Laundry Dryer Drum Driver Nesting to Reduce Rear Panel Vibration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional laundry dryers face challenges in maintaining the structural integrity and efficiency of the rear panel due to external forces, leading to vibration, noise, and potential damage, and require additional components that reduce the drum volume and increase the overall thickness of the dryer.

Innovation Solution

A laundry treating apparatus with a rotation shaft that is inserted into and coupled to the drum, allowing the motor and decelerator to be partially accommodated on the drum surface, reducing the overall thickness and ensuring the drum's length is maintained, using a bushing for the rotation shaft and a male-female coupling structure between the driver and drum.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the driver is fixed to the rear surface of the cabinet, then the drum can be rotated, but the thin rear panel is easily deformed or vibrated by external forces, causing the rotation shaft to distort and generate noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrum rotationVSAvoidrear panel stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A support plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the rear panel and the driver components. The support plate has a first region that contacts the rear panel and a second region that supports the rotation shaft and decelerator, distributing external forces away from the thin rear panel and preventing deformation and vibration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the rotation shaft extends from the drum, then the driver can be coupled to the drum, but additional components increase the overall thickness of the dryer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver couplingVSAvoiddryer thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate is disposed inside the drum, with the rotation shaft extending from the driver through the support plate to contact the drum's rear surface. This nested arrangement allows the driver components to be coupled to the drum while minimizing the overall thickness by nesting components within the existing drum space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Length of stationary object

If the rotation shaft is inserted into the drum, then the drum length is maintained and thickness is reduced, but the rotation shaft must be precisely coupled to ensure reliable operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrum lengthVSAvoidrotation shaft coupling precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate serves as a mediator that provides a stable mounting surface for the rotation shaft and decelerator. By distributing forces and providing a rigid support structure, the support plate reduces the sensitivity to manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining reliable operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3964628A1Laundry treating apparatus
Publication Date: 2022.03.09 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3964628A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3964628A1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP3964628A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus capable of reducing a volume independently occupied by a driver (M) that rotates a drum (200) for accommodating laundry therein, and a volume of a space defined between a rear surface (220) of the drum and a cabinet rear panel (120).