Washer Dosing Drawer With Suction Pump for Leak-Free Auto-Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry washing appliances face challenges in effectively dispensing liquid laundry treatment products, as previous solutions often result in leakage due to gravity-driven dispensing, which is undesirable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing arrangement featuring a suction pump system that draws dosed amounts of treatment products from above the surface of the product container, preventing leakage and ensuring precise dosing, comprising a pump motor part and body part separable from each other, with a mixing chamber and water feed channel connected to the laundry washing tub, utilizing positive displacement pumps and non-return valves for controlled fluid delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If gravity-driven dispensing is used for liquid treatment products, then the dispensing mechanism is simple, but leakage occurs and dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing liquid to flow down by gravity through a discharge opening, the invention inverts the approach by using a suction pump to draw liquid upward from the container. The suction pump creates negative pressure to lift the liquid from the container through a suction line, completely reversing the gravity-driven flow direction and eliminating leakage at the discharge point
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the passive gravity-driven mechanical dispensing system with an active suction-based system using a pump. The pump mechanism, driven by an electric motor, provides controlled mechanical suction to deliver precise dosages, substituting the unreliable gravity-based passive system with an active controlled system
2Use of energy by moving object
If gravity-driven dispensing is used, then no additional energy is required, but dosing precision and leakage control worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces passive gravity-based dispensing with an active pump-based system that consumes electrical energy. The electric motor drives the suction pump to create controlled negative pressure, enabling precise dosing measurements that were impossible with gravity-driven flow alone
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates level sensors that detect the liquid level in the container and provide feedback to the control unit. The control unit uses this information to activate the pump only when needed and to control the dosing duration, achieving precise dosing through closed-loop feedback control
3Reliability
If suction pump is used to draw liquid from above surface, then leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction pump system serves multiple functions: it draws liquid from the container, delivers precise dosages to the washing tub, and works with the level sensor system to control when dosing occurs. The pump body integrates the suction line connection, discharge connection, and non-return valve, consolidating multiple components into a single multi-functional unit
Solution Approach 2:
The suction line acts as an intermediary component connecting the pump to the container, allowing the pump to draw liquid without direct contact with the container opening. The non-return valve serves as an intermediary mechanism that prevents backflow, mediating between the pump and the liquid to ensure unidirectional flow and prevent leakage
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 solution provides an efficient and leak-free auto-dosing system for laundry treatment products, reducing waste and user effort, while ensuring accurate dosing and environmental benefits by preventing gravity-driven dispensing, thus enhancing the laundry washing process.
Implementation Method 1
At least one suction pump is provided, associated with the at least one container and fluidly connected to the laundry washing tub for delivering thereto dosed amounts of the treatment products
Implementation Method 2
The at least one suction pump may be a positive displacement pump
Implementation Method 3
The at least one suction pump may comprise a pump motor part and a pump body part separable from one another; in an embodiment of the invention, the pump motor part is mounted to the drawer seat, and the pump body part is mounted to the drawer
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry washing appliance (100) includes a cabinet (105) accommodating a laundry washing tub and a dispensing arrangement for dispensing laundry washing treatment products to be used during laundry washing. The dispensing arrangement includes a drawer (125) slidable within a seat (227) provided in the cabinet (105). The drawer (125) defines at least one container (201a, 201b) for laundry washing treatment products. At least one suction pump (265a, 265b, 365a, 365b) is associated with the at least one container (201a, 201b) and is fluidly connected to the laundry washing tub for delivering thereto dosed amounts of the treatment products. Suction pipes (213a, 213b, 331) are connected between the at least one suction pump (265a, 265b, 365a, 365b) and the at least one container (201a, 201b). The at least one suction pump (265a, 265b, 365a, 365b) and the suction pipes (213a, 213b, 331) are arranged so as to enable the suction of the dosed amounts of treatment product from above a surface of the treatment product contained in the container (201a, 201b).