Steam Clothes Refresher Layout for Compact Water Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothes refreshing apparatuses lack a compact design and efficient water management, leading to space constraints and potential bacterial growth due to condensed water accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A clothes refreshing apparatus with a compact design featuring a detachable drain tank, a condenser to prevent condensed water formation, and a stacked structure for the water tank, steam generator, and drain tank, which improves space utilization and prevents bacterial proliferation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a conventional clothes refreshing apparatus is designed, then it can provide steam refreshing function, but it occupies large space and lacks compact design
Solution Approach 1:
The drain tank is nested within the space formed by the water tank and steam generator assembly. The water tank and steam generator are stacked vertically, creating an internal cavity where the drain tank can be positioned. This nesting arrangement allows the drain tank to occupy otherwise wasted space, achieving compact integration without increasing the overall apparatus footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus transitions from a horizontal layout to a vertical stacked configuration. The water tank, steam generator, and drain tank are arranged in a vertical dimension, maximizing space utilization in the height direction while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint. This dimensional change enables compact design without compromising functional capacity.
2Volume of moving object
If water tank and steam generator are stacked, then space utilization is improved, but condensed water accumulation occurs causing bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The drain tank is extracted as a separate, detachable component from the main apparatus body. This allows condensed water to be collected in a dedicated container that can be easily removed and emptied, preventing water accumulation within the apparatus. The extraction of the drainage function into a separate component eliminates the harmful effect of bacterial growth while maintaining compact stacked design.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable drain tank enables easy discarding of collected condensed water. Users can simply remove the drain tank and empty it, preventing water accumulation that would lead to bacterial proliferation. This discarding mechanism is integrated into the compact design, allowing efficient water removal without requiring additional space or complex systems.
3Ease of operation
If detachable drain tank is added, then water management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drain tank is merged with the water tank and steam generator assembly through spatial integration. The drain tank is positioned within the space created by the vertical stacking of the water tank and steam generator, forming a unified compact assembly. This merging approach allows easy water management through the detachable drain tank while avoiding additional external components that would increase overall structural complexity.
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 apparatus achieves a compact size, enhanced clothes receiving efficiency, and reduced bacterial risk by eliminating condensed water accumulation, thereby improving dry efficiency and appearance of clothes.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser disposed between the internal and external cases which are a flowing passage of the steam discharged from the steam generator
Implementation Method 2
The supplied water is heated by the heater and then is changed into steam
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A clothes refreshing apparatus is provided. The clothes refreshing apparatus includes a case, a clothes receiving compartment, a steam generator, a water tank, and a drain tank. The clothes receiving compartment is formed in the case and receives clothes. The steam generator supplies steam into the clothes in the clothes receiving compartment. The water tank supplies water into the steam generator. The drain tank collects remaining water in the steam generator.