Modular Heat Pump Layout for Compact Clothes Dryers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothes treatment apparatuses with heat pump systems face challenges in assembly, performance testing, and energy efficiency due to narrow installation spaces and long refrigerant pipe lengths, making it difficult to diagnose and replace defective components and optimize the arrangement of heat pump components.
Innovation Solution
A clothes treatment apparatus with a modularized heat pump system where the compressor, condenser, and evaporator are integrated into a single housing unit mounted at the upper part of the tub, reducing pipe length and allowing for easier assembly and performance testing, and incorporating a lateral compressor design to fit within narrow spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the compressor and heat exchanger are disposed separately at different locations (compressor at lower part, heat exchanger at upper part), then the installation space can be distributed, but the assembly difficulty increases significantly and performance testing becomes impossible before final assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compressor and heat exchanger into a single integrated housing unit. The housing contains both the compressor (at the lower part) and the heat exchanger (at the upper part) in a unified structure that can be installed as one component, eliminating the assembly difficulties while maintaining proper spatial distribution of functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the heat pump system into a modular integrated housing unit that can be independently tested and installed as a complete assembly, separating it from the rest of the clothes treatment apparatus. This modular approach allows performance testing before final installation while maintaining the functional separation between compressor and heat exchanger within the housing.
2Volume of moving object
If the compressor and heat exchanger are disposed separately, then space distribution is possible, but the refrigerant pipe length becomes long causing energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the compressor and heat exchanger into a single integrated housing, the refrigerant pipe length is minimized to essentially the internal connecting passages within the housing. This eliminates the energy loss associated with long external refrigerant pipes while maintaining the functional separation and optimal spatial distribution of the compressor at the lower part and heat exchanger at the upper part.
3Productivity
If the heat pump system is assembled as a finished product, then installation is complete, but performance testing and defect diagnosis become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat pump system into a standalone integrated housing unit that can be performance-tested independently before being installed in the final clothes treatment apparatus. This modular segmentation allows for complete performance testing and defect diagnosis of the heat pump system in isolation, while still achieving complete installation when integrated into the final product.
4Power
If a conventional upright compressor is used, then the compressor function is achieved, but the installation space requirement increases due to vertical orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a lateral (horizontal) compressor design instead of the conventional upright (vertical) compressor. This asymmetric orientation change allows the compressor to fit into the narrow horizontal space at the lower part of the integrated housing, reducing the vertical space requirement while maintaining full compressor functionality.
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 assembly, reduces energy loss, enables effective performance testing before final assembly, and optimizes space usage, improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the heat pump system while maintaining the apparatus's compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor (31), a condenser (32), an expansion valve (33), and an evaporator (34) and re-circulate air discharged from the drum to the drum through the evaporator (34) and the condenser (32)
Implementation Method 2
a compressor (31), a condenser (32), an expansion valve (33), and an evaporator (34)
Implementation Method 3
a compressor (31), a condenser (32), an expansion valve (33), and an evaporator (34)
Implementation Method 4
a heat exchanger such as an evaporator and a condenser is disposed at the upper part of a tub
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 (17).