JP3263179B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clothes dryer having a water-cooled heat exchanger for cooling and dehumidifying hot and humid drying air discharged from a drying chamber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A drying chamber for drying an object to be dried, a blower fan for sending air to the drying chamber, a heat source for heating drying air sent to the drying chamber, and a heat source discharged from the drying chamber. In a so-called dehumidification-type clothes dryer having a heat exchange unit for cooling and dehumidifying high-temperature and high-humidity dry air, the heat exchange unit is made to be a water-cooled system. There is no particular device that has a notification means when it is detected that it has not been performed.

[0003]

In a so-called dehumidification-type clothes dryer having a water-cooled heat exchange section, the user has forgotten or insufficiently opened the water faucet, clogged the cooling water passage, malfunctioned the water supply valve, disconnected the hose, If the cooling water is not supplied (or if the supply amount is insufficient) due to a drop in tap water pressure, freezing, etc., the circulating air for high-temperature and high-humidity drying will not be cooled (or will be insufficiently cooled). The abnormal temperature rises and the dehumidifying performance deteriorates.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to detect that cooling water is not supplied (or that the amount of cooling water is insufficient) by means of a simple, inexpensive and malfunction-free means so as to eliminate the above-mentioned problems. To inform.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a humidity detecting means for detecting a drum exhaust humidity and a temperature detecting means for detecting a drum exhaust temperature, wherein the drum exhaust humidity is controlled to a predetermined value. When the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) when the rise value of the drum exhaust temperature is not less than the predetermined value and the rise value of the drum exhaust temperature is not less than the predetermined value, this is notified.

[0006] Further, one or both of the humidity detecting means and the temperature detecting means are dry detecting means for detecting the degree of drying of the object to be dried.

[0007]

In a so-called dehumidification-type clothes dryer having a water-cooled heat exchange section, when the cooling water is no longer supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient), the temperature of the circulating air for drying generally increases. Become.

Therefore, if this temperature rise value is detected, the cooling water is no longer supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient).
You can see that.

However, the temperature rise value of the circulating air increases when the amount of the object to be dried is small, when the object to be dried is dried, and when the object to be dried approaches drying.

Therefore, in such a case, if only the temperature rise value of the circulating air is detected, it is erroneously determined that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) even though the cooling water is normally supplied. Is determined.

[0011] On the other hand, the humidity of the drum exhaust is determined when the amount of the material to be dried is small,
In addition, when the temperature of the circulating air for drying increases, such as when the material to be dried approaches drying, the humidity of the drum exhaust is reduced.

Therefore, even if the temperature rise value of the circulating air is large, if the humidity of the drum exhaust is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the erroneous determination can be prevented by determining that the cooling water is supplied.

[0013] When the cooling water is not supplied (or supply amount is small) it is detected, if the notification of this, the user of the clothes drying machine, can know this, the user By performing processing such as opening a water tap or requesting repair, it is possible to prevent the cooling water from being used in a state where it is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient).

Further, by using one or both of the humidity detecting means and the temperature detecting means as a drying detecting means for detecting the degree of drying of the object to be dried, the number of parts is increased and the structure is not complicated. , And can be manufactured at low cost.

When the door is opened or temporarily stopped when it is notified that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient), the notification is terminated and the user opens the door. Open the forgotten faucet,
Cooling water is not supplied (or supply is insufficient)
If the factor is removed, the remaining drying operation can be continued in a normal state, and when a condition occurs in which the cooling water is not supplied again (or the supply amount is insufficient) during this re-operation, this is correctly notified. (If the notification is performed continuously, it is not possible to distinguish when a condition that the cooling water is not supplied again occurs at the time of restarting after removing the above factors).

[0016]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 is an outer frame, 2 is a shaft rotatably supported in the outer frame 1, and a rotating drum for constituting a clothes drying chamber;
Reference numeral 3 denotes a heat source for obtaining hot air for drying, and reference numeral 4 denotes a drum drive belt for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor 5 to the rotary drum 2.

