Washing machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines experience noise issues due to friction and air separation during high-speed rotation of the pulley, caused by misalignment and tolerance in the coupling between the pulley and shaft.
Innovation Solution
The pulley features a shaft insertion hole with an obliquely extended inner surface and a tapered shape, along with a spoke design that includes a curved portion to reduce friction and improve assembly stiffness, allowing for better alignment and reduced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pulley is rotated at high speed to improve washing efficiency, then productivity increases, but noise is generated due to air friction and coupling separation
Solution Approach 1:
The spoke includes a curved portion with a curved surface convex in the direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the pulley. This curved geometry reduces air resistance and friction during high-speed rotation, thereby reducing noise while maintaining washing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner circumferential surface of the shaft insertion hole is extended obliquely with respect to the rotation axis, creating a tapered shape. This localized geometric modification improves the coupling between the shaft and pulley, preventing separation during high-speed rotation and reducing noise generation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the shaft insertion hole has a large tolerance to ease manufacturing, then ease of manufacture improves, but coupling alignment deteriorates causing noise
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered shape of the shaft insertion hole with its obliquely extended inner circumferential surface provides self-aligning characteristics. This curved geometry guides the shaft into proper alignment during assembly, maintaining coupling precision even with larger manufacturing tolerances.
3Device complexity
If the spoke has a straight design to simplify structure, then device complexity reduces, but air friction increases causing more noise
Solution Approach 1:
The curved portion with convex curved surface is integrated into the spoke structure. This curvature is optimized to reduce air resistance during rotation while maintaining structural integrity, thereby reducing noise without significantly complicating the spoke design.
Data Source
AI summary
The washing machine of the present disclosure includes an improved pulley for reducing the noise generated in the pulley. When the shaft is inserted into the shaft insertion hole, at least a part of the shaft is closely contacted with the shaft insertion hole to minimize the tolerance between the shaft and the shaft insertion hole, and the rotation shaft of the pulley and the center axis of the shafts may be made to coincide with each other, so that the noise generated by the rotation of the pulley can be effectively reduced. In addition, the spoke of the pulley includes the curved portion, thereby reducing the friction with the air and effectively reducing noise due to friction with air.