CN115198475A

CN115198475A - Clothes dryer

Info

Publication number: CN115198475A
Application number: CN202210121790.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 小仓隼人
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2021-04-09
Filing date: 2022-02-09
Publication date: 2022-10-18
Also published as: JP2022161617A

Abstract

Provided is a clothes dryer which can restrain clothes from wrinkling even if the clothes are not taken out immediately after the operation is finished and can improve the convenience of users. The clothes dryer is provided with: a housing having an opening on a front surface; a tub disposed inside the cabinet; a rotary tub rotatably provided inside the tub to form a drying chamber together with the tub; a driving part for rotating the rotary barrel; a control device which executes at least one of a washing operation for washing the laundry, a drying operation for drying the laundry, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as a main operation; and a steam generating device for generating steam supplied to the interior of the rotary barrel. The control device executes judgment processing for judging whether clothes are taken out from the rotary drum or not after the main operation is finished, and executes a steam supply process for supplying steam to the rotary drum by the steam generation device when the judgment processing result does not judge that the clothes are taken out until a predetermined period of time after the main operation is finished.

Description

Clothes dryer

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a laundry dryer.

Background

A washing and drying machine having a washing function and a drying function for laundry has been known as a laundry drying machine. In the drying operation, the laundry in the drying chamber is dried by rotating the rotary tub and supplying warm air generated by a heater system or a heat pump system to the water tub and the rotary tub as the drying chamber.

The laundry is pressed against the rotary tub due to centrifugal force during a drying operation, sometimes causing the dried laundry to be wrinkled or hard. Therefore, a washing and drying machine is known in which steam is introduced into the rotary tub in the latter half of the drying operation to suppress wrinkles and hardness of the laundry.

Documents of the prior art:

patent documents:

patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2009-39436

Disclosure of Invention

The problems to be solved by the invention are:

however, there are also times when the user's laundry is not immediately taken out after the washing operation or after the drying operation is finished. In such a case, there is a fear that the laundry is left in a stacked state for a long time after the drying operation is finished and the laundry is wrinkled again due to the self weight of the laundry. In addition, the laundry weighs more in a wet state than in a dry state, and thus the laundry is more likely to wrinkle. Therefore, the clothes after the dehydration step, which have not been subjected to the drying step, may be left in a stacked state for a long time to generate deep wrinkles.

Accordingly, a laundry dryer is provided which can suppress wrinkles of laundry and improve user convenience even if the laundry is not immediately taken out after the operation is finished.

Means for solving the problems:

the clothes dryer of the embodiment comprises: a housing having an opening on a front surface; a tub disposed inside the cabinet; a rotary tub rotatably provided inside the tub, constituting a drying chamber together with the tub; a driving part for rotating the rotary barrel; a control device which executes at least one of a washing operation of washing the laundry, a drying operation of drying the laundry, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as a main operation; and a steam generating device for generating steam supplied to the interior of the rotary barrel. The control device executes a judgment process for judging whether clothes are taken out from the rotary drum after the main operation is finished, and executes a steam supply process for supplying steam to the rotary drum by the steam generation device when the judgment process results in that the clothes are not judged to be taken out until a predetermined period of time elapses after the main operation is finished.

The invention has the following effects:

according to the laundry dryer of this embodiment, it is possible to suppress wrinkles of laundry and improve user's convenience even if the laundry is not immediately taken out after the operation is finished.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view schematically showing an example of a configuration of a washing and drying machine according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a rear view schematically showing an example of a structure of a washing and drying machine according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a refrigeration cycle as an example of the washer-dryer according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an example of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a schematic side view showing an upper periphery of a washing and drying machine having a steam generating device and a water supply device, which is an example of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a steam generation device as an example of the cleaning and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing periods and steps in a particular operation of an example of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a graph showing an example of the 1 st period according to the weight of the laundry and the quality of the laundry when the main operation of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment is the drying operation or the washing and drying operation.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing an example of the 1 st period according to the weight of the laundry and the quality of the laundry in the case where the main operation of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment is the washing operation.

Fig. 10 is a graph showing an example of the operation conditions of the respective steps of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the control device when the wrinkle smoothing program is selected in the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the contents of control by the control device in the previous process start processing of an example of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the control content of the control device in the 1 st wrinkle smoothing step in the cleaning and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the contents of control by the control device in the 2 nd wrinkle smoothing step of an example of the washing and drying machine according to the embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

A washing and drying machine (laundry dryer), 11.. A casing, 12.. A tub (drying chamber), 13.. A tub (drying chamber), 14.. A tub motor (driving part), 15.. A door, 20.. A control device, 30.. A circulating duct, 36.. An exhaust port, 37.. An opening/closing device, 39.. A blower, 40.. A heat pump unit (heating device), 50.. A steam generating device, 61.. A weight detecting part, 62.. A cloth detecting part, 63.. A door closing detecting part.

Detailed Description

A laundry dryer according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present embodiment can be applied to either a horizontal-axis or diagonal-axis type drum-type washing machine shown in fig. 1 or a vertical-axis type washing machine not shown.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the washer-dryer 10 includes a housing 11, a tub 12, a rotary tub 13, a rotary tub motor 14, a door 15, a bellows (bellows) 16, a water supply mechanism 17, a drain unit 18, an operation panel 19, and a control device 20 shown. The washing and drying machine 10 is also a clothes dryer having a drying function of a heat pump system, and is a so-called drum-type washing and drying machine. In the present embodiment, the side closer to the door 15 with respect to the casing 11 is set to the front side of the washing and drying machine 10, i.e., the user side. The vertical direction, which is the direction of gravity, is the vertical direction of the washer-dryer 10, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the vertical direction is the horizontal direction.

The casing 11 constitutes an outer casing of the washing and drying machine 10, and is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, for example, from a steel plate or the like. As shown in fig. 1, the housing 11 has an opening 111 provided at a substantially central portion of the front surface and opened and closed by a door 15.

The tub 12 is stored inside the cabinet 11. The tub 13 is accommodated inside the tub 12. The tub 12 and the tub 13 are formed in a cylindrical shape. The tub 12 has an opening 121 formed in one cylindrical end portion, and a tub end plate 122 provided in the other cylindrical end portion. The opening portion 121 is located on an upper side than the tub end plate 122 in the tilted tub 12.

Similarly, the rotary tub 13 has an opening 131 formed in one end of the cylindrical shape, and a drum end plate 132 provided in the other end. The opening 131 is located above the tub end plate 132 in the tilted tub 13. The periphery of the opening portion 131 of the tub 13 is covered by the opening portion 121 of the tub 12. The water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 function as a washing chamber and a drying chamber for storing washing.

The tub motor 14 is disposed outside the tub 12 and on a tub end plate 122. The tub motor 14 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The shaft 141 of the swing motor 14 penetrates the tub end plate 122, protrudes into the tub 12, and is fixed to the center of the swing end plate 132. Thereby, the tub motor 14 relatively rotates the tub 13 with respect to the tub 12. In this case, the shaft portion 141, the rotation axis of the rotary tub 13, and the central axis of the tub 12 coincide with each other. The tub motor 14 is electrically connected to the control device 20, and is driven under the control of the control device 20.

The door 15 is provided on the outer surface side of the housing 11 via a hinge not shown. The door 15 pivots about a hinge as a fulcrum to open and close an opening 111 formed in the front surface of the housing 11. The bellows 16 connects the opening portion 111 with the opening portion 121 of the tub 12. The laundry such as clothes enters and exits the rotary tub 13 through the opening

portions

121 and 131 in a state where the door 15 is opened.

As shown in fig. 5, the water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, in the upper left inner portion of the tub 12 in the housing 11. The water supply mechanism 17 receives water from a water supply source such as tap water, for example, and supplies the water into the tub 12.

