Household appliance comprising a water inlet module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliances face complexity in wiring and management of hydraulic components due to bulky wiring harnesses and weak electric interfaces, requiring extensive time and skilled technicians for manufacturing, and substantial workload for electronic control boards to manage actionable hydraulic components.
Innovation Solution
A water inlet module with actionable hydraulic components and sensors that manage operation independently from the electronic control board, simplifying design, manufacturing, and maintenance by integrating local control units and sensors within the appliance casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a great number of wiring connections are provided for each actionable hydraulic component, then each component can be properly connected to the electronic control board, but the wiring harness becomes bulky and requires extensive manufacturing time and skilled technicians
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system by introducing intermediate control units that are distributed near the hydraulic components rather than having all components connected to a single central electronic control board. This segmentation reduces the wiring harness complexity while maintaining reliable connections through localized control intelligence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate control units as mediators between the electronic control board and the hydraulic components. These intermediate units aggregate multiple component connections, reducing the number of direct wiring connections required from the main control board while ensuring reliable signal transmission and control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the electronic control board manages all actionable hydraulic components directly, then comprehensive control is achieved, but the control board workload becomes substantial and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control functionality is segmented and distributed to intermediate control units located near the hydraulic components. Each intermediate unit manages specific components locally, reducing the processing burden on the main electronic control board while maintaining comprehensive system control capability through hierarchical architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical control dimension with multiple levels: the main electronic control board handles high-level coordination, while intermediate control units handle local component management. This dimensional change in control architecture distributes complexity across different levels rather than concentrating it at a single point.
3Device complexity
If aggregation of two or more actionable components is performed, then the number of wirings is reduced, but the electric interfaces have intrinsically weak structures and limited management capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate control units serve as robust intermediaries that provide strong electrical interfaces for aggregating multiple hydraulic components. These units include proper signal conditioning, isolation, and protection circuits that strengthen the electrical connections while maintaining reduced wiring complexity through component aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate control units perform preliminary signal processing and control functions before signals reach the main electronic control board. This preliminary action strengthens the interface by handling signal conditioning, filtering, and protection functions locally, ensuring robust connections while enabling component aggregation.
Data Source
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AI summary
An appliance (100) is proposed. The appliance comprises: a control unit (150) managing the operation of the appliance (100); at least one hydraulic component (265a, 265b, 270, 271; 315a, 315b; 405a, 405b, 405c) actionable for water/treating liquids distribution within the appliance; a plurality of sensors (335; 420) arranged for acquiring information regarding physical parameters associated with the operation of the appliance, and a module (300; 400) managing at least part of the water/treating liquids distribution within the appliance. The module comprises the at least one hydraulic component (265a, 265b, 270, 271; 315a, 315b; 405a, 405b, 405c); at least two sensors (335; 420) of the plurality of sensors, and a local control unit (415) managing the operation of the at least one hydraulic component and/or receiving the information acquired by the at least two sensors.