JP7738259B2 - dryer - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a dryer for drying objects.

One method for speeding up the drying performance of clothes dryers and washer-dryers is to use microwaves as a heat source to heat the moisture in the clothes (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The high-frequency electromagnetic wave heating washing machine with dryer disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a metal surface on the inner surfaces of the body, lower opening, and upper opening to prevent leakage of high-frequency electromagnetic waves, the drying components of the high-frequency electromagnetic wave heating dryer are installed in the lower opening, the inner surface of the water tank is metal-coated to improve heating efficiency, air is blown through an air duct to improve drying efficiency, the moist air is cooled in the water tank, condenses, and the dry air is discharged.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-293281

To improve drying efficiency, dryers rotate the tub containing the items to be dried during drying. Therefore, technology is needed to suppress the leakage of electromagnetic waves even when the tub is rotating.

This disclosure provides technology that reduces electromagnetic wave leakage when drying an object by irradiating it with electromagnetic waves.

The dryer disclosed herein comprises a housing, a rotatable drum inside the housing that accommodates the material to be dried, and a microwave irradiation unit that irradiates microwaves onto the material to be dried inside the drum. The shielding unit, which prevents microwaves from leaking from the housing, is configured to include at least the drum.

The dryer disclosed herein irradiates electromagnetic waves, thereby reducing the leakage of electromagnetic waves when drying an object to be dried.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a drum dryer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a drum dryer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to a seventh embodiment.

Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of matters that are already well known or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted.

The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[1-1. Configuration]
Fig. 1A is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1B is a schematic transverse sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 1. A drum dryer 60 according to this embodiment has a function of drying items to be dried, such as clothes. The left side of Fig. 1 is the front side of the drum dryer 60. Although not shown, an air circulation device may be provided to promote drying.

The drum dryer 60 has the function of irradiating microwaves, a type of electromagnetic wave, onto the material to be dried inside the drum. First, the basic configuration and operation of the drum dryer 60 will be described. Then, details of the shielding section used to prevent microwave leakage from the housing when irradiating microwaves in the drum dryer 60 will be described.

The drum 3, which contains items to be dried, such as clothes, is rotatably mounted inside the housing 1 of the drum dryer 60 as a rotating body. The drum 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The drum 3 is mounted so that its rotation axis 14 is horizontal. In another example, the drum 3 may be mounted so that its rotation axis 14 is inclined upward from the horizontal, or so that its rotation axis 14 is vertical.

A drive motor 6 is attached below the drum 3. The drive motor 6 rotates the belt 15 while the object to be dried is being dried. This causes the drum 3 to rotate in the forward or reverse direction around the rotation shaft 14.

An opening 19 and a door 5 for opening and closing the opening 19 are provided on the front of the housing 1, facing the open end of the drum 3. By opening the door 5, the user can put items to be dried into or remove them from the drum 3.

The drum 3 has a front portion 3a and a rear portion 3b. The front portion 3a has a drum opening 3c located opposite the opening 19 of the housing 1. The rear portion 3b is located rearward of the front portion 3a. The front portion 3a may be the top portion of the drum 3, which is cylindrical and has a bottom. In this case, the rear portion 3b may be the side and bottom portions of the cylinder. The front portion 3a may include not only the top portion of the cylinder but also a front portion of the side portion. In this case, the rear portion 3b may be the remaining rear portion of the side portion of the cylinder and the bottom portion. The rear portion 3b may include not only the side and bottom portions of the drum 3 but also a portion of the side of the top portion. In this case, the front portion 3a may be the remaining portion of the top portion of the cylinder on the side of the drum opening 3c. The front portion 3a and rear portion 3b may be manufactured integrally, or may be manufactured separately and then connected to form the drum 3.

A cylindrical communication section 26 is provided between the drum 3 and the door body 5. The communication section 26 is a fixed section that is fixed to the housing 1 and does not rotate with the drum 3.

