Pressing Membrane Fastening Ring Support for Easier Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing devices for dewatering laundry using pressing membranes face challenges in easily and efficiently fastening the membrane below the ram plate due to the heavy and cumbersome nature of the fastening rings, which require precise positioning and handling by technicians.
Innovation Solution
The pressing membrane features a membrane collar with protrusions that temporarily support the fastening ring, allowing it to be easily inserted and secured without the need for technicians to hold the ring in place, enabling a screw connection to the ram plate without a permanent attachment, thus simplifying the installation process and allowing for reusability of the fastening ring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fastening ring is used to tightly screw-fit the pressing membrane below the ram plate, then the pressing membrane is securely fastened, but the fastening ring becomes very heavy and difficult to handle by technicians
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple components: the fastening ring, the membrane collar with integrated bearing surface, and the ram plate. This segmentation allows the bearing surface to be integrated into the membrane collar rather than requiring a separate heavy support structure, reducing the overall weight and complexity of the fastening assembly while maintaining secure fastening capability
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing surface is merged with the membrane collar by integrating it as an inherent structural feature of the collar. This merging eliminates the need for separate support components, simplifies the fastening ring design, and reduces the total weight of the fastening system while ensuring stable support during installation
2Area of stationary object
If the fastening ring has large diameters to accommodate pressing membranes of approximately one meter, then the pressing membrane can be fastened across the full area, but the fastening rings become very heavy and difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented from the fastening ring and transferred to the membrane collar. This allows the fastening ring to be lighter while the membrane collar, which is already present and positioned, provides the necessary bearing surface. The large diameter requirement is satisfied by the membrane collar's dimensions rather than the fastening ring
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane collar acts as an intermediary component between the pressing membrane and the fastening ring. It provides the bearing surface that supports the fastening ring during installation, eliminating the need for the fastening ring itself to have heavy support structures. This intermediary role allows the fastening ring to be lighter while still accommodating large diameter pressing membranes
3Manufacturing precision
If technicians must precisely position and hold the fastening ring below the raised ram plate, then accurate fastening can be achieved, but the installation process requires large effort in terms of force and time
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing surface is preliminarily prepared as an integral part of the membrane collar before the fastening operation begins. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for technicians to manually position and hold the fastening ring in the correct position, as the bearing surface automatically guides and supports it during installation, reducing both time and effort
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane collar with its integrated bearing surface performs the self-service function of automatically supporting and positioning the fastening ring during installation. This self-positioning capability eliminates the need for external assistance or complex positioning mechanisms, allowing technicians to install the fastening ring quickly and easily without requiring precise manual alignment
Data Source
AI summary
Devices for dewatering washed laundry have a pressing membrane. The pressing membrane is releasably fastened below a ram plate of the device by way of a fastening ring. This connection is very complex by virtue of the heavy weight of the pressing membrane which has a diameter of approximately 1 m. In order for the fastening of the pressing membrane by way of the fastening ring below the ram plate to be facilitated, it is provided that the pressing membrane on the membrane collar thereof has at least one internal-side protrusion which while assembling the pressing membrane below the ram plate forms a bearing for the fastening ring. On account thereof, the fastening ring is temporarily supported below the ram plate while assembling the pressing membrane, this permitting easier assembling of the pressing membrane below the ram plate.