JP7594363B2 - 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 provide a dryer that can prevent the mat-like member from separating from the placement surface of the placement section.

The dryer of the embodiment comprises a housing in which a drying space is defined, and a mounting section on which a breathable mat-like member can be mounted on a mounting surface by folding it and bringing it into surface contact with the mounting surface, and which is configured to be accommodated in the drying space and has an internal space, with a number of air holes provided on the mounting surface connecting the internal space and the drying space.The dryer dries the mat-like member by drawing heated air into the drying space and drawing the air from the drying space through the mat-like member into the internal space, and is characterized in that it comprises a pressing section that presses one end of the mat-like member against the mounting surface of the mounting section so that the heated air does not flow into the internal space through the air holes without passing through the mat-like member through a gap created when one end of the mat-like member separates from the mounting surface.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a dryer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of a dryer according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a dryer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a movable placement unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a configuration of a movable placement unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration of a movable placement unit according to the first embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical section of one hole in a group of punched holes. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the punched hole group shown in FIG. 7. 1 is a front view showing a movable placement section on which a futon is placed according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the movable placement section on which the futon is placed according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of a bottom wall portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an air hole in the pressure band. This is a cross-sectional view of line BB in Figure 11. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 11. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a configuration of a movable placement unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a rear view showing the configuration of the movable placement unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a movable placement section on which a futon is placed according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a pressure band according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a movable placement section on which a futon is placed according to a third embodiment.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, the details of the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 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 includes a main body 2 and a movable placement section 3 that is housed within the main body 2 and on which the futon to be dried by the dryer 1 is placed.

The main body 2 comprises a housing 20, a gas heater 21, an exhaust fan 22, a mist generating unit 23, and a control unit 24. The housing 20 is formed as a hollow, generally rectangular box shape, with a drying space D defined inside, surrounded by an upper wall 25 (see FIG. 11), a pair of side walls 26, a rear wall 27, a bottom wall 28, and a door 29. The movable placement unit 3 can be accommodated 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 movable 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 portion 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. 11) 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 mist generating unit 23 is provided between the gas heater 21 and the exhaust fan 22, and is configured as an ultrasonic atomizing device having a liquid storage tank in which liquid containing chemicals such as deodorants, disinfectants, and anti-mite agents is stored, and an ultrasonic transducer provided at the bottom of the liquid storage tank to generate ultrasonic waves in the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank. The liquid storage tank is fluidly connected to the intake flow path 251 (see FIG. 11) described later by a connecting pipe 231.

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. The control unit 24 controls the operation of the gas heater 21, the exhaust fan 22, and the mist generating unit 23 based on the operations performed on the operation panel 241.

The movable placement section 3 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction. When using the movable placement section 3, the user opens the door section 29, moves the movable placement section 3 housed in the drying space D forward to pull the movable placement section 3 out of the drying space D to a certain extent, and places the futon on it. After placing the futon on top of it, the user moves the movable placement section 3 backwards (in the housing direction) and houses 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 movable placement unit 3 moves back and forth, and also functions as an exhaust flow path when the movable placement 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 movable placement unit 3.

(Movable placement portion 3)
The configuration of the movable placement unit 3 will be described in detail. Figs. 4 to 6 are a perspective view, a front view, and a side view, respectively, showing the configuration of the movable placement unit. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical section of one hole in a group of punching holes provided in the movable placement unit, and Fig. 8 shows a modified example thereof. Figs. 9 and 10 are a front view and a side view, respectively, showing the movable placement unit on which a futon is placed. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2, and Fig. 12 is a plan view of the bottom wall of the housing. Fig. 13 is a view for explaining the ventilation holes of the pressing band provided in the movable placement unit. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the movable placement unit 3 includes a placement table 31, a base portion 32, and a pressing band 33.

The mounting table 31 is generally formed in a hollow, roughly triangular prism 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 surface of the mounting table 31, the other side as the back surface of the mounting table 31, and the one side surface of the triangular prism facing downward as the bottom surface of the mounting table 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 table 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 table 31 is connected to the upper surface of the pedestal portion 32.

