JP7129596B2 - clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a clothes dryer for drying clothes.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a washing and drying machine that detects the temperature of circulating air with a plurality of temperature sensors installed in a circulating air passage, and determines the end of the drying operation from the temperature difference.

The washing and drying machine in Patent Document 1 includes a rotating drum for storing clothes, a heater for heating circulating air, a heat exchange type double-bladed fan for circulating warm air and dehumidifying the circulating air, and a second sensor for detecting exhaust temperature. 1 thermistor, a second thermistor for detecting the intake air temperature, and drying time setting means for setting the drying time. When the temperature of the first thermistor reaches a predetermined temperature, the drying time setting means sets the remaining drying time based on the elapsed time from the start of operation and the temperature difference between the first thermistor and the second thermistor. set.

JP-A-9-10495

However, since the conventional clothes dryer sets the remaining drying time based on the fact that the predetermined temperature is reached as a criterion, the clothes are dried before the remaining drying time ends, resulting in excessive heating. There is a risk that the clothes that have been washed will be damaged.

The present disclosure provides a clothes dryer that prevents overheating of the clothes to be dried.

A clothes dryer according to the present disclosure includes a housing, an outer tub elastically supported inside the housing, an inner tub disposed rotatably inside the outer tub and containing laundry, A first air passage connected to the outer tub for introducing drying air into the inner tub, and a second air passage connected to the outer tub for discharging the air used to dry the laundry from the inner tub. and a control unit for controlling a series of drying operations, the first air passage is provided with a first heat detection unit for detecting a temperature T1 in the first air passage, and the The second air duct is provided with a second heat detection unit that detects the temperature T2 in the second air duct, and the first heat detection unit and the second heat detection unit include at least three The controller detects the n-th temperature T1 n and the temperature T2 n at a preset time tn, and detects the temperature T1 n and the temperature T2 n detected at the time tn. The difference Dn is calculated, and at the time tn+1 after the elapse of a predetermined time from the time tn , the temperature T1 n+1 and the temperature T2 n+1 are detected for the n+1th time, and the temperature T1 n +1 and the temperature T2 n+1 detected at the time tn+1 are detected. at time tn+2 after a predetermined time has elapsed from time tn+1, the temperature T1n+2 and temperature T2n+2 are detected for the n+2th time, and the difference Dn+2 between the temperature T1n+2 detected at time tn+2 and the temperature T2n+2 is calculated, and when the difference Dn+1 is larger than the difference Dn by a predetermined value or more and the difference Dn+2 is larger than the difference Dn+1 by a predetermined value or more , it is determined that the drying operation is finished.

The clothes dryer in the present disclosure can prevent overheating of dried clothes.

Longitudinal sectional view of the drum-type washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1 Cross-sectional view of the configuration related to the drying function of the drum-type washer/dryer (a) Schematic diagram showing the time change of the temperature at the exhaust port and the temperature at the intake port during the drying operation of the drum-type washer-dryer, (b) Time difference between cotton and synthetic fiber during the drying operation of the drum-type washer-dryer Schematic diagram comparing changes Schematic diagram showing the time change of the difference in the drying operation of the drum-type washer/dryer Flowchart showing end determination processing in the drying operation of the drum-type washer/dryer (a) Schematic diagram showing time change of the difference in the drying operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine in Embodiment 2, (b) Flowchart showing end determination processing in the drying operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine Longitudinal cross-sectional view of a drum-type washer/dryer according to Embodiment 3 (a) Schematic diagram showing temporal changes in the temperature downstream of the heating means and the temperature downstream of the filter device during the drying operation of the drum-type washer-dryer, (b) Time difference during the drying operation of the drum-type washer-dryer Schematic diagram showing changes

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 shows a drum-type washing and drying machine in which the clothes dryer according to the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing machine.

A basic configuration of a drum-type washing and drying machine will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a drum-type washer/dryer according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

The water tank 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is elastically supported inside the housing 6 by a damper 5 . The water tank 3 is arranged so that the opening faces the front in FIG. 1, and the center axis is provided so as to incline toward the back. The rotating drum 2 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape like the water tank 3 and is rotatably provided inside the water tank 3 . The rotating drum 2 is arranged so that the opening faces the same direction as the opening of the water tank 3, and accommodates the laundry inside.

The water supply valve 10 is provided in the rear part of the housing 6 , and a water supply pipeline (not shown) is provided so as to connect the water supply valve 10 and the water tank 3 . The water supply pipe supplies water to the water tank 3 when the water supply valve 10 is opened. A drain valve 12 and a drain pipe 13 are provided at the bottom of the water tank 3 . The drain pipe 13 drains dirty washing water to the outside when the drain valve 12 is opened.

