JP2006087484A - Washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit the upsizing of a structure of drying laundry by using a heat pump as much as possible. <P>SOLUTION: The subject washing/drying machine 1 comprises a rectangular box-shaped washing machine body 2 and a machine house 3 disposed under the washing machine body 2. A water tub 4 is disposed inside the washing machine body 2 via a suspension 5, and a rotary tub 6 is disposed inside the water tub 4. A rectangular tube-shaped air passage 8 is disposed in the machine house 3; an evaporator 9, a compressor 10, a condenser 11 and a blower fan 12a are disposed in order from the left inside the air passage 8. The air passage 8 and the water tub 4 are connected by an air supply duct 15 and an exhaust duct 16. The rotational frequency of the compressor 10 varies according to the frequency of a driving power supply fed by an inverter power supply. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine provided with a heat pump type drying apparatus.

A heat pump is a system that uses the heat flow from the low temperature side to the high temperature side of the refrigeration cycle to heat, and is more efficient than conventional systems that obtain thermal energy by burning fossil fuels such as petroleum. It is said that there is little load on. In view of this, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-265879, a laundry dryer that dries laundry in a laundry tub by supplying heated air into the laundry tub using a heat pump is considered.
JP 2003-265879 A

  However, when air is heated using a heater, the air temperature can be about 140 to 150 ° C., whereas the air temperature when using a heat pump is only about 60 ° C. at most. Therefore, in order to secure sufficient drying performance, the compressor and heat exchanger (condenser and evaporator) constituting the heat pump are increased in size to increase the heat exchange capacity, and the air heated by the heat pump is washed. It is necessary to increase the size of the blower that blows air into the tank and increase the amount of blown air.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, The objective is to provide the washing-drying machine which can suppress size increase as much as possible in the structure which dries laundry using a heat pump.

  The laundry dryer of the present invention has an outer box, a washing tub arranged in the outer box, a suction port and a discharge port provided in the laundry tub, and both ends connected to the suction port and the discharge port, respectively. A circulating air passage, and a blower provided in the circulation air passage for sucking air in the washing tub from the suction port into the circulation air passage and then returning the air from the discharge port into the washing tub. , An evaporator disposed in the circulation air passage, a condenser disposed in the circulation air passage closer to the discharge port than the evaporator, and a compressor constituting a heat pump together with the evaporator and the condenser And a decompression means.

In this case, the compressor driving means for driving the compressor may be configured such that the rotation speed of the compressor can be changed, or the refrigerant pressure drop amount by the decompression means can be changed. Moreover, it is also a good structure to arrange the compressor between the evaporator and the condenser in the circulation air passage.
According to the above configuration, when the compressor is driven, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser and exchanges heat with the air in the circulation air passage. As a result, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered and liquefied, and when passing through the decompression means, the refrigerant is decompressed and flows into the evaporator in a low temperature and low pressure gas-liquid mixed state. Then, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the air in the circulation air passage by the evaporator, and the refrigerant rises in temperature and returns to the compressor. On the other hand, the humid air in the washing tub that has flowed into the circulation air passage by the blowing action of the blower is dehumidified by exchanging heat with the evaporator. And it heats by exchanging heat with a condenser, and is returned in a washing tub. Thereby, the laundry is dried in the washing tub.

  According to the present invention, in the configuration in which the air in the washing tub is dehumidified using the heat pump and the laundry is dried by heating the dehumidified air and returning it to the washing tub, the rotational speed of the compressor is changed. Since it was comprised, it can adjust to the refrigerant | coolant flow volume according to the amount of laundry, and can aim at the improvement of drying efficiency. Further, by configuring the pressure reduction amount of the refrigerant by the decompression means to be changeable, the temperature rise of the condenser at the early stage of driving of the compressor can be accelerated, and the dehumidification performance can be improved accordingly. Further, by arranging the compressor in the circulation air passage together with the condenser and the evaporator, heat exchange is performed between the air flowing through the circulation air passage and the compressor, so that the temperature rise of the compressor is suppressed and the evaporator It is possible to increase the temperature of the air that passes through the condenser and toward the condenser, and accordingly, the temperature of the air that is returned to the washing tub can be increased. And by improving the drying efficiency, improving the dehumidifying performance, and increasing the temperature of the return air into the washing tub, the desired dehumidifying performance can be secured even if the cylinder-related volume of the compressor is reduced. Minute, heat pump, and thus the size of the washing / drying machine can be reduced.

