JP2001062194A - Clothing drier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the quantity of moisture to be discharged outside a clothing drier by improving the dehumidifying performance in drying operation. SOLUTION: In this drier, a cooling part 33 and a heat radiating part 34 of a heat pump 31 to compose an auxiliary dehumifying means are provided in a duct 28 to compose a circulation passage for circulating air in a drying chamber 4. Air to be supplied into the drying chamber 4 is heated by a heater 30, and air including moisture emitted from the drying chamber 4 is dehumidified in a heat exchanger 26 composing a main dehumidifying means. Air dehumidified by the heat exchanger 26 is cooled by the cooling part 33 of the heat pump 31 to be further dehumidified. Compared to conducting drying operation by the heater 30 and the heat exchanger 26 only, therefore, dehumidifying performance can be improved, and quantity of moisture to be emitted outside the clothing drier can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dehumidifying type clothes dryer.

[0002]

Conventionally, for example, there is a drum type clothes dryer of the dehumidification type, but even if it is a dehumidification type, about 40% of the moisture evaporated from the clothes falls outside the machine. Had been discharged. In addition, this type of clothes dryer is often installed in a relatively small room such as a dressing room, but the dressing room is often exposed to high humidity when taking a bath. When the vehicle is operated, it is exposed to a higher humidity.

[0003] As described above, in a relatively small room such as a dressing room where a clothes dryer is installed, particularly when the clothes dryer is used for drying operation, the humidity tends to be high, which gives a user discomfort. Not only that, but also moisture such as dew condensation generated by moisture will adversely affect buildings. In addition, in recent apartments and the like, there are many cases where a dressing room where a dryer is installed does not have a ventilation means such as a ventilation fan, and this is also one of the causes of discomfort to the clothes dryer.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a first object of the present invention is to improve the dehumidifying performance in a drying operation and reduce the amount of moisture released outside the machine. A second object is to provide a clothes dryer capable of dehumidifying a room in which the clothes dryer is installed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drying chamber for accommodating clothes, and air flowing out of the drying chamber is returned to the drying chamber. And a heater that heats the air supplied to the drying chamber, a main dehumidifier that dehumidifies the air that passes through the circulation path, and a heat pump that dehumidifies the air that passes through the circulation path. And an auxiliary dehumidifying means. In the case of the above-described configuration, in addition to the heater and the main dehumidifying unit, by using the auxiliary dehumidifying unit including the heat pump, the dehumidifying performance can be improved as compared with the case where the drying operation is performed only with the heater and the main dehumidifying unit, and the outside of the machine The amount of released moisture can be reduced.

In this case, the drying operation for drying the clothes includes a first drying course using a heater and main dehumidifying means,
It is preferable that a second drying course using a heater, main dehumidifying means and auxiliary dehumidifying means be used in combination, and the first drying course and the second drying course be selectable (the invention of claim 2). ).

In order to achieve the above-mentioned second object, the invention according to claim 3 is provided with a door for opening and closing the clothes entrance of the drying chamber, and the door is operated as auxiliary dehumidifying means. It is characterized by having an outdoor air dehumidifying course that can be operated in an open state. In this case, when the outdoor air dehumidifying course is performed, the air outside the machine is sucked into the drying room from the clothing entrance and passes through the circulation path. At this time, since the air passing through the circulation path is dehumidified by the auxiliary dehumidifier, it is possible to dehumidify the air outside the machine, that is, the air in the room where the clothes dryer is installed.

In order to achieve the same object, an invention according to claim 4 is to provide an auxiliary door in a door for opening and closing the clothes entrance of the drying chamber, and to open the auxiliary door as an operation using auxiliary dehumidifying means. An outdoor air dehumidifying course that can be operated in a state where the air conditioner is operated is provided. In this case, when the outside air dehumidifying course is performed, air outside the machine is sucked into the drying chamber from the opening opened by the auxiliary door, and passes through the circulation path. At this time, since the air passing through the circulation path is dehumidified by the auxiliary dehumidifying means, it becomes possible to dehumidify the air in the room in which the clothes dryer is installed, as in the third aspect of the present invention.

