JP2006068412A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clothes dryer capable of efficiently controlling a compressor according to various conditions. <P>SOLUTION: The clothes dryer comprises a cooler 42 to cool air for drying by evaporating a refrigerant to dehumidify the air, a heater 43 to heat the air for drying, a pressure reducing device 45 to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant, the compressor 44 to compress the vaporized refrigerant, a first control part 50 to control the motion of a blower 37 for blowing the air for drying and the drying sequence, a second control part 52 to control the motion of the compressor 44, and a communication means 53 to transmit information between the first control part 50 and the second control part 52 at least from one to the other. If the information on the motion of the blower means 37 or the information on the drying sequence is transmitted from the first control part 50 to the second control part 52 through the communication means 53, the operation and stopping of the compressor 44 can be efficiently controlled according to various conditions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a clothes dryer.

  Conventional clothes dryers include those using a heater as a heat source and those using a heat pump device as a heat source (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 6 shows a configuration of a conventional clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a clothes dryer main body (hereinafter referred to as “main body 1”), and 2 a rotary drum that is rotatably provided in the main body 1 and used as a drying cabinet. Is rotated. Reference numeral 5 denotes a clothing input port provided on the front surface of the main body 1, and reference numeral 6 denotes a passage through which drying air is guided by a circulation duct. 7 is a blower for sending the drying air from the rotary drum 2 to the circulation duct 6, and is driven to rotate by the motor 3 via the fan belt 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes a casing of the blower 7, which is provided on the rear surface of the rotary drum 2 and has an air inlet 10 in the center. Reference numeral 11 denotes a shaft that rotatably supports the rotary drum 2 and the blower 7.

  12 is a heat absorber that evaporates the refrigerant and cools and dehumidifies the drying air, 13 is a radiator that condenses the refrigerant and heats the drying air, 14 is a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, and 15 is a refrigerant that depressurizes the pressure of the refrigerant. In order to maintain the pressure difference, the throttle means such as a capillary tube, 16 is a pipe through which the refrigerant passes, and the heat absorber 12, the radiator 13, the compressor 14, the throttle means 15, and the pipe 16 connecting them to the heat pump device. Is configured.

  Reference numeral 17 denotes an exhaust port for discharging a part of the drying air heated by the radiator 13 to the outside of the main body 1. A drain outlet 18 is provided near the heat absorber 12 in the middle of the circulation duct 6, and discharges condensed water of drying air generated by heat exchange in the heat absorber 12. Reference numeral 19 denotes clothes to be dried.

  The temperature sensing element 20 is in close contact with the copper piping exposed on the side surface of the radiator 13 in order to measure the temperature of the refrigerant. The control means 21 controls the operation or stop of the compressor 14, and when the refrigerant temperature in the radiator 13 is below the set temperature based on the measured value of the temperature sensing element 20, the compressor 14 is operated. When the temperature exceeds the set temperature, the operation of the compressor 14 is stopped.

  By using the heat pump device, sensible heat and latent heat can be recovered from the drying air after hitting the garment 19 by the heat absorber 12 and used for the amount of heat for heating the drying air again in the radiator 13. A predetermined amount of clothes 19 can be dried with a small amount of input. An arrow A indicates the flow of drying air.

  Next, the operation will be described. First, the clothes 19 to be dried are placed in the rotating drum 2. Next, when the motor 3 is rotated, the rotating drum 2 and the blower 7 are rotated to generate a flow A of drying air. The drying air takes moisture from the clothes 19 in the rotating drum 2 and becomes humid, and then is carried by the blower 7 through the circulation duct 6 to the heat absorber 12 of the heat pump device.

The drying air deprived of heat by the low-temperature refrigerant in the heat absorber 12 is dehumidified and further transported to the radiator 13, and the amount of heat absorbed by the heat absorber 12 is added to the amount of heat from the compressor 14 to increase the temperature. It is heated by the heat radiation from the refrigerant and becomes circulated into the rotating drum 2 again. The clothing 19 is dried by repeating the above.
JP 7-178289 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, the control device 21 has only a function of controlling the compressor in accordance with the temperature of the refrigerant, and there is a problem that control based on conditions other than the drying sequence and the refrigerant temperature cannot be performed.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a clothes dryer capable of efficiently drying clothes by controlling the compressor efficiently according to various conditions. .

