JP7634228B2 - Washer/dryer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer.

A conventional washer-dryer has an outer tub, a generally cylindrical drum rotatably arranged within the outer tub, an intake duct (not shown) arranged in the upper right part of the peripheral wall of the outer tub, and a first exhaust duct arranged in the upper left part of the peripheral wall of the outer tub (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A second exhaust duct communicating with the first exhaust duct is provided above the first exhaust duct, and a fan and a filter are arranged inside the second exhaust duct.

When the drying process is performed in the washer/dryer, the fan is driven to supply air for drying the laundry from the intake duct into the outer tub, and the air in the outer tub is exhausted through the exhaust duct. Dust, dirt, and lint (lint, fluff, etc.) contained in the air that flows into the second exhaust duct are captured by a filter.

JP 2007-282732 A

In conventional washer-dryers, the first exhaust duct has a front, back, top, left side and a bottom surface formed by the peripheral wall of the outer tub, and is formed into a hollow, generally rectangular column shape extending in the front-to-rear direction. During the drying process of the washer-dryer, air flowing into the first exhaust duct from the inlet collides with the upper inner circumferential surface of the rear part of the first exhaust duct facing the inlet. However, the upper inner circumferential surface is formed in the upper corner where the top and back are connected vertically, and dust contained in the air tends to accumulate in the upper corner. Therefore, maintenance is required to manually remove dust and other particles accumulated on the inner circumferential surface of the exhaust duct.

Some conventional washer-dryers have a drum cleaning mode as an operating mode, and can be operated in drum cleaning mode before a washing operation. However, in such washer-dryers, the inside of the drum is generally cleaned by the agitating force of the drum rotation speed during normal washing (e.g., 40 to 45 rpm). As a result, the water flow during drum cleaning does not reach the upper corners of the first exhaust duct, making it difficult to remove dust and other particles that have accumulated in the upper corners of the first exhaust duct.

The present invention aims to provide a washer-dryer that has an exhaust duct cleaning mode as an operating mode that removes dust and other particles contained in the air that flows into the exhaust duct from the outer tub and accumulates on the inner surface of the exhaust duct.

The washer/dryer of the present invention comprises an outer tub, a substantially cylindrical drum arranged to be freely rotatable within the outer tub, and an exhaust duct communicating with the inside of the outer tub via an inlet formed in the upper peripheral wall of the outer tub, and is characterized in that it has an exhaust duct cleaning mode as an operating mode for cleaning the inside of the exhaust duct , and the exhaust duct cleaning mode includes a first exhaust duct cleaning mode in which a first amount of water is supplied to the outer tub, and a second exhaust duct cleaning mode which is performed after the first exhaust duct cleaning mode and in which a second amount of water is supplied to the outer tub that is greater than the first amount of water .

In the washer/dryer according to the present invention, the inlet is disposed at a position offset to the left or right with respect to the rotation axis of the drum when viewed from the front, the exhaust duct is a hollow box-shaped member extending from the front side to the rear side and disposed so that one end side faces the inlet, and it is preferable that in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum is driven to rotate about a predetermined number of revolutions so that the upper end of the drum moves from the side where the inlet is not offset to the side where the inlet is offset near the upper peripheral wall of the outer tub.

In the washer/dryer according to the present invention, it is preferable that the operation mode further includes a drum cleaning mode for cleaning the inside of the drum, and in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum is rotated at a higher rotation speed than in the drum cleaning mode, and the amount of water supplied to the outer tub is greater than the amount of water supplied to the outer tub in the drum cleaning mode.

According to the present invention, even if dust contained in the air that flows from the outer tank into the exhaust duct accumulates on the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust duct, water flows from the outer tank into the exhaust duct and the dust that has accumulated on the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust duct can be removed by operating the exhaust duct cleaning mode. This improves maintainability and reduces the need to manually clean the inside of the exhaust duct. This prevents the occurrence of errors due to reduced drying performance caused by dust adhering to the exhaust duct and reduced exhaust airflow, and reduces the number of times the inside of the exhaust duct needs to be manually cleaned.
According to the present invention, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, first, when the water level in the exhaust duct is low, a strong water flow is generated inside the exhaust duct to remove dust and the like from the inner surface of the exhaust duct, and then, when the water level in the exhaust duct is high, a gentle water flow is generated inside the exhaust duct to rinse away the dust and the like that has been removed from the inner surface of the exhaust duct.