The laundry dryer of the present invention supplies air heated using a heat pump into the washing tub and cools and dehumidifies the hot and humid air discharged from the washing tub. The laundry in the washing tub is dehumidified and dried by returning to the state. At this time, the dehumidifying performance is improved by appropriately adjusting the air circulation amount in the washing tub, the refrigerant circulation amount in the heat pump, and the like, thereby miniaturizing the heat pump, particularly the compressor. . Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. First, with reference to FIG.1 and FIG.2, the structure of the washing-drying machine which concerns on a present Example is demonstrated. That is, the washing / drying machine 1 has a substantially rectangular box-shaped washing machine body 2 and a machine room 3 provided at the lower part of the washing machine body 2. A water tank 4 is disposed in the washing machine body 2 via a suspension 5, and a rotating tank 6 is disposed in the water tank 4. A number of holes (not shown) that function as ventilation holes and water passage holes are formed in the rotating tub 4. A laundry input port 7 is provided in front of the water tank 4 and the rotating tank 6. The washing tub of the present invention is constituted by the water tub 4 and the rotating tub 6.

  A rectangular cylindrical air passage 8 is disposed in the machine room 3, and an evaporator 9, a compressor 10, and a condenser 11 are disposed in that order from the left. Further, a drain port 8 a is formed in the lower part of the evaporator 9 in the air passage 8. Further, a blower fan 12 a of the blower 12 is disposed in the right portion of the condenser 11 in the air passage 8. The blower 12 includes the blower fan 12a and the fan motor 12b (see FIG. 3). On the other hand, a discharge port 13 is provided in the upper part of the front surface of the water tank 4 and a suction port 14 is provided in the lower part of the rear surface part. The right end portion of the air passage 8 and the discharge port 13 are connected by an air supply duct 15, and the left end portion of the air passage 8 and the suction port 14 are connected by an exhaust duct 16. The air passage 8, the air supply duct 15, and the exhaust duct 16 constitute a circulation air passage.

As shown in FIG. 3, the evaporator 9, the compressor 10, and the condenser 11 constitute a heat pump (refrigeration cycle) together with a capillary tube 17 that is a decompression unit. The evaporator 9, the compressor 10, the condenser 11, and the capillary tube 17 are connected via a refrigerant circulation pipe 18 so that the refrigerant circulates.
The compressor 10 includes a compression mechanism section and a motor section (both not shown), and the motor section is supplied with driving power having a set frequency by an inverter power source 19 (corresponding to compressor driving means). It has become so. As a result, the motor unit rotates at a rotation speed corresponding to the supplied frequency.

Although not shown, the washing / drying machine 1 includes a motor that rotationally drives the rotary tub 6, a water supply device that supplies water into the water tub 4, a drain valve that discharges water in the water tub 4, and the like.
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, a schematic operation of the washing / drying machine 1 will be described. When an operation panel (not shown) is operated to set an operation course and start of operation is instructed, the washing / drying machine 1 performs a washing operation, a drying operation, or a washing operation and a drying operation according to the set operation course. The subsequent washing / drying operation is executed. For example, when the execution of the washing and drying operation is started, the washing process, the dehydrating process, and the drying process are executed in order.

In the washing process, after supplying water into the water tank 4, an operation of rotating the rotary tank 6 at a low speed is performed. In the dehydration step, after the water in the water tank 4 is discharged, an operation of rotating the rotary tank 6 at a high speed is performed. In the drying process, while rotating the rotating tub 6 at a low speed, an operation of supplying warm air into the rotating tub 6 to dry the laundry is performed.
The laundry drying operation is performed as follows. That is, the drive of the blower 11 is started, and the air in the water tank 4 flows into the air passage 8 from the suction port 14 through the exhaust duct 16 and then returns to the water tank 4 from the discharge port 13 through the air supply duct 15. It is.

  On the other hand, the drive of the compressor 10 which comprises a heat pump is started. As a result, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser 11 and exchanges heat with the air in the air passage 8. As a result, the temperature of the refrigerant decreases and is liquefied, passes through the capillary tube 17 and then flows into the evaporator 9. When passing through the capillary tube 17, the refrigerant is depressurized to be in a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid mixed state. The air heated by exchanging heat with the condenser 11 flows into the water tank 4 through the air supply duct 15.

The refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 9 exchanges heat with the air in the air passage 8. As a result, the moist air flowing into the air passage 8 through the exhaust duct is cooled, and moisture in the air is condensed on the surface of the evaporator 9. The water condensed on the surface of the evaporator 9 is discharged from the drain port 8a. The refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 9 rises in temperature and returns to the compressor 10.
As described above, the air circulates between the air passage 8 and the rotating tub 6 to dry the laundry in the rotating tub 6.

  Here, the dehumidifying performance (drying performance) of the heat pump will be described. FIG. 4 schematically shows the relationship between the rotational speed of the compressor 10, the drying heat efficiency (dehumidification heat amount / total input), and the drying time. The horizontal axis represents the rotational speed (frequency) of the compressor 10, and the vertical axis represents the drying. Thermal efficiency and drying time are shown. Curves A1 and A2 indicate energy efficiency and drying time when the amount of laundry is 3 kg, and curves B1 and B2 indicate energy efficiency and drying time when the amount of laundry is 6 kg.

As indicated by curves A1 and B1 in FIG. 4, the rotational speed and the drying thermal efficiency are proportional, and the lower the rotational speed, the greater the drying thermal efficiency. On the other hand, as shown by the curves A2 and B2, the drying time and the rotation speed are not proportional, and the drying time is the shortest when the rotation speed is in the specific range (the specific range of the rotation speed is indicated by an arrow A3 in FIG. 4). B3). The specific range varies depending on the load (the amount of laundry).
Therefore, in order to shorten the drying time, it is necessary to drive the compressor 10 at an appropriate number of rotations according to the amount of laundry. In other words, the drying efficiency can be improved by supplying the compressor 10 with power having an appropriate frequency according to the amount of laundry.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a power source having a frequency corresponding to the amount of laundry in the rotary tub 6 is configured to be supplied to the compressor 10 by the inverter power source 19. The amount of laundry in the rotating tub 6 is detected based on, for example, the number of rotations of the driving motor when it is driven by supplying a predetermined input current to the driving motor of the rotating tub 6, and the detecting operation is the start of the washing and drying operation. Sometimes done.

According to the said structure, there exists the following effect.
Since the compressor 10 is driven at the number of rotations (frequency) corresponding to the amount of laundry, it is possible to improve the drying efficiency and shorten the drying time.
Further, since the compressor 10 is driven so that the dehumidifying performance corresponding to the amount of laundry is obtained, the dehumidifying load is small, so that the liquid refrigerant is left in the evaporator 9, and the remaining liquid refrigerant is wasted to the outside air. There is nothing. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a liquid reservoir for storing excess liquid refrigerant in the front portion of the compressor 10 in the heat pump, and the compressor 10 can be downsized accordingly.

By the way, if the rotation speed (frequency) of the compressor is doubled without changing the cylinder capacity, the compression capacity of the compressor is doubled. In other words, if the rotation speed of the compressor is doubled, the compression capacity of the compressor 10 does not change even if the cylinder capacity is halved.
In the washing and drying machine, it is necessary to set the capacity of the compressor based on the maximum amount of laundry that can be accommodated in the rotating tub. Therefore, if the rotation speed of the compressor is constant, it is necessary to use a compressor having a cylinder with a capacity corresponding to the maximum amount of laundry. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the rotation speed of the compressor 10 can be changed, even if the cylinder capacity is reduced, the compression capacity corresponding to the maximum amount of laundry can be obtained by increasing the rotation speed. . For this reason, size reduction of the compressor 10 can be achieved.

Incidentally, the ratio of the volume of the cylinder part (compression mechanism part) to the whole compressor is about 20%. Therefore, if the speed of the compressor is changed twice, the volume of the entire compressor can be reduced by about 10%. For example, in the case of a compressor having a height dimension of 240 mm and a weight of 10 kg, it can be reduced by about 24 mm and lighter by 1 kg.
When viewed from the whole washing machine having a height of about 850 to 1000 mm, reducing the height of the compressor by about 24 mm is only about 3% reduction in size. However, if the height of the washing machine increases as much as possible, it may become difficult or impossible to connect the water faucet installed at the place where the washing machine is installed to the water supply outlet of the washing machine. Even if the size is reduced to about 3%, the effect is sufficient.

