Laundry Base Drain Geometry for Lint-Free Condensate Discharge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional laundry treatment apparatuses face issues with foreign materials like lint remaining in the discharge passage, causing unpleasant odors and preventing smooth discharge of wash water, due to dead zones in the structural design.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus features a base with a water collection chamber and discharge surfaces of varying angles to guide condensate water and wash water smoothly out, reducing the likelihood of foreign materials remaining and eliminating dead zones in the discharge passage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional discharge passage structure is used, then the apparatus is simple in design, but foreign materials like lint remain in dead zones causing unpleasant odors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehygiene performanceVSAvoiddischarge passage structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge passage is designed with a curved surface instead of straight or angular surfaces. The curved geometry eliminates dead zones where water flow would stagnate, ensuring that foreign materials are continuously flushed out with the water flow, thereby preventing odor generation while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The discharge passage transitions from a two-dimensional planar structure to a three-dimensional curved structure. This dimensional change creates continuous flow paths without stagnant zones, allowing water to effectively carry foreign materials out of the apparatus without requiring additional components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If wash water is supplied to discharge foreign materials, then foreign materials can be removed from the heat exchanger, but foreign materials remain in the discharge passage causing odor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchanger cleaningVSAvoidodor from discharged materials

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The curved discharge passage is pre-designed to create continuous water flow that prevents foreign materials from settling. By preparing the discharge path geometry in advance, the system ensures that materials are immediately flushed out upon entering the discharge passage, preventing odor formation before it can occur

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The water flow that carries foreign materials out of the heat exchanger is converted into a beneficial flushing mechanism. The same water that performs the cleaning function also serves to continuously wash the discharge passage, transforming a potential source of contamination into a self-cleaning mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If the discharge passage has a simple structure, then manufacturing is easier, but dead zones prevent smooth water flow and material discharge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedischarge efficiencyVSAvoiddischarge passage fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge passage employs a curved surface geometry that can be manufactured using standard molding or forming techniques. This curved design eliminates dead zones and ensures smooth water flow for efficient discharge of foreign materials, achieving high productivity without significantly complicating the manufacturing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 ensures that foreign materials are efficiently discharged along with wash water, preventing odor issues and ensuring effective hygiene by eliminating dead zones and promoting smooth water flow.

Implementation Method 1

at least one discharge surface having different inclined angles, thereby guiding flow of condensate water

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitation: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS12104313B2Laundry treatment apparatus

Publication Date: 2024.10.01 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet defining an external appearance of the apparatus and a base, a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet, a driver provided in the base to rotate the drum, a duct fastened to the base to form a circulation passage communicating with the drum, a heat pump having a heat exchanger provided in the circulation passage to heat air, and a discharge unit to discharge water generated by the heat exchanger. The base includes a water collection chamber that is configured to collect the water generated by the heat exchanger and has discharge surfaces having different inclined angles, thereby guiding flow of condensate water, and a discharge hole that is located adjacent to the water collection chamber and configured to communicate with the water collection chamber such that water guided by the at least one discharge surface is discharged through the discharge unit.