Clothes treating apparatus comprising a heat-exchanging unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothes treating apparatuses face issues with condensed water and bad smell from drains flowing back into the heat exchanger due to negative pressure between the evaporator and condenser.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treating apparatus with a condensed water discharge unit that includes an inclined and perpendicular portion to prevent backflow, featuring a bottleneck structure and a U-shaped pipe configuration to effectively discharge condensed water and prevent bad smells from returning to the heat exchanger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional discharge passage is used in the clothes treating apparatus, then the structure is simple, but condensed water flows back into the heat exchanger due to negative pressure between the evaporator and condenser
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge passage is designed with a U-shaped curved structure instead of a straight passage. This curvature creates a physical barrier that prevents condensed water from flowing back into the heat exchanger while allowing vapor to pass through, resolving the backflow issue without requiring complex mechanical components
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge passage extends in multiple dimensions with vertical and horizontal sections, creating a multi-dimensional path that utilizes gravity and pressure differential to prevent backflow. The passage goes downward and then horizontally, adding spatial complexity to functional simplicity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional discharge passage is used in the clothes treating apparatus, then the structure is simple, but bad smell from the drain flows backward into the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped curved discharge passage acts as a physical barrier that blocks the backward flow of odorous air from the drain while maintaining vapor circulation. The curved structure creates a natural seal that prevents smell infiltration without requiring additional sealing components
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge passage structure itself serves as an intermediary element that mediates between the drain and the heat exchanger, allowing vapor to pass while blocking condensed water and odorous air from reaching the heat exchanger
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 effectively prevents the backflow of condensed water and bad smells into the heat exchanger, enhancing the operational efficiency and hygiene of the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-exchanging unit provided in the circulation passage and configured to dehumidify air introduced into the circulation passage
Implementation Method 2
the condensed water discharge unit has one end communicating with the one surface of the circulation passage and another end with a section getting narrow
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The preset invention relates to a clothes treating apparatus including a clothes receiving unit (3) providing a space for receiving clothes therein, a circulation passage (51, 53, 55) provided in the clothes receiving unit (3) and providing a space for air to circulate, a heat-exchanging unit (59) provided in the circulation passage (51, 53, 55) and configured to dehumidify air introduced into the circulation passage (51, 53, 55), a blower (57) provided in the circulation passage (51, 53, 55) and configured to circulate air within the clothes receiving unit (3), and a condensed water discharge unit (54) provided at one surface of the circulation passage (51, 53, 55) and configured to discharge condensed water generated in the heat-exchanging unit (59). The condensed water discharge unit (54) comprises a backflow-preventing member (544, 545, 546) configured to prevent the condensed water from flowing back into the heat-exchanging unit (59).