Washer-Dryer Dry Heat Sterilization for Temperature-Sensitive Laundry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sterilizing temperature-sensitive laundry items are inadequate as they either damage the fabric or require excessive energy, as they often involve high-temperature washing or drying processes that can cause discoloration, fabric damage, and inefficient energy use.
Innovation Solution
A method involving exposing dry laundry to a defined temperature air stream for a specified time, followed by cooling to a significantly reduced temperature, and then washing, which is implemented in a washer-dryer unit with temperature control and timing features to ensure gentle disinfection without water exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-temperature washing is used to sterilize laundry, then germ killing effectiveness is improved, but fabric damage and discoloration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary sterilization action by exposing dry laundry to hot air at temperatures of 90-110°C for a specified time before washing. This preliminary high-temperature treatment kills germs effectively, and then the laundry is cooled and washed at lower temperatures, avoiding fabric damage from prolonged high-temperature washing while maintaining sterilization effectiveness.
2Reliability
If hot air treatment is applied to damp laundry for disinfection, then germ killing is improved, but energy consumption increases due to heating water content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the disinfection action preliminarily on dry laundry before washing. By treating the laundry in a dry state, the system avoids the energy-intensive process of heating and evaporating water from damp laundry, significantly reducing energy consumption while achieving effective disinfection.
3Reliability
If high-temperature drying is used after washing to sterilize laundry, then germ killing is improved, but fabric shrinkage and damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies sterilization as a preliminary action during the drying phase at lower temperatures, followed by cooling to room temperature before washing. This approach achieves sterilization without subjecting the fabric to high-temperature conditions that would cause shrinkage, as the high-temperature exposure is brief and occurs in a controlled manner followed by cooling.
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 method effectively kills germs while being gentle on the fabric, preventing discoloration and shrinkage, and reduces energy consumption by using dry heating, allowing for efficient disinfection and subsequent washing without fabric damage.
Implementation Method 1
the items of laundry are exposed to a process air flow at a defined temperature (Tp) and heated in the dry state for a specified period of time (T)
Implementation Method 2
the items of laundry heated in this way are brought to a target temperature (Tpsoll) that is significantly reduced compared to the temperature (Tp) cooled
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The method according to the invention for sterilizing temperature-sensitive laundry items (1) comprises the following steps: in the dry state, the laundry items are exposed to a process air flow (14) having a defined temperature Tp and over a specified time period, then the laundry items (1) heated in such a way are cooled to a target temperature Tptarget significantly lower than the temperature Tp, and then the cooled laundry items (1) are washed in a washing process. The washing-drying unit according to the invention has a control device (CTRL) for carrying out said method.