(Second embodiment)
5 to 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and different points from the first embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the heat pump is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a refrigerant circulation pipe 22 having another capillary tube 21 is connected to both ends of the capillary tube 17 in the refrigerant circulation pipe 18. The capillary tube 21 has a larger inner diameter than the capillary tube 17 by about 0.05 mm, and is configured to reduce the pressure drop amount of the refrigerant that has passed through. An electromagnetic three-way valve 23 is provided at a branch portion of the refrigerant flow pipes 18 and 22. The three-way valve 23 causes the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 11 to flow into the evaporator 9 through the capillary tube 17 and flows into the evaporator 9 through the capillary tube 21 (indicated by an arrow R1 in FIG. 5). The route is switched to one of the second routes (indicated by an arrow R2 in FIG. 5). The switching timing of the three-way valve 23 is set in advance. In this embodiment, the capillary tubes 17 and 21 and the electromagnetic three-way valve 23 constitute pressure reducing means.

The evaporator 9 is provided with a temperature sensor 24 for detecting the temperature of the evaporator 9. Further, the compressor 10 is supplied with a drive power having a commercial frequency from a commercial power supply 25. Therefore, in this embodiment, the motor unit of the compressor 10 is driven at a constant rotational speed.
Here, the temperature change of each part in a drying process is demonstrated. FIG. 6 shows the temperature change of each part in the drying process when the refrigerant is circulated in the first path, the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time (minutes) from the start of the drying process, and the vertical axis shows the temperature (° C.). ing. Curves T <b> 1 to T <b> 6 represent the air temperature at the inlet of the evaporator 9 in the air passage 8, the air temperature at the outlet of the evaporator 9 (the inlet of the condenser 11), the air temperature at the outlet 13, The temperature, the temperature of the evaporator 9 and the room temperature are shown. A curve T5 ′ represents the temperature (estimated value) of the evaporator 9 when the refrigerant is circulated through the second path.

As shown in FIG. 6, the temperature of each part is the same as the room temperature at the start of the drying process, and the temperature of each part excluding the evaporator 9 increases with time. On the other hand, the temperature of the evaporator 9 greatly increases and then increases. And the operating state of a heat pump reaches a stable state when 30 to 40 minutes have elapsed since the start of the drying step.
This is considered to be mainly caused by a decrease in the cooling performance of the heat pump at the time of startup. That is, when the heat pump is activated, the refrigerant density decreases because there are many gas components contained in the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that reaches the inlet of the capillary tube 17. For this reason, the amount of restriction of the capillary tube 17 increases, and the temperature of the evaporator 9 decreases. As a result, the refrigerant circulation rate tends to decrease, the increase in the condenser temperature is delayed, and the drying capacity (dehumidification capacity) decreases.

  FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the inner diameter dimension (mm) of the capillary tube, the pressure loss (kPa), and the outlet pressure (kPa) of the capillary tube. FIG. 7 shows the pressure under the condition that the refrigerant pressure (1220 kPa), the refrigerant density (1150 kg / m 3), the refrigerant flow rate (12 kg / h), and the length (1 m) of the capillary tube are constant at the inlet of the capillary tube. It is an experimental result of loss P0 and outlet part pressure P1. As is clear from FIG. 7, when the inner diameter of the capillary tube is increased, the pressure loss is reduced, and the outlet pressure of the capillary tube is increased accordingly. For this reason, the temperature of the evaporator 9 rises and the temperature of the condenser 11 rises accordingly. Therefore, if the inner diameter dimension of the capillary tube through which the refrigerant passes at the start of the drying process is made larger than usual to reduce the pressure drop, the drying capacity can be increased.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the drying process is performed as follows. That is, at the initial stage of the drying process, the electromagnetic three-way valve 23 is switched to a state in which the refrigerant passes through the second path. For this reason, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 and passing through the condenser 11 passes through the capillary tube 21 and then goes to the evaporator 9. At this time, since the amount of pressure drop in the capillary tube 21 is smaller than usual, the pressure reaches the evaporator 9 with a relatively large amount of refrigerant liquid.

  The evaporator 9 exchanges heat with the air in the air passage 8. Thereby, the air discharged from the water tank 4 through the exhaust duct 16 is cooled, and moisture in the air is condensed on the surface of the evaporator 9. The water condensed on the surface of the evaporator 9 is discharged from the drain port 8a. The refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 9 rises in temperature and returns to the compressor 10 in a vaporized state. At this time, since the refrigerant pressure is higher than usual, the refrigerant flow rate increases. Therefore, the load of the compressor 10 increases and the temperature of the motor unit of the compressor 10 rises. For this reason, the temperature rise of the compressor 10 becomes faster than usual.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the temperature of the evaporator 9 has reached about 15 ° C. based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 24, the three-way valve 23 is switched to a state in which the refrigerant passes through the first path. “15 ° C.” corresponds to the temperature of the evaporator 9 when the operation state of the heat pump reaches a stable state.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the refrigerant is circulated through the second path until the heat pump reaches the stable state, and the refrigerant is circulated through the first path when the heat pump reaches the stable state. Therefore, the temperature of the evaporator 9 can be raised at an early stage, and the drying capacity is improved.

