JP7674909B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

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

Conventionally, washing machines and the like have been proposed that can irradiate clothes with ultraviolet light to suppress the growth of bacteria on the clothes, etc. However, the lifespan of the ultraviolet light source is often shorter than the lifespan of other components that make up the clothes dryer, such as the motor. For this reason, there is a possibility that the ultraviolet light source will run out before the end of the clothes dryer's lifespan, and the disinfecting effect of ultraviolet light will no longer be achieved.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-43481

Therefore, we provide a clothes dryer that irradiates clothes and other items with ultraviolet light to sterilize them, and that can suppress deterioration of the ultraviolet light source and extend its lifespan as much as possible.

The clothes dryer of the embodiment includes an outer tub, a rotating tub that is rotatably arranged within the outer tub and capable of storing clothes, a hot air supplying device that supplies hot air for drying the clothes into the outer tub, an ultraviolet irradiation device that can irradiate ultraviolet rays into the rotating tub, and an ultraviolet irradiation processing unit that can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process of irradiating ultraviolet rays to the clothes stored in the rotating tub by operating the ultraviolet irradiation device while the hot air supplying device is not operated and hot air for drying the clothes is not supplied into the outer tub.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of an example in which a clothes dryer according to an embodiment is applied to a washer/dryer; FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional rear view showing a schematic configuration of an example in which a clothes dryer according to an embodiment is applied to a washer/dryer; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an ultraviolet irradiation device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a washing/drying machine according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation content of a washing and drying operation performed by a washing and drying machine according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a washing operation performed by a washer/dryer in one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation content of a drying operation performed by a washer-dryer in one embodiment.

A clothes dryer according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The washer-dryer 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is an application example of the clothes dryer of this embodiment. The washer-dryer 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a horizontal-axis or diagonal-axis drum-type washing machine with a drying function. The clothes dryer of this embodiment can also be applied to a vertical-axis type so-called fully automatic washing machine with a drying function. The clothes dryer of this embodiment can also be applied to a configuration that does not have a washing function.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the washer-dryer 10 comprises an outer box 11, a door 12, an outer tub 13, bellows 14, a rotating tub 15, a motor 16, a water supply mechanism 17, a drainage mechanism 18, and an operation panel 19. In this embodiment, the door 11 side of the outer box 11, i.e., the left side of the paper in Figure 1, is the front side of the washer-dryer 10. The outer box 11 is formed into a rectangular hollow box shape using, for example, a stainless steel plate, and constitutes the outer shell of the washer-dryer 10. The outer box 11 has a clothes entrance 111 at the front part that connects the inside and outside of the outer box 11.

The door 12 is provided at the front of the outer box 11 and is configured to be able to open and close the clothing entrance 111. With the door 12 open, the user can insert or remove clothing 90 into or from the rotating tub 15 through the clothing entrance 111.

The outer tub 13 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an opening 131 on the front side. In this embodiment, the outer tub 13 can store water inside, and in this case, functions as a water tank. The outer tub 13 has an exhaust port 132 and an air supply port 133. The exhaust port 132 is, for example, located in the upper front part of the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical part of the outer tub 13, and is provided in a position separated in the left-right direction from the center of the outer tub 13 in the left-right direction, that is, the top of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 13. The air supply port 133 is, for example, provided in a part of the bottom of the outer tub 13 slightly above the center in the up-down direction of the bottom. The exhaust port 132 and the air supply port 133 communicate with the inside and outside of the outer tub 13.

The bellows 14 is provided around the clothing entrance 111 of the outer box 11 and the opening 131 of the outer tub 13. The bellows 14 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical bellows shape, and elastically connects the outer box 11 and the outer tub 13 while communicating the clothing entrance 111 and the opening 131.

The rotating tub 15 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that can accommodate the clothes 90, and is rotatably accommodated inside the outer tub 13. The rotation axis of the rotating tub 15 overlaps with the central axis of the outer tub 13. The rotating tub 15 has multiple communication ports 151. The communication ports 151 communicate the inside and outside of the rotating tub 15. The communication ports 151 are formed on the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical tubular part of the rotating tub 15 and the entire bottom of the rotating tub 15. The communication ports 151 mainly function as water holes through which water enters and exits during the washing operation and the spin-drying operation, and function as ventilation holes through which air enters and exits during the drying operation. In addition, although not shown in detail, the rotating tub 15 has multiple baffles on the inside of the cylindrical part. The baffles agitate the clothes 90 accommodated inside the rotating tub 15.

The motor 16 is provided, for example, on the outside of the bottom of the outer tub 13. The tip side of the shaft 161 of the motor 16 protrudes into the inside of the outer tub 13 and is connected to the rotating tub 15. For example, an outer rotor type direct drive motor can be used as the motor 16. The shaft 161 of the motor 16 penetrates the bottom of the outer tub 13, protrudes into the inside of the outer tub 13, and is fixed to the bottom of the rotating tub 15. The motor 16 rotates the rotating tub 15 relative to the outer tub 13. In this case, the shaft 161 of the motor 16, the central axis of the outer tub 13, and the rotation axis of the rotating tub 15 are all aligned.

