JP7569287B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a clothes dryer.

A drum-type washer-dryer, which is an example of a clothes dryer that dries clothes, is equipped with a water tub as a drying chamber in which clothes are stored, and a circulation air duct that circulates the air in the water tub. In addition, an evaporator and a condenser that constitute a well-known heat pump mechanism for drying are arranged in this circulation air duct. In the circulation air duct, the condenser, which is the heating part, is located downwind of the evaporator, which is the dehumidifying part.

During the drying process to dry the clothes, the air in the water tub is circulated through the circulation air duct. The air flowing through the circulation air duct contains foreign matter such as lint and dust. For this reason, a drying filter is provided midway through the circulation air duct, located upwind of the dehumidifier, to capture foreign matter.

By the way, by reducing the mesh size of the drying filter, the foreign matter capture performance can be improved. However, the smaller the mesh size of the drying filter, the greater the airflow resistance of the drying filter, making it impossible to ensure a sufficient amount of circulating air. Therefore, there is a limit to how small the mesh size of the drying filter can be made, and therefore the drying filter cannot capture all foreign matter, making it difficult to completely prevent foreign matter from passing through the drying filter. The foreign matter that passes through the drying filter then flows further downwind in the circulating airflow path to the dehumidification section. Therefore, in a washer-dryer equipped with a heat pump mechanism for drying, there is a problem that foreign matter that passes through the drying filter accumulates on the windward side of the dehumidification section after many years of use.

In order to solve these problems, efforts have been made to develop technology for removing foreign matter that has accumulated in the windward portion of the dehumidifier. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which water is ejected onto the windward portion of the dehumidifier to remove foreign matter that has accumulated in that portion.

JP 2014-46133 A

However, in the conventional configuration, there is a concern that the water discharged into the dehumidifying section will be blown towards the heating section by the air flowing through the circulating air passage. This water may then cool the heating section, causing the heating section to heat the air insufficiently. If the heating section does not heat the air sufficiently, it becomes difficult to return hot air to the drying chamber, which reduces the efficiency of drying clothes.

Therefore, this embodiment provides a configuration for a clothes dryer that has a cleaning function by discharging water into the dehumidification section, which can prevent the heating section from being cooled by the water discharged into the dehumidification section.

The clothes dryer of this embodiment comprises a drying chamber in which clothes are stored, a circulation air duct which circulates air within the drying chamber, a dehumidification section provided within the circulation air duct and which dehumidifies the air flowing within the circulation air duct, a heating section provided within the circulation air duct downwind of the dehumidification section and which heats the air flowing within the circulation air duct, a cleaning section which cleans the dehumidification section by spraying water onto the dehumidification section, and a preventing section which prevents water sprayed from the cleaning section to the dehumidification section from moving towards the heating section, wherein the cleaning section is provided above the dehumidification section, and the preventing section is provided between the upper end surface of the dehumidification section and the lower end surface of the cleaning section .

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view illustrating a schematic configuration example of a clothes dryer according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a circulation air passage according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a cleaning device and its peripheral parts according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal configuration of a heat exchange duct according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement relationship of an evaporator, a cleaning device, and a packing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration example of the inside of a heat exchange duct according to a modified example of the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view (part 2) showing a schematic configuration example of the inside of a heat exchange duct according to a modified example of the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement relationship of an evaporator, a cleaning device, and a packing according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a circulation air passage according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal configuration of a heat exchange duct according to a second embodiment;

Below, several embodiments of the clothes dryer will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that elements that are essentially the same in the several embodiments will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

First Embodiment
The washer-dryer 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 is an example of a clothes treatment device capable of performing a predetermined process on clothes, in this case at least a washing process for washing clothes, a rinsing process for rinsing clothes, and a dehydration process for dehydrating clothes. The washer-dryer 1 is a so-called drum-type washer-dryer in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub extends horizontally or in a direction inclined relative to the horizontal. The washer-dryer 1 is also an example of a clothes dryer capable of performing a drying process for drying clothes.

