JP2007061264A - Washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sufficient drying performance from a time of starting a drying operation without running short of the amount of refrigerant in a refrigerating cycle when starting the operation of a heat pump. <P>SOLUTION: Before executing the drying operation A7, this washing/drying machine energizes B3 a compressor at a level of executing the operation of a heat pump so as to heat the compressor. The temperature of lubricating oil inside the compressor thus increases to emit the refrigerant dissolved in the lubricating oil from the lubricant, prevent the shortage of the amount of the refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle when starting the operation of the heat pump and provide a sufficient drying performance from the time of starting the drying operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laundry dryer equipped with a heat pump for drying laundry.

Conventionally, in a laundry dryer equipped with a heat pump for drying laundry, moisture generated when the laundry is dried is collected by an evaporator, and the latent heat collected in the fold is heated by a compressor. It is converted into a refrigerant state and reused as energy for heating the air in the condenser. By doing in this way, except that there is a slight heat loss outside, the energy can be reused without losing almost any energy. Therefore, efficient drying can be realized (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-265879 A

  However, when the heat pump is stopped, there is a “sleeping phenomenon” in which the refrigerant flows from the evaporator or condenser into the compressor and dissolves in the lubricating oil inside the compressor, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle when starting the heat pump operation Is lacking. For this reason, the drying performance at the start of the drying operation is not good. Therefore, it is a common practice to increase the rotational speed of the compressor from the start of the drying operation, but even then, the deterioration of the drying performance due to the lack of refrigerant amount in the refrigeration cycle cannot be fully resolved, but on the contrary. However, due to the energy required to increase the rotational speed of the compressor, there is a problem that the efficiency is reduced and the noise is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and therefore the object of the present invention is to avoid the shortage of the amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle when starting the operation of the heat pump, and to start the drying operation. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing / drying machine that can obtain sufficient drying performance without causing problems such as a reduction in efficiency and an increase in noise.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the washing and drying machine of the present invention, firstly, a rotating tub, a water tub that accommodates the rotating tub, and a ventilation path are provided. And a heat pump that constitutes a refrigeration cycle by arranging an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path and connecting them to a compressor, and washing, dehydrating and drying laundry In the operation of the above, the compressor is heated before the drying operation (the invention of claim 1).

  In the washing and drying machine of the present invention, secondly, a rotating tub, a water tub that accommodates the rotating tub, and a ventilation path, and a blower that circulates air in the rotating tub through the ventilation path, and A heat pump that configures a refrigeration cycle by disposing an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path and connecting them to a compressor, and performing laundry washing, dehydration and drying operations, The present invention is characterized in that there is provided a blocking means for blocking the reverse flow of the refrigerant from the compressor to the evaporator while the heat pump is stopped.

  According to the first means (the invention of claim 1), by heating the compressor before the drying operation, the temperature of the lubricating oil inside the compressor rises, and thereby dissolves in the lubricating oil. The refrigerant is taken out of the lubricating oil. FIG. 6 proves that, when the outside air temperature is 25 [° C.], if the temperature of the lubricating oil inside the compressor is increased to 40 [° C.], an amount of 80% refrigerant can be secured. Show. Thus, there is no shortage in the amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle when starting the operation of the heat pump, and sufficient drying performance can be obtained from the start of the drying operation. In this case, since it is not necessary to increase the rotational speed of the compressor from the start of the drying operation, the energy required for this is not necessary, so that the problem of efficiency reduction is not caused, and the compressor A problem such as an increase in noise due to an increase in the rotation speed is not caused.

  According to the second means (invention of claim 5), when the heat pump is stopped, the reverse flow of the refrigerant from the compressor to the evaporator is blocked by the blocking means, so that the high-pressure refrigerant passes through the compressor through the evaporator. Back flow is stopped at the outlet side of the blocking means, and as a result, the refrigerant pressure is higher at the outlet side of the blocking means than at the inlet side, that is, the refrigerant pressure is at the inlet side (evaporator side) of the blocking means. And lower on the outlet side (compressor side), so that no refrigerant flows into the compressor from the evaporator. Thus, the refrigerant does not dissolve from the evaporator into the lubricating oil inside the compressor, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle when starting the heat pump is not short. Sufficient drying performance can be obtained from the point in time, and since it is not necessary to increase the rotational speed of the compressor from the start of the drying operation, problems such as efficiency reduction and noise increase do not occur.

