Washer Tub Support and Damper Layout for Vibration Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothes treating apparatuses face challenges in effectively absorbing vibrations generated during drum rotation, which limits the size of the drum or tub due to the need for additional buffering members that occupy significant installation space.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a suspension system with multiple supports and dampers symmetrically arranged around the rotational shaft, including first, second, and third dampers with specific orientations and damping forces, and a rear gasket to prevent vibration transmission from the tub to the cabinet, allowing for efficient vibration absorption without interfering with the drum or tub size constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional buffering members are installed to absorb drum vibration, then vibration absorption capability is improved, but installation space is increased which limits drum or tub size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple damping functions into a single integrated support structure. The support member simultaneously provides mechanical support for the tub and incorporates damping elements (first, second, and third dampers) to absorb vibrations in multiple directions, eliminating the need for separate buffering members and reducing overall installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member serves multiple functions: it structurally supports the tub, absorbs vibrations through integrated dampers, and prevents vibration transmission to the cabinet. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components, thereby reducing the space required for vibration absorption while maintaining effective damping capability.
2Reliability
If buffering members are connected to drum or tub, then vibration absorption is improved, but drum or tub size is limited due to space occupation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the damping function from the drum or tub structure itself and relocates it to a separate support member positioned between the tub and cabinet. This allows the drum and tub to maintain their full size without accommodating additional buffering components, while the support member independently handles vibration absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member acts as an intermediary element between the tub and the cabinet, absorbing vibrations before they are transmitted to the cabinet structure. This intermediate positioning allows the drum and tub to operate at full size while the support member manages vibration control in the space between these components and the cabinet.
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 configuration effectively reduces vibration transmission to the cabinet, preventing noise and allowing for a more compact design by distributing damping forces efficiently across the apparatus, thereby enhancing operational stability and reducing interference among components.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of dampers, and a plurality of elastic members; a bearing housing coupled to a tub back of the clothes treating apparatus, installed on a lower surface of a cabinet, by a plurality of supports, the plurality of dampers, and the plurality of elastic members
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of dampers, and a plurality of elastic members
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes treating apparatus and a method for manufacturing a clothes treating apparatus are provided. The clothes treating apparatus may include a cabinet, a tub disposed in the cabinet, a drum rotatably accommodated in the tub, a support having a first side connected to a rear side of the tub and a second side that extends in a downward direction and then is bent in a upward direction, a damper having a lower end connected to a bottom surface of the cabinet, and a damper holder installed between the damper and the support, and configured to connect the damper to the support. The support may be disposed such that a height of a lowest end thereof is lower than a height of a coupling shaft of the damper coupled to the damper holder. With such a configuration, the damper may be easily coupled to the support regardless of a position of the lowest end of the support.