Washer Tub Suspension and Counterweight Layout for Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treating appliances face inefficiencies in capacity utilization due to imbalance and vibration issues during high-speed spinning, leading to unacceptable vibratory movement and potential damage from chassis and tub hits, which limits capacity efficiency below 45%.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating appliance with a suspension system comprising at least three springs and three dampers, along with strategically positioned counterweights, dynamically suspends the tub and drum, increasing natural frequencies and reducing displacement amplification, allowing for smaller gaps between components and enhancing capacity efficiency beyond 45% without increasing chassis or tub hits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the drum is positioned closer to the front wall to increase capacity efficiency, then the capacity efficiency improves, but the risk of chassis hits and tub hits during high-speed spinning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a dynamic suspension system with at least three springs and three dampers that actively adjusts during operation to control tub movement. The system transitions from a static fixed-position design to a dynamic system that adapts to varying spin speeds and load conditions, allowing the drum to be positioned closer to the front wall while preventing excessive movement that would cause chassis or tub hits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the suspension system by introducing specific spring constants and damper coefficients that increase the natural frequencies of the tub. This parameter optimization allows the system to operate at high spin speeds without resonating at frequencies that would cause harmful vibrations and impacts, thereby enabling closer drum positioning while maintaining reliability.
2Device complexity
If a fixed tub position is used to simplify design, then the device complexity is reduced, but the capacity efficiency is limited below 45%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic suspension system with at least three springs and three dampers that actively controls tub movement during operation. This dynamic approach replaces static fixed-position designs, enabling the drum to be positioned optimally close to the front wall while maintaining control over tub movement to prevent chassis and tub hits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the dimension of dynamic control by introducing suspension elements (springs and dampers) that operate in the vertical and lateral dimensions. This allows the tub to be positioned in a new optimal location (closer to the front wall) while the suspension system manages movement in other dimensions, effectively using dimensional control to resolve the space-efficiency vs. reliability trade-off.
3Use of energy by moving object
If high spin speeds are used to improve energy efficiency, then the energy efficiency improves, but vibrations increase causing unacceptable vibratory movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the physical parameters of the suspension system, specifically selecting spring constants and damper coefficients that shift the natural frequencies of the tub away from the spin speeds used during operation. By changing these parameters, the system can operate at high spin speeds for energy efficiency without encountering resonant frequencies that would amplify vibrations to harmful levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of vibrations at high spin speeds into a beneficial outcome by using the suspension dampers to dissipate vibrational energy. The dampers transform the harmful vibrational kinetic energy into thermal energy through friction, thereby allowing high spin speeds to be used for energy efficiency while the suspension system manages the vibrational byproduct.
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 effectively increases capacity efficiency by minimizing gaps between tub and drum components, reducing vibrations, and maintaining acceptable operational tolerances, enabling higher spin speeds without chassis or tub hits, thus improving design flexibility and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A laundry treating appliance with a suspension system comprising at least three springs and three dampers
Implementation Method 2
A laundry treating appliance with a suspension system comprising at least three springs and three dampers
Implementation Method 3
dynamically suspends the tub and drum, increasing natural frequencies and reducing displacement amplification
Implementation Method 4
along with strategically positioned counterweights, dynamically suspends the tub and drum
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to an automatic cycle of operation includes a chassis defining an interior, a tub provided within the interior, a drum provided within the tub, a motor mounted to the tub and having a drive shaft drivingly coupled to the drum to selectively rotate the drum about the longitudinal axis, a suspension system, and at least one counterweight, wherein the suspension system and the at least one counterweight are configured such that the capacity efficiency of the laundry treating appliance is greater than 45%.