Laundry Tub Assembly With Alternating Draft Angles for More Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry appliance tub designs often result in inefficient use of space within the cabinet, limiting the capacity and ease of loading due to fixed dimensions and angles, which restrict the flexibility in designing larger openings and increased internal volumes.
Innovation Solution
A tub assembly comprising a front, middle, and rear tub section with alternating draft angles, allowing for increased radii and volume by dividing the tub into sections with specific draft angles, facilitating easier loading and greater capacity within the same cabinet dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional tub designs with fixed dimensions and angles are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but space utilization efficiency and tub capacity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The tub assembly is divided into multiple tub sections (front tub section, middle tub section(s), and rear tub section) that can be assembled together. Each section has drafted side walls with alternating draft angles, allowing the sections to be joined to form a complete tub with increased internal volume while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized segmentation.
2Area of moving object
If traditional tub designs with uniform draft angles are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but opening size and user accessibility are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
Different tub sections have different draft angle configurations tailored to their specific functional requirements. The front tub section has a first draft angle optimized for loading accessibility, the middle section(s) have alternating draft angles for structural optimization, and the rear section has a second draft angle for integration with the drive system. This localized optimization allows each section to be manufactured with appropriate draft angles while achieving overall improved opening area and accessibility.
3Volume of moving object
If tub sections with alternating draft angles are assembled, then internal diameter and volume are increased, but manufacturing precision requirements are elevated
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the tub into multiple sections with standardized draft angle configurations, the manufacturing precision requirement for each individual section is reduced compared to manufacturing a single large tub with complex varying angles. Each section can be manufactured independently with consistent draft angles (first draft angle for front section, alternating angles for middle sections, second draft angle for rear section), and then assembled together to achieve the overall increased internal volume while maintaining feasible precision tolerances.
Data Source
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AI summary
A laundry appliance (10) for treating a load of laundry according to a cycle of operation comprises a cabinet (12) and a tub assembly (14, 214, 314, 414) housed within the cabinet (12) and comprising a front tub section (50, 250, 350, 450), a rear tub section (54, 254, 354, 454) and at least one middle tub section (52, 252, 252a, 252b, 352, 352a, 352b, 352c, 352d, 452, 452a, 452b) provided between the front (50, 250, 350, 450) and rear tub sections (54, 254, 354, 454).