CN112955597A

CN112955597A - Washing and drying integrated machine

Info

Publication number: CN112955597A
Application number: CN201980070956.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 本田靖; 八田聪; 鸢幸生; 久保胜弘
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-11-19
Filing date: 2019-11-14
Publication date: 2021-06-11
Also published as: JP2020081056A; JP7207649B2; WO2020103753A1

Abstract

The invention provides a washing and drying integrated machine, which can improve the use convenience of drying operation. Washing and drying all-in-one (1) includes: a water cylinder (3), a water discharge path (5), a circulation path (20), an air supply part (21), a heating part (22) arranged in the circulation path (20), and a water filter (30) with a container (40). The air supply unit (21) takes air in the water tank (3) out of the take-out port (20D) into the circulation path (20) and returns the air from the return port (20E) into the water tank (3) to circulate the air. The water filter (30) causes air in the circulation path (20) to pass through water in the container (40), thereby capturing foreign matter from the air. Washing and drying all-in-one (1) includes: a water level sensor (61) for detecting the water level in the container (40); a drain valve (34) that opens/closes a water conduit (33) that guides water in the container (40) to the drain channel (5); and a control unit (60). When the rate of decrease of the water level detected by the water level sensor (61) is lower than a predetermined threshold value when the drain valve (34) is opened, the control unit (60) determines that foreign matter clogging is present in the container (40), and executes a removal process for removing the foreign matter clogging.

Description

Washing and drying integrated machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to a washing and drying integrated machine.

Background

The washing and drying machine described in patent document 1 includes an outer tub capable of storing water, a drum disposed in the outer tub and accommodating laundry, and a circulation duct. The circulation wind path comprises an air inlet and an air outlet which are connected with the outer cylinder, and an air supply unit with a blower and a heater. In the drying operation, the blower is operated, and air in the outer tub is circulated so as to be sucked into the circulation duct from the air inlet and flow into the outer tub from the air outlet. The circulated air is heated by the heater in the circulation air duct. The laundry in the drum is dried by the heated air. A drying filter for capturing foreign matters such as lint and dust contained in the circulated air by a mesh-like filter element is disposed in the air blowing unit. In order to facilitate cleaning of the filter element, the drying filter can be detached from the air supply unit.

In the integrated washing and drying machine disclosed in patent document 1, there is a possibility that the drying operation time is prolonged due to clogging of the filter element, and the performance is deteriorated such as increase in power consumption. Therefore, in order to prevent such a performance degradation, the user needs to frequently remove and clean the drying filter, and therefore, maintenance of the drying filter is troublesome.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2011-244984

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a washing and drying all-in-one machine that can improve the convenience of use in drying operation.

Means for solving the problems

The invention relates to a washing and drying integrated machine, which comprises: the water cylinder can store water; a washing cylinder accommodated in the water cylinder, accommodating laundry and rotating; a drainage path for draining water from the water cylinder; a circulation path having a take-out port and a return port connected to the water tank; a blowing unit that takes out air in the water tank from the take-out port into the circulation path and returns the air in the water tank from the return port to the water tank, thereby circulating the air in the water tank; a heating unit provided in the circulation path and heating air in the circulation path; a water filter having a container that constitutes an upstream portion of the circulation path on the outlet side of the heating portion, the container being capable of storing water, the water filter allowing air flowing from the outlet port to the return port in the circulation path to pass through water in the container, thereby capturing foreign matter from the air; a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the container; a water injection path for supplying water into the container; a water supply valve that opens/closes the water injection path; a water guide path for guiding the water in the container to the drainage path; a drain valve opening/closing the water guide path; and a control unit that operates the air supply unit and the heating unit to perform a drying operation, wherein the control unit determines that foreign matter clogging is present in the container when a rate of decrease in the water level detected by the water level sensor is lower than a predetermined threshold value when the drain valve is opened in a state where water is stored in the container, and performs a removal process of removing the foreign matter clogging by operating the air supply unit or opening/closing the water supply valve and the drain valve, respectively.

In the present invention, the control unit opens the water supply valve for a predetermined time in a state where the drain valve is opened as the elimination process.

In the present invention, as the elimination process, the control unit opens the water supply valve for a predetermined time in a state where the water discharge valve is closed to store water in the tank, and then opens the water discharge valve.

In the present invention, as the elimination process, the control unit may operate the air blowing unit so that air flows through the circulation path with a stronger momentum than during the drying operation.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the washing and drying all-in-one machine further comprises: and a notification unit configured to notify that the water filter is abnormal when the control unit determines that the container is clogged with foreign matter a predetermined number of times.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, during the drying operation of the integrated washer dryer, the air in the water tub is circulated so as to be taken out from the take-out port into the circulation path and returned from the return port into the water tub. The circulated air is heated by the heating portion in the circulation path to become hot air, and dries the laundry in the washing drum. The water filter having the container constituting the upstream portion of the circulation path on the side of the outlet port with respect to the heating portion causes the air traveling from the outlet port to the return port in the circulation path for circulation to pass through the water stored in the container, thereby trapping foreign matter from the air. This prevents foreign matter from reaching the heating portion and degrading the performance of the heating portion.

When the control unit for performing the drying operation opens the water supply valve in a state where the drain valve is closed, water is supplied from the water supply path and is stored in the container, and thus the function of the water filter is effective. When the control unit opens the drain valve, foreign matter stored in the container is discharged to the drain passage through the water conduit together with water. Therefore, the user can remove the foreign matter in the container without performing maintenance in contact with the water filter. Therefore, the use convenience of the drying operation can be improved.

When the rate of decrease of the water level in the container detected by the water level sensor is lower than a predetermined threshold value when the drain valve is opened in a state where water is stored in the container, the control unit determines that the container is clogged with foreign matter. In this case, the control part performs a removal process for removing the clogging of foreign substances by operating the air blowing part or opening/closing the water supply valve and the water discharge valve, respectively. Therefore, even if foreign matter is clogged in the container, the user can remove the clogging of foreign matter in the container without performing maintenance in contact with the water filter, and thus the usability of the drying operation can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, in the removal process of opening the water supply valve for a predetermined time with the drain valve opened, foreign substances clogged in the container can be removed by the momentum of the water rapidly discharged after being supplied into the container, and pushed toward the water conduit.

Further, according to the present invention, in the removal process of opening the drain valve after the water supply valve is opened for a predetermined time to store water in the tank in a state where the drain valve is closed, foreign substances clogged in the tank can be removed by the momentum of the water stored in the tank and discharged by the gas, and the foreign substances can be pushed to the water guide.

Further, according to the present invention, in the elimination process of flowing air having a stronger momentum than that in the drying operation in the circulation passage, foreign matter clogged in the container can be removed by the momentum of the air and pushed to the water guide passage.

Further, according to the present invention, when the control unit determines that the foreign matter clogging has occurred in the container a predetermined number of times, that is, when the foreign matter clogging has occurred in the container to such an extent that the foreign matter clogging is difficult to automatically remove in the washing and drying integrated machine, the control unit notifies the user that the water filter is abnormal. In other words, even if the user does not touch the water filter to perform maintenance, the foreign matter clogging which is not serious can be automatically eliminated in the washing and drying integrated machine, and therefore, the convenience in use can be improved.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical right side view of a washer dryer of an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a left side view of the water filter disposed in the washing and drying machine.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the water filter.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the water filter.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view including section a-a of fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a stepped sectional view of the water filter at line B-B of fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the water filter and its peripheral portion.

Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the washing and drying machine.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a process performed in the integrated washer dryer.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a drying operation performed in the integrated washer dryer.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the adjustment process performed during the drying operation.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the adjustment processing in the first modification.

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the adjustment processing of the second modification.

Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an adjustment process according to a third modification.

Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an adjustment process according to a fourth modification.

Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing a cooling process performed during the drying operation.

Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process for cleaning the water filter.

Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process according to the first modification.

Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process according to a second modification.

Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process according to a third modification.

Fig. 22 is a flowchart showing a process of detecting and eliminating clogging of foreign matter in the water filter.

Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing a process of eliminating clogging of foreign matter in the water filter.

Fig. 24 is a flowchart showing the erasing process of the first modification.

Fig. 25 is a flowchart showing the erasing process of the second modification.