The communication section 26 is provided with a microwave irradiation section 30, a waveguide 34, and a microwave irradiation port 32. The microwave irradiation section 30, which constitutes a heating section that heats the material to be dried, irradiates microwaves from the microwave irradiation port 32 via the waveguide 34 into the drum 3, heating the moisture contained in the material to be dried inside the drum 3. Because the microwave irradiation section 30 and the waveguide 34 are provided in the communication section 26, vibration of the microwave irradiation section 30 and the waveguide 34 can be suppressed even when the drum 3 is rotated during drying. This improves the stability and safety of microwave irradiation.

The microwave irradiation unit 30 may be a microwave oscillator such as a magnetron, and emits electromagnetic waves with a frequency in the 2.45 GHz band, for example. Note that the frequency is not limited to the 2.45 GHz band allocated as the ISM (Industry Science Medical) band, and electromagnetic waves with a frequency in the similarly allocated 915 MHz band may also be used.

Of the microwaves irradiated into the drum 3, a portion that is not absorbed by the moisture contained in the material to be dried returns as reflected waves from the drum 3 to the microwave irradiator 30 via the microwave irradiation port 32 and waveguide 34. A reflector may be provided to reflect some or all of the reflected waves that are reflected from the drum 3 and return to the microwave irradiator 30, and to re-enter the drum 3 along with the microwaves irradiated from the microwave irradiator 30. This reduces energy loss and shortens the drying time.

A heater may also be provided as a heating unit for heating the items to be dried. The microwave irradiation unit 30 and the heater may both be energized at the same time, or either one may be energized at the same time. If the items to be dried, such as clothing, have metal buttons or zippers that could potentially cause sparks, the microwave output irradiated into the drum 3 from the microwave irradiation unit 30 may be reduced or stopped, and drying may be switched to using a heater.

A control device 20 is provided within the housing 1. The control device 20 controls the drive motor 6, microwave irradiation unit 30, etc. The control device 20 controls the drying operation according to instructions input by the user.

In the drum dryer 60 of this embodiment, microwaves are irradiated into the drum 3, so it is necessary to configure the drum dryer 60 so that the intensity of the electromagnetic waves leaking outside is below the standard value established in the region in which it is used. For this reason, the drum dryer 60 of this embodiment is equipped with a shielding section to prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves irradiated from the microwave irradiation port 32.

One example of a standard for electromagnetic wave leakage is the Japanese Industrial Standard "JIS C9250," which specifies microwave ovens with a rated high-frequency output of 2 kW or less that use electromagnetic waves (microwaves) in the 2.45 GHz frequency band to heat food, as well as microwave ovens equipped with additional devices. Section 5.8 of the standard stipulates that "the power density of leakage radio waves measured by the power density test for leakage radio waves specified in Section 8.2.12 of the standard shall be (1) 1 mW/ ^cm² or less when the door is closed, (2) 5 mW/ ^cm² or less when the door is opened to the maximum position immediately before the oscillation stop device of the oscillator tube is activated and fixed in place, and (3) 5 mW/ ^cm² or less when oscillation stop devices other than the main oscillation stop device are restrained." In addition, the notice on the interpretation of the "Ministerial Ordinance Prescribing Technical Standards for Electrical Appliances and Materials" stipulates the same content in Attachment 8-2 (95) (G) of the notice on the interpretation of the "Ministerial Ordinance Prescribing Technical Standards for Electrical Appliances and Materials" which prescribes the technical standards prescribed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Ordinance, as stipulated in Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act. It is considered that the same standards as for microwave ovens also apply to washer-dryers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends adopting the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines, which were compiled by experts from various countries based on scientific evidence, as exposure limits for human protection. These guidelines stipulate an exposure limit of 0.08 W/kg (1 mW/ ^cm2 ). The international standard "IEC 62233" established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the Japanese Industrial Standard "JIS 1912" established based on it specify methods for measuring electromagnetic fields related to human exposure from household electrical appliances and similar devices. In the measurement method specified in the standard, the electromagnetic field is measured as a percentage of the exposure limit by weighting the signal from a sensor that detects the electromagnetic field. If the measured value does not exceed the exposure limit specified in the ICNIRP guidelines, the device is deemed to comply with the ICNIRP guidelines. The shielding section is configured to comply with these standards.