The drain portion 18 is provided at a rear end side of the bottom portion located at a lower side of the tub 12 in the gravity direction. The drain unit 18 includes a drain port 123, a drain valve 181, and a drain hose 182. The drain port 123 is provided at a rear end portion, which is the bottommost portion of the tub 12, to communicate the inside of the tub 12 with the outside. The drain valve 181 is formed of, for example, an electromagnetic liquid on-off valve, and is provided between the drain port 123 and the drain hose 182. The drain valve 181 is electrically connected to the control device 20 and is opened and closed under the control of the control device 20. The drain hose 182 connects the drain port 123 with the outside of the apparatus, i.e., the outside of the housing 11, and functions as a drain path for draining the water in the tub 12 to the outside. In this case, the drain valve 181 opens and closes the drain path between the drain port 123 and the drain hose 182. That is, by opening the drain valve 181, the water inside the tub 12 is drained from the drain port 123 to the outside of the washer dryer 10 via the drain valve 181 and the drain hose 182.

The operation panel 19 is provided at the front of the upper surface of the housing 11 as shown in fig. 1, for example, and is electrically connected to the control device 20. Various operation keys and the like are provided. The operation panel 19 is configured to include a touch panel type liquid crystal panel, for example, and can display various information related to the washing and drying machine 10. The operation panel 19 is not limited to the liquid crystal panel, and may be configured to include an organic EL panel, for example, in another embodiment.

The various operation keys receive various operations related to the operation of the washing and drying machine 10 by the user. The operation keys are touch keys included in a screen displayed on the operation panel 19. The user can perform various input operations related to the operation of the washing and drying machine 10 by touching the operation keys displayed on the operation panel 19 with a finger or the like.

As the touch panel constituting the operation panel 19, for example, a capacitance type touch panel that senses a change in capacitance generated when a user touches with a finger can be applied. The touch panel constituting the operation panel 19 is not limited to the capacitive touch panel, and in other embodiments, various types of touch panels such as a resistive touch panel may be applied. The various operation keys are not limited to the electrostatic touch type, and may be button type in other embodiments.

As shown in fig. 4, the control device 20 is mainly configured by a microcomputer having a CPU201, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage area 202 such as a rewritable flash memory, for example, and performs overall control of the washer-dryer 10. In the present embodiment, the control device 20 controls the drive of the tub motor 14, the drain valve 181, the operation panel 19, and the fan motor 391 of the blower 39 and the compressor 43, which will be described later.

The washing and drying machine 10 may be configured to be connectable to an electric communication line such as the internet or a cellular phone line network via an external router, not shown. In this case, the communication unit, not shown, is connected to an external information terminal such as a smart phone, a tablet pc, or a personal computer, or a server provided in a company or the like as an external device so as to be able to communicate with the external information terminal via a router and an electric communication line. In this case, the communication unit may be directly connected to the information terminal or the like by wire or wirelessly. The control device 20 can transmit various information such as the operation status of the washing and drying machine 10 to an information terminal or a server as an external device. The communication unit can receive various instructions from an information terminal, a server, and the like.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the tub 12 has an air outlet 21 and an air inlet 22. The air outlet 21 is provided, for example, at an upper front portion of a peripheral wall constituting a cylindrical portion of the tub 12. The air inlet 22 is provided at a portion of the tub end plate 122 slightly above the center of the tub end plate 122. The air outlet 21 and the air inlet 22 communicate the inside of the tub 12 with the outside. The air outlet 21 is an outlet of air from the tub 12 and the tub 13 as the drying chamber. The air inlet 22 is an inlet of air to the tub 12 and the tub 13 as the drying chamber. The air outlet 21 and the air inlet 22 are both located above the drain port 123.

As shown in fig. 1, the rotary tub 13 has a plurality of holes 23 and a plurality of communication ports 24. The hole 23 and the communication port 24 communicate the inside and the outside of the rotary tub 13. The hole 23 is formed in the entire area of the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical tubular portion of the rotary tub 13. The communication port 24 is formed in the entire area of the tub end plate 132. The hole 23 and the communication port 24 mainly function as a water passage hole through which water flows in and out during a washing operation including a washing step, a draining step, a rinsing step, and a dewatering step, and function as a vent hole through which air flows in and out during a drying operation. In fig. 1, for the sake of simplicity, only some of the plurality of holes 23 and the communication port 24 are shown.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the washer-dryer 10 includes a circulation duct 30 and a heat pump unit 40. The circulation duct 30 is disposed outside the tub 12, connecting the air outlet 21 with the air inlet 22. Specifically, the circulation duct 30 includes an exhaust duct 31, a filter device 32, a connection duct 33, a heat exchange unit 34, and an air supply duct 35.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the air vent duct 31 connects the air outlet 21 of the tub 12 with the filter device 32. The exhaust duct 31 is formed of a bellows-like hose, for example. The filter device 32 is disposed at an inner upper portion of the cabinet 11 and above the tub 12 and the tub 13. A filter 321 is provided in the filter device 32. The filter device 32 removes foreign substances such as lint contained in the air discharged from the air outlet 21 by passing the air discharged from the air outlet 21 through the filter 321. The filter device 32 is connected to the upstream side of the heat exchange unit 34 via a connection pipe 33. The heat exchange portion 34 is disposed at an inner lower portion of the cabinet 11 and below the tub 12 and the tub 13.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the circulation duct 30 includes an exhaust port 36, an opening/closing device 37, and an intake port 38. The exhaust port 36 is provided on the filter device 32 side in the connecting duct 33. The exhaust port 36 is formed by opening a part of the connecting duct 33 in a plurality of slit shapes, for example, and connects the inside of the connecting duct 33 and the outside of the circulating air duct 30. The opening/closing device 37 is provided on the outside of the exhaust port 36. The opening/closing device 37 is a so-called air lock, and is rotatable by a motor not shown with one end as a fulcrum to open and close the exhaust port 36. The opening/closing device 37 is connected to the control device 20, and is driven to open and close under the control of the control device 20.

The suction port 38 is provided at an upper portion of the heat exchanging portion 34. The air inlet 38 is formed by opening a part of the heat exchanging unit 34, and connects the heat exchanging unit 34 and the inside of the circulating air duct 30 to the outside. When the opening/closing device 37 is opened to be in the open state, a part of the air in the circulation air duct 30 is discharged to the outside of the circulation air duct 30 through the air outlet 36 as indicated by an arrow A1 in fig. 1. Accordingly, the pressure inside the circulating air duct 30 is reduced, and thus air outside the circulating air duct 30 is sucked into the circulating air duct 30 through the air inlet 38. In this case, negative pressure is generated in the circulating air duct 30, and thus the air volume in the circulating air duct 30 increases by the bernoulli theorem. That is, the amount of dry air supplied to the tub 12 and the tub 13 increases. Further, if a part of the heated air is discharged from the exhaust port 36 and the air outside the circulating air duct 30 is taken in from the intake port 38, the temperature of the air in the circulating air duct 30 is likely to decrease.

The heat pump unit 40 has a function of dehumidifying and heating air passing through the inside of the heat exchange unit 34 in the circulation air duct 30 to generate dry warm air. In the heat exchanger 34, an evaporator 41 and a condenser 42 constituting a part of the heat pump unit 40 are provided. The evaporator 41 is provided upstream of the condenser 42 with respect to the air flow in the heat exchange unit 34 during the drying operation. The air passing through the heat exchange portion 34 is cooled by the evaporator 41, and is thereby dehumidified. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 41 is then heated by the condenser 42 to become warm air.

The downstream side of the heat exchange portion 34 in the circulation duct 30 is connected with the air inlet 22 of the tub 12 via an air supply duct 35. A blower 39 is provided at a connection portion between the heat exchange portion 34 and the air supply duct 35. As shown in fig. 2, the blower 39 is configured to have a fan motor 391 and a fan 392.

The blower 39 sucks air in the heat exchange portion 34 and discharges the air toward the air supply duct 35. Thereby, as indicated by arrow a of fig. 1, 2 and 3, an air flow circulating in the tub 12 and the circulation duct 30 is generated. In this case, if the air flow in the circulation duct 30 is concerned, the air outlet 21 is the most upstream side and the air inlet 22 is the most downstream side.

