JP4676292B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a clothes dryer that feeds dry warm air into a drum containing clothes and removes moisture from the clothes to dry, and a clothes dryer applied to a washing machine provided with a clothes drying function. The present invention relates to a drying device.

  In order to dry clothes in a clothes dryer or washing dryer, rotate the rotating drum containing the clothes, stir the clothes, blow heated air into the rotating drum, and apply heated air to the clothes. Since the heated air takes moisture from the garment and becomes moisture-absorbing air, the garment is dried by repeatedly removing the moisture-absorbing air from the rotating drum, dehumidifying it, and heating it to the rotating drum.

  The clothes generate lint such as lint as the drying progresses, and the lint accumulates on the air blowing path and the air blowing fan, which causes a reduction in air blowing capacity and drying capacity. In order to prevent the adverse effects of this lint, a lint filter is provided at the required position of the air blowing path, and the lint is captured from the air being blown by the lint filter to prevent the lint from accumulating on the blower fan and the air blowing path. Yes. However, if the amount of lint trapped in the lint filter increases, the filter will become clogged and the blowing capacity will decrease, so that the user can remove lint collected in the lint filter and clean it. The lint filter is configured to be easily taken out. That is, the lint filter is required to have excellent maintainability as well as lint capture performance.

  In order to improve the lint capture performance, a structure of a lint filter provided with two filters is known (see Patent Document 1). In this prior art, a lint filter in which a flat filter and a bag-like filter are arranged in parallel is provided above the rear surface of the washing / drying machine. The filter is provided with a double mesh so that the mesh coarse density is different, and the lint that can be captured by each filter is shared by its size, and a large lint capturing area is secured by the bag-shaped filter.

JP 2001-300192 A

  However, the lint filter according to the related art has a poor workability because the lint filter unit at the rear of the washing / drying machine is pulled out upward when performing maintenance of the filter, so that the two filters are respectively cleaned. There was a problem that it was necessary to disassemble and lacked maintainability.

  Further, although the bag-like filter has a large lint capturing area, there is a problem that when the lint is accumulated in the bag, it is difficult to remove the lint and clean it.

  The present invention was devised in view of the problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to improve the lint capture performance and maintenance performance of the lint filter disposed in the circulation path of the drying air, thereby improving the drying capacity. An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes drying apparatus that prevents the deterioration.

In order to achieve the above object, a clothes drying apparatus according to the present invention blows heated air heated by a heating means to a drying chamber containing clothes, and exhausts moisture-absorbed air from which the heating air has taken moisture from the clothes from the drying chamber. The air dehumidified from the hygroscopic air by the dehumidifying means is reheated by the heating means, and a circulation air passage for drying air is constructed to blow into the drying chamber, and the lint in the air flowing through the air flow passage in the circulation air passage The lint filter is attached to the opening of the filter forming surface that bulges in a bag shape toward the downstream side of the flow path in the air flow path, and the filter forming surface is The first filter forming part and the second filter forming part in which the filter is attached to the opening formed on the peripheral surface of the half shell are combined so as to be separable at the peripheral edge of each opening, and upstream in the blowing direction. Air inlet Opened so characterized by comprising.

According to the above configuration, the filter forming surface that bulges toward the downstream side in the air blowing direction of the air flow passage for drying air has a large lint capturing area by attaching the filter to the opening provided on the peripheral surface. Can be secured, and lint flowing through the flow path together with air can be efficiently captured. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in drying capacity and a failure due to lint accumulating on the blower fan or the blower path. Further , when the two filter forming portions are combined by a fitting structure or a sliding structure, a bag-like filter forming surface is formed, and when separated, the operation of removing lint accumulated in the bag-like inside can be easily performed. it can.

  Further, the filter forming surface connects the first filter forming portion and the second filter forming portion in which the filter is attached to the opening formed on the peripheral surface of the half shell body, and the downstream side in the air blowing direction is connected with a hinge structure, By forming a shell structure with an air inlet on the upstream side in the blowing direction, the inside of the bag-shaped filter forming surface can be easily opened, and the lint accumulated inside can be easily removed. , Maintenance can be improved.

