Washing Machine Spin Control With Single-Race Balancer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines experience excessive vibration and noise during dehydrating operations due to uneven laundry distribution, which leads to premature wear and tear, and existing balancer systems with multiple races are costly and do not effectively prevent vibration.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a control method that maintains the motor's rotational speed at a designated lower rate before the excessive vibration occurs, using a single race balancer system to prevent tub vibration by ensuring the balls reach a balancing position, thereby reducing production costs and effectively minimizing vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple race parts are used in balancers to reduce tub vibration, then the vibration reduction probability increases, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit maintains the motor's rotational speed at a designated lower rate before the excessive vibration occurs, allowing the balls in the single-race balancer to reach the balancing position in advance. This preliminary action ensures that the drum achieves dynamic balance before entering the high-speed dehydrating operation, effectively reducing tub vibration without requiring multiple race parts.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single race balancer is used instead of multi-race, then production cost is reduced, but the ability to prevent excessive vibration is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the rotational speed of the motor and automatically maintains it at a designated lower rate before excessive vibration occurs. This feedback control ensures that the single-race balancer has sufficient time to achieve balance, compensating for the reduced vibration prevention capability of the single-race design and ensuring reliable vibration control.
3Productivity
If the motor rotates at high speed immediately, then dehydrating efficiency is improved, but excessive vibration and noise occur before balls reach balancing position
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit maintains the motor's rotational speed at a designated lower rate before the excessive vibration occurs, allowing the balls in the balancer to reach the balancing position in advance. This preliminary action ensures that the drum achieves dynamic balance before entering the high-speed dehydrating operation, effectively reducing tub vibration without requiring multiple race parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor operation is divided into two distinct phases: an initial phase where the motor rotates at a designated lower rate to allow balancer adjustment, and a subsequent high-speed phase for efficient dehydration. This periodic action pattern eliminates excessive vibration during the transition while maintaining high productivity during the dehydration phase.
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 approach effectively reduces tub vibration and noise by maintaining the motor's speed at a designated rate before the vibration point, extending the lifespan of machine components and lowering production costs through the use of single-race balancers.
Implementation Method 1
a viscous oil filling the inside of the race for adjusting the momentum of the balls
Implementation Method 2
balls made of steel and installed in the races such that they can move freely... the balls made of steel compensate for the imbalance of the drum
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine having balancers and a method of controlling the same is provided. The number of rotations of a motor is maintained at a designated number before excessive vibration of a tub occurs for a designated time in order to prevent excessive vibration of the tub before balls reach a balancing position. The method includes sensing the number of rotations of a motor; determining whether or not the sensed number of rotations of the motor reaches a designated number of rotations by comparing the sensed number of rotations of the motor with the designated number of rotations; and controlling the motor such that the number of rotations of the motor is maintained at the designated number of rotations when it is determined that the sensed number of rotations of the motor reaches the designated number of rotations.