Laundry appliance with improved drawer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry appliance drawers with compartments for multiple doses of laundry treatment agents experience mechanical instability and spilling due to high weight, leading to potential damage and obstruction of the appliance's door movement.
Innovation Solution
A slanted guide system for the drawer allows it to slide at an angle relative to the gravity force direction, enhancing mechanical stability and incorporating wave-breaking walls to prevent spilling, while maintaining access without hindering the door's operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the drawer compartments are configured to store multiple doses of laundry treatment agent, then the storage capacity is improved, but the guide system is subjected to greater mechanical stresses and the drawer may bend downwardly under gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the anti-weight principle by configuring the guide system with guide elements that provide upward support forces to counteract the gravitational force acting on the heavy drawer loaded with multiple doses of laundry treatment agent. The guide elements are positioned and dimensioned to generate sufficient normal forces that prevent the drawer from bending downwardly, thereby maintaining mechanical stability while preserving enhanced storage capacity.
2Quantity of substance
If the drawer is heavily loaded with multiple doses of laundry treatment agent, then the storage capacity is improved, but laundry treatment agent may spill out from the compartments due to drawer bending
Solution Approach 1:
The guide system with properly positioned and dimensioned guide elements generates upward support forces that counteract gravity, preventing drawer bending that would otherwise cause spilling. This allows the drawer to maintain its horizontal orientation and contain the laundry treatment agent securely even when heavily loaded.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide system is designed in advance to provide sufficient mechanical support and stability to the drawer before any spilling can occur. By ensuring the guide elements are properly configured to handle the maximum expected load, the system prevents the harmful effect of spilling before it can happen during drawer extraction or operation.
3Quantity of substance
If the drawer weight is particularly great, then the storage capacity is improved, but the guide elements could wear down or even break up
Solution Approach 1:
The guide elements are dimensioned and positioned to generate sufficient normal forces that counteract the heavy weight of the fully loaded drawer. This reduces the net downward force that causes wear and potential failure, allowing the guide elements to maintain their structural integrity and durability even when supporting multiple doses of laundry treatment agent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the parameters of the guide system, specifically the positioning and dimensions of the guide elements, to optimize the distribution and magnitude of support forces. By adjusting these parameters, the system can handle greater loads with reduced wear on the guide elements, enabling enhanced storage capacity without compromising component durability.
4Quantity of substance
If the drawer is downwardly bent because of weight, then the storage capacity is maintained, but it may touch a part of the door, preventing free opening/closing movement
Solution Approach 1:
The guide system with appropriately configured guide elements provides upward support forces that counteract gravity and prevent drawer bending. This ensures the drawer remains horizontally aligned during extraction, preventing contact with the door and allowing free opening and closing movement while maintaining the ability to store multiple doses of laundry treatment agent.
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 solution improves mechanical stability and reduces spilling of laundry treatment agents, ensuring the drawer does not touch the appliance's door and allows for smooth door operation, even when heavily loaded with multiple doses.
Implementation Method 1
A slanted guide system for the drawer allows it to slide at an angle relative to the gravity force direction
Implementation Method 2
incorporating wave-breaking walls to prevent spilling
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry appliance having a cabinet accommodating a laundry treatment chamber, a storage drawer comprising at least one compartment adapted to contain multiple doses of a respective laundry treatment agent for performing multiple washing cycles, and a drawer seat provided in the cabinet for slidingly housing the storage drawer through a guide system. The guide system is adapted to guide the sliding of the storage drawer with respect to the drawer seat along a sliding direction which is slanted with respect to a resting surface on which the laundry appliance is resting during operation.