Laundry Machine Steam Allergen Removal Using High-Temperature Exposure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry machines are inefficient in removing allergens such as house dust mites, animal hair, and pollens from laundry, which can exacerbate atopic dermatitis, as they rely on steam for sterilization but do not effectively eliminate these allergens.
Innovation Solution
A controlling method for a laundry machine that includes a tiny-creatures-killing step using steam to expose laundry to a temperature of at least 55°C for over 10 minutes, combined with multiple rinsing and high-speed spinning cycles, to efficiently kill and remove allergens, utilizing steam's higher heat capacity and direct heat transfer for effective allergen elimination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If steam is supplied for sterilization and soaking, then washing efficiency is enhanced, but allergens such as house dust mites and animal hair cannot be efficiently removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of steam supply by maintaining high temperature (at least 55°C) for an extended duration (over 10 minutes), transforming the steam function from simple sterilization to effective allergen elimination. This parameter modification enables the steam to not only sterilize but also efficiently remove allergens like house dust mites and animal hair that conventional brief steam exposure cannot eliminate.
2Reliability
If conventional steam supply method is used, then sterilization is achieved, but the duration and temperature are insufficient to kill tiny creatures effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by supplying steam before the washing cycle to pre-heat and pre-treat the laundry, ensuring that the fabric and embedded allergens reach the necessary temperature threshold. This preliminary steam exposure prepares the conditions for effective tiny-creatures-killing during the subsequent high-temperature steam phase, ensuring reliable elimination of allergens that would otherwise survive conventional sterilization.
3Ease of operation
If hot water is used for washing, then washing function is performed, but energy efficiency and allergen removal are inferior to steam method
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the mechanical heating of large volumes of water with a thermal field approach using steam. Instead of heating bulk water to high temperatures for extended periods, the system introduces steam that directly transfers latent heat to the laundry at lower water consumption. This substitution maintains effective washing function while dramatically improving energy efficiency, as steam's latent heat provides intensive thermal treatment without the energy cost of heating and circulating large amounts of water.
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 method achieves a 100% tiny-creatures-killing rate and efficiently removes allergens, enhancing energy efficiency and washing effectiveness compared to using hot water alone, with the option to use steam and water together for optimal results.
Implementation Method 1
The steam generator evaporates water into high temperature hot steam and supplies the hot steam to the drum 130
Implementation Method 2
The heating part 210 evaporates water into high temperature steam
Implementation Method 3
The spray nozzle 230 is nozzle-shaped to spray the steam smoothly and an outlet end of the nozzle 230 is toward an inside of the drum 130
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a laundry machine and a controlling method, which can remove allergens on the laundry. A controlling method of a laundry machine includes a mite-killing step of supplying steam to a drum to make laundry exposed to a hot environment at or over a temperature and for or over a duration of time, wherein the temperature and the duration are predetermined enough to kill house dust mites on the laundry; a rinsing step of rinsing the laundry; and a spin-drying step of spin-drying the rinsed laundry. The present invention has an advantageous effect of removing allergens including house dust mites, animal hair and pollens efficiently. In addition, if the house dust mites are killed by using steam, energy efficiency is high and an effect of mite-killing is great.