In this case, it is preferable to provide an air-permeable screen at a portion opened by the auxiliary door (the invention of claim 5). It is also preferable that the door be a sliding type (the invention of claim 6).

According to a third aspect of the present invention, an exhaust port communicating with the circulation path is provided at a portion other than the door for opening and closing the clothes entrance of the drying chamber, and an opening and closing member for opening and closing the exhaust port is provided. The dehumidifying course is preferably performed in a state where the exhaust port is opened by the opening / closing member (the invention of claim 7). According to this, the air dehumidified by the auxiliary dehumidifying means in the outdoor air dehumidifying course is discharged to the outside of the machine from the exhaust port opened by the opening / closing member, so that when the air is exhausted from the clothes entrance / exit. In comparison with this, the air flow becomes smoother, and the air outside the machine can be dehumidified more efficiently.

In this case, it is preferable that a driving means for driving the opening / closing member when the outside air dehumidifying course is selected is provided (the invention of claim 8).

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 shows a schematic vertical cross-sectional structure of the entire dryer. In FIG. 1, a clothes outlet 2 is formed in the front part of an outer box 1 having a substantially rectangular box shape, and a door 3 for opening and closing the clothes outlet 2 is provided rotatably. ing. Inside the outer box 1 is a drum 5 having a drying chamber 4 inside.
Are arranged. In the drum 5, a shaft 6 protruding from the center of the rear surface is rotatably provided on a support plate 7 provided at the rear in the outer box 1, and is formed at the front. A large-diameter circular opening 5 a is rotatably supported via a bearing 9 on a drum support 8 provided at a front portion in the outer case 1. The front part of the drying chamber 4 communicates with the clothes outlet 2 through a drum support 8.

A fan casing 10 is fixedly provided behind the drum 5. A two-wing fan 11 having a front wing portion 11a and a rear wing portion 11b is driven by the fan casing 10 in the fan casing 10. It is rotatably disposed via a pulley 12. The fan 11 partitions the inside of the fan casing 10 into a front chamber 13 and a rear chamber 14. A ventilation port 15 is formed in the center of the rear surface of the drum 5, and the drying chamber 4 and the front chamber 1 are formed through the ventilation port 15.
3 is in communication. A lint filter 16 is provided at the rear center of the drum 5 so as to cover the ventilation opening 15 from the front.
Is detachably mounted.

A rear plate 17 is provided on the rear surface of the outer case 1, and a substantially central portion of the rear plate 17 and a substantially central portion of the rear surface of the fan casing 10 communicate the rear compartment 14 with the outside. An outside air inlet 18 is formed so as to allow the rear room 14 to communicate with the outside of the machine.

A motor 20, which is, for example, an induction motor, is provided at an upper corner in the outer box 1. A rotary shaft 21 of the motor 20 projects in both front and rear directions, and drive pulleys 22 and 23 are attached to both front and rear ends of the rotary shaft 21. A belt 24 extends between the front drive pulley 22 and the outer peripheral portion of the drum 5, and a belt 25 also extends between the rear drive pulley 23 and the driven pulley 12 of the fan 11. Therefore, the drum 5 and the fan 11 are rotated by the motor 20 via the belts 24 and 25. here,
The fan 11 and the fan casing 10 constitute a heat exchanger 26, and the heat exchanger 26 constitutes a main dehumidifier.

A duct 28 is connected to a lower portion of the fan casing 10 so as to communicate with the front chamber 13.
This duct 28 extends through the lower part in the outer box 1 to the front part of the lower part of the front drum support 8,
Is communicated with the front part of the drying chamber 4 through the hot air outlet 29 formed in the drying chamber 4. A heater 30 is arranged near the hot air outlet 29 of the duct 28. Here, front room 1
The duct 3 and the duct 28 constitute a circulation path for returning the air flowing out of the drying chamber 4 to the drying chamber 4 again.