In a microwave oven, the storage compartment that holds the object to be heated is fixed, and no significant vibrations occur during microwave irradiation. However, in the drum dryer 60 of this embodiment, the drum 3 rotates and vibrates during drying to improve drying efficiency. Therefore, the shield part of the drum dryer 60 of this embodiment has a structure that can prevent microwaves from leaking through the gap with the fixed part, even when microwaves are irradiated while the drum 3 is rotating.

In the configuration of drum dryer 60 according to embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the components that make up the shield section are indicated by thick solid lines. In drum dryer 60 according to embodiment 1, the shield section includes door body 5, communication section 26, drum 3, first choke section 25, which is an example of a gap shield section provided in the gap between communication section 26 and drum 3, and second choke section 27, which is an example of a gap shield section provided in the gap between door body 5 and communication section 26.

The door 5, the communication section 26, and the drum 3 contain a conductive material such as a metal that can reflect or absorb microwaves. For example, the door 5, the communication section 26, or the drum 3 may be entirely made of an electromagnetic wave shielding material such as a conductive material. The door 5, the communication section 26, or the drum 3 may be made of a material such as resin, with a plating layer of a conductive material provided on the inner or outer surface. The door 5, the communication section 26, or the drum 3 may be made of a material such as resin, with a layer of an electromagnetic wave shielding material provided on the inner or outer surface, or inside. The drum 3 may be provided with holes that allow water vapor and air to pass through, but in this case, these holes are formed to be large enough to prevent microwave leakage.

The first choke portion 25 and the second choke portion 27 may have any choke structure known in the technical field of microwave ovens, etc. For example, the first choke portion 25 or the second choke portion 27 may be composed of multiple chokes. Multiple chokes can suppress microwave leakage in multiple stages, improving leakage prevention performance. Furthermore, the multiple chokes may have different dimensions or shapes for each choke, and may be composed of, for example, stepped chokes.

The first choke portion 25 may be provided in the communication portion 26 or in the drum front portion 3a. The second choke portion 27 may be provided in the door body 5 or in the communication portion 26.

In the case of a drum dryer 60, the amount and weight of the material to be dried varies, and the weight changes between the beginning and end of the drying operation. During the drying operation, the drum 3 rotates and vibrates, potentially changing the size of the gap between the communicating portion 26 that constitutes the first choke portion 25 and the drum front portion 3a. Due to its structure, dimensional variations during manufacturing are unavoidable. Furthermore, the microwave frequency may change depending on the operating conditions. Changing the dimensions or shape of the stepped choke may take into account dimensional changes during operation and manufacturing variations. It may also be possible to consider the possibility that the microwave frequency may change depending on the operating conditions. Therefore, the stepped choke further improves the ability to prevent microwave leakage. In this way, a multi-stage leakage prevention structure is extremely effective in a drum dryer 60.

The choke structure may also be constructed by filling at least a portion of the space in the groove that generates the reflected wave with resin. This allows the choke structure to be made thinner and more compact, thereby reducing the size of the gap between the communicating portion 26 that constitutes the first choke portion 25 and the drum front portion 3a, and preventing the first choke portion 25 from reducing the volume of the drum 3.

Instead of a reflective microwave shield such as a choke structure, an absorptive microwave shield such as a dielectric may be provided as the gap shield portion provided around the entire periphery in the gap between the door body 5 and the communication portion 26, or the gap shield portion provided around the entire periphery in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum 3. Alternatively, any type of non-contact microwave shield may be provided as the gap shield portion.

