Clothing processing device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treating apparatuses face inefficiencies and safety concerns with heating methods, including energy wastage, structural limitations, and prolonged drying times due to indirect heating schemes, and lack specific implementations of induction heating for improved efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
An 'H'-shaped coil structure is used to create a more uniform magnetic field distribution around a drum, allowing for direct heating of washing water and laundry, with a coil design that widens at the outer portions and includes permanent magnets to concentrate the magnetic field, ensuring uniform heating of the drum's central and peripheral areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heating wire is installed inside the laundry treating apparatus to heat washing water, then the washing water temperature can be increased, but a separate flow channel must be defined below the tub which creates structural limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional heating wire system with an induction heating system that uses electromagnetic fields to heat the drum directly. The induction heating module includes a coil assembly that generates a magnetic field to induce eddy currents in the drum, converting electromagnetic energy to thermal energy without direct contact or immersion in water, thereby eliminating the need for separate flow channels and complex water heating structures.
2Reliability
If indirect heating schemes (hot air drying) are used to dry laundry, then safety is improved, but drying time becomes prolonged when laundry is lumped or contains a lot of moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs induction heating to directly heat the drum, which in turn transfers heat efficiently to the laundry through direct contact. This direct heating mechanism replaces indirect hot air drying, significantly reducing drying time while maintaining safety through the use of electromagnetic field-based heating that eliminates open flames and reduces energy waste.
3Device complexity
If conventional heating methods are used, then the structure is simpler, but energy is wasted and excessive energy is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional resistance heating wires with an induction heating system that uses electromagnetic induction to generate heat directly within the drum material. This method achieves higher thermal efficiency by minimizing heat loss to the surrounding environment, as the heat is generated internally within the drum rather than being transferred from an external heating element, thereby reducing overall energy consumption.
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 solution shortens heating and drying times, enhances washing and drying efficiency, and prevents laundry damage by ensuring uniform temperature distribution across the drum, thus improving the overall performance of laundry treating apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
an induction module spaced apart from a circumferential surface of the drum and heating the circumferential surface of the drum via a magnetic field generated as a current is applied to a coil composed of a wound wire
Implementation Method 2
a coil design that widens at the outer portions and includes permanent magnets to concentrate the magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
A clothing processing device disclosed in the present specification includes: a cabinet; a drum provided inside the cabinet, made of a metal material, and provided to receive a laundry therein; and an induction module which is spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the drum and heats the circumferential surface of the drum through a magnetic field generated when a current is applied to a coil having a wound wire, wherein: the induction module includes a base housing for receiving the coil; the coil includes a first region which is a portion located adjacent to the front of the drum, a third region which is a portion located adjacent to the rear of the drum, and a second region which is a portion positioned between the first region and the third region; and a shortest width of the first region or the third region is formed to be greater than a shortest width of the second region so that the coil having the wire wound on the base housing has different widths.