JP2017079927A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clothes dryer which has an exhaust port in a circulation air passage and which can control an exhaustion amount and exhaustion timing from the exhaust port.SOLUTION: Clothes dryer includes: a drying chamber which has an inlet and an outlet of drying air and in which clothes to be dried are accommodated inside; a circulation air passage in which one end portion is connected to the inlet and the other end portion is connected to the outlet, outside of the drying chamber; a blower which is provided in the circulation air passage and which circulates the air in the drying chamber through the circulation air passage; heating means which is provided in the circulation air passage and which heats circulation air flowing in the circulation air passage; an exhaust port which exhausts the circulation air flowing in the circulation air passage to the outside of the circulation air passage; an exhaust damper which opens/closes the exhaust port; a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the circulation air; and control means which controls a drying operation for drying the clothes. The control means closes the exhaust damper based on the fact that the temperature sensor detects a preset temperature during the drying operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a clothes dryer.

  As a clothes dryer, for example, a clothes dryer having a washing function and a drying function for clothes is known. In this washing and drying machine, a circulation air passage is provided outside the water tank functioning as a drying chamber, and a heating means, a dehumidifying means, and a blower are provided in the circulation air passage. During the drying operation, the air in the drying chamber is circulated through the circulation air passage by the air blowing action of the blower. At this time, the air heated by the heating means is sent into the drying chamber to heat the clothes in the drying chamber, and the moisture. The clothes are dried by repeatedly dehumidifying the air containing air with a dehumidifying means.

JP 2008-110135 A

  In this type of washing and drying machine, there is a structure in which an exhaust port is provided in the circulation air passage, but the exhaust port is always open, and a part of the circulation air is always exhausted during the drying operation. It was. For this reason, the amount of exhaust from the exhaust port and the exhaust timing cannot be controlled.

  Accordingly, there is provided a clothes dryer capable of controlling the exhaust amount and the exhaust timing from the exhaust port provided with an exhaust port in the circulation air passage.

  The clothes dryer of the present embodiment has a drying chamber having an inlet and an outlet for drying air, in which clothes to be dried are accommodated, and one end portion is connected to the inlet outside the drying chamber, and the other end portion is A circulation air passage connected to the outlet, a blower provided in the circulation air passage for circulating the air in the drying chamber through the circulation air passage, and a circulation provided in the circulation air passage and flowing through the circulation air passage A heating means for heating the wind, an exhaust port for discharging the circulating wind flowing through the circulating air channel to the outside of the circulating air channel, an exhaust damper for opening and closing the exhaust port, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulating air, Control means for controlling a drying operation for drying the clothes. The control means closes the exhaust damper based on the temperature sensor detecting a set temperature during the drying operation.

The fracture | rupture side view which shows typically schematic structure in the washing / drying machine of 1st Embodiment A rear view schematically showing a schematic configuration of the washing / drying machine External perspective view of the washing and drying machine viewed from the rear side Perspective view of the vicinity of the exhaust port shown with a part of the top plate broken Longitudinal profile side view The figure which shows the relationship between temperature change at the time of drying operation and opening / closing control of the exhaust damper The figure which shows the course of the dry operation in 2nd Embodiment, the relationship of the opening / closing control of an exhaust damper, etc. The figure which shows the relationship between the temperature change at the time of dry operation and the opening / closing control of the exhaust damper in each course The figure which shows the temperature change at the time of the drying operation in 3rd Embodiment, and the change of the opening / closing control of an exhaust damper, and the output of a heating means. The figure which shows the temperature change at the time of drying operation in 4th Embodiment, the opening / closing control of an exhaust damper, and the change of the output of a heating means. The figure which shows the relationship between the temperature change at the time of drying operation in 5th Embodiment, and the opening / closing control of an exhaust damper. FIG. 1 equivalent diagram in the sixth embodiment The figure which shows the relationship of the temperature change and humidity change at the time of drying operation, and the opening / closing control of the exhaust damper

Hereinafter, a clothes dryer according to a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same component, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the washing / drying machine 1 shown in FIG. 3 is a so-called drum type having a clothes washing function and a drying function, and also functions as a clothes dryer. The outer box 2 constituting the outer shell of the washing / drying machine 1 has a rectangular box shape. The front portion 2a of the outer box 2 is provided with a door 3 (see FIG. 1) that opens and closes a laundry entrance (not shown). In this case, the front surface portion 2a is formed in a slightly downwardly inclined shape.

