Interchangeable Drawer and Heat Exchanger for Delicate Item Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drying and washing machines face challenges in handling delicate items like wool, cashmere, and footwear, as traditional drying supports limit the use of the rotary drum for other laundry, and refreshing cycles can lead to hygiene issues due to moisture retention.
Innovation Solution
A drying or washing machine equipped with interchangeable condensing means that can switch between a closed-cycle mode using an exchanger and an open-cycle mode using a drawer, allowing the rotary drum to be used for regular laundry while preventing moisture dispersion and hygiene issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If drying supports (racks) are used to hold delicate clothes in the rotary drum, then delicate items can be dried without damage, but the rotary drum cannot be used for drying other laundry simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The drying function is segmented into two independent spaces: the rotary drum for regular laundry and a separate drawer for delicate items. This allows both types of laundry to be dried simultaneously without interference, resolving the contradiction between protecting delicate items and maintaining drying productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
A separate drawer acts as an intermediary drying chamber for delicate items, isolated from the rotary drum. This intermediary space enables delicate item drying without compromising the drum's availability for regular laundry, thus maintaining overall productivity while achieving adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rotary drum is used for refreshing cycles, then footwear and other items can be refreshed, but hygiene problems arise due to moisture retention in the closed drum
Solution Approach 1:
The refreshing function is extracted from the enclosed rotary drum and relocated to a separate drawer that can operate independently. This extraction allows refreshing cycles to occur in an open or vented configuration, eliminating moisture retention and hygiene problems while preserving the drum's availability for other functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The refreshing function moves from the three-dimensional enclosed space of the drum to a different spatial configuration in the drawer, which can be opened or vented. This dimensional change enables moisture evacuation while maintaining the refreshing capability.
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
Enables the simultaneous drying and refreshing of items, reduces hygiene concerns by dispersing moisture, and allows for flexible use of the rotary drum for both delicate and regular laundry, enhancing operational efficiency and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
condensing means, in turn comprising an exchanger and a tank for collecting the condensed water generated by condensation of the humidity present in the humid hot air flow
Implementation Method 2
exchanger preferably of the cross-flow type
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a clothes (2) drying or washing/drying machine (1), comprising a heater (8), a heat exchanger (9), and a tub inside of which a rotary drum (3) is located, wherein the heat exchanger (9) is at least partly interchangeable with a drawer (110) where items to be subjected to a drying and/or refreshing treatment, such as clothes, footwear or the like, can be placed.