Washer Door Emergency Release with Covered Manual Unlock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines are inconvenient and unsafe when an electrical power failure or door lock device failure prevents users from opening the door, as existing emergency release mechanisms are either ineffective or pose risks of accidental unlocking.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment machine with an emergency release system featuring a doorlock strip and a covering element that requires a tool for actuation, preventing accidental release and ensuring safe operation during power failures or lock device malfunctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an electrically operated locking device is used to lock the door during machine operation, then the door security and safety are improved, but the door cannot be opened in case of power failure or lock device failure
Solution Approach 1:
A doorlock strip is introduced as an intermediary mechanical component that connects the door handle to the locking device. This strip can be manually actuated to directly manipulate the locking mechanism, serving as a mediator between the user's manual force and the electrically operated lock, enabling door opening even when electrical power is unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The emergency release system enables the door locking mechanism to serve itself by providing a manual override capability. The doorlock strip allows the door handle to directly actuate the locking device without requiring electrical power, making the system self-sufficient in emergency situations where electrical systems fail.
2Ease of operation
If a manual emergency release mechanism is provided, then the door can be opened during power failure, but the risk of accidental unlocking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The doorlock strip incorporates an asymmetric slot geometry that is specifically shaped to accommodate a tool with corresponding asymmetric features. This asymmetric design ensures that only the proper tool can engage with and actuate the doorlock strip, preventing accidental unlocking while still allowing intentional manual release when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
A tool is introduced as an intermediary between the user and the doorlock strip. This tool-mediated approach adds an extra step in the unlocking process, reducing the likelihood of accidental activation while maintaining the ability to manually open the door during emergencies. The tool serves as a deliberate indicator that the user intends to activate the emergency release.
3Ease of operation
If the doorlock strip is directly accessible, then emergency release is easier, but accidental actuation by fingers or hands becomes possible
Solution Approach 1:
The slot in the doorlock strip is designed with asymmetric dimensions and geometry that do not match human finger or hand contours. The slot is sized and shaped to specifically fit the emergency release tool, creating a physical barrier against accidental actuation by body parts while maintaining accessibility for the proper tool during emergencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The doorlock strip features localized quality differences through its slot design, where the opening is accessible for tool insertion but the internal geometry provides resistance to finger or hand actuation. This local differentiation in geometric properties allows the same component to be both accessible and protected against unintended activation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is related to a laundry treatment machine (100, 200, 300), comprising: a treatment chamber for the treatment of laundry; a door (120, 220), providing, in an open state, access to the treatment chamber; a locking device (430, 930) for locking the door (120, 220) in a closed state when the machine is operating and releasing the door (120, 220) when the machine is not operating, wherein the locking device (430, 930) is operated electrically and locks, in a locking state, and/or releases, in a releasing state, the door depending on electrical control signal provided by a control device of the laundry treatment machine (100, 200, 300); at least one emergency release system enabling a user to release the lock of the door (120, 220) even if the locking device (430, 930) is in the locking state, the emergency release system comprising a doorlock strip (170, 800) which has a first end (420b) connected to the locking device (430, 930) and a second end (420c) adapted to be actuated for applying to the first end (420b) a displacement which causes the lock of the door (120, 220) to be released. The machine comprises a covering element (190, 290a, 390, 804) covering the second end (420c) for preventing a human finger or human hand from directly accessing to an actuating said second end (420c).