Dishwasher Blowing Unit with Gravity-Based Valve for Drying Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional dishwashers face challenges in efficiently and effectively removing water vapor during the drying process, often requiring additional drying units or opening the door, which can complicate design and increase costs.

Innovation Solution

A dishwasher with a blowing unit that includes a housing, a blowing fan, and a valve configured to open and close a flow passage using its own weight, allowing air to be blown into the tub during the drying process without the need for a motor, thereby reducing the size of the unit and enhancing drying efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a motor is used to operate the valve in the blowing unit, then the valve can be precisely controlled, but the risk of motor malfunction due to water exposure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve operation reliabilityVSAvoidwater exposure to motor

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the motor-driven mechanical system with a gravity-based passive system. The valve is designed to open automatically when the blowing fan operates (due to air pressure) and closes automatically when the fan stops (due to gravity), eliminating the need for a motor completely. This substitution removes the vulnerability to water exposure while maintaining reliable valve control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The valve system performs self-control without external power sources. The blowing fan's operation automatically opens the valve through air pressure, and the valve's own weight automatically closes it when the fan stops. This self-service mechanism eliminates complex control systems and reduces failure points related to water exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If additional drying units are added to improve drying performance, then drying efficiency increases, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrying efficiencyVSAvoiddrying unit structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blowing unit serves multiple functions: it provides airflow for drying, controls vapor removal through the gravity-based valve, and eliminates the need for separate drying units. By making the blowing unit multi-functional, the patent achieves high drying efficiency without increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential drying function from complex drying units and implements it through a simplified blowing unit with a gravity-based valve. This extraction removes unnecessary complexity while retaining the core drying capability, achieving productivity improvement without proportional increases in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Manufacturing precision

If a complex valve control system is used, then valve operation precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and assembly complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve operation precisionVSAvoidvalve assembly simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The valve uses its own weight and the air pressure from the blowing fan to control its operation automatically. This self-service approach achieves precise valve timing (opening when needed, closing when needed) without complex control systems, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while greatly simplifying ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex motorized or electronically-controlled valve mechanisms with a simple gravity-based passive system. The valve's weight provides the closing force, and air pressure provides the opening force, creating a precise yet manufacturable solution that balances operational precision with assembly simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

This solution enables efficient removal of water vapor without additional components, simplifying the design, reducing costs, and improving drying performance by utilizing the valve's weight to control airflow, ensuring effective vapor removal without motor malfunctions due to water exposure.

Implementation Method 1

a blowing fan disposed inside the housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAirflow generation: Fan

Implementation Method 2

a valve configured to be rotated from a closed position to an open position by blowing of the blowing fan and to return to the closed position from the open position by an own weight thereof

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS11540695B2Dishwasher having an improved structure to improve drying performance

Publication Date: 2023.01.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A dishwasher includes a tub forming a washing chamber and a blowing unit that blows air into the tub, where the blowing unit includes a housing having a discharge port, a blowing fan disposed inside the housing, and a valve disposed between the blowing fan and the discharge port to prevent moisture from being introduced into the blowing fan, and the valve is rotated from a closed position to an open position by blowing of the blowing fan and return to the closed position again by an own weight thereof.