JP7499679B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a clothes dryer in which an input receiving section that receives input from a user is provided on the front panel of the housing.

Conventionally, there are clothes dryers that dry washed clothes (so-called laundry, including cloth products such as towels and sheets) with hot air generated by a gas burner or the like. As a clothes dryer of this type, there is known one in which an input receiving section for receiving input from the user is provided on the front panel of the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

A clothes dryer such as that described in Patent Document 1 sends hot air into a storage chamber provided inside a housing in response to input received through an input receiving unit, thereby drying the clothes and other items stored in the storage chamber.

JP 2008-104492 A

Incidentally, in a clothes dryer such as that described in Patent Document 1, the input receiving section is provided with a contact detection sensor (e.g., a capacitive touch sensor, etc.) that detects contact with the user's fingers, and input from the user is received in response to detection by the contact detection sensor.

When using such a contact detection sensor, if wet laundry comes into contact with the contact detection sensor, it may be mistaken for the user's finger touching the contact detection sensor, and input unintended by the user may be accepted.

Therefore, a possible configuration is to provide a moisture detection sensor that detects the adhesion of moisture in addition to the contact detection sensor in the input reception section, and when the moisture detection sensor detects moisture, the detection by the contact detection sensor (and therefore the reception of input) is stopped.

However, if such a moisture detection sensor is provided, depending on the installation position of the clothes dryer, there is a risk that when a user makes an input via the contact detection sensor, the user's fingers may unintentionally come into contact with the moisture detection sensor, causing the acceptance of input via the contact detection sensor to be unintentionally stopped.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a clothes dryer that can properly accept the user's intended input.

The clothes dryer of the present invention is
A clothes dryer comprising: a housing; a storage chamber arranged inside the housing for storing clothes; and a control device for receiving input from a user, the clothes dryer operating in response to the input from the user,
the control device includes an input receiving unit disposed in a lower portion of a front panel of the housing,
the input receiving unit has a first detection unit that detects an input action by a finger of the user and receives an input from the user based on the detection of the input action, and a second detection unit that detects adhesion of moisture and stops the reception of the input by the first detection unit based on the detection of the adhesion,
a detection sensitivity of a portion of the second detection unit located below the first detection unit is lower than the detection sensitivity of other portions of the second detection unit;
The second detection portion is formed in a linear shape and includes a linear extension portion extending in the left-right direction below the first detection portion,
The width of the portion of the extension portion located below the first detection portion is formed to be narrower than the width of at least the portion of the second detection portion located above the first detection portion other than the extension portion .

In this way, the input receiving section of the control device of the clothes dryer of the present invention is located in the lower part of the front panel of the housing. This is because it is assumed that the clothes dryer will be placed at an upper position relative to the user's posture when operating it.

Therefore, when a user performs an input action with his/her fingers on the first detection unit included in the input receiving unit, the part of the user's finger closer to the wrist than the fingertip (e.g., the part on the palm side of the second joint) is more likely to come into unintentional contact with the first detection unit below. In addition, since the user's fingers move from the lower side to the upper side, the fingertip itself is also more likely to come into unintentional contact with the first detection unit below.

Here, the input reception unit includes not only the first detection unit, but also a second detection unit that stops receiving input from the first detection unit when moisture is detected in order to prevent false detections due to contact with laundry or the like. However, if the user's fingers unintentionally come into contact with the second detection unit, a false detection may occur in the second detection unit, and the input intended by the user may not be properly received.

Therefore, in this clothes dryer, the detection sensitivity of the portion of the second detection unit that is located below the first detection unit is configured to be lower than the detection sensitivity of other portions. In other words, the detection sensitivity of the portion that is likely to be unintentionally touched by the user's fingers is configured to be lower than the detection sensitivity of other portions. As a result, unless the degree of contact with the second detection unit is strong (i.e., unintentional contact), the first detection unit will not stop accepting input.

Therefore, the clothes dryer of the present invention can not only suppress false detections due to contact with laundry, etc., but also suppresses the halting of input acceptance due to unintended contact with the user's fingers, so that the input intended by the user can be properly accepted.

Also ,
The second detection portion is formed in a linear shape and includes a linear extension portion extending in the left-right direction below the first detection portion,
The width of the portion of the extending portion located below the first detection portion is formed to be narrower than the width of the remaining portion .