According to the present invention, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, after the water in the outer tank flows into the exhaust duct, it tends to accumulate in the exhaust duct. Therefore, the water that flows from the outer tank into the exhaust duct in the exhaust duct cleaning mode can remove dust and other particles that have accumulated over a wide area of the inner surface of the exhaust duct.

According to the present invention, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the amount of water contained inside the outer tank is greater than the amount of water in the drum cleaning mode, and the rotation speed of the drum is greater than the rotation speed in the drum cleaning mode, so that a relatively large amount of water flows from the outer tank into the exhaust duct, effectively removing dust and other particles that have accumulated on the inner surface of the exhaust duct.

1 is a front view of a washing/drying machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from diagonally above the front right. 3(a) is a diagram showing the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the front upper left, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the left. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 1 cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction, as viewed from the left side. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating operation modes of the washer-dryer 1 of FIG. 1. 6(a) is a diagram showing the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from diagonally above the front left, and FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing the washer/dryer 1 with a front panel 82 open. 2 is a diagram for explaining the amount of water supplied to an outer tub 3 in the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electrical system of the washer/dryer 1 of FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in an exhaust duct cleaning mode. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the operation inside the first exhaust duct 60 in exhaust duct cleaning mode. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the operation inside the first exhaust duct 60 in exhaust duct cleaning mode.

The washer/dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a front view of a washer/dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which a part of a front panel is removed so that the structure inside a housing 2 can be seen. FIG. 2 illustrates the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1 as viewed from the front right and above. FIG. 3(a) illustrates the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1 as viewed from the front left and above, and FIG. 3(b) illustrates the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1 as viewed from the left. Note that FIG. 3(a) omits the illustration of a part of the internal structure of the washer/dryer 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the washer/dryer 1 cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction as viewed from the left side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washer/dryer 1 of this embodiment is a commercial washer/dryer used in places such as coin laundries, and its outer shell is made up of a slightly elongated housing 2.

An outer tub 3 is provided in the approximate center of the housing 2. The outer tub 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in an approximately horizontal direction and is used to store water supplied from an external water supply facility. The center of the outer tub 3 is opened in a circular shape, and this opening is formed as an outer tub entrance/exit 6 for loading and unloading laundry.

A circular opening 10 that is slightly larger than the outer tub entrance 6 is formed concentrically with the outer tub entrance 6 in approximately the center of the front of the housing 2, corresponding to the outer tub entrance 6. A door 11 is attached to the opening 10 so that it can be opened and closed freely as a door that the user can open when loading or unloading laundry. The door 11 also serves as the door for the laundry entrance 22 of the drum 5, which will be described later.

The rear surface of the housing 2 is provided with a water supply port 12 that is connected to an external water supply facility, and the water supply port 12 and the outer tub 3 are connected by a water supply pipe 13. When a water supply valve 15 attached to the middle of the water supply pipe 13 is opened, water supplied from the water supply port 12 through the water supply pipe 13 flows into the outer tub 3 and is stored in the outer tub 3.

A drain outlet 16 is formed at the bottom of the outer tub 3, and a drain pipe 17 is connected to the drain outlet 16. When a drain valve 18 attached to the middle of the drain pipe 17 is opened, the water stored in the outer tub 3 is discharged outside the machine via the drain pipe 17.

A drum 5 in which laundry is stored is placed inside the outer tub 3. The drum 5 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is provided so as to be freely rotatable around a central axis N. The drum 5 has a laundry opening 20 formed in the center of its front surface for inserting and removing laundry. The peripheral wall of the drum 5 is perforated with a large number of holes 5a around almost the entire circumference, and the inside of the drum 5 communicates with the outer tub 3 through these holes 5a. As a result, for example, water stored in the outer tub 3 during the washing process flows into the drum 5 through the holes 5a.

The rear wall of the drum 5 is provided with a rotating shaft 30 that protrudes rearward along the central axis N. The central portion of the rotating shaft 30 is rotatably held by a bearing 31 of the outer tub 3, and a drum pulley 32 is attached to the rear end of the rotating shaft 30.