FIG. 26 is a schematic vertical right side elevation view of a washer dryer of another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a washing and drying integrated machine; 3: a water cylinder; 5: a water drainage path; 7: a washing drum; 11: a display operation unit: 20: a circulation path; 20D: a take-out port; 20E: a return port; 20G: an upstream portion; 21: an air supply part; 22: a heating section; 30: a water filter; 31: a water injection path; 32: a water supply valve; 33: a water conducting path; 34: a drain valve; 40: a container; 60: a control unit; 61: a water level sensor; l: and (5) washing the articles.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal right side view of a washing and drying machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The direction perpendicular to the paper surface of fig. 1 is referred to as a left-right direction X of the washing and drying machine 1, the left-right direction of fig. 1 is referred to as a front-rear direction Y of the washing and drying machine 1, and the up-down direction of fig. 1 is referred to as an up-down direction Z of the washing and drying machine 1. In the left-right direction X, the back side of the drawing sheet of fig. 1 is referred to as a left side X1, and the front side of the drawing sheet of fig. 1 is referred to as a right side X2. Of the front-rear direction Y, the left side in fig. 1 is referred to as a front side Y1, and the right side in fig. 1 is referred to as a rear side Y2. Among the vertical directions Z, the upper side is referred to as an upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as a lower side Z2. The washing and drying machine 1 is a so-called drum washing and drying machine, and performs a washing operation, a rinsing operation, a dehydrating operation, and a drying operation. Washing and drying all-in-one 1 includes: the washing machine includes a casing 2, a water tub 3 disposed in the casing 2, a water supply path 4 and a drain path 5 connected to the water tub 3, a drain filter 6 for capturing foreign matter from water flowing through the drain path 5, a washing tub 7 accommodated in the water tub 3, a motor 8 for rotating the washing tub 7, and a drying unit 9 for drying laundry L in the washing tub 7.

The case 2 is formed in a box shape. The front surface 2A of the case 2 is, for example, a vertical surface. An opening 2B for communicating the inside and outside of the case 2 is formed in the front surface 2A. On the front surface 2A, a door 10 that opens/closes the opening 2B and a display operation portion 11 configured by a switch, a liquid crystal panel, and the like are provided. The user can freely select the operation conditions of the washing and drying machine 1 by operating the switch of the display operation unit 11, or instruct the washing and drying machine 1 to start or stop the operation. The display operation unit 11 functions as an example of a notification unit, and thereby information related to the operation of the washing and drying integrated machine 1 is visually displayed on a liquid crystal panel or the like of the display operation unit 11.

The water tube 3 is connected to the housing 2 via a support member 15 such as a damper or a hanger bar, and is elastically supported by the support member 15. The water tub 3 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 3A centered on an axis J extending in the front-rear direction Y in the horizontal direction H, a disk-shaped rear wall 3B vertically arranged to close the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the rear side Y2, and an annular front wall 3C continuous with the front end edge of the circumferential wall 3A. A through hole 3D penetrating the back wall 3B in the front-rear direction Y along the axis J is formed in the center of the back wall 3B. The front wall 3C has an annular first front portion 3E protruding from the front end edge of the circumferential wall 3A toward the axis J, a cylindrical second front portion 3F protruding from the inner peripheral edge of the first front portion 3E toward the front side Y1, and an annular third front portion 3G protruding from the front end edge of the second front portion 3F toward the axis J. Inside the third front surface portion 3G, an inlet/outlet 3H communicating with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the front side Y1 is formed. The doorway 3H faces and communicates with the opening 2B of the casing 2 from the rear side Y2.

The water supply path 4 has one end (not shown) connected to a faucet (not shown) and the other end 4A connected to, for example, the circumferential wall 3A in the water tub 3. Since the elastic deformation portion 4B formed of, for example, a bellows hose is provided at the other end portion 4A, transmission of vibration of the water tub 3 to the entire water supply path 4 can be suppressed. In the water supply, water from the faucet is supplied from the water supply path 4 into the water tub 3. The water cylinder 3 stores therein water such as tap water or detergent water in which detergent is dissolved. A main water supply valve 12 that is opened and closed to start or stop water supply is provided in the middle of the water supply path 4.

The drainage channel 5 is connected to a lower end of the water tub 3, for example, a lower end of the first front surface portion 3E of the front surface wall 3C. The water in the water tub 3 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the water discharge passage 5. Since the elastically deformable portion 5A, for example, formed of a bellows hose is provided at the end of the drain passage 5 connected to the water tub 3, the vibration of the water tub 3 can be suppressed from being transmitted to the entire drain passage 5. A main drain valve 13 that is opened and closed to start or stop the drainage is provided in the middle of the drainage path 5.

The drain filter 6 is provided in the drain path 5 at an upstream portion of the water tub 3 from the main drain valve 13. Since the front end of the drain filter 6 is exposed to the front surface 2A of the case 2, the user can grasp the front end of the drain filter 6 and attach and detach the drain filter 6 to and from the case 2. The structure of the drain filter 6 can use a known structure.

The washing cylinder 7 is smaller than the water cylinder 3 by one turn and can contain the washing L therein. The washing tub 7 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 7A disposed coaxially with the circumferential wall 3A of the water tub 3, a disk-shaped back wall 7B closing the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 7A from the rear side Y2, and an annular wall 7C protruding from the front end edge of the circumferential wall 7A toward the axis J side. The washing tub 7 has a plurality of through holes 7D formed at least in the circumferential wall 7A, and water in the water tub 3 flows between the water tub 3 and the washing tub 7 through the through holes 7D. Thereby, the water level in the water tub 3 coincides with the water level in the washing tub 7. In the center of the back surface wall 7B of the washing tub 7, a support shaft 14 is provided extending to the rear side Y2 along the axis J. The rear end portion of the support shaft 14 is disposed on the rear side Y2 of the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3 through the through hole 3D of the rear wall 3B.

Inside the annular wall 7C, an inlet and outlet 7E that communicates with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 7A from the front side Y1 is formed. The inlet and outlet 7E faces and communicates with the inlet and outlet 3H of the water tub 3 and the opening 2B of the case 2 from the rear side Y2. The

doorways

3H and 7E are opened/closed together with the opening 2B by the door 10. The user of the integrated washing and drying machine 1 puts the laundry L into the washing tub 7 through the open opening 2B, the entrances and exits 3H and 7E.

The motor 8 is disposed on the rear side Y2 of the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3 in the housing 2. The motor 8 is coupled to a support shaft 14 provided in the washing tub 7. The driving force generated by the motor 8 is transmitted to the support shaft 14, and the washing tub 7 rotates about the axis J along with the support shaft 14. A clutch mechanism (not shown) for transmitting or cutting off the driving force of the motor 8 to the support shaft 14 may be provided between the motor 8 and the support shaft 14.

The drying unit 9 includes a circulation path 20 connected to the water drum 3, a blowing unit 21 for generating an air flow in the circulation path 20, and a heating unit 22 for heating the air in the circulation path 20. The circulation path 20 is a flow path disposed on the upper side Z1 of the water tub 3 in the case 2. The circulation path 20 is fixed to the casing 2, and includes a middle portion 20A extending in the front-rear direction Y, a rear portion 20B extending from a rear end of the middle portion 20A to the lower side Z2, and a front portion 20C extending from a front end of the middle portion 20A to the lower side Z2. A take-out port 20D is formed at the lower end of the rear portion 20B. The outlet 20D is connected to, for example, the back wall 3B of the water tub 3 and communicates with the inside of the water tub 3 from the rear side Y2. A return port 20E is formed at the lower end of the front portion 20C. The return port 20E is connected to an upper end portion of the second front surface portion 3F of the front surface wall 3C of the water tube 3, for example, and communicates with the inside of the water tube 3 from the upper side Z1. Since the elastic deformation portions 20F, which are formed of, for example, a bellows hose, are provided at both end portions of the circulation passage 20 connected to the water tube 3, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the water tube 3 from being transmitted to the entire circulation passage 20.

The blowing unit 21 is a so-called blower, and includes a rotary blade 23 disposed in a region close to the ejection port 20D inside the circulation path 20, and a motor (not shown) for rotating the rotary blade 23. During the drying operation, the rotation of the rotary blade 23 causes the air in the water tub 3 and the washing tub 7 to be taken out into the circulation path 20 from the outlet port 20D as indicated by a thick dotted arrow, and then to be returned into the water tub 3 from the return port 20E. Thereby, the air in the water tub 3 circulates so as to flow through the water tub 3 and the circulation path 20 in this order.

