Automatic Washer Cycle Control for Timed Additive Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current washer controls lack the ability to operate through various wash cycles effectively to remove different stains and soils, and to activate or deactivate wash liquor additives as needed, limiting their effectiveness in treating diverse substrates.
Innovation Solution
A control system for automatic washers that determines wash cycles based on fabric load conditions, using a range of stain/soil types and controlling dispensing of various wash liquor additives, along with thermal, biological, chemical, electromagnetic, and mechanical activators and deactivators to optimize stain removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a washer control provides basic wash cycle operation, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to remove various stains and soils is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a microprocessor unit for cycle control, a dispensing control module for additive management, and an activator control module for chemical activation. This modular segmentation allows the system to handle multiple stain types and wash conditions without requiring a completely complex monolithic control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed with multi-functionality to handle diverse wash scenarios. A single control unit manages multiple wash cycles, dispenses various types of wash liquor additives (detergents, bleaches, softeners), and activates different chemical reactions based on the selected cycle and detected conditions, making it universally applicable to different fabric loads and stain types.
2Productivity
If wash liquor additives are continuously active, then cleaning performance is maintained, but energy consumption and chemical usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by activating wash liquor additives only during specific phases of the wash cycle when they are needed. The microprocessor control activates chemicals at predetermined intervals and conditions (e.g., activating bleach during the main wash phase but not during rinsing), thereby maintaining cleaning performance while reducing overall energy and chemical consumption compared to continuous activation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple activators and deactivators are used to control additives, then stain removal effectiveness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system merges the functions of multiple activators and deactivators into a unified control architecture. The microprocessor integrates control signals for thermal activation, chemical catalysts, and mechanical agitation systems, coordinating them through a single dispensing control module. This merging approach enables effective stain removal through multiple activation mechanisms while avoiding the complexity of separate independent control systems for each activator.
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 efficient removal of specific stains and soils by activating and deactivating additives at precise times during the wash cycle, improving cleaning performance across different substrates and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The activators and deactivators include thermal, biological, chemical, electromagnetic and mechanical actions.
Implementation Method 2
Ultrasonic activation should be performed at low pH from 0.1-8.5, preferably from 0.1-6.5 and more preferably from 0.1-4.0.
Implementation Method 3
The control has dispensing control over various wash liquor additives including detergents, chlorine bleaches, color safe bleaches, cleaning boosters, oxidizing agents
Data Source
AI summary
A control for an automatic washer to operate the washer through a wash cycle determined based upon various soils and stains in the substrate load to be washed with a wash liquor in a wash zone of the washer. The control has a plurality of stain/soil type entrées, which can be at least one of selected and detected, and cleaned with a particular wash cycle. The control has dispensing control over at least one wash liquor additive. The control has operational control over activators and deactivators for members of the additives group. The control has operational control over the particular wash cycles using the dispensing control to dispense additives to the wash liquor at selected times during the wash cycle and operating the activators and deactivators at selected times during the wash cycle.