Sealed Additive Cartridge Feeding for Precise Washing Machine Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing washing machines face issues with detergent feeding precision, convenience, and waste reduction, as well as the risk of detergent deterioration and mix-ups due to non-sealed accommodating troughs and the need for constant volume control, which leads to inefficient and costly operations.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine with an independent sealed ink cartridge-type additive accommodating box and an automatic feeding apparatus that uses negative pressure for quantitative feeding, eliminating the need for constant volume control and preventing coagulation, along with separate compartments for different additives to avoid mix-ups and improve precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a constant volume metering manner is used for detergent feeding, then the feeding control is relatively popular and implemented, but the feeding precision is merely about ±15% to ±20% and precise feeding depending on the weight and dirty degree of clothes still cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical constant volume metering system with an electronic control system that uses a sensor to detect the actual weight of clothes and a motor-driven metering mechanism to precisely control detergent dosage. The control module processes the weight signal and adjusts the metering amount dynamically, achieving precision better than ±5% instead of the mechanical system's ±15-20%.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system where a weight sensor detects the actual clothes weight, sends this information to the control module, which then adjusts the detergent metering amount accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise feeding adaptation to different washing conditions, overcoming the open-loop constant volume approach.
2Extent of automation
If a pump-powered detergent feeding manner is used, then the feeding can be automated, but the additive congeals to form a blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a blowing mechanism (pneumatic system) instead of a pump-powered liquid delivery system. Air flow is used to blow the detergent from the storage container through the delivery channel, avoiding the mechanical contact and pressure that cause congealing and blockage in pump-powered systems while maintaining automated feeding capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the detergent from the storage container through a blowing mechanism that uses air flow rather than mechanical pumping. This separation of the detergent from the pumping mechanism eliminates the congealing issue while maintaining automated delivery.
3Ease of manufacture
If a non-sealed detergent accommodating trough is used, then the structure is simple, but long-term placement would lead to deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a sealed container with a flexible or removable lid to enclose the detergent storage space. This simple sealing structure prevents air and moisture from contacting the detergent during long-term storage, avoiding deterioration while maintaining ease of manufacture and refilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a sealed storage environment that isolates the detergent from the external atmosphere, preventing oxidation and moisture absorption. This simple sealing approach maintains detergent stability during long-term placement without complex preservation systems.
4Device complexity
If a shared detergent accommodating trough is used for different detergents, then the device complexity is reduced, but it is extremely easy to mix up different detergents and affect use effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detergent storage system into multiple separate, clearly marked containers or compartments, each designated for a specific detergent type. This physical segmentation with visual identification markers (colors, labels, or codes) prevents mix-ups while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different colors or visual markers for different detergent containers or compartments, enabling users to quickly and accurately identify the correct detergent without confusion. This color-coding system maintains low device complexity while significantly improving detergent identification accuracy.
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 enhances detergent feeding precision to ±5%, reduces waste, and prevents deterioration, while ensuring convenient and efficient additive management, avoiding blockages and mix-ups of different additives.
Implementation Method 1
an additive automatic feeding apparatus that generates negative pressure to extract a liquid additive and performs quantitative feeding
Implementation Method 2
the metering apparatus includes a liquid passing chamber, at least two inlets and at least one outlet that are in communication with the liquid passing chamber and, a rotatable impeller disposed inside the liquid passing chamber, and a counting sensor disposed outside the liquid passing chamber to detect an impeller rotation angle
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a washing machine with an automatically-added additive and a method. The washing machine comprises an apparatus for automatically adding an additive and an additive accommodating box for accommodating a liquid additive, the additive accommodating box is of a structure of an independently sealed ink box, a washing machine casing is provided with at least one opening, and the additive accommodating box is disposed in the opening in a push-and-pull manner in a one-to-one correspondence, and is/is not in communication with the apparatus for automatically adding an additive. By means of the foregoing washing machine, the additive neither easily deteriorates nor easily condenses after being placed in the additive accommodating box for a long time, thereby improving additive adding convenence, and reducing the number of times a user adds the additive; avoiding that the additive cannot drive blades of a metering apparatus to rotate to perform metering on the additive because the additive is excessively sticky, and meanwhile also avoiding that the metering apparatus is blocked because the additive is coagulated; and avoiding an undesired washing effect caused because different types of additives are mixed up.