  According to the inventor's estimation, the drying capacity when the refrigerant is circulated in the second path during the period until the heat pump in the initial stage of the drying process reaches a stable state is the same as when the refrigerant is circulated in the first path. About 30% increase over the drying capacity. Since the ratio of the drying capacity at the initial stage of the drying process in the entire drying process is about 40%, the drying capacity of the entire drying process is increased by about 12%.

  Incidentally, if the drying capacity of the heat pump can be increased by 12%, the capacity of the compressor 10 can be maintained even if the volume of the entire compressor 10 is reduced by about 3%. Further, by reducing the volume of the compressor 10 by 3%, the overall height of the washing / drying machine can be reduced by about 1%.

(Third embodiment)
FIGS. 8 to 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention, and different points from the first embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, an evaporator 9, a condenser 11, and a blower fan 12 a are arranged in this order from the left in the air passage 8, and the rectangular cylindrical cooling arranged in the right part of the machine room 3, for example. The compressor 10 is accommodated in a duct 31 (corresponding to an outside air circulation pipe). The compressor 10 is supplied with driving power having a commercial frequency from a commercial power source 25.

  The cooling duct 31 extends long in the front-rear direction, and its front end and rear end are open. The front opening and the rear opening of the cooling duct 31 are located in the vicinity of the front surface portion and the rear surface portion of the machine room 3, respectively. An intake port 32 and an exhaust port 33 that are opposed to the front opening and the rear opening of the cooling duct 31 are formed in the front surface portion and the rear surface portion of the machine room 3. A cooling fan 34 is disposed in the cooling duct 31 in front of the compressor 10. When the fan motor 34 a of the cooling fan 34 is driven, outside air flows into the cooling duct 31 through the air inlet 32. And after circulating through the inside of the cooling duct 31, it is discharged | emitted from the exhaust port 33 outside the apparatus. The compressor 10 is cooled by the circulation of the outside air in the cooling duct 31. The cooling fan 34 and the fan motor 34a constitute a cooling blower.

In this embodiment, the condenser 11 is provided with a temperature sensor 35 for detecting the temperature of the condenser 11.
As described above, the temperature of the condenser 11 is low at the start of the drying process (see FIG. 3 of the second embodiment). For this reason, if the compressor 10 is always cooled, the temperature rise of the condenser 11 after the start of the drying process is delayed. On the other hand, if the temperature of the compressor 10 rises excessively, the compressor 10 may malfunction or fail.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the drying process is started, the cooling fan 34 is stopped until the temperature of the condenser 11 detected by the temperature sensor 35 reaches the set value T ° C., and the temperature of the condenser 11 is set. When the value T ° C is reached, the cooling fan 34 is driven. The set value T ° C. is a temperature at which it is determined that the temperature of the air supplied into the rotary tub 6 has reached a temperature sufficient to dry the laundry, and is, for example, 65 ° C.

With such a configuration, the temperature rise of the condenser 11 in the initial stage of the drying process can be accelerated, and the compressor 10 can be maintained at an appropriate temperature. Thereby, a drying capability can be improved and the volume reduction of the compressor 10 and the reduction of the height dimension of the whole washing-drying machine can be aimed at.
The operations during the drying process other than those described above are the same as those in the first embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
11 and 12 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and differences from the first embodiment will be described. In this 4th Example, the fan motor 12a of the ventilation fan 12a is comprised from a DC inverter motor, and it is comprised so that the rotation speed of the ventilation fan 12a can be changed. The compressor 10 is supplied with driving power having a commercial frequency from a commercial power source 25. Further, a temperature sensor 24 for detecting the temperature of the evaporator 9 is attached to the evaporator 9.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the amount of air circulating between the rotary tank 6 and the air passage 8, the drying heat efficiency, and the drying time. The horizontal axis in FIG. 12 represents the circulating air volume, and the vertical axis represents the drying heat efficiency (dehumidification heat amount / total input) and the drying time. In FIG. 12, curves C1 and C2 indicate drying heat efficiency and drying time when the amount of laundry is 3 kg, and curves D1 and D2 indicate drying heat efficiency and drying time when the amount of laundry is 6 kg.

