JP7542955B2 - Dryer - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a dryer.

Conventionally, dryers that dry mat-like materials such as futons and mattresses that have become moist due to washing or the like are known. One such dryer has a drying space defined in its housing into which heated air flows, a placement section for placing mat-like materials is disposed within the drying space, and an internal space defined within the placement section is connected to the drying space, and heated air is passed through the placed mat-like material to dry the mat-like material.

JP 2000-157795 A JP 2000-288297 A Utility Model Registration No. 3086128

The problem that the invention aims to solve is to increase the degree of airtightness inside the dryer during drying, thereby providing a dryer with excellent drying capacity.

The dryer of the embodiment includes a housing having a drying space with a door portion, a mounting portion on which a mat-like member can be placed on a mounting surface and which is configured to be able to be accommodated in the drying space and has an internal space, the mounting portion having a number of air holes on the mounting surface that communicate with the internal space and the drying space, caster means that allows the mounting portion to move inside and outside the drying space, and a cutout portion that has a space that can communicate with the underside of the mounting portion and is provided at a front end of a bottom wall portion along which rear casters of the caster means run, and that serves as a space to accommodate front casters of the caster means. The dryer is characterized in that, in a first position where the mounting portion is pulled out of the drying space of the housing by the caster means, the mat-like member can be placed on it, and when the mounting portion is accommodated in the drying space of the housing by the caster means and moved to a second position where drying is performed by the air blowing means , the closed door portion is in close contact with the housing and the caster base having the cutout portion that accommodates the front caster .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a dryer according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of a dryer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the dryer according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a mounting section according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a configuration of a mounting section according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration of a mounting section according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the placement section on which the futon is placed according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the placement section on which the futon is placed according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an overall side view of the dryer according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flow direction of hot air flowing from a gas heater to an upper wall portion of the dryer according to the embodiment. 4 is a diagram showing the flow direction of warm air flowing from an upper wall portion of the dryer according to the embodiment to a drying space of the main body portion. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall flow of hot air in the dryer according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a door portion of a dryer according to an embodiment, in which (A) is a front view seen from the placement portion side, and (B) is a side view. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a lower part of the mounting portion according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the details of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

(Overall composition)
First, the overall configuration of the dryer according to this embodiment will be described. Figures 1 to 3 are a perspective view, a front view, and a plan view, respectively, showing the configuration of the dryer according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, the front side of the dryer 1 will be referred to as the front, the back side as the rear, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction will be referred to as the left-right direction.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the dryer 1 according to this embodiment comprises a main body 2 and a movable placement section 3 that is housed within the main body 2 and on which a futon to be dried by the dryer 1 is placed. The placement section 3 is movable in the front-to-rear direction (the direction of the arrow in Figure 1) within the drying space D of the main body 2. In other words, when a futon is hung on the placement section 3, it is pulled outward from the drying space D of the main body 2, and returned to its original position after placement.

The main body 2 comprises a housing 20, a gas heater 21, an exhaust fan 22, and a control unit 24. The housing 20 is formed as a hollow, generally rectangular box shape, and defines a drying space D inside, surrounded by an upper wall 25 (see FIG. 9, etc.), a pair of side walls 26, a rear wall 27, a bottom wall 28, and a door 29. A movable mounting unit 3 can be housed within this drying space D.

The door section 29 is attached to one of the side walls 26 by a hinge or the like so as to be able to open and close, and allows the placement section 3 to be inserted and removed from the front side into the drying space D. A part of the door section 29 is formed as a light-transmitting window section 291 made of, for example, glass, and further includes a grip section 292 for allowing the user to open and close the door section 29.

The gas heater 21 is provided above the upper wall 25 and at the rear end of the housing 20, and has a gas burner that heats air and supplies the heated air to the intake passage 251 (see FIG. 12) described below through a connecting pipe 253 (see FIG. 3). Note that the gas heater 21 may be replaced by another device that heats air by another method.