A heat pump 31 constituting auxiliary dehumidifying means is provided at an intermediate portion of the duct 28.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heat pump 31 includes a compressor 32 disposed outside the duct 28.
A cooling unit 33 disposed at a rear portion in the duct 28; and a heat radiating unit 34 disposed at a front portion in the duct 28. The compressor 32, the cooling unit 33, and the heat radiating unit 34
And are connected by a pipe 35 through which the refrigerant passes.
Therefore, the cooling unit 33 and the heat radiating unit 34 are arranged on the leeward side of the front wing 11 a of the fan 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling section 33 and the heat radiating section 34 have a pipe 35 bent in a meandering shape, and a plurality of heat exchange fins 36 are provided around the pipe 35. In the duct 28, a packing 37 for sealing is provided in a portion where the pipe 35 penetrates. Further, a drain port 38 is formed in the duct 28 so as to be located between the cooling section 33 and the heat radiating section 34. The drum support 8 is provided with an electrode 39 that faces the drying chamber 4 and detects the drying rate of the clothes.

On the other hand, an operation panel 40 shown in FIG. This operation panel 4
0, a power switch 41, a start / pause switch 42, a contraction reduction switch 43, a course switch 44, a heater switch 45, a stroke display section 46,
A shrinkage reduction display section 47, a course display section 48, a heater strength display section 49, and the like are provided. Course display part 4
8, "Heat pump drying", "Heater + heat pump drying", "Standard", "Elaborate", "Blanket"
Each course of "dehumidification" is displayed.

A control device (not shown) provided with a microcomputer is provided on the back side of the operation panel 40. The control device includes switches 41 to 45,
Each of the display units 46 to 4 is based on a program provided in advance.
9, the motor 20, the heater 30, the heat pump 31, and the like.

In this case, among the courses displayed on the course display section 48, the courses of "standard", "concrete" and "blanket" are courses using the heater 30 and the heat exchanger 26, which are the present invention. Corresponds to the first drying course. In the “heat pump drying” course, the heat exchanger 2 was used without using the heater 30.
6 and a course using the heat pump 31. The “heater + heat pump drying” course is a course in which the heater 30, the heat exchanger 26, and the heat pump 31 are used in combination, and corresponds to a second drying course of the present invention. The “dehumidification” course is a course that can be operated only when the door 3 is opened (the door switch is off), and is a course using the heat exchanger 26 and the heat pump 31 without using the heater 30. , Which corresponds to the outdoor air dehumidifying course of the present invention.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, in a state where the clothes to be dried are stored in the drying room 4 and the door 3 is closed,
When, for example, the “standard” course is selected by the course switch 44 and the start / pause switch 42 is turned on, the “standard” course of the drying operation is executed. In this “standard” course, the motor 20 is energized and the drum 5
Is rotated, the fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 is rotated, and the heater 30 is energized.

The air in the drying chamber 4 is passed through the lint filter 16 and the ventilation port 15 as shown by the arrow A in FIG. The air is sucked into the front chamber 13 in the casing 10 and then circulates through the duct 28 so as to return to the drying chamber 4 from the hot air outlet 29 in the front part. As a result, as shown by the arrow B in FIG. 1, the air outside the machine is sucked into the rear chamber 14 in the fan casing 10 through the outside air intake 18, and then discharged outside the machine from the outside air return port 19.

At this time, the air passing through the duct 28 is heated by the heater 30, the warm air heated by the heater 30 is supplied into the drying chamber 4, and the clothes accommodated in the drying chamber 4 are heated by the warm air. Will be dried. The air containing the moisture evaporated from the clothes exits from the drying chamber 4 to the front chamber 13 and exchanges heat with the outside air sucked into the rear chamber 14 via the fan 11 and is cooled at that time. As a result, moisture is condensed and dehumidification is performed. Condensation water is
The air passes through the duct 28 and is discharged from the drain port 38 to the outside of the machine.
The dehumidified air is heated again by the heater 30 and supplied into the drying chamber 4. In this way, the clothes are dried.

When the clothes to be dried are stored in the drying chamber 4 and the door 3 is closed, the "heat pump drying" course is selected by the course switch 44, and the start / pause switch 42 is turned on. In this case, a “heat pump drying” course of the drying operation is performed. In the “heat pump drying” course, the motor 20 is energized to rotate the drum 5 and the fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 is rotated.
Is rotated, and the heat pump 31 is driven.
The heater 30 is not energized.