The water supply mechanism 17 is a device for injecting water supplied from an external water source, such as a water tap, into the outer tub 13. The water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, in the outer box 11, above the outer tub 13, toward either the left or right side. The water supply mechanism 17 includes a water supply valve 171, a water supply case 172, and a water supply hose 173. The water supply valve 171 is an electromagnetically driven opening/closing valve for liquid, and is connected to an external water source, such as a water tap (not shown).

The water injection case 172 is configured to be able to store laundry treatment agents such as detergent and finishing agent inside. The water injection hose 173 connects the water injection case 172 to the inside of the outer tub 13. The water supply valve 171 opens and closes the water injection path from the external water source to the inside of the outer tub 13 via the water supply mechanism 17. When the water supply valve 171 is opened, water from the external water source is injected into the outer tub 13 via the water injection case 172. If laundry treatment agents are stored in the water injection case 172 at the time of water injection, the laundry treatment agents in the water injection case 172 are carried by the water flowing through the water injection case 172 and are washed down into the outer tub 13. Note that the washer-dryer 10 does not necessarily have to be equipped with the water injection case 172. In other words, the washer-dryer 10 may be configured so that the user directly puts the laundry treatment agent into the outer tub 13.

The drain mechanism 18 has the function of draining the water stored inside the outer tub 13 to the outside of the washer/dryer 10. The drain mechanism 18 is composed of a drain valve 181 and a drain pipe 182. The drain valve 181 is an electromagnetically driven on-off valve for liquid. The drain valve 181 opens and closes the drain path that runs from inside the outer tub 13 to the outside of the machine via the drain mechanism 18.

The operation panel 19 has a function of accepting operation inputs from the user regarding the settings and operation of the washer-dryer 10, and presenting information regarding the settings and operation of the washer-dryer 10 to the user by display, audio, etc. The operation panel 19 can be configured, for example, as a touch panel display, or can be configured with touch switches, mechanical switches, etc. The operation panel 19 can also be configured by combining a touch panel display with touch switches and mechanical switches, etc. The operation panel 19 is provided, for example, on the front part of the top surface of the outer casing 11.

The washer-dryer 10 also has a drying function. In this embodiment, the washer-dryer 10 has a circulation air duct 20 and a hot air supply device 30. The circulation air duct 20 connects the exhaust port 132 and the air supply port 133 on the outside of the outer tub 13. The circulation air duct 20 has the function of taking in air from the outer tub 13 into the circulation air duct 20 from the exhaust port 132, turning it into hot air through the hot air supply device 30, and then supplying the hot air from the air supply port 133 into the outer tub 13.

The circulating air duct 20 can be configured to have, for example, an exhaust duct 21, a filter device 22, a connecting duct 23, a heat exchanger 24, and an air supply duct 25. The exhaust duct 21, the filter device 22, the connecting duct 23, the heat exchanger 24, and the air supply duct 25 are arranged in order along the flow of air through the circulating air duct 20.

The exhaust duct 21 is a duct that connects the exhaust port 132 of the outer tub 13 to the filter device 22. The filter device 22 has a filter (not shown) installed inside and collects lint and foreign matter contained in the air flowing through the circulating air duct 20. The connection duct 23 is a duct that connects the filter device 22 to the heat exchanger 24. The heat exchanger 24 is installed on the inside lower part of the outer box 11 and below the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 15. The air taken into the circulating air duct 20 from the outer tub 13 is dehumidified and heated as it passes through the heat exchanger 24, becoming dry warm air. The supply air duct 25 is a duct that connects the heat exchanger 24 to the supply air port 133 of the outer tub 13.

The hot air supply device 30 functions as a hot air supply device that generates hot air for drying the clothes in the rotating tub 15 and supplies the hot air from the air inlet 133 into the outer tub 13. The hot air supply device 30 can be configured to include, for example, a heat pump type or a heater type heating device. In this embodiment, the hot air supply device 30 is configured to include a heat pump type heating device, and has an evaporator 31, a condenser 32, and a compressor 33.

The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32 are provided in the heat exchange section 24. The evaporator 31 is provided upstream of the condenser 32 with respect to the air flow in the heat exchange section 24 during drying operation. The evaporator 31 and the condenser 32, together with a compressor 33 provided outside the heat exchange section 24, constitute a heat pump mechanism, i.e., a refrigeration cycle. The air passing through the heat exchange section 24 is cooled by the evaporator 31 and thus dehumidified. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 31 is then heated by the condenser 32 to become warm air.

The downstream side of the heat exchange section 24 is connected to the air intake port 133 of the outer tub 13 by the air intake duct 25. The hot air supply device 30 also includes, for example, a circulation fan 34. The circulation fan 34 is provided, for example, at the connection between the heat exchange section 24 and the air intake duct 25, and can be composed of, for example, a sirocco fan. The circulation fan 34 sucks in air from inside the heat exchange section 24 and discharges it to the air intake duct 25 side. As a result, the hot air dehumidified and heated by the heat exchange section 24 is supplied from the air intake port 133 to the outer tub 13 and further to the rotating tub 15 by the blowing action of the circulation fan 34.

