Spin Basket Balancing Ring With Fluid Channel for Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines experience significant horizontal vibration due to maldistribution of balancing balls during the drying operation, leading to potential collisions with the outer casing, which wastes energy and time, as the balancing balls struggle to achieve weight balance with viscous fluid due to restricted movement.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine design featuring a ball accommodation portion with an inclined bottom surface, allowing balancing balls to automatically gather at a position opposite to the fluid accommodation portion when stopped, forming weight balance without manual adjustment, and a communication channel that manages the movement of viscous fluid by centrifugal force to limit ball movement during rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If viscous fluid is accommodated in the accommodation chamber to damp vibration, then vibration damping effect is improved, but movement of balancing balls is restricted making it difficult to achieve weight balance
Solution Approach 1:
The accommodation chamber is divided into two distinct portions: a ball accommodation portion for housing balancing balls and a fluid accommodation portion for housing viscous fluid. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its function independently without mutual interference, resolving the contradiction between vibration damping and ball movement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication channel is introduced as an intermediary structure connecting the ball accommodation portion and fluid accommodation portion. This channel allows controlled interaction between the two portions, enabling the viscous fluid to influence ball positioning through the channel while maintaining distinct functional zones, thus achieving both vibration damping and ball positioning.
2Reliability
If control operation is performed to decelerate or accelerate rotation to move balancing balls to weight balance positions, then weight balance is achieved, but energy and time are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The ball accommodation portion is designed with an inclined bottom surface that automatically guides balancing balls to their weight balance position opposite the fluid accommodation portion when rotation stops. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for active control operations to achieve weight balance, thereby reducing energy consumption and operational time while maintaining reliable balancing.
3Reliability
If recessed accommodation portion is formed on bottom surface to accommodate balancing balls, then unbalanced positioning before drying is resolved, but movement of balls is further restricted by viscous fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The accommodation chamber is segmented into a ball accommodation portion with an inclined bottom surface and a separate fluid accommodation portion. The inclined surface naturally guides balls to a stable position without requiring additional recessed structures, achieving positioning stability while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom surface of the ball accommodation portion is designed with an inclined curvature that naturally guides balancing balls to gather at the lowest point opposite the fluid accommodation portion. This curved surface design achieves stable positioning without requiring complex recessed structures, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
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
This design effectively suppresses horizontal vibration variations at the first resonance section without manual balancing, reducing energy consumption and operational time by ensuring automatic weight balance among balancing balls and viscous fluid, thus preventing collisions and optimizing the drying process.
Implementation Method 1
a bottom surface of the ball accommodation portion is inclined downward as the bottom surface extends from a position of the fluid accommodation portion to an opposite position such that the balancing balls gather at the opposite position facing the fluid accommodation portion when rotation of the spin basket is stopped
Implementation Method 2
a communication channel allowing the ball accommodation portion to communicate with the fluid accommodation portion are formed in the casing
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine provided with a balancing device which may suppress variation in horizontal vibration of a spin basket without performing control operation. The balancing device includes a ring-shaped casing installed to be concentric with the spin basket, and a plurality of the balancing balls and a viscous fluid. A ring-shaped ball accommodation portion, a fluid accommodation portion provided at a lower inner side of the ball accommodation portion in a radial direction of the ball accommodation portion, and a communication channel are formed in the casing. The fluid accommodation portion is provided at a portion of the casing along a circumferential direction of the casing. A bottom surface of the ball accommodation portion is inclined downward such that the balancing balls gather at the opposite position facing the fluid accommodation portion when rotation of the spin basket is stopped.