Laundry treating appliance detergent dispenser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing detergent dispensing systems in automatic washing machines often require complex designs and user-accessible compartments, which can complicate maintenance and user convenience, particularly in terms of detergent loading and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A redesigned dispenser system with a water inlet box and storage cartridge chamber accessible through a top wall dispenser opening, featuring a powder detergent chamber and metering pumps for controlled detergent dispensing, allowing for easy loading and cleaning of the storage cartridge in a vertical direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a front drawer dispenser is used, then detergent dispensing function is achieved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a horizontal front drawer dispenser to a vertical top-mounted dispenser system. The storage cartridge is inserted and removed vertically from the top of the washing machine, changing the operational dimension from horizontal to vertical. This simplifies the overall dispenser structure while maintaining detergent dispensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispenser system is segmented into a removable storage cartridge and a fixed dispenser housing. The storage cartridge can be independently removed and cleaned, separating the maintenance task from the main dispenser structure. This modular approach reduces the complexity of maintaining the entire dispenser system.
2Quantity of substance
If a front drawer with multiple chambers is used, then detergent storage capacity is improved, but ease of operation and cleaning deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent storage is segmented into a removable storage cartridge that can be taken out as a single unit. This allows users to easily remove the entire cartridge for cleaning or replacement without disassembling the dispenser housing or accessing multiple separate chambers, significantly improving ease of operation and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage cartridge is extracted as a separate, removable component from the dispenser system. Users can remove the cartridge vertically from the top of the machine, making it easy to clean, replace, or refill without affecting the rest of the dispenser structure or requiring access to multiple compartments.
3Ease of repair
If a removable storage cartridge is used, then ease of cleaning is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser system is divided into a removable storage cartridge and a fixed housing. The cartridge can be independently removed and cleaned, simplifying maintenance tasks. The modular design isolates the cleaning requirement to a single component, reducing the overall maintenance complexity of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage cartridge is designed to be user-removable and cleanable without requiring technical expertise or special tools. Users can easily take out the cartridge, rinse it, and reinstall it, making the cleaning process a simple self-service task rather than requiring professional maintenance.
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 simplifies the design of the dispenser system, enhances user convenience by allowing vertical removal and cleaning of the storage cartridge, and improves the operational efficiency of detergent dispensing, making maintenance easier and more accessible.
Implementation Method 1
a metering pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the storage cartridge and an outlet fluidly coupled to the powder detergent chamber
Implementation Method 2
a metering pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to the storage cartridge and an outlet fluidly coupled to the powder detergent chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes washing machine includes a cabinet defining an interior and having a top wall with a dispenser opening, and a water inlet box located within the interior and having a storage cartridge chamber accessible through the dispenser opening. The storage cartridge can be removably mountable within the storage cartridge chamber through the dispenser opening.