Squeezed Rheological Dampers for Suppressing the Walking Drum-type Washing Machine and the Induced Floor Vibration

Drum-type washing machines become the first choice for each family who wants to buy a washing machine due to the fact that each washing machine operates fully automatically and consumes less water and the electricity, when compared with the traditional washing machine. On the other side, drum-type washing machines usually vibrate more than the traditional ones, resulted in not only the walking washing machines across the floor, but also the floor vibration especially during the spinning process. These common problems around the world rise the environmental conservation problems nowadays and have to be tackled by using suitable High-Tech.

 

Fig.1 A  Drum-type Washing Machine with Traditional Foot Pads

What is the benefit ?

Benefited from the sustained and hard research work on the Rheology during the last twenty years, Squeezed Rheological Dampers, especially for the drum-type washing machines, are fully developed by Wuhan Pangu Damper Technology Co. Ltd., which have replaced the traditional foot pads or other anti-vibration pads and have been applied in the drum-type washing machine. Consequently both the walking problem and the floor vibration has been suppressed dramatically. The detailed functions are as the followings:

 

Fig. 2  Case one: Squeezed Rheological Dampers

Fig.3  Case two: Squeezed Rheological Dampers

Fig. 4  Squeezed Rheological Dampers Installed
at the Left-Front foot (front view)

 

Fig. 5  Squeezed Rheological Dampers Installed
at the Left-Front foot (side view)

1) Multi-functional, suitable to the tiny installation space;
2) Supporting both the static and dynamic loads, replacing the traditional foot pads;
3) Suppressing the vibration of the drum-type washing machines at high frequencies for 70% further, by using the unique wide-frequency and large damping characteristics;
4) Suppressing impacting and walking of the drum-type washing machines along the supporting floor using the soft strength of the dampers, reduced walking by 98%, which usually frustrates most of the house wives;
5) Reduced impacting force on the supporting floor by 70% especially during the spinning process, resulted in the less complains against the floor vibration from the neighbourhood;
6) Increased tolerable eccentric load to 200% under the similar vibration standards without the application of active eccentricity control;
7) Reduced interrupt failure by 60% at high speed spinning, resulted from surmounting a designed eccentricity threshold;
8) Ensured contacting between the damper and the floor;
9) Self-adapting to the floor surface;
10) Simplified structure, without the needs of extraneous power supply and maintenance;
11) Conserved environment;
12) Cost-effective for applying to drum-type washing machines to replace the traditional foot pads or other anti-vibration pads.

What is its principle?

The main principle of the squeezed rheological dampers is based on the self-adaptive nature , large damping and self-rearrangement of the rheological materials within the very wide frequency bands, especially suitable for the changing loads and changing frequencies. In addition, highly elastic rubber, plastic or elastic metals are combined with the rheological materials to provide the high elasticity.Consequently, with the help of the complex materials and the complex structures, the frustrating problems related to the drum-type washing machine are tackled using our High-Tech, without the application of any active eccentricity balance.
Certainly, the technology and the suitable products could still be applied in mechanic engineering, where there is some type of imbalance vibration, i.e. walking and vibrating air compressors, generators, vehicle engine, fluid pipe line and valve device, vehicle cab, vehicle brake vibration, rail track vibration.

How to install the dampers?

Make sure the floor is clean before installing the dampers. Lift one side at a time, fully screw the damper underneath each corner of your washing machine.It is necessary to adjust the dampers firstly to keep the drum-type washing machine look level and then to hold the floor tightly.Finally press the drum-type washing machine on the top corners to feel if it is stable, if so it is ok.Then fasten each lock on each damper.
Otherwise, you need to find which damper is not properly contact with the floor and then unscrew the right damper a little until the firm contact. Then press the drum-type washing machine on the top corners to feel if it is stable, if so it is ok.