The ranges indicated by arrows C3 and D3 in FIG. 12 indicate the ranges of the optimum air blowing amount in which the drying time is short and the drying heat efficiency is high when the amount of laundry is 3 kg and 6 kg, respectively. As is clear from FIG. 12, the optimum range of the air blowing amount varies depending on the amount of laundry.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotational speed of the blower fan 12a in the drying process is changed in accordance with the amount of laundry so that an optimum blown amount can be obtained. The rotational speed of the blower fan 12a corresponding to the amount of laundry is set in advance.

  Further, in this embodiment, when the difference in absolute humidity between the discharge port 13 and the suction port 14 is small and the amount of dehumidification of the laundry is small, it is configured to increase the air flow rate by increasing the rotational speed of the blower fan 12a. Yes. Specifically, it is determined that the amount of dehumidification of the laundry is small until the temperature of the evaporator 9 detected by the temperature sensor 24 reaches about 15 ° C., and the air blowing amount is increased so that the air blowing amount of the air blowing fan 12a is increased by 30%. Increase the rotational speed of the fan 12a. This increases the dehumidification amount by about 30%.

As described above, the air flowing through the air passage 8 is not wasted by adjusting the air blowing amount of the blower fan 12a according to the laundry amount, and can be effectively used to dry the laundry. it can.
Further, the amount of air blown by the blower fan 12a was increased by 30% until the temperature of the evaporator 9 reached 15 ° C. This corresponds to an increase of 30% in the circulating air volume particularly at the initial stage of the drying process. Therefore, as in the second embodiment, the drying capacity (dehumidification capacity) of the entire drying process can be increased by about 12%, the volume of the compressor 10 is reduced by 3%, and the overall height of the washing / drying machine is reduced. The size can be reduced by about 1%.

  Further, if the air blowing amount of the air blowing fan 12a is made constant, it is necessary to design the air blowing fan 12a so as to be able to cope with the maximum amount of laundry, and the air blowing fan 12a becomes large. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the configuration is such that the amount of blown air is adjusted by changing the rotation speed, the size of the blower fan 12a can be reduced.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIGS. 13 to 15 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and different points from the first embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the compressor 10 is disposed near the rear of the air passage 8, for example, and a damper 41 is provided at the front of the compressor 10 in the air passage 8. The damper 41 is opened and closed by a drive motor 42. The damper 41 and the drive motor 42 constitute switching means. Further, the compressor 10 is provided with a temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the compressor 10. Furthermore, a temperature sensor 44 that detects the air temperature at the outlet of the evaporator 9 is provided in the air passage 8 downstream of the evaporator 9.

  When the damper 41 is in the open state, most of the air that flows into the air passage 8 and reaches the vicinity of the compressor 10 passes through the space in the front of the compressor 10 having a low air resistance, as indicated by the arrow Q1. The amount of air passing through the vicinity of the compressor 10 is very small. That is, the air in the air passage 8 circulates so as to avoid the compressor 10. On the other hand, when the damper 41 is in the closed state, the air that flows into the air passage 8 and reaches the vicinity of the compressor 10 passes through the vicinity of the compressor 10 as indicated by an arrow Q2.

When the air in the air passage 8 passes in the vicinity of the compressor 10, heat exchange between the compressor 10 and the air is performed efficiently. Accordingly, the amount of heat released from the compressor 10 is increased, and the temperature rise of the compressor 10 is suppressed. On the other hand, when the air in the air passage 8 passes through the compressor 10, heat release from the compressor 10 does not proceed and the temperature of the compressor 10 rises.
Therefore, in this embodiment, when the temperature of the compressor 10 is not sufficiently increased, in the initial stage of the drying process, the damper 41 is opened to suppress heat dissipation from the compressor 10 and the temperature of the compressor 10 is sufficiently increased. The damper 41 is closed to suppress the temperature rise of the compressor 10. Specifically, the difference between the temperature of the compressor 10 and the temperature of the air near the outlet of the evaporator 9 is detected, and the damper 41 is opened until the temperature difference reaches a set value, and the temperature difference is set. When the value is reached, the damper 41 is closed. Further, when the temperature of the compressor 10 is lower than the set temperature, the amount of heat released from the compressor 10 is adjusted by gradually increasing the opening degree of the damper 41.