A motor 33 for driving the drum 5 to rotate is disposed at the lower rear of the outer tub 3. The motor 33 is provided with a freely rotatable drive shaft 34 for transmitting the driving force. The drive shaft 34 extends forward, and a motor pulley 35 is attached to its front end. A belt 36 is wound with a predetermined tension between the drum pulley 32 and the motor pulley 35. When the motor 33 is driven, the driving force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 30 via the motor pulley 35, belt 36, and drum pulley 32, causing the drum 5 to rotate.

A first intake duct 50 is provided in the upper right part of the peripheral wall of the outer tub 3. A roughly rectangular inlet 51 is formed in the center of the underside of the first intake duct 50 (the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the outer tub 3) slightly toward the front, and the intake duct 50 communicates with the outer tub 3 via the inlet 51. A circular intake duct inlet 52 is formed in the rear part of the upper surface of the first intake duct 50.

A second intake duct 53 is provided above the first intake duct 50. The second intake duct 53 is fixed to the housing 2 with a fixing member (not shown). An intake duct inlet 54 is formed at the front lower end of the second intake duct 53, and is connected to the outside of the machine. An intake duct outlet 55 is formed in a circular shape at the lower end of the other end opposite the side where the intake duct inlet 54 of the second intake duct 53 is formed. The intake duct inlet 52 of the first intake duct 50 and the intake duct outlet 55 of the second intake duct 53 are connected by an intake duct connecting pipe 56.

A gas burner 57 is disposed inside the second air intake duct 53. The gas burner 57 burns gas supplied, for example, from an external gas supply path (not shown), and heats the surrounding air with the heat of combustion. By turning on the gas burner 57, the air inside the second air intake duct 53 is heated. In other words, during the drying process, heated air for drying the laundry is generated by the heat of the gas burner 57.

A first exhaust duct 60 is provided in the upper left part of the peripheral wall of the outer tank 3. The first exhaust duct 60 is a hollow box-shaped member that has a front surface, a back surface, a top surface, a left side surface, and a bottom surface formed by the peripheral wall of the outer tank 3, and extends in the front-to-rear direction. In this way, the first exhaust duct 60 is a hollow box-shaped member that extends from the front side to the back side and is positioned so that its back side faces the inlet 61.

A roughly rectangular inlet 61 is formed at the rear of the lower surface of the first exhaust duct 60 (the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the outer tank 3), and the first exhaust duct 60 communicates with the outer tank 3 via the inlet 61. In addition, a circular exhaust duct outlet 62 is formed on the upper surface of the first exhaust duct 60.

A second exhaust duct 63 is provided above the first exhaust duct 60. The second exhaust duct 63 is fixed to the housing 2 with a fixing member (not shown), and an exhaust duct inlet 64 is formed at the lower end near the front of the second exhaust duct 63. The exhaust duct outlet 62 of the first exhaust duct 60 and the exhaust duct inlet 64 of the second exhaust duct 63 are connected by an exhaust duct connecting pipe 65.

An exhaust duct outlet 66 is formed at the upper end of the other end of the second exhaust duct 63, opposite the side where the exhaust duct inlet 64 is formed. The exhaust duct outlet 66 protrudes to the outside from the top surface of the housing 2, and the outer tank 3 is connected to the outside of the machine via the first exhaust duct 60, the exhaust duct connecting pipe 65, and the second exhaust duct 63.

A fan 67 is disposed inside the second exhaust duct 63. The fan 67 is driven, for example, during the drying process, to blow air from the drum 5 and the outer tub 3 out of the machine through the exhaust duct outlet 66.

A filter 68 is provided inside the second exhaust duct 63 between the fan 67 and the exhaust duct inlet 64. The filter 68 is inclined obliquely upward from the front to the rear, and is provided to separate the inside of the second exhaust duct 63 into the exhaust duct inlet 64 side and the fan 67 side, and captures dust, dirt, and lint (lint, fluff, etc.) contained in the air from the exhaust duct inlet 64.

In front of the second exhaust duct 63, an operation opening 8 is formed that connects the inside of the second exhaust duct 63 to the front, and an operation window 8a is opened in a position facing the operation opening 8 on the front wall of the housing 2. The operation opening 8 and operation window 8a are always closed with a lid 8b, and when the lid 8b is operated to open the operation opening 8 and operation window 8a, the inside of the second exhaust duct 63 is exposed to the front, making it possible to perform maintenance on the filter 68, etc.