As shown in FIG. 6, punched hole groups 311 consisting of multiple circular holes that connect the internal space P (see FIG. 11) of the mounting table 31 to the drying space D are provided on both sides of the mounting table 31. Air flows between the drying space D and the internal space P through the punched hole groups 311. These punched hole groups 311 are provided over a predetermined distance from the top end of the mounting table 31, and this predetermined distance is preferably equal to or greater than half the longitudinal width of the futon.

As shown in FIG. 7, each hole of the punching hole group 311 has a curved surface 311a formed so that the peripheral portion on the drying space D side, i.e., the side where the futon F abuts (upper side in the figure), becomes larger in diameter as it approaches the drying space D side. Therefore, the opening diameter (hole diameter) of each hole of the punching hole group 311 on the drying space D side becomes larger than the opening diameter on the internal space P side. For such punching hole group 311 with curved surface 311a formed on the peripheral portion, the opening diameter on the internal space P side is preferably 5 to 8φ. Note that each hole of the punching hole group 311 may have a curved surface 311a formed not only on the peripheral portion but also over the entire depth direction as shown in FIG. 8, or a tapered surface may be formed so that the diameter becomes larger as it approaches the drying space D side instead of the curved surface 311a.

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 movable mounting portion 3.

When placing the futon F to be dried on the placement table 31, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, 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 will be compressed and the density will increase, which may reduce the breathability and ultimately 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 11, 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.

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 is formed with a larger diameter than the rear caster 322b, and is arranged 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 movable placement 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 below 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 Figs. 11 and 12, the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20, which forms the running surface of the rear caster 322b, also has an inclined surface 283. 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 movable placement 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 movable placement 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 movable placement unit 3 is housed in the drying space D, the support caster 285 is located at the front end of the inclined surface 323 and abuts against and supports the base 32. When the movable placement unit 3 is housed in the drying space D, the support caster 285 supports the front side of the movable placement unit 3, so in this embodiment, the front caster 322a is 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 as not to come into contact with the front caster 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 movable 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 movable placement unit 3 forward, the entire movable placement unit 3 can be prevented from slipping out of the drying space D.

Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 11 and 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 movable placement 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 movable 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 movable placement unit 3 abut against the bottom wall 28 of the housing 20 and are supported by the support casters 285, so that the movable placement unit 3 can move in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 20 and can be stored in and removed from the drying space D. Furthermore, when the movable placement unit 3 is stored in the drying space D, it can move downward relative to the housing 20, so that the opening 321b and the opening 282 can be airtightly connected.

As the movable placement 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 movable placement 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. 9) via the upper curved surface of the mounting base 31 to the other side surface (right side in FIG. 9), 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 locking of the tongue can be released 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 an elastic part 332 formed in a part thereof, which can be elastically stretched in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, when pressing the short-side end of the placed futon F, 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 elastic part 332 can be extended by the distance of the separation to connect the connecting member 331 and the connecting device 313. Furthermore, the elastic part 332 is constantly generating a restoring force by connecting the connecting member 331 and the connecting device 313 in the extended state, so that the pressing band 33 can uniformly press the futon F toward the placement surface side by the restoring force. Such an elastic part 332 is preferably an elastic member such as a coil spring or a rubber body, and the entire pressing band 33 may be the elastic part 332.

As shown in FIG. 13, the pressure belt 33 has a group of ventilation holes 333 drilled uniformly, including the stretchable portion 332, allowing ventilation of the futon F that is in contact with the pressure belt 33. Note that in FIG. 13, the group of ventilation holes 333 are formed in circular holes with large spaces between the holes, but the pressure belt 33 may be made of a mesh member with small holes. The effects of the pressure belt 33 described above will be described in detail later.

(Flow paths and operation in the dryer)
The flow path in the dryer will be described with reference to Figures 11, 14, and 15. Figures 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views taken along the lines B-B and C-C in Figure 11, respectively. For the sake of explanation, in Figure 11, the connection pipes 253 and 254, which are disposed at different positions in the left-right direction from the cut surface, and a part of the connection pipe 231 are virtually shown by dashed lines. Similarly, in Figure 14, the connection pipes 253 and 231 located above the cut surface are virtually shown by dashed lines, and in Figure 15, the connection pipe 254 located above the cut surface is virtually shown by dashed lines. Also, the dotted arrows shown in each of these figures indicate the flow direction of air.