The exhaust fan 22 is located in front of the gas heater 21 and has a check damper 221 to prevent backflow of air. It draws in air from within the drying space D and expels it to the outside via the check damper 221.

The control unit 24 is provided in front of the exhaust fan 22, i.e., at the very front of the housing 20, and has an operation panel 241 that allows the user to give instructions regarding the operation of the dryer 1, and is provided so that the operation panel 241 faces forward. Based on operations performed on the operation panel 241, the control unit 24 controls the operation of the gas heater 21, the exhaust fan 22, and the jet nozzle 23 (see FIG. 9) described below.

The movable placement section 3 is configured to be movable in the front-to-rear direction. When using the placement section 3, the user opens the door section 29 and moves the placement section 3 housed in the drying space D forward, pulling the placement section 3 out of the drying space D to a certain extent in the direction of the outer arrow in Figure 1, and places a futon on it. After placing the futon on top of it, the user moves the placement section 3 backwards (in the storage direction) and stores it again in the drying space D, and closes the door section 29. The user can then operate the operation panel 241 to cause the dryer 1 to perform the desired drying operation, thereby drying the futon.

The bottom wall 28 of the housing 20 functions as a part of the travel path when the mounting unit 3 is moved back and forth, and also functions as an exhaust flow path when the mounting unit 3 is housed in the drying space D. This bottom wall 28 will be described in detail later in conjunction with the following explanation of the configuration of the mounting unit 3.

(Placement section 3)
The configuration of the movable type placement unit 3 will be described in detail. Figures 4 to 6 are a perspective view, a front view, and a side view, respectively, showing the configuration of the placement unit 3. Figures 7 and 8 are a front view and a side view, respectively, showing the placement unit on which the futon F is placed. Figure 9 is a side view of the entire dryer according to the embodiment. Figure 10 is a view showing the flow direction of hot air flowing from the gas heater to the upper wall of the dryer according to the embodiment. Figure 11 is a view showing the flow direction of hot air flowing from the upper wall of the dryer according to the embodiment to the drying space of the main body. Figure 12 is a side view showing the flow of hot air in the entire dryer according to the embodiment. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the placement unit 3 includes a placement table 31, a base portion 32, and a pressing band 33.

The mounting platform 31 is generally formed in a hollow, roughly triangular prism shape (e.g., vaulting box shape) with the top and bottom surfaces facing the front-to-rear direction and one side surface facing downward that faces the apex formed at the most acute angle. In the following description, the front side of the top and bottom surfaces of the triangular prism will be referred to as the front side of the mounting platform 31, the other side as the back side of the mounting platform 31, and the one side surface of the triangular prism facing downward as the bottom surface of the mounting platform 31. The other two inclined side surfaces and the curved surface formed at the upper end will be referred to as the mounting surface of the mounting platform 31. Therefore, the mounting surface has a shape in which a flat surface is bent so that a virtual folding line facing the front-to-rear direction is positioned at the upper end. The bottom surface of the mounting platform 31 is connected to the upper surface of the pedestal portion 32.

As shown in FIG. 6, the mounting table 31 has a size of, for example, 100 cm in width and 100 cm in height. On both sides of the mounting table 31, a group of punched holes 311 consisting of a plurality of circular holes that connect the internal space P of the mounting table 31 (see FIG. 5 or FIG. 12, etc.) to the drying space D is provided. Air flows between the drying space D and the internal space P through the group of punched holes 311. These groups of punched holes 311 are provided over a predetermined distance from the top end of the mounting table 31, and this predetermined distance is preferably at least half the longitudinal width of the futon. Here, it is formed by joining three metal plates such as stainless steel. The seams of the metal plates are bent inward to strengthen their strength.