The washer/dryer 1 is provided with a clothes treatment tub 3 inside a rectangular box-shaped outer casing 2 that forms the outer shell of the washer/dryer. The clothes treatment tub 3 is configured to be capable of containing clothes (not shown) that are to be subjected to various processes, such as washing, rinsing, and spin-drying. In this disclosure, the clothes treatment tub 3 is configured to include a rotatable cylindrical drum with a bottom inside a cylindrical water tub with a bottom. The peripheral wall of the drum is provided with a large number of small holes (not shown), and the inner peripheral surface of the drum is provided with a number of baffles (not shown) for stirring up the clothes.

The front opening 3c of the clothing treatment tub 3 is configured to be openable and closable by a door 4 provided on the front of the outer box 2. By opening the door 4, a user can put clothes in and take clothes out of the clothing treatment tub 3 through the front opening 3c of the clothing treatment tub 3. The clothing treatment tub 3 also functions as a drying chamber in which clothes are stored during the drying process in which the clothes are dried.

The washer/dryer 1 also includes a water supply unit 5 for supplying water into the clothing treatment tub 3, and a drainage unit 6 for draining the water in the clothing treatment tub 3 to the outside of the machine. The water supply unit 5 includes a well-known water supply valve 8 and a water injection case 9 in the middle of a water supply path 7 that extends from a water source (not shown), such as a water supply, to the clothing treatment tub 3. The drainage unit 6 also includes a well-known drainage valve 11 in the middle of a drainage path 10 that extends from the bottom of the clothing treatment tub 3 to the outside of the machine. When the drainage valve 11 is closed, water is supplied from the water supply unit 5 to the clothing treatment tub 3, so that a predetermined amount of water is stored in the clothing treatment tub 3. When the drainage valve 11 is opened, the water in the clothing treatment tub 3 is drained to the outside of the machine via the drainage path 10.

A well-known drain filter unit 12 is provided in the drain path 10, upstream of the drain valve 11. The drain filter unit 12 captures foreign matter such as lint and dust contained in the water discharged from the clothes treatment tub 3 through the drain path 10 by the drain unit 6.

The washer/dryer 1 also includes a circulation air duct 13. The circulation air duct 13 connects the air outlet 3a and air inlet 3b of the clothing treatment tub 3 outside the clothing treatment tub 3. In this case, the air outlet 3a is provided at the front of the top surface of the clothing treatment tub 3. The air inlet 3b is provided at the top of the back surface of the clothing treatment tub 3. The positions of the air outlet 3a and air inlet 3b in the clothing treatment tub 3 can be changed as appropriate.

A heat exchange duct 14 is provided in the middle of the circulating air passage 13. In this case, the heat exchange duct 14 is provided in the rear part of the lower part inside the outer box 2 so as to run along the left-right direction of the outer box 2. In addition, a well-known drying filter 15 is provided in the middle of the circulating air passage 13, upstream of the heat exchange duct 14. The drying filter 15 captures foreign matter, such as lint and dust, contained in the air flowing through the circulating air passage 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the washer/dryer 1 is equipped with a heat pump mechanism 16. The heat pump mechanism 16 constitutes a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor 17, a condenser 18, a throttle 19, and an evaporator 20 are connected in a cycle by refrigerant pipes 21. Of these, the condenser 18 and the evaporator 20, which constitute a heat exchanger, are disposed inside a heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes part of the circulation air passage 13.

The circulation air passage 13 is also provided with a circulation blower 22. The circulation blower 22 is an example of a circulation section, and circulates the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 through the circulation air passage 13. When the circulation blower 22 is driven, as illustrated by the arrow W in FIG. 2, the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 is introduced into the circulation air passage 13 from the air outlet 3a, flows from the upwind side, which is the air outlet 3a side, to the downwind side, which is the air inlet 3b side, and is returned to the clothing treatment tub 3 from the air inlet 3b. In other words, when the circulation blower 22 is driven, the air in the clothing treatment tub 3 is circulated through the circulation air passage 13.