  According to the said structure, since the temperature rise of the compressor 10 in the initial stage of a drying process can be accelerated | stimulated, the drying capability of a heat pump can be increased. Accordingly, as in the second embodiment, the drying capacity at the start of the drying process can be increased by about 30%, and the cooling capacity of the entire drying process can be increased by about 12%. For this reason, the volume of the compressor 10 can be reduced by 3%, and the overall height dimension of the washing / drying machine 1 can be reduced by about 1%.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIGS. 16 to 18 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and different points from the first embodiment will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the entire outer periphery of the air supply duct 15 is covered with a heat insulating material 51. Further, the air supply duct 15 and the exhaust duct 16 are configured so that their cross-sectional areas are uniform throughout. Furthermore, the opening area at the inlet portion of the water tank 4 of the air supply duct 15, that is, the opening area of the discharge port 13 is approximately twice the opening area at the outlet portion of the water tank 4 of the exhaust duct 16, ie, the opening area of the suction port 14. It is configured. The cross-sectional areas of the air supply duct 15 and the exhaust duct 16 are preferably set to 2000 mm ² , for example.

  By covering the air supply duct 15 with the heat insulating material 51, the temperature of the air supplied into the rotary tub 6 can be increased. By making the cross-sectional areas of the air supply duct 15 and the exhaust duct 16 uniform throughout, the windage loss can be reduced, and a sufficient air volume can be secured. Further, by increasing the opening area of the discharge port 13, it is possible to blow warm air over a wide range against the laundry in the rotating tub 6.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the refrigerant inlet portion is positioned in a portion (outlet portion) opposite to a portion (inlet portion) where air flows into the condenser 11 in the condenser 11. Specifically, air flows in the direction indicated by the arrow R1 in FIG. 17A and flows into the condenser 11. On the other hand, the refrigerant inlet 11a in the condenser 11 is located in the upper right part in FIG. 17, and the refrigerant outlet 11b is located in the upper left part. And the refrigerant | coolant which flowed into the condenser 11 from the refrigerant | coolant inlet 11a flows in the direction shown by arrow R2.

  As air flows through the condenser 11, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the air. As a result, the refrigerant temperature decreases and the air temperature increases. Therefore, the temperature of the air passing through the condenser 11 does not exceed the temperature of the refrigerant. That is, the temperature of the air passing through the condenser 11 toward the capillary tube 17 depends on the refrigerant temperature at the air outlet of the condenser 11. In the present embodiment, since the refrigerant inlet portion 11a is provided at the air outlet portion of the condenser 11, the refrigerant temperature at the air outlet portion becomes high. For this reason, the air temperature which passes the condenser 11 and goes to the rotation tank 6 can be raised.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the relationship between the air temperature (E1) passing through the condenser 11 and the refrigerant temperature (E2) flowing through the condenser 11. As shown in FIG. 18, since the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows into the condenser 11, the refrigerant temperature at the refrigerant inlet portion 11a of the condenser 11 is the highest, and the refrigerant moves toward the refrigerant outlet portion 11b. The temperature drops. Therefore, the temperature of the air that passes through the condenser 11 and is supplied into the rotary tank 6 can be increased.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and for example, the following modifications are possible.
You may make it drive the compressor 10 and the ventilation fan 12a not only in a drying process but in a spin-drying | dehydration process. In this case, it is preferable that the blower fan 12a is stopped when the temperature of the compressor 10 is equal to or lower than the set value, and the blower fan 12a is driven when the temperature exceeds the set value. Therefore, the fan motor 12b and the inverter power supply 19 function as a driving unit. According to the said structure, since the dehydration rate at the time of a dehydration process rises and the load at the time of a drying process reduces correspondingly, the improvement of drying efficiency can be aimed at.

According to the inventor's estimation, the dehydration rate is about 57% in the normal dehydration step, but the dehydration rate can be raised to 65-69% by driving the compressor 10 and the blower fan 12a during the dehydration step. As a result, the load during drying is reduced by about 20%, and the heat pump components can be reduced by about 20% accordingly.
Instead of executing the operation of detecting the amount of laundry in the rotating tub 6, the user may input the amount of laundry put into the rotating tub 6.

