Heat Pump Dryer Assembly With Removable Heat Exchangers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heat pump laundry dryers require complete disassembly for maintenance, which is inefficient and time-consuming, especially in semi-professional or professional settings where continuous operation leads to clogged filters and fluff accumulation on heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
The design allows for the partial or complete removal of heat pump assembly members, such as heat exchangers, from the cabinet while remaining connected to the refrigerant loop via flexible pipes, enabling maintenance without disassembling the entire dryer structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the entire heat pump system is removed from the machine for cleaning, then cleaning accessibility is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase due to large openings required in the cabinet
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system is divided into separate removable modules (evaporator, condenser, compressor) that can be individually extracted through a standardized opening. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and clean specific components without requiring complete system removal or complex cabinet modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump components are designed to be extractable from the cabinet through a dedicated opening. The evaporator and condenser can be removed separately for cleaning, and the compressor can be accessed through the same opening, enabling maintenance without permanent disassembly of the cabinet structure.
2Device complexity
If the heat pump system remains installed in the cabinet, then device structure is simplified, but maintenance accessibility and cleaning efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cabinet is pre-equipped with a standardized opening and mounting structures that facilitate quick removal of heat pump components. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex disassembly during maintenance, reducing maintenance time while keeping the cabinet structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump components are designed with dynamic accessibility - they can be in a fixed installed state during operation and easily removed during maintenance. The mounting mechanisms allow rapid transition between installed and removed states, optimizing both operational simplicity and maintenance efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid pipes are used to connect heat pump components, then connection stability is improved, but maintenance flexibility and component removability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible refrigerant pipes are used to connect the heat pump components (evaporator, condenser, compressor) to each other and to the cabinet. These flexible connections maintain stable refrigerant flow while allowing components to be easily removed and reinstalled during maintenance, providing both connection stability and maintenance flexibility.
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
This configuration simplifies maintenance operations by allowing essential components to be extracted and replaced without disrupting the refrigerant loop, improving maintenance efficiency and reducing downtime in high-use settings.
Implementation Method 1
the process air exhausted from the drum is cooled and dehumidified by heat exchange carried out by the evaporator of the heat pump system
Implementation Method 2
The dehumidified air is heated by heat exchange carried out by the condenser of the heat pump system
Implementation Method 3
the refrigerant is compressed and drying air (process air) is re-circulated through the drum
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a heat pump laundry treatment apparatus, in particular a heat pump laundry dryer or a heat pump washing machine having drying function. A heat pump laundry treatment apparatus (1) according to the invention comprises a cabinet (2) which houses operational components (3, 12, 14) for carrying out a drying operation on laundry, the operational components (3, 12, 14) comprise a rotatable laundry drum (3) for treating laundry using process air, the drum (3) being accessible by a user through a door (4) of the apparatus (1), wherein the laundry treatment apparatus (1) comprises: a process air path (12) for conveying the process air through the drum (3); a heat pump assembly (14) having members (15, 16, 17, 18) comprising a first and a second heat exchanger (15, 16) arranged in the process air path (12), a compressing device (17), a refrigerant expansion device (18) and a refrigerant loop (11) for circulating a refrigerant fluid through the members (15, 16, 17, 18); the refrigerant loop comprising flexible pipes (19) for fluidly connecting each other two members (15, 16, 17, 18) of the heat pump assembly (14). In the apparatus (1) according to the invention at least one of the heat pump members (15, 16, 17, 18) is at least partly removable from the cabinet (2) leaving the remaining heat pump members (15, 16, 17, 18) inside the cabinet (2) and keeping said at least partly removable heat pump member (15, 16, 17, 18) connected to the refrigerant loop (11).