Washing Drum Scooping Device with Bidirectional Flow Guide Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances for laundry care, such as washing machines, face limitations in the scooping mechanism for liquid detergent during the washing process, particularly in the hub area where accessibility and functionality are restricted, leading to inefficient liquid distribution within the laundry drum.
Innovation Solution
A scoop device with a flow guide element is designed to operate independently of the direction of rotation, featuring two liquid inlets positioned azimuthally opposite to each other, allowing for efficient liquid absorption and guidance into the laundry drum without the need for a pump, ensuring a homogeneous and uniform liquid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a scooping device is integrated into the arms of a support star, then the liquid can be pumped into the laundry drum, but the functionality and accessibility are limited, particularly in the hub area
Solution Approach 1:
The scooping device is extracted from the support star structure and positioned independently in the hub area, allowing it to operate without the functional and accessibility limitations of the integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
A liquid guide channel is introduced as an intermediary component to connect the liquid inlet to the laundry drum interior, enabling efficient liquid transport while maintaining the scooping device's independent positioning
2Adaptability or versatility
If the scooping device uses a single liquid inlet, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot efficiently handle liquid intake in both directions of rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The scooping device is designed with two liquid inlets that can both serve as functional inlets depending on the direction of rotation, allowing the device to universally handle liquid intake from either rotation direction without requiring separate inlet structures for each direction
Solution Approach 2:
The two liquid inlets are positioned asymmetrically at different azimuthal locations, with each inlet optimized to receive liquid efficiently when the drum rotates in a specific direction, enabling directional adaptability
3Use of energy by moving object
If liquid is scooped without a pump, then energy consumption is reduced, but the liquid flow may not be homogeneous or targeted
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid guide channel acts as an intermediary structure that passively directs liquid from the scooping element to the laundry drum interior, ensuring homogeneous and targeted liquid distribution without requiring additional energy input from a pump
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid guide channel is designed with curved surfaces that smoothly guide the liquid flow, preventing turbulence and ensuring homogeneous distribution of liquid into the laundry drum while maintaining passive, energy-efficient operation
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 enhances the scooping efficiency by allowing liquid to be picked up and directed into the laundry drum in any direction of rotation, providing a targeted and uniform liquid flow, thereby improving the washing process.
Implementation Method 1
a scooping device for scooping liquid from outside the laundry drum into the interior of the laundry drum while the drum rotates
Implementation Method 2
The flow guide element is arranged between a first liquid inlet of the scooping device and a second liquid inlet of the scooping device... liquid that reaches the scooping device via the first liquid inlet can be guided to the opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a household appliance 1 for the care of laundry, comprising a washing drum 3 having a outer wall 9 and a rear wall 10, and a scooping device 7 for scooping liquid 72 from outside the washing drum 3 into the interior 8 of the washing drum 3 while the washing drum 3 rotates about an axis of rotation A, wherein the rear wall 10 has a central opening 11 for introducing the liquid 72, wherein the scooping device 7 has a scooping element 15 arranged on an outer surface 10a of the rear wall 10 facing away from the interior 8, which has at least one scooping module 48, 49, 50, which has a flow guide element 52 at an end radially outer to the axis of rotation A, which, viewed in the direction of rotation about the axis of rotation A, is located between a first liquid inlet 53 of the scooping module 48, 49, 50 and a second liquid inlet 54 of the scooping module 48, 49, 50 is arrangedwherein the flow guide element 52 is arranged in a radial direction freely cantilevered towards the opening 11 and, depending on a first direction of rotation of the washing drum 3 about the axis of rotation A, directs liquid 72, which enters the scooping device 7 via the first liquid inlet 53, to the opening 11, and, depending on a first opposite second direction of rotation of the washing drum 3 about the axis of rotation A, directs liquid 72, which enters the scooping device 7 via the second liquid inlet 54, to the opening 11.