  In order to solve the conventional problems, a clothes dryer of the present invention includes a cooler that evaporates a refrigerant to cool and dehumidify drying air, a heater that heats the drying air, A pressure reducing device that reduces the pressure, a compressor that compresses the vaporized refrigerant, a blower that blows the drying air, a first controller that controls an operation and a drying sequence of the blower, and the compression A second control unit that controls the operation of the machine, and a communication unit that transmits information from at least one to the other between the first control unit and the second control unit. For example, using a communication unit If the operation information of the blowing means and the information of the drying sequence are transmitted from the first control unit to the second control unit, the operation and stop of the compressor can be controlled efficiently according to various conditions. Can provide clothes dryer That.

  The clothes dryer of the present invention can efficiently dry clothes by controlling the compressor efficiently according to various conditions.

  A first invention is a cooler that evaporates a refrigerant to cool and dehumidify drying air, a heater that heats the drying air, a decompression device that lowers the pressure of the refrigerant, and the vaporized refrigerant A compressor that compresses the air, a blower that blows the drying air, a first controller that controls the operation of the blower and a drying sequence, and a second controller that controls the operation of the compressor And a communication unit that transmits information from at least one to the other between the first control unit and the second control unit. For example, using the communication unit, the operation information of the blowing unit and the information of the drying sequence are provided. If it transmits to the 2nd control part from 1 control part, the clothes dryer which can control a driving | operation and a stop of a compressor efficiently according to various conditions can be provided.

  In the second aspect of the invention, in particular, the second controller of the first aspect of the invention changes the ability of the compressor to compress the refrigerant, and the operation information and drying sequence of the blower means using the communication means. This information is transmitted from the first control unit to the second control unit, and the ability to efficiently compress the refrigerant of the compressor is changed according to various conditions, so that the clothes can be efficiently dried. it can.

  In the third invention, in particular, an information detection means for detecting information necessary for controlling the operation of the compressor by the second control unit is connected to the first control unit of the first or second invention. The refrigerant temperature information or the like necessary for controlling the operation of the compressor in the second control unit is acquired by the information detection unit, and the communication unit transmits the information to the second control unit from the first control unit. It becomes possible, and installation and wiring of information detection means, such as a refrigerant temperature detection means, can be performed efficiently.

  In the fourth invention, in particular, an information detection means for detecting information necessary for controlling the drying sequence by the first control unit is connected to the second control unit of any one of the first to third inventions. Thus, temperature information and the like necessary for controlling the operation of the air blowing means and the drying sequence in the first control unit are acquired by the information detecting means connected to the second control unit, and the first information is obtained by the communication means. It is possible to communicate with the control unit, and it is possible to realize a clothes dryer capable of efficiently installing information wiring means for temperature detection and wiring.

  In particular, the fifth aspect of the present invention includes a transmission / reception unit for wirelessly exchanging information with the first and second control units of any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention. These control units can be installed without considering each other's position, and the components can be installed efficiently.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is a clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a rotating drum and a washing function for washing clothes put in the rotating drum. Since the clothes that have been finished can be automatically and efficiently dried, a clothes dryer that is very easy to use can be provided.

  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 side sectional view of a clothes dryer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a rotating drum 32 having a horizontal rotation axis and rotatably provided in a clothes dryer main body 31 (hereinafter referred to as “main body 31”) is used as a drying cabinet, and a drum belt 34 is driven by a motor 33. It is rotationally driven through. The clothing input port 35 is provided on the front surface of the main body 31, and the circulation duct 36 is a passage that guides drying air. The blower 37 is a blowing means for sending the drying air from the rotary drum 32 to the circulation duct 36, and is rotationally driven by the motor 33 via the fan belt 38. The casing 39 contains the blower 37 and is provided on the rear surface of the rotary drum 32, and has an air inlet 40 at the center. The support shaft 41 is a shaft that rotatably supports the rotary drum 32 and the blower 37.

  The cooler 42 evaporates the refrigerant and cools and dehumidifies the drying air, and the heater 43 condenses the refrigerant and heats the drying air. The compressor 44 compresses the refrigerant, and the pressure reducing device 45 is a capillary tube or the like for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant and maintaining the pressure difference of the refrigerant. The piping 46 is a circulation path through which the refrigerant passes, and the cooler 42, the heater 43, the compressor 44, the decompression device 45, and the piping 46 connecting them constitute a heat pump device.

  Part of the drying air heated by the heater 43 is discharged out of the main body 31 through the exhaust port 47. The drain port 48 is provided in the vicinity of the cooler 42 in the middle of the circulation duct 36, and discharges condensed water of drying air generated by heat exchange in the cooler 42. The clothes 49 to be dried are put into the rotary drum 32 through the clothes insertion port 35.

  The operations of the blower 37 and the rotary drum 32 are controlled by the first control unit 50 based on a predetermined drying sequence.

