Static Wash Basket With Diffuser Plate for Agitator-Free Washing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines with mechanical agitators reduce load capacity and require significant energy due to the space and power needed for the agitator, prompting a need for designs that eliminate the agitator while enhancing load capacity and reducing energy use.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine design featuring a diffuser plate with passages in the wash basket bottom, combined with a rotationally driven impeller system, directs high-velocity wash water to agitate clothes without rotating the agitator, allowing for increased load capacity and efficient water management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical agitator is used in the wash basket, then clothes can be agitated and washed, but the load capacity is reduced and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the central agitator from the wash basket, extracting the problematic component that occupied valuable space. Instead, a diffuser plate with passages is installed at the bottom, allowing water to be distributed across the entire basket surface without requiring a central mechanical structure, thereby maximizing load capacity while maintaining washing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses hydraulic action by directing high-velocity water through the diffuser plate passages to create agitation. The water flow itself performs the washing function that previously required mechanical agitation, eliminating the need for a motor-driven agitator and reducing energy consumption while increasing available basket volume.
2Reliability
If a mechanical agitator is used in the wash basket, then clothes can be agitated and washed, but energy consumption increases due to the motor load
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical agitation with hydraulic action, using water flow velocity and pressure to agitate clothes. The diffuser plate distributes water across multiple passages, creating effective washing action without requiring a motor to drive a heavy agitator, significantly reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention substitutes the mechanical agitation system (motor-driven agitator) with a hydraulic system (water flow through diffuser plate). This replacement eliminates the need for high-power motors while maintaining effective clothes agitation through the kinetic energy of water flow.
3Ease of manufacture
If the diffuser plate is stationary, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but water flow direction control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser plate incorporates passages with varying orientations and configurations at different locations to achieve specific water flow directions. The stationary plate provides locally optimized flow patterns through its passage geometry, enabling effective agitation across different basket regions without requiring mechanical movement or complex control mechanisms.
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 increases the internal volume of the wash basket, reduces energy consumption, and effectively agitates clothes without the need for a central agitator, enhancing the washing machine's efficiency and capacity.
Implementation Method 1
An impeller system is operably configured within the tub below the diffuser plate and includes at least one impeller that is rotationally driven during a wash cycle to direct high velocity wash water through the passages in the diffuser plate
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine appliance, such as a consumer washing machine, includes a casing, and a tub disposed within the casing. A wash basket is received within the tub and is configured for receipt of articles to be washed. A diffuser plate defines a continuous bottom of the wash basket and includes a plurality of passages defined therethrough. An impeller system is operably configured within the tub below the diffuser plate and includes at least one impeller that is rotationally driven during a wash cycle to direct high velocity wash water through the passages with sufficient energy to move and wash articles within the wash basket.