Drawer-Type Laundry Apparatus Drain Pump Placement to Prevent Freezing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses face issues with incomplete drainage of wash water, leading to freezing and potential bursting of drain units, especially in winter, due to water remaining in drain channels and pumps, and the design constraints of minimizing volume and preventing bad smells from sewer pipes.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus with a drain pump located lower than the tub's bottom surface, a drain channel extending outside the cabinet, and a connection channel system that allows water to flow by gravity, preventing siphon phenomena and including a residual water drain unit to manage remaining water effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the drain pump is attached to the rear surface of the drawer to minimize the volume of the drawer type laundry treatment apparatus, then the volume of the apparatus is reduced, but the drain channel becomes located relatively high, causing wash water to remain and freeze in winter
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pump is positioned in the vertical dimension below the tub bottom surface rather than being attached to the rear surface of the drawer. This vertical placement creates a lower point for water drainage, ensuring complete drainage and preventing water accumulation in the drain channel that would otherwise freeze in winter.
2Device complexity
If the drain channel is located parallel to the ground to simplify the structure, then the structure is simplified, but wash water collects in the drain channel and may freeze to burst in winter
Solution Approach 1:
The drain channel is configured with a downward slope toward the drain pump, creating a gravitational potential gradient that ensures water flows completely to the pump. This eliminates water accumulation in the drain channel, preventing freezing and bursting while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a water trap is created in the drain pump and drain channel to prevent bad smells from the sewer pipe, then bad smell prevention is improved, but the water trap may freeze to burst in winter
Solution Approach 1:
The drain channel is positioned outside the cabinet rather than inside, extracting the potential freezing problem from the enclosed cabinet environment. This allows the drain channel to be insulated or protected from external cold temperatures while still maintaining the water trap function for bad smell prevention.
4Volume of moving object
If the drawer type laundry treatment apparatus is configured as an auxiliary apparatus to minimize volume, then the volume is reduced, but the drain pump cannot be located lower than the tub bottom surface, causing wash water to remain in the drain channel
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pump is positioned in the vertical dimension below the tub bottom surface rather than being constrained to the horizontal rear surface of the drawer. This vertical placement enables complete drainage while maintaining the compact auxiliary apparatus design.
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 solution enables complete drainage of wash water, preventing freezing and bursting of drain channels and pumps, even in winter, while maintaining a compact design and preventing bad smells from entering the system.
Implementation Method 1
a drain pump for discharging water from the receiving unit
Implementation Method 2
at least a portion of the drain pump is located lower than a bottom surface of the receiving unit
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treatment apparatus that includes a cabinet having an opening; a drawer dischargeable from the cabinet through the opening; a receiving unit provided in the drawer for receiving water and laundry; a drain pump for discharging water from the receiving unit; a drain channel extending through a reference point set to be higher than a highest level of water that can be stored in the receiving unit, the drain channel being located outside the cabinet; and a connection channel located in the cabinet for connecting the drain pump and the drain channel to each other, wherein at least a portion of the drain pump is located lower than a bottom surface of the receiving unit is disclosed.