Clothing treatment apparatus and damper for washing machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing clothing treatment apparatuses and dampers for washing machines face challenges in effectively reducing vibrations, increasing manufacturing costs, inefficient space utilization, and durability issues.

Innovation Solution

A clothing treatment apparatus with a damper that includes a housing, a piston, a core with a yoke and teeth, a coil wound on the core, and a magnetorheological elastomer between the piston and the core. The magnetorheological elastomer's stiffness is adjustable via a magnetic field, allowing for optimized damping force control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a magnetorheological elastomer is used to change stiffness in response to a magnetic field for controlling damping force, then vibration reduction effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration reduction effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The magnetorheological elastomer is disposed between specific teeth of the core and the piston, creating localized zones of variable stiffness rather than requiring the entire damper structure to use this expensive material. This localized application maintains vibration control effectiveness while significantly reducing material costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The damper employs a magnetic field-responsive system that dynamically adjusts the stiffness of the magnetorheological elastomer based on operating conditions. By controlling the magnetic field, the damping force can be optimized for different vibration scenarios, improving overall vibration reduction effectiveness while allowing the use of less expensive material quantities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the magnetorheological elastomer is disposed between the piston and the core with teeth extending toward the piston, then damping force control is improved, but space utilization becomes inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamping force controlVSAvoidspace utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The core is divided into multiple teeth that extend radially toward the piston, creating segmented interaction zones. The magnetorheological elastomer is disposed between specific teeth, allowing damping force control through localized magnetic fields. This segmented approach enables effective damping control while compactly utilizing the radial space within the damper housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by moving object

If the coil is wound on the teeth in a direction perpendicular to the piston movement direction, then magnetic field application efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemagnetic field application efficiencyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The teeth are designed with curved surfaces, and the coils are wound perpendicular to the piston movement direction, following the curvature of the teeth. This orthogonal winding arrangement optimizes magnetic field generation efficiency by ensuring uniform field distribution across the magnetorheological elastomer, while the curved tooth geometry naturally accommodates the coil winding pattern, reducing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 improves vibration reduction effectiveness, reduces manufacturing costs by efficiently utilizing the magnetorheological elastomer, optimizes space usage, and enhances durability through the addition of a friction member.

Implementation Method 1

a magnetorheological elastomer to be disposed between the piston and the core whereby while the magnetorheological elastomer is between the piston and the core, stiffness of the magnetorheological elastomer is changeable by a magnetic field applied to control a movement of the piston within the housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMagnetorheological elastomer effect: Magnetorheological Elastomer

Implementation Method 2

stiffness of the magnetorheological elastomer is changeable by a magnetic field applied

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMagnetic field: Magnetic Field

Implementation Method 3

a friction member disposed between the piston and the magnetorheological elastomer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS20250084580A1Clothing treatment apparatus and damper for washing machine

Publication Date: 2025.03.13 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A clothing treatment apparatus including a cabinet, a tub to be disposed within the cabinet, and a damper configured to support the tub while the tub is disposed within the cabinet, a damper includes a housing, a piston configured to be movable within the housing, a core to be disposed within the housing and including a yoke and teeth extending from the yoke toward the piston, a coil wound on the core, and a magnetorheological elastomer to be disposed between the piston and the core whereby while the magnetorheological elastomer is between the piston and the core, stiffness of the magnetorheological elastomer is changeable by a magnetic field applied to control a movement of the piston within the housing.