By adopting a method of reducing the detection sensitivity by making the linear detection part thinner, it becomes possible to reduce the detection sensitivity without using a complex structure. This allows for a reduction in manufacturing costs.

In addition, in the clothes dryer of the present invention,
The lower end of the front panel is curved or inclined toward the rear in a side view,
It is preferable that a portion of the second detection portion located below the first detection portion is provided at the lower end portion of the front plate.

When configured in this way, the lower end of the front panel is farther from the front surface of the front panel the further downward it is. Therefore, if a detection unit with the same detection sensitivity is installed at the lower end, the detection sensitivity will be lower the further downward it is. Therefore, if a portion of the second detection unit located below the first detection unit is installed at the lower end, the detection sensitivity of that portion can be lowered without changing the function or shape of the second detection unit in that portion. This allows for reduced manufacturing costs.

In the clothes dryer of the present invention, when the part of the second detection unit located below the first detection unit is provided at the curved or inclined lower end of the front panel,
It is preferable that a portion of the second detection portion located below the first detection portion is provided above a lower edge portion of the front plate.

The lower end of the front plate extends while curving toward the rear, or extends at an angle toward the rear, so water droplets tend to adhere to the lower edge. Therefore, if a second detection unit is provided at the lower edge, there is a risk of false detection due to the water droplets. Therefore, when providing the second detection unit at the lower end of the front plate, providing the second detection unit above the lower edge of the front plate in this way can prevent false detection due to water droplets.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic arrangement of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of an operation panel of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 . FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of an operation panel of a clothes dryer according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an operation panel of a clothes dryer according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an operation panel of the clothes dryer of FIG. 6 .

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, a clothes dryer D1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[General configuration of clothes dryer]
First, the schematic configuration of the clothes dryer D1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the clothes dryer D1 has a rotary drum 1 (storage chamber) that stores and rotates to dry clothes W (so-called laundry, which includes not only clothing but also cloth products such as towels and sheets). The drum 1 is disposed inside the housing 2 in a freely rotatable state.

A support shaft 3 extending toward the front is provided on the rear wall 2a of the housing 2. The drum rotation shaft 1a of the drum 1 is rotatably attached to the support shaft 3. As a result, the drum 1 is rotatably supported by the housing 2 in a sideways position (position in which the axis is horizontal).

A front opening 1b is formed at the front end of the drum 1. A clothes insertion opening 2b covered by a single-wing door 4 is provided on the front side of the housing 2 at a position corresponding to the front opening 1b of the drum 1. A ring plate 5 is attached to the outer periphery of the clothes insertion opening 2b. The drum 1 is supported by the ring plate 5 via the front opening 1b in a freely rotatable state.

The aforementioned drum rotation shaft 1a is provided on the back wall 1c of the drum 1. The filter unit 6 is attached to the end of the drum rotation shaft 1a on the inner side of the drum 1. In addition, a reinforcing plate 1d is attached to the end of the drum rotation shaft 1a on the outer side of the drum 1 to reinforce the back wall 1c of the supported drum 1.

Between the inner wall 1c of the drum 1 and the rear wall 2a of the housing 2, an exhaust passage 7 is provided to guide the air inside the drum 1 to the outside of the housing 2. At the downstream end of the exhaust passage 7, an exhaust port 7a is provided that opens at the top of the housing 2. A fan case 8a is disposed upstream of the exhaust passage 7.

The fan case 8a houses a dehumidification fan 8b. The dehumidification fan 8b has a fan shaft 8c that is rotatably supported on the support shaft 3. The dehumidification fan 8b exhausts the air inside the drum 1 that has become highly humid as the clothes W are dried, and generates an air current that draws warm air into the drum 1.

Specifically, when the dehumidification fan 8b rotates, outside air is first drawn into the inside of the housing 2 through the air intake 2c formed at the bottom of the housing 2. Next, the outside air drawn into the inside of the housing 2 is heated by the flame of the gas burner 10a (described later) and becomes hot air, which is then sent into the inside of the drum 1 through the hot air duct 11 (described later).

Inside the housing 2, there are arranged a motor 9 (electric motor) for rotating the drum 1 and the moisture exhaust fan 8b, a hot air generating unit 10 for generating hot air, a hot air duct 11 for directing the generated hot air into the inside of the drum 1, and a controller 12 (control device) for controlling the driving of the motor 9 during drying operation, the on/off operation of the hot air generating unit 10, etc.

