Laundry drying machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry drying machines face issues with air leakage during the assembly of the drying air circuit, which reduces the performance of the drying process and is difficult to verify for an assembler.
Innovation Solution
A laundry machine design that incorporates a cabinet top element with a drying air circuit, including a base element and a top cover with a defined drying air path and a moisture condensing arrangement, utilizing a heat pump and flexible refrigerant fluid conduits to ensure an air-tight connection of the drying air circuit, and employing hose clamps for securing the return drying air hose to prevent leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drying air circuit components are assembled using simple placement and matching of openings, then the assembly process is simplified and mounting is easier, but air leakage occurs during the drying process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing positioning protrusions on the top element that align with positioning recesses in the cabinet before final assembly. This pre-positioning ensures correct alignment and prevents air leakage while maintaining ease of assembly, as the components guide themselves into the proper position during mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a sealing element or gasket between the top element and the cabinet. This intermediary component fills gaps and creates an air-tight barrier while allowing the simple placement and matching of openings to remain effective for assembly purposes.
2Device complexity
If the top element is designed as a ready-to-mount unit with matching openings, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is easier, but the drying air circuit connection reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The top element incorporates pre-formed positioning protrusions and recesses that automatically align the drying air circuit components during assembly. This preliminary structural design maintains low device complexity while ensuring reliable, air-tight connections without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible sealing films or thin gasket materials between the top element and cabinet to create air-tight seals. These flexible elements conform to the mating surfaces and prevent air leakage while maintaining the simplicity of the ready-to-mount top element design.
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 ensures an air-tight connection of the drying air circuit, preventing leakage and enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the drying process by simplifying the assembly and ensuring proper fixation of the drying air circuit components.
Implementation Method 1
a moisture condensing arrangement for demoisturizing the drying air
Implementation Method 2
the heated drying air flow then passes again through the drum
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry machine (100) adapted to dry laundry by means of a flow of drying air has a machine cabinet (110) for accommodating components necessary for the operation of the laundry machine (100). Inside the cabinet is a laundry treatment chamber (105) adapted to contain the laundry to be dried. A cabinet top element (125) incorporated at least part of a drying air circuit in fluid communication with the laundry treating chamber through a drying air inlet opening (210) and through a drying air outlet opening (215) formed in the cabinet top element The cabinet top element has a bottom base element (205) and a top cover (240) and, defined in an interspace between the base element and the top cover, a drying air path for the flow of drying air between said drying air inlet opening (210) and said drying air outlet opening (215). The drying air path includes a moisture condensing arrangement (225, 230). The drying air inlet opening (210) is formed in a wall (217a) extending within the interspace between the base element (205) of the top element (125) and the top cover (240) thereof.