The mounting table 31 has areas 311a, 311b, and 311c at the front, back, left, and right in FIG. 6, and at the bottom, where the punched hole group 311 is not formed. The back surface in FIG. 6 also has the same shape. The width of areas 311a and 311b is preferably, for example, about 140 mm. The width of area 311c is preferably, for example, 200 mm. The ends of the futon placed on the mounting table 31 are located in these areas 311a, 311b, and 311c. A certain degree of adhesion is required at the ends of the futon to prevent heat from leaking. On the other hand, the small gaps between the ends of the futon and the contact surfaces of areas 311a, 311b, and 311c allow the ends of the futon to dry.

Each hole in the punching hole group 311 has a curved surface formed on the peripheral portion on the drying space D side, i.e., the side where the futon F contacts (upper side in the figure), so that the diameter increases toward the drying space D side. Therefore, the opening diameter (hole diameter) of each hole in the punching hole group 311 on the drying space D side is larger than the opening diameter on the internal space P side. Instead of a curved surface, a tapered surface may be formed so that the diameter increases toward the drying space D side.

In addition, a gripping portion 312 is provided on the front side of the mounting base 31 for the user to grip when moving the mounting portion 3.

When placing the futon F to be dried on the placement table 31, as shown in FIG. 7, the short side of the futon F is oriented in the front-to-rear direction of the placement table 31, and the futon F is placed on the placement surface of the placement table 31 so as to cover the punched hole group 311. At this time, the futon F is folded so as to follow the slope of the placement surface.

The upper end of the mounting table 31 is formed into a curved surface having a curvature, and the radius of curvature is preferably at least 0.9 times the thickness of the futon F to be placed on it. By forming a curved surface with such a radius of curvature, when the futon F is folded and placed on it, the folded part of the futon F can be brought into surface contact along the curved surface, and the stress applied thereto can be dispersed well. If the upper end of the mounting table 31 is formed into a curved surface with an acute angle or a smaller radius of curvature, stress may be concentrated in a part of the folded part of the futon F that abuts against the upper end. If such stress concentration occurs, the part in question is compressed and the density increases, which may reduce the breathability and ultimately reduce the drying efficiency. However, since the mounting table 31 has the above-mentioned radius of curvature, such a decrease in drying efficiency can be avoided. Furthermore, since the punching hole group 311 can be formed even on the curved surface, the drying efficiency can also be improved.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the base 32 is formed in a hollow, generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an opening 321a is formed on the upper surface to connect the internal space T with the internal space P of the mounting table 31. On the other hand, an opening 321b is formed on the lower surface of the base 32 to connect the internal space T with a downward exhaust flow path 281 (described later) formed in the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20. These openings 321a and 321b allow air in the internal space P to flow into the downward exhaust flow path 281 (see Fig. 12).

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the base 32 has two front casters 322a spaced apart in the left-right direction on the underside of the front end, and a step 322c recessed upward over almost the entire left-right area on the underside of the rear end, and two rear casters 322b spaced apart in the left-right direction on the step 322c. The front caster 322a has a larger diameter than the rear caster 322b, and is positioned so that its lower end is located lower than the rear caster 322b. The rear caster 322b abuts against the upper surface of the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20 so as to be able to run.

Behind the front caster 322a of the base 32, an inclined surface 323 is formed that extends in the left-right direction and slopes downward from the front to the rear. When the mounting unit 3 is housed in the drying space D, the front end of the inclined surface 323 is located at a position where the support caster 285 (described later) abuts. By forming this inclined surface 323, the base 32 has a shape that protrudes slightly downward compared to its front and rear ends in the area near the opening 321b, specifically from the rear end of the inclined surface 323 to the front end of the step portion 322c.

As shown in FIG. 12, a similar inclined surface 283 is formed on the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20, which forms the running surface of the rear caster 322b. The inclined surface 283 has the same inclination angle, inclination direction, and inclination length as the inclined surface 323 of the base 32, and is formed so that the rear end of the inclined surface 283 is located at the position where the rear caster 322b abuts when the mounting unit 3 is accommodated in the drying space D. Therefore, the bottom wall 28 has a shape in which the area in front of the inclined surface 323 protrudes slightly upward. It is preferable to set the height of the inclined surface 283 and the inclined surface 323 so that a small gap is formed between the area and the area near the opening 321b when the mounting unit 3 is accommodated in the drying space D.