The motor 9 has two drive shafts, a first drive shaft 9a and a second drive shaft 9b. A first transmission belt 9c is stretched between the first drive shaft 9a and the drum 1. A second transmission belt 9d is stretched between the second drive shaft 9b and the fan rotation shaft 8c of the dehumidification fan 8b.

The rotational force of the first drive shaft 9a is transmitted to the drum 1 via the first transmission belt 9c, causing the drum 1 to rotate. This rotation of the drum 1 causes the clothes W stored inside the drum 1 to constantly move without remaining in a fixed position.

The rotational force of the second drive shaft 9b is transmitted to the fan rotation shaft 8c via the second transmission belt 9d, rotating the dehumidification fan 8b. The rotation of the dehumidification fan 8b creates an airflow inside the drum 1.

The hot air generating unit 10 includes a gas burner 10a, a gas injection nozzle 10b, a gas supply valve device 10c, and a discharge device 10d.

The fuel gas supplied from the gas supply valve device 10c is injected from the gas injection nozzle 10b toward the gas inlet 10e of the gas burner 10a. The injected fuel gas is guided to the gas burner 10a together with the combustion air around the gas inlet 10e. The combustion gas and the combustion air are then ignited and burned by the discharge device 10d, and the outside air is heated by the combustion to generate hot air.

The combustion air supplied to the gas burner 10a along with the combustion gas is taken in through the air intake 2c at the bottom of the housing 2, just like the outside air used for heating.

The hot air duct 11 extends from above the gas burner 10a to the hot air outlet 5a formed in the ring plate 5. The hot air heated and generated by the gas burner 10a is guided through the hot air duct 11 to the hot air outlet 5a and sent into the inside of the drum 1.

The warm air sent into the drum 1 absorbs moisture from the clothes W stored in the drum 1 and dries the clothes W. As the clothes W dry, the warm air (high humidity warm air) becomes highly humid and passes through the filter unit 6 toward the dehumidification fan 8b. At this time, lint generated by the clothes W is captured by the filter unit 6.

The high humidity warm air that passes through the filter unit 6 and heads toward the dehumidification fan 8b enters from the front side of the dehumidification fan 8b, heads toward the outer periphery of the dehumidification fan 8b, and is collected in the exhaust path 7 before being discharged outside the unit through the exhaust port 7a.

The controller 12 has an operation panel 12a (input receiving section) at the bottom of the front side. The operation panel 12a is configured as a so-called touch panel, and receives input from the user U according to the position of the user U's finger touching it. Based on the content of the received input, the controller 12 controls the driving of the motor 9 during drying operation, the ignition and extinguishing operation of the hot air generating unit 10, etc.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 2 is generally cubic and is composed of a top plate 20, a bottom plate 21, a front plate 22 that is located between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 21 and extends in the vertical direction, a rear cover 23, and a pair of left and right side plates 24.

The operation panel 12a of the controller 12 is exposed from the lower part of the front panel 22. A clothes insertion opening 2b for inserting clothes into the drum 1 is provided in the center of the front panel 22. As described above, the clothes insertion opening 2b is covered by the single-wing door 4. The rear cover 23 constitutes the rear wall 2a described above.

The clothes dryer D1 configured in this manner may be installed in a relatively high position, for example, above the washing machine L, as shown in FIG. 3. Assuming that it will be placed in this manner, the operation panel 12a of the controller 12 of the clothes dryer D1 is located in the lower portion of the front panel 22 of the housing 2 (for example, the bottom end or a portion near the bottom end).

This makes it relatively easy for the user U to operate the operation panel 12a, even if the clothes dryer D1 is positioned above the user U's posture when operating it.

[Operation panel configuration]
Next, the configuration of operation panel 12a (input receiving section) of controller 12 (control device) of clothes dryer D1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the operation panel 12a includes a substrate 13a, which is a substantially rectangular printed circuit board provided with multiple electrodes, and a transparent resin plate 13b attached to the front side of the substrate 13a. The multiple electrodes and the resin plate 13b are in close contact with each other, and when the user U's fingers, moisture, or the like come into contact with the resin plate 13b, the contact is detected by electrostatic coupling with the electrodes located in the corresponding positions.

The multiple electrodes on the operation panel 12a include three circular first electrodes 13c (first detection units) arranged in a left-right direction in the center of the substrate 13a, and a linear second electrode 13d (second detection unit) arranged along the periphery of the substrate 13a.

