Laundry treating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry dryers face issues with vibration and noise due to the deformation of thin rear panels, leading to misalignment of deceleration components and reduced reliability, and limited control over rotation speed and direction of the drum, which affects drying efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating apparatus with a decelerator and motor fixed to a rear case, allowing them to tilt or vibrate together, maintaining coaxial alignment and supporting the load through a decelerator, which is coupled to the drum, enabling precise control over rotation speed and direction without relying on a tub or belt system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driver is fixed to the rear panel of the cabinet, then the drum can be rotated, but the thin rear panel deforms and vibrates causing misalignment of the rotation shaft and decelerator
Solution Approach 1:
A separate support structure (support plate or frame) is introduced as an intermediary between the rear panel and the driver components. This support structure bears the load of the driver and transmits it to the cabinet, preventing the thin rear panel from deforming and causing misalignment. The rotation shaft and decelerator are mounted on this rigid support structure rather than directly on the flexible rear panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system is segmented into separate functional components: the rear panel remains as a cosmetic cover, while a separate rigid support structure handles mechanical loading. This segmentation allows the rear panel to remain thin for aesthetic purposes while the support structure provides the necessary rigidity for precise alignment of driver components.
2Extent of automation
If the driver is fixed inside the cabinet, then the drum rotation can be controlled, but the rotation shaft and decelerator become misaligned due to panel deformation
Solution Approach 1:
A rigid support structure serves as an intermediary platform that maintains precise geometric relationships between the rotation shaft and decelerator. This support structure is firmly anchored to the cabinet frame, isolating the precision-machined driver components from deformations in the cabinet panels, thereby maintaining coaxial alignment during automated drum rotation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rear panel supports the driver load, then the driver can be mounted, but the panel deforms under load causing vibration and noise
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated rigid support structure acts as an intermediary load-bearing element between the driver and the cabinet. This support structure is specifically designed to bear the dynamic loads generated by the driver during operation, preventing these loads from being transmitted to the thin rear panel, thereby eliminating vibration and noise while maintaining ease of driver mounting.
4Reliability
If a tub is used to accommodate the drum, then the driver can be fixed to the tub, but the structure becomes complex and space-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The tub is extracted from the system, eliminating the need to fix the driver to the tub. Instead, the driver is mounted directly to the cabinet through a rigid support structure, simplifying the overall structure by removing the intermediate tub component while maintaining reliable driver fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid support structure serves multiple functions: it provides a mounting platform for the driver, maintains precise alignment of driver components, bears mechanical loads, and anchors the system to the cabinet frame. This multi-functional support structure replaces the multiple components (tub, mounting brackets, alignment mechanisms) that would otherwise be needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus includes a decelerator capable of converting power of a motor and providing the converted power to a drum. The decelerator is coupled to and fixed to a rear case disposed between the drum for accommodating laundry therein and a motor for rotating the drum.