JPS6147118B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dryer control device that detects the drying state of clothes and automatically ends the drying operation.

Conventional structure and its problems Conventionally, when drying clothes with a dryer,
It was common practice to set a timer to an appropriate time and run the dryer. In this case, if the set time is incorrect, there is a problem that the drying may not be sufficient or the clothes may become overly dry, which may damage the clothes. In order to solve this problem, various dryness detection devices have been proposed and implemented, but each of these devices still has major problems. For example, there is a method of detecting the drying state based on the temperature difference between the outside air temperature and the exhaust temperature of the dryer, but with this method, when there is only a small amount of clothes to be dried, the heated outside air is directly exhausted, and the clothes are still completely dry. There is a problem in that the temperature difference between the outside air and the exhaust reaches a predetermined value even though the air is not completely dry, and the operation ends.

Further, in another example, a pair of electrodes are arranged in the storage chamber and the average resistance value between these electrodes is detected, but this method has the following three main problems. The first is the safety issue because the electrodes for resistance measurement are exposed inside the storage chamber, and the second is
The third point is that since the method measures high resistance, the influence of the leakage current of the circuit itself becomes large.The third point is that the method that detects low resistance values can only detect up to about 95% dryness, so after that Because it is necessary to delay the end of drying by providing a relatively long delay time of ~20 minutes, some types of clothing may be insufficiently dried or overdry.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional inconveniences and problems, and prevents insufficient drying or overdrying of clothes.

Structure of the Invention The present invention detects static electricity generated on the surface of clothing as the clothing dries to detect dryness, and is characterized by the structure for detecting static electricity.

A common method for detecting static electricity is to measure the potential near the object where static electricity is generated, but in this case, a reference potential must be set separately and the potential difference from that potential must be measured. . Normally, this type of measurement is performed using the ground potential as a reference, but even if electrical equipment such as dryers are equipped with a ground terminal, some users may not have it grounded. be. Therefore, in order to use the ground potential as a reference, it is possible to use one side of the power line of the equipment used as a reference, but with this method, the polarity of the power plug has a large effect, and the power plug is inserted in the opposite direction. In this case, the reference power line is connected not to the ground but to the side on which the commercial power supply is superimposed, which may make correct measurement difficult.

The present invention attempts to perform rational static electricity detection by using the exterior casing of the dryer, which surrounds the static electricity generating object, as the standard of potential for static electricity measurement.

Description of Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of the present invention, in which 1 is the exterior casing of the entire dryer, which is made of a conductive material. 2 is a storage for storing clothes. Reference numeral 3 denotes a static electricity detection electrode provided inside the storage compartment 2, and 4 a dryness detection unit, which detects the potential difference between the static electricity detection electrode 3 and the exterior casing 1 to detect the magnitude of static electricity generated on clothing. An output signal is output after a certain period of time has elapsed after the amount of static electricity generated in the clothing reaches a predetermined level. 5 is a drying means such as a heater or a fan for drying the clothes in the storage storage 2; 6 is a drying operation control section that operates to stop the operation of the drying means 5 by receiving the output signal of the drying detection section 4; be.

FIG. 2 shows the schematic structure of this embodiment, in which 1 is an exterior casing, 7 is a cylindrical rotating drum with a rotation axis in the horizontal direction, 8 is a fixed wall, and 9 is an opening/closing device for taking clothes in and out. The storage 2, which is a flexible door and stores clothes, is composed of a rotating drum 7, a fixed wall 8, and a door 9. 10 is a heater that heats the outside air taken in; 11 is a fan that causes the outside air to flow into the housing 2 and exhausts the moist air in the housing 2 to the outside of the machine; 12 is a rotating drum 7 and the fan 11; Motor for rotation, 13 is motor 12
a belt 1 for transmitting the rotational motion of to the rotating drum 7;
A belt 4 transmits the rotational motion of the motor 12 to the fan 11. 15 is a sensor unit in which a static electricity detection electrode 3 is embedded, and is bonded to the inner surface of the fixed wall.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the sensor unit 15,
3 is a static electricity detection electrode, and 16 is a resin layer for electrically insulating the static electricity detection electrode 3 from the clothes to be dried. When drying synthetic fibers, etc.,
Even if the clothes are not dry, the surface of the resin layer 16 will become charged due to friction, making it impossible to detect static electricity accurately.
There are 7.

