JP2854040B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Industrial application field The present invention relates to a paid clothes dryer.

(B) Conventional technology Conventional clothing dryers are, for example,
As seen in No. 15496, it is a coin type that can be used by inserting coins, usually such a coin type clothes dryer, the drying operation time is determined according to the amount inserted at the start of use, When the drying operation time elapses, the drying operation is automatically stopped.

By the way, users of such a paid clothes dryer,
It is rare that the user is always near the dryer during the time up to the end of the drying, and relatively often leaves the place during the drying operation time. Therefore, even when the drying operation time is over, the clothes tend to remain in the dryer until the user returns to the place.

In such a state, from the viewpoint of the installer, other users cannot use the dryer, the operation rate of the dryer is deteriorated, and sufficient profit cannot be obtained.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention is to provide a clothes dryer which is a paid clothes dryer, which can increase an operation rate and can raise a sufficient profit.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention includes a drying chamber for accommodating the object to be dried, a drying mechanism for drying the object to be dried in the drying chamber, and has a function corresponding to the operation time of the drying mechanism. In a clothes dryer that finely collects an operating time fee, a usage time for calculating a usage time fee according to the usage time of the dryer from the time when the operation by the drying mechanism is completed to the time when an object to be dried is taken out from the drying chamber. A charge calculating means is provided, and the usage time charge calculated by the usage time charge calculating means is finely collected.

(E) Function If the object to be dried is not taken out of the drying chamber immediately after the end of the operation by the drying mechanism, the usage time fee is slightly collected according to the usage time of the dryer until it is taken out.

(F) Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
1 illustrates a paid clothes dryer that can use a storage member such as a so-called prepaid card (hereinafter simply referred to as a card).

Reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of a clothes dryer, in which a rotating drum (not shown) constituting a drying chamber and a hot air generator for supplying hot air to the inside of the rotating drum are provided. A well-known drying mechanism for drying the stored clothes and the like is stored. Reference numeral 2 denotes an entrance provided on the front surface of the main body 1 for taking clothes in and out of the drying chamber, reference numeral 3 denotes a door for opening and closing the entrance 2, and reference numeral 4 denotes an open handle rotatably provided on the door 3. The open handle 4 has a claw 5 that engages with the main body 1.
Is formed, and is urged by the spring 6 in the engagement direction. The claw 5 is provided with a locking means including an electromagnet 8 and a spring 9 for locking the door 3 in a closed state by passing the pin 7 through the claw 5. Reference numeral 10 denotes an operation unit provided on the front surface of the main body 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a display unit provided on the operation unit for displaying a drying operation time, etc., reference numeral 12 denotes a keyboard including numeric keys for inputting numbers, and reference numeral 13 denotes a card to be described later. This is an insertion slot for inserting

Numeral 14 denotes a magnetic card storing information on the amount of the prepaid fee, and a mounting mechanism provided inside the magnetic card via an insertion slot 13.
A read / write mechanism 16 including a magnetic head and the like, which is detachably attached to the attachment mechanism 15 and provided together with the attachment mechanism 15, enables reading and writing of money amount information. Reference numeral 17 denotes a control device that exchanges information with the keyboard 12, the read / write mechanism 16, and the like, and controls the motor, the heater, the display unit 11, and the like of the drying mechanism 18 described above. A microcomputer D70008C is used. 19 is a storage means comprising a ROM for storing data such as the drying time and a RAM for temporarily storing other data; 2
0 is a timer for measuring a drying time, etc., 21 and 22 are temperature sensors arranged in a hot air path connecting the drying chamber and the hot air generator, and 23 is a dip switch for setting a charge per unit time as described later. It is.

The operation of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 showing a flowchart of a program incorporated in the control device 17.

The magnetic card 14 has written therein information on the amount of the prepaid fee paid when the card was purchased.

In order to start drying the clothes, the clothes are housed in the drying room, and the magnetic card 14 is inserted into the insertion slot 13 to attach the clothes.
When the device is mounted on the storage device 15, the amount information is read out by the read / write mechanism 16 and stored in the storage device 19. If the card is an appropriate card and the amount information is not 0, a usable drying operation time is calculated for the amount information and displayed on the display unit 11. At the same time, the "during operation" lamp on the display unit 11 is turned on to indicate that the display time is the drying operation operation time.

Next, when a password and an "#" key are input from the keyboard 12, the password is stored in the storage device 19, and then the operation time is started to be counted by the timer 20, and at the same time, the operation of the locking means is started. The electromagnet 8 is energized, the pin 7 is attracted, penetrates through the pawl 5 to prevent its movement, locks the door 3, and drives the drying mechanism 18 to start the drying operation.

The drying operation is executed with reference to the detection results of the temperature sensors 21 and 22 to determine whether or not the drying of the clothes has been completed. For the specific method of such a judgment, see
No. 26397 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-163400 are described in detail, and are not described here.

