Dehumidifier Airflow Control for Lowest-Temperature Surface Drying

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional dehumidifiers may fail to efficiently target low-temperature areas in a room, leading to ineffective drying of dew condensation on surfaces.

Innovation Solution

A dehumidifier that uses a wind direction changing mechanism and an infrared sensor to detect and move along a predetermined route, identifying the lowest surface temperature and directing dry air to concentrate drying efforts on that area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the dehumidifier uses temperature detection means to detect low-temperature areas in the room, then it can identify areas with dew condensation, but it may incorrectly identify areas outside the object arrangement range as target areas, reducing drying efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature detection accuracyVSAvoiddrying efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection range is divided into multiple detection areas corresponding to different blowing directions of the wind direction changing means. The control means selectively activates specific detection areas based on the current blowing direction, preventing detection of areas outside the effective drying range and improving both detection accuracy and drying efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different detection areas are assigned to different blowing directions, creating a localized detection strategy. The infrared detection means only detects temperatures in areas that will actually receive dry air, ensuring that detection results are relevant to the actual drying process and avoiding false positives from areas outside the object arrangement range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the dehumidifier blows dry air to all detected low-temperature areas, then it can potentially dry all surfaces, but it wastes energy by directing dry air to areas where objects are not arranged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedew condensation removal effectivenessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The control means determines the object arrangement range in advance based on the blowing direction before initiating drying. This preliminary determination allows the system to avoid wasting energy by directing dry air to areas where no objects are present, while still ensuring all potential condensation areas within the object range are targeted effectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses temperature detection feedback to identify low-temperature areas, then cross-references this with the predetermined object arrangement range. Only areas that are both low-temperature and within the object arrangement range receive dry air, creating an efficient feedback-controlled drying system that eliminates energy waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If the infrared detection means scans the entire room surface, then it can find all low-temperature areas, but it increases detection time and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of temperature detectionVSAvoiddetection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The detection strategy is made dynamic by linking the active detection areas to the current blowing direction of the wind direction changing means. As the blowing direction changes, the active detection areas are updated accordingly. This dynamic approach reduces the detection scope to only relevant areas while maintaining complete coverage of all potential condensation zones throughout the drying process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The full room detection space is segmented into multiple detection areas, each associated with a specific blowing direction. The infrared detection means only actively scans the detection area corresponding to the current blowing direction, significantly reducing detection time while ensuring all relevant areas are covered as the system cycles through different directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

Swiftly detects the lowest temperature in the room and performs drying with improved efficiency by focusing dry air on the identified area.

Implementation Method 1

surface temperature detection means (infrared detection means) for detecting surface temperature by receiving infrared radiation emitted from a surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation detection: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

dehumidifying means for removing moisture from air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentEP2545979B1dehumidifier
Publication Date: 2019.03.27 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2545979B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2545979B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2545979B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a dehumidifier which detects a place having the lowest temperature in the room without error and causes the dry air to strike the place in a concentrated manner. For this purpose, the dehumidifier is provided with wind direction changing means 1 which changes the blowing direction of the dry air B vertically and laterally, an infrared sensor 6 which is attached to the wind direction changing means 1 and detects the surface temperature of an object present in the blowing direction of the wind direction changing means 1 in a non-contact state, and a control circuit 7 which, upon detection of the start of a removal operation of dew condensation in the room, controls the blowing direction of the wind direction changing means so that the surface temperature detection means moves on a predetermined route in a surface temperature detection range obtained by changing the blowing direction of the wind direction changing means vertically and laterally, and also reads the surface temperatures on the predetermined route detected by the infrared sensor 6, and selects the lowest surface temperature from the read surface temperatures and controls the wind direction changing means 1 so that the dry air is blown in the direction of the lowest surface temperature.