In the second embodiment, the stable state of the heat pump is detected based on the temperature of the evaporator 9. However, the stable state of the heat pump is detected based on the air temperature at the discharge port 13 and the suction port 14 and the humidity in the rotary tank 6. Anyway.
In addition, one electronic expansion valve may be used in place of the two capillary tubes. In this case, the pressure drop amount of the refrigerant can be adjusted by controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve.
The above embodiments can be combined as appropriate.

1 is a front view schematically showing a washing / drying machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Top view schematically showing the washer / dryer The figure which shows the composition of a heat pump with an air duct Diagram showing the relationship between compressor rotation speed, drying efficiency and drying time FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the temperature change of each part of circulating air and a heat pump in a drying process Diagram showing the relationship between the inner diameter of capillary tube, pressure loss, and outlet pressure of capillary tube FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a third embodiment of the present invention. 2 equivalent diagram 3 equivalent figure FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Diagram showing the relationship between circulating air volume, drying time and drying heat efficiency FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Longitudinal sectional view of the air passage around the compressor when the damper is open Vertical section of the air passage around the compressor when the damper is in the closed state FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Schematic perspective view of condenser The figure which shows the relationship between the air temperature which passes a condenser, and refrigerant | coolant temperature

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 1 is a washing / drying machine, 4 is a water tub (washing tub), 6 is a rotating tub (washing tub), 8 is an air passage (circulation air passage), 9 is an evaporator, 10 is a compressor, and 11 is a condenser. , 12 is a blower, 12b is a fan motor (blower drive means, drive means), 13 is a discharge port, 14 is a suction port, 15 is an air supply duct (circulation air passage), 16 is an exhaust duct (circulation air passage), 17 , 21 is a capillary tube (pressure reducing means), 19 is an inverter power supply (compressor driving means, driving means), 23 is an electromagnetic three-way valve (pressure reducing means), 31 is a cooling duct (outside air flow conduit), and 34 is a cooling fan ( Cooling fan), 32a fan motor (cooling fan), 41 a damper (switching means), and 42 a drive motor (switching means).

Claims (8)

An outer box,
A washing tub disposed in the outer box;
A suction port and a discharge port provided in the washing tub;
Circulating air passages having both ends connected to the suction port and the discharge port,
A blower for returning the air in the washing tub provided in the circulation air passage from the suction port into the circulation air passage, and then returning the air from the discharge port into the washing tub;
An evaporator disposed in the circulation air passage;
A condenser disposed on the outlet side of the evaporator in the circulation air passage;
A compressor and a decompression means constituting a heat pump together with the evaporator and the condenser;
Compressor drive means for driving the compressor,
The washing / drying machine characterized in that the compressor driving means is configured to be able to change the number of rotations of the compressor. An outer box,
A washing tub disposed in the outer box;
A suction port and a discharge port provided in the washing tub;
Circulating air passages having both ends connected to the suction port and the discharge port,
A blower for returning the air in the washing tub provided in the circulation air passage from the suction port into the circulation air passage, and then returning the air from the discharge port into the washing tub;
An evaporator disposed in the circulation air passage;
A condenser disposed on the outlet side of the evaporator in the circulation air passage;
A compressor and a decompression means constituting a heat pump together with the evaporator and the condenser;
The washing / drying machine is characterized in that the decompression means is configured to be able to change a pressure drop amount of the refrigerant. An outer box,
A washing tub disposed in the outer box;
A suction port and a discharge port provided in the washing tub;
Circulating air passages having both ends connected to the suction port and the discharge port,
A blower for returning the air in the washing tub provided in the circulation air passage from the suction port into the circulation air passage, and then returning the air from the discharge port into the washing tub;
An evaporator disposed in the circulation air passage;
A condenser disposed on the outlet side of the evaporator in the circulation air passage;
A compressor disposed between the evaporator and the condenser in the circulation air path;
A washing and drying machine comprising: the evaporator, the condenser, and a decompression unit that constitutes a heat pump together with the compressor.   4. A switching means for switching between a state in which air circulates in the vicinity of the compressor and a state in which air circulates in addition to the vicinity of the compressor is provided in the circulation air passage. Washing and drying machine.   The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a blower driving unit that drives the blower, wherein the blower driving unit is configured to be capable of changing a blown amount of the blower.   The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising driving means for driving the blower and the compressor during the dehydrating operation.   The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an inlet of the refrigerant is provided at an outlet of the air in the condenser. The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a cooling fan for cooling the compressor; and an outside air circulation pipe that accommodates the compressor and the cooling fan.

Images