Removable Pedestal Additive Tanks for Easier Laundry Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for adding additives to appliances, such as washing machines and dryers, have containers located inside the appliance cabinet, making them inaccessible for maintenance, requiring disassembly for replacement, and limiting user customization of additive volumes.
Innovation Solution
Removable storage tanks located in a pedestal beneath the appliance, secured with a cover, allowing easy access, customization, and maintenance, with optional sensors for leak detection and level monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If containers are located inside the appliance cabinet, then the system is compact and space-efficient, but the containers become inaccessible for maintenance and require disassembly for replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent parts: the appliance cabinet and the removable storage tanks. The tanks are segmented from the main appliance structure, allowing them to be accessed, removed, and replaced independently without disassembling the appliance cabinet. This resolves the contradiction by making containers accessible while maintaining overall system compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage tanks are extracted from the interior of the appliance cabinet and relocated to the exterior pedestal. This extraction allows users to access, remove, and replace tanks easily without opening or disassembling the appliance cabinet, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining a clean appliance structure.
2Ease of repair
If containers are located inside the appliance cabinet, then the system appears整洁 and space-efficient, but routine maintenance such as cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the storage tanks from the appliance cabinet and placing them in the external pedestal, the system allows easy access for maintenance activities such as cleaning and inspection. Users can remove tanks from the pedestal without affecting the appliance cabinet, making maintenance simple and straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The tanks are extracted from the appliance interior and positioned in the external pedestal, which provides easy access for routine maintenance. This extraction enables users to clean, inspect, and replace tanks without disassembling the appliance, significantly improving ease of maintenance while keeping the appliance cabinet intact.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed containers are installed in the appliance, then the system is simple, but users cannot customize additive capacity based on their preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system transitions from fixed to dynamic by using removable tanks that users can freely add, remove, and replace. This allows the additive capacity to be customized according to user needs - users can load different volumes of additives in different tanks and configure them in the pedestal as desired, providing adaptability without complex installation structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedestal is designed with universal compatibility to accommodate multiple tank configurations. Users can place different numbers and types of tanks in the pedestal according to their needs, and the system supports various additive types and volumes. This universality enables customization of additive capacity while maintaining a simple pedestal structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If containers are separated from the appliance, then user customization is enabled, but additional floor and wall space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tanks are relocated from the horizontal interior space of the appliance cabinet to the vertical exterior pedestal. This dimensional change allows tanks to be separated from the appliance for customization purposes while utilizing the vertical space of the pedestal rather than occupying additional floor or wall space. The pedestal integrates the tanks in a space-efficient manner.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for providing removable storage tanks in an appliance having a pedestal are disclosed. The systems include a storage container located in the pedestal and configured to house an additive. In addition, a cover may be positioned within the pedestal to secure the container within the pedestal. The methods include manufacturing the pedestal such that when a storage container is placed in the pedestal, the storage container will fit in a predetermined orientation. The storage container may be manufactured such that when the storage container is placed in the pedestal the storage container can be secured in the pedestal with a cover.