In this configuration, if the compressor 43 and the blower 39 are driven, the warm air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchange portion 34 is supplied from the air inlet 22 into the tub 12 through the air supply duct 35 by the blowing action of the blower 39. Thereafter, the warm air mainly enters the rotary tub 13 through the communication port 24, and after the temperature of the washing in the rotary tub 13 is raised and moisture is removed from the washing, the warm air is mainly discharged to the outside of the rotary tub 13 through the hole 23. Then, the air containing moisture is drawn from the air outlet 21 to the circulation duct 30. The air sucked into the circulation duct 30 first passes through the exhaust duct 31 and the filter device 32. Thereafter, the air flows to the heat exchanging portion 34 via the connection duct 33. In this way, the air introduced from the tub 12 into the circulation duct 30 is dehumidified and heated in the circulation duct 30, and then supplied into the tub 12 again.

Next, the heat pump unit 40 is explained. The heat pump unit 40 functions as a warm air supply device that dehumidifies and heats the air flowing from the tub 12 into the circulation duct 30 to dry the air into warm air and supplies the warm air into the tub 12 again.

As shown in fig. 3, the heat pump unit 40 includes a compressor 43, a pressure reducing device 44, and an accumulator 45 in addition to the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42. The compressor 43, the pressure reducing device 44, and the accumulator 45 are disposed outside the heat exchange portion 34. The refrigerant circulates through the heat pump unit 40 as indicated by arrow B in fig. 3. The heat pump unit 40 is configured by annularly connecting a condenser 42, a pressure reducing device 44, an evaporator 41, and an accumulator 45 in this order with respect to the direction of flow of the refrigerant with the compressor 43 as a reference.

The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are each constituted of, for example, a tube having a plurality of fins provided at a minute interval, and the air passing between the fins is subjected to heat exchange with the refrigerant by passing the refrigerant through the inside of the tube. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 function as heat exchangers.

The compressor 43 supplies the refrigerant to the condenser 42 by pressure-feed. The compressor 43 is connected to the control device 20, and is driven and stopped by the control of the control device 20. The pressure reducing device 44 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant discharged from the condenser 42 to a low-pressure gas-liquid mixed state. In this case, the pressure reducing device 44 is configured by, for example, a capillary tube, but may be an electromagnetic opening/closing expansion valve or the like that can be opened and closed by the control of the control device 20.

As shown in fig. 1 and 4 to 6, the washer dryer 10 includes a steam generator 50. The steam generator 50 has a function of supplying steam to the rotary tub 13. The steam generating device 50 is disposed inside the cabinet 11 and outside the tub 12. In the present embodiment, the steam generating device 50 is provided above the tub 12 and at the front end of the upper part of the washing and drying machine 10, and blows steam to the laundry in the tub 13 from the front upper part of the tub 12 and the tub 13 through the opening 121 and the opening 131.

The steam generator 50 includes a steam generating unit 51 and a spraying unit 52. The steam generator 51 heats water supplied from an external water source through the water supply mechanism 17 to generate steam to be supplied to the rotary tub 13. The spraying section 52 makes the steam generated by the steam generating section 51 fine and sprays the steam into the rotary tub 13. In the present embodiment, the spraying section 52 makes the vapor fine by, for example, electrostatic spraying. In another embodiment, the spraying section 52 is not limited to the electrostatic spraying method, and for example, the vapor may be made fine by using ultrasonic waves.

Fig. 5 shows an upper part of the washing and drying machine 10 where the steam generator 50 is provided. As shown in fig. 5, the water supply mechanism 17 has a water supply valve 171 and a water supply path 172. In fig. 1, the upstream portion of the water supply path 172 and the water supply valve 171 are omitted. The water supply valve 171 is connected to the control device 20, and is driven to open and close under the control of the control device 20. The controller 20 drives the water supply valve 171 to open and close, thereby supplying water from an external water source to the steam generator 51 through the water supply valve 171 and the water supply path 172. The water supply mechanism 17 further includes a water supply path, not shown, for receiving water from a water supply source such as tap water and supplying the water into the tub 12, and a water supply valve, not shown, for opening and closing the water supply path.

As shown in fig. 6, the steam generating part 51 includes a tank 511, a heating part 512, a water injection port 513, and an ejection port 514. The tank 511 is formed in a container shape, and stores therein water supplied through the water supply path 172. The can 511 is formed of a metal die cast having heat resistance and high heat conductivity, for example, an aluminum die cast. The heating unit 512 is provided below the tank 511, and heats water in the tank 511. In this case, the water filling port 513 is provided at an upper portion of the tank 511, and connects the tank 511 to the water supply path 172. The discharge port 514 is provided in the tank 511, and connects the tank 511 to the spray part 52.

The spray unit 52 includes a discharge electrode 521. The discharge electrode 521 is provided at a position through which the vapor ejected from the ejection port 514 passes. A high voltage from the high-voltage power supply 53 is applied between the discharge electrodes 521, and the steam ejected from the steam generating unit 51 passes through the electric field generated by the discharge electrodes 521, whereby water particles of the steam are repeatedly split by the so-called rayleigh splitting in which electric charges are charged, and the surface area is increased and made fine. This causes the steam to be atomized into finer steam, and the steam is sprayed into the rotary tub 13 at an increased spraying speed.

As shown in fig. 4, the washing and drying machine 10 includes a weight detecting unit 61, a cloth quality detecting unit 62, and a door opening/closing detecting unit 63. The control device 20 executes a control program in the CPU201, and virtually realizes the weight detection unit 61 and the cloth quality detection unit 62 shown in fig. 4 by software. The control device 20 may realize the weight detection unit 61 and the cloth quality detection unit 62 by hardware such as an integrated circuit, or may realize the weight detection unit 61 and the cloth quality detection unit 62 by a combination of software and hardware.

The weight detecting unit 61 is configured to be able to access the storage area 202 of the control device 20. The weight detecting unit 61 detects the weight of the wash load inside the rotary tub 13. Further, the controller 20 stores the detected weight of the washing object in the storage area 202. In the present embodiment, the weight detecting unit 61 can detect the weight of the cleaning object from the washing step to the draining step. The weight detecting unit 61 can measure the current load acting on the tub motor 14 by measuring the q-axis current in the vector control of the tub motor 14, for example, and can measure the weight of the laundry inside the tub 13 based on the load. The weight detecting unit 61 may detect the load applied to the tub motor 14 based on a difference between the commanded rotational speed and the actual rotational speed.

The cloth quality detecting unit 62 is configured to be able to access the storage area 202 of the control device 20. The cloth quality detecting unit 62 detects the cloth quality of the cleaning object inside the rotary tub 13. Further, the control device 20 stores the detected cloth quality of the cleaning object in the storage area 202. The cloth quality detecting unit 62 can detect the cloth quality of the washing object based on the content of the moisture absorbed by the washing object, for example, whether the washing object is mainly cotton or mainly chemical fiber, or the ratio of cotton to chemical fiber. In the present embodiment, the cloth quality detecting unit 62 detects the cloth quality of the washing target by comparing the weight of the washing target during drying detected by the weight detecting unit 61 with the weight of the washing target containing water during the period from the washing step to the draining step.

The cloth quality detecting unit 62 classifies the cloth quality of the cleaning object into a plurality of divisions. The division of the cloth quality can be set, for example, according to the water absorption characteristics of the fibers constituting the cloth, the degree of wrinkling, and the like. In the present embodiment, the cloth quality detecting unit 62 determines, for example, the cloth quality of the laundry as 2 types of divisions, i.e., "cotton" mainly including cotton clothes and "chemical fiber" mainly including chemical fiber clothes. In another embodiment, the cloth quality detecting unit 62 may determine the cloth quality of the washing object as 4 types of divisions "almost cotton", "mainly chemical fiber", and "almost chemical fiber", for example, in the order of the cotton content and the chemical fiber content from small to large.

The door opening/closing detector 63 detects the open/close state of the door 15. The details of the door opening/closing detector 63 are not shown, and may be, for example, a mechanical switch. In this case, for example, when the door 15 is in a position where the opening 111 of the housing 11 is closed, that is, in a state where the door 15 is closed, a part of the door 15 may be brought into contact with the door opening/closing detection unit 63, thereby closing or opening the electric circuit. When door 15 is at a position not closing opening 111 of case 11, that is, when door 15 is open, a part of door 15 may not contact door opening/closing detection unit 63, and thus the electric circuit may be opened or closed.

The control device 20 can selectively perform the washing operation, the drying operation, and the washing-drying operation as the main operation. The washing and drying operation is a mode in which a drying operation is performed after a washing operation.

