Lint removing apparatus and clothes dryer having the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothes dryers lack an efficient mechanism for separating and cleaning the lint removal apparatus, leading to reduced drying performance due to accumulated lint and the need for manual filter removal and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A clothes dryer design incorporating a lint removal apparatus with a coupler system that allows easy separation and cleaning, featuring a rotation member with a spiral fin to scrape lint from the filter and a driving device with a coupler structure for power transmission, enabling automatic lint collection and transfer to a lint box.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lint removal apparatus is integrated into the dryer with fixed coupling, then the structure is stable and reliable, but the cleaning and maintenance become difficult requiring manual filter removal
Solution Approach 1:
The lint removal apparatus is divided into separable components: the filter assembly can be detached from the housing, and the drive mechanism is separated into motor and coupling parts. This segmentation allows the filter to be easily removed for cleaning while maintaining a stable integrated structure during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism transitions from a static fixed connection to a dynamic separable connection. The elastic member enables the coupling to adapt between engaged and disengaged states, allowing the system to switch between stable operation mode and easy cleaning mode.
2Productivity
If manual filter cleaning is required, then the device structure remains simple, but lint accumulation deteriorates drying performance and requires user intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation member with spiral fin automatically scrapes accumulated lint from the filter surface and transports it to the collection chamber. This self-cleaning mechanism maintains drying performance without requiring manual user intervention for filter maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation member continuously performs preliminary cleaning action by scraping lint off the filter during the drying cycle, preventing lint accumulation that would deteriorate performance, rather than waiting for manual cleaning after the fact.
3Ease of operation
If the filter is directly removable by users, then cleaning is simple, but the coupling and power transmission mechanisms become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is extracted as a separate removable component from the housing, while the power transmission system remains integrated within the housing. This extraction allows users to easily remove and clean the filter without exposing or complicating the power transmission mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member acts as an intermediary between the motor and the rotation member, providing both power transmission and mechanical coupling functions. This intermediary enables simple filter removal while maintaining stable power transmission during operation.
4Extent of automation
If automatic lint collection is implemented, then cleaning efficiency improves, but the device requires additional components increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation member combines multiple functions: it drives the spiral fin to scrape lint, transports the scraped lint through the spiral channel, and deposits it into the collection chamber. This merging of functions into a single component achieves automatic lint collection without proportionally increasing component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation member serves multiple purposes: power transmission from the motor, mechanical scraping of lint, conveyance of lint material, and delivery to the collection chamber. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes dryer including a cabinet, a drum rotatably supported in the cabinet, a supply port configured to guide air into the drum, an exhaust port configured to guide the air in the drum to an outside of the drum, and a lint removing apparatus configured to remove lint from the air passing through the exhaust port. Where the lint removing apparatus includes a lint filter configured to capture lint, a rotation member rotatably installed to scrape and collect the lint captured in the lint filer, a driving device configured to generate power, a first coupler connected to the driving device to receive the power from the driving device, and a second coupler coupled to the first coupler to transmit the power to the rotation member.