The evaporator 20 is disposed in the heat exchange duct 14 on the air outlet 3a side of the clothing treatment tub 3, i.e., on the upwind side of the circulation air duct 13. On the other hand, the condenser 18 is disposed in the heat exchange duct 14 on the air inlet 3b side of the clothing treatment tub 3, i.e., on the downwind side of the circulation air duct 13. That is, in the circulation air duct 13, more specifically in the heat exchange duct 14, the evaporator 20 is disposed on the upwind side of the condenser 18. In other words, in the circulation air duct 13, more specifically in the heat exchange duct 14, the condenser 18 is disposed on the downwind side of the evaporator 20.

The evaporator 20 is an example of a dehumidifying section, and functions as a dehumidifying means for cooling and dehumidifying the air flowing in the circulating air duct 13 from the air outlet 3a side to the air inlet 3b side, i.e., from the windward side to the leeward side. On the other hand, the condenser 18 is an example of a heating section, and functions as a heating means for heating the air flowing in the circulating air duct 13 from the air outlet 3a side to the air inlet 3b side, i.e., from the windward side to the leeward side.

By providing the evaporator 20 and condenser 18 in the air circulation duct 13, the air flowing from the windward side to the leeward side in the air circulation duct 13 is dehumidified by the evaporator 20 and heated by the condenser 18, and is returned to the clothing treatment tub 3 as hot air at a predetermined temperature. This allows the clothing stored in the clothing treatment tub 3 to be dried by the hot air.

The washer/dryer 1 further includes a cleaning device 50, which is an example of a cleaning section. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cleaning device 50 is provided on the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14. The cleaning device 50 is provided so that its entirety is located above the upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20. The cleaning device 50 is provided so that its entirety is located above the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14. The cleaning device 50 is provided in a region directly above the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20.

The cleaning device 50 extends linearly along the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20. Hereinafter, the direction along the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 may be referred to as the end surface direction A1, and the direction perpendicular to the end surface direction A1 may be referred to as the air passage direction A2. The end surface direction A1 is also a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the heat exchange duct 14 constituting a part of the circulation air passage 13, the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50, and a direction perpendicular to the direction in which air flows in the heat exchange duct 14 constituting a part of the circulation air passage 13. The air passage direction A2 is also a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the heat exchange duct 14 constituting a part of the circulation air passage 13, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50, and a direction in which air flows in the heat exchange duct 14 constituting a part of the circulation air passage 13.

The cleaning device 50 also has a water supply port 51 at one end in the longitudinal direction A1. The water supply port 51 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the one end in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50. The water supply valve 8 of the water supply unit 5 described above is connected to this water supply port 51 via a water supply hose 52. This allows water to be supplied from the water supply valve 8 through the water supply hose 52 and the water supply port 51 into the cleaning device 50.

Next, a configuration example of the cleaning device 50 and the surrounding area of the cleaning device 50 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning device 50 is configured to clean the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 and its surrounding area, in particular, by ejecting water S from above onto the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 and its surrounding area.

That is, the cleaning device 50 is housed in a recess 14b provided on the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14. The recess 14b is formed in a rectangular shape recessed upward from the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14. The cleaning device 50 also has a plurality of discharge ports (not shown) on its lower end surface 50b. The plurality of discharge ports are arranged in a straight line along the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cleaning device 50 is configured to discharge water S flowing in from the water supply port 51 described above from multiple outlets toward the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 and its surrounding area. The water S discharged from the multiple outlets by the cleaning device 50 flows downward over the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 and its surrounding area. As the water S flows downward, foreign matter adhering to the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 and its surrounding area is washed away downward.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom surface of the heat exchange duct 14 is formed with an opening 14c located below the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20, through which water and foreign objects can pass. In addition, a drain tank 14d is provided below the opening 14c to receive the water generated by the evaporator 20, i.e., the dehumidified water. This allows the washer-dryer 1 to discharge the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and flowing down the windward end surface 20a of the evaporator 20 and its surrounding areas, and the foreign objects washed away by the water, to the outside of the heat exchange duct 14, in this case, into the drain tank 14d, through the opening 14c. The drain tank 14d is connected, for example, to a portion of the drain path 10 downstream of the drain valve 11, and allows the water and foreign objects stored inside to be discharged outside the machine.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the washer/dryer 1 according to the present disclosure has a gap G between the upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 and the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14 through which air can pass. Therefore, in the drying process in which the clothes in the clothes treatment tub 3 are dried, there is a concern that the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and remaining on the windward end surface 20a or the upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 may be blown toward the condenser 18 by the air flowing through the heat exchange duct 14, which constitutes part of the circulating air passage 13, particularly the air trying to pass through the gap G. If this water adheres to the condenser 18, the condenser 18 is cooled by the water, and the air heating by the condenser 18 becomes insufficient. If the air heating by the condenser 18 becomes insufficient, it becomes difficult to return high-temperature air to the clothes treatment tub 3, which deteriorates the efficiency of drying the clothes.