The cleaning operation includes at least 1 of the washing step, the rinsing step, and the dehydrating step. The washing process is a process of supplying water to the tub 12 by the water supply mechanism 17 and washing the laundry with detergent and water by rotating the tub 13 by the tub motor 14. The rinsing step is a step of supplying water to the water tub 12 by the water supply mechanism 17 and rinsing laundry by rotating the rotary tub 13 by the rotary tub motor 14. The dehydration process is a process of driving the rotary tub motor 14 to rotate the rotary tub 13 to remove water absorbed by the laundry.

The drying operation includes a process of drying the laundry. In the drying process, the control device 20 drives the drum motor 14, the blower 39, and the compressor 43. The drying process is a process of driving the compressor 43 to heat and dehumidify air by the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42, blowing the heated dry air to the drying chamber by the blower 39, and driving the drum motor 14 to rotate and dry the laundry. In addition, the drying operation may also include a drying post-finishing process. The drying post-finishing step is performed after the drying step. In the drying finishing process, the control device 20 also drives the drum motor 14, the blower 39, and the compressor 43.

The supply air temperature in the drying finishing step is set to be equal to or lower than the supply air temperature in the drying step. More specifically, the maximum temperature t1 of the supply air temperature in the drying post-finishing step is set to be lower than the maximum temperature t0 of the supply air temperature in the drying step. For example, the maximum temperature t0 of the supply air temperature in the drying step can be set in the range of 65 ℃ to 75 ℃. In the present embodiment, the maximum temperature t0 of the supply air temperature in the drying step is set to 60 ℃. The maximum temperature t1 of the supply air temperature in the post-drying finishing step is set, for example, within a range of 55 ℃ to 65 ℃. In the present embodiment, the maximum temperature t1 of the supply air temperature in the post-drying finishing step is set to 60 ℃.

In addition, the control device 20 can selectively execute the wrinkle removal program and the normal program when the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation is executed. The wrinkle removal program is a program for additionally executing a special operation after the end of a main operation selected from a washing operation, a drying operation, or a washing and drying operation. The normal program is a program that does not additionally execute a special operation after the end of the main operation.

The user operates the operation panel 19 to select any one of the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation as the main operation, and to select any one of the wrinkle removal program or the normal program. The control device 20 sets various programs based on the operation of the operation panel 19 by the user and executes various operations. Further, the user may operate an external information terminal such as a smartphone, for example, to select any one of the washing operation, the drying operation, and the washing/drying operation as the main operation, and may select any one of the wrinkle removal program and the normal program to be executed by the control device 20.

When the normal program is selected and any one of the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation is executed as the main operation, the control device 20 turns off the power of the washing and drying machine 10 if the main operation is finished. When the wrinkle smoothing program is selected and any one of the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation is performed as the main operation, the control device 20 performs the special operation if the main operation is finished. The operation includes a pre-step, a steam supply step, a1 st steam drying step and a 2 nd steam drying step. In the case where it is not necessary to distinguish between the 1 st and 2 nd steam drying steps in the present specification, the steam drying step may be referred to as a "steam drying step". If the user takes out the laundry during the period before the execution of the previous step, the controller 20 does not execute the subsequent steam supply step and the steam drying step.

As shown in fig. 7, the period during which the special operation is performed includes a1 st period T1, a 2 nd period T2, a 3 rd period T3, a 4 th period T4, and a 5 th period T5. The control device 20 executes a process of repeating the 1 st period T1, the 2 nd period T2, the 3 rd period T3, the 4 th period T4, and the 5 th period T5 in the order shown in fig. 7.

The 1 st period T1 is a period during which the control device 20 executes the previous step. The pre-process is performed after the main operation is finished, that is, after the special operation is started, or after the steam drying process. That is, the 1 st period T1 is a period after the start of the special operation and before the 2 nd period T2, or a period after the 2 nd period T2 and before the 4 th period T4, or a period after the 5 th period T5 and before the 4 th period.

The 2 nd period T2 is a period after the 1 st period T1 has elapsed, and is a period during which the controller 20 executes the steam supply step. The 3 rd period T3 is a period after at least the 1 st steam supply step, and is a period during which the controller 20 executes the 1 st steam drying step. In the present embodiment, the 3 rd period T3 is a period after the 1 st steam supply step and before the 2 nd preceding step starts.

The 4 th period T4 is a period during which the controller 20 executes the steam supply step at least 2 nd and later. In the present embodiment, the 4 th period T4 is a period during which the controller 20 executes the steam supply step 2 and thereafter. The 5 th period T5 is a period after at least the 2 nd or later steam supply step, that is, a period after the 4 th period T4 has elapsed, and is a period during which the controller 20 executes the 2 nd steam drying step. In the present embodiment, the 4 th period T4 is a period after the 2 nd and subsequent steam supply steps and before the 3 rd and subsequent preceding steps.

The steam supply step performed in the 2 nd period T2 and the steam drying step performed in the 3 rd period T3 are collectively referred to as a1 st wrinkle smoothing step. The steam supply step performed in the 4 th period T4 and the steam supply step performed in the 5 th period T5 are collectively referred to as a 2 nd wrinkle smoothing step. Further, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the 1 st and 2 nd wrinkle smoothing steps, the step may be called a wrinkle smoothing step.

The pre-step is a step of putting the steam generator 50 into a so-called standby state without driving it. In the case that the laundry is not taken out of the washing and drying machine 10 in the previous process, the control device 20 performs the steam supply process. The steam supply step is a step of driving the steam generator 50 to inject steam into the tub 13. In the steam supply process, the steam permeates the laundry stored in the tub 13. The steam drying step is a step of drying the steam permeated into the laundry in the steam supplying step. Through the steam drying process, wrinkles of the laundry are removed or reduced when the steam is evaporated from the laundry.

In the former process, the control device 20 drives the tub motor 14 to smoothly stir the laundry. Further, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 to supply air to the laundry and the rotary tub 13 to easily disperse the laundry. In the preceding step, the control device 20 does not drive the steam generator 50 and does not drive the heat pump unit 40 as the heating device. That is, in the preceding process, the control device 20 does not actively heat the rotary tub 13 and the laundry in the rotary tub 13. In the preceding step, the controller 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to close the exhaust port 36. In another embodiment, the controller 20 may control the opening/closing device 37 to open the exhaust port 36 in a preceding step.

In the steam supply step, the control device 20 drives the steam generator 50. In addition, the control device 20 drives the tub motor 14 to smoothly stir the laundry. Further, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 to supply air to the laundry and the rotary tub 13 to easily disperse the laundry. In the preceding step, the controller 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to close the exhaust port 36. This can prevent the steam injected into the rotary tub 13 from being discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the exhaust port 36. In the present embodiment, the controller 20 does not drive the heat pump unit 40 in the vapor supply step. That is, in the present embodiment, the heated air is not supplied to the rotary tub 13 in the steam supply step. In another embodiment, the controller 20 may drive the heat pump unit 40 to supply the heated air to the rotary tub 13 in the steam supply step.

In the 1 st and 2 nd steam drying processes, the controller 20 drives the tub motor 14 to smoothly stir the laundry. Further, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 to supply air to the laundry and the rotary tub 13 to easily disperse the laundry. The control device 20 does not drive the steam generator 50 in the steam drying step.

In the 1 st vapor drying step performed in the 3 rd period T3, the controller 20 does not drive the heat pump unit 40 as the heating device. The controller 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to open the exhaust port 36. This allows excess steam to be discharged from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the apparatus. Further, by circulating the unheated air, the laundry can be cooled by the air when the laundry is overheated by the heat of the steam supplied in the steam supply step.

In the 1 st vapor drying step performed in the 5 th period T5, the controller 20 drives the heat pump unit 40 as a heating device. This can heat the circulating air to promote drying of the laundry. In addition, wrinkles can be removed or reduced quickly and effectively by appropriately heating the laundry. In the early stage of the 5 th period T5, the controller 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to close the exhaust port 36. Thus, the temperature of the circulating air can be maintained, and the clothes can be effectively heated and dried. Further, in the latter stage of the 5 th period T5, the controller 20 controls the opening/closing device 37 to open the exhaust port 36. This allows excess steam to be discharged from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the apparatus.

