Clothes treating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clothes treating apparatuses with heat pump systems face issues with foreign objects like lint accumulating in the heat exchanger, leading to reduced air flow and dry performance, requiring cumbersome manual cleaning methods.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treating apparatus with a foreign object cleaning unit that includes a nozzle injecting washing water at a preset angle to automatically remove lint from the heat exchanger, integrated with a heat pump module for efficient air circulation and cleaning without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual cleaning methods are used to remove lint from the heat exchanger, then cleaning can be performed, but the operation becomes cumbersome and requires opening the cabinet
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-cleaning of the heat exchanger by using the washing machine's own water spray system to automatically remove lint from the evaporator, eliminating the need for manual intervention and cabinet opening
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical cleaning is replaced by a water spray mechanism that uses fluid dynamics to remove lint, substituting human labor with an automated hydraulic system
2Duration of action of stationary object
If lint accumulates in the heat exchanger, then the apparatus continues to operate, but air flow and dry performance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cleaning of the heat exchanger by spraying water to remove lint before it significantly accumulates and degrades performance, maintaining optimal air flow conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors the cleaning needs of the heat exchanger and activates the spray mechanism when lint accumulation is detected, using feedback from the system's operational state to trigger maintenance actions
3Ease of manufacture
If the nozzle is positioned perpendicular to the evaporator, then water spray is simple, but lint removal effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is positioned at a specific angled orientation (45-60 degrees) relative to the evaporator surface, creating localized optimal spray patterns that maximize lint removal effectiveness in the critical accumulation zones
Solution Approach 2:
The spray direction is changed from a simple perpendicular (one-dimensional) approach to an angled three-dimensional orientation, allowing water to reach lint deposits on the evaporator surface more effectively
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 reduces flow resistance in the heat exchanger, enhances dry performance, and allows for automatic lint removal without opening the cabinet or applying external mechanical force, simplifying maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pump module having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator circulating a refrigerant, allowing air discharged from the drum to pass through the evaporator and the condenser and re-circulating air to the drum
Implementation Method 2
a nozzle unit injecting washing water supplied from the washing water supply unit to a vertical plane as a washing water injection surface of the evaporator to slope at a preset angle
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes treating apparatus may includes a cabinet, a drum provided within the cabinet and having an accommodation space for laundry for washing or drying, an evaporator to allow a refrigerant to undergo heat exchange with air discharged from the drum to dehumidify air, and a foreign object cleaning unit that injects water on the evaporator to clean foreign objects stuck to the evaporator. The foreign object cleaning unit may is configured to inject washing water supplied from a washing water supply unit to a surface of the evaporator at a prescribed angle.