Therefore, the washer-dryer 1 according to the present disclosure is devised to prevent the condenser 18 from being cooled by the water discharged by the cleaning device 50 into the evaporator 20. This point will be described in detail below. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the washer-dryer 1 is provided with a packing 100, which is an example of a blocking portion. In this case, the packing 100 is made of, for example, a rubber material, and is formed into a long rectangular plate along the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50. The packing 100 is provided so as to fill the above-mentioned gap G. That is, the packing 100 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 and the lower end surface 50b of the cleaning device 50, more specifically, between the upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 and the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14.

In addition, in the air passage direction A2, that is, the direction A2 in which air flows in the heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes part of the circulating air passage 13, the length of the packing 100 is shorter than the length of the evaporator 20. That is, the packing 100 is provided so as to fill a part of the above-mentioned gap G in the air passage direction A2, in this case, mainly the windward portion. In addition, the windward end face of the packing 100 is almost or completely flush with the windward end face 20a of the evaporator 20. The packing 100 may be provided so as to fill mainly the downwind portion of the gap G.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50, i.e., in the direction A1 perpendicular to the direction in which air flows in the heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes part of the circulating air passage 13, the length of the packing 100 is almost or completely the same as the length of the evaporator 20. In addition, both end faces of the packing 100 in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50 are almost or completely flush with both end faces of the evaporator 20 in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50.

According to the configuration example of the washer-dryer 1 illustrated above, the gasket 100 can prevent the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and remaining on the windward end surface 20a and upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 from being blown toward the condenser 18 by the air flowing in the circulating air passage 13, or more specifically, the air flowing in the heat exchange duct 14, during the drying process in which the clothes in the clothes treatment tub 3 are dried.

As a result, in a washer/dryer 1 having a cleaning function by discharging water into the evaporator 20, it is possible to prevent the condenser 18 from being cooled by the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 into the evaporator 20. By preventing the condenser 18 from being cooled, it is possible to maintain a state in which the condenser 18 can sufficiently heat the air, and high-temperature air can be returned into the clothing treatment tub 3 to maintain or improve the clothing drying efficiency.

In addition, according to the washer/dryer 1, the cleaning device 50 is provided above the evaporator 20, and the packing 100 is provided between the upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 and the lower end surface 50b of the cleaning device 50. According to this configuration example, the packing 100 can prevent the water discharged or flowing downward from the cleaning device 50 from being blown to the downwind side before reaching the evaporator 20. This further prevents the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 toward the evaporator 20 from moving to the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side, through the gap G.

In addition, the washer/dryer 1 can prevent the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and remaining on the windward end surface 20a or upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 from reaching the circulation blower 22, which is located further downwind than the condenser 18, and can protect the circulation blower 22 from water.

In addition, the washer/dryer 1 can prevent water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and remaining on the windward end surface 20a or upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 from reaching the air inlet 3b, which is located further downwind than the circulation blower 22, and thus can prevent water from adhering to the clothes in the clothes treatment tub 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, the washer/dryer 1 may be configured so that the length of the packing 100 in the air passage direction A2 is almost or completely the same as the length of the evaporator 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the washer/dryer 1 may be configured so that the length of the packing 100 in the air passage direction A2 is longer than the length of the evaporator 20.