In another embodiment, the heat pump unit 40 may be driven to heat the circulating air from the 1 st steam drying step performed in the 3 rd period T3, that is, the steam drying step after the 1 st steam supply step.

The rotation speed n1 of the blower 39 in the preceding step is set to a speed lower than the rotation speed n2 of the blower 39 in the steam supply step and the steam drying step. The rotation speed n1 of the blower 39 can be set within a range of 1500rpm to 2500rpm, for example. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed n1 of the blower 39 in the preceding step is set to 2000rpm. The rotation speed n2 of the blower 39 can be set, for example, within a range of 3000rpm to 4000 rpm. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed n2 of the blower 39 is set to 3500rpm.

In the preceding step, the control device 20 intermittently operates the blower 39. For example, the controller 20 repeats a cycle of driving the blower 39 for 10 seconds and then stopping for 50 seconds. This can shorten the period during which the blower 39 is driven during the predetermined period, and reduce the noise generated by the washing and drying machine 10.

The rotation speed m1 of the tub motor 14 in the previous step is set to be lower than the rotation speed m2 of the tub motor 14 in the steam supply step and the steam drying step. The rotation speed m1 of the tub motor 14 in the previous step is a rotation speed at which the laundry in the tub 13 is reversed vertically and replaced with each other, but a centrifugal force is not generated so that the laundry is spread out over the entire tub 13 against the gravity. The rotation speed m1 of the tub motor 14 can be set, for example, within a range of 15rpm to 25 rpm. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed m1 of the barrel motor 14 in the previous step is set to 20rpm.

The rotation speed m2 of the drum motor 14 in the steam supply step and the steam drying step is a rotation speed at which the laundry is spread out over the entire drum 13 but is not pressed against the side wall of the drum 13 by the centrifugal force. The rotation speed m2 of the tub motor 14 in the steam supply step and the steam drying step can be set, for example, within a range of 30rpm to 50 rpm. In the present embodiment, the rotation speed m2 of the drum motor 14 in the steam supply step and the steam drying step is set to 42rpm. In the steam supply step and the steam drying step, the controller 20 rotates the drum motor 14 in the forward and reverse directions for 1 cycle of 180 seconds, for example. In this case, the rotary tub motor 14 repeats the normal rotation for 90 seconds and then the reverse rotation for 90 seconds. The cycle of the forward and reverse rotation of the rotary tub motor 14 can be changed as appropriate.

In the preceding step, the controller 20 intermittently operates the rotary tub motor 14. For example, the controller 20 repeatedly performs a cycle of driving the tub motor 14 for 10 seconds and then stopping for 50 seconds. This can shorten the period during which the drum motor 14 is driven during a predetermined period, and reduce the noise generated by the washing and drying machine 10. Further, the control device 20 synchronizes the driving cycle of the blower 39 with the driving cycle of the tub motor 14. Accordingly, the period in which noise is not generated in both the fan motor 391 and the tub motor 14 of the blower 39 can be extended, and thus the quietness of the washer-dryer 10 can be improved. The driving cycle of the blower 39 and the tub motor 14 can be appropriately changed.

Further, the controller 20 reverses the rotation direction of the tub motor 14 in every 1 cycle. This allows uniform mixing of the laundry in the rotary tub 13, and prevents a situation in which only a part of the laundry is pressed against the wall of the rotary tub 13 at all times and wrinkles are likely to occur.

Further, the supply air temperature in the 2 nd steam drying step is set to a temperature lower than the supply air temperature in the drying operation. For example, the supply air temperature in the 2 nd steam drying step is set to be about the same as or lower than the supply air temperature in the post-drying finishing step. This can prevent clothes from becoming excessively dry, and reduce the occurrence of wrinkles.

In this case, the maximum temperature t2 of the supply air temperature in the 2 nd steam drying step may be set to be equal to or lower than the maximum temperature t1 of the supply air temperature in the drying finishing step. For example, the maximum temperature t2 of the supply air temperature in the second steam drying step may be set to be, for example, in the range of 45 to 65 ℃. In the present embodiment, the maximum temperature t1 of the supply air temperature in the 2 nd steam drying step is set to 55 ℃.

The 1 st period T1 is set according to the type of the main operation. Fig. 8 shows the 1 st period T1 in the case where the main operation is the dry operation or the wash dry operation. Fig. 9 shows the 1 st period T1 in the case where the main operation is the purge operation. When the main operation is the washing operation, the 1 st period T1 can be set shorter than when the main operation is the drying operation or the washing and drying operation. For example, in the present embodiment, if the same weight of the laundry and the same texture of the laundry are compared with each other, the 1 st period T1 is set to be 5 minutes shorter than each other when the main operation is the drying operation or the washing and drying operation, compared with the case where the main operation is the washing operation.

When the main operation is the washing operation, the laundry in the tub 13 is in a wet state after the main operation is finished. In the case where the main operation is the drying operation or the washing and drying operation, the laundry in the tub 13 is in a dry state after the main operation is finished. When the laundry is wet, the total weight of the laundry and water is increased by water absorption, and the laundry is likely to wrinkle. Therefore, by shortening the 1 st period T1 in the case where the main operation is the washing operation as compared with the case of the drying operation or the washing and drying operation, it is possible to effectively suppress the wrinkles from being generated in the laundry whose total weight is heavy due to wetting.

Further, the 1 st period T1, that is, the period until the controller 20 executes the steam supply process is set according to at least one of the weight of the laundry and the quality of the laundry. In the present embodiment, the 1 st period T1 is set in accordance with both the weight of the laundry and the texture of the laundry, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, for example.

In the case shown in fig. 8, a drying operation or a washing and drying operation is performed as a main operation, and the laundry in the tub 13 is in a dry state after the main operation is finished. In the case that the texture of the laundry is chemical fiber, the 1 st period T1 is set to be shortened from 50 minutes to 20 minutes as the weight of the laundry is increased from 2kg to 12 kg. In the case where the cloth quality of the laundry is cotton, the 1 st period T1 is set to be shortened from 40 minutes to 10 minutes as the weight of the laundry is changed from 2kg to 12 kg. The heavier the weight of the laundry, the more easily wrinkles. Therefore, as the weight of the laundry is heavier, the steam is supplied as soon as possible after the end of the main operation, and thus wrinkles are less likely to occur.

In the case shown in fig. 9, the washing operation is performed as a main operation, and the laundry in the tub 13 is in a wet state after the main operation is finished. In the case where the fabric of the laundry is chemical fiber, the 1 st period T1 is set to be shortened from 45 minutes to 15 minutes as the weight of the laundry is increased from 2kg to 12 kg. In the case where the cloth quality of the laundry is cotton, the 1 st period T1 is set to be shortened from 35 minutes to 5 minutes as the weight of the laundry is changed from 2kg to 12 kg.

If the cloth of the clothes is chemical fiber, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the 1 st period T1 is set shorter when the weight of the clothes is the same, than when the cloth of the clothes is chemical fiber, as shown in fig. 8 and 9. In the present embodiment, the 1 st period T1 is set such that the cloth of the clothes is cotton, which is 10 minutes shorter than the chemical fiber, for each weight. Cotton clothes are more likely to wrinkle than chemical fiber clothes. Therefore, when the fabric quality of the clothes is cotton, the generation of wrinkles can be effectively suppressed by supplying the steam as soon as possible after the end of the main operation.

The 2 nd period T2 and the 4 th period T4, which are periods in the steam supply step, can be set to be shorter than the 1 st period T1. The period of the vapor supply step may be changed between the 2 nd period T2 and the 4 th period T4. In this case, the period of the steam supply step is set to be longer as the number of times of execution of the steam supply step is smaller. For example, the 2 nd period T2 during which at least the 1 st steam supply step is performed is set to be longer than the 4 th period T4 during which the predetermined number of steam supply steps and thereafter are performed. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd period T2 during which the 1 st steam supply step is performed is set to be longer than the 4 th period T4 during which the 2 nd and subsequent steam supply steps are performed.