A motor 14 is provided at the rear of the water tank 3 and is connected to the rotating drum 2 . The motor 14 rotates the rotary drum 2 to agitate the laundry in the rotary drum 2 . The stirring blades 4 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum 2, and as the rotating drum 2 rotates, the laundry in the rotating drum 2 is lifted and dropped from above. The door 9 is formed in a rectangular shape and provided so as to cover the opening of the rotating drum 2 so as to be able to be opened and closed. A user can open the door 9 to load and unload the laundry inside the rotary drum 2 .

A configuration relating to the drying function of the drum-type washer/dryer will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration relating to the drying function of the drum-type washer/dryer according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

The intake path 25 is a path for supplying intake air from the intake port 23 into the rotating drum 2 . In this embodiment, the intake path 25 is composed of the intake port 23 , the filter housing chamber 35 , the intake port 33 , the intake pipe line 27 , the first connection hose 29 , and the blower inlet 15 provided in the water tank 3 . In FIG. 2 , an intake port 23 is arranged in the housing 6 and is provided in the vicinity of the back surface of the top panel 7 so as to open upward. The intake port 23 sucks air from outside the housing 6 through a gap between parts.

The exhaust path 26 is a path through which the drying air after drying the clothes in the rotary drum 2 is exhausted from the inside of the rotary drum 2 to the exhaust port 24 . The exhaust path 26 is composed of an exhaust pipeline 28 that communicates with the blower outlet 16 provided in the water tank 3 , the second connection hose 30 , the filter housing chamber 35 , the exhaust port 34 , and the exhaust port 24 . The exhaust port 24 is arranged in the upper part of the back side of the housing 6 and is provided so as to open to the outside of the housing 6 . In addition, the exhaust port 24 is provided with a grid-like cover body 24a for preventing entry of foreign matter.

Thus, the drying path 19 is composed of the intake path 25 , the water tank 3 , the rotating drum 2 and the exhaust path 26 .

A first lint filter unit 21 and a second lint filter unit 22 are mounted in the filter housing chamber 35 . The intake path 25 in the filter housing chamber 35 is composed of the first intake portion 21 a of the first lint filter unit 21 , the second intake portion 22 a of the second lint filter unit 22 , and the intake port 33 . Similarly, the exhaust path 26 in the filter housing chamber 35 is composed of the first discharge portion 21 b of the first lint filter unit 21 , the second discharge portion 22 b of the second lint filter unit 22 , and the discharge port 34 .

The air intake pipe 27 is provided with a heater 39 as a heating section and a blower fan 20 as a blower section. The heater 39 uses a PTC heater which is relatively inexpensive and has characteristics such as self-temperature control. A centrifugal fan is used as the blower fan 20 .

The exhaust path 26 is provided with an exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 for detecting the temperature of the air exhausted from the rotary drum 2 . An intake air temperature detection sensor 50 is arranged in the intake path 25 . The intake air temperature detection sensor 50 detects the temperature of the air that has flowed in from the intake port 23 .

The motor 14 , the heater 39 , the blower fan 20 and the like are controlled by a controller (not shown) such as a microcontroller disposed inside the housing 6 . The control unit controls the drum-type washer/dryer according to operation instructions input from the operation unit.

Next, the basic operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine during the washing/drying operation will be described.

A user opens the door 9 and throws laundry (hereinafter referred to as clothes as an example) into the rotating drum 2 through the opening 11 . Subsequently, when the user puts the detergent into the detergent injection unit 18 and inputs the selection input of the operation course and the operation start from the operation unit (not shown), the detergent mixed with the detergent injected into the detergent injection unit 18 is mixed. Water is supplied into the water tank 3 and the washing process is started. In the washing process, the rotary drum 2 is rotationally driven, and the agitating blades 4 lift the clothes and drop them from above to wash by beating. When the washing process is finished, the drain valve 12 is opened and the dirty washing water is discharged outside through the drain pipe 13. - 特許庁After the washing process, each process of rinsing and dehydration is carried out.

By selecting and inputting a washing/drying course from the operation unit, the drum-type washing/drying machine can shift to a drying operation for drying the clothes after the spin-drying process is completed. It is also possible to operate the clothes dryer by only performing the drying operation.

Next, the operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine during the drying operation will be described.

When the drying operation starts, the drum-type washing machine rotates the rotating drum 2 and blows drying air into the rotating drum 2 . The drying air is sucked from the intake port 23 by rotating the blower fan 20 . The sucked drying air is heated by the heater 39 provided in the suction pipe 27 and blown into the water tank 3 from the blowing inlet 15 . The heated drying air flows into the rotating drum 2 and hits the clothes, evaporating the moisture of the clothes. Air containing water vapor is discharged from the air outlet 24 to the outside of the machine. As a result, drying of the clothes accommodated in the rotating drum 2 proceeds.

The process for determining the end of the drying operation will be described.

First, referring to FIG. 3, the temperature change inside the rotating drum 2 during the drying operation will be described.

FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram showing the time change of the temperature at the exhaust port and the temperature at the intake port during the drying operation of the drum type washing/drying machine, and FIG. 3(b) is the drying operation of the drum type washing/drying machine. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram comparing the time change of the difference between cotton and synthetic fiber in .

As shown in FIG. 3A, the intake air temperature T1 detected by the intake air temperature detection sensor 50 takes a value close to the room temperature, and gradually rises as the air is heated during drying. On the other hand, the exhaust temperature T2 detected by the exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 fluctuates greatly according to the temperature inside the rotary drum 2 .

The difference between the intake air temperature T1 and the exhaust temperature T2 is defined as a difference Dn. As shown in FIG. 3B, when the clothes are wet, the heat of the drying air is mainly used to evaporate the water, so the difference Dn gently increases. When the water evaporates to some extent and the clothes are almost dry, the difference Dn begins to rise sharply. Therefore, the value of the difference at which the drying is almost completed is set as a threshold value B, and when the difference Dn exceeds the threshold value B, the drying operation is terminated after a predetermined time has elapsed.

However, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the increasing pattern of the difference Dn differs between cotton and synthetic fiber. Since synthetic fibers have a lower water absorption rate than cotton, drying is completed in a shorter time than cotton when heated in the same way as cotton. If the heating is continued while the clothes are already dry, the clothes may become overdried and the quality of the clothes may deteriorate. In order to deal with different rising patterns of the difference Dn, in the present embodiment, even before the difference Dn exceeds the threshold value B, if the difference Dn starts to rise at a certain rate or more, the drying is almost finished. Then, the drying operation is terminated.

A flow for judging whether the drying operation is completed will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the time change of the difference in the drying operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine, and FIG.

In FIG. 5, when the drying operation starts, the control unit starts the end determination process (S100). Temperature detection by the intake air temperature detection sensor 50 and the exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 is performed every second.

The control unit calculates an average value T1n of the values of the intake air temperature T1 detected in 10 minutes (S101). Taking 10 minute averages can reduce the impact of outliers. Subsequently, the control unit calculates an average value T2n, which is the average value of the exhaust gas temperature T2 detected for 10 minutes (S102).

The controller calculates a difference Dn between the intake air temperature T1n and the exhaust temperature T2n (S103) . Let time tn be the time at which Dn is calculated, and let n be a natural number. Similarly, intake air temperature T1n and exhaust gas T2n are values calculated at time tn. In this embodiment, Dn is configured to be calculated every minute, time tn-1 is one minute before time tn, and difference Dn-1 is calculated one minute before difference Dn. value.

After the calculation of the difference Dn is completed (S103), it is determined whether Dn is equal to or greater than the threshold value B (S104). The threshold B is a predetermined value. If Dn is equal to or greater than the threshold value B (S104, Yes), it is determined that the clothes are already almost dry, and the remaining operation time is set to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed (S108), the drying operation ends (S110).

If Dn is smaller than the threshold value B in S104, it is determined that the drying of the clothes has not finished yet (S104, NO). Therefore, the drying condition is determined from the increase rate of the difference Dn using the determinations of S105 to S107.

The control unit compares the difference Dn at time tn with the difference Dn-1 at time tn-1. If the difference Dn is equal to or greater than the difference Dn−1+α (S105, Yes), it is determined that the difference Dn increases from time tn−1 to time tn, and the process proceeds to the next step S106. α is a predetermined constant. If the difference Dn is smaller than the difference Dn−1+α (S105, No), the process returns to step S101.

If S105 is Yes, the difference Dn-1 at time tn-1 and the difference Dn-2 at time tn-2 are compared. If the difference Dn-1 is equal to or greater than the difference Dn-2+α (S106, Yes), it is determined that the difference Dn increases from time tn-2 to time tn-1, and the process proceeds to the next step S107. If the difference Dn-1 is smaller than the difference Dn-2+α (S106, No), the process returns to step S101.

If S106 is Yes, the difference Dn-2 at time tn-2 and the difference Dn-3 at time tn-3 are compared. If the difference Dn-2 is smaller than the difference Dn-3+α (S107, No), the process returns to step S101. If the difference Dn-2 is equal to or greater than the difference Dn-3+α (S107, Yes), it can be determined that the difference Dn continues to increase from time tn-3 to time tn-2.

If all of S105 to S107 are Yes, the difference Dn continues to rise from time tn-3 to time tn, so it is determined that the clothes are almost dry, and the remaining operating time is set to a predetermined time of 15 minutes. to proceed to the next step S108.

In step S108, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time of 15 minutes has elapsed. After 15 minutes have passed, the controller terminates the drying operation (S110).

In the present embodiment, it is determined that the clothes are substantially dry only when it is determined that the difference Dn increases continuously. As a result, it is possible to reduce the influence of outliers and suppress erroneous determinations.