  An operation panel 4 (see FIG. 3) is provided in front of the top plate portion 2b of the outer box 2. The operation panel 4 is provided with a power on key 5a, a power off key 5b, and a touch panel 6. The power is turned on by pressing the power-on key 5a, and the power is turned off by pressing the power-off key 5b. The touch panel 6 has a function as an input unit that receives various inputs by the user and a function as a display unit that performs various displays for the user, and can set a driving course and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water tank 7 is disposed inside the outer box 2 in a state where it is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The water tank 7 has a cylindrical shape, and the rear surface is closed by a water tank end plate. The aquarium 7 is disposed in a state where the central axis of the aquarium 7 is laterally oriented in the front-rear direction and is slightly inclined forward, and the front opening is connected to the laundry entrance through the bellows 8. The washing / drying machine 1 is provided with a water supply mechanism 10 (see FIG. 3) for supplying water into the water tank 7. Although not shown, the water supply mechanism 10 is connected to a water tap through a water supply hose.

  A drain port 11 is provided at the bottom of the rear portion of the water tank 7, and a drain pipe 13 is connected to the drain port 11 via a drain valve 12. When water is supplied from the water supply mechanism 10 into the water tank 7 with the drain valve 12 closed, the water is stored in the water tank 7. As the drain valve 12 is opened, the water stored in the water tank 7 is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 13.

  A rotating tank 14 is rotatably disposed in the water tank 7. Like the water tank 7, the rotating tank 14 has a cylindrical shape whose rear surface is closed by an end plate of the rotating tank, and the central axis of the rotating tank 14 is disposed sideways in the front-rear direction and slightly inclined upward. Has been. The front opening of the rotating tub 14 communicates with the front opening of the water tub 7 and the laundry doorway. By opening the door 3, clothes can be taken in and out of the rotating tub 14 through the laundry doorway, the front opening of the water tub 7, and the front opening of the rotating tub 14. Accordingly, clothes that are objects to be washed and dried are accommodated in the rotary tub 14 so as to be put in and out. A plurality of holes 15 are provided in the peripheral wall portion and the rear end plate of the rotary tank 14. The hole portion 15 functions as a water passage hole during the washing operation, functions as a dewatering hole during the dehydration operation, and functions as a ventilation hole during the drying operation.

  A motor 16 is provided on the back surface of the water tank 7. In this case, the motor 16 is constituted by an outer rotor type DC brushless motor, and the rotating shaft of the motor 16 passes through the water tank end plate and is connected to the end plate of the rotary tank 14. The rotating tank 14 is directly driven to rotate by a motor 16. The water tank 7 functions as a drying chamber for storing clothes to be dried during the drying operation.

  In the outer box 2, a circulation air passage 18 is provided outside the water tank 7. The water tank 7 is provided with an inlet 19 and an outlet 20 for connection to the circulation air passage 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the inlet 19 is provided at a location above the motor 16 in the water tank end plate which is the back surface of the water tank 7, and the outlet 20 is a peripheral wall of the water tank 7 as shown in FIG. 1. It is provided in the upper right part of the front part in the part.

  In this case, the circulation air passage 18 includes an exhaust duct 21, a filter duct 22, an intermediate duct 23, a heat exchanger duct 24, and an air supply duct 25. One end portion of the exhaust duct 21 constituting one end portion of the circulation air passage 18 is connected to the outlet 20 of the water tank 7. The rear end portion of the exhaust duct 21 is connected to the filter duct 22 from the front. A filter device 27 for drying is provided at the front portion of the filter duct 22. The filter device 27 will be described in detail later. As shown in FIG. 5, the filter duct 22 is inclined downward toward the rear, and the rear lower end portion is connected to the upper end portion of the intermediate duct 23.

  The intermediate duct 23 extends downward as shown in FIG. 2, and a lower end portion thereof is connected to one end portion of a heat exchanger duct 24 disposed at a lower portion in the outer box 2. The heat exchanger duct 24 extends in the left-right direction at the lower part in the outer box 2, and the other end is connected to an air inlet 29 a in the fan casing 29 of the blower 28. The blower 28 includes a fan casing 29, a fan 30 disposed in the fan casing 29, and a fan motor 31 that rotationally drives the fan 30. The discharge port 29 b of the fan casing 29 is directed upward and connected to the lower end portion of the air supply duct 25. The air supply duct 25 extends in the vertical direction, and its upper end is connected to the inlet 19 at the back surface of the water tank 7.

  In the heat exchanger duct 24, as shown in FIG. 2, a condenser 33 and an evaporator 34 of a heat pump 32 are arranged. As is well known, the heat pump 32 includes a compressor 35 that compresses and discharges the refrigerant, a condenser 33 that dissipates heat, condenses, and liquefies the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 35, and the condenser 33. A squeezing device 36 that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant liquefied in the above and an evaporator 34 that evaporates the refrigerant that has passed through the squeezing device 36 are connected in a cycle through a refrigerant flow path 37 to constitute a refrigeration cycle. ing. Among these, the condenser 33 functions as a heating means for heating the air flowing in the heat exchanger duct 24, and the evaporator 34 functions as a dehumidifying means for cooling and dehumidifying the air flowing in the heat exchanger duct 24. To do. In the heat exchanger duct 24, the evaporator 34 is disposed near the connection portion with the intermediate duct 23, and the condenser 33 is disposed near the blower 28.