  Further, the lint filter is disposed so that the first filter forming part is located in the main flow path of the air flow path and the second filter forming part is located in the sub flow path. When the air permeability increases and the air permeability decreases, the air flows to the second filter forming part, so the time elapses until the air blowing capacity decreases due to clogging of the lint filter, and the number of filter cleanings is reduced. can do.

  According to the present invention, the filter is provided in the bag-shaped filter forming surface in the circulation path of the drying air, so that a large lint capture area by the filter can be secured, and the bag shape directed toward the downstream side in the blowing direction. As for the filter forming surface, it is possible to obtain an excellent lint capturing performance. Although the bag-shaped filter has excellent lint capture performance, it is difficult to remove the lint that accumulates inside the bag-shaped filter. Can be secured.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the drum type washing-drying machine to which clothing drying apparatus is applied. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a drum type washing-drying machine same as the above. Sectional drawing which shows the lint filter mounting structure with which a clothing drying apparatus is provided. (A) is a perspective view which shows the structure of a lint filter, (b) is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the 2nd filter formation part.

  The present embodiment shows a drum-type washing / drying machine in which the clothes drying apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing machine. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the configuration of the drum type washing and drying machine 1 according to the embodiment, and show the configuration of the drying function with emphasis.

  In FIG. 1, the drum type washing and drying machine 1 according to the present embodiment is configured in an oblique drum form in which the opening of the rotating drum faces upward on the front side of the washing machine casing 6. A door body 9 for opening and closing the laundry with respect to the rotating drum is provided on the front side so as to be freely opened and closed, and an operation unit 20 for selecting and inputting a driving operation is disposed above the door body 9, and a detergent is put on the left side thereof. A detergent insertion portion 21 is provided so as to be freely inserted and removed, and a lint filter 22 is arranged on the right side so that maintenance can be performed by pulling it out.

  FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the drum-type washing / drying machine 1 and mainly shows the configuration of the clothes drying apparatus provided in the drum-type washing / drying machine 1. In the washing machine housing 6, a water tank 3 containing the rotating drum 2 is supported by a suspension structure such as a damper 5, and the rotating drum 2 is driven to rotate by a drum drive motor 7 disposed at the rear of the water tank 3. When the door body 9 is opened, the laundry is put into the rotary drum 2 from the laundry entrance / exit 11, the detergent is put into the detergent feeding portion 21, and the operation course selection input and the operation start are inputted from the operation portion 20, the water tank 3 The detergent mixture water in which the detergent thrown into the detergent throwing part 21 is mixed is supplied. When water corresponding to the input amount of laundry is supplied, the rotary drum 2 is driven to rotate, and the stirring blade 4 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2 lifts the laundry and drops it from above. A washing process is performed. When this washing process is completed, the drain valve 15 is opened and the dirty washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 13 to the outside. After the washing process, rinsing and dehydrating processes are carried out, but the description thereof is omitted because it is a known operation.

  The drum-type washing / drying machine 1 can be shifted to a drying process of drying the laundry after the dehydration process is completed by the selection input of the operation course from the operation unit 20. It is also possible to operate as a clothes dryer that performs only the drying process and dries wet clothes and the like put into the rotary drum 2. This drying function will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a drying function component is disposed above the washing machine casing 6, and communicates with an opening for intake and exhaust of drying air provided in the water tub 3. A circulation path for drying air is formed. A blower fan 23 is provided in the circulation path, and when the blower fan 23 is rotationally driven, the air in the water tank 3 discharged from the exhaust port 24 is converted into a heat exchanger as indicated by an arrow in FIG. The dehumidification pipe 25, the first connection hose 29, the lint filter 22, the blower pipe 27, the second connection hose 30, and the intake pipe 16 are circulated into the water tank 3 again.

  Heated air is blown into the water tank 3 from the air inlet 28 by a heater provided in the intake pipe 16 (not shown), so that the heated air passes through the through hole 8 formed in the rotary drum 2 and enters the rotary drum 2. The clothes flow into the laundry or clothing (hereinafter collectively referred to as clothing) and take away moisture from the clothing to become hygroscopic air. When this moisture absorption air is exhausted from the exhaust port 24 and passes through the dehumidification conduit 25, the moisture absorbed by the cooling water flowing on the surface of the heat exchanger 26 is condensed and dehumidified. Condensed water is discharged from the drainage path together with the cooling water, and the dehumidified air passes through the lint filter 22 to remove lint such as yarn waste contained in the air. Since lint tends to be generated as the drying progresses, the lint is removed by the lint filter 22 to prevent the lint from accumulating on the blower fan 23 or the pipe line and thereby reducing the blowing ability. The air dehumidified and lint-removed is heated by the heater, and is again circulated as heated air from the air inlet 28 into the water tank 3, so that the clothes housed in the rotary drum 2 are circulated for a predetermined time. dry.

