Washing Machine Brine Feed Layout for Precise Water Softener Regeneration

Solution Overview

Problem

High-end front-loading laundry washing machines face challenges with costly hydraulic fittings for the pump assembly connecting to the regeneration-agent drawer, leading to imprecise brine dosage and potential blockages due to salt grains.

Innovation Solution

A laundry washing machine design featuring a brine container that collects brine by gravity from the regeneration-agent compartment, with an electrically-powered pump assembly to selectively pump the brine to the water softening device, simplifying connections and allowing precise control of brine dosage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hydraulic fittings are used to connect pump assembly directly to regeneration-agent drawer, then brine can be pumped, but production costs significantly increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrine pumping capabilityVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the pump assembly from direct connection to the regeneration-agent drawer and relocates it to the brine container. This separation eliminates the need for costly hydraulic fittings between the pump and drawer, while the pump continues to perform its essential function of pumping brine to the water softening device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The brine container serves as an intermediary element between the regeneration-agent drawer and the pump assembly. Brine flows from the drawer to the container, and the pump then transfers it to the water softening device. This intermediary structure simplifies connections and reduces manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If pump assembly sucks brine directly from bottom of regeneration-agent drawer, then brine can be pumped, but dosage precision is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrine pumping capabilityVSAvoidbrine dosage precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the pump assembly from direct connection to the regeneration-agent drawer and relocates it to the brine container. This separation eliminates the need for costly hydraulic fittings between the pump and drawer, while the pump continues to perform its essential function of pumping brine to the water softening device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The brine container serves as an intermediary element between the regeneration-agent drawer and the pump assembly. Brine flows from the drawer to the container, and the pump then transfers it to the water softening device. This intermediary structure simplifies connections and reduces manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If pump assembly suction is directly connected to regeneration-agent drawer, then brine can be pumped, but salt grains block the suction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrine pumping capabilityVSAvoidsuction blockage by salt grains

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the pump assembly from direct connection to the regeneration-agent drawer and relocates it to the brine container. This separation eliminates the need for costly hydraulic fittings between the pump and drawer, while the pump continues to perform its essential function of pumping brine to the water softening device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The brine container serves as an intermediary element between the regeneration-agent drawer and the pump assembly. Brine flows from the drawer to the container, and the pump then transfers it to the water softening device. This intermediary structure simplifies connections and reduces manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of manufacture

If brine is collected by gravity in separate container, then production cost is reduced and dosage precision is enhanced, but additional components are needed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The brine container serves multiple functions: it collects brine from the regeneration-agent drawer, stores it temporarily, and provides a clean connection point for the pump assembly. This multi-functionality justifies the additional component by consolidating several roles into a single element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The brine container serves as an intermediary element between the regeneration-agent drawer and the pump assembly. Brine flows from the drawer to the container, and the pump then transfers it to the water softening device. This intermediary structure simplifies connections and reduces manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 reduces production costs, enhances precision in brine dosage, and prevents blockages by using gravity-fed brine collection and a separate pump assembly, improving the regeneration process of ion-exchange resins.

Implementation Method 1

a brine container (34) located underneath the drawer housing (18) and fluidically communicating with said substantially basin-shaped, bottom portion (32) so as to allow the brine to freely flow by gravity from said basin-shaped bottom portion (32) into the same brine container (34)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

an electrically-powered pump assembly (35) that is able to selectively pump the brine from said brine container (34) to the water softening device (14)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPumping: Pump

Implementation Method 3

a water softening device (14) which is located along the fresh-water supply circuit (12), and is structured to selectively reduce the hardness degree of the tap water channelled towards the detergent dispenser (10) and the washing tub (3)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon exchange: Ion Exchange

Data Source

PatentUS10640908B2Laundry washing machine

Publication Date: 2020.05.05 ELECTROLUX APPLIANCES

AI summary

A laundry washing machine (1) includes an outer casing (2), a washing tub (3), a rotatable drum housed in axially rotatable manner inside the washing tub (3), a detergent dispenser (10), a fresh-water supply circuit (12) for selectively channelling a flow of fresh water towards the detergent dispenser (10) and/or the washing tub (3), and an internal water softening device (14) capable of reducing the hardness degree of the fresh water. The laundry washing machine (1) further includes: at least a main drawer (16, 74) which is fitted/inserted in extractable manner into a corresponding substantially basin-shaped, drawer housing (18, 73) which is located/recessed inside the outer casing (2), and is provided with a substantially basin-shaped, manually tillable regeneration-agent compartment (20); a first water-supply line (19) which is structured for selectively channelling a flow of fresh water into said regeneration-agent compartment (20) so as to form some brine; a brine container (34) which is located underneath the drawer housing (18, 73) and communicates with the bottom of the drawer housing (18, 73) so as to allow the brine to freely flow by gravity from a basin-shaped bottom portion (32) of said drawer housing (18, 73) into the same brine container (34); and an electrically-powered pump (35) able to selectively pump the brine from said brine container (34) to the water softening device (14).