Inflatable Duct Design for Space-Adaptive Household Appliance Air Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household appliances that process items using conditioned air flow face challenges in allocating sufficient space for components due to the need for a process air conditioner and air guide, especially when the processing chamber must accommodate swinging movements during operations like spinning laundry.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance design featuring an inflatable and deflatable duct system within the process air guide, allowing the ducts to be inflated during air flow processes and deflated when not in use, which reduces their size and frees up space for other components, with flow control means like pressure balancers and throttles managing pressure and airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a process air guide with ducts is provided to guide conditioned air flow between the process air conditioner and processing chamber, then the air flow guidance function is improved, but the space occupied by the ducts increases and reduces available space for other components
Solution Approach 1:
The ducts are designed to be dynamically changeable in volume through inflation and deflation. During drying operations, the ducts are inflated to provide proper air flow guidance. During washing operations or when not in use, the ducts are deflated to minimize space occupation. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining air flow guidance function and reducing space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the ducts is changed between inflated and deflated states to adapt to different operational requirements. By changing the volume parameter of the ducts based on operational mode, the system maintains air flow guidance when needed while minimizing space occupation when not needed, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the processing chamber is allowed to swing during operations like spinning laundry, then the operational flexibility is improved, but the space requirements and component allocation become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The duct system is designed to be flexible and adaptable to the swinging motion of the processing chamber. The ducts can dynamically adjust their configuration to accommodate chamber movement while maintaining air flow guidance, thus supporting operational flexibility without requiring excessive fixed space for rigid ductwork.
Solution Approach 2:
The same duct system serves multiple functions: guiding air flow during drying operations and adapting to chamber movement during spinning operations. This multi-functionality allows the system to support various operational modes (drying, washing, spinning) within the same space constraints, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and space allocation.
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 design allows for adaptive space allocation, enabling efficient operation and movement of the processing chamber while minimizing space requirements, particularly beneficial in appliances like washer-dryers and dishwashers with heat pumps.
Implementation Method 1
said at least one duct is inflatable and deflatable; and flow control means are disposed in said process air guide and configured for inflating said at least one duct during said first operational process
Implementation Method 2
flow control means are disposed in said process air guide and configured for inflating said at least one duct during said first operational process, and for deflating said at least one duct during said second operational process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A household appliance 1 including a housing 2, a processing chamber 3, a process air conditioner 4, a process air guide 6, and a control unit 7; said process air guide 6 including at least one duct 8, 9 connected between said process air conditioner 4 and said processing chamber 3; and said control unit 7 configured to selectively execute a first operational process which includes guiding the process air flow 5 through said process air guide 6, and a second operational process which excludes guiding the process air flow 5 through said process air guide 6. Further, said at least one duct 8, 9 has flow control means 10, 11, 12 and is inflatable and deflatable; and the flow control means 10, 11, 12 are configured for inflating and deflating said at least one duct 8, 9 during said first and second operational process, respectively.