In this case, too, the fan 11 rotates and the blowing action of the front wing portion 11a causes the arrow A in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the air in the drying chamber 4 circulates through the front chamber 13 and the duct 28, and the air outside the machine is taken out of the outside air by the blowing action of the rear wing 11b, as shown by the arrow B in FIG. Rear chamber 1 in fan casing 10 through inlet 18
After being sucked into the air outlet 4, the air is discharged from the outside air return port 19 to the outside of the machine.

When the heat pump 31 is driven, the air around the cooling unit 33 is cooled by the cooling unit 33, and the moisture contained in the air is condensed to perform dehumidification. Further, the air dehumidified in the cooling unit 33 is heated in the heat radiating unit 34, and the heated air is supplied into the drying chamber 4 from the warm air outlet 29, and the clothes in the drying chamber 4 are dried by the air. You. In the course in this case, the drying time is longer than when the heater 30 is used, but the power consumption can be reduced.

When the clothes to be dried are stored in the drying chamber 4 and the door 3 is closed, the "heater + heat pump drying" course is selected by the course switch 44, and the start / pause switch 42 is turned on. In this case, the “heater + heat pump drying” course of the drying operation is executed. In this "Heater + heat pump drying" course,
While the motor 20 is energized and the drum 5 is rotated,
The fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 is rotated, and the heater 3
0 is energized, and the heat pump 31 is also energized.

In this case, the moisture that could not be removed in the heat exchanger 26 is removed from the cooling unit 33 of the heat pump 31.
Will also be removed. For this reason, the heater 30
And the heat exchanger 26, the dehumidifying performance can be improved as compared with the "standard" course, and accordingly, the amount of moisture discharged outside the apparatus can be reduced and the drying time can be shortened.

On the other hand, when dehumidifying the air in the room where the dryer is installed, the "dehumidification" course is selected by the course switch 44 with the door 3 opened, and the start / pause switch 42 is turned on. By doing so, a “dehumidification” course for dehumidifying the outside air is executed. In the "dehumidification" course, the motor 20 is energized to rotate the drum 5, the fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 is rotated, and the heat pump 31 is energized.

In this case, based on the rotation of the fan 11, the air outside the machine is blown by the blowing action of the front wing portion 11 a.
After being sucked into the drying chamber 4 from the clothes entrance 2 as shown by the dashed arrow C in FIG. 1, it is returned into the drying chamber 4 through the front chamber 13 and the duct 28 as shown by the arrow A, and Thereafter, as shown by a dashed arrow D, the clothes are discharged out of the machine through the clothes entrance 2. At this time, the air passing through the duct 28 is
When passing through the cooling unit 33, it is cooled by the cooling unit 33,
The moisture contained in the air is dewed and dehumidified. The air dehumidified in the cooling unit 33 is heated in the heat radiating unit 34, and then discharged from the clothes entrance 2 to the outside as described above. In this way, the outside air (outside air)
Can be dehumidified.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. First, in addition to the heater 30 and the heat exchanger 26 constituting the main dehumidifying means, a "heater + heat pump drying" course using the heat pump 31 constituting the auxiliary dehumidifying means is performed, so that only the heater 30 and the heat exchanger 26 are provided. As a result, the dehumidifying performance can be improved as compared with the case where the drying operation is performed, and the amount of moisture released to the outside can be reduced.

In this case, a course using the heater 30 and the heat exchanger 26 (“standard”, “careful”, “blanket” course)
The course switch 44 switches between a course using the heat exchanger 26 and the heat pump 31 (“heat pump drying” course) and a course using the heater 30, the heat exchanger 26 and the heat pump 31 (“heater + heat pump drying” course). Therefore, each course can be used properly according to the purpose or the like. Door 3
When the "dehumidification" course in which the air is opened is selected, it is possible to dehumidify the air in the room in which the clothes dryer is installed (for example, a dressing room).

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the following points. That is, an opening 51 is formed in the center of the door 3 that opens and closes the clothes entrance 2, and an auxiliary door 52 that opens and closes the opening 51 is provided. Door 3
In FIG. 6, the left end is pivotally supported by a hinge (not shown), and the auxiliary door 52 is also pivotally supported by the hinge (not shown) at the left end in FIG. In this embodiment, when performing a “dehumidification” course for dehumidifying outside air,
With the door 3 closed, the auxiliary door 52 is opened to perform the operation.

