Condensate Valve with Variable Lever Arm for Adaptive Cleaning Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry care appliances face inefficiencies in directing condensate for selective cleaning processes and drainage, leading to long-lasting and unsatisfactory cleaning operations due to constant actuating speed and force across various components.
Innovation Solution
A valve device with a movable flap connected to a lever arm, where the distance between the force application point and pivot point can be adjusted, allowing for variable actuating force and speed to match travel-dependent requirements, enabling quick and selective condensate direction for cleaning or drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple valves with constant actuating speed and force are used to activate individual cleaning paths, then selective cleaning of components is enabled, but the process sequence becomes lengthy and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple valve functions are merged into a single valve body with multiple flaps (first flap for component cleaning, second flap for condensate drainage). This allows simultaneous control of multiple cleaning paths and drainage through one actuator, enabling parallel operations that reduce overall process time while maintaining selective cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve employs dynamic actuation where the actuating element can be positioned at different locations along the lever arm. By changing the position of the actuating element, the actuating speed and force can be varied depending on the required travel distance, allowing faster response for short-travel operations and controlled force for long-travel operations, thus improving overall process efficiency.
2Device complexity
If constant actuating force is applied to valves, then simple valve design is maintained, but travel-dependent requirements cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The lever arm design allows dynamic adjustment of the actuating element's position along its length. This enables the actuating force and speed to be adapted based on the specific travel requirements of each valve flap, while maintaining a relatively simple single-valve structure. The ability to reposition the actuating element provides travel-dependent control without requiring multiple complex actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
A single valve body with multiple flaps and a common actuator serves multiple functions: cleaning different components selectively and draining condensate. The universal actuating mechanism can service all flaps by adjusting the actuating element's position, reducing overall device complexity while providing adaptable control for different operational requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual cleaning paths are activated sequentially, then selective component cleaning is achieved, but the overall process duration increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cleaning paths and drainage function are combined into a single valve assembly with multiple flaps that can be controlled independently or simultaneously. This merging enables parallel operation of cleaning different components or draining condensate without requiring sequential activation of separate valves, significantly reducing total process time while maintaining selective cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve design allows continuous useful action by enabling simultaneous opening of multiple flaps to different outlets. Instead of sequentially directing condensate through different paths, the system can split the flow to multiple destinations at once, eliminating idle time between cleaning operations and maintaining continuous productive action throughout the cycle.
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 valve device adapts actuating speed and force to meet travel-dependent needs, ensuring efficient and rapid condensate distribution or drainage, reducing process duration and minimizing flow noise.
Implementation Method 1
A force can be transmitted to the lever arm via a force application point on the lever arm, which force can be transmitted to the flap via a pivot point of a rotation axis
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a valve device (20, 24) for directing condensate (13) from a laundry care appliance (10), in particular along a selected path, wherein the valve device has an inlet (34) for receiving the condensate and at least one outlet (36) for discharging the condensate, in particular to a component to be cleaned, wherein the at least one outlet has at least one valve with a movable flap (40), wherein the flap (40) is connected to a lever arm (46), onto which a force can be transmitted via a force application point (ki) on the lever arm (46), which can be transmitted via a pivot point (e) of a pivot axis to the flap (40), so that the flap is movable between an open and a closed state of the at least one outlet (36), wherein a distance between the force application point and the pivot point is variable, so that a contact force and/or an actuating speed of the flap (40) can be determined.in particular, the invention relates to a drain opening of the at least one drain (36), which can be changed. Furthermore, the invention relates to a laundry care appliance with a valve device and a method for directing condensate from a laundry care appliance.