  Here, when the fan motor 31 of the blower 28 is driven, the air blown by the fan 30 causes the air discharged from the discharge port 29b of the fan casing 29 to be supplied through the air supply duct as indicated by arrows in FIGS. 25, and supplied from the inlet 19 into the water tank 7 and thus into the rotating tank 14. In addition, the air in the rotary tank 14 and thus in the water tank 7 passes through the exhaust duct 21, the filter duct 22, the intermediate duct 23, and the heat exchanger duct 24 in this order from the outlet 20, and from the air inlet 29 a of the fan casing 29 to the fan casing. 29 is sucked into. In this way, the air in the water tank 7 is circulated through the circulation air passage 18.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the filter device 27 includes a first filter member 40 and a second filter member 41. The first filter member 40 and the second filter member 41 are intended to capture lint (waste thread) and the like that comes out of the clothing during the drying operation and prevent the lint from flowing downstream, and have a double structure. It has become. The mesh of the second filter member 41 is finer than the mesh of the first filter member 40, and lint that has passed through the first filter member 40 can be captured by the second filter member 41. ing. The first and second filter members 40 and 41 are detachably attached to the filter housing portion 42 of the filter duct 22.

  As shown also in FIGS. 3 and 4, a filter cover 43 is provided at a portion corresponding to the filter device 27 in the top plate portion 2 b of the outer box 2. The filter cover 43 is rotatable in the vertical direction with a shaft portion 43a (see FIG. 5) at the rear end as a fulcrum. The filter cover 43 is provided with a handle opening 44 and a handle lid 45 for opening and closing the handle opening 44. The handle cover 45 is pivotable in the vertical direction about the shaft portion 45a at the rear end, and is biased in the closing direction by a biasing means such as a spring.

  In this case, the user pushes the front part of the closed cover 45 with the fingers from the upper side to the lower side, thereby rotating the handle cover 45 downward to insert the fingers into the handle opening 44, The filter cover 43 can be opened by placing the finger on the front edge of the opening 44 for the handle and pulling up the filter cover 43. By opening the filter cover 43, the first and second filter members 40, 41 can be removed from the filter housing portion 42 and cleaned.

  In the filter duct 22, the rear side of the filter housing portion 42 is inclined downward toward the rear as described above, and a horizontal portion 47 that is substantially horizontal is provided at an upper portion in the middle thereof. An exhaust port 48 is provided in the horizontal portion 47. As shown in FIG. 4, the exhaust port 48 is formed by a plurality of slits, and connects the inside of the filter duct 22, that is, the inside of the circulation air passage 18 and the outside of the circulation air passage 18. An exhaust damper 49 that opens and closes the exhaust port 48 is provided on the upper surface side of the horizontal portion 47. The exhaust damper 49 can be rotated about a shaft 49a at one end as a fulcrum, and is rotated by a motor (not shown).

  The top plate portion 2b of the outer box 2 is provided with an inclined portion 50 that is located near the upper portion of the horizontal portion 47 and that is inclined downward toward the rear. The outer exhaust port 51 is provided in the inclined portion 50. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer exhaust port 51 is also formed by a plurality of slits, and communicates the inside of the outer box 2 with the outside of the outer box 2. In this case, the opening area of the outer exhaust port 51 is set larger than the opening area of the exhaust port 48. The outer box 2 is provided with a reinforcing member 52 (see FIG. 4) positioned below the top plate portion 2b.

  Here, during the operation of the blower 28, when the exhaust damper 49 is opened and the exhaust port 48 is opened, a part of the air flowing in the circulation air passage 18 is shown by an arrow A1 in FIG. The gas is discharged from the exhaust port 48 to the outside of the outer box 2 through the outer exhaust port 51.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an intake port 53 is provided above the heat exchanger duct 24 in the circulation air passage 18 so as to be positioned between the evaporator 34 and the condenser 33. The intake port 53 communicates the inside of the circulation air passage 18 and the outside of the circulation air passage 18. The air inlet 53 is always open, and when the blower 28 is operated, the exhaust damper 49 opens the air outlet 48 and a part of the circulating air is exhausted, so that the outside of the circulating air passage 18 (inside the outer box 2). ) Is sucked into the circulation air passage 18.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the supply duct 25 in the circulation air passage 18 is provided with a first temperature sensor 55 that detects the temperature of the circulation air flowing in the circulation air passage 18. The first temperature sensor 55 is disposed in the vicinity of the inlet 19 in the circulation air passage 18 and between the condenser 33 constituting the heating means and the inlet 19. The first temperature sensor 55 detects the temperature of the wind that is heated in the condenser 33 and supplied into the water tank 7 among the circulating wind flowing in the circulation air passage 18.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a second temperature sensor 56 is provided on the outlet 20 side of the circulation air passage 18, in this case, on the filter duct 22, on the downstream side of the exhaust port 48. The second temperature sensor 56 detects the temperature on the outlet 20 side of the circulating air flowing in the circulating air path 18.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat pump 32 is provided with a plurality of refrigerant temperature sensors that detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 37. Specifically, a first refrigerant temperature sensor 57 that detects the temperature near the discharge port 35 a of the compressor 35, a second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 that detects the temperature of the condenser 33, and the inlet side of the evaporator 34. A third refrigerant temperature sensor 59 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant and a fourth refrigerant temperature sensor 60 for detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the suction port 35b of the compressor 35 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a control device 61 that constitutes a control means is provided in the lower front portion of the outer box 2. The control device 61 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and includes a power-on key 5a, a power-off key 5b, an input unit of the touch panel 6, first and second temperature sensors 55 and 56, first to fourth in the operation panel 4. Based on signals from the refrigerant temperature sensors 57 to 60 and the like or a control program prepared in advance, the display unit of the operation panel 4, the water supply mechanism 10, the drain valve 12, the motor 16, the blower 28, the compressor 35 of the heat pump 32, the exhaust A function for controlling the damper 49 and the like is provided.