As shown in FIG. 5, the washer/dryer 1 of this embodiment has, as its operating modes, a laundry washing mode for washing the laundry stored in the drum 5, a drum washing mode for washing the inside of the drum 5 before the laundry washing operation, and an exhaust duct washing mode for washing the inside of the first exhaust duct 60.

(Laundry washing mode)
In the laundry washing mode, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the washing machine 1 is operated in an operation mode corresponding to an operation on the operation unit 80 provided on the housing 2. In the washing and drying machine 1 of this embodiment, in the laundry washing mode, the drum 5 is rotated at a drum rotation speed of, for example, 40 to 45 rpm. The amount of water supplied in the laundry washing mode (the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3) is appropriately set to an amount of water corresponding to the operation on the operation unit 80.

(Drum cleaning mode)
The drum cleaning mode is started when the door 11 is closed and the drum cleaning button 81 provided on the housing 2 is pressed. If the door 11 is open and the drum cleaning button 81 provided on the housing 2 is pressed, a voice message saying "Please close the door before pressing this button" is played.

In drum wash mode, a low amount of water (standard setting is 3 degrees, but the water level can be set between 2 and 5 degrees) is supplied to the outer tub 3, and the drum 5 rotates alternately left and right for 2 minutes at standard setting (can be set between 1 and 5 minutes). In drum wash mode, the drum 5 is rotated at a drum rotation speed of, for example, 40 to 45 rpm. Thus, in the washer/dryer 1 of this embodiment, in drum wash mode, the drum 5 is rotated at approximately the same rotation speed as in laundry wash mode.

Now, we will explain the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3. When the drum 5 is stopped, as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal height at which the bottom end of the drum 5 is located is 0 degrees, the horizontal height at which the center of the drum 5 is located is 10 degrees, and the interval between them is divided into 10 equal parts, with the horizontal heights ranging from 1 degree to 9 degrees. Therefore, for example, when water is supplied at a water level of 3 degrees in the drum washing mode, the water will only be present below a horizontal height of 1/4 of the height of the drum 5.

(Exhaust duct cleaning mode)
The exhaust duct cleaning mode is started when the drum cleaning button 81 provided on the housing 2 is pressed and held for 10 seconds with the door 11 open, and then the door 11 is closed. Note that in the washer-dryer 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust duct cleaning mode is started by the above operation only when the number of maintenance cleaning operations stored internally has been reset.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), a front plate 82 is provided on the upper front part of the housing 2. The front plate 82 can be opened by inserting a special key into a keyhole 83 formed at the lower end of the front plate 82 to unlock it and rotating it upward around the upper end of the front plate 82 as a fulcrum. When the front plate 82 is opened, the reset button 84 becomes operable as shown in FIG. 6(b), and when the reset button 84 is operated, the number of maintenance cleaning operations is reset.

As such, the number of maintenance cleaning operations cannot be reset unless the owner of the washer-dryer 1 uses the dedicated key to open the front panel 82. Therefore, anyone other than the owner of the washer-dryer 1 cannot continuously perform operation in the exhaust duct cleaning mode once operation in the exhaust duct cleaning mode has ended.

In the washer-dryer 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust duct cleaning mode is performed in two types of operation: a first exhaust duct cleaning mode and a second exhaust duct cleaning mode that is performed after the first exhaust duct cleaning mode.

In the first exhaust duct cleaning mode, a medium amount of water (water level 6 degrees) is supplied to the outer tub 3, and the drum 5 is rotated counterclockwise at the duct cleaning speed for two minutes. Note that the amount of water supplied in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode is not limited to a water level of 6 degrees, and if the water level is, for example, 5 to 7 degrees, a water flow is likely to occur in the first exhaust duct 60.

The duct cleaning rotation speed in the exhaust duct cleaning mode is set according to the diameter of the drum 5. For example, if the diameter of the drum 5 of the washer/dryer 1 is 600 mm, the duct cleaning rotation speed is set to 90 to 130 rpm, and preferably to about 120 rpm. If the diameter of the drum 5 of the washer/dryer 1 is 800 mm, the duct cleaning rotation speed is set to 60 to 100 rpm, and preferably to about 80 rpm. In this way, the rotation speed of the drum 5 in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode is greater than the rotation speed of the drum 5 in the drum cleaning mode.