The heating unit 22 is a heat exchanger in a heat pump, a general heater, or the like, and is at least partially provided in the circulation path 20. The portion of the heating section 22 disposed in the circulation path 20 includes a plurality of fin-shaped heat radiating sections 22A. During the drying operation, the heating unit 22 operates to make the heat radiating unit 22A high temperature, and therefore, the air flowing through the circulation passage 20 is heated to become hot air when passing around the heat radiating unit 22A. During the drying operation, foreign matters such as lint and dust are generated, and the foreign matters flow along with hot air. When foreign matter adheres to and accumulates in the heat radiating portion 22A of the heating portion 22, there is a possibility that the performance is degraded as the heating efficiency in the heating portion 22 is degraded and the air flow in the circulation passage 20 is degraded, and therefore, it is necessary to trap such foreign matter.

The drying unit 9 includes a water filter 30 for capturing foreign matters contained in air flowing through the circulation path 20 by water, a water injection path 31 for supplying water to the water filter 30, and a water supply valve 32 for opening/closing the water injection path 31. The drying unit 9 further includes a water guide 33 for guiding the water in the water filter 30 to the water discharge path 5, a water discharge valve 34 for opening/closing the water guide 33, and an overflow path 35 for guiding the overflow in the water filter 30 to the water guide 33. Hereinafter, the circulation path 20 constituting the drying unit 9 will be described in detail, and then the water filter 30, the water filling path 31, the water supply valve 32, the water path 33, the drain valve 34, and the overflow path 35 will be described.

A portion of the circulation path 20 closer to the extraction port 20D than the heat radiation portion 22A of the heating portion 22 is referred to as an upstream portion 20G. The upstream portion 20G is constituted by a part of the midway portion 20A and the entire rear portion 20B. When the rotary blade 23 of the blowing section 21 is disposed on the side of the ejection port 20D with respect to the heat radiating section 22A, the portion of the circulation path 20 on the side of the ejection port 20D with respect to the rotary blade 23 may be regarded as the upstream portion 20G. The rear section 20B includes a first portion 20BA extending in the horizontal direction H from the take-out port 20D and bent toward the lower side Z2, and a second portion 20BB extending from the rear end of the midway section 20A toward the lower side Z2. The first portion 20BA is provided with an elastically deformable portion 20F.

The posture of the water filter 30 in the washing and drying machine 1 in the up-down direction is fixed, but the posture of the water filter 30 in the left-right direction and the front-back direction can be arbitrarily changed according to the arrangement space of the water filter 30 in the washing and drying machine 1. For convenience, fig. 2 is regarded as a left side view of the water filter 30, and the water filter 30 is defined by the left-right direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the up-down direction Z. Therefore, a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in fig. 2 is a left-right direction X of the water filter 30, a left-right direction in fig. 2 is a front-rear direction Y of the water filter 30, and a vertical direction in fig. 2 is a vertical direction Z of the water filter 30. Fig. 3 is a front view of the water filter 30 corresponding to fig. 2, and fig. 4 is a perspective view of the water filter 30 as viewed from the right side X2.

The water filter 30 has a box-like container 40 made of, for example, resin. The container 40 has: a bottom wall 41 in an elliptical plate shape that is long in the left-right direction X, a lower side wall 42 in an elliptical cylinder shape that is long in the left-right direction X and that borders an outer edge of the bottom wall 41 and stands from the bottom wall 41 to an upper side Z1, and a lateral wall 43 that has a rectangular contour that is long in the left-right direction X and that protrudes from an outer edge of an upper end of the lower side wall 42 in a bottom view. The container 40 further includes a rectangular upper side wall 44 which is long in the left-right direction X and which has an outer edge of the lateral wall 43 covered and stands on the upper side Z1, and a top wall 45 which extends in the horizontal direction H and is connected to an upper end of the upper side wall 44. The lateral wall 43 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction H, and correspondingly, the upper end of the lower side wall 42 and the lower end of the upper side wall 44 are also inclined with respect to the horizontal direction H. The lower side wall 42, the transverse wall 43 and the upper side wall 44 constitute the entire side wall 46 of the container 40. The side wall 46 has a cylindrical overall shape, and surrounds the internal space 40A of the container 40 from the lateral direction, i.e., front, rear, left, and right.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 2. The bottom wall 41 is formed in a plate shape that descends toward the left side X1, and closes the inner space 40A of the container 40 from the lower side Z2. A drain opening 41A extending downward Z2 and vertically penetrating the bottom wall 41 is formed in the left end portion of the bottom wall 41. The entire area of the upper surface portion 41B of the bottom wall 41 is inclined so as to descend as it approaches the drain opening 41A (see also fig. 7, which is a stepped sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 3). The drain port 41A is located at the lower end of the internal space 40A. The bottom wall 41 is provided with a cylindrical connection portion 41C that wraps the drain opening 41A and protrudes downward Z2. A vertically long box-shaped overflow 41D extending from the left end of the bottom wall 41 to the upper side Z1 is integrally provided in the bottom wall 41. Two pipe portions 41E protruding to the left side X1 are provided in a vertical direction Z on the left wall of the overflow portion 41D. The inner space of the tube portion 41E of the lower side Z2 is a weir 41F communicating with the inner space of the weir 41D.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view including section a-a of fig. 2. The lower side wall 42 is integral with the bottom wall 41 and surrounds a lower region of the interior space 40A of the container 40. A coupling portion 42A of the lower side wall 42 coupled to the bottom wall 41 is curved in an arc shape (see also fig. 7). A communication port 42B communicating with the internal space of the overflow portion 41D is formed in the lower end of the left wall of the lower side wall 42. In the lower side wall 42, a coupling portion between the left wall and the rear wall, a coupling portion between the rear wall and the right wall, a coupling portion between the right wall and the front wall (not shown), and a coupling portion between the front wall and the left wall are curved in an arc shape, respectively. Therefore, a curved portion 42D curved in an arc shape in plan view is provided at a portion corresponding to the coupling portion in the inner surface portion 42C of the lower side wall 42. A circular water supply port 42E penetrating the lower side wall 42 is provided at a curved portion 42D at a connecting portion between the rear wall and the right wall of the lower side wall 42. The water supply port 42E is provided laterally along the curvature of the curved portion 42D, specifically, is opened substantially horizontally toward the front side Y1. The lower side wall 42 is provided with a tubular coupling portion 42F (see fig. 4) protruding from the water supply port 42E to the outside of the lower side wall 42. The coupling portion 42F extends substantially horizontally along a tangential direction of an outer peripheral surface of the curved coupling portion 42A of the lower side wall 42.

The lateral wall 43 is formed in a ring shape that wraps the upper end of the lower side wall 42, and is integrated with the lower side wall 42. The upper sidewall 44 surrounds an upper region of the interior space 40A of the container 40. The upper side wall 44 is provided with an annular guide portion 44A that binds a lower end thereof. The guide portion 44A protrudes further toward the inner space 40A of the container 40 than the inner edge of the lateral wall 43. The guide portion 44A is provided at a position higher than the water supply port 42E. The left wall of the upper side wall 44 and the left wall of the lower side wall 42 are connected to the overflow portion 41D of the bottom wall 41, and the inner space of the overflow portion 41D is blocked from the right side X2. The top wall 45 blocks the inner space 40A of the container 40 from the upper side Z1. An insertion hole 45A penetrating the ceiling wall 45 in the vertical direction Z is formed at the right end of the ceiling wall 45, and an outlet 45B penetrating the ceiling wall 45 in the vertical direction Z is formed at the left end of the ceiling wall 45. The top wall 45 is provided with a tubular coupling portion 45C that wraps the insertion hole 45A and protrudes upward Z1, and with a tubular coupling portion 45D that wraps the outlet 45B and protrudes upward Z1. The container 40 of the water filter 30 is composed of a bottom wall 41, a water overflow portion 41D, a lower side wall 42, a lateral wall 43, an upper side wall 44, and a top wall 45.