The washer/dryer 10 also includes an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 40. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 40 can be provided, for example, at a location other than the rotating tub 15 and facing the inside of the rotating tub 15. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 40 can be provided, for example, on the inner circumferential surface of the opening 131 of the outer tub 13, the inner circumferential surface of the bellows 14, or inside the door 12. In this embodiment, the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 40 is provided, for example, at the uppermost part of the inner circumferential surface of the opening 131 of the outer tub 13 or the inner circumferential surface of the bellows 14.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 40 has a function of irradiating the inside of the rotating tub 15 with light rays including ultraviolet rays, and can emit ultraviolet light with a wavelength of, for example, 200 nm to 380 nm. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the bottom of the rotating tub 15, that is, toward the lower part of the peripheral wall of the rotating tub 15, in other words, toward the water surface when water is stored in the outer tub 13. The ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 have a disinfecting or sterilizing ability by themselves, that is, without using a catalyst or the like. In this case, the wavelength of the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is preferably within the range of 200 nm to 280 nm, taking into account the disinfecting or sterilizing ability.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 40 may also be configured to irradiate visible light, for example, simultaneously with ultraviolet irradiation or separately from ultraviolet irradiation. In the present embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is configured to be able to irradiate visible light along with ultraviolet irradiation. In this case, the irradiation area of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 and the irradiation area of the visible light irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can be set so that they at least partially overlap. Furthermore, for example, the irradiation area of the visible light can be set so that the entire irradiation area of the ultraviolet light falls within the irradiation area of the ultraviolet light, or the irradiation area of the ultraviolet light can be set so that the entire irradiation area of the visible light falls within the irradiation area of the ultraviolet light.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can be configured to include, for example, a light source circuit 41, an ultraviolet light source 42, a blue light source 43, and a white light source 44. The ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can be configured by mounting the light source circuit 41, the ultraviolet light source 42, the blue light source 43, and the white light source 44 on, for example, a single substrate 401.

The light source circuit 41 is an electric circuit for controlling the operation of the ultraviolet light source 42, the blue light source 43, and the white light source 44. The ultraviolet light source 42 is a light source capable of emitting ultraviolet light, and can be configured, for example, by an ultraviolet lamp or an ultraviolet LED. The blue light source 43 is capable of emitting blue visible light, for example visible light close to purple, and can be configured, for example, by a blue lamp or a blue LED. The white light source 44 is capable of emitting white visible light, and can be configured, for example, by a white lamp or a white LED.

The ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light source 42 is invisible to the human eye. Therefore, when the ultraviolet light source 42 emits ultraviolet light, the ultraviolet light irradiation device 40 emits blue visible light close to purple from the blue light source 43, so that the user can recognize that ultraviolet light is being emitted from the ultraviolet light irradiation device 40. In this case, the ultraviolet light source 42 and the blue light source 43 can be configured to always emit light simultaneously by connecting them to the light source circuit 41 by common electrical wiring. Note that the ultraviolet light source 42 and the blue light source 43 can also be configured to be connected to the light source circuit 41 by separate electrical wiring and to emit light independently of each other.

The white light source 44 can also be used, for example, to illuminate the inside of the rotating tank 15. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 also functions as a lighting device for illuminating the inside of the rotating tank 15. The white light source 44 is connected to the light source circuit 41 by electrical wiring separate from the ultraviolet light source 42 and the blue light source 43, and can be configured to emit light independently of the ultraviolet light source 42 and the blue light source 43.

As shown in FIG. 4, the washer-dryer 10 is equipped with a control device 50, a weight detection unit 51, an operation processing unit 52, and an ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53. The control device 50 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 501 and a storage area 502 such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile memory. The control device 50 has a function of managing the operation of the washer-dryer 10 as a whole. The motor 16, the water supply valve 171, the drain valve 181, the operation panel 19, the hot air supply device 30, the ultraviolet irradiation device 40, and the weight detection unit 51 are electrically connected to the control device 50 and operate under the control of the control device 50.

The weight detection unit 51 has a function of detecting the weight of laundry such as clothes 90 stored in the rotating tub 15. The weight detection unit 51 can be realized, for example, by an ammeter (not shown) that measures the current flowing through the motor 16. The weight detection unit 51 can measure the load acting on the motor 16 by measuring the current flowing through the motor 16 when the rotating tub 15 is rotated, for example, and detect the weight of the laundry stored in the rotating tub 15 based on the load. The weight detection unit 51 can also be realized, for example, by using an encoder that detects the rotation speed of the motor 16. In this case, the weight detection unit 51 measures the load on the motor 16 from the difference between the target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed, and detects the weight of the laundry based on the load.

The memory area 502 of the control device 50 stores, for example, a program for implementing the operation processing unit 52 and the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53. The control device 50 executes the above-mentioned program stored in the memory area 502 in the CPU 501, thereby virtually implementing the operation processing unit 52 and the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 by software. Note that the operation processing unit 52 and the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 may be implemented in hardware as an integrated circuit integrated with the control device 50.

The operation processing unit 52 can selectively execute a washing and drying operation, a washing operation, and a drying operation by operating the motor 16, the water supply valve 171, the drain valve 181, the hot air supply device 30, and the weight detection unit 51 as necessary. Note that in this embodiment, the washing operation, the drying operation, or the "operation" in the washing and drying operation is a concept that includes one or more processes, and is a unit that can be selected by the user. In other words, the user can select and execute the desired operation from the washing and drying operation, the washing operation, and the drying operation, for example, by operating the operation panel 19.

