Laundry Drum Steam Cycle for Dust Mite Killing and Allergen Removal
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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 insufficient steam supply for sterilization and washing.
Innovation Solution
A laundry machine controlling method that includes a tiny-creatures-killing step using steam at a temperature of 55-60°C for over 10 minutes, combined with rinsing and spin-drying, to effectively kill allergens, with the option of using hot water and steam together for enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional steam supply is used for soaking or sterilization, then washing efficiency is enhanced, but allergens such as mites, animal hair, and pollens cannot be removed efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of steam supply by increasing both the temperature (to 60-90°C) and extending the duration (to 10-30 minutes), transforming the steam treatment from a conventional brief process into an intensive allergen-killing process that achieves 100% elimination of mites, animal hair, and pollens
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary steam heating to the laundry before the main washing cycle, pre-treating the allergens by exposing them to high-temperature steam for an extended period to kill mites and remove allergens before detergent washing begins
2Use of energy by moving object
If steam is supplied only enough for soaking or sterilization, then energy consumption is reduced, but allergen removal is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous steam supply throughout the allergen-killing phase without interruption, ensuring that the steam treatment continuously acts on the laundry to eliminate allergens, and this continuous action is integrated into the washing cycle rather than being a separate discrete step
3Object-affected harmful factors
If high temperature steam is supplied for extended duration to kill allergens, then allergen removal reaches 100%, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the allergen-killing steam treatment with the main washing cycle by integrating the steam generator into the washing machine system, allowing steam treatment to occur simultaneously with or immediately before detergent washing rather than as a separate process, thereby combining multiple functions into one continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the washing machine to generate its own steam internally using an integrated steam generator that heats water within the machine itself, eliminating the need for external steam sources and allowing the system to serve its own allergen-killing needs without additional energy infrastructure
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 achieves a 100% kill rate of allergens, providing high energy efficiency and uniform heat distribution, significantly improving the removal of allergens compared to conventional methods.
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
a tiny-creatures-killing step of supplying steam to a drum to make laundry exposed to a hot environment at or over a temperature of 55-60°C for or over a duration of time
Data Source
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 seam 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.