Filter apparatus and clothes treating apparatus having the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines lack an effective solution for managing clogged filters during operation, leading to potential system shutdowns and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A filter apparatus connected to the washing machine's drain device, featuring a filtering flow path, a bypass flow path, sensors for monitoring filter state, and a controller to redirect water flow based on filter clogging, ensuring continuous operation even when the filter is clogged.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is used to remove foreign substances from water, then water purification is improved, but the system shuts down when the filter becomes clogged
Solution Approach 1:
The water discharge system is segmented into two independent paths: a filtering flow path for normal operation and a bypass flow path for when the filter is clogged. This segmentation allows the system to maintain water discharge functionality even when one path becomes blocked, resolving the contradiction between maintaining filtration and ensuring continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A connecting door acts as an intermediary mechanism between the filtering flow path and the bypass flow path. When the filter becomes clogged, the connecting door opens to redirect water flow through the bypass path, mediating the transition from filtered to unfiltered discharge and preventing system shutdown while maintaining water discharge capability.
2Reliability
If a bypass flow path is added to handle clogged filters, then continuous operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass flow path is merged with the existing filtering flow path within the same filter case structure. Both paths share common components such as the filter case, inlet, and outlet, reducing the need for separate independent systems and minimizing the increase in device complexity while still providing continuous operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter case is designed to serve multiple functions: it houses both the filtering flow path for normal operation and the bypass flow path for clogged filter conditions. This multi-functionality allows a single structure to handle both filtered and unfiltered water discharge, improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If filter monitoring and automatic bypass activation are implemented, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor provides feedback about the filter's clogging state to the control system. When the sensor detects that the filter is clogged, it triggers the control system to automatically open the connecting door and switch water flow to the bypass path, enabling automatic response to filter conditions without requiring manual intervention and improving system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting filter clogging through the sensor and autonomously activating the bypass flow path via the control system and connecting door mechanism. This self-service capability allows the system to maintain continuous operation without external intervention, improving reliability while keeping the control system relatively simple through automated rather than manually-controlled operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A filter apparatus positionable outside a washing machine and connectable to a drain device of the washing machine, the filter apparatus including a filter case configured so that, with the filter apparatus connected to the drain device, water from the drain device is flowable through the filter case; a filter detachably mountable inside the filter case; a filtering flow path inside the filter case so that water passes through the filter while the filter is mounted inside the filter case; a bypass flow path inside the filter case so that water bypasses the filter; at least one sensor to obtain information about the filter; an opening and closing device to open and close the bypass flow path to guide water flowing into the filter case to the filtering flow path or the bypass flow path; and a controller to control the opening and closing device based on the obtained information.