Also, β, which is a value greater than a predetermined value α, is provided, and when Dn-1 is greater than Dn-2 by α or more and Dn is greater than Dn-1 by β or more, it is determined that the clothes are substantially dry. You may As a result, it is possible to detect a rapid increase in the difference Dn, so that it is possible to detect a state in which the clothes are already dried and the heating is continued. Therefore, it is possible to precisely prevent the clothes from being overdried. It should be noted that as β is set larger, a rapid increase in the difference Dn can be detected.

As described above, the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the present embodiment includes a housing 6, a water tank 3 elastically supported inside the housing 6, and rotatably disposed inside the water tank 3, A rotating drum 2 for storing clothes, an intake path 25 connected to the water tank 3 and introducing drying air to the rotating drum 2, and an exhaust connected to the water tank 3 for discharging the air used for drying the clothes from the rotating drum 2. It has a path 26 and a controller that controls a series of drying operations. The intake path 25 is provided with an intake temperature detection sensor 50 that detects the temperature T1 in the intake path 25, the exhaust path 26 is provided with an exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 that detects the temperature T2 in the exhaust path 26, The control unit detects the temperature T1n-1 and the temperature T2n-1 at a preset time tn-1, and calculates the difference Dn-1 between the temperature T1n-1 and the temperature T2n-1 detected at tn-1. Also, at time tn when a predetermined time has passed from tn-1, temperature T1n and temperature T2n are detected, difference Dn between temperature T1 and temperature T2 detected at tn is calculated, and difference Dn-1 and difference Dn are calculated. The end of the drying operation is determined by comparing with the difference of .

As a result, it is possible to detect a rapid temperature rise due to the completion of drying of the clothes, and to terminate the drying operation before overdrying occurs. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the clothes from being damaged by excessively heating the dried clothes.

As in the present embodiment, the intake air temperature detection sensor 50 and the exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 perform detection at least three times, and the controller detects the difference between the temperature T1n-2 and the temperature T2n-2 at the n-2th time. The difference Dn-2, the difference Dn-1 between the temperature T1n-1 and the temperature T2n-1 at the n-1th time, and the difference Dn between the temperature T1n and the temperature T2n at the n-th time are calculated, and the difference Dn-2 is calculated. is greater than the difference Dn-1 by a predetermined value α or more, and the difference Dnn-1 is greater than the difference Dn by a predetermined value α or more.

As a result, it is possible to accurately detect a rapid temperature rise due to the completion of drying of the clothes, and to terminate the drying operation before excessive drying occurs. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the clothes from being damaged by excessively heating the dried clothes.

As in the present embodiment, the intake path 25 is provided with an intake port 23 for taking in air, the intake air temperature detection sensor 50 is arranged near the intake port 23, and the exhaust path 26 is connected to the housing 6. In addition, an exhaust port 24 that opens to the outside of the housing 6 may be provided, and the exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 may be arranged near the exhaust port 24 .

Thus, the temperature in the inner tub can be accurately detected by setting the temperature in the vicinity of the air inlet, which exhibits a relatively constant temperature, to the temperature T1 in the exhaust-type clothes dryer. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the clothes from being damaged by excessively heating the dried clothes.

As in the present embodiment, the intake air temperature detection sensor 50 and the exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 perform detection at least three times, and the controller detects the difference between the temperature T1n-2 and the temperature T2n-2 at the n-2th time. The difference Dn-2, the difference Dn-1 between the temperature T1n-1 and the temperature T2n-1 at the n-1th time, and the difference Dn between the temperature T1n and the temperature T2n at the n-th time are calculated, and the difference Dn-1 is calculated. and the difference Dn is larger than the difference between the difference Dn-2 and the difference Dn-1 by a predetermined value or more, the end of the drying operation may be determined.

As a result, signs of rapid temperature rise in the inner tub can be determined, and signs of overdrying of the clothes can be accurately detected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the clothes from being damaged by excessively heating the dried clothes.

(Embodiment 2)
Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The drum type washing/drying machine according to the second embodiment has the same structure as the drum type washing/drying machine.

FIG. 6(a) is a schematic diagram showing the time change of the difference in the drying operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine according to Embodiment 2, and FIG. is.

When the drying operation starts, the control unit starts the end determination process (S200). The control unit calculates a moving average T1n for 10 minutes at temperature T1 and a moving average T2n for 10 minutes at temperature T2, and calculates a difference Dn between T1n and T2n (not shown). . The control unit continues to calculate the difference Dn until the difference Dn reaches the threshold value S (S201). When the difference Dn reaches the threshold value S, the controller compares the time tA elapsed until the threshold value S is reached with a predetermined value t0 (S202). The threshold value S is a value set in advance, and is a value at which moisture is substantially removed from the clothes in the rotary drum 2 . If tA is equal to or greater than the predetermined value t0 (S202, Yes), it is determined that the amount of clothes in the rotary drum 2 is large and thus it takes time, and the process proceeds to S206. If tA is smaller than the predetermined value t0 (S202, No), it is determined that the amount of clothes is small, and the process proceeds to S203.