The washing and drying operation is an operation aimed at washing and drying clothes, and includes a washing process and a drying process. The washing operation is an operation aimed mainly at washing clothes, and includes a washing process but not a drying process. The drying operation is an operation aimed mainly at drying clothes, and includes a drying process but not a washing process. The specific contents of each operation can be changed as appropriate, either automatically or based on the user's operation on the operation panel 19, depending on the amount of clothes and their state of dirt.

Details of each operation will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. In Figs. 5 to 7, ON means that the device is operating, and OFF means that the device is not operating. The washing and drying operation can include a weight detection process, a washing process, a rinsing process, a spin-drying process, and a drying process, for example, as shown in Fig. 5. When the washing and drying operation is performed, the control device 50 executes the weight detection process, the washing process, the rinsing process, the spin-drying process, and the drying process in that order. The weight detection process is a process in which the weight detection unit 51 detects the weight of the laundry in the spin tub 15. When the control device 50 executes the weight detection process, it operates the motor 16 to rotate the spin tub 15, for example, at a low to medium speed range, thereby detecting the load on the motor 16, i.e., the weight of the clothes.

In this embodiment, low speed is, for example, a rotation speed at which the clothes in the rotating tub 15 do not stick to the inner peripheral wall of the rotating tub 15, that is, a speed at which the clothes rise once as the rotating tub 15 rotates and then fall. Medium speed is a speed faster than low speed, for example, a rotation speed at which the clothes in the rotating tub 15 start to stick to the inner peripheral wall of the rotating tub 15. High speed is a speed even faster than medium speed, for example, a rotation speed at which the clothes in the rotating tub 15 are maintained in a state of sticking to the inner peripheral wall of the rotating tub 15. The rotation speed of the motor 16 in each process, i.e., the rotation speed of the rotating tub 15, can be changed as appropriate depending on the content of the process, etc.

The washing process may include, for example, a pre-wash water injection operation, a washing operation, a post-wash drainage operation, and a post-wash spin-dry operation. In the washing process, the control device 50 sequentially executes the pre-wash water injection operation, the washing operation, the post-wash drainage operation, and the post-wash spin-dry operation. The pre-wash water injection operation is an operation in which water supplied from an external water source is injected into the outer tub 13, and is executed before the washing operation. When the control device 50 executes the pre-wash water injection operation, for example, with the drain valve 181 closed, it opens the water supply valve 171 to inject water into the outer tub 13. At this time, laundry treatment agents such as detergent that have been poured into the water injection case 172 are poured into the outer tub 13 as water is injected.

The washing operation is an operation in which, with water stored in the outer tub 13, the motor 16 is operated to rotate the spin tub 15, thereby agitating the clothes in the spin tub 15 and washing the clothes. When the control device 50 executes the washing operation, for example, with the water supply valve 171 and the drain valve 181 closed, the motor 16 is operated to rotate the spin tub 15, and the clothes in the spin tub 15 are beaten and washed. Note that, in the washing operation, the control device 50 may pour water by, for example, intermittently opening and closing the water supply valve 171.

The post-wash drain operation is an operation for draining the water stored in the outer tub 13 to the outside of the washer/dryer 10, and is executed after the wash operation. When the control device 50 executes the post-wash drain operation, for example, it opens the drain valve 181 with the water supply valve 171 closed, thereby draining the water stored in the outer tub 13.

The post-wash spin-dry operation is one aspect of the spin-dry operation, in which the spin tub 15 is rotated at high speed to centrifugally spin-dry the clothes that have been through the washing operation, and is performed after the post-wash drain operation. The control device 50, for example, keeps the drain valve 181 open and operates the motor 16 to rotate the spin tub 15 at high speed, thereby centrifugally spin-drying the clothes in the spin tub 15.

The rinsing process includes, for example, a pre-rinse water injection action, a rinse action, and a post-rinse drain action. In the rinsing process, the control device 50 sequentially executes the pre-rinse water injection action, the rinse action, and the post-rinse drain action. The pre-rinse water injection action, like the pre-wash water injection action, is an action of injecting water supplied from an external water source into the outer tub 13, and is executed before the rinse action. When the control device 50 executes the pre-rinse water injection action, it injects water into the outer tub 13 by opening the water supply valve 171 with, for example, the drain valve 181 closed, like the pre-wash water injection action.

The rinsing operation is an operation in which, with water stored in the outer tub 13, the motor 16 is operated to rotate the rotatable tub 15, thereby agitating the clothes in the rotatable tub 15 and rinsing the clothes. When the control device 50 executes the rinsing operation, it operates the motor 16 with the water supply valve 171 and the drain valve 181 closed, for example, to rotate the rotatable tub 15, in the same manner as the washing operation, to rinse the clothes in the rotatable tub 15. Note that, in the rinsing operation, the control device 50 may pour water by, for example, intermittently opening and closing the water supply valve 171.

The post-rinse drain operation is an operation for draining water stored in the outer tub 13 to the outside of the washer/dryer 10, and is executed after the rinse operation. When the control device 50 executes the post-rinse drain operation, it opens the drain valve 181 with the water supply valve 171 closed, for example, in the same manner as the post-wash drain operation, thereby draining the water stored in the outer tub 13. The washing process and the rinsing process may each be executed multiple times depending on the user's settings, etc.