The first electrode 13c detects contact with the fingers of the user U. The controller 12 accepts input of instructions from the user U regarding the operation of the clothes dryer D1 according to the position and timing of the contact, and controls the driving of the motor 9 during the drying operation, the ignition and extinguishing operation of the hot air generating unit 10, etc. according to the content of the input.

The second electrode 13d detects contact with moisture. When the controller 12 recognizes that the second electrode 13d has detected contact with laundry, rainwater, or the like, it stops accepting input via the first electrode 13c (specifically, stopping detection by the first electrode 13c, or sending the detection results to a control board or the like provided in the controller 12).

In this way, since the operation panel 12a is provided with not only the first electrode 13c but also the second electrode 13d, if the operation panel 12a is touched by wet laundry or the like, the acceptance of input via the first electrode 13c is stopped based on detection by the second electrode 13d.

This prevents input that is not intended by user U from being accepted in such a case, even if the contact of moisture from laundry or the like is mistaken for contact with user U's fingers.

As mentioned above, the clothes dryer D1 may be installed at a relatively high position (see FIG. 3). In such a case, depending on the height at which the clothes dryer D1 is installed and the physique of the user U, there is a risk that the user U's fingers may come into contact with a part of the body other than the part that the user U intends to touch.

For example, when user U touches his/her fingers to the first electrode 13c to input, there is a risk that the part of user U's finger closer to the wrist than the fingertip (e.g., the part on the palm side of the second joint) may come into contact with the lower part of the operation panel 12a. Furthermore, when positioned in this manner, user U's fingers move from the lower side to the upper side, and the fingertip itself may come into contact with the lower part of the first electrode 13c during the movement.

Here, the second electrode 13d is provided on the substrate 13a so as to surround the first electrode 13c (i.e., also below the first electrode 13c). Therefore, when arranged in this manner, there is a risk that the user U's fingers may unintentionally come into contact with the second electrode 13d.

If the user U's fingers unintentionally come into contact with the second electrode 13d in this way, a false detection may occur at the second electrode 13d, causing the acceptance of input via the first electrode 13c to be halted, and the input intended by the user U may not be accepted properly.

Therefore, in the clothes dryer D1, the detection sensitivity of the portion of the second electrode 13d that is located below the first electrode 13c is configured to be lower than the detection sensitivity of other portions.

Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the second electrode 13d is a linear electrode that is arranged along the periphery of the substantially rectangular substrate 13a. More specifically, the second electrode 13d is composed of a linear first portion 13d1 that extends in the left-right direction along the upper edge of the substrate 13a, a pair of left and right second portions 13d2 that extend in the up-down direction along both side edges, and a third portion 13d3 (extension portion) that extends in the left-right direction along the lower edge.

Of these parts constituting the second electrode 13d, the third part 13d3 is located lower than the first electrode 13c (i.e., the part that is likely to be unintentionally touched by the user U's fingers).

Here, the line width of the third portion 13d3 is formed to be narrower than the line width of the first portion 13d1 and the line width of the second portion 13d2. Therefore, the detection sensitivity of the third portion 13d3 is lower than the detection sensitivity of the first portion 13d1 and the second portion 13d2.

In the clothes dryer D1, the second electrode 13d is configured in this manner, so unless there is strong contact with the second electrode 13d (i.e., contact not intended by the user U), acceptance of input from the first electrode 13c is not stopped.

Therefore, the clothes dryer D1 can not only suppress false detections due to contact with laundry, etc., but also suppresses the halting of input acceptance due to unintended contact with the user U's fingers, so that the input intended by the user U can be properly accepted.

In addition, in the clothes dryer D1, a method is adopted to reduce the detection sensitivity of the second electrode 13d by narrowing the detection part located below the first electrode 13c. This makes it possible to reduce the detection sensitivity without using a complex structure. This in turn reduces the manufacturing costs of the clothes dryer D1.

However, the clothes dryer of the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the shape of the second electrode, which is the second detection unit, may be such that the detection sensitivity of the portion located below the first detection unit, which is the first electrode, is lower than the detection sensitivity of the other portions.

Therefore, for example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the detection sensitivity may be reduced by not making the entire third portion 13d3 of the second electrode 13d thinner than the first portion 13d1 and the second portion 13d2, but by making only the portion of the third portion 13d3 located below the first electrode 13c thinner than the other portions.