In the washer-dryer 1 of this embodiment, the inlet 61 is positioned off-center to the left of the rotation axis of the drum 5 when viewed from the front, and in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum 5 is rotated counterclockwise so that the upper end of the drum moves from the right side (the side where the inlet 61 is not off-center) to the left side (the side where the inlet 61 is off-center) near the upper peripheral wall of the outer tub 3.

The amount of water supplied in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode is medium (water level 6 degrees), so water is supplied into the outer tank 3 up to a level slightly above the horizontal height of 1/4 of the height direction of the drum 5. In this way, the amount of water supplied in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode is greater than the amount of water supplied in the drum cleaning mode.

In the second exhaust duct cleaning mode, a large amount of water (water level 9 degrees) is supplied to the outer tub 3, and the drum 5 is rotated at the duct cleaning speed for one minute. Note that the amount of water supplied in the second exhaust duct cleaning mode is not limited to a water level of 9 degrees, and if the water level is, for example, 8 to 10 degrees, the water level in the first exhaust duct 60 rises to a level that allows rinsing inside the first exhaust duct 60. In addition, the duct cleaning speed is the same as the rotation speed in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode. In this way, the rotation speed of the drum 5 in the second exhaust duct cleaning mode is greater than the rotation speed of the drum 5 in the drum cleaning mode. In addition, the rotation direction of the drum 5 is the same as the rotation direction in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode.

The amount of water supplied in the second exhaust duct cleaning mode is high (water level 9 degrees), so it is greater than the amount of water supplied in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode, and water is supplied into the outer tank 3 up to a level slightly below the horizontal height of 1/2 the height direction of the drum 5. In this way, the amount of water supplied in the second exhaust duct cleaning mode is greater than the amount of water supplied in the drum cleaning mode, and is also greater than the amount of water supplied in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode.

The washer-dryer 1 of this embodiment has a control means 100 including a microcomputer as shown in FIG. 8, and the operation of the washer-dryer 1 is controlled by the control means 100. The control means 100 has a central control unit (CPU) 101 that controls the entire system, and a memory 102 is connected to the central control unit 101. The control means 100 causes the microcomputer to execute a program stored in the memory 102, thereby performing a predetermined operation, and the memory 102 temporarily stores data and the like used when executing the program. The control means 100 is connected to an operation unit 80, a drum wash button 81, a reset button 84, a water supply valve 15, a motor 33, and a drain valve 18.

The operating procedure in the exhaust duct cleaning mode will be explained with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure in the exhaust duct cleaning mode.

<Step S1>
In step S1, the central control unit 101 repeatedly determines whether or not the drum wash button 81 has been pressed and held for 10 seconds with the door 11 open. If the central control unit 101 determines that the drum wash button 81 has been pressed and held for 10 seconds with the door 11 open, the process proceeds to step S2.

<Step S2>
In step S2, the central control unit 101 repeatedly determines whether or not the door 11 is closed. If the central control unit 101 determines that the door 11 is closed, the process proceeds to step S3.

<Step S3>
In step S3, the central control unit 101 performs operation in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode of the exhaust duct cleaning mode. Therefore, in step S3, the central control unit 101 controls the water supply valve 15 so that a medium amount of water (water level 6 degrees) is supplied to the outer tub 3, and controls the motor 33 so that the drum 5 rotates at the exhaust duct cleaning rotation speed after the water supply is completed. When the operation in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode is completed, the process proceeds to step S4.

<Step S4>
In step S4, the central control unit 101 performs operation in the second exhaust duct cleaning mode of the exhaust duct cleaning mode. Therefore, in step S4, the central control unit 101 controls the water supply valve 15 so that a large amount of water (water level 9 degrees) is supplied to the outer tub 3, and controls the motor 33 so that the drum 5 rotates at the exhaust duct cleaning speed after the water supply is completed. When the operation in the second exhaust duct cleaning mode is completed, the process proceeds to step S5.

<Step S5>
In step S5, the central control unit 101 controls the motor 33 so as to stop the drum 5, and also controls the drain valve 18 so as to drain the water in the outer tub 3.