In S203, the control unit continues to calculate the difference Dn until the difference Dn reaches the threshold A. When the difference Dn reaches the threshold A (S203, Yes), the time tB elapsed until the difference Dn reaches the threshold A is compared with a predetermined value t2 (S204). The threshold value A is a preset value, and is a difference value at which the clothes are almost dry. As described above, in the present embodiment, the time tB for the difference Dn to reach the threshold S from the threshold A is calculated, and whether the time tB is long or short determines whether the difference Dn rises sharply. The length of the time tB depends on the material of the clothing, and the greater the proportion of synthetic fibers in the clothing, the shorter the time tB. If the time tB is less than or equal to the predetermined value t2 in S204 (S204, Yes), it is determined that the clothes in the rotary drum 2 are mostly dry because the proportion of synthetic fibers is large, and the process proceeds to S208. On the other hand, if the time tB is longer than the predetermined value t2 (S204, No), it is determined that the proportion of synthetic fibers in the clothes is small and the clothes are not yet dry, and the process proceeds to S205.

If tA is greater than or equal to the predetermined value t0 in S202 (S202, Yes), the process proceeds to S206. In S206, the control unit continues to calculate the difference Dn until the difference Dn reaches the threshold A. When the difference Dn reaches the threshold A (S206, Yes), the time tB elapsed until the difference Dn reaches the threshold A is compared with a predetermined value t1 (S207). Note that t1 is preset to a value larger than t2 when performing the determination of S207 because the amount of clothing is greater than when performing the determination of S204. If the time tB is less than or equal to the predetermined value t1 in S207 (S207, Yes), it is determined that the clothes in the rotating drum 2 are mostly dry because the ratio of synthetic fibers is large, and the process proceeds to S208. On the other hand, if the time tB is longer than the predetermined value t1 (S207, No), it is determined that the proportion of synthetic fibers in the clothes is small and the clothes are not yet dry, and the process proceeds to S205.

In S205, the control unit continues to calculate the difference Dn until the difference Dn reaches the threshold B. If the proportion of synthetic fibers in the garment is small, in other words, if the proportion of cotton in the garment is large, a longer drying time is required for the garment to dry completely. Therefore, heating is continued until the difference Dn reaches the threshold value B (S205, No). When the difference Dn reaches the threshold value B, the process proceeds to S208 (S205, Yes).

The control unit sets the remaining operating time to 15 minutes in S208. When the predetermined time of 15 minutes has passed (S208, Yes), the control section ends the drying operation (S210).

As described above, the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the present embodiment calculates the elapsed time tA until the difference Dn between the temperature T1 and the temperature T2 becomes the difference Dn+1, which is the threshold value S, from the difference Dn. If tA is smaller than a predetermined value t0, the end of the drying operation is determined.

In this way, since a rapid increase in the difference Dn is determined by comparing the value of the time tA with a predetermined value, it is less susceptible to the outliers of the difference Dn. Therefore, erroneous determination that the clothes are almost dry can be prevented, and overdrying of the clothes can be prevented with high accuracy.

(Embodiment 3)
Embodiment 3 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG.

The drum-type washing/drying machine according to the third embodiment differs from the drum-type washing/drying machine according to the first embodiment in that a heat pump unit 61 is used instead of the heater 39 . Therefore, the surroundings of the heat pump unit 61 will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a drum-type washing/drying machine according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

7, the heat pump unit 61 includes a heat pump case 66, a dehumidifying means 62, a heating means 63, and a filter device 69. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the heat pump case 66 is made of resin and shaped like a box. A filter device accommodating portion 68 having an upper opening is formed in the front portion of the heat pump case 66 to accommodate a filter device 69 . The filter device 69 is detachably arranged so as to be fitted in the filter device accommodating portion 68, and filters introduced air. A second sensor 72 is arranged downstream of the filter device 69 and measures the temperature T4 of the filtered air. A dehumidifying means 62 and a heating means 63 are included behind the heat pump case 66 . The dehumidifier 62 cools the air introduced into the heat pump case 66 and condenses water vapor in the air into water. A water discharge path 67 is connected to the lower portion of the heat pump case 66 to discharge water generated by the dehumidifying means 62 to the water tank 3 . The heating means 63 heats the dehumidified air.

One end of the first circulation air passage 64 is connected to the rear portion of the heat pump case 66 , and the other end of the first circulation air passage 64 is connected to the water tank 3 . A blower fan 20 is provided in the first circulation air passage 64 to suck in the air inside the heat pump case 66 and blow the air to the water tank 3 . A first sensor 71 is arranged downstream of the blower fan 20 to measure the temperature T3 of the air heated by the heating means 63 .