  The temperature sensing element 51 is in close contact with the copper piping exposed on the side surface of the heater 43 in order to measure the temperature of the refrigerant. The second control unit 52 controls the operation of the compressor 44. When the refrigerant temperature in the heater 43 is equal to or lower than the set temperature based on the measured value of the temperature sensing element 51, the operation of the compressor 44 is performed. If the temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature, the compressor 44 is stopped.

  The 1st control part 50 and the 2nd control part 52 are connected by the communication means 53 comprised by the lead wire, and mutually communicate.

  As described above, by using the heat pump device including the cooler 42, the heater 43, the compressor 44, the decompression device 45, and the pipe 46, the sensible heat and latent heat are cooled from the drying air after hitting the clothing 49. Since it can collect | recover in 42 and can utilize for the calorie | heat amount for heating drying air again in the heater 43, the predetermined amount of clothing 49 can be dried with less input. Note that arrow B indicates the flow of drying air.

  Next, the operation will be described. First, the clothes 49 to be dried are placed in the rotating drum 32. Next, when the motor 33 is rotated by the first control unit 50, the rotating drum 32 and the blower 37 are rotated to generate a flow B of drying air. The drying air takes moisture from the clothes 49 in the rotating drum 32 and becomes humid, and then is carried by the blower 37 through the circulation duct 36 to the cooler 42 of the heat pump device.

  When the drying sequence is started by the first control unit 50, the information is transmitted to the second control unit 52 via the communication unit 53, and the second control unit 52 starts the operation of the compressor 44. The drying air deprived of heat by the low-temperature refrigerant in the cooler 42 is dehumidified and further transported to the heater 43, and the amount of heat absorbed by the cooler 42 is added to the amount of heat from the compressor 44 to increase the temperature. It is heated by the heat released from the refrigerant and is circulated again into the rotating drum 32. By repeating the above, the clothes 49 are dried. The clothes drying process has been described above.

  Here, when the compressor 44 must be stopped while the operation of the blower 37 and the rotary drum 32 is continued, for example, in a sequence such as a cool-down in which the temperature of the garment 49 is decreased immediately before the end of drying, the first control is performed. The fact that the compressor 44 is stopped is transmitted from the unit 50 to the second control unit 52 via the communication means 53, the compressor 44 is stopped, and the operation of the blower 37 and the rotary drum 32 is continued. In addition, when the operation of the entire clothes dryer must be stopped urgently, for example, when the first control unit 50 detects that the blower 37 has stopped operating, the second control is performed via the communication unit 53. By transmitting to the section that the compressor 44 is to be stopped, it is possible to stop the compressor 44 safely without waiting for the temperature sensing element 51 to detect an increase in the temperature of the refrigerant.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when it is desired to stop only the compressor 44 by the drying sequence or when the operation of the entire clothes dryer has to be stopped urgently, the first means via the communication means 53 is used. Since it is possible to stop the compressor 44 at a desired timing by transmitting the fact that the compressor 44 is stopped from the control unit 50 to the second control unit 52, the compressor can be efficiently operated according to various conditions. A clothes dryer capable of controlling operation and stoppage can be provided.

  In this embodiment, the rotary drum 32 is supported in the horizontal direction by the support shaft 41, but may be supported in the vertical direction or with a predetermined inclination.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a clothes dryer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Note that the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a compressor compression capacity variable means 54 for changing the compression capacity of the compressor 44 by an inverter circuit or the like is provided in the second controller 52.

  When a plurality of drying sequences are prepared and can be arbitrarily selected by the user, for example, in a sequence for drying clothes in a short time, the output of the blower 37 is increased to increase the circulation speed of the drying air, and at the same time the compressor It is necessary to increase the compression capacity of 44. Further, in the sequence of drying at a low temperature so as not to damage the clothes, the compression capacity of the compressor 44 may be lowered. In such a case, the compression capacity of the compressor 44 can be changed by the compressor compression capacity variable means 54.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the compression capacity of the compressor 44 can be changed by the compressor compression capacity variable means 54, the refrigerant of the compressor 44 is efficiently compressed according to various drying conditions. A clothes dryer capable of controlling the capacity can be provided.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a clothes dryer according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a refrigerant temperature detection means 55 is connected to the first control unit 50 as information detection means that plays the same role as the temperature sensing element 51 that detects the temperature of the refrigerant. .