The operation inside the first exhaust duct 60 when the device is operating in the exhaust duct cleaning mode will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figures 10 and 11 are diagrams showing the operation inside the first exhaust duct 60 in the exhaust duct cleaning mode.

When exhaust duct cleaning mode maintenance is required, dust is typically accumulated on the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60, as shown in Figure 10 (a).

When the first exhaust duct cleaning mode of the exhaust duct cleaning mode is started in this state, as shown in FIG. 10(b), water is sprayed out of the drum 5 and flows from the outer tub 3 into the first exhaust duct 60 through the inlet 61. The water that flows in from the inlet 61 provided on the rear side of the drum 5 also flows toward the front side. Here, because the water flows into the first exhaust duct 60 toward the blocked lower end on the front side of the first exhaust duct 60, the water that flows in tends to accumulate inside the first exhaust duct 60.

In this way, in the first exhaust duct cleaning mode, the amount of water supplied to the outer tank 3 is relatively small, so the water level in the first exhaust duct 60 is not very high, as shown in FIG. 10(c). In this state, as the drum 5 rotates, a strong water current is formed in the first exhaust duct 60. This strong water current removes dust that has accumulated on the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60 from the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60.

When the dust has been removed from the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60, the second exhaust duct cleaning mode of the exhaust duct cleaning mode is started. In the second exhaust duct cleaning mode, a relatively large amount of water is supplied to the outer tank 3, so the water level in the first exhaust duct 60 becomes high, as shown in FIG. 11(a). In this state, the drum 5 rotates, so that a strong water flow is not formed in the first exhaust duct 60, and the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60 is rinsed, and the dust removed from the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60 is collected.

When the second exhaust duct cleaning mode of the exhaust duct cleaning mode is completed, the drum 5 is stopped, and the water in the drum 5 is drained, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the dust removed from the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60 moves from the inlet 61 into the outer tank 3 or the drum 5, and is discharged from the drain outlet 16 together with the water.

The washer-dryer 1 of this embodiment includes an outer tub 3, a generally cylindrical drum 5 that is rotatably arranged within the outer tub 3, and a first exhaust duct 60 that is an exhaust duct that communicates with the inside of the outer tub 3 via an inlet 61 formed in the upper peripheral wall of the outer tub 3, and includes an exhaust duct cleaning mode that cleans the inside of the first exhaust duct 60 as an operating mode.

With this configuration, even if dust and other particles contained in the air that flows from the outer tank 3 into the first exhaust duct 60 accumulates on the inner circumferential surface of the first exhaust duct 60, water can flow from the outer tank 3 into the first exhaust duct 60 and remove the dust and other particles that have accumulated on the inner circumferential surface of the first exhaust duct 60 by operating in the exhaust duct cleaning mode. This improves maintainability and reduces the need to manually clean the inside of the first exhaust duct 60. This prevents the occurrence of errors due to reduced drying performance and reduced exhaust airflow caused by dust and other particles adhering to the first exhaust duct 60, and reduces the number of times the inside of the first exhaust duct 60 needs to be manually cleaned.

In the washer/dryer 1 of this embodiment, the inlet 61 is positioned off-center to the left of the rotation axis of the drum 5 when viewed from the front, and the first exhaust duct 60, which is an exhaust duct, is a hollow box-shaped member that extends from the front side to the rear side and is positioned so that one end side faces the inlet 61. In the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum 5 is rotated so that the upper end of the drum 5 moves from the side where the inlet 61 is not off-center near the upper peripheral wall of the outer tub 3 to the side where the inlet 61 is off-center.

With this configuration, after the water in the outer tank 3 flows into the first exhaust duct 60, it tends to accumulate in the first exhaust duct 60. Therefore, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the water that flows from the outer tank 3 into the first exhaust duct 60 can remove dust and other particles that have accumulated over a wide area on the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60.

The washer/dryer 1 of this embodiment further has a drum cleaning mode for cleaning the inside of the drum 5 as an operating mode, and in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum 5 is rotated at a higher rotation speed than in the drum cleaning mode, and the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 is greater than the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 in the drum cleaning mode.

With this configuration, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 is greater than the amount of water in the drum cleaning mode, and the rotation speed of the drum 5 is greater than the rotation speed in the drum cleaning mode, so that a relatively large amount of water flows from the outer tub 3 into the first exhaust duct 60, effectively removing dust and other particles that have accumulated on the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60.