  In the above configuration, when a drying operation is set on the operation panel 4 by the user in a state where clothes are accommodated in the rotating tub 14, the control device 61 executes the drying operation. In the drying operation, the rotary tank 14 is appropriately rotated by the motor 16, the compressor 35 of the heat pump 32 is driven, and the blower 28 is further driven.

  Among these, the clothes in the rotating tank 14 are agitated by rotating the rotating tank 14. In addition, by driving the compressor 35, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant flow path 37, and accordingly, the air around the condenser 33 is heated by the heat radiation from the condenser 33, and the evaporator 34 The air around the evaporator 34 is cooled and dehumidified by the heat absorption.

  As the blower 28 is driven, warm air heated by the condenser 33 passes through the air supply duct 25 and is supplied from the inlet 19 into the water tank 7 and thus into the rotary tank 14. The clothes are heated by the warm air, and moisture is taken away. The air deprived of moisture is discharged from the outlet 20 to the exhaust duct 21 side. The air discharged to the exhaust duct 21 side passes through the filter duct 22 and the intermediate duct 23 and enters the heat exchanger duct 24. Humid air that has entered the heat exchanger duct 24 is cooled and dehumidified in the process of passing through the evaporator 34. The dehumidified air is heated again and warmed in the process of passing through the condenser 33, and the warm air passes through the air supply duct 25 and is supplied into the water tank 7 from the inlet 19. By repeating this flow, the clothes are gradually dried.

  During the drying operation, when lint is generated from the clothes, the lint also flows along with the air discharged from the outlet 20 to the exhaust duct 21 and passes through the first filter member 40 and the second filter member 41. Captured by them.

  During this drying operation, the control device 61 controls the exhaust damper 49 to open and close. Specifically, the control is performed as shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows changes in the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 55 that detects the temperature on the inlet 19 side of the water tank 7 serving as the drying chamber (referred to as the temperature on the inlet side of the drying chamber) and the outlet 20 of the water tank 7 serving as the drying chamber. A change in temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 56 that detects the temperature on the side (referred to as the drying chamber outlet side temperature) and the timing for opening and closing the exhaust damper 49 are shown.

  At the start of the drying operation, the exhaust damper 49 is closed (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5). As the drying operation proceeds, the drying chamber inlet side temperature rises and the drying chamber outlet side temperature also rises little by little. In a state where the exhaust damper 49 is closed, the circulating air flowing in the water tank 7 and the circulating air passage 18 is not exhausted from the exhaust port 48 and is not sucked from the intake port 53.

  When the drying chamber inlet side temperature (the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 55) reaches 60 ° C., which is a preset temperature (first temperature), the control device 61 opens the exhaust damper 49, The exhaust port 48 is opened (see the solid line state in FIG. 5). Then, a part of the circulating wind flowing through the circulating air path 18 is exhausted from the exhaust port 48 to the outside of the outer box 2 outside the machine through the outer exhaust port 51 as indicated by an arrow A1 in FIG. At this time, the exhaust discharged from the exhaust port 48 to the outside includes moisture taken from the clothing, and the moisture is also discharged. Further, as a part of the circulating air is exhausted, the air outside the circulating air passage 18 is sucked into the circulating air passage 18 from the inlet 53 of the heat exchanger duct 24 (FIG. 2). (See arrow A2).

  When the drying operation further proceeds and the drying chamber outlet side temperature (detected temperature of the second temperature sensor 56) reaches 65 ° C., which is a preset temperature (second preset temperature), the control device 61 sets the exhaust damper. 49 is closed and the exhaust port 48 is closed. Then, the exhaust from the exhaust port 48 to the outside of the machine is stopped, and the intake air from the intake port 53 into the circulation air passage 18 is also stopped. As a result, high-temperature air exceeding 65 ° C. can be prevented from being discharged from the exhaust port 48 to the outside of the apparatus.