  When components are arranged in the main body 31, the place where the components can be arranged may be limited depending on the shape and size of each component. When the first control unit 50 is installed in the vicinity of the heater 33 and the second control unit 52 is installed at a location farther than that, the temperature information detected by the refrigerant temperature detection means 55 is the first information. The wiring can be shortened by obtaining the data by the control unit 50 and transmitting the data to the second control unit 52 by the communication means 53.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the refrigerant temperature detection unit 55 is connected to the first control unit 50, and the temperature information acquired by the first control unit 50 is transmitted to the second control unit 53 via the communication unit 53. By transmitting to the control unit 52, temperature information necessary for controlling the operation of the compressor 44 in the second control unit 52 is acquired by the first control unit 50, and the second control unit 52 is acquired by the communication means 53. It is possible to provide a clothes dryer capable of efficiently installing and wiring parts.

  In the present embodiment, the refrigerant temperature detection means 55 is connected as information acquisition means connected to the first control unit 50. However, if the information is necessary for the operation of the compressor in the second control unit, other parts are used. The same effect can be obtained by connecting information acquisition means for acquiring the temperature and information other than temperature.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a clothes dryer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the atmosphere temperature detection means 56 is connected to the second controller 52 as information detection means for detecting the temperature of the atmosphere of the clothes dryer main body 31, and the detected temperature The information is used to set the drying sequence, such as changing the target cool-down temperature.

  When components are arranged in the main body 31, the place where the components can be arranged may be limited depending on the shape and size of each component. When the second control unit 52 is installed near the outside of the main body 31 and the first control unit 50 is installed inside it, the temperature information detected by the ambient temperature detection means 56 is used as the main body 31. The temperature information detected by the ambient temperature detection means 56 is obtained by the second control section 52 installed near the outside of the first and transmitted to the first control section 50 by the communication means 53. The wiring can be shortened as compared with the case of direct transmission to the control unit 50.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the temperature information acquired by the atmospheric temperature detection unit 56 connected to the second control unit 52 is transmitted from the second control unit 52 through the communication unit 53 to the first information. By transmitting to the control unit 50, the temperature information necessary for controlling the drying sequence in the first control unit 50 is acquired by the second control unit 52 and communicated to the first control unit 50 by the communication means. Therefore, it is possible to provide a clothes dryer capable of efficiently installing and wiring parts.

  In the present embodiment, the information acquisition means connected to the second control unit 52 is the atmospheric temperature detection means. However, if the information is necessary for controlling the drying sequence in the first control unit 50, the other part The same effect can be obtained by connecting information acquisition means for acquiring the temperature and information other than temperature.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a clothes dryer according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the present embodiment is connected to the first control unit 50 and the second control unit 52, respectively, and can perform wireless communication with each other. The transmitter / receiver 58 is provided so that the first control unit 50 and the second control unit 52 can be installed without considering each other's position. A clothes dryer that can be utilized can be provided.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the clothes dryer having only the clothes drying function has been described. However, the clothes dryer having the washing function so that the clothes can be washed in the rotary drum 32, that is, washing If the clothes washing and drying machine performs drying in the same tank, it can be automatically and efficiently performed from washing to drying, and is very convenient to use.

  As mentioned above, since the clothes dryer concerning this invention can control a compressor efficiently according to various conditions and can dry clothes efficiently, the washing which performs washing and drying in the same tank It can also be applied to uses such as dryers.

Side sectional view of clothes dryer in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Side sectional view of the clothes dryer in Embodiment 2 of the present invention Block diagram of clothes dryer in Embodiment 3 of the present invention Block diagram of a clothes dryer in Embodiment 4 of the present invention Side sectional view of clothes dryer in Embodiment 5 of the present invention Side view of a conventional clothes dryer

Explanation of symbols

37 Blower (Blower means)
42 Cooler 43 Heater 44 Compressor 45 Depressurizer 50 First Control Unit 52 Second Control Unit 53 Communication Means

Claims (6)

A cooler that evaporates the refrigerant to cool and dehumidify the drying air, a heater that heats the drying air, a decompressor that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, and a compressor that compresses the vaporized refrigerant; , A blower for blowing the drying air, a first controller for controlling the operation of the blower and a drying sequence, a second controller for controlling the operation of the compressor, and the first control A clothes dryer comprising communication means for transmitting information from at least one to the other between the unit and the second control unit. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the second controller changes the ability of the compressor to compress the refrigerant. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein information detection means for detecting information necessary for controlling the operation of the compressor by the second control unit is connected to the first control unit. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein information detection means for detecting information necessary for controlling a drying sequence by the first control unit is connected to the second control unit. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a transmission / reception unit for wirelessly exchanging information with the first and second control units. The clothes dryer of any one of Claims 1-5 provided with the washing function which wash | cleans the rotating drum and the clothing thrown into the rotating drum.

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