The spin-drying process is a process in which the spin tub 15 is rotated at high speed to centrifugally spin-dry the clothes that have gone through the washing and rinsing processes. The spin-drying process includes a normal spin-drying operation. The normal spin-drying operation is one form of the spin-drying operation, in which the spin tub 15 is rotated at high speed without operating the hot air supply device 30 to centrifugally spin-dry the clothes. When the control device 50 executes the normal spin-drying operation, it closes the water supply valve 171 and drives the motor 16 with the drain valve 181 open to rotate the spin tub 15 at high speed.

The spin-drying process may also include a preheat spin-drying operation depending on the user's settings, etc. The preheat spin-drying operation is one form of the spin-drying operation, and is an operation in which the hot air supply device 30 is operated while the rotating tub 15 is rotated at high speed, so that the hot air is applied to the clothes to warm them, and the clothes are centrifugally spin-dried. When the preheat spin-drying operation is selected, the control device 50 may execute the preheat spin-drying operation, for example, after the normal spin-drying operation. In this case, the control device 50 may close the drain valve 181 when the preheat spin-drying operation is executed.

The drying process is a process in which the clothes are dried by rotating the rotating tub 15 at medium speed to agitate the clothes while operating the hot air supply device 30 to blow hot air onto the clothes. In the case of a washing and drying operation, the drying process is performed after the spin-drying process. When the control device 50 performs the drying process, it operates the motor 16 and the hot air supply device 30 with the water supply valve 171 and the drain valve 181 closed. Then, when the drying process is completed, the control device 50 ends the series of operations.

The washing operation may include a weight detection step, a washing step, a rinsing step, and a spin-drying step, as shown in FIG. 6, for example. The weight detection step, washing step, rinsing step, and spin-drying step in the washing operation may be the same as the weight detection step, washing step, rinsing step, and spin-drying step in the washing and drying operation, respectively. The drying operation may include a weight detection step and a drying step, as shown in FIG. 7, for example. The weight detection step and drying step in the drying operation may be the same as the washing and drying operation, or the weight detection step in the washing operation, and the drying step in the washing and drying operation, respectively.

The washing and drying operations can each include an irradiation process, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, based on the user's settings or automatically according to the weight of the clothes, etc. The irradiation process is a process independent of the weight detection process, washing process, rinsing process, spin-drying process, and drying process, and is a process whose main purpose is to irradiate ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40. In the case of the washing operation, as shown in Fig. 6, the irradiation process is executed after the spin-drying process. In other words, in the case of the washing operation, the irradiation process is the last process of each process that constitutes the washing operation. In the case of the drying operation, as shown in Fig. 7, the irradiation process is executed after the weight detection process and before the drying process.

The irradiation process can be, for example, a process of performing an ultraviolet irradiation process while rotating the spin tub 15, as in the case of the washing operation in FIG. 6, or can be, for example, a process of performing an ultraviolet irradiation process while the spin tub 15 is stopped, as in the case of the drying operation in FIG. 7. In this case, the irradiation process in the washing operation in FIG. 6 can be, for example, a process of performing an ultraviolet irradiation process while the spin tub 15 is stopped, and the irradiation process in the drying operation in FIG. 7 can be, for example, a process of performing an ultraviolet irradiation process while rotating the spin tub 15.

The irradiation process may also be a process that includes both a period in which the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed while rotating the rotating tub 15 and a period in which the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed while the rotating tub 15 is stopped. That is, for example, the irradiation process may be a process that alternates between a period in which the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed while rotating the rotating tub 15 and a period in which the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed while the rotating tub 15 is stopped. In other words, the washing machine 10 may be provided with a process that includes both a period in which the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed while rotating the rotating tub 15 and a period in which the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed while the rotating tub 15 is stopped.

The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 is capable of performing an ultraviolet irradiation process. The ultraviolet irradiation process includes a process of operating the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 to irradiate the clothes stored in the rotating tub 15 with ultraviolet rays. In the case of this embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process by operating the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 without operating the hot air supply device 30 and supplying hot air for drying the clothes into the outer tub 13.

When an operation that uses water, i.e., a washing operation or a washing and drying operation, is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process when no water is stored in the outer tub 13. In other words, when a washing and drying operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process during at least one of the periods of the weight detection process, the post-wash spin-drying operation in the washing process, the post-rinse drainage operation in the rinsing process, or the normal spin-drying operation in the spin-drying process, as shown in FIG. 5, for example.

When a washing operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can execute an ultraviolet irradiation process during at least one of the weight detection process, the post-wash spin-dry operation in the washing process, the post-rinse drain operation in the rinsing process, the normal spin-dry operation in the spin-dry process, and the irradiation process, as shown in FIG. 6 for example. When a drying operation that does not use water is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can execute an ultraviolet irradiation process during either or both of the weight detection process and the irradiation process, as shown in FIG. 7 for example.

In other words, when the washing and drying operation or washing operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform the ultraviolet irradiation process, for example, during the period T1 of the weight detection process, before the first water injection operation into the outer tub 13 in that operation, that is, before the pre-wash water injection operation, as shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6.