Furthermore, a caster base 284 with a generally U-shaped cross section and an open bottom is provided at the front end of the bottom wall 28, and two support casters 285 that can run and abut against the underside of the base 32 are provided on the upper surface of the caster base 284 at a distance from each other in the left-right direction. When the mounting unit 3 is housed in the drying space D, the support casters 285 are located at the front end of the inclined surface 323 and abut against and support the base 32. When the mounting unit 3 is housed in the drying space D, the front side of the mounting unit 3 is supported by the support casters 285, so in this embodiment, the front casters 322a are slightly spaced from the installation surface of the dryer 1. A notch 286 is formed in the caster base 284 at the appropriate position so that it does not come into contact with the front casters 322a of the base 32.

In this way, the inclined surface 283 is formed on the bottom wall 28 corresponding to the rear caster 322b of the base 32, and the inclined surface 323 is formed on the base 32 corresponding to the support caster 285 of the bottom wall 28, so that when the placement unit 3 is pulled out of the drying space D, the casters run on the opposing inclined surfaces at the same time. This allows the base 32 to be moved upward so as to be separated from the bottom wall 28 by the height of the inclined surface while maintaining the parallelism between the base 32 and the bottom wall 28, and allows stable horizontal movement. In addition, the rear caster 322b and the support caster 285 are disposed at the same position in the left-right direction. Therefore, the support caster 285 restricts the forward movement of the rear caster 322b, so that when the user moves the placement unit 3 forward, the entire placement unit 3 can be prevented from slipping out of the drying space D.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the bottom wall portion 28 defines a downward exhaust passage 281 inside, and on its upper surface is formed an opening 282 for connecting the downward exhaust passage 281 to the internal space T, and an opening 287 located behind the opening 282 for fluidly connecting the vertical passage 271 (described later) to the downward exhaust passage 281. The opening 282 is formed in a position facing the opening 321b of the base portion 32 and in approximately the same shape as the opening 321b when the mounting portion 3 is accommodated in the drying space D.

A seal member 288 is provided on the periphery of the opening 282, and when the placement unit 3 is accommodated in the drying space D, the periphery of the opening 321b of the base unit 32 abuts against the seal member 288, and the opening 282 and the opening 321b of the base unit 32 can be airtightly connected via the seal member 288. The seal member 288 is immovably fixed to the bottom wall unit 28 by a fastener such as a screw or adhesive, and any material may be used as long as it can airtightly connect the opposing openings. For example, felt or an elastic material may be used as the seal member 288. The seal member 288 may be provided on the periphery of the opening 321b.

As described above, the rear casters 322b of the mounting unit 3 abut against the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20 and are supported by the support casters 285, so that the mounting unit 3 can move relative to the housing 20 in the front-rear direction and can be stored in and removed from the drying space D. Furthermore, when the mounting unit 3 is stored in the drying space D, it can move downward relative to the housing 20, and the opening 321b and the opening 282 can be airtightly connected.

As the mounting section 3 is pulled out from the drying space D, the rear casters 322b approach the support casters 285, causing the front side to tilt downward. However, this tilt causes the front casters 322a to touch the installation surface, and the rear casters 322b to always touch the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20, so the mounting section 3 can run stably even if it is pulled out to a certain extent.

The pressure belt 33 is a long, flexible belt-like member provided at both front-rear end portions of the mounting base 31, and presses the short end portion of the futon F against the mounting surface of the mounting base 31. The pressure belt 33 extends from one side surface in the left-right direction of the mounting base 31 (left side in FIG. 7) via the upper curved surface of the mounting base 31 to the other side surface (right side in FIG. 7), and one longitudinal end portion is fixedly connected to one side surface of the mounting base 31. Meanwhile, the other longitudinal end portion of the pressure belt 33 is provided with a connecting member 331 that can be detachably connected to a connecting device 313 provided on the other side surface of the mounting base 31.