In the period immediately after the start of the operation, the steam supply step and the steam drying step are not performed or are repeated a small number of times. Therefore, the clothes may have a lot of wrinkles. In addition, when the main operation includes a drying process, the temperature of the laundry is higher than the normal temperature in a period immediately after the start of the operation, and the steam to be supplied may evaporate before the steam sufficiently permeates into the laundry. On the other hand, if the steam supply step and the steam drying step are repeated, wrinkles in the laundry are removed or reduced according to the number of repetitions. Therefore, by making the 4 th period T4 shorter than the 2 nd period T2 and shortening the period of the steam supply step if the number of times of execution of the steam supply step increases, it is possible to suppress excessive power consumption and also shorten the operation time.

For example, the 2 nd period T2, which is a period during which the 1 st steam supply process is performed, may be set to be in a range of 5 minutes to 15 minutes. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd period T2 is set to 10 minutes. For example, the 4 th period T4, which is a period during which the 2 nd or subsequent steam supply step is executed, may be set to be in a range of 3 minutes to 10 minutes. In the present embodiment, the 4 th period T4 is set to 5 minutes.

The 3 rd period T3 can be set shorter than the 1 st period T1. The 3 rd period T3 can be set to be shorter than the 2 nd period T2. The 3 rd period T3 can be set to be in the range of 3 minutes to 10 minutes, for example. In the present embodiment, the 3 rd period T3 is set to 5 minutes.

In the present embodiment, the 3 rd period T3 is set uniformly regardless of the weight of the laundry, the cloth quality of the laundry, and the type of the main operation, but in other embodiments, the 3 rd period T3 may be set according to the weight of the laundry, the cloth quality of the laundry, and the type of the main operation. In this case, the more difficult the vapor permeating the laundry is to evaporate, the longer the 3 rd period T3 can be set. For example, the 3 rd period T3 may be set to be longer as the weight of the laundry is larger. In addition, the 3 rd period T3 may be set longer in the case where the cloth of the clothing is cotton than in the case of chemical fiber. On the other hand, in the case where the main operation does not include the drying process, that is, in the case where the laundry is in a wet state after the main operation is completed, it does not make much sense to evaporate the steam in the steam drying process, and therefore, the 3 rd period T3 may be set shorter than the case where the main operation includes the drying process.

The 5 th period T5 can be set longer than the 2 nd period T2, the 4 th period T4, and the 3 rd period T3. The 5 th period T5 can be set to a range of 15 minutes to 25 minutes, for example. In the present embodiment, the 5 th period T5 is set to 20 minutes.

In the present embodiment, the 5 th period T5 is set uniformly regardless of the weight of the laundry, the cloth quality of the laundry, and the type of the main operation, but in other embodiments, the 5 th period T5 may be set according to the weight of the laundry, the cloth quality of the laundry, and the type of the main operation. In this case, the more difficult the vapor permeating into the laundry is to evaporate, the longer the 5 th period T5 can be set. For example, the 5 th period T5 may be set to be longer as the weight of the laundry is larger. In addition, the 5 th period T5 may be set longer in the case where the cloth of the clothing is cotton than in the case of chemical fiber. On the other hand, in the case where the main operation does not include the drying process, that is, in the case where the laundry is in a wet state after the main operation is completed, it does not make much sense to evaporate the steam in the steam drying process, and therefore the 5 th period T5 may be set shorter than the case where the main operation includes the drying process.

After the main operation is finished, the control device 20 performs a judgment process of judging whether or not the laundry is taken out from the rotary tub 13. If the clothes are not taken out, the former step, the steam supply step, the 1 st and the 2 nd steam drying step are executed in sequence. In the present embodiment, the controller 20 can determine whether or not the laundry is taken out, for example, based on whether or not the door opening/closing detector 63 detects that the door 15 is in the opened state. In another embodiment, controller 20 may determine whether or not laundry is taken out from tub 13 based on the detected weight of weight detecting unit 61. In another embodiment, the controller 20 may determine whether or not laundry is taken out from the rotary tub 13 based on an operation of the operation panel 19 by the user or information transmitted from an information terminal not shown.

In this case, the controller 20 may determine that the laundry is taken out when the door opening/closing detector 63 detects that the open state of the door 15 is maintained for a predetermined period or longer. In this case, the predetermined period may be set to be in a range of, for example, 1 second to 5 seconds. The predetermined period can be set to, for example, 2 seconds. Thus, for example, when the user erroneously opens the door 15 after the end of the main operation but desires to continue the special operation, the user closes the door 15 before a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and the special operation is continued without determining that there is clothes taken out.

Next, the control of the main operation and the special operation of the control device 20 will be described with reference to fig. 11 to 14. At the start of fig. 11, the power of the washer-dryer 10 is turned on, and a main operation selected from the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing-drying operation, for example, the washing-drying operation in this case, is set. Further, it is assumed that the user selects a wrinkle removal program.

If the operation is started (started) by the operation of the user or the execution of the scheduled operation, etc., the control device 20 detects the weight inside the spin basket 13 by the weight detecting section 61 in step S11. Then, in step S12, the control device 20 executes the main operation in accordance with the weight detected by the weight detecting unit 61, information preset by the user operating the operation panel 19, and the like. If the main operation is finished, in step S13, the control device 20 sets the 1 st period T1, the 2 nd period T2, the 3 rd period T3, the 4 th period T4, the 5 th period T5, and the like in accordance with the conditions shown in fig. 8, fig. 9, and the like. Then, the special operation starts.

In step S14, the control device 20 executes the pre-process start processing shown in fig. 12. As the pre-process start processing, the control device 20 intermittently drives the blower 39 at the rotation speed n1 in step S31. Thereby, the laundry is made to contain air so that the laundry is not easily wrinkled. In step S32, the control device 20 intermittently drives the tub motor 14 at the rotation speed m 1. Thereby, the laundry is smoothly agitated, and a situation in which only a portion of the laundry is always pressed against the wall of the tub 13 is suppressed.

In step S33, the controller 20 closes the opening/closing device 37. This suppresses the discharge of air from the exhaust port 36. In this case, the process of closing the opening/closing device 37 includes both the process of closing the opening/closing device 37 from a state in which the opening/closing device 37 is opened and the process of maintaining the closed state of the opening/closing device 37. Then, the control device 20 ends the pre-process start processing (return), and advances the processing to step S15 in fig. 11.

In step S15, the control device 20 executes determination processing. If it is determined that there is a laundry removal (yes in step S16), control device 20 advances the process to step S17. In step S17, the control device 20 turns off the power of the washer dryer 10 and ends the entire operation.

If it is determined that there is no laundry taken out (no in step S16), control device 20 advances the process to step S18. In step S18, the control device 20 determines whether or not the 1 st period T1 has elapsed after the end of the main operation. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (no in step S18), the controller 20 returns the process to step S14. When the 1 st period T1 has elapsed (yes in step S18), the controller 20 advances the process to step S19. Further, steps S14 to S18 are included in the preceding step.

In step S19, the control device 20 performs the 1 st wrinkle smoothing process shown in fig. 13. The 1 st wrinkle-removing step is a step including a steam supply step and a1 st steam drying step. In step S41, the control device 20 drives the steam generator 50. Thereby, steam is supplied from the steam generator 50 into the rotary tub 13. In step S42, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 at the rotation speed n 2. Thus, the air containing the vapor circulates in the circulation duct 30 and the drying chamber including the rotary tub 13, and the vapor permeates into the laundry. In step S43, the control device 20 drives the tub motor 14 at the rotation speed m 2. Thus, the clothes are blended, and the steam is easy to permeate into the whole clothes.

In step S44, the control device 20 determines whether or not the 2 nd period T2 has elapsed since the steam generator 50 was driven. If the 2 nd period T2 has not elapsed (no in step S44), the controller 20 repeats the process of step S44. When the 2 nd period T2 has elapsed (yes in step S44), the control device 20 advances the process to step S45. Further, steps S41 to S44 are included in the steam supply step.

In step S45, the controller 20 stops the steam generator 50. Thereby, the supply of the steam to the rotary tub 13 is stopped. In step S46, the control device 20 opens the opening/closing device 37. Thereby, the vapor that has not permeated into the laundry or the vapor evaporated from the laundry is discharged from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the casing 11.