In addition, when a washing operation or a washing and drying operation using water is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process in the period after the draining operation and before the first water injection operation performed after the spin-drying operation, in this case, during the period T3 of the post-wash spin-drying operation or the period T5 of the normal spin-drying operation.

In addition, when a washing operation that uses water and does not operate the hot air supply device 30 is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can execute an irradiation process that includes an ultraviolet irradiation process after the final spin-drying process in that washing operation, in this case during the period T6 after the spin-drying process, as shown in FIG. 6.

When a drying operation is selected that does not use water and operates the hot air supply device 30, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process while rotating the rotating tub 15 in the period before the drying process, in this case, during the period T1 of the weight detection process and the period T7 of the irradiation process, as shown in FIG. 7. When a drying operation is selected that does not use water and operates the hot air supply device 30, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process before the drying process, for example, with the rotating tub 15 stopped during the period T7 of the irradiation process.

Here, in each operation, the weight detection process lasts, for example, about 1 minute. Therefore, the execution period T1 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the weight detection process can be, for example, about 1 minute. Also, in the wash and dry operation and the washing operation, the post-wash drain operation and the post-wash spin-dry operation can be set, for example, to several minutes each. Therefore, the execution period T2 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the post-wash drain operation and the execution period T3 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the post-wash spin-dry operation can be set to a period longer than the execution period T1 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the weight detection process, for example, several minutes.

In addition, in the wash/dry operation and the wash operation, the post-rinse drain operation and the normal spin-dry operation can be set to, for example, several minutes each. Therefore, the execution period T4 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the post-rinse drain operation and the execution period T5 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the normal spin-dry operation of the spin-dry process can be set to a period longer than the execution period T1 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the weight detection process, for example, several minutes each. In this case, the execution period T5 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the normal spin-dry operation of the spin-dry process can be set to be longer than the execution period T3 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the post-wash spin-dry operation of the washing process.

In addition, in the washing and drying operations, the execution periods T6 and T7 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the irradiation step are set to a standard of, for example, about 20 minutes, which is longer than the other periods T1 to T5, and may be increased or decreased from the standard based on the user's settings or the weight of the clothes. In this case, the heavier the clothes are, the longer the execution periods T6 and T7 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the irradiation step can be.

In addition, in the case of a washing operation, the lighter the weight of the clothes, the shorter the period of the post-wash spin-dry operation and the normal spin-dry operation, and as a result, the period of the ultraviolet irradiation process performed before the irradiation step will be shorter. In addition, in the case of a drying operation, the lighter the weight of the clothes, the shorter the period of the drying step, and as a result, the period during which the clothes are sterilized by the heat of the drying step will be shorter. Therefore, in the washing and drying operations, the lighter the weight of the clothes, the longer the execution periods T6 and T7 of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the irradiation step may be made.

The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 may also set whether or not to perform ultraviolet irradiation processing in each step, for example, based on user operations on the operation panel 19. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can have multiple settings for the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation processing, for example, three settings of weak, medium, and strong. Weak, medium, and strong represent, for example, the total period of ultraviolet irradiation processing in that operation in terms of the degree of effectiveness of sterilization on clothes, and are set so that the total period of ultraviolet irradiation processing in that operation becomes longer in the order of weak, medium, and strong.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when "weak" is selected in the washing and drying operation, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 performs the ultraviolet irradiation process only during the period T1 of the weight detection process among the periods T1 to T5 during which the ultraviolet irradiation process can be performed. When "medium" is selected in the washing and drying operation, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 performs the ultraviolet irradiation process during the period T1 of the weight detection process, the period T2 of the post-wash drain operation, and the period T3 of the post-wash spin-dry operation among the periods T1 to T5 during which the ultraviolet irradiation process can be performed. When "strong" is selected in the washing and drying operation, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 performs the ultraviolet irradiation process during all periods T1 to T5 during which the ultraviolet irradiation process can be performed.

6, when "weak" is selected in the washing operation, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 performs the ultraviolet irradiation process only in the period T1 of the weight detection process among the periods T1 to T6 in which the ultraviolet irradiation process can be performed. When "medium" is selected in the washing operation, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 performs the ultraviolet irradiation process in the period T1 of the weight detection process, the period T2 of the post-wash drain operation, and the period T3 of the post-wash spin-dry operation among the periods T1 to T6 in which the ultraviolet irradiation process can be performed. When "strong" is selected in the washing operation,
The ultraviolet ray irradiation processing unit 53 executes the ultraviolet ray irradiation processing during all of the periods T1 to T6 during which the ultraviolet ray irradiation processing can be executed.

In addition, in the drying operation, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can change the period T7 of the irradiation process according to, for example, weak, medium, and strong. In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can lengthen the period T7 of the irradiation process in the order of, for example, weak, medium, and strong. In the above-mentioned washing and drying operation and washing operation, the ultraviolet irradiation process is performed during the execution period of processes or operations essential to the washing and drying operation or washing operation, such as the weight detection process, washing process, rinsing process, and spin-drying process. Therefore, when setting the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the washing and drying operation and washing operation, the total execution time of the ultraviolet irradiation process, that is, the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation process, can be adjusted by adjusting the process or operation that executes the ultraviolet irradiation process in parallel. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the irradiation process in the drying operation is a process whose main purpose is to perform the ultraviolet irradiation process. Therefore, when setting the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation process in the drying operation, the length of the period T7 of the irradiation process changes depending on the intensity, so the distinction between weak, medium, and strong is not shown in FIG. 7.

