Clothes treatment apparatus and control method therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses using electric heaters or heat pumps for heating have inefficiencies and safety concerns, such as scale accumulation, poor air-heating efficiency, and high manufacturing costs, while induction heating technologies lack concrete implementations for improving efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treatment apparatus utilizing an induction module with a coil and permanent magnets to heat the drum indirectly, reducing electrical current leakage, preventing coil deformation, and enhancing drying efficiency by uniform heating and stable mounting, while controlling heat output based on the lifter's position to prevent overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an electric heater is used to heat wash water, then the temperature of wash water can be increased to promote detergent activation and dirt breakdown, but foreign substances such as scale accumulate on the electric heater leading to performance deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an induction heating module as an intermediary device that heats the drum indirectly through electromagnetic induction. The heating element is positioned outside the tub and heats the drum, which in turn heats the wash water and laundry, eliminating direct contact between the heating element and water, thus preventing scale accumulation while maintaining heating effectiveness
2Use of energy by moving object
If a heat pump is used to heat air for drying, then air can be heated efficiently, but the structure becomes complicated with multiple components (evaporator, condenser, expansion valve, compressor) and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the complex heat pump system and implements it through a simplified induction heating module. The module uses electromagnetic induction to generate heat directly in the drum, eliminating the need for evaporators, condensers, expansion valves, and compressors, thereby reducing structural complexity while maintaining energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical heat pump system with an electromagnetic induction heating system. Instead of using mechanical compression and phase change processes, the system uses electromagnetic fields to induce currents in the drum, which generates heat through resistive heating, simplifying the overall system architecture
3Productivity
If induction heating is used to heat the drum, then heating efficiency can be improved and scale accumulation is prevented, but the coil may deform and electrical current leakage may occur without proper structural support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heating system into distinct functional modules: the induction heating module with coil, the drum, and the mounting structure. The heating module is segmented from the drum, allowing independent optimization of each component. The coil is positioned in a dedicated housing that provides structural support and electrical isolation, preventing deformation and leakage while maintaining heating efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a mounting structure with positioning protrusions and recesses that pre-establish the correct spatial relationship between the heating module and drum. This beforehand positioning prevents coil deformation during operation and ensures proper clearance, cushioning against potential mechanical failures before they occur
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
Improves washing and drying efficiency, reduces energy loss, and enhances safety by stabilizing the induction module and preventing overheating, achieving efficient and uniform heating of the drum without direct water heating.
Implementation Method 1
an induction module disposed on the tub to be spaced from a circumferential surface of the drum for generating an electromagnetic field to heat the circumferential surface of the drum
Implementation Method 2
a coil formed of windings of wires, wherein the coil generates a magnetic field when an electric current is applied thereto
Implementation Method 3
permanent magnets disposed on the coil to direct the magnetic field generated from the coil toward the drum
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a clothes treatment apparatus and, more particularly, to a clothes treatment apparatus for directly heating a drum accommodating clothes. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, provided is a clothes treatment apparatus comprising: a tub; a drum, made of a metal, which accommodates clothes and is rotatably provided inside the tub; and an induction module, provided in the tub so as to have a spacing from a circumferential surface of the drum, for generating an electromagnetic field to heat the circumferential surface of the drum, wherein the induction module comprises: a coil which is formed by winding a wire such that electric current is applied thereto to generate a magnetic field; and a base housing mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the tub, wherein the base housing is provided with a coil slot for defining the shape of the coil in such a manner that the wire is mounted therein so as to have a predetermined distance between wire and wire.