In the washer-dryer 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust duct cleaning mode includes a first exhaust duct cleaning mode in which the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 is a first water amount (water level 6 degrees), and a second exhaust duct cleaning mode that is performed after the first exhaust duct cleaning mode and in which the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 is a second water amount (water level 9 degrees) that is greater than the first water amount.

With this configuration, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, first, when the water level inside the first exhaust duct 60 is low, a strong water flow is generated inside the first exhaust duct 60 to remove dust and other particles that have accumulated on the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60, and then, when the water level inside the first exhaust duct 60 is high, a gentle water flow is generated inside the first exhaust duct 60 to rinse away the dust and other particles that have been removed from the inner surface of the first exhaust duct 60.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the configuration of this embodiment is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

For example, in the above embodiment, the inlet 61 is disposed in a position offset to the left with respect to the rotation axis of the drum 5 in a front view in the washer-dryer 1, but this is not limited thereto. The inlet 61 may be disposed in a position offset to the right with respect to the rotation axis of the drum 5 in a front view in the washer-dryer 1.

In the above embodiment, the first exhaust duct 60 in the washer/dryer 1 is a hollow box-shaped member that extends from the front side to the rear side and is positioned so that its rear side faces the inlet 61, but this is not limited to the above. In the washer/dryer 1, the first exhaust duct 60 may be a hollow box-shaped member that extends from the front side to the rear side and is positioned so that its front side faces the inlet 61. The configuration of the exhaust duct of the present invention is arbitrary.

In the above embodiment, the drum 5 is rotated counterclockwise in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, but this is not limited to the above. In the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum 5 may be rotated clockwise. In addition, in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum 5 may be rotated so that the counterclockwise and clockwise rotations are alternately repeated.

In the above embodiment, the exhaust duct cleaning mode is implemented in two types of operation: a first exhaust duct cleaning mode and a second exhaust duct cleaning mode implemented after the first exhaust duct cleaning mode, but is not limited to this. The exhaust duct cleaning mode may be implemented in one type of operation, or in three or more types of operation. In addition, examples of the operation times for the first exhaust duct cleaning mode and the second exhaust duct cleaning mode of the exhaust duct cleaning mode are shown, but these operation times are arbitrary.

In the above embodiment, the exhaust duct cleaning mode is started when the drum cleaning button 81 is pressed and held for 10 seconds with the door 11 open and then the door 11 is closed, but this is not limited to this. Any operation for starting the exhaust duct cleaning mode is possible.

In the above embodiment, the operation mode includes a drum cleaning mode, but the invention may be applied to a washer/dryer that does not include a drum cleaning mode as an operation mode.

Other configurations may also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Washer/dryer 3 Outer tub 5 Drum 60 First exhaust duct (exhaust duct)
61 Inlet

Claims (3)

The outer tank and
A substantially cylindrical drum rotatably disposed in the outer tank;
an exhaust duct communicating with the inside of the outer tank through an inlet formed in an upper peripheral wall of the outer tank;
As an operation mode, an exhaust duct cleaning mode for cleaning the inside of the exhaust duct is provided ,
The exhaust duct cleaning mode includes:
a first exhaust duct cleaning mode in which the amount of water supplied into the outer tub is a first water amount;
and a second exhaust duct cleaning mode which is performed after the first exhaust duct cleaning mode, in which an amount of water supplied to the outer tub is a second amount of water which is greater than the first amount of water . The inlet is disposed at a position offset to either the left or right with respect to a rotation axis of the drum when viewed from the front,
the exhaust duct is a hollow box-shaped member extending from a front side to a rear side and arranged such that one end side of the exhaust duct faces the inlet,
2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein in the exhaust duct cleaning mode, the drum is driven to rotate about a predetermined rotation so that an upper end of the drum moves from a side where the inlet is not eccentric to a side where the inlet is eccentric near an upper peripheral wall of the outer tub. The operation mode further includes a drum cleaning mode for cleaning the inside of the drum,
In the exhaust duct cleaning mode,
The drum is rotated at a rotation speed greater than the rotation speed in the drum cleaning mode,
3. The washing/drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water supplied to the outer tub is greater than the amount of water supplied to the outer tub in the drum washing mode.

Images