The vessel 40 further includes a lower baffle 47 and an upper baffle 48 disposed in an upper region of the internal space 40A of the vessel 40, and a vertical pipe 49 disposed over the upper region and the lower region of the internal space 40A. The lower baffle 47 is formed in a rectangular shape extending in parallel with the lateral wall 43 from the lower end of the right wall of the upper side wall 44 to the lower left side. A single or a plurality of ribs 47A projecting to the lower side Z2 and extending in the front-rear direction Y are provided at the lower surface portion of the lower barrier 47. The upper baffle 48 is formed in a rectangular shape extending obliquely rightward and downward from the upper end portion of the left wall of the upper side wall 44. The right end of the top flap 48 is disposed above the upper side Z1 of the left end of the bottom flap 47. A single or a plurality of ribs 48A protruding to the lower side Z2 and extending in the front-rear direction Y are provided at the lower surface portion of the upper baffle plate 48. The vertical pipe 49 is inserted through the connection portion 45C and the insertion hole 45A of the top wall 45, passes through the right side X2 of the top board 48, and penetrates through the right portion of the bottom board 47 in the vertical direction Z. The lower end of the vertical pipe 49 is disposed to be slightly distant from the right portion of the upper surface portion 41B of the bottom wall 41 toward the upper side Z1. The vertical pipe 49 has an inlet 49A cut at its lower end into an inverted L shape when viewed from the front. The lower baffle 47 is integrated with the vertical pipe 49. The water supply port 42E formed in the lower side wall 42 is disposed on the right side X2 of the vertical pipe 49 and adjacent to the inlet 49A. The water supply port 42E is disposed closer to the inlet 49A than the outlet 45B of the top wall 45.

Referring to fig. 1, the water filter 30 is disposed in the case 2 at a lower portion of a rear region 2C around the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3, and is fixed to the case 2. In the rear portion 20B of the circulation path 20 constituting the upstream portion 20G, the lower end portion of the first portion 20BA is connected to the connection portion 45C of the ceiling wall 45 of the container 40 of the water filter 30 from the upper side Z1, and the internal space of the first portion 20BA communicates with the internal space of the vertical pipe 49 of the container 40 and the inlet 49A. In the rear portion 20B, the lower end of the second portion 20BB is connected to the connection portion 45D of the ceiling wall 45 of the container 40 from the upper side Z1, and the internal space of the second portion 20BB communicates with the outlet 45B of the container 40. Thus, the internal space 40A of the container 40 is located between the internal space of the first section 20BA and the internal space of the second section 20BB, and communicates with these internal spaces, and the container 40 constitutes a part of the upstream portion 20G of the circulation path 20. The container 40 is disposed in the upstream portion 20G at a position closer to the outlet 20D of the circulation path 20 than the heating portion 22.

The water injection passage 31 branches from a portion of the water supply passage 4 closer to the faucet than the main water supply valve 12, and is connected to a connection portion 42F (see fig. 4) of the lower side wall 42 of the container 40. The inner space of the water injection passage 31 communicates with the water supply port 42E of the lower side wall 42. The water supply valve 32 is provided in the middle of the water injection passage 31, and opens and closes the water injection passage 31.

The first portion 33A of the water conduit 33, which constitutes the end portion on the water filter 30 side, is connected to the connection portion 41C of the bottom wall 41 of the container 40 from the lower side Z2, and the internal space of the water conduit 33 communicates with the drain port 41A of the bottom wall 41. The drain port 41A extends downward Z2 and is connected to the upper end of the first portion 33A. A second portion 33B of the water conduit 33, which constitutes an end portion on the opposite side of the first portion 33A, is connected to an upstream portion of the drain conduit 5 on the water tub 3 side of the drain strainer 6. The second portion 33B may be directly connected to the drain strainer 6. Since the first portion 33A and the second portion 33B are provided with the elastic deformation portions 33C each formed of, for example, a bellows hose, the first portion 33A and the second portion 33B can be elastically deformed. The third portion 33D between the first portion 33A and the second portion 33B in the water conduit 33 is fixed to the water tub 3 via, for example, a bracket 50. The third portion 33D may be directly fixed to the water tub 3. In the water conduit 33, the first portion 33A and the second portion 33B constituting a part thereof are elastically deformable, and therefore, the vibration of the water tub 3 can be prevented from being transmitted from the third portion 33D to the container 40 of the water filter 30, the drain passage 5, and the drain filter 6. The third portion 33D may not be fixed to the water tub 3.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the water filter 30 and its peripheral portion. The drain valve 34 is provided in the first portion 33A of the water conduit 33 to open/close the water conduit 33. The discharge valve 34 includes a valve body (not shown) disposed in the first portion 33A and moving to open and close the water conduit 33, and an electric actuator 34A such as a torque motor for moving the valve body. The main water supply valve 12, the main drain valve 13, and the water supply valve 32 may be configured similarly to the drain valve 34, or may be configured by a known valve such as an electromagnetic valve. The overflow path 35 is connected to the overflow 41F of the pipe portion 41E of the lower side Z2 in the overflow 41D of the bottom wall 41 and the first portion 33A.

Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the integrated washer dryer 1. The washing and drying integrated machine 1 further includes a control section 60 and a water level sensor 61. The control unit 60 is configured as a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU62, a memory 63 such as a ROM/RAM storing various count values and threshold values described later, and a timer 64 for timing, and is built in the case 2 (see also fig. 1). The motor 8, the display operation unit 11, the main water supply valve 12, the main drain valve 13, the air blowing unit 21, the heating unit 22, the water supply valve 32, and the drain valve 34 are electrically connected to the control unit 60.

The control unit 60 controls the rotation of the motor 8 to cause the motor 8 to generate a driving force or to stop the rotation of the motor 8. When the user operates the display operation unit 11 to select the operation conditions of the laundry Q, the control unit 60 receives the selection. The control unit 60 controls the display of the display operation unit 11. The control part 60 controls the opening/closing of the main water supply valve 12 and the main drain valve 13. When the control unit 60 opens the main water supply valve 12 with the main drain valve 13 closed, water is supplied to the water tub 3 to store the water. When the control section 60 opens the main drain valve 13, the water drum 3 drains. The controller 60 operates the blower 21 to generate wind, and circulates the wind between the washing tub 7 and the circulation path 20. The controller 60 operates the heater 22 to change the air circulating between the washing tub 7 and the circulation passage 20 into hot air. The control section 60 controls the respective opening/closing of the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 associated with the water filter 30. The water level sensor 61 is a known sensor for detecting the water level in the tank 40 of the water filter 30, and is mounted on the upper pipe portion 41E of the two pipe portions 41E of the overflow portion 41D of the tank 40 (see fig. 8) at the Z1 side. The detection result of the water level sensor 61 is input to the control unit 60 in real time.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the integrated washer dryer 1. The control part 60 opens/closes the main water supply valve 12 and the main drain valve 13 by operating the motor 8, respectively, thereby sequentially performing the washing operation (step S1), the rinsing operation (step S2), and the spinning operation (step S3). The rinsing operation may be performed a plurality of times, and the dehydrating operation may be performed between the washing operation and the rinsing operation, and between the rinsing operation and the next rinsing operation. After the dehydration operation, the control unit 60 operates the air blowing unit 21 and the heating unit 22 to open/close the main water supply valve 12, the main drain valve 13, the water supply valve 32, and the drain valve 34, respectively, thereby performing the drying operation (step S4). In the integrated washing and drying machine 1, only the drying operation may be performed without the washing operation, the rinsing operation, and the dehydrating operation.

Before the washing operation is started, detergent is put into the washing tub 7. In the washing operation, the controller 60 opens the main water supply valve 12 for a predetermined time with the main drain valve 13 closed to supply water to the water tub 3 and the washing tub 7, and then rotates the washing tub 7 by the motor 8. Thereby, the laundry L in the washing tub 7 is washed. In the tumbling washing, the laundry L is repeatedly lifted to some extent and then naturally falls down to the water surface. The impact caused by the beating and the detergent components contained in the detergent water accumulated in the washing drum 7 remove dirt from the laundry L. After a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of beating, when the controller 60 opens the main drain valve 13 to drain water, the washing operation is ended.

