Multi-drum washing machine drainage control method

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multi-drum washing machines face challenges with vibration and noise during the drainage and dehydration processes, particularly due to uneven water distribution and high center of gravity, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

A control method that synchronizes the drainage and dehydration processes between the two drums, ensuring that one drum does not drain while the other is dehydrating, and allowing water to be reused when conditions are met, thereby maintaining stability and reducing vibration through strategic timing and water management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If one washing drum drains water while the other is dehydrating, then the drainage process can be completed efficiently, but the vibration and noise increase due to uneven water distribution and high center of gravity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrainage efficiencyVSAvoidvibration and noise
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system checks whether the other drum will enter dehydration process within a predetermined time before allowing drainage to start. This preliminary timing action prevents the harmful situation of draining during dehydration by anticipating the future state of the other drum, thus avoiding vibration and noise while maintaining drainage efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the washing machine waits for dehydration to complete before draining, then vibration is reduced, but the total processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration reductionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of waiting for dehydration to complete, the system performs preliminary timing to determine if dehydration will start within a predetermined time window. This allows drainage to be scheduled optimally - early enough to avoid vibration during dehydration, but not unnecessarily delayed, thus balancing vibration reduction with time efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If drainage and dehydration processes are allowed to run simultaneously in multi-drum washing machine, then productivity is improved, but the high center of gravity causes larger vibration and noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewashing efficiencyVSAvoidvibration and noise
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system continuously monitors the operational state of both drums and uses feedback control to determine whether drainage should proceed. By checking the future dehydration timing and comparing it with the drainage schedule, the system dynamically adjusts the drainage timing to avoid the harmful vibration condition while maintaining overall productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3231924B1Multi-drum washing machine drainage control method
Publication Date: 2024.07.17 QINGDAO HAIER WASHING ELECTRIC APPLIANCES CO LTD
  • EP3231924B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3231924B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3231924B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A multi-drum washing machine drainage control method, the multi-drum washing machine at least comprising a first washing drum (1) and a second washing drum (2); the method comprising: when the first washing drum (1) reaches a drainage process, determining whether the second washing drum (2) is draining; if yes, then the first washing drum (1) waits for the second washing drum (2) to finish draining before starting to drain; and if not, then determining whether the first washing drum (1) waits for the second washing drum (2) to finish draining before starting to drain. Alternatively, when the first washing drum (1) reaches the drainage process, determining whether the second washing drum (2) is draining or dehydrating; if yes, then the first washing drum (1) waits for the second washing drum (2) to finish draining before starting to drain; and if not, then determining whether the first washing drum (1) waits for the second washing drum (2) to finish draining before starting to drain.