Laundry Dryer Buffer Storage Volume for Complete Condensate Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry care devices face performance degradation due to fluff accumulation on heat exchanger fins, leading to incomplete drying of laundry due to limited condensate water storage capacity, resulting in residual moisture.
Innovation Solution
A laundry care device with a condensate water container and additional buffer storage volume, connected via a flap element and fluid lines, allowing for complete condensate water storage and automatic overflow to a cleaning line for self-cleaning, ensuring complete drying without residual moisture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the condensate water tank size is increased to store all condensation water from complete drying operations, then complete drying of laundry can be achieved, but the device complexity and geometric space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The condensate water storage system is divided into two separate components: a removable condensate water tank (8) for user-emptyable water and a fixed condensate water tank shell (25) with buffer storage volume. This segmentation allows the total storage capacity to be increased without proportionally increasing the complexity of the removable tank, as the buffer volume is integrated into the fixed housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The condensate water tank (8) is designed to be inserted into and nested within the condensate water tank shell (25). The tank shell contains a recess that provides additional buffer storage volume around the inserted tank. This nesting arrangement maximizes the use of available geometric space while maintaining a compact overall device structure.
2Quantity of substance
If the condensate water tank size is increased to store all condensation water, then residual moisture in laundry is prevented, but the available geometric volume in the device is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The condensate water tank (8) is inserted into the condensate water tank shell (25), which contains a recess providing additional buffer storage volume. This nesting configuration allows the total storage capacity to exceed the volume of the removable tank alone, effectively utilizing the geometric space within the device housing without requiring an oversized single-tank design.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer storage volume in the tank shell utilizes the vertical and radial space around the inserted condensate water tank, rather than simply extending the tank length. This three-dimensional utilization of space around the removable component maximizes storage capacity within the constrained device volume.
3Reliability
If a rinsing device is added to clean fluff from the evaporator, then performance degradation over time is counteracted, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The condensate water storage system serves multiple functions: it stores condensation water during drying, provides buffer capacity to prevent incomplete drying, and enables the self-cleaning function by supplying rinsing water to the evaporator. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining performance stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the collected condensate water itself to clean the evaporator surface, eliminating the need for external water sources or additional cleaning agents. The buffer storage volume ensures sufficient rinsing water is always available, enabling automatic self-cleaning that maintains performance without requiring complex external cleaning systems.
4Ease of operation
If the buffer storage volume is made accessible for manual emptying, then ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into a removable condensate water tank (8) and a fixed tank shell (25) with buffer volume. Users can easily empty the condensate water by removing and detaching only the smaller tank (8) from the housing, avoiding the need to empty a large integrated buffer volume. This segmentation makes the emptying operation simple while the fixed shell remains part of the device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The condensate water tank (8) is extracted as a separate removable component from the tank shell (25), allowing users to easily access and empty the condensate water without dealing with the entire buffer storage system. The extracted tank can be quickly removed and emptied, improving ease of operation while the remaining shell structure stays in place.
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 enables complete absorption of condensate water during drying, preventing residual moisture in laundry and maintaining long-term performance by automatically managing condensate water and facilitating self-cleaning of the evaporator.
Implementation Method 1
the flap element having a spring element which is relieved when the condensate water container is removed, so that the condensate water can be discharged via an opening of the relieved flap element into the cleaning line
Implementation Method 2
the condensate water can be discharged via an opening of the relieved flap element into the cleaning line
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a laundry care appliance (1) for drying laundry, with a condensate water tank (8) for collecting the condensation water (40) from the damp laundry (3) produced during the drying process, the laundry care appliance (1) having a base assembly (21), which is connected to the condensed water tank (8) via a tank line (6) for conducting the condensed water (40) into the latter, and the condensed water tank (8) can be removed and reinserted into a condensed water tank shell (25) for emptying the condensed water tank (8), wherein the condensate water container shell (25) has an additional buffer storage volume (32) for receiving condensate water (40), wherein the condensate water container (8) is connected to a cleaning line (12) via a flap element (42), the flap element (42) being a spring element (44), which is relieved when the condensate water tank (8) is removed, so that the buffer can be emptied storage volume (32), the condensed water (40) flows out through the cleaning line (12) via an opening (46) of the relieved flap element (42), and a method for operating the laundry care appliance (1).