An example of a connecting mechanism using such a connecting device 313 and connecting member 331 is one that uses a buckle device and a tongue, which are used in seat belts and the like. The tongue is a flat plate member with holes, notches, etc., formed therein, and can be inserted into an insertion opening provided in the buckle device to lock the tongue inside the buckle device. On the other hand, the tongue can be released from lock by pressing the release button of the buckle device. Alternatively, a hook may be used to lock the two together, or a hook-and-loop fastener may be used, or any other connecting mechanism that is detachable may be used.

In addition, the pressing band 33 has a stretchable section 332 formed in a part thereof that can stretch freely in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, when the short-side end of the placed futon F is pressed, the pressing band 33 is made to run over the short-side end, so that the pressing band 33 is separated from the placement surface according to the thickness of the futon F, and the connecting member 331 and the connecting device 313 are separated. However, the stretchable section 332 can extend by the distance of the separation to connect the connecting member 331 and the connecting device 313. Furthermore, the stretchable section 332 constantly generates a restoring force by connecting the connecting member 331 and the connecting device 313 in the stretched state, so that the pressing band 33 can uniformly press the futon F toward the placement surface side by the restoring force. Such a stretchable section 332 is preferably a member having elasticity such as a coil spring or a rubber body, and the entire pressing band 33 may be the stretchable section 332.

The jet nozzle 23 shown in FIG. 9 is a nozzle that sprays liquid containing chemicals such as a deodorant, disinfectant, and anti-mite agent. The chemicals discharged from the jet nozzle 23 are blown into the futon F together with the warm air in the drying space D, so that the futon F can be disinfected at the same time as it is dried.

(Flow paths and operation in the dryer)
The hot air flow path in the dryer will be described with reference to Figs.
10 is a diagram showing the flow direction of hot air flowing from the gas heater 21 to the upper wall portion 25 of the dryer according to the embodiment. In the intake air flow passage 251, which is a space defined between the flat plate portion 25a and the upper wall portion 25, the hot air from the gas heater 21 passes through the connecting pipe 253 and is sent toward the flat plate portion 25a. Then, a vortex (tornado) is generated in the intake air flow passage 251, and the hot air is sent to the drying space D through the inlet hole group 255.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the flow direction of the hot air flowing from the upper wall of the dryer according to the embodiment to the drying space D of the main body. As shown in Figure 11, the hot air from the intake air flow path 251 also swirls in the drying space D and is sent to the futon F, and the air in the drying space D passes through the futon F via the punched hole groups 311 provided on both sides of the mounting table 31 and is sucked into the mounting section 3.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing the overall flow of hot air in the dryer according to the embodiment.
As shown in Fig. 12, above the upper wall 25 of the housing 20, two flat plate sections 25a and 25b are provided, which extend horizontally and are parallel to each other, and the gas heater 21 and the exhaust fan 22 are mounted on the flat plate section 25b located at the top. The flat plate section 25a located below the flat plate section 25b is used as a boundary to divide and define two spaces in the vertical direction, and the space defined between the flat plate section 25a and the upper wall 25 is used as an intake flow path 251, and the space defined between the flat plate section 25a and the flat plate section 25b is used as an upper exhaust flow path 252. The upper exhaust flow path 252 extends slightly rearward from the intake flow path 251 and is fluidically connected to the vertical flow path 271. Since the intake flow path 251 and the upper exhaust flow path 252 are formed vertically with the flat plate section 25a as a boundary, it is preferable that the flat plate section 25a is made of a heat insulating material.

