Dryer Lint Filter Spray Cleaning for Heat Exchanger Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In clothes treating apparatuses with drying functions, lint adheres to heat-exchangers, reducing heat exchange efficiency and increasing flow resistance, and is difficult to remove due to strong binding forces, especially when condensate water is reused.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treating apparatus with a lint filter on the upstream side of the heat-exchanger and a lint collecting part below it, featuring a sloped mesh design and spray tubes to separate and collect lint, reducing contact between lint and the heat-exchanger and facilitating easy lint removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lint is allowed to adhere to the heat-exchanger surface during drying operation, then the heat exchange efficiency deteriorates and flow resistance increases, but removing lint becomes more difficult when condensate water is reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing a lint filter on the upstream side of the heat-exchanger to capture lint before it can adhere to the heat-exchanger surface. This preventive measure eliminates the need for difficult lint removal from the heat-exchanger while maintaining heat exchange efficiency. The lint filter is positioned to intercept lint-laden air flow before it reaches the heat-exchanger, thereby solving the contradiction between maintaining efficiency and enabling easy lint removal.
2Reliability
If a lint filter is installed on the upstream side of the heat-exchanger to collect lint, then lint contact with heat-exchanger is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lint filter is designed to perform multiple functions: it collects lint from the air flow, guides the air flow toward the heat-exchanger, and can be integrated with the heat-exchanger assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall device structure despite adding lint collection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lint filter is positioned and structured to be integrated with the heat-exchanger assembly, with the filter occupying space upstream of the heat-exchanger in a nested arrangement. This nesting approach allows both components to coexist in a compact configuration, minimizing the increase in device complexity while achieving effective lint collection.
3Ease of operation
If spray water is used to remove lint from the heat-exchanger surface, then lint can be separated, but binding force between lint and heat-exchanger increases when condensate water is reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lint removal function from the heat-exchanger surface by placing a dedicated lint filter upstream. Lint is captured and removed in the filter rather than adhering to the heat-exchanger, eliminating the need for water spraying to remove lint from the heat-exchanger surface. This extraction approach avoids the problem of increased binding force when condensate water is reused.
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 solution effectively suppresses adverse effects from lint, improves heat exchange efficiency, reduces noise and vibration, and allows for easy collection and removal of lint, enhancing the overall drying process.
Implementation Method 1
a lint filter disposed on an upstream side of the heat-exchanger with respect to flow of air exhausted from the drum to collect lint in the air
Implementation Method 2
a spray tube spraying water to the lint filter such that lint collected in the lint filter is separated from the lint filter
Implementation Method 3
a heat-exchanger heat-exchanged with air exhausted from the drum
Implementation Method 4
high temperature air exhausted from a drum is heat-exchanged with an evaporator so as to be cooled and condensed to remove moisture
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention provides a clothes treating apparatus having a drying function, the clothes treating apparatus comprising: a cabinet (110); a drum (120) provided within the cabinet; a heat-exchanger (182) heat-exchanged with air exhausted from the drum (120); a lint filter (210a, 201b) disposed on an upstream side of the heat-exchanger (182) with respect to flow of air exhausted from the drum (120) to collect lint in the air, wherein the lint filter (210a, 210b) includes a frame (212) having at least one opening, and a mesh part (215) provided in the opening and allowing passage of air and restraining passage of lint; a spray tube (250a, 250b) for spraying water to the lint filter (210a, 210b) or to the heat exchanger (182) such that lint collected in the lint filter (210a, 210b) is separated from the lint filter or lint collected in the heat exchanger (182) is separated from the heat exchanger (182); and a lint collecting part (310) provided below the lint filter (210a, 210b) or below the heat-exchanger (182) to collect the separated lint, wherein the lint filter (210a, 210b) is disposed to be sloped with respect to a vertical direction of the cabinet (110), wherein water is sprayable to a rear surface of the lint filter (210a, 210b), or sprayable to an upstream side end region of the heat exchanger (182) along a flow direction of air exhausted from the drum (120), and wherein the lint collecting part (310) comprises a bottom part (312), and a side wall part (315) extending upward from the edges of the bottom part (312), wherein the bottom part (312) is arranged for the water and the separated lint to drop thereon such that the bottom part (312) allows passage of the water and restrains passage of the lint to collect the lint thereon.