Next, the electrical circuit configuration shown in FIG. 4 will be explained. 18 is a power plug, 19 is a power switch,
Reference numerals 20 and 21 are switching elements for controlling the supply of electricity to the motor 12 and the heater 10, respectively, and are assumed to be conductive during the drying operation.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a static electricity detection section that detects fluctuations in the potential difference between the static electricity detection electrode 3 and the exterior casing 1. When the clothes are not dry, the potential of the static electricity detection electrode 3 is stable, but when the clothes become dry, the clothes become charged due to friction, so this potential starts to fluctuate. When the drying of the clothes progresses and this potential fluctuation reaches a predetermined level, the static electricity detection section 22 outputs an output signal. Reference numeral 23 denotes a timer section, which delays the end of drying by a certain period of time until a completely dry state is reached even if it receives the output signal from the static electricity detection section 22, and outputs an output signal when that period of time has elapsed. The static electricity detection section 22 and the timer section 23 constitute the dryness detection section 4. When the timer section 23 issues an output signal, the switching element 21 receives this and stops energizing the heater 10 . 24 is a ventilation time delay section, which is a timer section 2.
Even if the output signal No. 3 is generated, the motor 12 is energized for a predetermined period of time to continue blowing air into the storage compartment 2.
The temperature inside the storage warehouse 2 is lowered.

In addition, the drying operation control section 6 controls the switching element 2.
0, 21 and a ventilation time delay section 24. Furthermore, 25 is a transformer, 26 is a power supply circuit,
A DC voltage with a positive potential at the positive output terminal 27 and a negative potential at the ground terminal 28 is generated, and current is supplied to the drying detection section 4 and the drying operation control section 6.

FIG. 5 shows the circuit configuration of the static electricity detection section 22,
29 is a terminal for connecting the static electricity detection electrode 3; 30
31 is a terminal for connecting the exterior housing 1, and 31 is a power supply circuit 2.
A terminal 32 connects the positive output side terminal 27 of the power supply circuit 26, a terminal 32 connects the ground side terminal 28 of the power supply circuit 26,
3 is an output terminal of the static electricity detection section 22. The exterior casing 1 is connected to the ground side of the static electricity detection unit 22 via a resistor 34, but this is done by making the potential of the exterior casing 1 equal to the potential of the ground side of the static electricity detection unit 22.
This is to enable the potential of the static electricity detection electrode 3 fixed in the housing inside the exterior casing to be detected with reference to the potential on the ground side of the static electricity detection unit 22.

35 and 36 are resistors, 37 is a Zener diode, 38 is a capacitor, 39 is an operational amplifier,
The resistor 36 is connected between the positive potential side of the power supply of the static electricity detection unit 22 and the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier 39,
A resistor 35, a Zener diode 37, and a capacitor 38 are connected between the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier 39 and the ground side. Resistor 35 and Resistor 36
is for applying a predetermined DC bias to the static electricity detection electrode 3, and the Zener diode 37 and capacitor 38 are for protecting the operational amplifier 39. Since static electricity is very small in terms of energy, it is necessary to use a high resistance of several MΩ for the resistor 35 and the resistor 36, and it is desirable to use a capacitor 38 with a small capacity of about 100 pF. The potential of the static electricity detection electrode 3 is lowered in impedance by the operational amplifier 39 and appears at the output terminal of the operational amplifier 39 .

When the clothes are not dry and are not charged with static electricity, the potential of the static electricity detection electrode 3 is stable at the potential determined by the resistors 35 and 36, but when the clothes are dry and are not charged with static electricity, the potential of the static electricity detection electrode 3 is stable. , the potential of the static electricity detection electrode 3 begins to fluctuate, and the output terminal voltage of the operational amplifier 39 also begins to fluctuate with the same magnitude.

40 is a resistor, 41 is an electrolytic capacitor, these are connected in series between the output terminal of the operational amplifier 39 and the ground side, and power supply hum etc. are detected from the potential signal of the electrostatic detection electrode 3 appearing at the output terminal of the operational amplifier 39. works to eliminate harmful noise.

42 is an electrolytic capacitor, and 43 is a resistor, which are connected in series between the positive potential side of the electrolytic capacitor 41 and the ground side. electrolytic capacitor 4
A potential signal of the static electricity detection electrode 3 from which harmful noise has been removed is generated on the positive potential side of the electrostatic capacitor 1, but a DC voltage determined by the resistors 35 and 36 is superimposed on this potential signal, and the electrolytic capacitor 42 and resistance 43
Only the variation of this potential signal is generated at both ends of the resistor 43 by a differentiating circuit composed of the following.