The vertical flow passage 271 is a gap between the rear wall 27 and the flat plate portion 27a located in front of and parallel to the rear wall 27, and is formed as a space with a rectangular cross section that is elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from above and extends in the up-down direction. The vertical flow passage 271 is fluidly connected to the upper exhaust flow passage 252 and the lower exhaust flow passage 281, which together form a single exhaust flow passage.

As shown in FIG. 10, a connection pipe 253 is connected to the intake flow path 251, and a connection pipe 254 is connected to the upper exhaust flow path 252. The connection pipe 253 is formed corresponding to the gas heater 21, and is fluidly connected to the intake flow path 251, so that air heated by the gas heater 21 can be sucked into the intake flow path 251. The connection pipe 254 is formed corresponding to the exhaust fan 22, and is fluidly connected to the upper exhaust flow path 252, so that air in the upper exhaust flow path 252 can be exhausted by the exhaust fan 22.

The upper wall 25 is also provided with a group of inlet holes 255 that communicate the intake passage 251 with the drying space D and serve as vents for allowing air heated by the gas heater 21 to flow into the drying space D. The group of inlet holes 255 is a plurality of punched holes that are formed over a predetermined range in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the drying space D. The predetermined range here refers to substantially the entire lower region of the intake passage 251, and more specifically, the range from above the rear end of the mounting table 31 in the front-rear direction to the front end of the intake passage 251 in the front-rear direction.

Next, a method of using the dryer 1 will be described. First, the placement section 3 is pulled out from the drying space D, and the futon F is placed on the placement surface. Then, the placement section 3 is moved rearward in the front-rear direction by a predetermined distance so that the door section 29 can be closed. This movement causes the rear wheel caster 322b and the support caster 285 to run on the opposing surfaces including the corresponding inclined surfaces, and the opening 321b of the base section 32 and the opening 282 of the bottom wall section 28 approach each other and are connected to each other via the seal member 288. In this state, the door section 29 can be closed and the placement section 3 can be completely accommodated in the drying space D. When the placement section 3 is completely accommodated in the drying space D, the internal spaces P and T of the placement section 3 are fluidically connected to the downward exhaust flow path 281, and therefore the internal spaces P and T are fluidically connected to the upward exhaust flow path 252.

After placing the placement unit 3 in the drying space D, the user controls the control unit 24 to operate the exhaust fan 22, and the air in the upper exhaust flow path 252 is exhausted to the outside, causing the internal spaces P and T in the placement unit 3 to become negative pressure through the vertical flow path 271 and the downward exhaust flow path 281. When the internal spaces P and T become negative pressure, the air in the drying space D passes through the futon F and is sucked into the placement unit 3 through the punching hole group 311 provided on both sides of the placement table 31. In response to this, the drying space D becomes negative pressure, and the air outside the dryer 1 passing through the gas heater 21 is sucked into the drying space D through the intake flow path 251 connected to the drying space D by the inlet hole group 255.

When the gas heater 21 is operating and air is flowing into the drying space D, the air heated by the gas heater 21 flows into the drying space D as hot air, which passes through the futon F placed on the placement section 3, flows into the placement section 3, and is then discharged outside the dryer 1, thereby drying the futon F.

The drying machine according to the embodiment includes a housing in which a drying space is formed, a placement section provided in the drying space and capable of placing a mat-like member on a placement surface, a blowing means for blowing hot air into the housing, and a wind direction control means for controlling the hot air to be blown onto the mat-like member from multiple directions by the blowing means.
According to the dryer of the embodiment, a vortex (tornado) is generated in the intake air flow path 251 and sent from the inlet hole group 255 to the drying space D. The hot air from the intake air flow path 251 also swirls in the drying space D and is sent to the futon F, and the air in the drying space D passes through the futon F via the punched hole groups 311 provided on both sides of the mounting table 31 and is sucked into the mounting section 3, so that the futon can be dried efficiently.

