Pivot-Lever Vibration Damping for Compact Washing Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines and dryers with cylinder-piston vibration damping devices are expensive and result in a less compact design due to the need for extensive support elements and axial friction dampers, which are costly and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A vibration damping device using a pivot articulation with a rotational friction damper that converts translational energy into friction energy, eliminating the need for axial friction dampers and allowing for a more compact design by reducing reaction forces and bending stresses, and incorporating a pivot lever and support element articulated via pivot articulations with a rotational friction damper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cylinder-piston vibration damping device with axial friction damper is used, then vibration damping function is provided, but the device becomes expensive and less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the axial friction damper from the traditional cylinder-piston system and replaces it with a rotational friction damper integrated into the pivot articulation. This removes the complex sliding seal arrangement while retaining the essential vibration damping function through rotational friction at the pivot point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the vibration damping function with the pivot articulation mechanism by integrating a rotational friction damper directly into the pivot bearing. This combination eliminates the need for separate axial friction dampers and sliding seal assemblies, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining damping effectiveness.
2Reliability
If a cylinder-piston vibration damping device is used, then vibration damping is achieved, but the appliance volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration damping function is merged with the existing pivot articulation structure through the rotational friction damper. This integration eliminates the need for separate damping components and sliding seal assemblies, significantly reducing the space required for the support element and overall appliance volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the axial friction damper and sliding seal components from the traditional cylinder-piston design. By extracting these space-consuming elements and replacing them with a compact rotational friction damper at the pivot, the overall appliance volume is reduced while maintaining vibration damping performance.
3Reliability
If axial friction dampers and extensive support elements are used, then vibration damping is provided, but manufacturing and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vibration damping function with the pivot articulation mechanism by integrating a rotational friction damper into the pivot bearing. This merger eliminates the need for separate axial friction dampers and sliding seal assemblies, reducing the number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the expensive axial friction damper and sliding seal components from the traditional design. By replacing these complex, costly components with a simpler rotational friction damper integrated into the pivot, manufacturing and assembly costs are significantly reduced while maintaining the essential vibration damping function.
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 simplifies assembly, reduces the overall height of the appliance, and enhances damping efficiency by converting translational energy into friction energy, thereby minimizing vibration amplitudes and reaction forces, and allows for a more compact design with improved space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the pivot articulations includes a rotational friction damper... at least part of the translational energy caused by the vibrations can be converted into friction energy
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a home appliance, in particular a washing machine (1) or a dryer, with a housing (3), in which a drum (11) is rotatably mounted in a tub (13), the tub (13) being coupled to the housing (3) via at least one support element (31) of a vibration damping device (17, 31, 33). According to the invention, the support element (31) is articulated to the housing (3) via a pivot lever (33) which is articulated to the housing (3), particularly to a housing side (35), via a first pivot articulation (37) about a first pivot axis (39) fixed with respect to the housing (3).