As shown in FIG. 11, above the upper wall 25 of the housing 20, two horizontally extending parallel flat plate sections 25a, 25b are provided, and the gas heater 21, exhaust fan 22, and mist generating section 23 are mounted on the uppermost flat plate section 25b. Two spaces are vertically divided and defined by the flat plate section 25a located below the flat plate section 25b. The space defined between the flat plate section 25a and the upper wall section 25 is used as the intake flow path 251, and the space defined between the flat plate section 25a and the flat plate section 25b is used as the upper exhaust flow path 252. The upper exhaust flow path 252 extends slightly rearward from the intake flow path 251 and is fluidly connected to the vertical flow path 271. In addition, since the intake air flow path 251 and the upper exhaust air flow path 252 are formed above and below the flat plate portion 25a, it is preferable that the flat plate portion 25a be 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 Figures 11, 14, and 15, 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 fluidically 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 231 has one end connected to the liquid storage tank of the mist generating unit 23 and the other end connected to the connection pipe 253, so that the mist generated by the mist generating unit 23 can be supplied to the intake flow path 251 via the connection pipe 253. The connection pipe 254 is formed corresponding to the exhaust fan 22, and is fluidically connected to the upper exhaust flow path 252, so that the 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 allow 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 movable placement section 3 is pulled out from the drying space D, and the futon F is placed on the placement surface. The movable placement section 3 is then moved a predetermined distance backward in the front-rear direction 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 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 via the seal member 288. In this state, the door section 29 can be closed and the movable placement section 3 can be completely accommodated in the drying space D. When the movable placement section 3 is completely accommodated in the drying space D, the internal spaces P and T of the movable placement section 3 and the lower exhaust flow path 281 are fluidically connected, and therefore the internal spaces P and T and the upper exhaust flow path 252 are fluidically connected.

After the movable placement part 3 is placed in the drying space D, the user controls the control part 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 movable placement part 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 through the punching hole group 311 provided on both sides of the placement table 31 and is sucked into the movable placement part 3. 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 movable placement section 3, flows into the movable placement section 3, and is then discharged outside the dryer 1, thereby drying the futon F.

When the mist generating unit 23 is operating and air is flowing into the dry space D, the mist-containing air generated by the mist generating unit 23 flows into the dry space D via the connecting pipe 253 and the air intake passage 251. This mist-containing air passes through the futon F, allowing chemicals such as deodorants, disinfectants, and anti-mite agents to penetrate into the futon F, and also automating the spraying of the chemicals.

(Effect of pressure band)
The effect obtained by the pressure band provided on the movable placement portion will be described.

As described above, the hot air in the drying space D passes through the futon F as it flows into the space in the movable mounting section 3 via the punched hole group 311, thereby drying the futon F. In other words, when drying the futon F, it is desirable to place the futon F on the mounting table 31 so that the futon F blocks the punched hole group 311 through which the hot air flows.

When the futon F blocks the punching hole group 311, one end of the short side of the futon F placed on it tends to rise up due to swelling or distortion, i.e., to separate from the side of the placement table 31, creating a gap. In this case, at both front-to-rear ends of the futon F, the hot air in the drying space D flows into the space of the internal space P of the placement table 31 through part of the punching hole group 311 without passing through the futon F, which reduces the drying rate of the futon F.

On the other hand, with the pressing band 33, as shown in Fig. 10, both ends in the short direction of the futon F can be pressed against the placement surface, thereby reducing the decrease in the drying rate. Also, since the expandable portion 332 expands according to the thickness of the futon F, the restoring force can provide good pressing of the futon F, and the pressing band 33 can accommodate futons of various thicknesses.
Furthermore, since a group of ventilation holes 333 is provided, ventilation is possible even at both ends in the short direction of the futon F covered by the pressure band 33.