  The controller 61 proceeds with the drying operation, and, for example, a temperature difference between the drying chamber inlet side temperature (detected temperature of the first temperature sensor 55) and the drying chamber outlet side temperature (detected temperature of the second temperature sensor 56) is set. When the value is less than the value, it is determined that the drying is completed, the operation of the heat pump 32 is stopped, the driving of the blower 28 is continued and the cooling operation is performed, and then the blower 28 is also stopped to finish the drying operation. .

According to the above-described embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
By providing the exhaust port 48 in the circulation air passage 18 and providing the exhaust damper 49 that opens and closes the exhaust port 48, the exhaust amount and the exhaust timing from the exhaust port 48 can be controlled.

  During the drying operation, the temperature of the circulating air flowing through the circulating air path 18 is detected by the first temperature sensor 55, and the control device 61 detects that the first temperature sensor 55 detects the set temperature of 60 ° C. The exhaust damper 49 is opened. As a result, after the circulating air has warmed up moderately, a part of the circulating air can be discharged by discharging a part of the circulating air to the outside of the apparatus. Along with this, it is possible to promote dehumidification, and it can be expected to shorten the drying time and to reduce power consumption. Further, since the intake air is also taken from the intake port 53 along with the exhaust, the temperature rise of the circulating wind is suppressed. Along with this, the temperature rise of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 37 of the heat pump 32 is suppressed, and the operation of the compressor 35 can be prevented from frequently stopping.

  In this case, since the first temperature sensor 55 detects the temperature in the vicinity of the entrance of the drying chamber, the rising temperature of the circulating air can be detected satisfactorily and is effective for the opening control of the exhaust damper 49.

  In addition, a second temperature sensor 56 is provided at a position in the circulation air passage 18 where the temperature of the circulation air flowing through the outlet 20 side of the water tank 7 is detected. Based on this, the exhaust damper 49 is closed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent high-temperature air exceeding 65 ° C. from being discharged outside the apparatus. In this case, it is possible to prevent high-temperature air from being discharged outside the apparatus without particularly reducing the output of the heat pump 32 (compressor 35) including the condenser 33 that functions as a heating means.

  In the present embodiment, the inner exhaust port 48 is upward, the outer exhaust port 51 is rearward obliquely upward, the opening angle is different, and the exhaust discharged from the exhaust port 48 is inclined to the top plate portion 2b. From the outside exhaust port 51 of the part 50, it comes to discharge | emit to the back diagonally upward. For this reason, dew condensation due to exhaust can hardly occur on the peripheral wall where the washing / drying machine 1 is installed. Further, since the exhaust is not performed forward, it is difficult for the user to see the exhaust, and it is possible to prevent the exhaust from being directly applied to the user.

  Further, since the slit of the exhaust port 48 that is directly opened and closed by the exhaust damper 49 is provided so as to extend in the same direction as the air path of the filter duct 22, the exhaust port 48 has a lint that flows through the circulation air path 18. There are difficult advantages. Further, although the air passage of the filter duct 22 is inclined backward and downward, since the exhaust port 48 is provided in the horizontal portion 47, there is an advantage that the condensed water does not easily accumulate in the slit of the exhaust port 48. Further, since the opening area of the outer exhaust port 51 is set larger than the opening area of the inner exhaust port 48, the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust port 48 is discharged from the outer exhaust port 51 to the outside of the machine. The flow rate can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the exhaust damper 49 is opened, the rotational speed that is the output of the blower 28 can be increased. According to this, the air volume of the circulating air flowing through the circulation air path 18 is increased, the exhaust amount and the intake air amount are increased, and the temperature rise of the circulating air can be suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, there are four courses in the drying operation that can be performed by the control device 61. In this case, the four courses are an energy saving course, a rush course, a careful course, and a fine drying course.

The energy-saving course is intended to reduce power consumption. The fan rotation speed (the rotation speed of the blower 28) is low (4000 rpm), the circulating air temperature is low, and the drying time is standard.
The rush course is intended to shorten the drying time. The fan rotation speed is standard (5000 rpm), the circulating air temperature is high, and the drying time is short.

The meticulous course is intended to dry well, the fan speed is standard (5000 rpm), the circulating air temperature is increased, and the drying time is longer.
The high-quality drying course is intended to reduce fabric damage and suppress wrinkling. The fan speed is high (5500 rpm), the circulating air temperature is low, and the drying time is long.

  In this case, among these four courses, the three courses other than the energy saving course (the rush course, the meticulous course, and the high-quality drying course) can be said to be courses that are less oriented to reducing power consumption than the energy saving course.

