Washer Drum Control Based on Floor Vibration Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treating appliances, such as washing machines, experience vibration and noise due to drum imbalances caused by unevenly distributed laundry, and these issues are exacerbated by the type of floor they are placed on, which existing damping systems often fail to adequately address without prior optimization.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves creating an imbalance in the drum, determining out-of-balance parameters, and adjusting operating parameters based on floor parameters to minimize vibration and noise, using an active balancing system and sensors to detect and counterbalance the drum's imbalance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a damping system is optimized for a pre-selected floor type, then vibration and noise are reduced on that specific floor type, but the appliance cannot effectively adapt to different floor types
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system transitions from a static, pre-selected floor type optimization to a dynamic system that automatically detects floor characteristics through out-of-balance measurements and adjusts operating parameters in real-time. The system measures out-of-balance conditions at different drum speeds, determines floor parameters based on these measurements, and dynamically adapts operation to minimize vibration and noise on any floor type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operating parameters (such as drum speed profiles, acceleration rates, and deceleration rates) based on detected floor parameters. By measuring out-of-balance conditions at various speeds and determining floor characteristics from these measurements, the system adjusts operational parameters to optimize performance and minimize harmful vibrations and noise for the specific floor type detected.
2Productivity
If the drum rotates at high speed to improve productivity, then washing efficiency increases, but vibration and noise from drum imbalance are exacerbated
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic out-of-balance measurements at different drum speeds during operation. By periodically assessing balance conditions at various speed levels and adjusting operating parameters accordingly, the system maintains high productivity while minimizing vibration and noise through speed-dependent parameter optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors out-of-balance conditions through measurements taken during drum rotation at different speeds. This feedback mechanism allows the control system to determine floor parameters and adjust operating parameters in real-time, enabling the drum to rotate at high speeds when appropriate while minimizing vibration and noise when imbalance conditions warrant speed or parameter adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling the operation of a laundry treating appliance resting on a floor and having a rotatable drum defining a treating chamber that includes creating an imbalance in the drum, rotating the drum at least one predetermined speed, determining an out of balance parameter, determining a floor parameter of the floor based on the out of balance parameter, and setting at least one operating parameter based on the floor parameter.