A second circulation air passage 65 is connected to the upper portion of the water tank 3 . A second sensor 72 is arranged in the second air circulation path 65 to measure the temperature T4 of the air discharged from the water tank 3 . The second air circulation path 65 extends upward and connects with the heat pump unit 61 arranged in the upper part of the housing 6 .

The drying path in the present embodiment is composed of the first air circulation path 64 , the heat pump unit 61 , the second air circulation path 65 and the rotating drum 2 . The circulation path sucks the moist air in the water tank 3 in the direction of the arrow a and sends dry, high-temperature air into the rotating drum 2 to dry the clothes.

The operation of the drum-type washer/dryer configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8(a) is a schematic diagram showing temporal changes in the temperature downstream of the heating means and the temperature downstream of the filter device in the drying operation of the drum-type washing/drying machine, and FIG. 8(b) is the drum-type washing/drying machine. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the time change of the difference in the drying operation of the machine.

Since the temperature T3 is the temperature of the circulating air heated by the heating means 63, it is high and increases at a substantially constant rate of change. On the other hand, since the temperature T4 is the temperature of the circulating air discharged from the rotary drum 2, it is characterized by a sudden rise when the drying of the clothes is finished.

The drying operation end determination process will be described below.

The control unit compares the difference Dn at time tn with the difference Dn-1 at time tn-1. If the difference Dn is equal to or less than the difference Dn-1-α, it is determined that the difference Dn decreases from time tn-1 to time tn, and the process proceeds to the next step. α is a predetermined constant. If the difference Dn is greater than the difference Dn-1-α, the process returns to the step of calculating the difference Dn.

If the difference Dn is less than or equal to the difference Dn-1-α, the difference Dn-1 at time tn-1 is compared with the difference Dn-2 at time tn-2. If the difference Dn-1 is equal to or less than the difference Dn-2-α, it is determined that the difference Dn decreases from time tn-2 to time tn-1, and the process proceeds to the next step. If the difference Dn-1 is greater than the difference Dn-2-α, the process returns to the step of calculating the difference Dn.

If the difference Dn-1 is equal to or less than the difference Dn-2-α, the difference Dn-2 at time tn-2 and the difference Dn-3 at time tn-3 are compared. If the difference Dn-2 is greater than the difference Dn-3-α, the process returns to the step of calculating the difference Dn. If the difference Dn-2 is less than or equal to the difference Dn-3-α, it can be determined that the difference Dn continues to decrease from time tn-3 to time tn-2. If the difference Dn continues to decrease from time tn-3 to time tn, it is determined that the clothes are almost dry, and the remaining operating time is set to a predetermined time of 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed, the controller terminates the drying operation.

As described above, the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the present embodiment includes the housing 6, the water tank 3 elastically supported inside the housing 6, and the water tank 3 rotatably disposed inside the housing 6. a second circulation air passage 65 that is connected to the water tank 3 and introduces the dried circulating air into the rotating drum 2; and is connected to the water tank 3 to rotate the circulating air that has dried the clothes It has a first circulation air passage 64 for discharging from the drum 2 and a control section for controlling a series of drying operations. The second air circulation path 65 is provided with a second sensor 72 for detecting the temperature T3 in the second air circulation path 65, and the first air circulation path 64 is provided with the temperature T4 in the exhaust path 26. A first sensor 71 is provided for detecting the temperature T1n-1 and the temperature T2n-1 at a preset time tn-1, and the temperature T1n-1 detected at tn-1 and the temperature A difference Dn-1 from T2n-1 is calculated, temperature T1n and temperature T2n are detected at time tn when a predetermined time has elapsed from tn-1, and difference Dn between temperature T1 and temperature T2 detected at tn is calculated. is calculated, and the difference between the difference Dn-1 and the difference Dn is compared to determine the end of the drying operation.

As a result, even in a drum-type washing and drying machine that circulates drying air, it is possible to determine the end of the drying operation using the differential temperature change. Therefore, even in a drum-type washing/drying machine that circulates drying air, excessive drying of the clothes can be suppressed.

(Embodiment 4)
Embodiment 4 will be described below.

A drum-type washing/drying machine according to the fourth embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first and second embodiments.

At the start of the washing operation, the controller measures the load torque of the rotating drum 2 . At this time, the clothes stored in the rotating drum 2 are in a dry state. A drum-type washing and drying machine performs a dehydration operation after executing a series of washing operations.

Immediately after the dehydration operation is completed, the clothes are in a wet state, and have absorbed an amount of water corresponding to the type of the clothes. Generally, it is known that clothes with a high proportion of cotton absorb a large amount of water, and clothes with a high proportion of synthetic fibers absorb less water. In other words, when the ratio of the synthetic fibers in the clothing is high, the clothing has a low water absorption rate, and when the ratio of the synthetic fibers is low, the clothing has a high water absorption rate. The controller measures the load torque of the rotary drum 2 after the dehydration operation is completed, and compares it with the load torque at the start of the washing operation. If the water absorption rate of the clothes is low, the difference in load torque will be small, and if the water absorption rate of the clothes is high, the difference in load torque will be large. can do. After the end of the washing operation, the control unit sets a predetermined time for determining the end of the drying operation based on the determined ratio of the synthetic fiber.