A diode 44 is connected in parallel with the resistor 43 and performs half-wave rectification of the waveform of the potential fluctuation signal of the static electricity detection electrode 3. 47 is an operational amplifier whose positive input terminal is connected to the cathode of the diode 44.

45 and 46 are resistors, the resistor 45 is connected between the negative input terminal of the operational amplifier 47 and the ground side, the resistor 46 is connected between the negative input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier 47, and these resistors 45, 46, The operational amplifier 47 constitutes an in-phase amplifier circuit, and amplifies the half-wave rectified potential fluctuation signal of the static electricity detection electrode 3 applied to the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier 47.

48 and 49 are resistors, 50 is an electrolytic capacitor, and the half-wave rectified and amplified static electricity detection electrode 3
The average voltage of the potential fluctuation signal is generated across the resistor 49.

51 is a Zener diode, 52 is a resistor, 53
is a comparator, 54 is a resistor, and the resistor 52 is connected to the positive potential side of the power supply of the static electricity detection unit 22 and the comparator 5.
A Zener diode 5 is connected between the inverting input terminal of 3.
1 is connected between the non-inverting input terminal of the comparator 53 and the ground side, and a resistor 54 is connected between the positive potential side of the power supply and the output terminal of the comparator 53. Resistor 52 causes a suitable current to flow through Zener diode 51, and Zener diode 51 applies its Zener voltage to the inverting input terminal of comparator 53 to set a reference voltage. Resistor 54 is comparator 5
This is to set the potential of the output terminal of No. 3 to either the positive potential side of the power supply or the ground potential.

When the average voltage of the potential fluctuation signal of the static electricity detection electrode 3 applied to the non-inverting input terminal of the comparator 53 exceeds the Zener voltage of the Zener diode 51 applied to the inverting input terminal of the comparator 53, the output terminal of the comparator 53 The voltage rises from zero to near the power supply voltage. That is, at this time, the voltage at the output terminal 33 of the static electricity detection section 22 rises, and the static electricity detection section 22 outputs an output signal.

When the voltage at the output terminal 33 of the static electricity detection section 22 rises, the timer section 23 starts operating, and thereafter the drying operation is completed according to the above-described process.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, the dryness detection structure using static electricity detection of the present invention uses the potential of the exterior casing as a reference when detecting static electricity generated by clothing. Stable static electricity detection can be performed regardless of whether it is implemented or not. Also, since clothing does not generate static electricity until it reaches nearly 100% dryness,
Compared to the method of detecting the resistance value of clothing, this is a very effective dryness detection method because it allows setting close to the necessary and sufficient delay time. Therefore,
According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably realize a dryness detection system using this effective static electricity detection method with less possibility of malfunction, and the present invention is very useful.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic structure of a dryer according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic structure of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, where a is a front view and b is a longitudinal sectional view. , Fig. 3 shows the sensor unit, Fig. 3a is a front view, Fig. 3b is a sectional view taken along line It is an electrical circuit diagram. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Exterior casing, 2... Housing, 3... Electrostatic detection electrode, 4... Drying detection section, 5... Drying means, 6... Drying operation control section, 7... Rotating drum,
8... Fixed wall, 9... Door, 15... Sensor unit, 20, 21... Switching element, 22...
... Static electricity detection section, 23 ... Timer section, 24 ...
Air blowing time delay section, 26...power supply circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An exterior casing made of a conductive material, a storage for storing clothes, a drying means for drying the clothes, a drying operation control section for controlling the operation of the drying means, and a storage for storing clothes. a static electricity detection electrode fixed in the refrigerator to detect the magnitude of static electricity generated on the clothes;
dryness detection that detects the magnitude of static electricity generated in the clothing by detecting a potential difference between the exterior casing and the static electricity detection electrode and outputs an output signal when it is determined that the clothing is dry; an output end of the drying detection section is connected to the drying operation control section, and the drying operation control section stops the operation of the drying means by receiving the output signal of the drying detection section. A dryer control device configured as follows. 2. The dryness detection section is connected to the static electricity detection section that outputs an output signal when the average value of fluctuations in the potential difference between the static electricity detection electrode and the exterior casing exceeds a predetermined value, and the static electricity detection section, 2. The dryer control device according to claim 1, further comprising a timer section that outputs an output signal after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after receiving the output signal of the static electricity detection section.