  The controller 61 sets a set temperature for opening the exhaust damper 49 and a set temperature for closing the exhaust damper 49 in these four courses, and these set temperatures differ depending on the course. Specifically, in the case of an energy saving course, the set temperature for opening the exhaust damper 49 is 40 ° C., and the set temperature for closing the exhaust damper 49 is 65 ° C. In the case of a rush course, the set temperature for opening the exhaust damper 49 is 60 ° C., and the set temperature for closing the exhaust damper 49 is 63 ° C. In the case of a careful course, the set temperature for opening the exhaust damper 49 is 60 ° C., and the set temperature for closing the exhaust damper 49 is 60 ° C. In the case of a high-quality drying course, the exhaust damper 49 is always closed and the opening / closing control is not performed.

  FIG. 8 shows changes in the drying chamber inlet side temperature (detected temperature of the first temperature sensor 55) and the drying chamber outlet side temperature (detected temperature of the second temperature sensor 56) in the drying operation, and the timing for opening and closing the exhaust damper 49. Is shown.

  In the case of the energy saving course, the exhaust damper 49 is closed at the start of the drying operation. When the first temperature sensor 55 detects the set temperature of 40 ° C., the exhaust damper 49 is opened. When the drying operation proceeds and the second temperature sensor 56 detects the set temperature of 65 ° C., the exhaust damper 49 is closed.

  Even in the rush course, the exhaust damper 49 is closed at the start of the drying operation. When the first temperature sensor 55 detects the set temperature of 60 ° C., the exhaust damper 49 is opened. When the drying operation proceeds and the second temperature sensor 56 detects the set temperature of 63 ° C., the exhaust damper 49 is closed.

  Also in the case of a careful course, the exhaust damper 49 is closed at the start of the drying operation. When the first temperature sensor 55 detects the set temperature of 60 ° C., the exhaust damper 49 is opened. When the drying operation proceeds and the second temperature sensor 56 detects the set temperature of 60 ° C., the exhaust damper 49 is closed.

In the case of a high-quality drying course, the exhaust damper 49 is always closed during the drying operation.
In the above-described embodiment, in the case of the energy saving course, the set temperature for opening the exhaust damper 49 is set lower than the other courses, and the set temperature for closing the exhaust damper 49 is set higher than the other courses. The opportunity to open the damper 49 is increased. As a result, a large amount of moisture can be discharged together with the exhaust discharged from the exhaust port 48, and the amount of work by the condenser 33 as the heating means and the evaporator 34 as the dehumidifying means can be reduced, thereby improving energy saving. Can be expected.

  In the case of a rush course, it is possible to increase the amount of moisture that can be dehumidified at a time by raising the temperature of the circulating wind faster and higher by delaying the timing of opening the exhaust damper 49 than the energy saving course. However, when the temperature of the circulating air rises too much and the compressor 35 of the heat pump 32 stops, the temperature of the circulating air decreases and the drying efficiency decreases. Therefore, by causing the exhaust air damper 49 to open before the compressor 35 of the heat pump 32 stops, the drying efficiency can be prevented from decreasing and the drying time can be reduced.

  In the energy saving course, the circulating air temperature is set low and the exhaust heat quantity is small. In the rush course, the circulating air temperature is set higher than in the energy-saving course, and the exhaust heat quantity is large. The meticulous course dries the clothes firmly, so the operating time is longer than that of the rush course, and the circulating air temperature is set higher than the rush course. Therefore, since the exhaust heat quantity is the energy saving course <the rushing course <the meticulous course, the set temperatures for closing the exhaust damper 49 are 65 ° C. for the energy saving course, 63 ° C. for the rushing course, and 60 ° C. for the careful course. .

  Wrinkles of clothes generated by drying tend to appear more prominently when overdried. About overdrying, it may be due to uneven drying due to the difference in easiness of drying due to the difference in the fiber of clothing. When exhausting, moisture is also discharged at the same time, but this is easily affected by outside temperature and humidity, so the humidity is lower than expected, etc., or the clothes that are easy to dry are dry However, since clothes that are difficult to dry are dried, clothes that are easy to dry may become over-dried, and uneven drying may occur.

  Therefore, in the case of a high-quality drying course, the exhaust damper 49 is always closed and exhaust is not performed, thereby controlling the influence of outside air temperature, etc., controlling the humidity, and suppressing the occurrence of overdrying and uneven drying. It is possible to improve the finishing performance.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. Here, the control device 61 is configured to execute the sterilization process in the latter half of the normal drying process. In the first half of the normal drying process, the exhaust damper 49 is closed, and the exhaust damper 49 is opened based on the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 55 detecting, for example, 60 ° C. The sterilization process is a process intended to sterilize clothing, and it is necessary to increase the output of the heating means and increase the temperature of the circulating air. However, if the exhaust temperature from the exhaust port 48 increases, May be impaired. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the exhaust damper 49 is closed when performing the sterilization process. In the case of this embodiment, in order to increase the output of the heating means, the output of the compressor 35 is increased.

