Washing machine with imbalance compensation comprising helical containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing washing machine imbalance compensation systems face issues with water not being accelerated fast enough in the azimuthal direction, leading to undesired atomization at high drum speeds.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine design with a controller, rotating drum, water tanks, and collection containers where the radially outer wall of the collection containers spirals outward over a significant azimuth angle range, ensuring efficient water conveyance and reducing spray losses by allowing water to flow into a channel and then to the tanks, eliminating the need for drivers that cause atomization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If drivers are arranged in the collecting containers to accelerate water azimuthally, then water acceleration in the azimuthal direction is improved, but water atomization occurs at high drum speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the drivers (accelerating elements) from the collecting containers that were causing water atomization. Instead of using active accelerating mechanisms, the patent relies on the spiral geometry of the collecting container walls to passively guide and accelerate water azimuthally through centrifugal force, thereby eliminating the harmful atomization effect while maintaining water acceleration capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs spiral-shaped radially outer walls in the collecting containers that guide water flow along a curved path. This spiral geometry naturally accelerates water in the azimuthal direction through centrifugal force during drum rotation, achieving the desired water acceleration without requiring additional mechanical drivers that would cause atomization
2Reliability
If water is injected into collection containers, then imbalance compensation is achieved, but water conveyance efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral-shaped radially outer walls of the collecting containers create a natural flow path that leverages centrifugal force to efficiently convey injected water azimuthally toward the tank outlets. This curved geometry ensures rapid and reliable water conveyance, improving the speed and efficiency of imbalance compensation while maintaining system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The collecting containers utilize the drum's own rotation to generate centrifugal force that automatically accelerates and conveys water azimuthally. No additional active mechanisms are required - the system uses the existing drum motion to perform the water conveyance function, thereby improving efficiency without adding complexity
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 design ensures effective imbalance compensation and smoother operation during centrifugation by efficiently transferring water into the tanks, reducing spray losses and maintaining a compact design, while avoiding the issues of water atomization.
Implementation Method 1
the radially outer wall of the collection containers spirals outward over a significant azimuth angle range, ensuring efficient water conveyance
Implementation Method 2
An injection device is also provided to inject water in a targeted manner into the collection containers
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Washing machine with a drum with a horizontal axis of rotation (7) on which tanks (10) for imbalance compensation are arranged. On the front side of the drum, collecting containers (2; 20, 21) are provided, which are connected to the tanks (10) and via which water can be filled into the tanks (10) using an injection device. Each collecting container (2; 20, 21) has an annular groove (20) arranged around an injection opening (3) and a spiral-shaped channel (21) arranged axially offset to the groove (20). This geometry allows the water to be actively conveyed into the tanks (10) and to reduce splash losses.