Modular Heat Pump Assembly for Compact Clothes Dryer Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing clothes treatment apparatuses with heat pump systems face challenges in assembly, performance testing, and energy efficiency due to narrow installation spaces, long refrigerant pipe lengths, and difficulties in identifying refrigerant leaks, which complicate the integration and maintenance of heat pump components.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a modularized heat pump module with an integrated housing that includes a heat exchange duct part and a compressor base part, allowing for compact optimization of the heat pump system, easy assembly, and performance testing before final assembly, while reducing refrigerant pipe length and enabling lateral compressor installation, even in narrow spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If the heat pump system components (compressor and heat exchanger) are spaced apart in the conventional configuration, then the heat pump system can be installed in the cabinet, but the assembly difficulty increases significantly due to narrow installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compressor and heat exchanger into a single integrated housing unit. The compressor is positioned adjacent to the heat exchanger within the same housing, eliminating the need for separate mounting locations. This merging of components directly addresses the assembly difficulty caused by narrow installation spaces, as the integrated unit can be installed as one piece rather than requiring precise positioning of multiple separate components in confined areas.
2Reliability
If the heat pump system is assembled as a finished product, then it can be installed in the clothes treatment apparatus, but performance testing becomes impossible until final assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat pump system into a modular integrated housing that can be tested independently before final installation. The housing contains all necessary components (compressor, heat exchanger, refrigerant pipes) in a self-contained unit that can be performance-tested as a separate module. This segmentation allows quality control testing to be performed on the heat pump system before it is assembled into the complete clothes treatment apparatus, improving reliability by identifying issues early in the manufacturing process.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If the heat exchanger and compressor are separated, then the heat pump system can be installed, but the refrigerant pipe length increases causing energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the compressor and heat exchanger into adjacent positions within the integrated housing, significantly reducing the distance between these components. The refrigerant pipes connecting the compressor to the heat exchanger are minimized in length due to the close proximity of the components. This merging directly reduces energy loss in the refrigerant circulation system by minimizing the surface area and length of piping through which refrigerant must travel, thereby reducing thermal losses and improving overall system efficiency.
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 configuration simplifies the assembly and testing of the heat pump system, reduces energy loss, and allows for efficient operation by shortening refrigerant pipe lengths and optimizing the arrangement of heat pump components within the apparatus, enhancing the overall performance and reliability of the clothes treatment apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
The heat pump system uses the refrigerant circulating through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator to heat the air discharged from the drum
Implementation Method 2
a compressor, configured to compress the refrigerant to a high temperature and a high pressure
Implementation Method 3
a condenser, configured to condense the refrigerant supplied by the compressor
Implementation Method 4
an evaporator, configured to evaporate the refrigerant supplied by the expansion valve
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Provided is a clothes treatment apparatus for compactly optimizing the arrangement space of a heat pump system. A heat pump module (100) is modularized by integrally mounting a compressor (113), a condenser (112), and an evaporator (111) at an integrated housing (120) and is disposed at the upper part of a tub (10).