Laundry care appliance comprising a sealing element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry care appliances require multiple sealing elements and damping elements that are not materially connected to the pump housing, leading to potential safety hazards due to leakage and incomplete fluid-technical sealing, necessitating additional seals and complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A laundry care appliance with a pump housing that integrates sealing elements made of plastic, which are materially connected to the pump housing, ensuring effective fluidic seals between the pump housing and various components, such as filter elements, pump motors, and fluid-carrying lines, eliminating the need for additional seals and simplifying assembly by using a two-component injection molding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple sealing elements are used between the pump housing and components, then fluidic sealing is improved, but device complexity and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is integrated directly into the pump housing as a single unified component, eliminating the need for multiple separate sealing elements. The pump housing itself serves as the sealing structure, combining the housing function with the sealing function into one element that is materially connected to the pump housing.
2Reliability
If multiple sealing elements are manually arranged between pump housing and components, then fluidic seal is attempted, but assembly complexity and potential for leakage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is pre-integrated into the pump housing during manufacturing rather than being manually arranged during assembly. This preliminary integration ensures proper positioning and material connection before the pump is assembled with other components, eliminating assembly errors and ensuring reliable sealing from the start.
3Ease of operation
If sealing elements are not materially connected to the pump housing, then assembly is simplified, but leakage risk and sealing reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is materially connected to the pump housing, merging the sealing function with the housing structure. This integration ensures that the sealing element moves with the housing and maintains proper positioning, preventing leakage while simplifying assembly since the sealing element is already attached during manufacturing.
4Reliability
If additional seals are arranged on components and between pump housing and component, then fluidic sealing is improved, but device complexity and number of parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, contains the pump components, and creates the fluidic seal through its integrated sealing element. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sealing components, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining reliable sealing.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a laundry care appliance (100) having a pump (105) for pumping washing liquid, wherein the pump (105) has a pump housing (107) with a hollow space (117, 119, 121), wherein the laundry care appliance (100) has a component which is accommodated in the hollow space (117, 119, 121), and wherein a sealing element (129, 131, 133, 135) made of plastic is arranged at an inner side (108) of the hollow space (117, 119, 121) of the pump housing (107). The sealing element (129, 131, 133, 135) is connected in an integrally bonded manner to the pump housing (107). The sealing element (129, 131, 133, 135) subjects the pump housing (107) and the component to pressure in order to ensure a fluidic seal between the pump housing (107) and the component.