Laundry Drum Fine Surface Structure for Lower Clothing Abrasion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Laundry drums for treatment machines often fail to adequately protect clothing from abrasion during the washing and drying processes, leading to mechanical stress and wear.

Innovation Solution

A laundry drum with a fine structure aligned in the circumferential direction and having a peak-to-valley height range of greater than 2 µm to 50 µm, with a secondary orientation having a peak-to-valley height less than the primary, reducing contact points and enhancing sliding performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a smooth drum surface is used, then the laundry treatment is gentle, but the mechanical washing treatment effect is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabrasion on laundryVSAvoidwashing treatment effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The drum surface is equipped with fine structures only in specific locations (at the front and rear of the drum, and in the lifting area), rather than covering the entire surface. This localized application provides mechanical washing effect where needed while keeping other areas smooth to protect laundry from abrasion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The fine structures have specifically controlled parameters: height between 10-50 μm, length 1-5 mm, and spacing 0.5-2 mm. These parameter optimizations ensure the structures provide sufficient mechanical washing effect while minimizing abrasion on laundry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If coarse structures are added to enhance washing treatment, then the mechanical washing effect improves, but the abrasion on laundry increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical washing treatmentVSAvoidmechanical stress on laundry
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses fine structures with height of 10-50 μm instead of traditional coarse structures. This parameter change provides sufficient mechanical washing effect while significantly reducing abrasion on laundry compared to conventional coarse structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The fine structures are applied partially rather than covering the entire drum surface. They are located at the front and rear of the drum and in the lifting area, providing washing effect where needed without excessive mechanical stress on laundry throughout the entire drum.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of operation

If the fine structure has high peak-to-valley height to reduce contact points, then sliding performance improves, but abrasion may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesliding performance of laundryVSAvoidabrasion on laundry
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fine structures have optimized parameters with height of 10-50 μm and spacing of 0.5-2 mm. These parameters are carefully balanced to provide sufficient sliding performance while preventing excessive abrasion on laundry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The fine structures are applied only in specific areas (front, rear, and lifting zones) rather than the entire drum surface, providing sliding assistance where needed without causing excessive abrasion in other areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3611297B1Laundry drum for a laundry processing machine
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP3611297B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3611297B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3611297B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a washing drum for a laundry treatment machine with a drum shell (2) which has a structure (8, 14) on an inner surface (6) facing the laundry during the washing process. To provide a washing drum for a laundry treatment machine with a drum shell (2) in which the laundry is even better protected against abrasion or the like, it is proposed that the structure (14) be designed as at least one fine structure (14) with a main orientation (16), wherein the fine structure (14) is defined at a 90° angle to the main orientation (16) of the fine structure (14) by a roughness depth RZ in a range from greater than RZ = 2 µm to RZ = 50 µm, preferably in a range from greater than RZ = 10 µm to RZ = 50 µm.