A drum air outlet 6 for discharging drying air indicated by a solid arrow in FIG. 1 is provided at a rear portion of the rotary drum 2, and a rear portion thereof is opposed to the drum air outlet 6. An inlet 7 is provided, and has a role of a blower for generating the drying air and cooling air (shown by a broken line in FIG. 1) for cooling the drying air flow, and cools the drying air. A fan casing 9 accommodating a double-wing fan 8 also serving as a heat exchange section is provided. The fan casing 9 is divided into a drying air side and a cooling air side by a partition plate 10 provided over the entire inner circumference and a felt 11 provided on the outer circumference of the two-wing fan 8. Reference numeral 12 denotes an airtight felt for keeping the fan casing 9 and the rotary drum 2 airtight. The drying air outlet of the fan casing 9 is
The duct 13 and the duct 14 provided with a drain port 21 on the way communicate with the heat source device 3.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a belt for the two-wing fan 8, 17 denotes a pulley for the two-wing fan 8, 18 denotes a drum support member, and 19 denotes an opening provided in front of the outer frame 1 for taking in and out a dried object (clothing). Door for opening and closing, 22 is a filter,
Reference numeral 20 denotes a drum front fixed wall for rotatably supporting the rotary drum 2 on its outer periphery.

The two-sided fan 8 is located on the inner peripheral side (upward of the drying air), and as shown in FIG. 2, is formed of a blade having a corrugated cross section, and is interposed through the blade wall surface. An air-cooled heat exchanger section 23 for exchanging heat of the drying air with the cooling air, and a heat exchanger section 23 located on the outer peripheral side (downstream side of the drying air) and having a comb-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. It has a water-cooled heat exchanger unit 25 that has blades, sprays cooling water with a nozzle 24, and diffuses the cooling water to the surface to exchange heat between the drying air and the cooling water.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a water supply valve for supplying the cooling water and controlling stop of the water supply, 27 denotes a water supply pipe connecting the water supply valve 26 and the nozzle 24, and 28 denotes a water supply valve for communicating the water supply valve 26 with a water tap. It is a hose.

Reference numeral 55 denotes cooling water jetted from the nozzle.

Next, an operation control method will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit of the clothes dryer according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a power plug connected to a commercial power supply of 100 V or 200 V, 30 a power switch, 31 a DC voltage for supplying a microcomputer 32 having a program for controlling the operation of the clothes dryer and a control electronic circuit. A power supply circuit, 33 is a transformer for lowering the voltage of 100 V or 200 V of commercial power supply to a voltage for an electronic circuit, 34 is a reset circuit for resetting the microcomputer 32 when the power is turned on, and 35 is a microcomputer. A clock circuit for generating a system clock required for the microcomputer 32, the microcomputer 32 transmits a switch input selected by a user such as setting of a drying course, setting of a heat source intensity (calorific value), operation start, and the like to the microcomputer 32. Switch input section for performing A lamp display section for notifying the user of the operation state of the machine, the drying course, and the intensity (heat generation) of the heat source 3 by lighting or blinking a lamp, and a microcomputer 38 receives an operation of an input switch by the microcomputer 32 ,
A buzzer notification section for sounding a buzzer when the driving is completed or the like to notify the user, 39 is a drying detection means for detecting changes in the humidity and temperature of the drying air and detecting the degree of drying of the clothes, 40 Is a drying detection circuit for transmitting information of the drying detection means 39 to the microcomputer 32;
Reference numeral 41 denotes a door switch which is turned ON / OFF in response to opening / closing of the door 19, reference numeral 42 denotes a door switch input taking-in circuit for transmitting the ON / OFF state of the door switch to the microcomputer 32, and reference numeral 43 denotes ON / O of the power switch 30.
A power switch input capture circuit for transmitting the FF state to the microcomputer 32. The power switch 44 is turned on for a certain period of time when the operation is completed or without operation.
The power switch 30 is automatically turned on when
A power switch disconnecting circuit for supplying power to a solenoid 45 for disconnecting a power switch for disconnecting the power; a frequency signal capturing circuit 46 for capturing the frequency of a power supply used for time counting into the microcomputer 32; A motor drive circuit for driving the motor 5 with the signal of the microcomputer 32, a heat source drive circuit for driving the heat source 3 with a signal from the microcomputer 32, a water supply valve drive circuit 49 for opening and closing the water supply valve 26, Numeral 50 denotes a drying air temperature detecting means.
In the vicinity of the drum air outlet. Reference numeral 51 denotes a temperature detection circuit for transmitting information of the temperature detection means 50 to the microcomputer 32.