[Second embodiment]
Hereinafter, a clothes dryer D2 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

The clothes dryer D2 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the clothes dryer D1 of the first embodiment, except that the shape of the front panel 22 of the housing and the shapes of the substrate 13a, the resin plate 13b, and the second electrode 13d of the operation panel 12a of the controller 12 are different.

Therefore, in the following description, only their placement will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals will be used for the same or corresponding configurations as those of the clothes dryer D1 of the first embodiment, and detailed description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the front plate 22 of the housing 2 has a first surface 22a that extends vertically in a side view, and a second surface 22b that is located below the first surface 22a (i.e., the lower end of the front plate 22) and extends while curving toward the rear. The upper end of the second surface 22b is connected to the lower end of the first surface 22a, and the lower end of the second surface 22b is configured to be connectable to the front end of the bottom plate 21.

The operation panel 12a of the controller 12 is attached to the lower end of the front panel 22 so that it is exposed across the lower portion of the first surface portion 22a and the second surface portion 22b.

As shown in FIG. 7, the operation panel 12a includes a substrate 13a, which is a substantially rectangular printed circuit board provided with multiple electrodes, and a transparent resin plate 13b attached to the front side of the substrate 13a. The multiple electrodes and the resin plate 13b are in close contact with each other, and when the user U's fingers, moisture, or the like come into contact with the resin plate 13b, the contact is detected by electrostatic coupling with the electrodes located in the corresponding positions.

The multiple electrodes on the operation panel 12a include three circular first electrodes 13c (first detection units) arranged in a left-right direction in the center of the substrate 13a, and a linear second electrode 13d (second detection unit) arranged along the periphery of the substrate 13a.

The first electrode 13c detects contact with the user U's fingers, and the controller 12 accepts input of instructions from the user U regarding the operation of the clothes dryer D1 based on that detection. The second electrode 13d also detects contact with moisture. Based on that detection, the controller 12 stops accepting input via the first electrode 13c.

The second electrode 13d is a linear electrode that is arranged along the periphery of the substantially rectangular substrate 13a. This second electrode 13d is composed of a linear first portion 13d1 that extends in the left-right direction along the upper edge of the substrate 13a, a pair of left and right second portions 13d2 that extend in the up-down direction along both side edges, and a third portion 13d3 that extends in the left-right direction along the lower edge.

The substrate 13a on which these multiple electrodes are provided and the resin plate 13b covering it constitute the operation panel 12a, and are attached across the lower portion of the first surface 22a and the second surface 22b of the front plate 22 of the housing 2, just like the operation panel 12a. Therefore, the lower portions of the substrate 13a and the resin plate 13b are also curved along the second surface 22b.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the substrate 13a is attached to the front plate 22 in this manner, the third portion 13d3 of the second electrode 13d (i.e., the portion located below the first electrode 13c) is located at a position corresponding to the second surface portion 22b (i.e., the lower end portion of the front plate 22).

As described above, the lower the second surface 22b, the farther it is from the first surface 22a (i.e., the front surface of the front panel 22). Therefore, the detection sensitivity of the electrodes provided on the substrate 13a that is attached from the lower part of the first surface 22a to the second surface 22b becomes lower the lower it is, assuming that the function and shape (e.g., thickness) are the same.

Therefore, the detection sensitivity of the third portion 13d3 of the second electrode 13d, which is provided at a position corresponding to the second surface portion 22b, is lower than the detection sensitivity of the first portion 13d1 and the second portion 13d2.

As a result, the clothes dryer D2 of the second embodiment achieves the same effects as the clothes dryer D1 of the first embodiment, and since there is no need to manufacture special electrodes whose functions and shapes differ depending on the location, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs.

In addition, in the clothes dryer D2, even when the substrate 13a is attached to the front panel 22, the third portion 13d3 of the second electrode 13d is positioned above the lower edge of the second surface portion 22b.

This is because the second surface portion 22b extends while curving toward the rear, and water droplets are likely to adhere to its lower edge. If the third portion 13d3 is provided on the lower edge, there is a risk that the water droplets may cause erroneous detection.

However, the clothes dryer of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in this embodiment, if a groove for guiding water droplets is formed on the surface of the resin plate 13b covering the base plate 13a, the third portion 13d3 may be provided along the lower edge of the second surface portion 22b.

In addition, in this embodiment, the second surface portion 22b extends while curving toward the rear. However, the clothes dryer of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the second surface portion may extend linearly or in a stepped manner so as to be inclined toward the rear.

