Modular Drum Balancer Assembly for Multi-Size Washing Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for larger washing machine drums to accommodate more laundry has led to higher development costs and time for various balancers to offset unbalanced loads, as existing balancers are specific to different drum diameters, making it inefficient to use a single balancer across different sizes.
Innovation Solution
A modular balancer assembly with a balancer guide system that includes fastening ribs, support ribs, and positioning protrusions, allowing the balancer to be securely fixed to the drum regardless of its diameter, ensuring balanced rotation and reducing the need for multiple balancer designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the diameter of the drum is increased to increase washing capacity, then the washing machine can accommodate more laundry, but the balancer must also be increased in diameter which increases development cost and time
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer is designed with a universal structure that can be used across different drum sizes. The guide groove configuration allows the same balancer to function effectively in drums of varying diameters, eliminating the need to develop separate balancers for each drum size and thereby reducing development cost and time.
Solution Approach 2:
The balancer structure is divided into functional segments: the balancer body and the guide groove system. This segmentation allows the balancer to be adapted to different drum sizes through the guide groove configuration without redesigning the entire balancer, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while accommodating larger drums for increased washing capacity.
2Reliability
If different balancers are developed for different drum diameters, then each balancer can be optimized for its specific drum size, but it increases development cost and time substantially
Solution Approach 1:
A single balancer design with configurable guide grooves serves multiple drum sizes reliably. The guide groove geometry can be adjusted to match different drum diameters while keeping the balancer body unchanged, ensuring reliable performance across applications without the need for multiple specialized designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove parameters (such as width, depth, and curvature) are adjusted to match different drum diameters while the overall balancer structure remains the same. This parameter customization allows the balancer to maintain optimal performance for each drum size without requiring complete redesign, thus reducing development cost and time.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single balancer design is used for different drum sizes, then development cost and time are reduced, but the balancer must be adaptable to various diameters which increases design complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer employs a universal design with guide grooves that can accommodate different drum sizes. The guide groove system serves as the adaptive element, allowing the same balancer body to function across multiple drum diameters without increasing overall design complexity significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove acts as an intermediary element between the balancer body and the drum. By adjusting the guide groove configuration rather than the entire balancer structure, the design achieves adaptability to different drum sizes while minimizing the increase in overall design complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine with a balancer that may be commonly used irrespective of the size of a drum. The washing machine includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet, an annular recess provided at the drum, and a balancer assembly mounted to the recess. The balancer assembly includes a balancer to offset unbalanced load generated in the drum during rotation of the drum and at least one balancer guide coupled to an outer circumference of the balancer to constitute the balancer assembly, the balancer guide being mounted to the recess along with the balancer so that an outer diameter of the balancer assembly corresponds to the recess.