Dryer vent hose device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vent hoses for electric dryers are prone to kinking, constriction, and clogging due to sagging, which can lead to lint blockage and fires.
Innovation Solution
A vent hose with a helix-shaped wire embedded in its peripheral wall, where the wire's opposing polarities are magnetically attracted, causing the loops to retract and keep the hose taut, preventing kinking and constriction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible vent hose is used to connect dryer to exhaust vent, then ease of installation and adaptability are improved, but the hose sags and sags lead to kinking and constriction
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is divided into multiple segments or sections along its length, with each segment capable of independent magnetic interaction. This segmentation allows the wire to maintain flexibility while providing distributed support to prevent sagging throughout the entire hose length.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire is formed into a helical or curved shape rather than a straight line. This curvature allows the wire to naturally resist bending forces and maintain the hose in a taut, rounded configuration that prevents kinking while accommodating installation flexibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid support structure is added to prevent sagging, then hose shape stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical support structures (such as rigid frames or multiple brackets) with a magnetic field-based system. Magnets embedded in the wire create magnetic forces that actively counteract gravitational sagging, eliminating the need for complex mechanical support while maintaining hose stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state or properties of the support mechanism by using magnetic field strength as a controllable parameter. By adjusting magnetic forces, the hose can maintain its shape without rigid structures, reducing overall system complexity while achieving the desired stability.
3Reliability
If the hose is kept taut to prevent kinking, then reliability is improved, but the hose becomes more prone to constriction from external forces
Solution Approach 1:
The wire incorporates dynamic elements such as spring sections or flexible joints that allow the hose to absorb external forces rather than resist them rigidly. This dynamic design maintains the taut configuration needed for fire safety while accommodating external pressures that might otherwise cause constriction.
Solution Approach 2:
The hose construction uses composite materials combining rigid magnetic support elements with flexible hose material. This composite structure provides the strength needed to maintain a taut, safe configuration while the flexible outer layer protects against external constriction forces.
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 magnetic attraction keeps the hose taut, preventing kinking and constriction, and maintains a straight conduit to inhibit clogging, thereby reducing the risk of lint blockage and fires.
Implementation Method 1
The wire comprises a helix shape forming a plurality of loops along a length of the peripheral wall. The wire may further comprise a first side having a first polarity and a second side having a second polarity. The first polarity and the second polarity are magnetically attracted to each other whereby the plurality of loops are magnetically attracted to each other thereby retracting the plurality of loops inwardly toward each other.
Data Source
AI summary
A dryer vent hose device for inhibiting kinking, constriction and clogging of the hose includes a tube having a first end, a second end, and a peripheral wall that is attached to and extends between the first end and the second end. A wire is coupled to the peripheral wall. The wire extends from the first end to the second end. The wire has a helix shape forming a plurality of loops along a length of the peripheral wall. The wire may further include a first side having a first polarity and a second side having a second polarity. The first polarity and the second polarity are magnetically attracted to each other such that the plurality of loops are magnetically attracted to each other and retract inwardly toward each other.