In the present embodiment described above, the object to be dried is described as a futon F, but this is not limited to this, and other mat-like members in which fibrous materials are formed into a mat shape, such as carpets, rugs, and mattresses, may also be placed on the surface to be dried.

In addition, although the punching hole group 311 and the inlet hole group 255 are described as being circular holes, this is not limited thereto and they may be rectangular holes. Furthermore, the placement surface may be formed in a mesh shape to connect the internal space P and the drying space D.

The flow path may be reversed by swapping the positions of the gas heater 21 and the exhaust fan 22. In this case, the heated air from the mounting table 31 flows into the futon F, and the air that passes through this flows into the inlet hole group 255.

(Sealing structure using door portion 29)
This embodiment is characterized in that the door 29 increases the airtightness of the space inside the housing 20. Here, this embodiment has a housing in which a drying space is formed. Here, the drying space is a space that applies hot air to the futon placed on the movable placement section 3 to dry the futon. As described above, when the placement section 3 is completely accommodated in the drying space D, the internal spaces P and T of the placement section 3 are fluidically connected to the downward exhaust flow path 281, and therefore the internal spaces P and T are fluidically connected to the upward exhaust flow path 252.

The gas flow in this state generates negative pressure in the drying space D, and is a necessary flow for the futon drying process, and should not be eliminated from the perspective of sealing. However, as described above, in this embodiment, there is a door section 29, and when the door section 29 is open, negative pressure is not generated, which prevents sealing. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the drying process, it is necessary to close the door section 29 to increase the degree of sealing of the drying space D. Furthermore, the movable placement section 3 is provided with casters, and in particular, the presence of the front caster 322a must be considered. As will be explained below, taking the above into consideration, the aim is to increase the degree of sealing between the door section 29 and the housing 20.

When using the dryer of this embodiment, the user pushes the movable placement unit 3 into the housing 20 and moves it to a predetermined position. As shown in FIG. 12, the movable placement unit 3 is stably held within the housing 20. In this state, the door unit 29 is closed.

At this time, a sealed space is formed by the door section 29 and the housing 20, allowing the drying process to be carried out efficiently. Details of the door section 29 will be described with reference to Figures 13 (A) and (B). As described above, a part of the door section 29 is formed as a window section 291 having optical transparency, for example, made of glass. The door section 29 is provided with a grip section 292 that allows the user to open and close the door section 29. The edge of the door section 29 is a frame section made of metal or the like.

A rubber packing (hereinafter referred to as door rubber packing) 2911, for example, is provided around almost the entire periphery of this frame. When the door section 29 is closed, that is, when the door section 29 is in contact with the housing 20, the door rubber packing 2911 increases the adhesion between the door section 29 and the housing 20, increasing the degree of airtightness.

Two rubber packing portions 1401 are provided on the bottom side of the door portion 29. The rubber packing portions 1401 are composed of a packing metal plate 1405 and a rubber packing 1407. Of the door rubber packing 2911, the rubber packing portion 1401 is provided below the door rubber packing on the bottom side of the door portion 29. As shown in Fig. 13(B) , the packing metal plate 1405 is fixed directly below the door rubber packing portion 2911.

The gasket metal sheet is arranged to extend further downward from the bottom of the door section 29. A rubber gasket 1407 is fixed and adhered to this gasket metal sheet 1405 with double-sided tape or the like. As shown in FIG. 13(B), the rubber gasket 1407 protrudes into the housing 20 from the door section 29.

With reference to Figure 14, the structure of the base 32 that the door 29 faces when the door 29 is closed will be described. As described above, the base 32 is provided with a pair of support casters 285. A caster stand 284 with a generally U-shaped cross section that is open downwards is provided in the center of the front end of the bottom wall 28. A pair of cutouts 286 are provided in the caster stand 284.

As shown in FIG. 14, an anchor portion 1501 is provided following this cutout portion 286. The anchor portion 1501 constitutes part of the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 28. When the device is installed at the location of use, the anchor portion 1501 comes into contact with the floor on which it is installed. A through hole 1503 is provided in this anchor portion 1501. The device installer uses the through hole 1503 to drive an anchor in to secure the device.

