Laundry-Dryer Steam Deodorizing Without Wetting Laundry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing odorous substances from laundry in washer-dryers are complicated, incomplete, and costly, often leaving residues and requiring additional equipment like cleaning cloths, which can re-impregnate laundry with cleaning agents.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a washer-dryer with a tub, drum, heat exchanger, and process air duct, where a small amount of aqueous liquid is heated to generate steam, which is then used to contact laundry items, preheating them with warm air before steam exposure to effectively extract odors without wetting the laundry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a damp cloth soaked with cleaning agent is used to generate a damp warm atmosphere in a plastic bag, then odorous substances are removed from laundry items, but the handling becomes complicated and additional costs are incurred for the cleaning cloth
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water vapor generation function from the complex system of damp cloth and plastic bag, using instead a dedicated water vapor generator that produces steam directly. This eliminates the need for cleaning cloths and simplifies the overall system while maintaining odor removal effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a water vapor generator as an intermediary device between the power source and the laundry items. This mediator converts electrical energy directly into water vapor, replacing the manual process of soaking and wringing cleaning cloths, thereby reducing handling complexity.
2Reliability
If cleaning agents are applied to laundry items during ventilation, then odorous substances are removed, but the laundry items smell unpleasantly strongly of the cleaning agent after treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the potential harm of using cleaning agents into a benefit by using pure water as the vapor source. The water vapor generator produces steam from water only, which removes odors through physical vaporization and condensation cycles without introducing any chemical residues or unpleasant smells, thus eliminating the harmful effect of cleaning agent residues.
3Use of energy by moving object
If water is introduced into the tub to cover the heater, then steam is generated effectively, but the drum may be immersed in water causing laundry to become wet
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the water vapor generation process from the laundry drying space by using a dedicated water vapor generator located in the process air duct. This separate generation system delivers vapor through controlled pathways, ensuring steam is produced efficiently without water contacting the drum or laundry, thus preventing wetting while maintaining effective steam generation.
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 method reliably and simply removes odors from laundry without wetting the items, using a standard washer-dryer setup, eliminating the need for additional equipment and minimizing residue, while preventing overheating and allowing treatment of non-washable items.
Implementation Method 1
heating the aqueous liquid; generating a stream of water vapor by at least partially evaporating the aqueous liquid
Implementation Method 2
a fan for conveying the stream of water vapor generated in this way into the drum
Implementation Method 3
generating a warm air stream by heating air in the process air duct using the heater
Implementation Method 4
preheating the laundry items in the drum by the warm air flow before contacting them with the water vapor flow
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for removing odorous substances from laundry items (3) in a clothes dryer, wherein the clothes dryer comprises a suds container (1), a drum (2) that is rotatably mounted in the suds container for receiving laundry items (3), a control device (18), and a process air channel (5) in which a heater (7) for heating air, a blower (6), and a heat exchanger (8) are situated, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a warm air flow in that air is heated by means of the heater (7) in the process air channel (5) and is transported by means of the blower (6); (b) introducing an aqueous liquid (11) via the heat exchanger (8) into the suds container (1) at a quantity that is not sufficient for the drum (2) to be immersed in the aqueous liquid (11); (c) heating the aqueous liquid (11) by bringing same into contact with the warm air flow; (d) generating a water vapor flow (17) by at least partially evaporating the aqueous liquid (11); and (e) bringing the water vapor flow (17) into contact with the laundry items (3). The invention further relates to a clothes dryer suitable for carrying out said method.