Dryer Pre-Warm Mode to Reduce Body Temperature Shock and Skin Injury
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dryers do not effectively manage temperature differences between the body temperature of a drying target and the drying air, which can cause discomfort or injury, especially for infants and pets with soft skin, and fail to account for the distance between the dryer and the target.
Innovation Solution
A dryer with a controller that adjusts the drying temperature based on the body temperature of the target and includes a pre-warm mode to minimize temperature differences, using a distance sensor to further optimize temperature settings, and allows user input through a user interface device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high drying temperature is used to improve drying efficiency, then productivity increases, but the risk of skin injury and discomfort to the drying target increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer performs a pre-warm mode before actual drying to gradually acclimate the drying target to the drying temperature. The controller operates the heater at a pre-warm temperature higher than body temperature but lower than the final drying temperature, and gradually increases the temperature to minimize thermal shock and skin injury risk while maintaining drying efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The dryer dynamically adjusts the drying temperature based on real-time body temperature detection and distance measurement. The controller continuously monitors the drying target's body temperature and modifies the heater power accordingly, ensuring the temperature difference between drying air and body remains within safe limits while optimizing drying performance
2Loss of time
If a high drying temperature is used to reduce drying time, then duration of action decreases, but the stimulus from temperature difference increases causing discomfort or injury
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-warm mode gradually raises the drying target's body temperature before high-temperature drying begins. By operating the heater at a moderate pre-warm temperature first, the system minimizes the temperature difference stimulus that would otherwise cause discomfort or injury, then transitions to faster drying at higher temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors body temperature throughout the drying process and continuously adjusts the heater power to maintain optimal drying conditions. This continuous adjustment ensures that high drying temperatures are applied only when safe, minimizing overall drying time while preventing temperature-related harm
3Device complexity
If the drying temperature is set based only on suggested temperature without considering body temperature, then device complexity is reduced, but the accuracy of temperature control decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer incorporates a temperature sensor that continuously detects the drying target's body temperature and feeds this information back to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the heater power, ensuring the drying temperature is always appropriate for the current body temperature rather than relying on fixed preset temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces simple mechanical temperature control with an intelligent control system that uses temperature sensors and a controller to automatically adjust heating based on detected body temperature. This substitution of mechanical adjustment with sensor-based automatic control improves temperature control accuracy while managing system complexity through integrated electronics
4Device complexity
If the drying temperature is set based only on suggested temperature without considering distance, then device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of safe drying decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer incorporates a distance sensor that continuously measures the distance to the drying target and feeds this information back to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to adjust the drying temperature appropriately - higher temperatures for greater distances and lower temperatures for closer proximity - ensuring safe drying conditions are maintained regardless of distance variations
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts drying temperature based on real-time distance measurements rather than using a fixed temperature setting. The controller continuously modifies the heater power in response to changing distance conditions, maintaining reliable safe drying across varying operational scenarios
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 dryer minimizes stimuli from temperature differences and ensures safe, comfortable drying by controlling the drying temperature and pre-warm mode based on the body temperature and distance from the target, reducing the risk of injury and evasive behavior.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor which detects a body temperature of the drying target
Implementation Method 2
a distance sensor configured to detect the distance from the drying target to the dryer
Implementation Method 3
The controller controls a heater so that the dryer operates at a pre-warm temperature
Implementation Method 4
a fan configured to receive external air and blow air
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a dryer. The dryer includes a fan configured to input and blow air, a heater configured to heat the blown air, an external temperature sensor configured to detect a body temperature of a drying target, an air temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heated air, and a controller configured to enter a pre-warm mode when the body temperature is lower than a reference temperature and to control the heater so that dry is performed at a pre-warm temperature higher than the body temperature and lower than the reference temperature in the pre-warm mode.