A front caster support 2841 is provided for the cutout portion 286 and the anchor portion 1501. The front caster support 2841a or b is manufactured from sheet metal. The front caster support 2841a or b has a structure in which two rectangular parallelepipeds are connected. As shown in FIG. 14, the right side portion has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the front and top surfaces missing. The left side portion has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the inner top and front surfaces remaining.

Such a front caster receiving portion 2841a is fitted into the cutout portion 286 and the anchor portion 1501. The portion of the front caster receiving portion 2841a that fits into the cutout portion 286 forms a space to receive the front caster 322a. At the same time, the front caster receiving portion 2841a is configured to cover the anchor portion 1501. In this case, the plane A of the bottom wall portion 28, the planes B and D of the front caster receiving portions 2841a and 2841b, and the plane C of the caster base 284 form the same plane. This same plane faces the door portion 29 of the bottom wall portion 28. However, the above-mentioned same plane does not exist in the cutout portion 286.

When the door section 29 is closed against such a bottom wall section 28, the two come into tight contact. As described above, the door section 29 is provided with a door rubber packing 2911. This door rubber packing 2911 comes into contact with the same surface consisting of surfaces A, B, C, and D. However, there is no flat surface in the portion corresponding to the cutout portion 286. In this portion, the door rubber packing 2911 has nothing to come into contact with. In this portion, tight contact cannot be achieved. Even when the door section 29 is closed, it does not become airtight.

In response to this, as shown in FIG. 13, two rubber packings 1407 are provided, and these rubber packings 1407 are configured to fit into the notches 286. This configuration increases the degree of adhesion between the door portion 29 and the housing 20, achieving airtightness inside the housing 20.

In the futon dryer of this embodiment, the inside of the housing 20 is put into a negative pressure state, and an air current is created in which hot air passes through the futon, and an air current is created in which air circulates around the futon, so that the futon is dried efficiently. To achieve this, in this embodiment, the degree of airtightness of the space formed by closing the door section 29 can be increased.

In this embodiment, a packing is used for the door portion 29, but this is not limited to packing. Other cushioning materials may be used. The configuration of the casters is also not limited to the embodiment, and various types of rollers may be used. The flow path may also be configured to flow hot air from bottom to top.

The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

1 Dryer 20 Housing 3, 3' Placement section (Placement section)
311 Punching holes (ventilation holes)
313 Connecting device (connecting tool)
314 Support member (connector)
33, 33' Pressing belt (pressing part)
331 Connecting member (longitudinal other end)
332 Elastic part (elastic part)
333 Ventilation hole group (hole)
334 Hook-and-loop fastener part (other end in the longitudinal direction)
D Drying space F Futon (mat-like member)
P Internal space 2911 Door rubber packing part 1407 Rubber packing 2841a, b Front wheel caster support part

Claims (1)

a housing in which a drying space having a door portion is formed;
a mounting section on which a mat-like member can be placed and which is configured to be accommodated in the drying space and has an internal space, the mounting section having a number of ventilation holes on the mounting surface that communicate between the internal space and the drying space;
A caster means for moving the mounting portion into and out of the drying space;
a caster stand having a space that can communicate with the underside of the mounting portion, the caster stand being provided at a front end of a bottom wall portion along which rear casters of the caster means run, the caster stand having a notch that serves as a space for accommodating front casters of the caster means;
A blowing means for blowing hot air onto the mat-like member on the placement surface;
A dryer comprising:
a first position where the placement section is pulled out from the drying space of the housing by the caster means, the mat-like member can be placed thereon;
This dryer is characterized in that, when the caster means stores the placement section in the drying space of the housing and moves it to a second position where drying is performed by the air blowing means , the closed door section is in close contact with the housing and the caster base having the cutout portion that stores the front caster .