Penrose-Tiled Laundry Drum for Vibration-Stable Larger Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry drums in washing machines and tumble dryers experience vibrations that lead to instability and potential contact with the surrounding tub, limiting drum diameter and increasing material thickness, while existing structural patterns do not effectively suppress vibrations or enhance stability.
Innovation Solution
The drum shell features a structural pattern based on Penrose tiling, which reduces vibrations by avoiding symmetries and potential buckling lines, allowing for a thinner sheet metal construction and increased drum diameter, while also improving laundry handling and reducing noise emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drum shell is made with sufficient material thickness and distance from the tub to prevent contact during vibrations, then stability and reliability are improved, but the drum diameter is reduced and space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies Penrose tiling with non-periodic, asymmetric patterns on the drum shell surface. This asymmetric structure disrupts the formation of regular vibration modes and buckling lines, allowing the drum to maintain stability with reduced material thickness and smaller clearance from the tub, thereby maximizing the drum diameter within available space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates curved structural elements and domed patterns on the drum shell surface. These curved structures enhance the rigidity and load-bearing capacity of the shell, improving stability while allowing for thinner material usage and larger internal diameter compared to flat or linear reinforcement structures.
2Ease of manufacture
If regular embossing structures are used on the drum shell, then manufacturing is simplified, but vibrations are not effectively suppressed and stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric Penrose tiling patterns that cannot be described by simple periodic repetition. While more complex than regular embossing, these patterns can be manufactured using modern forming techniques and provide superior vibration suppression by eliminating symmetric buckling modes that regular patterns create.
3Reliability
If the drum shell structure provides sufficient rigidity through traditional means, then stability is improved, but noise emissions increase and laundry handling is worsened due to preferred mechanical entry points
Solution Approach 1:
The non-periodic asymmetric Penrose tiling pattern eliminates regular geometric features that could act as preferred mechanical entry points for laundry items. This asymmetric structure distributes stress and vibration more uniformly, reducing noise emissions while maintaining drum rigidity and improving laundry handling by preventing concentrated wear and mechanical impact points.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a laundry drum (5) for a laundry treatment machine (6) comprising a drum casing (4). The drum casing (4) comprises a structure pattern (3). The structure pattern (3) is based on a penrose tiling (3') that is composed of a plurality of tiles (1, 2). The invention further relates to a laundry treatment machine (6) that is used for washing and/or drying laundry and that comprises such a laundry drum (5).