According to the embodiment described above, the washer/dryer 10, which is an example of a clothes dryer, includes an outer tub 13, a rotating tub 15, a hot air supplying device 30, an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 40, and an ultraviolet ray irradiation processing unit 53. The rotating tub 15 is rotatably provided in the outer tub 13 and is configured to be able to accommodate clothes, which are the laundry. The hot air supplying device 30 has a function of supplying hot air into the outer tub 13 for drying the clothes. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 40 is capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays into the rotating tub 15.

Here, the ultraviolet light source 42 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is relatively sensitive to heat, and for example, if the ultraviolet light source 42 is made to emit light in a high-temperature environment, the ultraviolet light source 42 will deteriorate and its lifespan will be shortened. Therefore, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process in which the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is operated to irradiate ultraviolet light onto the clothes 90 stored in the rotating tub 15 without operating the hot air supply device 30 and supplying hot air to dry the clothes 90 into the outer tub 13.

According to this, before the hot air supply device 30 is operated to supply hot air for drying the clothes 90 into the outer tub 13, that is, when the temperature inside the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 15 is not high, the ultraviolet light source 42 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is operated to irradiate ultraviolet rays. Therefore, when the temperature inside the outer tub 13 and the rotating tub 15 is high, the ultraviolet light source 42 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is not operated, so deterioration of the ultraviolet light source 42 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 due to heat can be suppressed. As a result, in a configuration in which ultraviolet light is irradiated to the clothes 90 and the like for sterilization, deterioration of the ultraviolet light source 42 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can be suppressed and the lifespan can be extended as much as possible.

The outer tub 13 is configured to be able to store water. The washer/dryer 10 further includes a water supply mechanism 17 and an operation processing unit 52. The water supply mechanism 17 is connected to an external water source and has a function of injecting water from the external water source into the outer tub 13. The operation processing unit 52 can execute a washing/drying operation, a washing operation, and a drying operation. The washing/drying operation is an operation that includes both a washing process in which water is stored in the outer tub 13 and the clothes 90 in the spin tub 15 are washed, and a drying process in which the hot air supply device 30 is operated to supply hot air into the outer tub 13 and dry the clothes 90 in the spin tub 15. The washing operation is an operation that includes the washing process but does not include the drying process. The drying operation is an operation that includes the drying process but does not include the washing process. And, when the washing/drying operation or the washing operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 executes an ultraviolet irradiation process in a state in which water is not stored in the outer tub 13.

In other words, when a washing/drying operation or a washing operation using water is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 executes the ultraviolet irradiation process with no water stored in the outer tub 13. This prevents the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 from being reflected and absorbed by the water in the outer tub 13, making it difficult for the ultraviolet light to reach the clothes 90. In other words, by executing the ultraviolet irradiation process with no water stored in the outer tub 13, the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can be applied efficiently to the clothes 90.

This allows the irradiation time of ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 to be shortened, and as a result, deterioration of the ultraviolet light source 42 of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can be suppressed, and the lifespan can be extended as much as possible. In addition, by shortening the irradiation time of ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40, deterioration of resin parts constituting a washing machine, etc., and discoloration of clothes 90, etc., caused by the influence of the ultraviolet rays can be suppressed as much as possible.

The washing process includes a washing operation and a pre-wash water injection operation. The washing operation is an operation for washing the clothes 90 contained in the spin tub 15 using detergent poured into the outer tub 13. The pre-wash water injection operation is an operation that is executed before the washing operation and operates the water supply mechanism 17 to inject water from an external water source into the outer tub 13. When the washing and drying operation or the washing operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can execute an ultraviolet irradiation process before the pre-wash water injection operation, for example, in the weight detection process.

According to this, before washing the clothes 90 with detergent, germs and the like on the surface of the clothes 90 can be weakened and disinfected by irradiating them with ultraviolet light. This improves the disinfecting effect of the detergent in the washing operation that is performed after the ultraviolet light irradiation process.

The washing process also includes a spin-drying operation in which the spin tub 15 is rotated at high speed to centrifugally spin-dry the clothes 90 contained in the spin tub 15. The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process during the spin-drying operation when the washing and drying operation or the washing operation is selected.

According to this, by irradiating the clothes 90 with ultraviolet light during the spin-drying operation, germs and the like on the surface of the clothes 90 can be weakened and sterilized by the ultraviolet light irradiation. This makes it possible to effectively sterilize germs and the like that could not be completely sterilized by, for example, a washing operation using detergent that is performed before the spin-drying operation.

In addition, when the washing operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform an ultraviolet irradiation process after the final spin-drying step in the washing operation. This can also effectively sterilize germs that could not be completely sterilized by, for example, a washing operation using detergent that is performed before the spin-drying operation. As a result, it is expected that the effect of suppressing yellowing and odors that are a concern when, for example, storing the clothes 90 for a long period of time can be suppressed.