[1-2. Operation]
The operation and function of the drum type dryer 60 configured as above will be described below.

When the user opens the door 5, places the items to be dried in the drum 3, and issues a command to start drying, the control device 20 starts the drying operation. The control device 20 drives the drive motor 6 to rotate the drum 3. An air circulation device (not shown) may also be operated. The control device 20 controls the microwave irradiation unit 30 to generate microwaves. The microwaves are irradiated into the drum 3 via the waveguide 34 and the microwave irradiation port 32. This heats and evaporates the moisture contained in the items to be dried inside the drum 3. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 20 stops driving the drive motor 6 and emitting microwaves from the microwave irradiation unit 30, thereby ending the drying operation. The control device 20 may also estimate the amount of moisture contained in the items to be dried and end the drying operation when the amount of moisture falls below a predetermined amount.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in this embodiment, drum dryer 60 includes housing 1, drum 3 rotatably provided inside housing 1 and accommodating an object to be dried, and microwave irradiation unit 30 that irradiates microwaves onto the object to be dried inside drum 3, and a shielding unit for suppressing leakage of microwaves from housing 1 includes at least drum 3. This makes it possible to suppress leakage of microwaves to the outside of housing 1 even when microwaves are irradiated into drum 3 while rotating drum 3.

In addition, in this embodiment, the drum dryer 60 includes a housing 1, a drum 3 that is rotatably mounted inside the housing 1 and contains the material to be dried, and a microwave irradiation unit 30 that irradiates microwaves onto the material to be dried inside the drum 3. The shielding unit for preventing microwave leakage from the housing 1 may include at least a gap shielding unit for preventing microwave leakage from the gap between the rotating body and the fixed unit. This makes it possible to prevent microwave leakage outside the housing 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, the drum dryer 60 is equipped with a door 5 that opens and closes an opening 19 provided in the housing to allow materials to be dried to be placed in and removed from the drum 3, and the shielding section may be configured to include the door 5 and a gap shielding section that prevents microwave leakage from the gap between the door 5 and the drum 3. This prevents microwave leakage from the gap between the door 5, which is provided opposite the drum opening 3c, and the drum 3, thereby achieving both ease of placing and removing materials to be dried (usability) and suppression of microwave leakage.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drum dryer 60 includes a communication section 26 that is provided between the opening 19 and the drum 3 and fixed to the housing 1, and the shielding section may include the communication section 26 and a gap shielding section that prevents microwave leakage from the gap between the door body 1 and the communication section 26, and the gap between the communication section 26 and the drum 3. This makes it possible to prevent microwave leakage outside the housing 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, the gap shielding section may be configured as a single layer. This can prevent microwaves from leaking outside the housing 1.

In addition, in some embodiments, the gap shield portion may include at least one non-contact microwave shield. This can reduce wear, deterioration, and damage caused by the rotation of the drum 3.

Furthermore, the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 evaporates moisture contained in the material to be dried using microwaves, thereby improving drying efficiency. Furthermore, the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 allows for a large internal volume of the drum 3, allowing for drying of a large number of materials to be dried, thereby improving user convenience. Furthermore, the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 does not require a fixed tank or the like to be provided on the outside of the drum 3 to block microwaves, thereby reducing the number of parts and lowering manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 uses the drum 3, which is typically made of metal in conventional products, as a shielding part, and the housing 1 can be made of an inexpensive material such as resin, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

Figure 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 2. The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 2 includes a second gap shield part 28 in addition to the configuration of the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B. Other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those of embodiment 1. Differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

The second gap shield portion 28 is provided in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a in addition to the first choke portion 25, which is the first gap shield portion. The second gap shield portion 28 may be a reflective microwave shield or an absorptive microwave shield. By providing multiple stages of microwave shields in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a, microwave leakage can be further suppressed.