The operation for judging the end of the drying operation will be described below with reference to FIG.

As described above, the control unit sets a predetermined time, which is the remaining drying time, before the drying operation starts. In the present embodiment, when it is determined that the synthetic fiber content is 50% or more, the predetermined time is set to 10 minutes (set to 10 for the time being). When the synthetic fiber content is less than 50%, the predetermined time is set to 15 minutes as in the first embodiment.

In this manner, by determining the proportion of synthetic fibers in the laundry in advance and determining whether the drying operation is finished based on the determination result, it is possible to effectively prevent overdrying of the laundry containing a large proportion of synthetic fibers.

As described above, the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the present embodiment includes a housing 6, a water tank 3 elastically supported inside the housing 6, and rotatably disposed inside the water tank 3, A rotary drum 2 for storing clothes, a water supply valve 10 for supplying water to the inner tub, an intake path 25 connected to the water tank 3 for introducing drying air into the rotary drum 2, and a water tank 3 for drying the clothes. An exhaust path 26 for discharging the depressurized air from the rotary drum 2, and a control unit for controlling a washing operation including a series of washing process, a rinsing process and a dehydration process, and a series of drying operations. The intake path 25 is provided with an intake air temperature detection sensor 50 arranged upstream of the rotating drum 2 to detect the temperature T1 in the intake path 25 , and the exhaust path 26 is provided downstream of the rotating drum 2 . , an exhaust temperature detection sensor 51 for detecting the temperature T2 in the exhaust path 26 is provided, and the control unit determines the ratio of synthetic fibers in the clothes accommodated inside the rotary drum 2, A value or a predetermined time is set, the temperature T1 and the temperature T2 are detected at a certain time tn, the difference Dn between the temperature T1 and the temperature T2 detected at tn is calculated, and the time when the predetermined time has passed from tn. At tn+1, the temperature T1 and the temperature T2 are detected, the difference Dn+1 between the temperature T1 and the temperature T2 detected at tn+1 is calculated, and if the difference between the difference Dn and the difference Dn+1 exceeds a predetermined value, the drying operation ends. judge.

As a result, when the proportion of synthetic fibers in clothes is large, the determination of the end of the drying operation can be changed according to the proportion of synthetic fibers. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent overdrying of synthetic fiber clothing, which is a material that dries more easily than cotton.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, Embodiments 1 to 3 have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application, but the technology in the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

In Embodiments 1 to 4, the drum-type washer/dryer has been described as an example of the clothes dryer. A clothes dryer can dry wet clothes. Therefore, the washing machine is not limited to a drum-type washing/drying machine, and may be a vertical washing/drying machine or a clothes drying machine without a washing function. However, by using a washer/dryer with a washing function, it is possible to estimate the percentage of synthetic fibers contained in the clothes from the state of water infiltration of the clothes before and after water supply, so it is possible to accurately prevent overdrying of the dried clothes.

In Embodiments 1, 3 and 4, a configuration has been described in which it is determined whether or not the difference Dn is greater than the difference Dn−1 by a constant α or more. Since the configuration for determining the rate of increase of the difference Dn only needs to compare the difference Dn and the difference Dn−1, α is not limited to a constant. As described in Embodiment 1, β, which is a value greater than α, is provided, and when Dn-1 is greater than Dn-2 by α or more and Dn is greater than Dn-1 by β or more, the clothing is approximately You may judge that it is dry. Also, the difference between Dn-1 and Dn-2 is compared with the difference between Dn and Dn-1, and if the difference between Dn and Dn-1 is greater than the difference between Dn-1 and Dn-2, the clothes are almost dry. It may be configured to determine that the

In Embodiments 1, 3 and 4, as an example of time tn+1 when a predetermined time has passed since tn, the configuration was described in which the timing at which detection is performed next to time tn is time tn+1. A certain time tn+1 may be a predetermined time after tn, so the detection at time tn and the detection at time tn+1 do not have to be continuous. For example, the n-th detected Dn and the n+5-th detected Dn+5 may be compared. In this way, by widening the detection interval, the difference Dn increases greatly, so the accuracy of determination can be improved. Further, as Embodiment 1, Dn and Dn-5 are compared in S105, Dn-1 and Dn-6 are compared in S106, and Dn-2 and Dn-7 are compared in S106. may In this case, the determination can be completed in a short time while widening the detection interval.

In Embodiments 1, 3, and 4, as an example of the process of determining the end of the drying operation, when the difference Dn is equal to or greater than the threshold value B, the process of terminating the drying operation after a predetermined period of time has elapsed has been described. The process of determining the end of the drying operation may be performed by comparing the difference Dn and the difference Dn+1. Therefore, determination by the threshold value B may not be provided.

