JP2006000171A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the allergen of dried clothes and to inactivate the allergen caught by a filter. <P>SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine is provided with a heating means 9 for heating air blown by a blowing means 8 and the filter 11 for catching the allergen, positioned in an air path 10. The filter 11 is provided with an inactivating material which inactivates the caught allergen and is constituted so as to catch the allergen contained in the air supplied into an inner tub 3 by the blowing means 8 and circulate the allergen to the inner tub 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine capable of washing and drying clothes and the like in the same tank.

Conventionally, if the laundry is dried outdoors during pollen scattering, a large amount of pollen adheres to the laundry, so it is considered to use a clothes dryer to remove allergens such as pollen from the dried laundry It has been proposed that the drum be struck by rotation of the drum in an enclosed space, and the allergen adhering to the clothing is removed by the unwinding effect or the blowing using a fan (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). .
JP-A-7-289794 JP 2000-167299 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, allergen substances such as mites and pollen can be removed, but the removed allergen substance remains collected in the exhaust filter, and allergen re-release may occur unless it is cleaned and replaced. there were. Further, when replacing the filter, there is a problem that the allergen separated from the filter may touch the user.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, a drying washing machine of the present invention captures an allergen provided in a heating means for heating air blown by a blowing means and an air passage upstream or downstream of the blowing means. And a filter that collects the allergen contained in the air supplied to the inner tank by the blowing means, and includes an inactivating material that inactivates the collected allergen. It is configured so as to circulate.

  As a result, the allergen adhering to the dried clothing can be collected by the filter, the allergen collected by the filter can be inactivated, and the allergen dispersed from the filter during cleaning or replacement of the filter The impact can be reduced.

  The washing / drying machine of the present invention can remove allergens contained in clothing, inactivate the collected allergens, and reduce the influence of allergens separated from the filter.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, an outer tub elastically suspended in a housing, an inner tub rotatably supported in the outer tub, a driving means for driving the inner tub, and supplying air to the inner tub Air blowing means, an air passage for deriving and dehumidifying the drying air supplied to the inner tank by the air blowing means and circulating it to the inner tank, and heating air blown by the air blowing means A heating means, and a filter for collecting allergens provided in an air passage upstream or downstream of the air blowing means, the filter comprising an inactivating material for inactivating the collected allergens, and the air blowing By means of collecting allergens contained in the air supplied into the inner tank by means and circulating to the inner tank, the air discharged from the inner tank by the blowing means is supplied to the filter and circulated. By circulating air Allergens contained collected, it is possible to reduce allergens remain on clothes, can inactivate trapped allergen, the effects of allergens discrete from the filter during cleaning and replacement of the filter can be reduced. Further, since the circulating air heated by the heating means passes through the filter, it is possible to increase the activity of the inactivating material and accelerate the inactivation reaction of the allergen.

  In the second invention, the filter can efficiently inactivate allergens by using a substance having a phenolic OH group as an inactivating material.

  In the third invention, the filter can stably inactivate the allergen substance by using polyvinylphenol as an inactivating material.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the filter has an inactive material layer formed on the surface of the breathable substrate, so that a filter having the inactive material can be easily realized and the characteristics of the formed inactive material are impaired. In addition, the collected allergen can be easily removed by suction.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a washing / drying machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a housing | casing and the outer tank 2 is suspended elastically. Reference numeral 3 denotes an inner tank which has a rotation center axis in the vertical direction and is rotatably supported in the outer tank 2 and is provided with a large number of holes (not shown) on the peripheral wall surface. Reference numeral 4 denotes a rotor blade installed on the inner bottom of the inner tank 3, and the inner tank 3 and the rotor blade 4 can be driven by the driving means 5. Reference numeral 6 denotes an inner lid that opens and closes an opening 7 provided in the upper part of the outer tub 2.

  Reference numeral 8 denotes air blowing means for supplying drying air to the inner tub 3 so that air heated by a heating means 9 such as a heater can be supplied. Denoted at 10 is an air passage through which the drying air supplied to the inner tub 3 is led out from the lower portion of the outer tub 2 and is circulated to the inner tub 3. Connected with. A part of the air passage 10 protrudes or is exposed from the housing 1 so as to be in contact with outside air.

  A filter 11 for removing allergens such as pollen provided in the air passage 10 is provided on at least one of the upstream side or the downstream side of the air blowing means 8. The filter 11 has an inactivating material that inactivates the collected allergen, and is applied to the surface of the breathable substrate to form a layer of the inactivating material. As the inactivating material, for example, a substance having a phenolic OH group, polyvinylphenol, an enzyme or the like is used.