When an absorption-type microwave shield is provided as the second gap shield portion 28, it is preferable to provide the second gap shield portion 28 on the outside of the first choke portion 25. This prevents the second gap shield portion 28 from being damaged or deteriorated due to heating by microwaves.

Three or more gap shield sections may be provided in the gap between the communication section 26 and the drum front section 3a. In this case, too, it is preferable that the innermost gap shield section be a reflective microwave shield. This prevents the microwave shield from being damaged or deteriorated by heating due to microwaves, even when an absorption microwave shield is provided as a gap shield section outside the second tier. The gap shield section outside the second tier may be a reflective microwave shield or an absorption microwave shield.

As described above, in this embodiment, the gap shield section is composed of multiple stages. This further reduces microwave leakage.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 3. Drum dryer 60 of embodiment 3 includes a sealing unit 29 in addition to the configuration of drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B. Other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those of embodiment 1. Differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described below.

The seal portion 29 is provided in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a, and seals the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a. This prevents the drying air inside the drum 3 from circulating with the outside. The seal portion 29 does not have to completely seal the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a. The seal portion 29 may have a sliding contact type configuration. The seal portion 29 may be made of any of felt, resin, rubber, etc.

It is preferable to provide the seal portion 29 on the outside of the first choke portion 25. This prevents the seal portion 29 from being damaged or deteriorated due to heating by microwaves.

The sealing portion 29 may also serve as the second gap shield portion 28 described in embodiment 2. In this case, the sealing portion 29 may be made of a dielectric material that absorbs microwaves. This reduces the number of parts in the drum dryer 60 and reduces manufacturing costs.

As described above, in this embodiment, the drum dryer 60 is equipped with a seal portion 29 that seals the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum 3, and the gap shield portion between the communication portion 26 and the drum 3 is located inside the seal portion 29. This prevents the seal portion 29 from being damaged or deteriorated due to heating by microwaves.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, one stage of the gap shielding portion may also function as the sealing portion, or at least one of the multiple stages of the gap shielding portion may also function as the sealing portion. This allows the number of parts in the drum dryer 60 to be reduced, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 4. The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 4 includes a ball bearing 35 instead of the first choke portion 25 of the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B. Other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those of embodiment 1. Differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

The ball bearing 35 is provided as a gap shield in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a. The ball bearing 35 is configured to slidably bring the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a into close contact and support the drum front portion 3a, making it easier to stabilize the rotation of the drum 3. The ball bearing 35 is made of a conductive material. This makes it possible to suppress microwave leakage from the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a.

A contact-type microwave shield of any type may be provided as a gap shield portion in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the drum front portion 3a. For example, the gap shield portion may be a point-contact microwave shield such as a ball bearing, or a line-contact microwave shield such as a rolling bearing. In this case, the contact distance may be configured to be less than half the wavelength of the microwaves to be shielded. This can further reduce microwave leakage. The gap shield portion may also be a surface-contact microwave shield such as a sliding bearing. In this case, a flexible microwave shield may be provided as the gap shield portion. This can reduce microwave leakage even if the gap dimensions change while the drum 3 is rotating. A conductive lubricant may be used as the lubricating oil for the bearing. This can further reduce microwave leakage.

By constructing the gap shield section using a contact-type microwave shield, microwave leakage can be suppressed even if there are gap dimensional tolerances during assembly or if the gap dimensional changes while the drum 3 is rotating, thereby improving the reliability of the gap shield section's microwave leakage suppression performance. Furthermore, because the gap shield section can also serve as the seal section 29, the number of parts in the drum dryer 60 can be reduced, lowering manufacturing costs.

The gap shielding portion may be a reflective microwave shield made of a conductor, or an absorptive microwave shield made of a dielectric.

As described in embodiment 2, the gap shield portion may include a multi-stage microwave shield. In this case, the gap shield portion may include only a contact-type microwave shield, only a non-contact-type microwave shield, or both a contact-type microwave shield and a non-contact-type microwave shield. Furthermore, each microwave shield may be a reflective microwave shield or an absorptive microwave shield.

