Laundry Dryer Steam Control for Wrinkle and Static Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry dryers fail to effectively remove wrinkles and static electricity from clothes, requiring additional pressing and causing user discomfort due to accumulated static.
Innovation Solution
A laundry dryer method that includes a hot air supply step, moisture supply step for static electricity removal, and steam generation to prevent wrinkles, using a steam generator to minimize overflow and enhance performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional laundry dryers use high temperature air for drying clothes, then drying efficiency is improved, but wrinkles and static electricity are generated on clothes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a moisture supply step after the hot air drying step. The moisture (water or steam) is supplied to the drum before the drying cycle completes, allowing the moisture to remove static electricity and reduce wrinkles during a subsequent cooling period, rather than attempting to prevent these issues during the high-temperature drying phase itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of static electricity generation during drying into a beneficial process. By supplying moisture after drying, the static electricity that accumulated during high-temperature drying is removed through the interaction with the introduced moisture, transforming the harmful static charge into an opportunity for fabric refreshment and wrinkle reduction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If moisture is supplied to remove static electricity from dried clothes, then user comfort is improved, but clothes may get wet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by dividing the drying process into distinct phases: a hot air drying phase followed by a moisture supply phase. The moisture is supplied only after drying is complete, and the system utilizes the remaining drum rotation and ambient cooling to evaporate or absorb the moisture without rewetting the clothes. This periodic separation ensures static removal without the harmful effect of wet clothes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the environment within the drum after drying. By introducing moisture and then allowing the drum to continue rotating while the heating element remains off, the temperature and humidity parameters change to facilitate moisture evaporation or absorption into the air, rather than the moisture settling on and wetting the clothes.
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 method effectively prevents wrinkles and static electricity, improving user satisfaction by maintaining maximum drying performance and preventing clothes from getting wet during static electricity removal.
Implementation Method 1
a steam generator to generate steam for removing wrinkles and static electricity from clothes
Implementation Method 2
supplying dried hot air to a drum for drying clothes
Data Source
AI summary
Method for controlling a dryer having a steam generator for generating high temperature steam with heat generation of a steam heater, including a hot air supply step for supplying dried hot air to a drum for drying clothes, and a moisture supply step for supplying moisture to the drum for removing static electricity from the clothes dried in the hot air supply step.