Laundry treating apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional laundry dryers face issues with vibration and noise due to the deformation of the rear panel when the driving unit is fixed to it, leading to misalignment of components and reduced reliability of the speed reducer, and they lack an effective structure for managing condensed water and air flow.

Innovation Solution

The laundry treating apparatus positions the driving unit separate from the base, allowing for a larger space for water collection and installation of components, with the water collection part and compressor installed parallel to each other, and the compressor located closer to the rear to reduce noise leakage, enabling efficient drying and water management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the driving unit is fixed to the rear panel of the cabinet, then the driving unit can be securely mounted and rotate the drum, but the rear panel deforms or vibrates under the load and external forces, causing misalignment and noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting stabilityVSAvoidcomponent alignment
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the driving unit from its conventional mounting position on the rear panel and relocates it to the base of the cabinet. This separation removes the driving unit's mounting load from the rear panel, preventing deformation and vibration. The base provides a stable mounting foundation that does not suffer from the same structural limitations as the thin rear panel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a intermediate structure (the base) as a mediator between the driving unit and the cabinet. Instead of directly mounting the driving unit to the rear panel, the base serves as an intermediate platform that absorbs and distributes the mounting loads, protecting the rear panel from deformation while providing stable support for the driving unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the driving unit is fixed to the rear panel, then the structure is simplified, but the thin rear panel vibrates and deforms even under small external forces, generating noise and distortion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting structureVSAvoidvibration and noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the driving unit from the rear panel mounting arrangement and relocates it to the base. This extraction removes the source of vibration and noise from the rear panel system, eliminating the harmful effects of panel deformation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If the driving unit is positioned close to the drum for direct connection, then the connection is efficient, but the rotating shaft becomes distorted when the rear panel deforms, damaging the speed reducer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower transmission efficiencyVSAvoidspeed reducer durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the driving unit from the rear panel mounting position and relocates it to the base. This relocation maintains efficient power transmission through direct connection to the drum while protecting the rotating shaft and speed reducer from distortion caused by rear panel deformation. The base provides a stable reference frame that prevents misalignment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Volume of stationary object

If the compressor is positioned at the front of the base, then space is maximized, but noise leaks to the outside more readily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebase space utilizationVSAvoidnoise leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetric positioning of the compressor within the base, placing it closer to the rear rather than symmetrically or at the front. This asymmetric arrangement prioritizes noise reduction over maximum space utilization, accepting a slight reduction in space efficiency to achieve the beneficial effect of reduced noise leakage to the exterior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP4039877A1Laundry treating apparatus
Publication Date: 2022.08.10 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4039877A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4039877A1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP4039877A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention discloses a laundry treating apparatus comprising a cabinet (100); a drum (200) rotatably provided in the cabinet (100) to accommodate laundry; a driving unit configured to provide power to rotate the drum (200); a base (800) forming a bottom side of the cabinet (100) and disposed below the drum (200) to provide a space through which air in the drum circulates or in which moisture contained in the air is condensed; and a heat exchange unit (900) comprising a heat exchanger (910, 920) seated on the base to condense the moisture contained in the air or to heat the air and a compressor (930) configured to supply a refrigerant for exchange of heat with the air to the heat exchanger, wherein the base (800) comprises: a circulation flow path part (820) configured to circulate the air in the drum, the circulation flow path part (820) being provided with the heat exchanger (910, 920) disposed therein; a compressor installation part (811) disposed so as to be spaced apart from the circulation flow path part (820), the compressor installation part (811) being configured to allow the compressor (930) to be seated thereon; and a water collection part (860) communicating with the circulation flow path part (820) to collect water condensed by the heat exchanger (910, 920), wherein the driving unit is disposed behind the drum (200) so as to be separate from and spaced apart from the base (800), and wherein the water collection part (860) is disposed such that at least a portion thereof overlaps the compressor installation part (811) in a forward-backward direction.