Induction-Heated Laundry Drum Airflow Layout for Higher Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treating apparatuses with induction heaters lack an efficient air flow path structure, which limits drum capacity, heat transfer efficiency, and requires additional components for cooling and water management, while also making it difficult to replace air filters.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating apparatus with a drum made of ferromagnetic material and an induction heater that includes a duct for circulating air, a heat exchanger for moisture condensation, and a shared cooling fan for the heat dissipation portion, allowing for improved air flow, increased drum capacity, efficient heat transfer, and simplified water management, along with an easily detachable lint filter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the duct for circulating air is positioned on the rear surface of the tub, then the air flow path is established, but the drum capacity is reduced and the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The duct outlet is repositioned from the rear surface to the side surface of the tub, changing the spatial dimension of air discharge. This dimensional shift allows the drum capacity to be increased by 10% while simplifying the overall flow path structure, as the air can be discharged laterally without requiring complex rear surface configurations
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discharging air from the rear surface in the conventional manner, the invention inverts the discharge direction to the side surface. This inversion resolves the contradiction by enabling both increased drum capacity and simplified structure through the alternative discharge orientation
2Temperature
If a separate cooling fan is provided for the induction heater and heat exchanger, then cooling is effective, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling functions for the induction heater and heat exchanger are merged into a single cooling fan system. This consolidation reduces device complexity by eliminating redundant components while maintaining effective cooling through the shared fan that serves both heat-generating elements
Solution Approach 2:
A single cooling fan is designed to perform multiple cooling functions simultaneously - cooling both the induction heater and the heat exchanger. This multi-functional approach reduces the total number of components while ensuring adequate cooling for all thermal management requirements
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the lint filter is fixed in the duct, then air filtration is effective, but filter replacement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lint filter is segmented from the main duct structure, allowing it to be detached and replaced independently. This segmentation maintains effective air filtration when installed while enabling easy removal and replacement without disassembling the entire duct system
Solution Approach 2:
The lint filter is designed with dynamic characteristics - it can be in a fixed installed state for effective filtration and a removable state for easy replacement. This dynamic design allows the filter to transition between being securely positioned for operation and easily accessible for maintenance
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 apparatus enhances drum capacity, improves heat transfer efficiency to laundry, reduces component complexity, and facilitates easy filter replacement, while ensuring effective water drainage and cooling of the induction heater and heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
an induction heater for heating the drum is disposed in the tub
Implementation Method 2
when high frequency current power is applied to the coil, an alternating magnetic field works on the drum, thereby inducing an eddy current and accordingly heating the drum
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger for condensing moisture from the air in the duct
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus include: a cabinet; a tub disposed in the cabinet; a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, and having a cylindrical portion formed of a ferromagnetic material and a rear wall portion for closing an open rear end of the cylindrical portion, wherein the cylindrical portion has a plurality of through-holes formed therein and allows laundry to be loaded thereinto through an opening portion formed on a front surface; an induction heater disposed in the tub and configured to heat the drum by inducing an eddy current in the cylindrical portion; a duct disposed on an outer side of the tub, having an inlet communicating with an open front surface of the cylindrical portion, and an outlet communicating with the tub through a side surface of the tub surrounding the cylindrical portion; and an air blower configured to suction air, discharged from the drum, into the inlet.