  In this way, exhaust is not performed in the sterilization process, that is, intake is not performed, so heat loss due to exhaust can be suppressed, circulating air temperature can be increased, and high-temperature air is exhausted. It is possible to disinfect clothing safely without having to do so.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. Here, the control device 61 is configured to execute a wrinkle suppression process in the latter half of the normal drying process. Also in this case, the exhaust damper 49 is closed in the first half of the normal drying process, and the exhaust damper 49 is opened based on the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 55 detecting, for example, 60 ° C. The wrinkle suppression process is a process intended to suppress the generation of wrinkles in the clothing. As in the case of the fine drying course described above, the rotational speed of the blower 28 is increased and the output of the heating means is decreased. To do. As described above, wrinkles generated by drying tend to appear more remarkably when overdried. When exhausting, moisture is also discharged at the same time, but this is easily affected by outside temperature and humidity, so the humidity is lower than expected, etc., or the clothes that are easy to dry are dry However, since clothes that are difficult to dry are dried, clothes that are easy to dry may become over-dried, and uneven drying may occur.

  Therefore, in the wrinkle suppression process, the exhaust damper 49 is closed and the exhaust is not performed as in the case of the high-quality drying course, thereby suppressing the influence of the outside temperature, controlling the humidity, By suppressing the occurrence of uneven drying, it is possible to improve the finishing performance. Further, when the exhaust damper 49 is closed, it is possible to further suppress uneven drying by reducing the output of the heating means and suppressing the circulation air temperature from rising more than expected.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG. Here, in the drying operation, the controller 61 serves as a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant in the heat pump 32. In this case, the detected temperature of the third refrigerant temperature sensor 59 (the temperature near the inlet of the evaporator 34) The exhaust damper 49 is opened based on detecting a set temperature, for example, 38 ° C. Then, the second damper 56 closes the exhaust damper 49 based on the detection of the set temperature, in this case 65 ° C.

  During the drying operation, if the refrigerant temperature becomes too high, the compressor 35 is burdened. Normally, when the refrigerant temperature becomes equal to or higher than a preset temperature, the compressor 35 is stopped, and if the refrigerant temperature decreases, the compressor 35 is compressed. The machine 35 is controlled to be restarted. Since the drying does not proceed while the compressor 35 is stopped, the drying time becomes longer when the compressor 35 is stopped. Further, frequently stopping and restarting the compressor 35 is a burden on the compressor 35 and leads to malfunction.

  Therefore, when the refrigerant temperature reaches the set temperature (in this case, 38 ° C.) before the compressor 35 is forcibly stopped, the exhaust damper 49 is opened and exhausted to lower the circulating air temperature. It is possible to suppress the rise and prevent the drying time from being prolonged due to the stop of the compressor 35. Further, when the exhaust damper 49 is opened, by increasing the rotational speed of the blower 28 and increasing the air volume, the amount of air sucked and exhausted increases, and the temperature rise of the circulating air can be further suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, the exhaust damper 49 is opened based on the detected temperature of the third refrigerant temperature sensor 59 that detects the refrigerant temperature in the vicinity of the inlet of the evaporator 34. Since the third refrigerant temperature sensor 59 mainly detects an abnormality caused by the temperature environment of the outside (installation space of the washing / drying machine), the second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 detects the refrigerant temperature of the condenser 33. Unlike the filter clogging in the circulation air passage 18, it is irrelevant. For this reason, when the temperature of circulating wind becomes high, the temperature fall of circulating wind tends to function by exhausting a part of circulating wind in the state where the flow of circulating wind is appropriate.

  Instead of the above-described embodiment, the exhaust damper 49 may be opened based on the detected temperature of the second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 that detects the temperature of the condenser 33 as the refrigerant temperature sensor. In the control of the heat pump 32, there is a control to stop the compressor 35 when the detected temperature of the second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 reaches 90 ° C., for example, before the detected temperature of the second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 reaches 90 ° C. The exhaust damper 49 is opened when the set temperature is close to.

  However, when the second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 is looking for an abnormality mainly due to filter clogging in the circulation air passage 18 and the detected temperature of the second refrigerant temperature sensor 58 is high, the circulation air volume decreases. It is assumed that For this reason, compared with the case where it judges with the detection temperature of the said 3rd refrigerant | coolant temperature sensor 59, even if the exhaust damper 49 is opened, the amount of external air taken in is small and circulating air temperature does not fall easily.

  Further, as the refrigerant temperature sensor, the exhaust damper 49 can be opened based on the detected temperature of the first refrigerant temperature sensor 57 that detects the temperature in the vicinity of the discharge port 35a of the compressor 35. In the control of the heat pump 32, when the detected temperature of the first refrigerant temperature sensor 57 reaches a predetermined temperature, there is a control to stop the compressor 35, and when the detected temperature of the first refrigerant temperature sensor 57 reaches the set temperature. In addition, by opening the exhaust damper 49, the circulating air temperature can be lowered.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. Here, as shown in FIG. 12, a humidity sensor 65 is provided on the outlet 20 side in the circulation air passage 18, in this case, in the vicinity of the second temperature sensor 56. The humidity sensor 65 detects the humidity of the circulating air that has exited from the outlet 20 during the drying operation. As shown in FIG. 13, the control device 61 is based on the fact that the exhaust damper 49 is closed at the start of the drying operation and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 65 detects a preset set humidity, for example, 95%. The exhaust damper 49 is opened. Then, the drying operation proceeds, and the exhaust damper 49 is closed based on the second temperature sensor 56 detecting the set temperature, in this case also 65 ° C.