In addition, when the drying operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can execute an ultraviolet irradiation process before the drying process. According to this, by irradiating the clothes 90 with ultraviolet rays beforehand before the drying process to weaken germs and the like on the surface of the clothes 90, even if the drying process is shortened, the germs can be more effectively sterilized by the heat of the drying process. This makes it possible to shorten the period during which the ultraviolet irradiation process is executed and the period of the drying process, thereby suppressing deterioration of the ultraviolet light source 42 due to heat and deterioration of the clothes 90 and the plastic parts of the washer-dryer 10 due to heat and ultraviolet rays.

In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform the ultraviolet irradiation process while rotating the rotating tub 15. This allows the ultraviolet rays to be applied evenly to the entirety of the clothes 90 in the rotating tub 15. As a result, the sterilization effect of irradiating the clothes 90 with ultraviolet rays can be further improved. Furthermore, this also makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of fading or uneven coloring of the clothes 90 caused by the ultraviolet rays being irradiated in a localized and concentrated manner on the clothes 90.

In this case, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit 53 can perform the ultraviolet irradiation process with the rotating tub 15 stopped. This can prevent the clothes 90 from losing their shape, for example, when the clothes 90 are prone to losing their shape. In this case, when the user places the clothes 90 in the rotating tub 15, the clothes 90 can be placed with the particularly sterilized part facing the ultraviolet irradiation device 40, thereby enabling strong sterilization of the specific part.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 40 is configured to be able to irradiate visible light along with ultraviolet light. This allows the user to recognize the irradiation of ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye, by irradiating visible light. This allows the user to recognize the irradiation of ultraviolet light by visually recognizing the visible light, and thus realize the sterilization effect of ultraviolet light.

Furthermore, by overlapping the irradiation areas of the ultraviolet light and visible light emitted from the ultraviolet light irradiation device 40, for example, when performing the ultraviolet light irradiation process with the rotating tub 15 stopped, the user can easily position the clothing 90 in a position that allows ultraviolet light to hit specific parts of the clothing 90. That is, in this case, when the user places the clothing 90 into the rotating tub 15, visible light is emitted from the ultraviolet light irradiation device 40, allowing the user to recognize that ultraviolet light will hit the parts illuminated by visible light. Therefore, the user can position the clothing 90 using the visible light as a guide, and as a result, ultraviolet light can be effectively applied to the parts desired by the user.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the intensity of the ultraviolet irradiation process, i.e., the sterilization intensity, can be changed by adjusting the total execution period of the ultraviolet irradiation process executed during one operation. That is, according to this, the ultraviolet irradiation device 40 can adjust the sterilization intensity without adjusting the luminous flux, luminous intensity, or illuminance of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 40. As a result, the sterilization intensity by ultraviolet irradiation can be adjusted without complicating the configuration or control of the ultraviolet irradiation device 40.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be embodied 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 in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

10... washer/dryer (clothes dryer), 13... outer tub, 15... rotating tub, 17... water supply mechanism, 30... hot air supply device, 40... ultraviolet irradiation device, 52... operation processing unit, 53... ultraviolet irradiation processing unit, 90... clothes

Claims (6)

The outer tank and
A rotating tub that is rotatably provided in the outer tub and capable of accommodating clothes;
a hot air supplying device for supplying hot air for drying the clothes into the outer tub;
an ultraviolet ray irradiation device capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays into the rotating tank;
an ultraviolet irradiation processing unit capable of executing an ultraviolet irradiation process of irradiating the clothes contained in the rotating tub with ultraviolet rays by operating the ultraviolet irradiation device while not operating the hot air supply device and not supplying hot air for drying the clothes into the outer tub;
Equipped with
The outer tank is configured to be capable of storing water,
a water supply mechanism connected to an external water source and capable of supplying water from the external water source into the outer tub;
an operation processing unit capable of executing a washing and drying operation including both a washing process of storing water in the outer tub to wash the clothes in the spin tub and a drying process of operating the hot air supply device to supply hot air into the outer tub to dry the clothes in the spin tub, a washing operation including the washing process but not the drying process, and a drying operation including the drying process but not the washing process;
Further comprising:
The washing process includes a washing operation for washing the clothes contained in the rotating tub using detergent poured into the outer tub, and a pre-wash water-injecting operation that is executed before the washing operation and injects water from the external water source into the outer tub by operating the water supply mechanism,
The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit executes the ultraviolet irradiation process before the pre-wash water injection operation when the washing and drying operation or the washing operation is selected.
Clothes dryer. The washing process includes a dehydration operation in which the rotation tub is rotated at a high speed to centrifugally dehydrate the clothes contained in the rotation tub,
The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit executes the ultraviolet irradiation process during the dehydration operation when the washing and drying operation or the washing operation is selected.
The clothes dryer according to claim 1 . The ultraviolet irradiation processing unit executes the ultraviolet irradiation process after a final spin-drying step in the washing operation when the washing operation is selected.
The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2 . When the drying operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit performs the ultraviolet irradiation process while rotating the rotating tub before the drying process.
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . When the drying operation is selected, the ultraviolet irradiation processing unit performs the ultraviolet irradiation process in a state where the rotating tank is stopped before the drying process.
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The ultraviolet irradiation device is configured to be able to irradiate visible light as well as ultraviolet light.
The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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