That is, the washer-dryer 1 may be configured so that the length of the packing 100 is equal to or greater than the length of the evaporator 20 in the air passage direction A2, i.e., the direction A2 in which air flows in the heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes part of the circulating air passage 13. In other words, the washer-dryer 1 may be configured so that the packing 100 fills the entire gap G in the air passage direction A2. According to this configuration example, it is possible to more reliably prevent water discharged from the cleaning device 50 toward the evaporator 20 from moving through the gap G to the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side.

As shown in FIG. 5, the washer-dryer 1 is configured such that the length of the packing 100 in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50 is almost or completely the same as the length of the evaporator 20. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the washer-dryer 1 may be configured such that the length of the packing 100 in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50 is longer than the length of the evaporator 20.

That is, the washer-dryer 1 may be configured so that the length of the packing 100 is equal to or greater than the length of the evaporator 20 in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50, i.e., in the direction A1 perpendicular to the direction in which air flows in the heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes part of the circulating air passage 13. In other words, the washer-dryer 1 may be configured so that the packing 100 fills the entire gap G in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50. This configuration example makes it possible to more reliably prevent water discharged from the cleaning device 50 toward the evaporator 20 from moving through the gap G to the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side.

The washer-dryer 1 may be configured so that the length of the packing 100 is shorter than the length of the evaporator 20 in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50. In other words, the washer-dryer 1 may be configured so that the packing 100 fills a part of the gap G in the longitudinal direction A1 of the cleaning device 50. Even with this configuration example, the packing 100 present in the gap G can sufficiently prevent water from moving to the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side.

The washer-dryer 1 may also have the packing 100 made of a water-absorbent material. According to this configuration example, the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 toward the evaporator 20 can be absorbed by the packing 100, and the movement of water to the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side, can be more reliably prevented. Note that various materials can be considered as the water-absorbent material that makes up the packing 100, such as a rubber material with many bubbles or a sponge material. The washer-dryer 1 may also have the packing 100 made of a non-water-absorbent material.

In addition, according to the washer/dryer 1, the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 may remain inside the evaporator 20, that is, between the multiple fins that make up the evaporator 20. However, the water remaining inside the evaporator 20 can be allowed to flow downward together with the dehumidified water generated in the evaporator 20. Therefore, even if the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 remains inside the evaporator 20, it is possible to prevent the water from being blown downwind, that is, toward the condenser 18.

Second Embodiment
9 includes an air outlet 201 and an air inlet 202 in the circulation air duct 13. The air outlet 201 is provided in a portion of the circulation air duct 13 that is on the downwind side of the drying filter 15. The air outlet 201 is provided in a portion of the circulation air duct 13 that is on the upwind side of the evaporator 20. The air outlet 201 may include a filter that captures foreign matter contained in the air discharged through the air outlet 201.

On the other hand, the air inlet 202 is provided in a portion of the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14, which constitutes a part of the circulating air passage 13, between the evaporator 20 and the condenser 18. In other words, the air inlet 202 is located on the downwind side of the evaporator 20 and on the upwind side of the condenser 18.

The air outlet 201 is provided with a damper 203 that opens and closes the air outlet 201. The damper 203 is opened and closed by a control device (not shown) that controls the overall operation of the washer/dryer 1. On the other hand, the air inlet 202 does not have a damper that opens and closes the air inlet 202. The air inlet 202 may be configured to have a damper that opens and closes the air inlet 202. The air inlet 202 may be configured to have a filter that captures foreign matter contained in the air introduced through the air inlet 202.

According to the washer/dryer 1 configured as described above, during the drying process in which the air in the clothes treatment tub 3 is circulated through the circulation air duct 13, when the damper 203 is opened to switch the air outlet 201 to an open state, a portion of the air flowing through the circulation air duct 13, in this case a portion of the moist air before being dehumidified by the evaporator 20, is discharged from the air outlet 201 to the outside of the circulation air duct 13, as illustrated by the dashed arrow C1 in FIG. 9. Then, as the air is discharged from the air outlet 201, the amount of air and the air pressure in the circulation air duct 13 decrease. Therefore, as illustrated by the dashed arrow C2 in FIG. 9, the air outside the circulation air duct 13 is introduced into the circulation air duct 13, in this case into the heat exchange duct 14 that constitutes part of it, through the air inlet 202.

