External Water Tank Drain Pump Filtration for Easy Dehumidifier Emptying

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current dehumidifiers require users to carry a bulky water tank for pouring water, which is inconvenient and laborious.

Innovation Solution

A dehumidifier design with a water tank positioned outside the body, utilizing a drain pump with a filter at its inlet end to discharge water without needing to carry the tank, and featuring a detachable filter system to reduce the possibility of impurities blocking the drain pump.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the water tank is placed inside the body, then the device structure is compact, but the user needs to carry the water tank for pouring water which is laborious and inconvenient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvenience of pouring waterVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into two independent parts: the body housing containing the dehumidification components and the separate water tank for water storage. This segmentation allows the water tank to be positioned outside the body, enabling users to pour water without carrying the entire device, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining structural organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A drain pump is introduced as an intermediary component between the water tank and the drain position. The drain pump automatically transports water from the separate water tank to the drain position, eliminating the need for manual carrying and pouring of the water tank, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the water tank is placed outside the body, then the user does not need to carry the water tank for pouring water, but the water tank may be unstable or prone to displacement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvenience of pouring waterVSAvoidstability of water tank position
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The water tank is pre-equipped with a draining structure including a drain pump and drainage pipe that connects to the body's drain position before use. This preliminary configuration ensures that the water tank can be stably positioned outside the body while maintaining functional connection, preventing displacement and ensuring operational stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If no filter is provided at the water inlet end of the drain pump, then the structure is simpler, but impurities may enter the drain pump causing blockage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblockage prevention of drain pumpVSAvoidfilter structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A filter is installed at the water inlet end of the drain pump to automatically trap impurities from the water before they enter the pump. This self-service filtering mechanism prevents blockages and maintains reliable operation of the drain pump without requiring external intervention, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 dehumidifier design with a water tank positioned outside the body, utilizing a drain pump with a filter at the water inlet end of the drain pump to discharge water without carrying the water tank, and a detachable filter system to prevent impurities from blocking the drain pump.

Implementation Method 1

a drain pump provided at the body, wherein a water outlet end of the drain pump is connected to the drain position, a water inlet end of the drain pump is connected to the water tank

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPumping: Pump

Implementation Method 2

the filter screen is provided between the water outlet and the water inlet, and the upper cover is detachably connected to the lower cover

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP4224075B1dehumidifier
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 CHONGQING MIDEA REFRIGERATION EQUIP CO LTD
  • EP4224075B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4224075B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4224075B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disclosed by the present application is a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier comprises a water tank, a fuselage and a drain pump. The fuselage is provided with a working state, and in the working state, the fuselage is located at the upper end of the water tank. A housing of the fuselage is provided with a drain level, the drain pump is disposed on the fuselage, a water outlet end of the drain pump communicates with the drain level, a water inlet end of the drain pump communicates with the water tank, and the water inlet end of the drain pump is provided with a filtering part.