In addition, in this embodiment, the second surface portion 22b is connected to the lower end of the second surface portion 22b. However, the clothes dryer of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and other members may be present between the first surface portion and the second surface portion.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the substrate 13a is attached to the front panel 22, the first electrode 13c of the substrate 13a and a part of the first portion 13d1 and the second portion 13d2 of the second electrode 13d are located in a position corresponding to the first surface portion 22a. However, the clothes dryer of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the entire substrate may be provided in a portion corresponding to the second surface portion.

[Other embodiments]
Although the illustrated embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the first electrode 13c, which is the first detection unit, is three circular electrodes arranged in the left-right direction in the center of the substrate 13a, and the second electrode 13d, which is the second detection unit, is a linear electrode arranged along the periphery of the substrate 13a.

However, the first and second detection units of the present invention are not limited to such configurations, and the first detection unit only needs to detect an input action by the user's fingers and accept input from the user based on the detection of that input action, and the second detection unit only needs to detect the adhesion of moisture and stop the first detection unit from accepting input based on the detection of that adhesion.

Therefore, for example, when independent electrodes are used as each detection unit, the shape of the electrodes may be set appropriately according to the shape of the substrate, etc. Also, instead of using independent electrodes as each detection unit, multiple detection units may be formed by dividing the area of a single electrode. Furthermore, a press-type switch, etc., may be used as the first detection unit, rather than an electrode.

In the above embodiment, the detection sensitivity of the third portion 13d3 located below the second electrode 13d, which is the second detection unit, is reduced by changing the shape and position of the third portion 13d3. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.

For example, the structure of the portion of the second detection unit located below the first detection unit may be the same as the other portions, and in controlling the detection signal, the sensitivity of the reaction to the signal detected by the portion located below the first detection unit may be adjusted, resulting in a decrease in detection sensitivity.

1...drum (storage chamber), 1a...drum rotating shaft, 1b...front opening, 1c...rear wall, 1d...reinforcing plate, 2...housing, 2a...rear wall, 2b...clothing inlet, 2c...air inlet, 3...support shaft, 4...door, 5...ring plate, 5a...hot air outlet, 6...filter unit, 7...exhaust path, 7a...exhaust port, 8a...fan case, 8b...humidity exhaust fan, 8c...fan rotating shaft, 9...motor, 9a...first drive shaft, 9b...second drive shaft, 9c...first transmission belt, 9d...second transmission belt, 10...hot air generating unit, 10a...gas burner, 10b...gas injection nozzle, 1 0c...gas supply valve device, 10d...discharge device, 10e...gas inlet, 11...hot air duct, 12...controller (control device), 12a...operation panel (input receiving section), 13a...substrate, 13b...resin plate, 13c...first electrode (first detection section), 13d...second electrode (second detection section), 13d1...first part, 13d2...second part, 13d3...third part (extension section), 20...top plate, 21...bottom plate, 22...front plate, 22a...first surface, 22b...second surface, 23...rear cover, 24...side plate, D1, D2...clothes dryer, L...washing machine, U...user, W...clothes.

Claims (3)

A clothes dryer comprising: a housing; a storage chamber arranged inside the housing for storing clothes; and a control device for receiving input from a user, the clothes dryer operating in response to the input from the user,
the control device includes an input receiving unit disposed in a lower portion of a front panel of the housing,
the input receiving unit has a first detection unit that detects an input action by a finger of the user and receives an input from the user based on the detection of the input action, and a second detection unit that detects adhesion of moisture and stops the reception of the input by the first detection unit based on the detection of the adhesion,
a detection sensitivity of a portion of the second detection unit located below the first detection unit is lower than the detection sensitivity of other portions of the second detection unit;
The second detection portion is formed in a linear shape and includes a linear extension portion extending in the left-right direction below the first detection portion,
A clothes dryer characterized in that the width of the portion of the extension portion located below the first detection portion is formed narrower than the width of at least the portion of the second detection portion other than the extension portion located above the first detection portion. In the clothes dryer according to claim 1 ,
The lower end of the front panel is curved or inclined toward the rear in a side view,
A clothes dryer, characterized in that a portion of the second detection portion located below the first detection portion is provided at the lower end portion of the front panel. The clothes dryer according to claim 2 ,
A clothes dryer, characterized in that a portion of the second detection portion located below the first detection portion is provided above a lower edge portion of the front panel.

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