Dryer Base Structure for Condensate Drainage Without Humid Air Leakage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Condensation type clothes dryers experience humid air leakage due to the same flow direction of humid air and condensed water discharge, affecting humidity around the dryer.
Innovation Solution
The clothes dryer incorporates a base structure with a guide side wall and discharge port aligned perpendicular to airflow, featuring inclined surfaces and a mounting plate with discharge holes to guide condensed water to a sump, while ribs and grooves on the mounting plate interrupt airflow, preventing humid air leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the discharge port is positioned to allow condensed water discharge, then condensed water can be effectively discharged to the sump, but humid air leaks through the same discharge port to the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge port is positioned on the guide side wall rather than at the bottom, utilizing the vertical dimension to separate the discharge location from the airflow path. The guide side wall extends along the airflow direction, creating a spatial separation where condensed water discharges laterally to the sump while air flows horizontally, preventing humid air leakage through the discharge port.
Solution Approach 2:
The base structure incorporates a guide side wall with a specific discharge port configuration on one side, creating a localized discharge region that is spatially separated from the main airflow path. This local structural modification allows condensed water to be discharged through a specific zone without interfering with the overall air circulation, thus preventing humid air leakage while maintaining effective water discharge.
2Ease of manufacture
If the base structure is simplified for easy manufacturing, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the ability to prevent humid air leakage and guide condensed water effectively is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The base is divided into functional segments: a guide side wall for airflow guidance, a discharge port for water discharge, and a sump for water collection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall structural simplicity. The guide side wall and discharge port are integrated into the base structure, avoiding the need for separate complex guiding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide side wall serves multiple functions: it guides the airflow direction, provides structural support for the discharge port, and prevents humid air leakage. The base structure itself acts as both the support framework and the condensed water discharge system, eliminating the need for separate specialized components and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining reliability.
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 design effectively prevents humid air leakage, maintaining consistent humidity and enhancing condensation recovery, thereby improving the dryer's performance and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Condensed water may be generated in the process of removing moisture from humid air through a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of inclined surfaces provided below the mounting plate to guide the condensed water passed through the at least one discharge hole to the discharge port
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a clothes dryer including a main body, a drum accommodating an object to be dried and configured to be rotatable in the main body, a heat exchanger configured to heat exchange air introduced from the drum, and a base disposed below the drum to mount the heat exchanger thereon. The base includes a guide side wall extending along a flow direction of the air, and a discharge port configured to discharge condensed water generated in the heat exchanger to a sump. The discharge port is provided on one side of the guide side wall to prevent air from leaking into the discharge port.