Top of an appliance for drying laundry providing drying air recirculation and moisture condensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry dryer and washer/dryer designs face challenges in integrating drying air circulation components without increasing the encumbrance within the existing appliance cabinet, particularly due to space constraints.
Innovation Solution
A top module with a moisture condensing system, including an air-air heat exchanger or heat pump, is designed to be mounted over the cabinet, facilitating dehydration of drying air and re-circulation with minimal additional space requirements, featuring fluid passageways, defluff filters, and condense water management systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If drying air circulation components are integrated within the existing appliance cabinet, then the appliance maintains its original design and footprint, but space constraints make component integration cumbersome and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the moisture condensing system from the horizontal plane (within the cabinet) to the vertical dimension (mounted on top of the cabinet). This dimensional shift allows the system to maintain a compact footprint while providing adequate space for all drying air circulation components, effectively resolving the space constraint issue without increasing the appliance's horizontal footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the moisture condensing system into a distinct, modular unit that can be independently mounted on top of the cabinet. This segmentation allows the drying air circulation components to be housed in a dedicated space above the cabinet, simplifying integration while maintaining the original cabinet design and footprint.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a moisture condensing system is added to convert a washing machine into a washer/dryer, then the appliance gains drying functionality, but the encumbrance of additional components increases within the cabinet space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical space above the cabinet to house the moisture condensing system, effectively adding drying functionality without consuming any internal cabinet volume. This approach allows the appliance to be converted into a washer/dryer while maintaining the original cabinet dimensions and internal space availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the moisture condensing system from the cabinet interior and places it externally on top of the cabinet. This extraction removes the encumbrance of additional components from the limited internal volume, allowing the cabinet to retain its original capacity for laundry while the drying components occupy the unused vertical space above.
3Shape
If drying air circulation components are housed within the existing cabinet, then the appliance maintains a compact appearance, but space constraints increase device complexity and installation difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a modular moisture condensing system that can be manufactured separately and then mounted on top of the cabinet. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process, as the drying components can be produced independently using standard procedures and then easily installed on the existing cabinet structure, reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By moving the moisture condensing system to the vertical dimension (top of cabinet), the patent maintains the compact horizontal footprint of the appliance while providing sufficient space for component assembly and installation. This dimensional relocation makes the system easier to manufacture and assemble without compromising the appliance's compact appearance.
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 solution effectively reduces the space needed for drying air circulation components, allowing for efficient drying while maintaining the existing appliance design, and offers options for using either air-air heat exchangers or heat pumps to manage moisture, thereby enhancing drying efficiency and reducing water and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the moisture condensing means comprises an air-air heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
the drying air flow is typically caused to pass through the drum, exiting therefrom from the front access opening, then it passes through a moisture condensing system, where the humid air is at least partially dehydrated
Implementation Method 3
Other known dryers and washers/dryers exploit a heat pump to dehydrate the drying air flow
Data Source
AI summary
A top (119) is adapted to match and close from above a cabinet (110) of a laundry drying appliance (100). The top is formed as a ready-to-mount part ready to be mounted to the cabinet and forms a moisture condensing module for dehydrating drying air used to dry laundry within a drying drum of the laundry drying appliance. The top has a drying air inlet (510), a drying air outlet (515), fluid passageways defined thereinside from said drying air inlet to said drying air outlet for the passage of the drying air to be dehydrated and moisture condensing means arranged inside the fluid passageways.