In step S47, the control device 20 determines whether or not the 3 rd period T3 has elapsed since the stop of the steam generator 50. If the 3 rd period T3 has not elapsed (no in step S47), the controller 20 repeats the process of step S47. When the 3 rd period T3 has elapsed (yes in step S47), the control device 20 ends the 1 st wrinkle smoothing process (return), and advances the process to step S20 in fig. 11. Further, steps S45 to S47 are included in the 1 st steam drying step.

In step S20, the control device 20 executes a pre-process start process. In step S21, the control device 20 executes determination processing. If it is determined that there is a laundry removal (yes in step S22), control device 20 advances the process to step S17.

If it is determined that the laundry is not taken out (no in step S22), control device 20 advances the process to step S23. In step S23, the control device 20 determines whether or not the 1 st period T1 has elapsed after the pre-process start processing is executed. If the 1 st period T1 has not elapsed (no in step S23), the control device 20 returns the process to step S20. When the 1 st period T1 has elapsed (yes in step S23), the controller 20 advances the process to step S24. Further, steps S20 to S23 are included in the preceding step.

In step S24, the control device 20 performs the 2 nd wrinkle smoothing process shown in fig. 14. The 2 nd wrinkle-removing step is a step including a steam supply step and a 2 nd steam drying step. In step S51, the control device 20 drives the steam generator 50. Thereby, steam is supplied from the steam generator 50 into the rotary tub 13. In step S52, the control device 20 drives the blower 39 at the rotation speed n 2. Thus, the air containing the vapor circulates in the circulation duct 30 and the drying chamber including the rotary tub 13, and the vapor permeates into the laundry. In step S53, the control device 20 drives the tub motor 14 at the rotation speed m 2. Thus, the clothes are blended, and the steam is easy to permeate into the whole clothes. In step S54, the controller 20 closes the opening/closing device 37. This suppresses the steam supplied from the steam generating device 50 from penetrating into the clothes and being discharged from the exhaust port 36 to the outside of the casing 11.

In step S55, the controller 20 determines whether or not the 4 th period T4 has elapsed since the vapor generator 50 was driven. If the 4 th period T4 has not elapsed (no in step S55), the controller 20 repeats the process of step S55. When the 4 th period T4 has elapsed (yes in step S55), the control device 20 advances the process to step S56. Further, steps S51 to S55 are included in the steam supply step.

In step S56, the control device 20 stops the steam generator 50. Thereby, the supply of the steam to the rotary tub 13 is stopped. In step S57, the controller 20 drives the compressor 43. Thereby, the air passing through the circulation duct 30 is dehumidified and heated in the heat exchange portion 34.

In step S58, the control device 20 determines whether the laundry has reached a predetermined dryness level. In this case, for example, it may be determined that the laundry has reached the predetermined dryness level based on the fact that the 6 th period T6 has elapsed since the stop of steam generation device 50. The 6 th period T6 is a period during which the opening/closing device 37 is closed in the 5 th period T5 which is an operation period of the 2 nd steam drying process. In this case, the 6 th period T6 can be set to be in the range of 1/3 to 4/5 of the 4 th period T4, for example. The 6 th period T6 can be set to 10 minutes, for example.

In another embodiment, it may be determined that the laundry has reached the predetermined dryness level based on a detection result of an exhaust gas temperature sensor, not shown, reaching a predetermined temperature. In this case, the exhaust temperature sensor detects, for example, the temperature of the air exhausted from the tub 12 and the tub 13 as the drying chambers and passing through the exhaust duct 31. In another embodiment, it may be determined that the laundry has reached the predetermined dryness degree based on a decrease in the detection result of the humidity sensor to the predetermined humidity. In this case, the humidity sensor may be provided near the air outlet 21 of the exhaust duct 31.

If it is determined that the laundry does not reach the predetermined dryness level (no in step S58), the control device 20 repeats the process of step S58. If it is determined that the laundry has reached the predetermined dryness level (yes in step S58), control device 20 opens opening/closing device 37 in step S59. Thereby, the vapor evaporated from the laundry is discharged to the outside of the casing 11 through the exhaust port 36.

In step S60, the control device 20 determines whether or not the 5 th period T5 has elapsed since the stop of the steam generator 50. If the 5 th period T5 has not elapsed (no in step S60), the controller 20 repeats the process of step S60. When the 5 th period T5 has elapsed (yes in step S60), the control device 20 advances the process to step S61.

In step S61, the controller 20 stops the compressor 43. The control device 20 ends the 2 nd wrinkle smoothing process (return), and advances the process to step S21 in fig. 11. Further, steps S56 to S61 are included in the 2 nd steam drying step.

In this manner, the controller 20 repeats the previous step, the steam supply step, and the steam drying step in the order of the 1 st period T1, the 2 nd period T2, the 3 rd period T3, the 1 st period T1, the 4 th period T4, the 5 th period T5, and the 1 st period T1 again, and executes the special operation. In particular, until the laundry is taken out, the operation is performed so that wrinkles are prevented from being generated in the period before the laundry is taken out from the rotary tub 13, and the generated wrinkles are reduced.

According to the present embodiment described above, the washing and drying machine 10 as a laundry drying machine includes the casing 11, the water tub 12, the rotary tub 13, the rotary tub motor 14 as a driving part, the control device 20, and the steam generating device 50. The housing 11 has an opening 111 in the front. The tub 12 is disposed inside the cabinet 11. The tub 12 is rotatably provided inside the tub 13, and constitutes a drying chamber together with the tub 12. The rotary tub 13 is rotated by a rotary tub motor 14. The control device 20 is configured to be capable of executing at least one of a washing operation for washing laundry, a drying operation for drying laundry, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as a main operation. The steam generator 50 generates steam to be supplied into the rotary tub 13. The control device 20 performs a judgment process of judging whether or not the laundry is taken out from the rotary tub 13 after the main operation is finished. If it is determined that the laundry is not taken out as a result of the determination process until the predetermined period, in this case, the 1 st period T1, elapses after the end of the main operation, the control device 20 performs a steam supply process of supplying steam from the steam generating device 50 to the tub 13.

Accordingly, in a case where the user does not take out the laundry from the washing and drying machine 10 immediately after the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation is finished, the steam is permeated into the laundry, and wrinkles can be suppressed or reduced. Therefore, the wrinkles of the laundry can be suppressed even if the laundry is not taken out immediately after the operation is finished, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

The washer-dryer 10 includes a door 15 and a door opening/closing detection unit 63 as a detection unit. The door 15 opens and closes the opening 111. The door opening/closing detector 63 is configured to be able to detect opening/closing of the door 15. In the determination process, the controller 20 determines that the laundry is taken out when the door opening/closing detector 63 detects that the door 15 is opened, and determines that the laundry is not taken out if the door opening/closing detector 63 does not detect that the door 15 is opened.

In order to take out the laundry from the washer dryer 10, the door 15 needs to be opened. Therefore, by determining whether or not the laundry is taken out based on whether or not the door 15 is opened or closed, the control device 20 can determine whether or not the wrinkle removing process including the steam supply process and the steam drying process needs to be performed. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to additionally operate the operation panel 19 or the like, and the convenience of the user is further improved.

Further, the controller 20 executes the steam supply process until the 1 st period T1, which is a predetermined period, passes after the steam supply process is executed, and executes the steam supply process if it is not determined that the laundry is taken out.

Thus, after the main operation is completed, steam is periodically supplied into the rotary tub 13. Therefore, even if the laundry is stored in the rotary tub 13 for a long period of time after the main operation is finished, the generation of wrinkles can be periodically suppressed or the generated wrinkles can be reduced until the laundry is taken out. Therefore, wrinkles of the laundry are suppressed whenever the user takes out the laundry from the washing and drying machine 10, and convenience of the user is further improved.

The 1 st period T1 as the predetermined period is set to a value different from the weight of the laundry in the tub 13. In this case, the 1 st period T1 is set to be shorter as the weight of the laundry is heavier.

Therefore, the waiting time until the steam supply step is changed when the weight of the clothes is heavy and wrinkles are likely to occur due to the weight of the clothes, compared with when the weight of the clothes is light and wrinkles are unlikely to occur. Therefore, when wrinkles are likely to occur, the cycle time can be shortened to increase the frequency of the steam supply process, and the occurrence of wrinkles can be more effectively suppressed. On the other hand, excessive power consumption can be suppressed by extending the cycle under the condition that wrinkles are hard to be generated.

