Clothes treatment apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treatment apparatuses face inefficiencies in filtering foreign matter from washing water due to filters that do not consider the flow characteristics of washing water and are difficult to maintain or replace.
Innovation Solution
A filter is integrated into the rotating part of the laundry treatment apparatus, featuring a filter body and fixing part that is easily attachable to the column part, allowing for efficient filtering and convenient maintenance, with water flow holes aligned to match washing water dynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a drum-type clothes treatment apparatus is used, then it can treat both horizontal and vertical clothes, but it requires a large installation space and has a complicated structure
Solution Approach 1:
The drum-type apparatus is divided into an upper treatment chamber and a lower treatment chamber, each equipped with independent rotating drums. This segmentation allows each chamber to handle specific types of clothes (vertical or horizontal) independently, maintaining versatility while simplifying the overall structure by distributing functions across separate modules rather than requiring a single complex mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a drum-type clothes treatment apparatus is used, then it can treat both horizontal and vertical clothes, but it requires a large installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus utilizes vertical stacking with the upper treatment chamber positioned above the lower treatment chamber. This vertical arrangement in the third dimension allows both treatment chambers to be accommodated within a compact footprint, reducing the horizontal installation space while maintaining the capability to treat both horizontal and vertical clothes through independent drum rotation.
3Reliability
If high concentration chlorine is used for disinfection, then disinfection effect is improved, but fabric yellowing and deterioration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the concentration parameter of the disinfectant from high to low, using low concentration chlorine combined with plasma activation. This parameter change maintains effective disinfection through enhanced reactivity of plasma-activated chlorine while avoiding the harmful effects of high concentration chlorine such as fabric yellowing and deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs plasma activation to generate highly reactive oxygen species that enhance the disinfection capability of low concentration chlorine. The plasma-generated reactive oxygen species act as strong oxidants that effectively kill bacteria and viruses while using minimal chlorine, thereby preventing fabric damage associated with high chlorine concentrations.
4Ease of manufacture
If plasma is generated using a microwave plasma generator, then plasma generation is simple, but the structure becomes complicated and treatment area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes the microwave plasma generator from the apparatus, eliminating the source of structural complexity and limited treatment area. Instead, it employs a plasma wire that can be easily installed and maintained, achieving plasma generation without the bulky microwave equipment while expanding the effective treatment area through the rotating drum mechanism.
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 effectively filters foreign matter from washing water while enabling easy replacement and maintenance of the filter, enhancing the apparatus's performance and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma wire (33) extending along the inner circumference of the rotating drum (30) in the rotating direction
Implementation Method 2
a rotating drum (30) rotating about a horizontal axis in the treatment chamber (20)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A clothes treatment apparatus is disclosed. The clothes treatment apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a cabinet, a tub and a drum, and further comprises: a column part, which is provided on the surface opposite to one surface of the drum, protrudes toward a drum opening, and has a space formed therein; and a filter part which is provided inside the column part, and which filters out foreign material in water flowing into the column part, wherein the filter part includes: a filter body part extending in parallel with the column part, and including a filter surface facing the inner peripheral surface of the column part; and a filter-fixing part coupled to the inner peripheral surface of the column part so as to fix the filter body part to the inside of the column part.