During the rinsing operation, controller 60 opens main water supply valve 12 for a predetermined time to supply water to water tub 3 and washing tub 7, and then rotates washing tub 7 by motor 8. Since the beating is repeated, the laundry L is rinsed by the tap water in the washing tub 7. When the controller 60 drains water after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of beating, the rinsing operation is terminated. During the spin-drying operation, the controller 60 rotates the washing tub 7 to spin-dry the water while opening the main drain valve 13. The laundry L in the washing drum 7 is dehydrated by a centrifugal force generated by the dehydration rotation of the washing drum 7. The water seeped out of the laundry L by the dehydration is discharged to the outside of the machine from the drainage path 5.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the drying operation. When the drying operation is started, the control unit 60 operates the heating unit 22 to warm up the heat radiating unit 22A of the heating unit 22 (step S11), and opens the water supply valve 32 with the drain valve 34 closed (step S12). Thus, water from the faucet passes through the water supply passage 4 and the water filling passage 31, and is supplied from the water supply port 42E of the container 40 of the water filter 30 and stored in the container 40. At this time, controller 60 stops blower 21 so that water in container 40 does not splash. That is, to start the drying operation, the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 and stores water in the container 40 before the blower 21 is activated. Even if the water supplied from the water supply port 42E into the container 40 splashes upward Z1, the guide portion 44A (see fig. 6) in the container 40 guides the water to the lower side Z2. When the water level in the container 40 detected by the water level sensor 61 rises to a reference water level W (see fig. 5) that blocks a part of the inlet 49A at the lower end of the vertical pipe 49, the function of the water filter 30 becomes effective, and therefore, the control unit 60 closes the water supply valve 32 to terminate the water supply to the water filter 30. The controller 60 may determine whether the water level in the container 40 has risen to the reference water level W based on the detection result of the water level sensor 61, or may determine whether the required time has elapsed without using the water level sensor 61. The required time is a time required for the water level in the container 40 to rise to the reference water level W from a state where the container 40 is empty, and is determined in advance by an experiment or the like and stored in the memory 63. The water supply to the water filter 30 may be performed before the washing operation. However, in a case where the water in the water filter 30 may overflow due to vibration generated by the dehydration operation, it is preferable to supply water to the water filter 30 after the dehydration operation.

The reference water level W is set at a position lower than the overflow 41F (see fig. 5). The water level W is set with a lower limit and an upper limit, and a water level varying between these lower limit and upper limit can be regarded as the water level W. When the water level in the tank 40 rises to a predetermined level corresponding to the overflow port 41F, the water at or above the predetermined level in the tank 40 passes through the overflow port 41F, overflows to the overflow path 35 outside the tank 40, is guided to the water guide path 33 through the overflow path 35, and is discharged to the outside of the machine through the water guide path 33 and the water discharge path 5 (see fig. 1). Therefore, the water overflowing from the container 40 is prevented from scattering in the integrated washing and drying machine 1 and wetting the electric components such as the control unit 60. The water level in the container 40 is set to a maximum level lower than the predetermined water level and higher than the reference water level W. The maximum water level is set at a slightly lower side Z2 of the lower end of the overflow 41F.

After supplying water to the water filter 30, the control unit 60 operates the air blowing unit 21 while continuing to operate the heating unit 22, thereby executing the main drying process (step S13). Thereby, as described above, heated air is generated and circulated so as to flow through the water tub 3 and the circulation path 20 in this order. The air is blown to the laundry L in the washing tub 7, and absorbs moisture in the laundry L. Thereby, the laundry L is dried. The air having absorbed the moisture of the laundry L becomes moist air, and is taken out into the circulation path 20 from the take-out port 20D and flows to the return port 20E as indicated by a thick dotted arrow in fig. 1.

In the main drying process, the air that has just flowed into the circulation passage 20 from the take-out port 20D passes through the first portion 20BA of the rear portion 20B and descends through the vertical pipe 49 of the water filter 30. The air descending in the vertical pipe 49 flows into the container 40 of the water filter 30 from the inlet 49A at the lower end of the vertical pipe 49 as indicated by the thick dashed arrow in fig. 5. As described above, since the inlet 49A is formed in the inverted L shape, the air flowing into the container 40 from the inlet 49A passes through the water stored in the container 40, descends, and rises in the water while changing the direction to the right side X2 in front of the bottom wall 41 of the container 40. At this time, the air exchanges heat with water in the container 40, thereby performing dehumidification. Further, the foreign substances (see foreign substances V in fig. 5) contained in the air are captured by the water in the container 40 and are stored in the container 40 together with the water. This prevents foreign matter from reaching the heating portion 22 and degrading the performance of the heating portion 22. That is, the water passing through the water filter 30 can not only capture foreign substances generated during the drying operation but also dehumidify the humid air. Thus, the number of parts can be reduced, and water can be saved. Further, since the container 40 is disposed in the upstream portion 20G of the circulation path 20 at a position closer to the outlet 20D than the heating portion 22, the water filter 30 can promptly catch foreign matters from the air just taken out from the outlet 20D to the circulation path 20 (see fig. 1). This makes it possible to reduce the area of the circulation passage 20 over which the air containing foreign matter spreads, and therefore, foreign matter can be prevented from adhering to most of the circulation passage 20. Further, since the container 40 is disposed away from the heating unit 22, even if hot air is generated in the container 40 due to an increase in water temperature caused by heat exchange between air and water, the hot air hardly reaches the heating unit 22.

The air from which the moisture and the foreign substances are removed passes through the water surface in the container 40, further rises, and flows along the lower baffle 47 to the left side X1 in the lower area of the internal space 40A of the container 40. The foreign matters remaining in the air are separated from the air and fall into the water in the container 40 when passing through the ribs 47A on the lower surface portion of the lower baffle 47. The air passing over the left end of the lower baffle 47 rises and flows along the upper baffle 48 to the right side X2 in the upper region of the internal space 40A. The foreign matter remaining in the air is separated from the air and falls into the water in the container 40 when passing through the rib 48A on the lower surface portion of the upper baffle 48. The air that has passed the right end of the upper baffle 48 rises while changing direction to the left side X1, reaches the outlet 45B of the ceiling wall 45, flows out of the second portion 20BB of the rearward portion 20B of the container 40 through the outlet 45B, and rises in the second portion 20BB toward the return port 20E.

The air rising in the second section 20BB passes through the rotary blade 23 of the blowing section 21, flows to the front side Y1 in the middle section 20A of the circulation path 20, and passes through the heat radiating section 22A of the heating section 22 to be reheated, as indicated by the thick dashed arrow in fig. 1. The reheated air descends in the front portion 20C of the circulation passage 20, goes to the return port 20E, is supplied into the water tub 3 and the washing tub 7 from the return port 20E, and is reused for drying the laundry L in the washing tub 7.

Referring to fig. 11, when the main drying process of step S13 continues for a predetermined time, for example, about 2 to 3 hours, control unit 60 stops heating unit 22 (step S14). In this state, the blower 21 continues to operate, and therefore, the cool air circulates and is blown to the laundry L in the washing tub 7, whereby the temperature of the laundry L is lowered. When the control unit 60 continues the circulation of the cool air for a predetermined time of about several tens of minutes, the water filter 30 is drained by opening the drain valve 34 as a process at the end of the drying operation (step S15). Accordingly, the water and the foreign matter in the container 40 of the water filter 30 are discharged to the water passage 33 through the drain port 41A of the bottom wall 41 of the container 40, and are guided from the water passage 33 to the water discharge passage 5. In particular, since the drain port 41A extends from the upper surface portion 41B of the bottom wall 41 of the container 40 toward the lower side Z2 to be connected to the water conduit 33, and the upper surface portion 41B of the bottom wall 41 is inclined so as to descend as it approaches the drain port 41A (see fig. 5), foreign matter in the container 40 smoothly reaches the drain port 41A without remaining on the bottom wall 41 and falls down to the water conduit 33 and the drain conduit 5. Further, R-chamfers 65 (see fig. 5) are provided at the corners in the container 40, the connection portions between the side walls 46 and the lower baffle 47, and the connection portions between the side walls 46 and the upper baffle 48, so that foreign matter can be prevented from remaining at these corners or connection portions. Although the control unit 60 may stop the air blowing unit 21 during the drainage of the water filter 30, the air blowing unit 21 may be operated if the drainage is to be promoted.

The foreign matter introduced into the drainage channel 5 is captured by the drainage filter 6 (see fig. 1). Since the foreign matter in the container 40 can be removed by removing the foreign matter accumulated in the drain filter 6, the user does not need to perform maintenance for removing the foreign matter in the container 40 by touching the water filter 30. Therefore, the use convenience of the drying operation can be improved. The drain filter 6 may be omitted, and in this case, the foreign matter guided to the drain passage 5 is directly discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain passage 5.

