Door-Mounted Pressurizing Plates for Uniform Laundry Wrinkle Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treating apparatuses face issues with uneven pressing of laundry, unintentional wrinkles, and the need for separate pivoting direction settings based on user handedness, leading to inefficient wrinkle removal and crease formation.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a sliding motion in the pants manager door with a first and second pressurizing plate, allowing uniform pressing across the entire region of the laundry, eliminating the need for user-specific pivoting direction settings and reducing unintentional wrinkles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a presser pressurizes laundry sequentially from one side to the other side, then the presser can apply pressure to the laundry, but the pressure distribution becomes uneven with higher pressure on the pressing side and lower pressure on the far side
Solution Approach 1:
The door inner surface is divided into multiple pressurizing regions with multiple pressurizing portions instead of a single presser. Each pressurizing portion can independently pressurize different areas of the laundry, ensuring more uniform pressure distribution across the entire laundry surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressurizing portions are arranged in multiple dimensions on the door inner surface rather than sequentially along a single path. This multi-dimensional arrangement allows simultaneous pressurization of different laundry areas, eliminating the sequential one-sided pressing problem.
2Device complexity
If a presser pressurizes laundry from one side, then the pressurizing mechanism can be simple, but the laundry position changes and fixed shape is lost during pressing
Solution Approach 1:
The laundry is mounted and positioned on the door inner surface before the pressurizing action begins. Multiple pressurizing portions are strategically arranged to maintain laundry position stability throughout the pressurizing process, preventing displacement and shape changes.
3Ease of operation
If the pivoting direction of pressurizing portion is set for right-handed users, then right-handed users can operate conveniently, but left-handed users experience difficulty and vice versa
Solution Approach 1:
The door-mounted pressurizing system serves all users regardless of handedness. The multiple pressurizing portions are arranged on the door inner surface to provide universal accessibility and convenience for both right-handed and left-handed users without requiring user-specific configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adapting the pressurizing mechanism to the user's handedness, the solution inverts the approach by making the door and pressurizing portions adaptable to any user. The system does not require reversal or reconfiguration based on user preference.
4Area of stationary object
If a presser occupies most of the door inner surface, then the presser can cover the laundry area, but the vertical level of mounting becomes high and space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The pressurizing function is segmented into multiple pressurizing portions distributed across the door inner surface. This segmentation allows comprehensive laundry coverage without requiring a single large presser that would occupy excessive vertical space.
Solution Approach 2:
Different pressurizing portions are positioned at different locations on the door inner surface according to the specific pressing needs of different laundry areas. This local optimization ensures effective pressurization while minimizing overall door height occupation.
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 ensures uniform pressing and improved crease formation without the need for user-specific settings, reducing unintentional wrinkles and facilitating easier laundry mounting and processing.
Implementation Method 1
a steamer (250) disposed inside the second chamber (200) to generate steam and supply the generated steam to the first chamber (100)
Implementation Method 2
a first pressurizing plate (530) pivotably coupled to the door inner surface (401) or the base plate (510) through the first shaft (5611) to face the base plate (510), and to mount and pressurize the pants (P), and a second pressurizing plate (550) pivotably coupled to the door inner surface (401) or the base plate (510) through the second shaft (5621) to face the first pressurizing plate (530), and to pressurize the pants (P)
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2~3(b)
Figure 4(a)~4(e)
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet (150) having a laundry inlet (120) defined in one surface thereof, a first chamber (100, 103) positioned inside the cabinet (150) to accommodate laundry therein through the laundry inlet (120), a second chamber (200) positioned underneath the first chamber (100, 103) to define a space separated from a space of the first chamber (100, 103), a steamer (250) disposed inside the second chamber (200) to generate steam and supply the generated steam to the first chamber (100, 103), a door (400) pivotably coupled to the cabinet (150) to open and close the laundry inlet (120), a door inner surface (401) facing the first chamber (100, 103) among both surfaces of the door (400), a base plate (510) coupled to the door inner surface (401), a first shaft (5611) disposed parallel to a width direction of the door (400), a second shaft (5621) disposed parallel to the first shaft (5611), a first pressurizing plate (530) pivotably coupled to the door inner surface (401) or the base plate (510) through the first shaft (5611) and disposed to face the base plate (510), wherein the first pressurizing plate (530) mounts and pressurizes pants, and a second pressurizing plate (550) pivotably coupled to the door inner surface (401) or the base plate (510) through the second shaft (5621) and disposed to face the first pressurizing plate (530).