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.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment described above, the pressing band 33 extends from one side surface in the left-right direction of the mounting table 31 (left side in FIG. 9) via the upper curved surface of the mounting table 31 to the other side surface (right side in FIG. 9). However, the pressing band 33 may be provided on both side surfaces of the mounting table 31 so that the longitudinal direction of the pressing band 33 extends parallel to the front-rear direction, and the longitudinal end of the futon F may be pressed uniformly. In this embodiment, the movable mounting section having a pressing band extending in the front-rear direction will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18.

Figures 16 and 17 are front and rear views showing the configuration of the movable placement section according to this embodiment. Figure 18 is a side view showing the movable placement section on which the futon according to this embodiment is placed.

As shown in Figures 16 to 18, the movable placement unit 3' according to this embodiment differs from the movable placement unit 3 according to the first embodiment in that it has a pressure belt 33' instead of the pressure belt 33, and a support member 314 that supports the pressure belt 33' instead of the connecting device 313, but the other configurations are the same as those of the movable placement unit 3 according to the first embodiment.

The pressure belt 33' is formed in a band shape with a longitudinal direction extending in the front-rear direction and is configured to be adjustable in length in the front-rear direction, with a group of ventilation holes 333 perforated therein. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, the pressure belt 33' is provided with a group of hook-shaped projections 334a on the outer surface of one longitudinal end, and a group of annular projections 334b is provided adjacent to or spaced apart from the group of hook-shaped projections 334a, and these are in surface contact with each other to form a hook-and-loop fastener portion 334 that can be engaged and disengaged. The pressing belt 33' is supported at one end in the longitudinal direction by wrapping the hook-shaped projection group 334a located at one end of the longitudinal direction around the support member 314, which is U-shaped when viewed from the side and is provided on the front side wall of the mounting base 31, and folding it back to engage with the annular projection group 334b (hereinafter referred to as the engaged state), and at the other end in the longitudinal direction by being fixedly wrapped around the support member 314 provided on the rear side wall of the mounting base 31. The hook-shaped projection group 334a and the annular projection group 334b extend a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction, so that the front-rear length of the pressing belt 33' can be adjusted by changing the engagement position according to the thickness and size of the futon F.

Two pressing bands 33' are provided on each side of the placement table 31, spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The lower pressing bands 33' provided on each side of the placement table 31 press both longitudinal ends of the futon F against the placement surface, while the two upper pressing bands 33' press the futon F against the placement surface at their upper positions.

To place the futon F on the placement surface of the movable placement section 3', first the engagement state of each of the pressure belts 33' is released, that is, the engagement between the hook-shaped projection group 334a and the annular projection group 334b of the hook-and-loop fastener section 334 is released, and one longitudinal end of the pressure belt 33' is removed (or loosened) from the support member 314. After that, after placing the futon F on the placement surface, the one longitudinal end of the pressure belt 33' is wrapped around the support member 314 while applying tension, and the hook-and-loop fastener section 334 is brought into an engaged state, so that the futon F is placed in a pressed state.

According to the movable placement section 3' configured as above, by providing the pressing band 33', the longitudinal end of the futon F can be pressed uniformly in the front-to-rear direction, reducing the decrease in the drying rate, and by providing two of them in the upper and lower directions, the effect can be made more certain. Furthermore, since it has a simple structure in which the hook-and-loop fastener part 334 is provided and wrapped around the support member 314 on the front wall surface of the placement base 31, the length can be easily adjusted according to the thickness and size of the futon F.

Note that the pressure band 33' has a hook-and-loop fastener portion 334 to allow the length to be adjusted, but the pressure band 33 having the stretchable portion 332 according to the first embodiment may be provided to extend in the front-to-rear direction, or these may be mixed to form, for example, a pressure band 33 on the top and a pressure band 33' on the bottom.