With the washer-dryer 1 configured in this way, the drying process can be carried out while replacing the moist air flowing through the circulating air duct 13 with the dry air outside the circulating air duct 13. This can further improve the drying efficiency of the clothes in the clothes treatment tub 3.

In the washer/dryer 1 equipped with such a circulating air replacement function, as illustrated by the dashed arrow C2 in FIG. 10, the air introduced from the air inlet 202 into the circulating air passage 13, in this case into the heat exchange duct 14, flows into the heat exchange duct 14 from the downwind side of the evaporator 20, and after flowing into the heat exchange duct 14, flows toward the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side, rather than the upwind side, i.e., the evaporator 20 side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and remaining on the upwind end surface 20a or upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 from being blown toward the condenser 18 side by the air flowing in from the air inlet 202.

Even if the water discharged from the cleaning device 50 and remaining on the windward end surface 20a or upper end surface 20b of the evaporator 20 is blown toward the condenser 18 by the air flowing through the heat exchange duct 14, which constitutes part of the circulating air passage 13, the water can be pushed downward upstream of the condenser 18 by the air flowing into the heat exchange duct 14 from the air inlet 202. This makes it difficult for the water to reach the condenser 18, even if the water is blown from the evaporator 20 toward the condenser 18.

Other Embodiments
In addition, the present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified or expanded as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the clothes dryer may be configured by appropriately selecting and combining the above-described embodiments.

The shape and size of the packing 100 can be modified as appropriate as long as it is possible to prevent water from splashing from the evaporator 20 to the downwind side, i.e., the condenser 18 side. The washer/dryer 1 may also be configured to include multiple packings 100 in the gap G. When multiple packings 100 are provided in the gap G, for example, the multiple packings 100 may be made of materials with different water absorbencies, and the packings 100 with higher water absorbencies may be arranged closer to the windward side.

The packing 100 may be configured so that its upper surface abuts against the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14, or may be configured so that it is spaced apart from the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14. If the upper surface of the packing 100 is spaced apart from the upper surface 14a of the heat exchange duct 14, it is preferable to make the distance as short as possible.

In addition, this embodiment is not limited to so-called drum-type washer-dryers in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub extends horizontally or in an inclined direction, but can also be applied to so-called vertical-axis washer-dryers in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub extends vertically. In addition, this embodiment can also be applied to pure clothes dryers that do not have a washing function.

Note that this embodiment is presented merely as an example, and is 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 spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

In the drawing, 1 indicates a washer/dryer (clothes dryer), 3 indicates a clothes treatment tub (drying chamber), 13 indicates a circulating air duct, 18 indicates a condenser (heating section), 20 indicates an evaporator (dehumidifying section), 50 indicates a cleaning device (cleaning section), 100 indicates a packing (blocking section), and 202 indicates an air inlet.

Claims (5)

a drying chamber in which the clothes are stored;
A circulation air duct for circulating air within the drying chamber;
a dehumidification unit provided in the air circulation duct and configured to dehumidify air flowing in the air circulation duct;
a heating section provided in the circulating air duct on the leeward side of the dehumidifying section and configured to heat air flowing in the circulating air duct;
a cleaning unit that cleans the dehumidifying unit by discharging water to the dehumidifying unit;
a blocking section that blocks the water discharged from the cleaning section to the dehumidifying section from moving toward the heating section;
Equipped with
The cleaning unit is provided above the dehumidifying unit,
The blocking section is provided between an upper end surface of the dehumidifying section and a lower end surface of the cleaning section . The clothes dryer according to claim 1, further comprising an air inlet that is provided on the upper surface of the circulating air passage between the dehumidifying section and the heating section and that introduces air into the circulating air passage. 3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein a length of the blocking portion in a direction in which air flows in the circulating air passage is equal to or greater than a length of the dehumidifying portion in the direction in which air flows in the circulating air passage. 4. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the length of the blocking section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which air flows in the circulating air duct is greater than or equal to the length of the dehumidifying section in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which air flows in the circulating air duct . The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the blocking portion is made of a water-absorbent material.

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