Condensate Drain Structure to Block Backflow in Clothes Dryers
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Solution Overview
Problem
In clothes treating apparatuses, condensed water generated in the evaporator can flow back into the heat exchanger due to negative pressure, causing odor and other issues, particularly in the discharge passage between the evaporator and condenser.
Innovation Solution
A condensed water discharge device with a back-flow preventing member, such as a discharge pipe with an inclined and vertical portion, a U-shaped pipe, a check valve, or a pump, is implemented to prevent the backflow of condensed water and odors by creating a reservoir that stores condensed water and maintains pressure balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a discharge passage is provided between the evaporator and condenser, then condensed water can be discharged from the heat exchanger, but negative pressure causes condensed water to flow back into the heat exchanger causing odor
Solution Approach 1:
A reservoir is introduced as an intermediary component between the discharge passage and the heat exchanger. The reservoir receives condensed water from the heat exchanger and stores it temporarily, preventing direct backflow into the heat exchanger when negative pressure occurs. This mediator isolates the harmful backflow effect while maintaining the discharge function.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge passage is configured to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heat exchanger, creating a spatial separation. This dimensional change allows the discharge passage to exit from the side surface of the heat exchanger, reducing the risk of backflow along the original longitudinal path and providing better drainage geometry.
2Loss of substance
If the discharge passage is positioned to drain condensed water, then condensed water removal is enabled, but the discharge passage itself becomes a source of odor due to backflow
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir acts as an intermediary storage chamber that decouples the condensed water removal function from the discharge passage. Condensed water is transferred to the reservoir and stored there, preventing the discharge passage from becoming a direct pathway for odor-generating backflow while maintaining effective condensed water removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful backflow phenomenon is extracted from the discharge passage by introducing the reservoir as a separate storage component. The reservoir absorbs the backflow issue, allowing the discharge passage to focus solely on its primary function of draining condensed water without becoming an odor source.
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
Effectively prevents condensed water and odors from flowing back into the heat exchanger, ensuring efficient operation and reducing odor issues in clothes treating apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-exchanging unit provided in the circulation passage and dehumidifying air introduced into the circulation passage
Implementation Method 2
a blower provided in the circulation passage and generating negative pressure within the heat-exchanging unit so as to transfer the dehumidified air in the heat-exchanging unit
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a clothes treating apparatus. The clothes treating apparatus may include a clothes receiving device providing a space for receiving clothes therein, a circulation passage provided in the clothes receiving device and configured to provide a flow path for air circulation through the clothes receiving device, and a heat-exchanging device provided in the circulation passage and configured to dehumidify air introduced into the circulation passage. A blower may be provided in the circulation passage and configured to circulate air within the clothes receiving device. A condensed water discharge device may be provided at a lower surface of the circulation passage and configured to discharge condensed water generated by the heat-exchanging device. The condensed water discharge device may include a backflow-preventing member that prevents backflow of the condensed water from the condensed water discharge device to the circulation passage.