  Next, the operation and action of the washing / drying machine of the present invention will be described. A large amount of pollen adheres when the laundry is dried outdoors and dried during the pollen season. When removing allergens such as pollen adhering to such clothes that have been air-dried, the clothes are placed in the inner tub 3 and the inner lid 6 is closed, and then the rotating blades 4 and the blowing means 8 are operated. The clothes are agitated by the forward / reverse rotation operation of the rotary blade 4, and allergens such as pollen are shaken off. Further, allergens dispersed from the clothing are sent to the outer tub 3 through a large number of holes provided in the inner tub 3 by the blast by the air blowing means 8, and reach the filter 11 through the air passage 10.

  Here, the allergen contained in the air is collected by the filter 11, and the air heated by the heating means 9 is supplied to the inner tank 3. By performing this air circulation operation for a predetermined time, allergens in the inner tub 3 are quickly collected, allergens are removed from the clothing, and allergens remaining in the clothing can be reduced. The allergen collected in the filter 11 is inactivated by the inactivating material, and the filter 11 is removed to remove the lint and allergen collected in the filter 11, and the influence of the allergen dispersed from the filter 11 at the time of replacement. Can be reduced.

  Further, since the circulating air passing through the filter 11 is heated by the heating means 9, the temperature of the inactivating material provided in the filter 11 is increased by high-temperature air, and the OH group of polyvinylphenol and the antigenic determinant Since the reaction with (not shown) is accelerated, more allergens can be inactivated, which is effective.

  Next, inactivation of allergen substances will be described. When allergen pollen is present on the surface of the filter 11, the OH group of polyvinylphenol reacts with an antigenic determinant (not shown). Substances that bind and react with each other do not react with the antibody, so that no antigen-antibody reaction occurs (this is called inactivation).

  Polyvinylphenol having a phenolic OH group was used as the allergen inactivating material applied to the filter 11, but polyphenols such as tannic acid and hydroxybenzoic acid can also be used. Polyvinylphenol is an industrially stable material that can be mass-produced with little variation between lots. Therefore, it becomes possible to inactivate allergen stably. It is also water resistant, so it is suitable for devices that use water, such as washing machines.

  Further, any form of the filter 11 can be used. However, considering the constraints on the pressure loss conditions, a base material with a low pressure loss and high collection efficiency, such as a nonwoven fabric, is desirable. Maintenance after use is also possible by suction with a vacuum cleaner or the like, which is simple. For fixing the inactivating material to the nonwoven fabric, a spray method, a dip method, a printing method or the like can be used.

  In addition to removing allergens such as pollen, it goes without saying that it can be used consistently from washing to drying as a normal washing and drying machine. , And a predetermined amount of water is supplied based on the set course, followed by washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying. At the time of drying, the rotary blade 4 is operated and the air blowing means 8 is driven to supply hot air heated by the heating means 9 to the inner tub 3 while stirring clothes. Moist air containing moisture taken from clothing in the inner tub 3 enters the air passage 10 from the lower part of the outer tub 2 and is dehumidified by being cooled. At this time, allergen in the air passage can be washed away by flowing cooling water in addition to the outside air for cooling the air passage 10.

  As described above, the washing / drying machine of the present invention can remove allergens contained in clothing, inactivate the collected allergens, and reduce the influence of discrete allergens from the filter. Since it can, it is useful as a washing dryer.

Sectional drawing of the washing-drying machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing | casing 2 Outer tank 3 Inner tank 4 Rotating blade 5 Drive means 8 Blower means 9 Heating means 10 Air path 11 Filter

Claims (4)

An outer tank elastically suspended in the housing, an inner tank rotatably supported in the outer tank, a driving means for driving the inner tank, a blowing means for supplying air to the inner tank, An air path for deriving the drying air supplied to the inner tank by the blowing means from the outer tank, dehumidifying it and circulating it to the inner tank, a heating means for heating the air blown by the blowing means, and the blowing A filter that collects allergens provided in an air path on the upstream side or downstream side of the means, and the filter includes an inactivating material that inactivates the collected allergens, and the inside of the inner tank by the blowing means. A washing and drying machine configured to collect allergens contained in the air supplied to the inner tank and circulate them to the inner tank. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter uses a substance having a phenolic OH group as an inactivating material. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter uses polyvinylphenol as an inactivating material. The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filter has a layer of an inactivating material formed on the surface of the breathable substrate.

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