  The configuration of the lint filter 22 in the above configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter 22 and its arrangement portion, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lint filter 22 taken out.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lint filter 22 is configured to be easily pulled out from the front of the washing machine housing 6 to perform maintenance such as cleaning of the filter. A rotating panel 45 is provided below the decorative plate 44 configured to be flush with the outer surface of the front surface of the washing machine housing 6 of the lint filter 22 so as to be flush with the decorative plate 44. When the upper part of the rotating panel 45 is lightly pressed with a finger, the spring-biased rotating panel 45 is rotated by a rotating shaft 59 located inside the lower part, and the finger is placed inside the lower part of the decorative plate 44. When the decorative plate 44 is pulled with a fingertip, the lint filter 22 can be pulled out. FIG. 4A shows the lint filter 22 in a pulled out state.

  The lint filter 22 includes a first filter forming portion 41 and a second filter forming portion 42, each having a filter sheet 43 attached to openings formed on the bottom and side surfaces of a half-shell container, and downstream in the air blowing direction. Lint is captured from the blown air by the filter forming surface 40 which is connected by a hinge structure 46 on the side and has an air introduction port 47 opened upstream in the blowing direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the lint filter 22 is pushed in from a front portion of the washing machine housing 6 and attached to a predetermined position, so that the first connection hose 29 of the air passage shown in FIG. 2 is connected. It is mounted in a filter housing chamber 55 provided with a suction port 34 and a discharge port 35 communicating with the blower duct 27.

  In the filter housing chamber 55, a filter inlet / outlet 57 for inserting / removing the lint filter 22 is opened on the front side of the washing machine casing 6, and the second filter forming portion 42 of the lint filter 22 inserted in the middle position on the upper surface. A sealing protrusion 56 is formed in contact with the upper surface of the substrate. When the lint filter 22 is inserted into the filter housing chamber 55, the filter inlet / outlet port 57 is sealed by the packing member 48 provided in the lint filter 22, and the end of the second filter forming portion 42 on the upstream side in the blowing direction is sealed. Sealed by the protrusion 56. Therefore, the air flowing in from the suction port 34 passes through the filter sheet 43 on the filter forming surface 40 and forms an air flow path from the discharge port 35 to the blower duct 27, and is included in the air flowing through this air flow path. The lint is trapped when air passes through the filter sheet 43.

  The filter forming surface 40 forms a bag-like filter by combining the first filter forming portion 41 and the second filter forming portion 42, and is in a state of bulging in a bag shape downstream in the blowing direction. It is arranged. Since all the blown air is exhausted from the bag-shaped interior of the filter forming surface 40 toward the periphery, the filter sheet 43 attached to the openings of the first filter forming portion 41 and the second filter forming portion 42 has a large lint. A capture area is secured. In addition, since the first filter forming portion 41 faces the discharge port 35, the main flow of the air flow flows to the first filter forming portion 41 and the side flow flows to the second filter forming portion 42. Therefore, since the amount of lint captured by the first filter forming portion 41 increases, the amount of lint deposited on the first filter forming portion 41 increases, and clogging is likely to occur first. When the air permeability of the first filter forming portion 41 is lowered, the main flow of the air flow is moved to the second filter forming portion 42 side, and the main body of lint capture is moved to the second filter forming portion 42. In other words, since there are two filters, even if one of the filters is clogged, the other can be covered, and the effect of capturing lint can be maintained over a long period of time without lowering the blowing capacity.

