Dual-Stage Dryer Lint Filter for Clean Cartridge Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rotary-drum household laundry dryers have air-filtering cartridges that are complicated to extract and clean, leading to the scattering of fluff and lint particles, making the process unpleasant for users.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a dual-stage air-filtering cartridge with a snap-on locking mechanism and an extraction-aid member, allowing for easy manual extraction and cleaning by grasping a protruding tailpiece or using a clipping arm, ensuring fluff and lint particles remain contained during disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional air-filtering cartridge is used, then fluff and lint particles are filtered from the airflow, but the cartridge becomes complicated to extract and clean, causing particles to scatter during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The air-filtering cartridge is divided into a first air-filtering shell and a second air-filtering shell that are completely separated from each other. The first shell has a wedge shape with a V-shaped cross-section that fits into the air-vent, while the second shell is a cylindrical cartridge that inserts into the first shell. This segmentation allows each shell to be independently removed and cleaned without causing particles to scatter, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The second air-filtering shell (cylindrical cartridge) can be extracted from the first air-filtering shell (wedge-shaped holder) for separate cleaning. The extraction-aid member on the first shell provides a grasping surface that allows users to easily remove the entire assembly. This taking out principle enables independent cleaning of the cylindrical cartridge without scattering particles, improving ease of operation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If the air-filtering cartridge is designed for easy extraction, then maintenance becomes user-friendly, but the structure requires additional components like extraction-aid members
Solution Approach 1:
The first air-filtering shell incorporates an extraction-aid member that extends from its upper rim, providing a built-in grasping surface for users. This self-service feature allows users to easily grip and remove the entire cartridge assembly without requiring external tools or complex mechanisms. The extraction-aid member is a simple protruding structure that adds minimal complexity while dramatically improving ease of manual extraction and maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
Laundry dryer (1) comprising an outer casing (2) having a front wall (2a) provided with a laundry loading/unloading pass-through opening, and an air-filtering cartridge (15) which is fitted in removable manner into an air-vent (10) which is passed through by a laundry drying airflow (f), said air-filtering cartridge (15) comprising a first substantially bag- or pocket-shaped, air-filtering shell or vessel (20, 120) which is dimensioned for being inserted/plugged into said air-vent (10) and is structured to restrain the fluff and/or lint particles in suspension into the airflow (f); the air-filtering cartridge (15) furthermore comprising: a second, completely separated, substantially bag- or pocket-shaped, air-filtering shell or vessel (30, 130) which is fitted/recessed into said first air-filtering shell or vessel (20, 120) so as to be crossed by substantially the same airflow (f) that crosses the first air-filtering shell or vessel (20, 120), and which is structured to restrain the fluff and/or lint particles in suspension into the airflow (f); and an extraction-aid member (26, 138) which is fixed/associated to one of the two completely-separated, air-filtering shells or vessels (20, 30; 120, 130), and is structured so as to allow the manual extraction of both air-filtering shells or vessels (20, 30; 120, 130) at a time from the air-vent (10).