  During the drying operation, when the detected humidity becomes high, the exhaust damper 49 is opened so that the moisture is efficiently discharged together with the exhaust gas, so that the drying efficiency can be improved.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, a so-called drum-type washing / drying machine is illustrated, but the present invention can also be applied to a so-called vertical-axis type washing / drying machine in which the axis of the water tank and the rotating tank is oriented in the vertical direction. Further, the clothes dryer may have at least a drying function and no washing function. Further, the heating means can be a heater, and the dehumidifying means can be a water-cooled dehumidifier.

  As described above, according to at least one embodiment, an exhaust damper that opens and closes the exhaust port provided in the circulation air passage is provided, and the exhaust damper is controlled to open and close, thereby reducing the amount of exhaust from the exhaust port. The exhaust timing can be controlled.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope 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 claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 1 is a washing and drying machine (clothing dryer), 7 is a water tank (drying chamber), 14 is a rotating tank, 18 is a circulation air passage, 19 is an inlet, 20 is an outlet, 27 is a filter device, 28 is a blower, 32 is a heat pump, 33 is a condenser (heating means), 34 is an evaporator (dehumidifying means), 35 is a compressor, 36 is a throttling device, 37 is a refrigerant flow path, 48 is an exhaust port, 49 is an exhaust damper, and 50 is Inclined portion, 51 is an outer exhaust port, 53 is an intake port, 55 is a first temperature sensor, 56 is a second temperature sensor, 57 is a first refrigerant temperature sensor, 58 is a second refrigerant temperature sensor, and 59 is a third temperature sensor. Refrigerant temperature sensor (refrigerant temperature sensor), 60 is a fourth refrigerant temperature sensor, 61 is a control device (control means), and 65 is a humidity sensor.

Claims (8)

A drying chamber having an inlet and an outlet for drying air and containing clothes to be dried inside;
A circulation air passage having one end connected to the inlet and the other end connected to the outlet outside the drying chamber;
A blower provided in the circulation air passage for circulating the air in the drying chamber through the circulation air passage;
Heating means provided in the circulation air passage for heating the circulation air flowing through the circulation air passage;
An exhaust port for discharging the circulating air flowing through the circulating air passage out of the circulating air passage;
An exhaust damper that opens and closes the exhaust port;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulating air;
Control means for controlling a drying operation for drying the clothes,
The said control means is a clothes dryer which closes the said exhaust damper based on the said temperature sensor detecting preset temperature during the said drying operation.   The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed at a position in the circulation air passage to detect the temperature of the circulation air flowing through the outlet side.   The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the set temperature at which the exhaust damper is closed varies depending on outputs of the blower and the heating means. As a course of dry operation, we have a first course that aims to reduce power consumption and a second course that does not aim to reduce power consumption more than this first course,
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the set temperature for closing the exhaust damper is set higher in the first course than in the second course. A drying chamber having an inlet and an outlet for drying air and containing clothes to be dried inside;
A circulation air passage having one end connected to the inlet and the other end connected to the outlet outside the drying chamber;
A blower provided in the circulation air passage for circulating the air in the drying chamber through the circulation air passage;
Heating means provided in the circulation air passage for heating the circulation air flowing through the circulation air passage;
An exhaust port for discharging the circulating air flowing through the circulating air passage out of the circulating air passage;
An exhaust damper that opens and closes the exhaust port;
Control means for controlling a drying operation for drying the clothes,
The said control means is a clothes dryer which closes the said exhaust damper, when performing the sterilization process aiming at the sterilization of the said clothing in the said drying operation.   The clothes dryer according to claim 5, wherein the control means increases the output of the heating means in the sterilization process. A drying chamber having an inlet and an outlet for drying air and containing clothes to be dried inside;
A circulation air passage having one end connected to the inlet and the other end connected to the outlet outside the drying chamber;
A blower provided in the circulation air passage for circulating the air in the drying chamber through the circulation air passage;
Heating means provided in the circulation air passage for heating the circulation air flowing through the circulation air passage;
An exhaust port for discharging the circulating air flowing through the circulating air passage out of the circulating air passage;
An exhaust damper that opens and closes the exhaust port;
Control means for controlling a drying operation for drying the clothes,
The said control means is a clothes dryer which closes the said exhaust damper, when performing the wrinkle suppression process which suppresses that wrinkles generate | occur | produce in the said clothes in the said drying operation.   The clothes dryer according to claim 7, wherein the control means lowers the output of the heating means in the wrinkle suppression process.

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