According to the second embodiment, the auxiliary door 5
Since 2 is smaller than the main door 3, there is an advantage that when only the auxiliary door 52 is opened, the size of the protrusion forward can be made smaller than when the door 3 is opened.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the following points. That is, in the door 3, the auxiliary door 52
Thus, a portion of the opening 51 that is opened is provided with a breathable screen 53 made of a net. According to this, even when the auxiliary door 52 is opened, insertion of a hand or the like from the opening 51 can be prevented.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment differs from the second and third embodiments in the following points. That is, the auxiliary door 54 is formed in a shutter shape by connecting a number of strip-shaped plate portions 55 in the lateral direction, and is provided on the door 3 and the rail portion 56 of the door cover 55 provided on the back side of the door 3. It is provided so as to be slidable along the horizontal direction. Each plate part 5
The upper and lower ends of the protrusion 5 are formed as shown in FIG.
(Only the convex portion 55a at the upper end is shown in FIG. 11) is slidably supported by the rail portion 56 via a packing 57. A handle 54 a is provided at the right end of the auxiliary door 54. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the opening 51 is closed by the auxiliary door 54, and FIG. 10 shows a state in which the opening 51 is opened by sliding the auxiliary door 54. According to this, even when the opening 51 is opened, the auxiliary door 54 hardly protrudes forward, so that the protruding dimension can be further reduced, so that it does not become an obstacle.

FIGS. 12 to 14 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the following points. That is, the door 60 that opens and closes the clothing entrance 2 is configured in a shutter shape, and is configured to open and close the clothing entrance 2 by sliding in the lateral direction. Upper and lower ends of the door 60 are slidably supported by rails 61, 61, and each rail 61 is supported by an outer frame 62. This outer frame 62
Are fixed to the front part of the outer box 1 by screws 63 at a plurality of locations. At the right end of the door 60, a handle 60a is provided. When the door 60 is slid in the opening direction (left direction), the left end side of the door 60 is wound and stored along the rail 61. In such a configuration, even if the door 60 is opened, the door 60 does not protrude forward, and further, no auxiliary door is required.

FIGS. 15 to 18 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The sixth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the following points. That is, in the duct 28 in the outer box 1, an exhaust port 65 communicating with the inside of the duct 28 is provided at a position located between the cooling section 33 and the heat radiating section 34 of the heat pump 31. Inner door 66 for an exhaust port which constitutes an opening / closing member for opening and closing the door
Is rotatably provided via a shaft 66a at the lower end. At the lower part on the left side of the outer box 1, an inner door 66 for the exhaust port is provided.
An opening 67 is provided in correspondence with the above, and an outer outlet door 68 for opening and closing the opening 67 is rotatably provided via a shaft 68a at a lower end portion.

The upper part on the inner surface side of the outer door 68 for the exhaust port and the upper part on the outer surface side of the inner door 66 for the exhaust port are rotatably connected by a connecting member 69. The inner mouth 66 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the inner door 66 via a connecting member 69. A hook 70 is provided on the upper portion of the outer door 68 for the exhaust port, and the hook 70 is configured to engage with an engaging hole 71 formed in the outer box 1 in a detachable manner. A packing 72 is provided at a peripheral portion of the exhaust port 65.

In the above configuration, when the “dehumidification” course for dehumidifying the air outside the machine is performed, the door 3 or the auxiliary door 52 is used.
And the exhaust port outer door 68 and the exhaust port inner door 66 are opened as shown in FIG. In this state, when the fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 is rotated,
Air outside the machine is sucked into the drying chamber 4 and then sent to the duct 28 through the front chamber 13 of the fan casing 10. The air sent to the duct 28 side is the heat pump 3
The air that has been cooled and dehumidified in the first cooling unit 33 is exhausted into the outer box 1 through the exhaust port 65 and is exhausted outside through the opening 67.

In the case of such a structure, an opening (clothing entrance 2) through which air outside the machine is sucked into the drying chamber 4;
Since the outlet (exhaust port 65) through which the dehumidified air is discharged is separate and the flow of the air to be dehumidified becomes smooth, the air outside the machine can be dehumidified more efficiently.

