Laundry Air Circulation Layout for Full Heat Exchanger Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treatment apparatuses face challenges in achieving high drying efficiency and heat exchange efficiency due to air not passing through the entire heat exchanger, and there is a need to minimize the apparatus's volume and ensure automated cleaning of the filter unit.
Innovation Solution
A compact laundry treatment apparatus design with a cylindrical laundry receiving device, a circulation passage that includes a suction duct, a discharge duct, and a connection duct with a heat exchanger, and a blower positioned between the heat exchanger and the discharge duct to ensure air passes through the entire heat exchanger, along with a filter unit that can be automatically cleaned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the blower is located in front of the heat exchanger, then the air flow path is simplified, but air passes through only a portion of the heat exchanger reducing heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the blower after the heat exchanger instead of before it. This reversal ensures that air is drawn through the entire heat exchanger surface area, maximizing heat exchange efficiency while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If the hot air supply device is located below the laundry accommodation unit, then the structure is conventional, but the apparatus volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a vertical arrangement (hot air supply device below the laundry accommodation unit) to a horizontal arrangement (hot air supply device to the side). This dimensional change reduces the overall apparatus volume while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized lateral positioning.
3Device complexity
If the filter unit is not automatically cleaned, then the structure is simpler, but lint accumulates in the duct reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated cleaning system where the filter unit is self-cleaning through a reverse air flow mechanism. During specific operational phases, the system reverses air flow to blow accumulated lint off the filter into the drum, eliminating manual intervention and maintaining high drying efficiency without excessive complexity.
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
The solution achieves high drying efficiency, high heat exchange efficiency, minimizes the apparatus's volume, and ensures automated cleaning of the filter unit, enhancing overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that heats air moved by the blower
Implementation Method 2
remove moisture (dehumidify) air discharged from the laundry accommodation space
Implementation Method 3
a blower that discharges air from the laundry accommodation space
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A laundry treatment apparatus may include a cabinet defining an external appearance of the apparatus, the cabinet having a laundry opening, a laundry accommodation module provided within the cabinet to receive laundry introduced through the laundry opening, a suction duct into which interior air from the laundry accommodation module may be introduced, a discharge duct from which the air is discharged into the laundry accommodation module, a connection duct connecting the suction duct and the discharge duct to each other, a heat exchanger provided in the connection duct, and a blower provided between the heat exchanger and the discharge duct to circulate the interior air of the laundry accommodation module.