Laundry machine and method for controlling the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry dryers fail to completely remove creases from clothes during the drying process, and there is a need for an appliance that can easily remove crumples formed during storage and use, while also sterilizing clothes effectively.
Innovation Solution
A laundry machine equipped with a steam generator and a safety device that determines if the water supply pump is out of order by measuring the time required to reach a preset water level or the current to the pump, ensuring the steam generator system operates safely and effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional dryer is used to dry laundry, then the drying function is achieved, but creases are not removed perfectly and additional pressing is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the drying function and crease removal function into a single integrated system. The dryer includes a pressing device that automatically presses laundry during the drying cycle, merging two previously separate operations (drying and pressing) into one unified process, thereby eliminating the need for additional pressing after drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing action is performed during the drying process itself rather than after drying is complete. By applying pressure to the laundry while it is still warm and pliable during the drying cycle, the system achieves crease removal in advance, before the drying process concludes, thus eliminating the need for subsequent pressing operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If a steam generator is added to prevent creases and sterilize clothes, then crease prevention and sterilization are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steam generator serves multiple functions simultaneously: it generates steam for crease prevention, provides sterilization of clothes, and contributes to the overall drying process. By designing a single component that performs multiple functions (steam generation, crease prevention, and sterilization), the system avoids the need for separate devices for each function, thereby managing complexity while achieving multiple benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the phase transition of water to steam to achieve multiple effects. The steam generator heats water to produce steam, which then condenses on the clothes during the drying process. This phase change (liquid to gas and back to liquid) provides both the heat needed for drying and the moisture for crease prevention and sterilization, achieving multiple functions through a single physical phenomenon.
3Reliability
If pump fault detection is implemented by measuring water supply time, then pump reliability monitoring is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the controller continuously monitors the time required for the pump to supply water to the steam generator. When the measured time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller generates a fault signal indicating pump malfunction. This feedback loop enables automatic detection and reporting of pump issues without requiring extremely precise measurements, as the system only needs to detect whether the time exceeds a reasonable threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors changes in the water supply time parameter to detect pump faults. Instead of requiring continuous precise measurement of exact time values, the system detects significant deviations or changes in the time parameter from normal operating ranges. This approach to parameter change detection allows for reliable fault identification while reducing the precision requirements compared to exact measurement methods.
4Reliability
If pump fault detection is implemented by measuring pump current, then pump reliability monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces direct mechanical monitoring of pump operation with electrical current measurement. Instead of mechanically sensing pump performance, the controller monitors the electrical current drawn by the pump motor. This substitution of mechanical monitoring with electrical measurement simplifies the overall system architecture, as current sensing is a standard electrical function that can be integrated into the existing control circuitry without adding complex mechanical sensing devices.
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 prevents crease formation on clothes, sterilizes them, and provides a method to detect pump faults, ensuring the steam generator operates correctly, thereby enhancing the efficiency and safety of the laundry process.
Implementation Method 1
a steam generator for supplying high temperature steam
Implementation Method 2
a pump for supplying water from a water supply source to the steam generator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Laundry machine including a selectively rotatable drum, a pump for supplying water to a steam generator and controller for determining the pump of being out of order by using a time period required for supplying water to a preset water level of the steam generator or a current to the pump, thereby realizing product safety effectively.