FIG. 5 shows a switch input section 36 and a lamp display section 37. Reference numeral 52 denotes a start / pause switch for starting or temporarily stopping the operation, and 53 denotes a heat source 3. Is a heater changeover switch for switching the drying course, and a heater changeover switch for changing the drying course.

The intensity (heat generation) of the heat source 3 is switched by configuring the heat source 3 into two sets, A and B. When the heat source 3 is strengthened, both A and B are driven and the heat source 3 is weakened. This is done by driving either A or B.

Next, the operation of the clothes dryer will be described.

When the power plug 29 is inserted into the outlet, a DC voltage is generated by the power circuit 31 and a system clock is transmitted to the microcomputer 32 by the clock generation circuit 35. At the same time, the microcomputer 32 is reset by the reset circuit 34 to be in an operation state, and the clothes dryer is in a state of waiting for a user operation. When the user turns on the power switch 30, this information is transmitted to the microcomputer via the power switch input capture circuit 43, and a preset initial display is performed on the lamp display unit 37, and the switch input of the switch input unit 36 is performed. Can be accepted.

Next, the door 19 is opened by the user, and clothes to be dried are put in the rotating drum 2.
9 is closed, the door switch 41 is turned on,
Information that the door 19 has been closed is input to the microcomputer 32 through the door switch input fetch circuit 42, and the microcomputer 32 is in a state of waiting for operation start. Next, the user selects a drying course provided by some of the drying course changeover switches 54 of the switch input section 36 and a heater changeover switch 53.
When the user selects the intensity of the heat source 3 and operates the start / stop switch 52, the clothes dryer starts the drying operation.

When the drying operation is started, electric power is supplied to the heat source 3 and the electric motor 5 according to the instruction of the microcomputer 32, and the rotary drum 2 and the two-wing fan 8 rotate. As a result, the drying air heated by the heat source 3 is discharged from the rotating drum 2 and is sucked by the two-blade fan 8. The drying air is cooled by the heat exchange action of the two-wing fan 8 when passing through the two-wing fan, and the moisture taken from the object to be dried is condensed to form water droplets and is discharged out of the machine through the drain port 21. The drying air that has passed through the two-wing fan 8 reaches the heat source 3 again through the ducts 13 and 14, where it is heated and flows into the rotary drum 2, and this is continuously repeated to advance drying. When the clothes are dried, the clothes are detected by the drying detecting means 39 and transmitted to the microcomputer 32 through the drying detecting circuit 40. When the drying of the clothes is transmitted, the microcomputer 32 issues a command to the heat source driving circuit 48 in accordance with a predetermined program to stop the power supply to the heat source 3 and perform a blowing operation for cooling the clothes. When the air blowing operation has been performed for a predetermined time, a command is issued to the motor drive circuit 47 to terminate the operation. Then, when a predetermined time elapses after the operation is completed, an instruction is issued to the power switch disconnection circuit 44 to automatically disconnect the power switch 30.

In the above-mentioned drying operation, some causes such as forgetting or insufficient opening of the tap, clogging of the cooling water supply pipe 27 and the nozzle 24, failure of the water supply valve 26, disconnection of the hose 28, drop of tap water pressure, freezing, etc. Then, when the cooling water is no longer supplied (or when the supply amount is insufficient), the temperature of the circulating air at the drum air outlet 6 rises abnormally as shown in FIG. FIG. 6A shows the temperature rise value when the cooling water is normally supplied. Although the cooling water is supplied normally, the temperature rise value when the amount of the material to be dried in the rotary drum 2 is small is shown in FIG. Change in humidity of circulating air is shown in FIG.
The change in the humidity of the circulating air at the drum air outlet 6 when the amount of the material to be dried is small is shown by e in FIG.

When the humidity value at the drum air outlet 6 is equal to or higher than B and the temperature rise value at the air outlet 6 of the rotary drum is equal to or higher than A, the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient). Is programmed).