When the water in the container 40 is empty, the drying operation is finished. The controller 60 may determine whether the water in the container 40 is empty or not based on the detection result of the water level sensor 61, or may determine whether a required time has elapsed or not. The required time is longer than the time required for the water level in the container 40 to fall from the reference water level W to the bottom wall 41, and is determined in advance by an experiment or the like and stored in the memory 63. During the period from the end of the drying operation to the next drying operation in step S12 in which the water supply valve 32 is opened to supply water from the water supply port 42E into the container 40, the controller 60 keeps the drain valve 34 open, thereby emptying the container 40. This prevents mold and bacteria from being propagated in the container 40 due to water remaining in the container 40 from the end of the drying operation to the start of the next drying operation.

Referring to fig. 6, at the start of the next drying operation (step S12), water is supplied from the water supply port 42E of the inner surface portion 42C of the side wall 46 in the container 40 in order to make the function of the water filter 30 effective. The water supply port 42E is provided in a curved portion 42D curved in an arc shape in the inner surface portion 42C, and opens laterally along the curve of the curved portion 42D. Therefore, the water supplied from the water supply port 42E into the container 40 rotates around the vertical axis (not shown) in the container 40 as indicated by the thick broken line in fig. 6, and flows down toward the drain port 41A while spiraling along the inner surface portion 42C. The water thus rotated can remove foreign matter adhering to the inner surface portion 42C of the side wall 46, and the foreign matter can be discharged from the drain opening 41A of the bottom wall 41 to the water conduit 33. That is, by cleaning the entire area of the inner surface part 42C every time water is supplied, it is possible to prevent adhesion of foreign substances at the inner surface part 42C.

The water supply port 42E is disposed closer to the inlet 49A than the outlet 45B. Therefore, since the air flowing into the container 40 from the inlet 49A can be made to quickly pass through the water from the water supply port 42E, foreign substances can be quickly removed from the air. Further, water from the water supply port 42E is sprayed intensively to a portion of the inner surface portion 42C of the container 40 on the inlet 49A side where foreign matters easily adhere, and the foreign matters can be removed from the portion. Further, the water supplied from the water supply port 42E into the container 40 is guided to the lower side Z2 by the guide portion 44A, and the guide portion 44A is provided at a position higher than the water supply port 42E over the entire circumference on the inner surface portion 42C of the side wall 46 of the container 40, so that the water can be quickly stored in the container 40 without being splashed to the upper side Z1. Further, since the water can be made to flow spirally along the inner surface portion 42C, foreign substances in the container 40 can be collected by the water and reliably guided to the water guide passage 33.

It is conceivable that, in the hot wind circulation for a long time in the main drying process (step S13), the water in the container 40 is evaporated or splashed by the hot wind, and thus the water level in the container 40 is lowered. When the water level in the container 40 is lower than the reference water level W, the air in the container 40 flows out to the outside of the container 40 without passing through the water, and thus, the performance of the water filter 30 to trap foreign substances from the air in the circulation passage 20 may be degraded. Conversely, when the water level exceeds the reference water level W by the moisture condensed from the humid air due to the heat exchange in the container 40, the area of the inlet 49A submerged in the water in the container 40 may increase. Thus, the flow rate in inlet 49A may become high, causing the water in vessel 40 to tumble. In this case, the performance of the water filter 30 for capturing foreign matter is also lowered. Therefore, the control unit 60 performs an adjustment process of adjusting the water level that can vary in the container 40 to the optimum reference water level W in the main drying process.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the adjustment process. After a predetermined time has elapsed (yes in step S21), controller 60 suspends blower 21 (step S22), and periodically checks whether or not the current water level in container 40 has changed from reference water level W based on the detection result of water level sensor 61 (step S23). In order to accurately detect the water level in the container 40 in a state where the water level in the container 40 is stable, the blower unit 21 is stopped in step S22. If the water level in container 40 is not changed from reference water level W (yes in step S23), controller 60 operates blower 21 (step S24) and continues the main drying process.

If the current water level in container 40 has changed from the reference water level W (no in step S23), control unit 60 executes replenishment processing (step S26) when the current water level in container 40 is lower than the reference water level W (yes in step S25). As the replenishment process, the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds, to replenish water into the container 40. By the replenishment process, the water level in the container 40 can be kept at the reference water level W while suppressing the drop in the water level in the container 40. Therefore, the performance degradation of the water filter 30 can be suppressed. When the current water level in the tank 40 exceeds the reference water level W (no in step S25), the controller 60 executes the water discharge process (step S27). As the drain treatment, the controller 60 opens the drain valve 34 for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds, to drain the tank 40. Then, the control unit 60 returns to step S23 to check whether or not the water level in the tank 40 after the replenishment process or the drainage process has reached the reference water level W, and repeats the replenishment process or the drainage process as necessary.

The washing and drying integrated machine 1 may not include the water level sensor 61, and the adjustment processing in this case includes the first to fourth modifications. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the adjustment processing in the first modification. In each flowchart to be described later, the same process steps as those already described are denoted by the same step numbers, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In a first modification, the washing and drying machine 1 includes: an inlet temperature sensor 70 that detects the temperature of air flowing through the inlet 49A of the container 40 of the water filter 30; and an outlet temperature sensor 71 that detects the temperature of the air flowing through the outlet 45B of the container 40 (see fig. 9). The inlet temperature sensor 70 and the outlet temperature sensor 71 can use known temperature sensors. The detection result of the inlet temperature sensor 70 is referred to as an inlet temperature, and the detection result of the outlet temperature sensor 71 is referred to as an outlet temperature. The inlet temperature is not necessarily the temperature of the inlet 49A, and may be the temperature of any region on the upstream side of the water in the tank 40 in the air flow direction in the tank 40. The outlet temperature is not necessarily the temperature of the outlet 45B, and may be the temperature of any region on the downstream side of the water in the container 40 in the air flow direction in the container 40. While the main drying process is continued, the control unit 60 checks the difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature (step S31). When the water level in the container 40 decreases, the temperature of the air flowing into the container 40 from the inlet 49A and flowing out from the outlet 45B is difficult to decrease. Therefore, when the water level in the tank 40 is lower than the reference water level W, the difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature becomes smaller than the predetermined threshold value. In this case (yes in step S31), control unit 60 executes the replenishment process (step S32). In the replenishment process in step S32, the controller 60 opens the drain valve 34 for a predetermined drain time to completely drain the tank 40, and then opens the water supply valve 32 for a predetermined water supply time to supply water to the tank 40 until the water level in the tank 40 reaches the reference water level W. That is, the controller 60 replaces the water in the container 40. The water discharge time and the water supply time are determined in advance by experiments or the like and stored in the memory 63.

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the adjustment processing of the second modification. In the second modification, the integrated washer/dryer 1 includes a humidity sensor 72, and the humidity sensor 72 detects the humidity of the air flowing through the outlet 45B of the container 40 of the water filter 30 as a detection value (see fig. 9). The humidity sensor 72 can use a known humidity sensor. While the main drying process is continued, the control unit 60 confirms the humidity of the outlet 45B, specifically, the absolute humidity by the humidity sensor 72 (step S33). When the water level in the container 40 decreases, the water in the container 40 decreases, and therefore, the humidity of the air flowing out of the outlet 45B after flowing into the container 40 from the inlet 49A also decreases. Therefore, when the water level in the container 40 is lower than the reference water level W, the humidity of the outlet 45B becomes smaller than the prescribed threshold value. In this case (yes in step S33), control unit 60 executes the replenishment process (step S32).

Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an adjustment process according to a third modification. In the third modification, the integrated washing and drying machine 1 includes the wind speed sensor 73, and the wind speed sensor 73 detects the wind speed at the outlet 45B of the container 40 of the water filter 30 as a detection value (see fig. 9). The wind speed sensor 73 can use a known wind speed sensor. While continuing the main drying process, control unit 60 confirms the wind speed at outlet 45B (step S34). When the water level in the container 40 is lowered, the water obstructing the flow of air in the container 40 is reduced, and therefore, the air flows out of the container 40 so that the air velocity of the air flowing through the outlet 45B is increased. Therefore, when the water level in the tank 40 is lower than the water level reference W, the wind speed at the outlet 45B exceeds a prescribed threshold value. In this case (yes in step S34), the control unit 60 executes the replenishment process (step S32).

Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an adjustment process according to a fourth modification. In the fourth modification, the integrated washer dryer 1 includes the overflow sensor 74, and the overflow sensor 74 detects the presence or absence of water in the overflow 41F, that is, detects overflow from the overflow 41F (see fig. 9). The overflow sensor 74 can be a known foam detection sensor or the like. The overflow sensor 74 is disposed, for example, around the overflow port 41F. When the water level in the container 40 rises to the overflow 41F and the water in the container 40 reaches the overflow 41F, the overflow sensor 74 detects the occurrence of overflow and the control portion 60 adds 1(+1) to the number of occurrences of overflow. The number of occurrences of the overflow is stored in the memory 63 and is initialized to zero at the start of the drying operation. While the main drying process is continued, the control portion 60 confirms the number of occurrences of the overflow (step S35). When the water level in the tank 40 is higher than the reference water level W, the flooding occurs frequently so that the number of occurrences of flooding exceeds a prescribed threshold value. In this case (yes in step S35), control unit 60 executes the replenishment process described above (step S32) to lower the water level in container 40 to reference water level W.

It is conceivable that the temperature of the water in the container 40 is raised by heat exchange with the humid air in the circulation of the hot wind in the main drying process. When the temperature of the water in the tank 40 increases, the dehumidifying performance of the water filter 30 may be reduced. Therefore, the control unit 60 performs the cooling process for lowering the temperature of the water in the container 40 during the main drying process, that is, during the operation of the air blowing unit 21 and the heating unit 22.

Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the cooling process. As the cooling process, for example, at predetermined time intervals of 10 to 20 minutes (yes in step S41), the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 (step S42) and supplies cold water from the faucet into the container 40. This suppresses an increase in the temperature of the water in the tank 40, and thus can suppress a decrease in the dehumidification performance of the water filter 30. In particular, the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 at predetermined intervals during the drying operation to supply water into the tank 40, thereby periodically suppressing the increase in the water temperature in the tank 40, and thus, the deterioration of the dehumidification performance of the water filter 30 can be continuously suppressed. When a predetermined water supply time has elapsed after the water supply valve 32 is opened (yes in step S43), the controller 60 closes the water supply valve 32 (step S44). Since the control unit 60 executes the cooling process in the state where the drain valve 34 is closed, the state where the drain valve 34 is closed is maintained even when the water supply valve 32 is opened at predetermined time intervals in step S42. Accordingly, the excess water in the container 40 is discharged to the outside of the container 40 through the overflow 41F. Accordingly, the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 to supply water into the tank 40, and at this time, excess water overflows from the overflow port 41F to the overflow path 35, whereby water can be supplied into the tank 40 in an amount necessary for suppressing an increase in the temperature of water in the tank 40. In this case, since the controller 60 does not stop the air blowing unit 21 or open/close the drain valve 34 to discharge the water in the container 40, it is possible to reduce the time and the burden on the air blowing unit 21 and the drain valve 34. Further, since the foreign matter floating on the water surface in the container 40 is relatively frequently discharged by the cooling process, it is possible to prevent a large amount of foreign matter from accumulating in the container 40.

In the drying operation, since water and foreign matter can be discharged from the container 40 by the water discharge processing in step S15, there is almost no dirt in the container 40 after the drying operation. However, when the drying operation is repeated, foreign matters, scales, and the like become stubborn dirt and adhere to the inside of the container 40, and may not be completely removed only by the water supply for starting the drying operation (step S12) or the drain water at the end of the drying operation (step S15). Therefore, the control unit 60 performs the cleaning process in the container 40 by operating the air blowing unit 21 or opening/closing the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34, respectively. The timing when the control unit 60 executes the cleaning process is a timing after the control unit 60 executes the drying operation a predetermined number of times. Further, the cleaning process may be performed after each drying operation. A known turbidity sensor 75 (see fig. 9) that detects the turbidity of the water in the container 40 may be provided, and the controller 60 may execute the cleaning process during the drying operation when the turbidity detected by the turbidity sensor 75 is at a severe level equal to or higher than a predetermined level. Further, the cleaning process may be executed when a predetermined time has elapsed from the previous cleaning process. Further, the cleaning process may be performed when the laundry L dried this time is likely to come out of lint like a felt or the like. When the cleaning process is performed during the drying operation, the control unit 60 suspends the blowing unit 21 and the heating unit 22 before the cleaning process is started, and discharges water to the container 40, thereby interrupting the drying operation.

Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing the cleaning process. Following the start of the cleaning process, the control unit 60 opens the water supply valve 32 with the drain valve 34 closed (step S50). When the water level in the container 40 reaches the predetermined water level by opening the water supply valve 32 (yes in step S51), the control unit 60 closes the water supply valve 32 (step S52) and opens the drain valve 34 (step S53). An example of the predetermined water level here is the maximum water level described above. When a predetermined water discharge time has elapsed after the water discharge valve 34 is opened (yes in step S54), the control unit 60 closes the water discharge valve 34 (step S55). In step S55, control unit 60 adds 1(+1) to the number of times water is supplied that is zero at the start of the cleaning process. The number of times of water supply is stored in the memory 63. Controller 60 repeats the processing of steps S50 to S55 until the number of water supplies reaches a predetermined number. When the number of times of water supply reaches the predetermined number of times (yes in step S56), control unit 60 ends the cleaning process. In this way, the control unit 60 repeats the following processes a predetermined number of times: after the water supply valve 32 is opened for a predetermined time with the drain valve 34 closed to store water in the tank 40, the drain valve 34 is opened. In this case, foreign matter remaining in the container 40 can be removed by the momentum of the water accumulated in the container 40 and discharged by the air. In the cleaning process, the control unit 60 may operate the air blowing unit 21 to generate air in the container 40, and the removal of foreign matter may be promoted by the air.

In the cleaning process, the first to third modified examples are given in addition to the above-described process. Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process according to the first modification. In the first modification, the control unit 60 opens the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 as the cleaning process is started (step S57). Thereby, the water supply and the water discharge of the tank 40 are simultaneously performed. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 are opened (yes in step S58), the control unit 60 closes the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 (step S59), and the cleaning process is ended. As described above, as the cleaning process of the first modification, the control unit 60 opens the water supply valve 32 for a predetermined time with the drain valve 34 opened. In this case, foreign substances remaining in the container 40 can be removed by the momentum of the water that is supplied into the container 40 and then quickly discharged.

Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process according to a second modification. In the second modification, as the cleaning process is started, the controller 60 opens the drain valve 34 with the water supply valve 32 closed and operates the blower 21 (step S60). When a predetermined time has elapsed from step S60 (yes in step S61), controller 60 closes drain valve 34 and stops blower 21 (step S62), thereby ending the cleaning process. In this case, foreign matter remaining in the container 40 can be removed by the force of the wind generated in the container 40.

Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process according to a third modification. The cleaning process according to the third modification corresponds to a combination of the cleaning process according to the first modification and the cleaning process according to the second modification. In the third modification, the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 and the water discharge valve 34 as the cleaning process is started, thereby simultaneously supplying and discharging water to and from the tank 40 (step S57). When the predetermined time has elapsed (yes in step S58), control unit 60 closes water supply valve 32 with drain valve 34 open and operates blower 21 (step S63). When a predetermined time has elapsed from step S63 (yes in step S61), controller 60 closes drain valve 34 and stops blower 21 (step S62), thereby ending the cleaning process. As described above, as the cleaning process of the third modification, the controller 60 opens the water supply valve 32 for a predetermined time period with the drain valve 34 opened, and then operates the air blower 21. In this case, foreign substances remaining in the container 40 can be removed by the momentum of water that is quickly discharged after being supplied into the container 40 and the momentum of air that flows in the container 40 in accordance with the operation of the air blowing unit 21.

A large amount of foreign matter is generated in one drying operation, or a large amount of foreign matter adheres to the inside of the container 40 as the drying operation is repeated, and the inside of the container 40, particularly the drain port 41A, may be clogged with the foreign matter. Therefore, the control unit 60 detects clogging of foreign matter in the container 40 and executes processing for removing the clogging at a predetermined timing. This timing may be a timing after the control unit 60 has performed the drying operation a predetermined number of times, or a timing when the control unit 60 opens the drain valve 34 during the drying operation, particularly during the above-described cleaning process.