FIGS. 19 to 21 show a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the seventh embodiment, the configuration of the dryer is slightly different from that of the first embodiment. However, portions having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted, and different portions will be described. That is, the back plate 17 of the outer box 1
Has no external air return port, and when the fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 is rotated, the external air sucked into the rear chamber 14 of the fan casing 10 as shown by an arrow E in FIG. , Through the inside of the outer box 1 and returned to the outside of the machine from an outside air return port 75 formed at the bottom of the outer box 1.

In the duct 28, a movable duct 76 is provided at a position between the cooling section 33 and the heat radiating section 34 of the heat pump 31 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. In the first position shown in FIG. 20, the movable duct 76 communicates between the rear portion 28a and the front portion 28b of the duct 28. However, when the movable duct 76 moves to the second position shown in FIG. As a result, the rear portion 28a and the front portion 28b of the duct 28 are separated from each other, and the exhaust port 77 of the rear portion 28a of the duct 28 is opened to the outside. The exhaust port 77 is not open to the outside of the duct 28 when the movable duct 76 is located at the first position. Therefore, the movable duct 76 constitutes an opening / closing member that opens and closes the exhaust port 77. ing.

Guide portions 78, 78 for guiding the movement of the movable duct 76 are provided at the end of the rear portion 28a and the front portion 28b of the duct 28 on the movable duct 76 side, and the front end of the movable duct 76 is provided. Is provided with a wind direction plate 80 for closing the rear opening 79 of the front portion 28b of the duct 28 when the movable duct 76 is moved to the second position. The movable duct 76 is held at a first position by a return spring 81 composed of a coil spring provided between the movable duct 76 and the outer case 1, and the winding motor 82 constituting the driving means is energized. Then, it is moved to the second position via the wire 83.

In the above configuration, in the case of a drying operation for drying clothes ("standard", "heat pump drying", "heater + heat pump drying" course), the movable duct 76 is moved to the first position shown in FIG. It is located in. In this state, the air that has flowed from the front chamber 14 to the duct 28 due to the blowing action of the front wing 11 a of the fan 11 passes through the duct 28 and returns to the drying chamber 4 from the hot air outlet 29. Circulated.

On the other hand, when the "dehumidification" course for dehumidifying the air outside the machine is selected by the course switch 44, the winding motor 82 is energized and the movable duct 76 is moved to the second position shown in FIG. Be moved. Therefore, heat pump 3
The air dehumidified in the first cooling unit 33 exits the duct 28 through the exhaust port 77 as shown by the arrow F in FIG.
From the airplane.

In the seventh embodiment as well, similarly to the sixth embodiment described above, a port (clothing entrance 2) through which air outside the machine is sucked into the drying chamber 4 and a dehumidified air The outlet (exhaust port 77) from which the air is discharged is separated, and the flow of the air to be dehumidified becomes smooth, so that the air outside the apparatus can be dehumidified more efficiently. Moreover, in this case, when the "dehumidification" course is selected by the course switch 44, the movable duct 76 is automatically moved and the exhaust port 77 is opened, so that there is no need to manually open the exhaust port 77, and the usability is improved. Is good.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be modified or expanded as follows. As the main dehumidifying means, an air-cooled heat exchanger 26
Not limited to this, a water-cooled type may be used. The cooling unit 33 of the heat pump 31 is not limited to the inside of the duct 28 on the leeward side of the front wing 11 a of the fan 11, but is disposed, for example, in the front chamber 13 immediately after the air in the drying chamber 4 exits from the vent 15. You may. Further, the heat radiating section 34 may be disposed outside the circulation path, for example, in the rear chamber 14 of the fan casing 10. In the above-described embodiment, the fan 11 of the heat exchanger 26 also serves as a blower, but a fan dedicated to the blower may be provided. The motor 20 is connected to the drum 5 and the fan 11
, But a dedicated motor may be provided for each.

