Lint Filter Assembly With Auto Collection for Clothes Dryers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clothes treating apparatuses face efficiency issues due to unfiltered foreign substances, such as lint, accumulating in heat exchangers in circulation type machines and being discharged indoors in exhaust type machines, leading to reduced performance and maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treating apparatus with a filter assembly that includes a housing, filter units, and a substance removal unit to collect and compress foreign substances, featuring a rotating brush and air generator to move substances from the filters into a collection area within the housing, which can be automatically cleaned and monitored for fullness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foreign substances are not filtered from discharged air, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to accumulation in heat exchangers and discharge indoors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the foreign substance removal function by introducing a filter assembly that separates lint and other particles from the discharged air. The filter unit is positioned in the discharge path to capture substances before they reach the heat exchanger or are discharged indoors, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly acts as an intermediary component between the drying chamber and the discharge path. It mediates the flow of air by filtering out foreign substances while allowing clean air to pass through, thus protecting the heat exchanger and preventing indoor pollution without requiring fundamental changes to the existing system architecture.
2Reliability
If a filter assembly is added to remove foreign substances, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the filter assembly with the existing discharge duct structure. The filter unit is integrated into the discharge path, and the housing of the filter assembly utilizes the same space as the discharge duct, thereby combining multiple functions (filtration, air discharge, and structural support) into a single integrated component rather than adding separate independent parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly housing serves multiple functions: it contains the filter unit, acts as part of the discharge duct structure, and provides a collection area for removed substances. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Loss of substance
If substances are collected in a large collection area, then the loss of substance is reduced, but the volume of the filter assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collection area is nested within the existing housing structure of the filter assembly. The housing of the filter assembly is designed to contain both the filter unit and the collection area for removed substances, effectively nesting one functional element within another. This allows for efficient substance collection without requiring additional external space, thereby maintaining compact dimensions.
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 filter assembly effectively removes foreign substances from discharged air, maintaining drying efficiency, reducing maintenance frequency, and ensuring clean indoor air by automatically collecting and compressing lint, thus enhancing the operational reliability of clothes treating apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a first filter unit and a second filter unit that are different from each other and that are configured to filter foreign substances from air discharged from the accommodating space
Implementation Method 2
an air generator that is configured to blow air so as to move substances remaining on a portion of the filter into the collection area
Implementation Method 3
a brush that is configured to move substances remaining on a portion of the filter into the collection area
Implementation Method 4
The substance removal unit may be configured to compress substances collected in the collection area defined within the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes treating apparatus includes an accommodating space, an air supply unit, a duct unit and a filter assembly. The accommodating space is configured to receive one or more clothing articles. The air supply unit is configured to supply air to the accommodating space. The duct unit is configured to guide discharge of air from the accommodating space. The filter assembly is positioned to filter air discharged from the accommodating space through the duct unit and includes a housing, a filter positioned in the housing, a substance removal unit and a collection area defined within the housing. The filter positioned in the housing is configured to filter substances from air passing through the filter assembly. The substance removal unit is configured to move substances remaining on a portion of the filter and press the moved substances into the collection area, which is configured to collect removed substances within the housing.