Laundry Program Control for Substance-Specific Soaking Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry care devices often fail to effectively remove stubborn dirt due to inadequate adjustment of temperature and duration in laundry care programs, particularly when using reactive substances like stain removers and bleaches, which can damage laundry or the device if not handled correctly.
Innovation Solution
A laundry care device with a controller that adapts the duration and target temperature of the laundry care program based on the user-inputted information about the laundry care substance, ensuring optimal conditions for effective cleaning while preventing damage, by fluidly connecting a dispensing bowl, washing liquid supply device, and heating element, and utilizing a user interface for inputting substance information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional laundry care programs use fixed soaking phases with predetermined temperature and duration, then the program structure remains simple and easy to operate, but the effectiveness of removing stubborn soiling is insufficient and may damage laundry when using reactive substances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic program parameters that automatically adjust soaking duration and target temperature based on the detected laundry care substance. The controller modifies the laundry care program in real-time according to substance-specific requirements, transforming fixed programs into adaptive, dynamic processes that optimize cleaning effectiveness while preventing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key process parameters (soaking duration and target temperature) based on the identified laundry care substance. Different substances trigger different parameter sets - for example, oxygen bleach requires higher temperatures and longer soaking times compared to chlorine bleach, which needs lower temperatures and shorter durations to avoid damage.
2Productivity
If the laundry care program uses high temperature and long duration to remove stubborn soiling, then cleaning efficiency improves, but reactive laundry care substances may damage the laundry and appliance
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts temperature and duration parameters according to the specific laundry care substance detected. For reactive substances like chlorine bleach, the controller limits temperature and soaking time to prevent damage. For substances like oxygen bleach that require higher temperatures and longer contact times, the system safely increases these parameters to maximize cleaning efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors the laundry care substance type and automatically adjusts program parameters accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that temperature and duration are optimized for each substance, achieving high cleaning efficiency while preventing harmful effects through real-time parameter adaptation.
3Reliability
If the laundry care program is customized for each laundry care substance, then optimal cleaning performance is achieved, but the user interface and control system become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service operation where the controller automatically detects the laundry care substance type and configures the optimal program parameters without requiring manual user input. The appliance performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment, eliminating complex user interactions while achieving substance-specific optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary detection mechanism (such as sensors or user-friendly selection interfaces) that bridges the gap between the user and the complex control system. This intermediary layer simplifies user interaction by providing intuitive substance identification methods while transmitting accurate information to the controller for optimal program configuration.
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
Optimizes laundry care by ensuring the duration and temperature of the program are tailored to the specific laundry care substance, enhancing cleaning efficiency and preventing damage to laundry and the device, with features like touch displays and communication networks for simplified user input and data management.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element which is arranged in the tub and is designed to heat the washing liquid held in the tub
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a laundry care appliance (100) comprising a tub (105) for receiving washing liquid, a dispenser tray (101) for receiving laundry care substance, wherein the dispenser tray (101) is fluidly connected to the tub (105) by a dispenser line (118-3), a washing liquid supply device (118-1) which is fluidly connected to the dispenser tray (101) by a supply line (118-2) and is configured to supply laundry care substance received in the dispenser tray (101) to the tub (105), a heating element (129) which is arranged in the tub (105) and configured to heat the washing liquid received in the tub (105), and a control unit (119) which is fluidly connected to the washing liquid supply device (118-1) and the heating element (129), wherein the control unit (119) is configuredto carry out a laundry care program selected by a user of the laundry care appliance (100). The laundry care appliance (100) includes a user interface (135) for receiving information about the laundry care substance used, entered by the user of the laundry care appliance (100), wherein the user interface (135) is connected to the controller (119) for control purposes. The controller (119) is configured to determine the duration and/or the target temperature of the laundry care program and/or a section of the laundry care program, in particular a soaking phase, during the laundry care program, depending on the information about the laundry care substance used, entered by the user of the laundry care appliance (100) and received by the user interface (135), and wherein the controller (119) is configuredto adjust the duration of the selected laundry care program or section of the laundry care program to the specified duration and/or to control the heating element (129) to reach the specified target temperature during the laundry care program or section of the laundry care program.