[0049]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. Claim 1
According to the invention, by using the auxiliary dehumidifying means including the heat pump in addition to the heater and the main dehumidifying means, the dehumidifying performance can be improved as compared with the case where the drying operation is performed only by the heater and the main dehumidifying means. Therefore, the amount of moisture released outside the apparatus can be reduced, and the amount of moisture released to the room where the dryer is installed can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as the drying operation for drying the clothes, the first drying course using the heater and the main dehumidifying means and the second drying course using the heater, the main dehumidifying means and the auxiliary dehumidifying means are used. Since the drying course can be selected, it can be conveniently selected according to the application.

According to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, it is possible to dehumidify the air outside the machine, that is, the air in the room where the clothes dryer is installed. According to the invention of claim 5, even when the auxiliary door is opened, it is possible to prevent a hand or the like from being inserted through the opening opened by the auxiliary door. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the door is slidable, so that even if the door is opened, the door does not protrude forward and can be prevented from being obstructed.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the air dehumidified by the auxiliary dehumidifying means in the outdoor air dehumidifying course is discharged to the outside of the machine through the exhaust port opened by the opening / closing member. As compared with the case where the air is exhausted from the air, the air flow becomes smoother, and the air outside the apparatus can be dehumidified more efficiently. According to the invention of claim 8, when the outside air dehumidifying course is selected, the exhaust port is automatically opened, so that the usability is good.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a clothes dryer showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view of a heat pump portion.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the same part.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an operation panel portion.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a clothes dryer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a clothes dryer according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7, showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional plan view of the auxiliary door in a closed state.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view of the auxiliary door in an open state.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged longitudinal side view of a rail portion.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a clothes dryer according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a door portion.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional plan view of the same part.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a clothes dryer according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional front view of an exhaust port portion.

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional front view in a state where an exhaust port is opened.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged front view of a connecting member.

FIG. 19 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a main part.

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a main part in a state where a movable duct is moved to a second position.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 is a clothes door, 3 is a door, 4 is a drying room, 5 is a drum,
10 is a fan casing, 11 is a fan, 13 is a front chamber (circulation path), 14 is a rear chamber, 20 is a motor, 26 is a heat exchanger (main dehumidifier), 28 is a duct (circulation path), 30 is a heater, 31 is a heat pump (auxiliary dehumidifying means), 32 is a compressor, 33 is a cooling unit, 34 is a radiator, 40 is an operation panel, 44 is a course switch, 48 is a course display unit, 51 is an opening, 52 is an auxiliary door, 53 Is a screen,
54 is an auxiliary door, 56 is a rail, 60 is a door, 61 is a rail, 65 is an exhaust port, 66 is an inner door for an exhaust port (opening / closing member), 68 is an outer door for an exhaust port, and 76 is a movable duct (open / close). Reference numeral 77 denotes an exhaust port, and 82 denotes a winding motor (drive means).

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A drying chamber for accommodating clothes, a circulation path provided to return air from the drying chamber to the drying chamber again, and a heater for heating air supplied to the drying chamber. A clothes dryer comprising: a main dehumidifier for dehumidifying air passing through the circulation path; and an auxiliary dehumidifier including a heat pump for dehumidifying air passing through the circulation path. 2. A drying operation for drying clothes includes a first drying course using a heater and a main dehumidifier, and a second drying course using a heater, a main dehumidifier and an auxiliary dehumidifier in combination. 2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein a first drying course and a second drying course are selectable. 3. A door for opening and closing a clothes entrance of a drying room, and an outside air dehumidifying course which can be operated with the door opened as an operation using the auxiliary dehumidifying means. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein 4. An outside air dehumidifying course which is provided with an auxiliary door on a door for opening and closing the clothes entrance of the drying chamber and which can be operated with the auxiliary door opened as an operation using the auxiliary dehumidifying means. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The clothes dryer according to claim 4, wherein a ventilation screen is provided at a portion opened by the auxiliary door. 6. The clothes dryer according to claim 3, wherein the door is a sliding type. 7. An exhaust port communicating with the circulation path is provided at a portion other than a door for opening and closing the clothes entrance of the drying chamber, and an opening and closing member for opening and closing the exhaust port is provided. The method is performed in a state where the exhaust port is opened by the following method.
The clothes dryer as described. 8. The clothes dryer according to claim 7, further comprising driving means for driving the opening / closing member when the outdoor air dehumidifying course is selected.