At least the lower pressing belt 33' may be configured to have a stretchable portion 332 in part instead of the hook-and-loop fastener portion 334, or to be entirely made of the stretchable portion 332, and both longitudinal ends of the pressing belt 33' may be fixedly connected to the front and rear wall surfaces of the mounting base 31 or to the mounting surface. Here, it is preferable to use rubber for the stretchable portion 332. In such a case, the pressing belt 33' is pulled against the restoring force of the stretchable portion 332 to form a gap between the mounting surface, and the futon F is placed by inserting the longitudinal end of the futon F into the gap. With this configuration, the stretchability of the stretchable portion 332 can be used to sandwich the futon F between the pressing belt 33' and the mounting surface, so that the futon F can be pressed well without adjusting the length with the hook-and-loop fastener portion 334.

In addition, a pressure band 33' and a pressure band 33 may be provided to press the longitudinal and lateral ends of the futon F, respectively.

The support member 314 may also be made swingable left and right.

Third Embodiment
Another embodiment of the pressing belt 33' described in the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining the pressing belt according to this embodiment. For the sake of explanation, Fig. 19 shows the pressing belt 33'' folded back at the folded back portions indicated by the reference characters E1 and E2. Reference character F shows an enlarged view of a part of the central portion 335a of the pressing belt 33''.

As shown in FIG. 19, the pressure belt 33'' according to this embodiment is different from the pressure belt 33' according to the second embodiment in that the short-side end portions 335b are reinforced by being thicker than the central portion 335a, and the ventilation hole group 333 is provided only in the central portion 335a. It is also different in that the base 336 having the hook-and-loop fastener portion 334 consisting of the hook-shaped projection group 334a and the annular projection group 334b is sewn to one side of the pressure belt 33'' and firmly fixed. The pressure belt 33'' configured in this way can have a higher tensile strength at least in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the ventilation hole 333 in this embodiment is formed by weaving the fabric constituting the pressure belt 33'' in a mesh shape. The hook-shaped projection group 334a can engage not only with the annular projection group 334b but also with the ventilation hole group 333.

As shown in FIG. 20, the movable placement section 33'' according to this embodiment has only two sets of the pressure band 33'' and two support members 314, including the opposite side. The pressure band 33'' and the two support members 314 are positioned offset upward from the longitudinal side end of the futon F. This configuration maintains the effect of suppressing the decrease in the drying rate of the futon F, while shortening the setting work time compared to the movable placement section 3' according to the second embodiment, in which two pressure bands 33', one above the other, must be set on the futon F. Furthermore, while maintaining the above effect, it is possible to set and press both types of futons with different longitudinal directions, such as adult and child futons.

The three 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', 3'' Movable placement part (placement part)
311 Punching holes (ventilation holes)
313 Connecting device (connecting tool)
314 Support member (connector)
33, 33', 33'' Pressing belt (pressing part)
331 Connecting member (other end in the longitudinal direction)
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

Claims (6)

A housing in which a dry space is defined;
a mounting section that can be mounted on a mounting surface by folding a breathable mat-like member and bringing it into surface contact with the mounting surface, that is configured to be accommodated in the drying space and has an internal space, and a number of ventilation holes that communicate between the internal space and the drying space are provided on the mounting surface;
A dryer that dries a mat-like member by sucking heated air into the drying space and sucking the air from the drying space into the internal space through the mat-like member,
A dryer characterized in that it comprises a pressing section that presses one end of the mat-like member against the mounting surface of the mounting section so that the heated air does not flow into the internal space through the air hole without passing through the mat-like member through a gap formed when one end of the mat-like member is separated from the mounting surface. The dryer described in claim 1, characterized in that the pressing portion is formed in a band shape, one longitudinal end of which is fixed to one end of the storage portion, and the other longitudinal end of which is detachably connected to a connecting device provided on the other end of the storage portion, and which presses the mat-like member when the other end is connected to the connecting device. 3. The dryer according to claim 2, wherein the pressing portion has an elastic portion having elasticity, and the other end portion is connected to the connector when the elastic portion is in an expanded state. The placement surface is formed in a folded shape so that a folding line is positioned at an upper end,
4. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is provided on at least one side of two ends of the placing surface in a folding line direction. The placement surface is formed in a folded shape so that a folding line is positioned at an upper end,
The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing portion extends along the folding line direction. 6. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is formed with a hole for allowing air to flow into the mat-like member that is in contact with the pressing portion.