The 1 st period T1 as the predetermined period is set to a different value depending on whether the main operation is the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation. That is, the 1 st period T1 is set to a different value according to whether the laundry is in a wet state or a dry state after the end of the main operation. In this case, the 1 st period T1 is set to be shorter than the state in which the laundry is dry in the state in which the laundry is wet after the end of the main operation.

Thus, the standby time until the steam supply step is changed from a wet state in which the total weight of the clothes becomes heavy due to water absorption and wrinkles are easily generated due to its own weight to a dry state in which the total weight of the clothes becomes light due to water evaporation. Therefore, when wrinkles are likely to occur, the cycle time can be shortened to increase the frequency of the steam supply process, and the occurrence of wrinkles can be more effectively suppressed. On the other hand, the cycle is extended under the condition that wrinkling is difficult, and excessive power consumption can be suppressed.

The 1 st period T1 as the predetermined period is set to a value different from the cloth quality of the laundry in the rotary tub 13. In this case, the 1 st period T1 is set shorter in the case where the fabric of the clothes is cotton than in the case of chemical fibers.

Therefore, the waiting time until the steam supply step is changed for cotton clothes which are easy to absorb water and easily generate wrinkles due to self weight, and chemical fiber clothes which are difficult to absorb water compared with the cotton clothes. Therefore, when wrinkles are likely to occur, the cycle time can be shortened to increase the frequency of the steam supply process, and the occurrence of wrinkles can be more effectively suppressed. On the other hand, excessive power consumption can be suppressed by extending the cycle under the condition that wrinkles are hard to be generated.

The washing and drying machine 10 is provided with a circulation duct 30 and a blower 39. The circulation duct 30 is provided in the housing 11, connected to the water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 as the drying chamber, and has a function of circulating air therein. The blower 39 is provided in the circulation duct 30 and has a function of sending air to the water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13. The control device 20 performs a pre-process in which the tub motor 14 is driven to rotate the tub 13 while the blower 39 is driven to supply air to the tub 12 and the tub 13 in the 1 st period T1 which is a predetermined period after the main operation is finished or after the steam supply process is finished.

Accordingly, the control device 20 can stir and disperse the laundry while bringing the air into contact with the laundry during the standby period after the main operation is finished or after the wrinkle removing process including the steam supply process and the steam drying process is finished until the wrinkle removing process is restarted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a part of the laundry is pressed against the wall of the rotary tub 13 and wrinkles are generated during the standby period before the wrinkle smoothing process. Therefore, the convenience of the user is further improved. In addition, during the standby period, i.e., the 1 st period T1, the user can open the door 15 and take out the laundry from the rotary tub 13 at an arbitrary timing.

The washer-dryer 10 is further provided with an exhaust port 36 and an opening/closing device 37. The air outlet 36 is provided in the circulation air duct 30, and has a function of discharging air to the outside of the circulation air duct 30, that is, the outside of the housing 11. The opening/closing device 37 has a function of opening/closing the exhaust port 36. After the steam supply step is completed, the controller 20 performs a1 st steam drying step in which the spin motor 14 is driven to rotate the spin basket 13 while the opening/closing device 37 is opened and the blower 39 is driven to supply air to the water tub 12 and the spin basket 13 serving as the drying chamber.

Accordingly, the steam supply step can promote the evaporation of the steam permeated in the laundry, and further promote the discharge of the steam to the outside of the washing and drying machine 10. Therefore, the quality of the clothes after the wrinkle removing process is finished can be improved. In addition, even in the case where the laundry is overheated by the steam in the steam supply step, the effect of cooling the laundry is expected in the 1 st steam drying step.

The washer-dryer 10 is further provided with a heat pump unit 40 as a heating device. The heat pump unit 40 is provided in the circulation duct 30 and has a function of heating air. After the steam supply step is completed, the controller 20 performs the 2 nd steam drying step in which the tub motor 14 is driven to rotate the tub 13 while the compressor 43 and the blower 39 of the heat pump unit 40 are driven to supply the air heated by the heat pump unit 40 into the tub 12 and the tub 13.

This enables the heat pump unit 40 to further promote the evaporation of the steam permeated into the laundry in the steam supply step by heating the dried air. Therefore, even if the amount of steam supplied to the laundry is large and the laundry is wet to a certain degree or more, the laundry can be sufficiently dried after the 2 nd steam drying step and the laundry can have a desired quality. In particular, in the case where the steam supply step is performed a plurality of times, the laundry is supplied with a relatively large amount of steam, and therefore, it is preferable to perform the 2 nd steam drying step to dry the laundry.

(other embodiments)

In the above embodiment, the steam generating device 50 is disposed at the front end portion of the upper portion of the washing and drying machine 10 above the tub 12, and is configured to blow steam to the laundry in the tub 13 from the front upward through the opening 121 and the opening 131, but is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, the steam generator 50 may be disposed behind the tub end plate 122 and the tub end plate 132, and the steam may be blown into the circulation duct 30, in this case, the supply duct 35. In this case, since the blowing direction of the steam coincides with the blowing direction of the blower 39, the steam easily penetrates into the laundry in the rotary tub 13.

While the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment is presented as an example, and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereto. The new embodiment can be implemented in other various ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the patent claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A clothes dryer is provided with:

a housing having an opening on a front surface;

a tub disposed inside the cabinet;

a rotary tub rotatably provided inside the tub, constituting a drying chamber together with the tub;

a driving part for rotating the rotary barrel;

a control device which executes at least one of a washing operation of washing the laundry, a drying operation of drying the laundry, and a washing and drying operation including the washing operation and the drying operation as a main operation; and

a steam generating device for generating steam supplied to the interior of the rotary barrel,

the control device executes a judgment process for judging whether clothes are taken out from the rotary drum after the main operation is finished, and executes a steam supply process for supplying steam to the rotary drum by the steam generation device when the judgment process results in that the clothes are not judged to be taken out until a predetermined period of time elapses after the main operation is finished.

2. The laundry dryer according to claim 1, comprising:

a door that opens and closes the opening; and

a detection unit capable of detecting opening and closing of the door,

in the determination process, the control device determines that the laundry is taken out when the detection unit detects that the door is opened, and determines that the laundry is not taken out when the detection unit does not detect that the door is opened.

3. The laundry dryer according to claim 2,

the controller may perform the steam supply step again when it is not determined that the laundry is taken out until a predetermined period of time elapses after the steam supply step is performed.

4. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the prescribed period is set to a different value according to the weight of the laundry in the tub.

5. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the predetermined period is set to a different value depending on whether the main operation is the washing operation, the drying operation, or the washing and drying operation.

6. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the predetermined period is set to a different value according to the quality of the laundry in the rotary tub.

7. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

a circulating air duct disposed in the housing, connected to the drying chamber, and circulating air therein; and

a blower provided in the circulation duct to send the air to the drying chamber;

the control device executes a pre-process in which the driving unit is driven to rotate the rotary tub while the blower is driven to supply the air to the drying chamber during the predetermined period after the main operation is completed or after the steam supply process is completed.

8. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising:

a circulating air duct which is arranged in the shell, is connected with the drying chamber and circulates air inside;

an exhaust port provided in the circulation duct to discharge the air to the outside of the circulation duct; and

an opening/closing device for opening/closing the exhaust port,

the control device performs a1 st steam drying step after the steam supply step is completed, and in the 1 st steam drying step, the control device drives the driving unit to rotate the rotary tub while the opening/closing device is opened and the blower is driven to supply the air to the drying chamber.

9. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising:

a circulating air duct which is arranged in the shell, is connected with the drying chamber and circulates circulating air inside;

a blower provided in the circulation duct to blow air to the drying chamber; and

a heating device arranged in the circulating air duct for heating the air,

the control device executes a 2 nd steam drying step after the steam supply step is completed, and in the 2 nd steam drying step, the control device drives the driving unit to rotate the rotary tub while driving the heating device and the blower to supply the air heated by the heating device into the drying chamber.