As is clear from FIG. 6, even when the cooling water is normally supplied, when the drying is almost completed and when the amount of the material to be dried in the rotary drum 2 is small, the temperature rise value is not increased. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the humidity is lower than B, and when the humidity is lower than B, cooling is performed even if the temperature rise value is higher than A. By not determining that water is not supplied (or insufficient), erroneous determination can be prevented.

Note that, depending on the type of clothing and the like, the characteristics shown in FIG.
In this case, the value of b may be further increased. In addition, when the humidity is higher than b for ₂ minutes from the start of operation but is not detected, and when the time during which b is higher is less than ₁ minute T Can also prevent erroneous determination by taking measures such as not detecting.

Next, a description will be given of a method of notifying when the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) by the above method.

In this case, the buzzer sounds intermittently for a predetermined time (for example, sounds for 0.3 minute ON-0.3 second OFF for 1 minute, etc.), and the "strong" and "weak" lamps of the heater switching 53 are blinked. Is programmed to be reported continuously.

As a result, the user of the clothes dryer notices that the cooling water is not supplied (or that the supply amount is insufficient), and takes measures such as opening a water tap or requesting repair. Can be done.

Note that the notification is programmed to end when the user opens the door 19 or operates the start / pause switch 52 to pause. As a result, if the user removes the factor that the cooling water is not supplied (or the supply amount is insufficient) by opening the door, temporarily stopping the operation, and opening the forgotten faucet, the normal operation is performed. The remaining drying operation can be continued in a good condition,
In addition, even when a condition occurs in which the cooling water is not supplied again (or the supply amount is insufficient) during the re-operation, this can be correctly notified (if the notification is continuously performed without terminating the notification, the above-described factor is eliminated). If a condition occurs such that the cooling water is not supplied again during the re-operation after the removal, it cannot be distinguished). The lamp display is programmed so that the power switch 30 is not automatically turned off immediately after the operation but is continued for a long time (for example, 24 hours).

Thus, even if the user is absent during the operation of the clothes dryer, it can be later noticed that the cooling water was not supplied (or the supply amount was insufficient).

[0041]

Since the present invention is as described above,
The state where the cooling water is not supplied (or the state where the supply amount is insufficient) can be reliably detected by a simple and inexpensive method.
It is possible to provide a clothes dryer capable of informing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line YY of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a switch input unit and a lamp display unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing changes in humidity and temperature of drum exhaust.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer frame, 2 ... Rotary drum, 3 ... Heat source, 5 ... Electric motor, 8
... Both-wing fans, 23... Air-cooled heat exchanger, 24. Nozzle, 25. Water-cooled heat exchanger, 26.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yasuo Ishikawa 3-7-1, Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (72) Inventor Akio Sato Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture 3-7-1, Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (72) Inventor Itaka Harada 3-7-1, Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (56) References JP-A-6-315598 (JP, a) JP flat 4-58997 (JP, a) JP flat 4-126196 (JP, a) JP Akira 57-43198 (JP, a) (58 ) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06F 58/28 D06F 58/24

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] [1 claim: a drum for drying objects to be dried, a blower fan for feeding air into the drum <br/>, a heat source for heating the drying air to be sent to the drum, discharge from the drum Cooling water is not supplied or the supply amount is insufficient in a clothes dryer having a water-cooled heat exchange unit for cooling and dehumidifying the dried high-temperature and high-humidity drying air.
Notification means to notify the drum exhaust humidity
Humidity detection means and the drum exhaust temperature
Temperature detecting means for detecting the
Value and the rise value of the drum exhaust temperature exceeds a predetermined value.
Cooling water is not supplied or the supply amount is
Judge that it is added and notify by the notification means
A clothes dryer characterized by the following. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the door is opened while notifying that the cooling water is not supplied or the supply amount is insufficient, the notification is terminated. Item 2. The clothes dryer according to Item 1. 3. A stopping means for temporarily stopping the operation during the drying operation is provided, and cooling water is not supplied.
Or when the amount of supply is informed that missing, clothes dryer of claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that so as to terminate the notification when paused. 4. The clothes dryer according to claim 3, wherein one or both of the humidity detecting means and the temperature detecting means are dry detecting means for detecting the degree of drying of the object to be dried.