As described above, in this embodiment, the gap shield portion includes at least one contact-type microwave shield. This further reduces microwave leakage.

Fifth Embodiment
Hereinafter, the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 5. The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 5 has the same configuration as the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B, except that the communication section 26 is omitted. This allows the door 5 to function as a fixed section relative to the rotating drum 3. A microwave irradiation section 30 is also provided on the door 5 in front of the drum opening 3c or the rotation axis of the drum 3. The microwave irradiation section 30 irradiates microwaves from the microwave irradiation port 32 into the drum 3, heating the moisture contained in the material to be dried inside the drum 3. Other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those of embodiment 1. Differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described below.

A gap shield portion is provided in the gap between the door body 5 and the drum front portion 3a to prevent microwave leakage from the gap. The gap shield portion may be provided on the door body 5 or the drum front portion 3a. The gap shield portion may be a reflective microwave shield such as the first choke portion 25 or the second choke portion 27, or an absorptive microwave shield. The gap shield portion may be a non-contact microwave shield such as the first choke portion 25 or the second choke portion 27, or a contact microwave shield such as a ball bearing 35. The gap shield portion may be composed of a single-stage microwave shield or a multi-stage microwave shield. A seal portion 29 may be provided in the gap between the door body 5 and the drum front portion 3a. The seal portion 29 may also serve as the gap shield portion.

The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 5 can increase the depth dimension of the drum 3 by the amount of the omitted communication section 26, thereby increasing the internal volume.

(Embodiment 6)
Hereinafter, the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 6 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 6. The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 6 differs from the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B in that a first choke portion 25 is provided between the communication portion 26 and the side surface of the drum 3. Other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those of embodiment 1. Differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described below.

The drum 3 side of the communication portion 26 is configured to cover the drum front portion 3a. A gap shield portion is provided in the gap between the drum 3 side of the communication portion 26 and the side surface of the drum 3 to prevent microwave leakage from the gap. The gap shield portion may be provided in the communication portion 26 or on the side surface of the drum 3. The gap shield portion may be a reflective microwave shield such as the first choke portion 25, or an absorptive microwave shield. The gap shield portion may be a non-contact microwave shield such as the first choke portion 25, or a contact microwave shield such as the ball bearing 35. The gap shield portion may be composed of a single-stage microwave shield or a multi-stage microwave shield. A seal portion 29 may be provided in the gap between the communication portion 26 and the side surface of the drum 3. The seal portion 29 may also serve as the gap shield portion.

The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 6 can increase the depth dimension of the drum 3 by the amount of the gap shield moved to the side, thereby increasing the internal volume. Furthermore, since the front part 3a of the drum can be formed from resin or the like, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Seventh Embodiment
Hereinafter, the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 7 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum dryer according to embodiment 7. The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 7 includes a drum door body 36 in addition to the configuration of the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 5 shown in Figure 5. The drum door body 36 includes a second choke portion 27, which is an example of a gap shield portion provided around the entire periphery in the gap between the drum door body 36 and the drum 3. The remaining configuration is the same as embodiment 1 or embodiment 5. Differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

In the drum dryer 60 of embodiment 7, the drum door 36 is fixed to the drum 3 and is configured to rotate along with the rotation of the drum 3. A door 5 is provided at the opening 19 of the housing 1. The door 5 may or may not form a shielding section. In the former case, the user's exposure to microwaves can be further reduced. In the latter case, the door 5 can be formed from resin or the like, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the drum dryer 60.

The drum dryer 60 of embodiment 7 does not need to shield the gap between the rotating body and the fixed part; it is sufficient to simply provide a second choke part 27 on the drum door body 36. This simplifies the configuration of the gap shield part and reduces microwave leakage outside the housing 1.

