Washing Machine Balancer Control for Spin-Drying Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines experience unbalanced drum rotation during spin-drying cycles due to uneven laundry distribution, leading to vibration, noise, and potential damage to components.
Innovation Solution
A balancer system with a housing and movable masses within an annular channel, controlled by magnets and a damping fluid, that counterbalances the drum during rotation, and a control method that includes a ball distributing cycle and laundry untangling cycle to stabilize the drum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the drum rotates at high speed during spin-drying cycle, then water separation efficiency is improved, but unbalanced load and vibration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a balancer assembly with movable masses that automatically adjust their positions to counterbalance unbalanced loads in the drum. The masses move along guide surfaces under gravitational force and centrifugal force during drum rotation, positioning themselves opposite to the unbalanced laundry distribution to offset vibrations and stabilize drum rotation at high speeds.
2Reliability
If the balancer masses are allowed to move freely during rotation, then counterbalance effect is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer assembly is segmented into multiple independent movable masses, each capable of moving autonomously along its own guide surface. This segmentation allows each mass to independently respond to unbalanced loads at different positions in the drum, improving the overall counterbalance effect while keeping each individual mass mechanism simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable masses in the balancer assembly are designed to automatically adjust their positions based on gravitational force and centrifugal force during drum rotation, without requiring external control mechanisms. The masses self-position themselves to counterbalance unbalanced loads, eliminating the need for complex motorized or mechanically controlled adjustment systems.
3Reliability
If spin-drying cycle is retried after unbalance detection, then washing quality is improved, but cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The balancer masses are positioned and distributed before the spin-drying cycle begins, and during a preliminary ball distributing cycle. This preliminary action ensures that the balancer is ready to immediately counterbalance any unbalanced loads that may develop during spin-drying, allowing the cycle to proceed without interruption or retry, thereby maintaining washing quality while minimizing cycle time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors drum vibration and unbalanced load conditions during spin-drying. When unbalance is detected, the balancer masses automatically adjust their positions in real-time based on the feedback from vibration sensors, allowing the system to maintain stable operation without requiring cycle interruption or retry, thus preserving both washing quality and cycle time efficiency.
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 balancer system effectively reduces vibration and noise, stabilizes drum rotation, and prevents delays in spin-drying cycles by dynamically adjusting to unbalanced loads based on motor rotation rates.
Implementation Method 1
at least one mass body movably disposed in the channel... allow the at least one mass body to descend due to gravity during rotation of the drum
Implementation Method 2
damping fluid... to counterbalance unbalanced load produced in the drum during rotation of the drum
Implementation Method 3
a magnet mounted to the balancer housing to restrict the mass
Data Source
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AI summary
A washing machine with a balancer (100) to counterbalance unbalanced load produced during rotation of a drum (30) and a control method thereof. The washing machine with a balancer (100) to counterbalance unbalanced load produced during rotation of a drum (30) perform a ball distributing cycle of seating masses in a groove (150) in the balancer (100) before rotation of the drum (30) possibly producing unbalance as in the spin-drying cycle begins to efficiently maintain balance of the drum (30), and a laundry untangling cycle of evenly distributing the laundry in the drum (30). Accordingly, vibration and noise may be reduced during the spin-drying cycle. In addition, in retrying the spin-drying, the ball distributing cycle is restricted based on the rate of rotation of the motor (40) at the moment at which unbalance is sensed. Thereby, delay in cycle time in retrying the spin-drying cycle may be prevented.