In Embodiments 1 to 4, as an example of determining the end of the drying operation, the configuration in which the remaining operation time is set to 15 minutes when it is determined that the clothes are almost dry has been described. Since the determination of the end of the drying operation may be made based on the comparison of the differences Dn, the remaining operation time when it is determined that the clothes are almost dry is not limited. It may be 15 minutes or more or less than 15 minutes, and may be set based on the change rate of the difference Dn.

In Embodiments 1 and 2, the intake air temperature detection sensor has been described as an example of the first heat detection section. The first heat detector may detect the temperature T1 in the first air passage that introduces the drying air into the inner tank. Therefore, the temperature T1 detected by the first heat detector is not limited to the intake air temperature, and the temperature T3 of the drying air detected downstream of the heating means may be used. In that case, as in the third embodiment, the difference Dn is obtained from the difference between the exhaust port temperature T2 and the temperature T3.

In the fourth embodiment, as an example of the method for determining the proportion of synthetic fibers in the laundry, the method of determining the proportion of synthetic fibers based on the load torque has been described. The method of determining the percentage of synthetic fibers is not limited to detection by load torque, as long as it is a method of comparing the dry state and wet state of the clothes. A method of judging the ratio of synthetic fibers may be used based on the difference in vibration of the water tank 3 before water supply and after dehydration. Vibration measurement may be acceleration or vibration amplitude, and is not particularly limited.

In the fourth embodiment, the configuration for setting the predetermined time in S108 has been described as an example of setting the predetermined value or the predetermined time according to the proportion of synthetic fibers in the laundry. The predetermined value is used in the processing for determining the end of the drying operation, and is not limited to the configuration used for the predetermined time in S108. For example, the threshold value B, the threshold value S, the threshold value A, or the predetermined value α may be set based on the proportion of synthetic fibers.

The present disclosure is applicable to clothes dryers for drying clothes. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to a vertical washing/drying machine, a drum type washing/drying machine, a clothes drying machine without a washing function, and the like.

2 Rotating Drum 3 Water Tank 4 Stirring Blade 5 Damper 6 Housing 9 Door Body 10 Water Supply Valve 11 Opening 12 Drainage Valve 13 Drainage Line 14 Motor 15 Ventilation Inlet 16 Ventilation Outlet 19 Drying Path 20 Blower Fan (Blower Part)
21 first lint filter unit 21a first intake section 21b first discharge section 22 second lint filter unit (filter section)
22a second suction section (filter section)
22b Second discharge part 23 Intake port 24 Exhaust port 24a Lattice-like cover body 25 Intake path 26 Exhaust path 27 Intake pipe 28 Exhaust pipe 29 First connection hose 30 Second connection hose 33 Intake port 34 Outlet 35 Filter housing Chamber 39 heater (heating part)
50 intake air temperature detection sensor 51 exhaust temperature detection sensor 61 heat pump unit 62 dehumidifying means 63 heating means 64 first circulation air passage 65 second circulation air passage 66 heat pump case 67 water discharge passage 68 filter device accommodating portion 69 filter device 71 second 1 sensor 72 2nd sensor

Claims (2)

a housing;
an outer tank elastically supported inside the housing;
an inner tub that is rotatably disposed inside the outer tub and accommodates laundry;
a first air passage that is connected to the outer tank and introduces drying air into the inner tank;
a second air passage connected to the outer tub for discharging the air used for drying the laundry from the inner tub;
A control unit that controls a series of drying operations,
The first air passage is provided with a first heat detection unit that detects a temperature T1 in the first air passage,
The second air passage is provided with a second heat detection unit that detects a temperature T2 in the second air passage,
The first heat detection unit and the second heat detection unit perform detection at least three times,
The control unit detects the temperature T1 n and the temperature T2 n at the n-th time at a preset time tn, calculates the difference Dn between the temperature T1 n and the temperature T2 n detected at the time tn,
At time tn+1 after a predetermined time has elapsed from time tn, temperature T1 n+1 and temperature T2 n+1 are detected for n +1 times, and a difference Dn+ 1 between temperature T1 n + 1 and temperature T2 n+1 detected at time tn+1 is calculated. ,
At time tn+2 after a predetermined time has elapsed from time tn+1, temperature T1n+2 and temperature T2n+2 are detected for the n+2th time, and a difference Dn+2 between temperature T1n+2 and temperature T2n+2 detected at time tn+2 is calculated,
When the difference Dn+1 is greater than the difference Dn by a predetermined value or more, and the difference Dn+2 is greater than the difference Dn+1 by a predetermined value or more , it is determined that the drying operation is finished.
clothes dryer. The control unit
If the difference between the difference Dn+2 and the difference Dn+1 is greater than the difference between the difference Dn+1 and the difference Dn by a predetermined value or more, determining the end of the drying operation;
The clothes dryer according to claim 1 .

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