Dryer Drum Airflow Layout for Concentric Drive and Faster Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses face challenges in maintaining concentricity between the rotor and drum during rotation, leading to vibration issues and inefficient air distribution, which affects heat exchange and drying performance.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a barrier in the duct body to classify air flow into different passages, with more holes in the upper region to increase air supply to the drum, and a driver that decreases rotor rotation speed to form a concentric axis with the drum, ensuring efficient air distribution and heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the stator and decelerator are fixed to the tub separately, then the vibration width can be reduced, but it is difficult to maintain concentricity between the input shaft and output shaft during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The stator and decelerator are integrated into a single unit fixed to the tub, combining two previously separate components. This merging maintains concentricity between the input shaft and output shaft while reducing vibration width, as the integrated structure ensures proper alignment during rotation of the tub and drum.
2Temperature
If air is supplied mainly to the upper space of the drum, then heat exchange with laundry is improved, but the conventional supply passage configuration is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The supply passage is configured with a larger cross-sectional area at the upper end compared to the lower end. This local quality variation directs more air flow to the upper space of the drum where laundry is located, improving heat exchange efficiency. The simplified gradual area reduction eliminates complex configurations while achieving the desired air distribution.
3Device complexity
If the drying drum rotates through a belt power transmission unit, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult to control RPM and rotation direction changes
Solution Approach 1:
The belt power transmission unit is replaced with a direct-drive structure where the drying drum is directly coupled to the motor shaft. This substitution eliminates the belt transmission mechanism while enabling precise control of RPM and rotation direction through the motor controller, improving ease of operation without increasing structural complexity.
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 configuration enhances air supply to the upper drum region, improving heat exchange and reducing drying time while minimizing vibration and deformation, thus increasing the drying performance and maintaining concentricity between the rotor and drum.
Implementation Method 1
a stator fixed to the tub to generate a rotating magnetic field, a rotor configured to rotate by the rotating magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger to dehumidify moisture from the laundry by supplying air to the drying drum
Data Source
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AI summary
A laundry treatment apparatus comprising: a drum (2) including a front cover (22) forming a front surface of the drum body (21) and a rear cover (23); a fixing panel (151) provided to be spaced apart from the rear cover (23); a driver (D) including a stator (51) supported by the fixing panel (151) and a rotor (52); a panel exhaust port (157) provided to penetrate the fixing panel (151); an exhaust duct (31) configured to guide air discharged from the drum (2) to the panel exhaust port (157); a heat exchanger (34) including a fan (349), a heat absorption unit (341) and a heating unit (343); a supply port (158) configured as a plurality of through-holes penetrating the fixing panel (151) and surrounding the stator (51); an air inlet (233) formed to penetrate the rear cover (23); a flow passage forming portion (159), interconnecting the supply port (158) and the air inlet (233); a supply duct (32) including a duct body (321) fixed to the fixing panel (151) to guide air discharged from the panel exhaust port (157) to the supply port (158), and a rotor reception portion (322) such that the rotor (52) is exposed to the outside of the duct body (321), wherein the supply port (158) is configured in a manner that the number or sum of areas of through-holes disposed above a horizontal line (H) penetrating a center of rotation of the rotor (52) is greater than the number or sum of areas of other through-holes disposed below the horizontal line (H).