When determining that the drying has not been completed, the control device 17 calculates remaining amount information from the amount information stored in the storage device 19 and the operation time counted by the timer 20. This calculation is performed by subtracting the product of the operating time fee A per unit time (for example, 10 yen / 3 minutes) and the operating time counted by the timer 20 from the amount information stored in the storage device 19. That is, the operation on this program corresponds to the operating time fee calculating means. If the calculated remaining amount information is not 0, the remaining amount of operable time is calculated by dividing the amount of money information by the operating time fee A per unit time, and the operable time is displayed on the display unit 11. To continue driving.
If the remaining amount information is 0, the inserted magnetic card 14
The drying operation is stopped, the door 3 is unlocked, and the magnetic card
Write 0 as amount information in 14 and return the card to the user.

As a result of the temperature detection, when it is determined that the drying is completed, the control device 17 stops the driving of the drying mechanism 18, ends the drying operation, and performs an operation of storing the dried clothes as described below.

First, in order to indicate that the state of the dryer is not running but stopped, the `` running '' lamp on the display 11 is turned off, the `` stopped '' lamp is turned on, and the timer 20 is reset. The timer 20 starts counting the usage time when the dryer is not operating.

Subsequently, it is determined whether a password for opening the door 3 has been input. If there is no input, the remaining amount information is calculated from the remaining amount information at the end of drying and the storage time counted by the timer 20. This calculation is performed by subtracting the product of the usage time fee B per unit time (for example, 10 yen / 12 minutes) and the storage time counted by the timer 20 from the price information at the end of drying. That is, the operation on this program corresponds to a usage time fee calculating means. If the calculated remaining amount information is not 0, the remaining amount of usable time is calculated by dividing the amount of money information by the usage time fee B per unit time, and the available time is displayed on the display unit 11.
And the storage operation is continued. If the remaining amount information is 0, it means that the inserted amount information of the magnetic card 14 has been used up. Therefore, the storage operation is stopped and the door 3 is unlocked.
And return the card to the user.

When the user inputs a password from the keyboard 12 to open the door 3 during the storage operation of the clothes, the input password is entered at the start of driving and stored in the storage device 19. Is determined. If the match is confirmed and the "#" key is pressed, the control
17 turns off the power supply to the electromagnet 8 to unlock the door 3 and writes the remaining amount information on the magnetic card 14 and returns the card to the user.

According to the above configuration, even after the drying operation is completed, the fee is slightly collected according to the usage time, so that the user is promptly taken out of the dried clothes to increase the operation rate, and the non-operation time is also increased. By earning a small fee, you can generate high profits. Further, it is possible to separately set a charge A per unit time of the operation time fee that is finely collected according to the drying operation time and a charge B per unit time of the use time fee that is finely collected according to the use time. Therefore, it is possible to set an appropriate fee such as making fee A higher than fee B. The charges A and B can be freely set by the setter by appropriately operating the dip switch 23 in the main body.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the door 3 cannot be opened even after the drying is completed within a range where the price information of the magnetic card 14 is present,
Since the lock on the door 3 is released after confirming the coincidence of the personal identification numbers input at the start of the drying operation, there is no danger of clothes being stolen.

In the present embodiment, the magnetic card 14 stores the amount information in yen. However, for example, the magnetic card 14 stores a simple frequency as the amount information, and the driving time fee calculating means and the usage time fee calculating means store the information. The time ratio of frequency subtraction may be changed. In addition, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the one using a prepaid card. A configuration in which the sum of the hourly fee and the usage hourly fee is deducted from the employee's salary may be adopted. In this case, it is convenient if the computer 17 for calculating the salary of the company is connected to the control device 17 of the clothes dryer and the computer is charged with the total charge. Further, in the present embodiment, the temperature sensors 21 and 22 are used for judging the end of the drying. However, instead of them, for example, a humidity sensor may be used, and the present invention has a configuration using a manual timer that does not detect the drying. Can also be applied.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, when the object to be dried is not taken out of the drying chamber immediately after the end of the operation by the drying mechanism, the usage time fee is slightly reduced according to the usage time of the dryer until it is taken out. As a result, the user can be promptly taken out of the dried object after drying, and the operating rate of the clothes dryer can be increased, and high profits can be obtained.

Further, by collecting the fee slightly even during non-driving hours, higher profits can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing control, FIG. 2 is a front view, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a locking mechanism, FIG. FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram. 14: magnetic card, 15: mounting mechanism, 16: reading / writing mechanism, 18: drying mechanism.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A clothes drying apparatus, comprising: a drying chamber for accommodating an object to be dried; a drying mechanism for drying the object to be dried in the drying chamber; and a fine collection of an operation time fee corresponding to an operation time of the drying mechanism. An operation time charge calculating means for calculating an operation time charge according to the operation time of the dryer from the end of the operation by the drying mechanism until the object to be dried is taken out of the drying chamber; A clothes dryer characterized in that the usage time fee calculated by the fee calculation means is slightly collected.