As described above, in this embodiment, the drum dryer 60 includes the door 5 that opens and closes the opening 19 provided in the housing 1, and the drum door 36 that opens and closes the drum opening 3c provided in the drum 3, and the shielding section is composed of the drum 3 and the drum door 36. This makes it possible to suppress leakage of microwaves outside the housing 1.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, Embodiments 1 to 7 have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in Embodiments 1 to 7 above to create new embodiments.

Therefore, other embodiments are illustrated below.

In embodiments 1 to 7, a drum-type dryer 60 has been described as an example of a dryer. The dryer may be a dryer other than a drum-type, a washer-dryer, or the like. For example, it may be applied to a vertical washer-dryer, etc. The objects to be dried may be other than clothing.

Note that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology disclosed herein, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

This disclosure can be used in dryers.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Housing 3 Drum 3a Drum front 3b Drum rear 3c Drum opening 5 Door body 6 Drive motor 14 Rotating shaft 15 Belt 19 Opening 20 Control device 25 First choke portion 26 Communication portion 27 Second choke portion 28 Second gap shield portion 29 Seal portion 30 Microwave irradiation portion 32 Microwave irradiation port 34 Waveguide 35 Ball bearing 36 Drum door body 60 Drum dryer

Claims (9)

The housing and
a drum rotatably provided inside the housing and configured to accommodate an object to be dried;
a microwave irradiation unit that irradiates microwaves onto the object to be dried in the drum;
a door that opens and closes an opening provided in the housing to allow the object to be dried to be put into and taken out of the drum;
a communication portion provided between the opening and the drum and fixed to the housing;
a seal portion that seals a gap between the communication portion and the drum;
Equipped with
The shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwave from the housing includes at least the drum, the door body, the communicating portion, a gap between the door body and the communicating portion, and a gap shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwave from a gap between the communicating portion and the drum,
The gap shield portion between the communication portion and the drum is provided inside the seal portion. The housing and
a drum rotatably provided inside the housing and configured to accommodate an object to be dried;
a microwave irradiation unit that irradiates microwaves onto the object to be dried in the drum;
a door that opens and closes an opening provided in the housing to allow the object to be dried to be put into and taken out of the drum;
a seal portion that seals the gap between the door body and the drum;
Equipped with
The shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwave from the housing includes at least a gap shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwave from a gap between the drum, which is a rotating body, and the door, which is a fixed part;
The gap shield portion between the door body and the drum is provided inside the seal portion ,
The sealing portion is a sliding contact type, and is made of felt, resin, or rubber, and is not provided inside the gap shield portion.
Dryer. The housing and
a drum rotatably provided inside the housing and configured to accommodate an object to be dried;
a microwave irradiation unit that irradiates microwaves onto the object to be dried in the drum;
a door that opens and closes an opening provided in the housing to allow the object to be dried to be put into and taken out of the drum;
a communication portion provided between the opening and the drum and fixed to the housing;
a seal portion that seals a gap between the communication portion and the drum to prevent the drying air in the drum from circulating with the outside;
Equipped with
The shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwave from the housing includes at least the drum, the door body, the communicating portion, a gap between the door body and the communicating portion, and a gap shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwave from a gap between the communicating portion and the drum,
The sealing portion also serves as the gap shield portion between the communication portion and the drum. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the gap shield portion is configured as one stage. The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the gap shield portion is configured in a plurality of stages . The dryer according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the gap shield sections in the plurality of stages also serves as the sealing section. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the gap shield portion includes at least one non-contact microwave shield. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the gap shield portion includes at least one contact-type microwave shield. The housing and
a drum rotatably provided inside the housing and configured to accommodate an object to be dried;
a microwave irradiation unit that irradiates microwaves onto the object to be dried in the drum;
a door that opens and closes an opening provided in the housing;
a drum door body that opens and closes a drum opening provided in the drum;
Equipped with
The dryer includes a shielding portion for suppressing leakage of the microwaves from the housing, the shielding portion including at least the drum and the drum door body.