  When the filter is configured in a bag shape like the lint filter 22 having the above-described configuration, a large lint capturing area can be ensured and at the same time the lint capturing effect can be improved, but the lint accumulates inside the bag shape, There is a problem that it is difficult to perform a cleaning operation to remove the accumulated lint. As described above, the filter forming surface 40 of the present configuration can be separated and opened by the hinge structure portion 46, so that the lint accumulated on the inside of the bag shape can be easily removed. be able to.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the lint filter 22 is pulled out for maintenance, the accumulated lint is inside the filter forming surface 40. There is no scattering. The drawn lint filter 22 can open the second filter forming portion 42 from the hinge structure portion 46 to a state where it is flat on the same plane as the first filter forming portion 41, as shown in FIG. 4B. Therefore, the lint deposited inside can be easily removed.

  Further, when the second filter forming portion 42 is closed on the first filter forming portion 41 shown in FIG. 4A, the protrusion 42 a provided at the tip of the air inlet 47 of the first filter forming portion 41. Since it fits into the recessed part 41a formed above and becomes a locked state, the lint which the 2nd filter formation part 42 opened and accumulated by the impact etc. when the lint filter 22 was pulled out does not scatter outside. When the second filter forming portion 42 is opened from the state shown in FIG. 4A, when the fingertip is inserted from the recess 41b formed in the first filter forming portion 41 and the tip of the second filter forming portion 42 is pulled up, the protrusion 42a. And the recess 41a are disengaged, and the unfolded state shown in FIG.

  Further, when the second filter forming portion 42 is overlaid on the first filter forming portion 41, the peripheral convex portion 49a of the first filter forming portion 41 is inserted into the fitting groove 49b formed on the peripheral edge of the second filter forming portion 42. Therefore, even if the bag-like filter structure can be developed, a united structure with high sealing performance can be obtained.

  The structure in which the second filter forming part 42 is separated and opened from the first filter forming part 41 is preferably a hinge structure as described above, but the second filter forming part 42 is connected to the first filter by a sliding structure or a fitting structure. It can also be separated from the formation part 41.

  Although the embodiment described above shows an example applied to a drum-type washing and drying machine, the embodiment can be similarly applied to a clothes drying machine specialized for clothes drying and a vertical washing and drying machine.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively remove the lint that increases the generation amount as the drying progresses and inhibits the air circulation in the drying of the clothes, so that the clothes are dried in a clean state. Can do. In addition, it is possible to perform clothing drying in which a decrease in the blowing capacity accompanying lint deposition is suppressed and the drying performance does not deteriorate. Furthermore, since the lint accumulated in the bag can be easily removed and cleaned while improving the lint capture performance by making the filter into a bag shape, it is possible to provide a clothes drying apparatus with excellent maintainability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drum type washing and drying machine 2 Rotating drum 3 Water tank 6 Washing machine housing 22 Lint filter 23 Blower fan 24 Exhaust port 25 Dehumidification conduit 26 Heat exchanger 27 Blower conduit 28 Inlet 29 First connection hose 30 Second connection hose 40 Filter formation surface 41 First filter formation portion 42 Second filter formation portion 43 Filter sheet 46 Hinge structure portion 47 Air inlet 55 Filter accommodation chamber

Claims (3)

The heated air heated by the heating means is blown to the drying chamber containing the clothes, the hygroscopic air deprived of moisture from the clothes is exhausted from the drying chamber, and the air dehumidified from the hygroscopic air by the dehumidifying means is again supplied by the heating means. A circulation air flow path for drying air that is heated and blown to the drying chamber is configured, and a lint filter that captures and collects lint in the air flowing through the air flow path is provided in the circulation air flow path. A filter is attached to the opening of the filter forming surface that swells in a bag shape toward the downstream side of the flow path, and the filter forming surface covers the opening formed on the peripheral surface of the half-shell. The clothes drying apparatus characterized in that the first filter forming part and the second filter forming part that have been put together are separably combined with each other at the peripheral edge part of the opening, and an air inlet is opened upstream in the blowing direction. . The filter forming surface is formed by connecting a first filter forming portion and a second filter forming portion in which a filter is attached to an opening formed on the peripheral surface of the half-shell, with a hinge structure on the downstream side in the air blowing direction. 2. The clothes drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clothes drying apparatus is formed in a shell structure having an air inflow opening on the upstream side. The clothes drying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a lint filter is disposed so that the first filter forming part is located in the main flow path of the blower flow path and the second filter forming part is located in the sub flow path .

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