Ultrasonic Laundry Humidity Detection Without Drum Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treatment technologies face challenges in accurately and efficiently detecting laundry humidity and textile type without direct contact, often requiring drum rotation and suffering from 'blind thresholds' and limited sampling, which can lead to suboptimal treatment programs.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus equipped with an ultrasonic humidity detector unit that emits and receives ultrasonic waves, allowing for fast, contactless detection of laundry humidity and textile type, using frequency modulation and phase shift analysis to adapt treatment programs based on real-time moisture content and fabric composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conductivity-based humidity detection is used, then electrical contact with laundry is required, but this creates blind thresholds and limited sampling when laundry does not contact electrodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical contact-based conductivity measurement with ultrasonic wave-based measurement. The ultrasonic emitter and receiver detect humidity by measuring the speed of sound through the laundry, eliminating the need for electrical contacts with the laundry while providing continuous measurement capability.
2Measurement precision
If drum rotation is required for humidity detection, then sampling coverage is improved, but detection time increases and operational complexity rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses ultrasonic waves to detect humidity without requiring drum rotation. The ultrasonic emitter and receiver are positioned to measure the speed of sound through the laundry in the drum, providing rapid detection (within seconds) without mechanical movement or rotation of the drum.
3Measurement precision
If ultrasonic waves with frequency responsive to water are used, then humidity detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the physical property that the speed of sound in water-saturated materials differs from dry materials. By measuring the speed of ultrasonic waves through the laundry and comparing it to reference values for different humidity levels, the system achieves precise humidity detection without complex frequency modulation or multiple transducers.
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
Enables precise and efficient laundry treatment by providing accurate humidity and textile type detection, allowing for adaptive control of treatment processes, reducing energy consumption, and ensuring optimal drying conditions without the need for direct electrical contact or drum rotation.
Implementation Method 1
a laundry humidity detector unit having at least one emitting element which is adapted to emit ultrasonic waves and at least one receiving element which is adapted to receive ultrasonic waves
Implementation Method 2
at least one frequency or a frequency range that is responsive to water absorbed by laundry
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 2c~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus (2) comprising: a housing, a drum (18a) rotatably arranged within the housing and adapted for receiving laundry, a laundry humidity detector unit (69) comprising at least one emitting element adapted to emit ultrasonic waves and at least one receiving element adapted to receive ultrasonic waves, a control unit (51) adapted to control operation of the treatment apparatus using at least one laundry treatment program, wherein the at least one emitting element is adapted to emit ultrasonic waves having at least one frequency or a frequency range that is responsive to water absorbed by laundry, and wherein the at least one emitting element is arranged in the housing to emit the ultrasonic waves towards the inner space of the drum (18a) and the at least one receiving element is arranged in the housing to receive ultrasonic waves from the inner space of the drum (18a).