Siphon Venting Control for Gas-Tight Laundry Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Water-bearing household appliances, such as washing machines and washer-dryers, face challenges in providing an efficient emergency breathing function or ventilation system that is compact and cost-effective, as existing solutions require additional space and components to prevent gas and liquid escape during operation.
Innovation Solution
A water-bearing household appliance with a siphon channel arrangement, a control valve, and a controller that manages the liquid flow to block or allow gas passage, using a siphon as both an emptying and blocking mechanism, optimizing the number of components and space by leveraging a purely hydraulic function and integrating existing components like check valves and pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional ventilation components and space are provided to prevent gas and liquid escape during operation, then safety and sealing reliability are improved, but device complexity and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The siphon is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as both a liquid seal to prevent water escape and a gas-tight barrier to prevent gas leakage. By integrating these functions into a single component, the patent eliminates the need for separate ventilation and sealing components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining high sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the liquid seal function and gas-tight sealing function into a single integrated siphon structure. This merging of functions reduces the number of components required and simplifies the overall system design, directly addressing the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Reliability
If additional ventilation components and space are provided to prevent gas and liquid escape during operation, then safety and sealing reliability are improved, but installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The siphon structure is designed to provide both liquid sealing and gas-tight sealing functions within a single compact component. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional separate ventilation and sealing components, thereby reducing the overall installation space required while maintaining high sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the liquid seal and gas seal functions into one integrated siphon component, the patent significantly reduces the space occupation compared to using separate components for each function. This directly resolves the contradiction between sealing reliability and installation space requirements.
3Productivity
If the siphon is completely emptied to allow gas passage, then ventilation efficiency is improved, but gas-tight sealing capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The siphon is designed with dynamic liquid level control, where the liquid level can be adjusted between different heights. When the liquid level is lowered, the siphon allows gas passage for ventilation. When the liquid level is raised, the siphon provides gas-tight sealing. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between ventilation efficiency and gas-tight sealing by allowing the system to switch between modes as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the liquid level parameter within the siphon to control its function. By adjusting the liquid level between a lower position (allowing gas passage) and a higher position (providing gas-tight sealing), the system can dynamically switch between ventilation and sealing modes, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
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 solution enables reliable operation with reduced component complexity and space requirements, ensuring effective gas-tight sealing during treatment cycles while allowing for efficient ventilation and air exchange, preventing gas escape and optimizing resource usage.
Implementation Method 1
The siphon has the function that a certain level of the water seal is specified. This function derives from the fact that the siphon acts as an emptying means to remove excess liquid from the siphon and partially empty it
Implementation Method 2
a sufficient amount of water can remain in the water reservoir device in order to form a reliable vapor barrier for a washing and/or drying cycle
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a water-conducting domestic appliance (1), in particular a laundry treatment appliance for washing and/or drying laundry, comprising a treatment region (2) and a channel assembly (4), by means of which a liquid flow can be conducted into the treatment region (2), wherein at least part of the channel assembly (4) is designed as a siphon (15), wherein a control valve (13) and a controller (11) are provided and wherein the controller (11) controls at least the control valve (13) in order to control the liquid flow through the channel assembly (4), and wherein a draining means (22, 55) is provided, which is used to partially drain the siphon (15). In a blocking operating mode, the controller (11) controls the blocking valve (13) in such a way that the siphon (15) is partially filled by the liquid flow until the passage of gas through the siphon (15) is blocked; the draining means (22, 55) is used to at least substantially drain the siphon (15), and in a release operating mode, the controller (11) controls the control valve (13) and the draining means (22, 55) in such a way that the siphon (15) is drained of liquid until the siphon (15) is open for the passage of gas. Thereby, a gas-tight closure of the siphon (15) can be achieved. On the other hand, the siphon (15) can also be substantially drained. Thus, an emergency ventilation function or a gas-tight closure, for example to enable an ozone treatment, can alternatively be realized.