Appliance with a liquid guiding device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Home appliances such as laundry treatment apparatuses, dishwashers, and dryers face challenges in efficiently preventing the accumulation of fluff or lint on components like heat exchangers, which reduces their performance and requires costly cleaning methods.
Innovation Solution
A liquid guiding device with a specific geometry that maintains a constant or increasing cross-sectional area along the flow direction, minimizing pressure drop and flow resistance, allowing for even liquid distribution and efficient cleaning without dynamic pressure buildup, and is designed for cost-effective and space-saving integration within the appliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If the cross section area of the liquid passage is decreased along the flow direction to build up dynamic pressure, then the liquid pressure increases, but the liquid flow rate decreases and flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the liquid passage by maintaining a constant or increasing cross-sectional area along the flow direction, which fundamentally alters the pressure-flow relationship compared to conventional decreasing area designs. This parameter change enables high flow rate without relying on pressure buildup through area reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the conventional approach where cross-sectional area decreases along the flow direction to build pressure, this patent inverts the approach by having the cross-sectional area remain constant or increase, thereby achieving pressure distribution without flow restriction and maintaining high liquid flow rate.
2Ease of operation
If complex geometries with bottlenecks are used to direct liquid flow, then the liquid can be directed to specific locations, but the manufacturing cost increases and flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid passage is segmented into sections with different cross-sectional area profiles (constant area sections and increasing area sections) to achieve flow direction control without requiring complex bottleneck geometries, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining operational effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of controlling liquid flow direction through complex one-dimensional bottlenecks, the patent uses two-dimensional cross-sectional area variations (constant or increasing areas) to achieve flow direction control, reducing geometric complexity and manufacturing difficulty.
3Productivity
If high pumping power is used to overcome flow resistance, then the liquid flow rate can be maintained, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the geometric parameters of the liquid passage from conventional decreasing area to constant or increasing area along the flow direction, the patent reduces flow resistance significantly, thereby reducing the pumping power required to maintain high liquid flow rate.
4Stress or pressure
If the cross section area is constantly decreased along the flow path, then dynamic pressure builds up, but the liquid velocity increases uncontrollably and distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach of decreasing cross-sectional area along the flow path. By using constant or increasing cross-sectional areas, the patent achieves pressure distribution while preventing uncontrolled velocity increase, thereby ensuring uniform liquid distribution at the outlet.
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 liquid flow rate and distribution, reducing the need for high pumping power, maintaining heat exchange performance, and simplifying manufacturing while ensuring effective cleaning of components without the need for complex geometries or bottlenecks.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid passage area of the liquid guiding device is increasing in a first cross section dimension and is decreasing in a second cross section dimension along the flow direction from the inlet to the outlet in a way such that the liquid passage area is not decreasing from the inlet to the outlet
Implementation Method 2
the geometry of the cross section area along the flow direction is configured to avoid a build-up of dynamic pressure of the liquid within the liquid guiding device... such a geometry of the cross section area allows a reduced flow resistance of the liquid
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a home appliance, in particular laundry treatment apparatus, dish washer, dryer or washing machine, comprising a liquid guiding device (41) having an inlet (52) and an outlet (54) and defining a liquid passage area (C, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) for passaging the liquid. The liquid guiding device (41) is adapted to guide liquid from the inlet (52) to the outlet (54). The outlet (54) is adapted to direct the liquid to a component of the appliance and/or to a predefined location of the appliance. The liquid passage area (C, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) of the liquid guiding device (41) is increasing in a first cross section dimension (D1) and is decreasing in a second cross section dimension (D2) along the flow direction (56) from the inlet (52) to the outlet (54) in a way such that the liquid passage area (C, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) is not decreasing from the inlet (52) to the outlet (54).