Dryer Filter Insert Positioning for Correct Airflow Filtration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tumble dryers face issues with incorrect handling of filter inserts, which can impair airflow and reduce filtration effectiveness due to improper installation.

Innovation Solution

A tumble dryer design featuring a pin guide in the air duct interacting with pin receptacles on the filter block, along with anti-twist protection and a magnet for secure attachment, ensures correct and safe insertion of the filter block, preventing contamination and ensuring optimal filtration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a filter insert is provided in the process air duct, then filtration effectiveness is improved, but incorrect handling can impair airflow and reduce filtration effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefiltration effectivenessVSAvoidhandling of filter insert
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A carrier is introduced as an intermediary component between the filter block and the air duct. The carrier includes guide pins that interact with pin receptacles in the air duct, ensuring proper positioning and orientation of the filter block during installation, thereby preventing incorrect handling while maintaining filtration effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The carrier is pre-equipped with guide pins and positioning features before the filter block is attached. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the filter insert is installed, it automatically aligns with the correct position and orientation in the air duct, preventing installation errors before they occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of repair

If the filter block is made accessible via inspection flap, then ease of maintenance is improved, but secure positioning in the air duct becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility of filter insertVSAvoidsecure positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The filter insert is divided into separable components: the filter block and the carrier. The carrier remains permanently attached to the air duct through guide pins, while the filter block can be independently removed and reattached. This segmentation allows easy maintenance access while maintaining secure positioning through the permanent carrier installation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filter block is extracted as a separate, removable component from the carrier. This allows the filter block to be easily removed for maintenance and cleaning while the carrier with its positioning features remains in place, ensuring that reinstallation maintains the correct secure positioning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2455537B1Washer dryer with filter insert
Publication Date: 2014.07.30 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP2455537B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2455537B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2455537B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a clothes dryer (1) with a drum rotatably mounted in a housing (2), a loading opening closable with a door (3), a blower, and a heating device for generating a process airflow that flows over a heat exchanger. A filter insert (6), accessible from the outside via an inspection hatch (5) arranged in the front wall (4) of the housing (2), is positioned upstream of the heat exchanger in the flow channel (7). According to the invention, the filter insert (6) is formed from a filter block (8) consisting of at least two filter layers (6.1) and (6.2), which interacts with a mounting and/or insertion aid (9) arranged in the flow channel (7).