Laundry treating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry dryers face issues with inefficient filtration due to biased accumulation of foreign substances like lint, leading to reduced air flow and frequent manual cleaning needs.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating apparatus with a filter structure that includes a first filter with a support body, accommodated bodies, and a compressing portion to collect and compress lint within the filter, ensuring consistent air flow and reducing cleaning frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a symmetrical filter is used with a center-mounted cleaner, then the filter structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but lint accumulates biased toward the blowing fan side reducing air flow efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is designed with an asymmetric structure where the collecting portion is positioned biased toward the blowing fan side rather than being centrally located. This asymmetric arrangement allows the brush to effectively collect lint that accumulates on the blowing fan side, maintaining air flow efficiency while keeping the manufacturing process relatively simple.
2Reliability
If manual filter cleaning is performed regularly, then lint accumulation is removed, but user time and effort are consumed and cleaning cannot be done after every drying cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The filter incorporates an automatic cleaning mechanism with a brush that rotates to collect lint from the filter surface. The brush is driven by a motor and operates automatically during or after drying cycles, eliminating the need for manual user intervention and ensuring consistent air flow maintenance without consuming user time.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning mechanism is designed to operate in advance or during the drying cycle to prevent lint accumulation before it significantly impacts air flow. By performing cleaning proactively rather than reactively, the system maintains optimal performance without requiring separate user action.
3Volume of moving object
If the blowing fan is positioned next to the drum for space efficiency, then the dryer volume is minimized, but lint accumulates biased toward the fan side interfering with air flow
Solution Approach 1:
The filter structure incorporates a localized collecting portion with a brush specifically positioned on the blowing fan side where lint accumulates. This localized cleaning mechanism addresses the specific problem area created by the compact fan positioning, ensuring effective lint removal from the critical region without requiring changes to the overall compact dryer design.
4Ease of operation
If filter cleaning is delayed until lint accumulation interferes with air flow, then manual cleaning frequency is reduced, but sufficient air volume for drying is not maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic brush cleaning mechanism operates continuously or periodically to maintain filter permeability throughout the drying cycle. This continuous cleaning action ensures that air flow volume remains sufficient for effective drying without requiring the filter to be cleaned only when performance degrades, thus maintaining both high productivity and ease of operation.
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 apparatus effectively compresses lint inside the filter, maintaining air flow and minimizing the need for frequent manual cleaning, thereby enhancing the dryer's operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first filter disposed in the mounting portion to filter foreign substances from air introduced into the mounting portion
Implementation Method 2
a heat supplier including one or more heat exchangers that are installed inside the circulating duct and condense moisture from air
Implementation Method 3
a heat supplier including one or more heat exchangers that are installed inside the circulating duct and heat air
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet with an opening defined at a front side thereof, a drum that has an inlet defined therein in communication with the opening and accommodates laundry therein, a driver that is accommodated inside the cabinet and rotates the drum, a circulating duct that circulates air discharged from the inlet outside the drum and re-supplies air to the drum, a heat supplier including one or more heat exchangers that are installed inside the circulating duct and condense moisture from air or heat air, a mounting portion defined to allow the inlet and the circulating duct to be in communication with each other to guide air inside the drum to the circulating duct, a filter inserted into the mounting portion to filter foreign substances from air, and a compressing portion disposed in the filter to collect lint filtered by the filter inside the filter.