safety function is merged with the existing door positioning and locking mechanisms. The door positioning unit that originally served to control door gap for operational reasons is enhanced to also provide child safety by maintaining a predetermined gap during idle periods. This merging avoids adding separate complex safety systems
Data Source
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AI summary
A machine (10) for treating laundry which machine (10) comprises a cabinet having an outside wall (14) which has an opening (16) for introduction of laundry into the machine (10), a door (18) for closing the introduction opening (16), and a lock (20) for locking the door (18). The machine further comprises a safety device. The safety device is adapted to be activated as a result of, and concurrently with, a person's action outside of the machine (10). In activated condition the safety device permits the lock to lock the unlocked door and in non-activated condition it prevents the lock from locking the unlocked door. Also claimed: a kit of parts for a machine (10) for treating laundry and a door (18) assembly for a machine (10) for treating laundry.