Specifically, referring to fig. 22, when the control unit 60 opens the drain valve 34 in a state where water is stored in the tank 40 up to, for example, the maximum water level (yes in step S71), the clogging of the foreign matter is detected by monitoring the rate of decrease in the water level in the tank 40 (step S72). The water level lowering speed is obtained by dividing the difference between the detection values of the water level sensor 61 at the start time and the end time of the predetermined time by the predetermined time. The difference between the detection values of the water level sensors 61 is the amount of water level decrease. When the inside of the container 40 is clogged with foreign matter, the inside of the container 40 is difficult to drain, and therefore, the water level lowering speed is lower than a predetermined threshold value. When the rate of decrease of the water level in container 40 is lower than the predetermined threshold value (yes in step S72), controller 60 determines that foreign matter clogging is present in container 40 (step S73). The controller 60 may determine whether or not there is a foreign object clogging in the container 40 by comparing the amount of water level decrease when a predetermined time has elapsed with a threshold corresponding to the water level, instead of directly comparing the decrease rate with the threshold. In this case, the controller 60 can determine that there is a foreign object blockage when the water level decrease amount for a predetermined time is lower than the threshold value. In step S73, control unit 60 increments the number of detections whose initial value is zero by 1(+ 1). The number of detections is stored in the memory 63.

If the number of detections is less than the predetermined number (no in step S74), control unit 60 operates air blower 21 or opens/closes water supply valve 32 and drain valve 34, respectively, to perform a removal process for removing clogging due to foreign matter (step S75). Therefore, even if foreign matter is clogged in the container 40, the user can eliminate the clogging of foreign matter in the container 40 without performing maintenance in contact with the water filter 30, and thus, the usability of the drying operation can be improved. The elimination process will be described in detail later. After the cancellation process, the control unit 60 closes the drain valve 34 and opens the water supply valve 32, thereby supplying water into the container 40 (step S76). When the water level in the tank 40 rises to the predetermined water level (yes in step S77), the controller 60 closes the water supply valve 32 and opens the drain valve 34, thereby draining the tank 40 (step S78). An example of the predetermined water level here is the above-described maximum water level. The controller 60 monitors the rate of decrease in the water level in the draining tank 40, and detects the clogging with foreign matter again (step S79). When the water level lowering speed is lower than the predetermined threshold value (yes in step S79), controller 60 determines that foreign matter clogging still exists in container 40, and increments the number of detections by 1 (step S73). The threshold value in step S79 and the threshold value in step S72 may be the same or different.

The controller 60 repeats the elimination process (step S75) and the re-detection of the foreign object clogging (steps S76 to S79) until the number of detections reaches a predetermined number. The number of detections is the number of times the control unit 60 determines that foreign matter clogging is present in the container 40. When the number of detections reaches a predetermined number, that is, when the clogging of foreign matter in the container 40 is so serious that it is difficult to automatically remove the clogging of foreign matter in the washing and drying integrated machine 1 (yes in step S74), the control unit 60 notifies the user of an abnormality that the clogging of foreign matter in the container 40 is serious by the display of the display operation unit 11 or the alarm of a buzzer (not shown) (step S80). In other words, even if the user does not touch the water filter 30 for maintenance, clogging with foreign matters is automatically eliminated in the washing and drying all-in-one machine 1, and thus, the convenience of use can be improved. In step S80, control unit 60 may suspend or interrupt the drying operation.

Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing the elimination processing in step S75. With the start of the elimination process, the control section 60 opens the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 (step S81). Thereby, the water supply and the water discharge of the tank 40 are performed simultaneously. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 are opened (yes in step S82), the control unit 60 closes the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 34 (step S83), and the cancellation process is ended. In this way, as the cancellation process, the control unit 60 opens the water supply valve 32 for a predetermined time with the drain valve 34 open. In this case, foreign matter clogged in the container 40 can be removed by the momentum of a large amount of water supplied into the container 40 and then rapidly discharged, and the water can be forcibly discharged to the water conduit 33.

In the elimination process, the first and second modified examples may be given in addition to the above-described process. Fig. 24 is a flowchart showing the erasing process of the first modification. In the first modification, the controller 60 closes the drain valve 34 and opens the water supply valve 32 to supply water into the container 40 as the erasing process is started (step S84). Thus, when the water level in the tank 40 rises to the predetermined water level (yes in step S85), the controller 60 closes the water supply valve 32 and opens the drain valve 34, thereby draining the tank 40 (step S86). An example of the predetermined water level here is the maximum water level described above. As described above, as the cancellation process of the first modification, the control unit 60 opens the water supply valve 32 for a predetermined time to store water in the tank 40 with the water discharge valve 34 closed, and then opens the water discharge valve 34. In this case, foreign matter clogged in the container 40 can be removed by the momentum of a large amount of water stored in the container 40 and discharged at once, and can be forcibly discharged to the water conduit 33.

Fig. 25 is a flowchart showing the erasing process of the second modification. In the second modification, the control unit 60 opens the drain valve 34 with the water supply valve 32 closed as the cancellation process is started (step S87). When the water level in the container 40 is lowered to the predetermined water level by opening the drain valve 34 (yes in step S88), the controller 60 operates the blower 21 with the drain valve 34 opened (step S89). The predetermined water level may be a water level at which water in the container 40 does not splash even when the blower 21 is operated, and the container 40 may not be empty at this time. In a state where the water level in the container 40 is lowered to a predetermined water level, the controller 60 rotates the rotary blade 23 of the blower 21 at a high speed so that air flows through the circulation path 20 with a greater momentum than during the drying operation. Therefore, foreign matter clogged in the container 40 can be removed by the momentum of a large amount of air and forcibly discharged to the water conduit 33. When a predetermined time has elapsed from step S89 (yes in step S90), control unit 60 stops air-blowing unit 21 (step S91), and ends the cancellation process.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, the water filter 30 is disposed at the lower portion of the rear region 2C of the case 2. As long as the water and hot air in the container 40 do not reach the air blowing section 21 and the heating section 22, the water filter 30 may be disposed above the rear region 2C as in the modification shown in fig. 26. In fig. 26, members having the same functions as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the drum-type washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 in the above embodiment, the washing tub 7 may be disposed so that the axis J is inclined in the horizontal direction H. Furthermore, the integrated washer dryer 1 can also be a vertical washer dryer with an axis J extending longitudinally.

The various processes in the above embodiments may also be executed in appropriate combinations.

Claims

A washing and drying integrated machine is characterized by comprising:

the water cylinder can store water;

a washing cylinder accommodated in the water cylinder, accommodating laundry and rotating;

a drainage path for draining water from the water cylinder;

a circulation path having a take-out port and a return port connected to the water tank;

a blowing unit that takes out air in the water tank from the take-out port into the circulation path and returns the air in the water tank from the return port to the water tank, thereby circulating the air in the water tank;

a heating unit provided in the circulation path and heating air in the circulation path;

a water filter having a container that constitutes an upstream portion of the circulation path on the outlet side of the heating portion, the container being capable of storing water, the water filter allowing air heading from the outlet port to the return port in the circulation path to pass through water in the container, thereby capturing foreign matter from the air;

a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the container;

a water injection path for supplying water into the container;

a water supply valve that opens/closes the water injection path;

a water guide path for guiding the water in the container to the drainage path;

a drain valve opening/closing the water guide path; and

and a control unit that operates the air supply unit and the heating unit to perform a drying operation, wherein the control unit determines that foreign matter clogging is present in the container when a rate of decrease in the water level detected by the water level sensor is lower than a predetermined threshold value when the drain valve is opened in a state where water is stored in the container, and performs a removal process of removing the foreign matter clogging by operating the air supply unit or opening/closing the water supply valve and the drain valve, respectively.
The washing and drying integrated machine according to claim 1,

as the elimination process, the control section opens the water supply valve for a predetermined time in a state where the drain valve is opened.
The washing and drying integrated machine according to claim 1 or 2,

in the elimination process, the control unit opens the water supply valve for a predetermined time to store water in the container in a state where the drain valve is closed, and then opens the drain valve.
The washing and drying integrated machine according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that,

as the elimination process, the control unit may operate the air blowing unit so that air flows through the circulation passage with a greater momentum than during the drying operation.
The washing and drying integrated machine according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that,

the washing and drying integrated machine further comprises a notification part which notifies that the water filter is abnormal when the control part judges that the frequency of the blockage of the foreign matters in the container reaches the specified frequency.