Dryer Drain Pump Housing for User Cleaning of Lint Clogs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry drying apparatuses face issues with pump efficiency due to lint and particles accumulating in the condensation water collector, which can clog the drainage pump and affect its functionality.
Innovation Solution
A laundry drying apparatus with a removable conveying element housing that allows users to easily access and clean the liquid pump, preventing lint and foreign objects from accumulating and clogging the pump, featuring a lint collecting component and a wet cleaning unit to wash lint from the conveying element housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the liquid pump continuously drains liquid containing lint from the liquid collector, then the pump efficiency decreases due to lint accumulation and clogging, but stopping the pump to manually clean it requires external service assistance and increases maintenance complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying element housing is divided into a removable unit and a fixed unit. The removable unit can be detached from the fixed unit to provide access to the liquid conveying element for cleaning operations. This segmentation allows users to maintain the pump without requiring external service assistance, resolving the contradiction between pump reliability and maintenance accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable unit enables end-users to perform maintenance themselves by providing easy access to the liquid conveying element. Users can remove lint and foreign objects without needing technically skilled service personnel, implementing self-service maintenance that improves ease of operation while maintaining pump reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the conveying element housing is made fully accessible for maintenance, then user accessibility improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional removable components and sealing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into removable and fixed units, providing a balanced solution that offers maintenance accessibility while avoiding the complexity of completely disassemblable structures. The segmentation is minimal and focused only on the portion requiring maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable unit transitions between attached and detached states, providing dynamic accessibility. This allows the housing to maintain structural integrity during operation while becoming easily accessible during maintenance, balancing accessibility needs with structural simplicity.
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
Ensures efficient operation of the liquid pump by allowing users to manually remove lint and particles, preventing clogs and maintaining the pump's functionality without requiring technical expertise or external service assistance, thus simplifying maintenance and extending the pump's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid pump having a motor, a liquid conveying element driven by the motor and a conveying element housing wherein the liquid pump is fluidly connected to the liquid collector. The liquid pump is adapted to drain the liquid collected in the liquid collector
Implementation Method 2
A wet cleaning unit is provided, having a nozzle for supplying liquid (e.g. water) for washing lint from the lint collecting component
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a laundry drying apparatus, in particular dryer (2), comprising a cabinet and a laundry storing compartment arranged within the cabinet for receiving laundry to be dried. An air channel is arranged within the cabinet and adapted to guide drying air from at least one air outlet of the laundry storing compartment to at least one air inlet of the laundry storing compartment. A lint collecting component is arranged in the air channel exposed to the drying air and being receptive for the deposition of lint carried by the drying air. A wet cleaning unit has a nozzle for supplying liquid for washing lint from the lint collecting component. A liquid collector is adapted to collect liquid supplied by the wet cleaning unit for washing the lint collecting component. A liquid pump (36) has a motor (68), a liquid conveying element (70) driven by the motor (68) and a conveying element housing (76) which is fluidly connected to the liquid collector, wherein the liquid pump (36) is adapted to drain the liquid collected in the liquid collector. The conveying element housing (76) of the liquid pump (36) comprises a removable unit (82) forming a section of the conveying element housing (76). The removable unit (82) is adapted to be manually removed by a user. When the removable unit (82) is removed from the liquid pump (36), at least a portion of the conveying element (70) or the inner volume (90) of the conveying element housing (76) is exposed for user maintenance.