Hereinafter, the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing and drying machine, and a first example (first embodiment) will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, FIG. 2 shows an overall configuration of the washing / drying machine. A water tank 2 is accommodated in a horizontal axis state inside an outer box 1 and supported swingably by a pair of left and right suspensions 3. Inside the water tank 2, the drum 4 is accommodated and supported in a horizontal axis state. The drum 4 is a rotating tank. A motor 5 for rotating the drum 4 is attached to the back of the water tank 2. Yes.

  On the other hand, a ventilation case 6 is disposed in the lower part of the outer box 1, and a front end portion of the suction side duct 8 is connected to an inlet portion 7 of the ventilation case 6. The base end portion of the suction side duct 8 faces the drum 4 from the rear portion of the water tank 2. With this configuration, the air in the drum 4 enters the suction side duct 8 and passes through the suction side duct 8 to enter the ventilation case 6. Has been led to.

  On the other hand, a proximal end portion of the discharge side duct 10 is connected to the outlet portion 9 of the ventilation case 6, and a distal end portion of the discharge side duct 10 faces the drum 4 from the front portion of the water tank 2. With this configuration, the air that has passed through the ventilation case 6 is guided into the drum 4 through the discharge-side duct 10, and the above-described suction-side duct 8, ventilation case 6, and discharge-side duct 10, The ventilation path 11 which lets the air in 4 pass is comprised.

  Thus, the evaporator 12, the condenser 13, and the blower 14 are arranged in the ventilation case 6 in order from the inlet 7 side to the outlet 9 side. Among these, the evaporator 12 and the condenser 13 compose the heat pump 17 with the compressor 15 disposed outside the ventilation case 6 and the throttle valve 16 (particularly, the electronic throttle valve in this case) shown in FIG. In this heat pump 17, a refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting them in the order of the compressor 15, the condenser 13, the throttle valve 16, the evaporator 12, and the compressor 15 by the connection pipe 18. A refrigerant is sealed in the refrigeration cycle.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the compressor 15 substantially immerses a motor 20 as a driving source, a rotary compression mechanism 21 driven by the motor 20, and the compression mechanism 21 in a housing 19. The inlet 19a of the housing 19 is connected to the connection pipe 18 from the evaporator 12 in the connection pipe 18 of the heat pump 17 (refrigeration cycle) outside the housing 19. (Suction pipe) 18 a is connected, and in the housing 19, the inlet portion 21 a of the compression mechanism 21 is connected via a connecting pipe 23.

  The outlet portion 21 b of the compression mechanism 21 is exposed above the oil level of the lubricating oil 22 in the housing 19, and the outlet portion 19 b of the housing 19 is connected to the condenser 13 in the connection pipe 18 of the heat pump 17. A connection pipe (delivery pipe) 18b that is connected to is connected.

As a result, when the compressor 15 is operated (the compression mechanism 21 is driven by the motor 20), the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 12 by the heat pump 17 reaches the compression mechanism 21, and is compressed. A temperature sensor 24 that is a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the outlet portion 19b, that is, the discharge temperature of the compressor 15, is attached to the outlet portion 19b of the housing 19.
The compressor 15 covers the periphery with a soundproof cover (not shown) having heat insulation properties.

  The control device 25 shown in FIG. 5 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer and functions as a control means for controlling the overall operation of the washing / drying machine. The control device 25 includes an operation of the washing / drying machine. Various operation signals are input from the operation unit 26 such as an operation panel for a user to perform the operation according to the above, and a water level detection signal is input from a water level sensor 27 provided to detect the water level in the water tank 2, A temperature detection signal is input from the temperature sensor 24.

  Accordingly, the control device 25 includes a water supply valve 28 provided to supply water into the water tank 2 (inside the drum 4), and a motor for driving the drum 4 based on those inputs and a control program stored in advance. 5. Drive control of the drain valve 29 provided so as to drain from the water tank 2 (in the drum 4), the motor 20 of the compressor 15, the blower 14, and the throttle valve 16 via the drive circuit 30. ing.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
The control device 25 starts the control shown in FIG. 1 when an operation start operation signal for performing washing, dehydration and drying is input from the operation unit 26. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 1A, the preliminary operation routine of the heat pump 17 is started (step A1). In parallel with this, a washing operation during the washing operation (step A2), a rinsing operation during the washing operation (step A3), and a dehydration operation (step A4) are executed.

  In the washing operation, water is supplied to the water tank 2 (in the drum 4) up to a predetermined water level, and after washing detergent, the drum 4 is alternately rotated in both the forward and reverse directions to wash the laundry. In the rinsing operation, after draining from the water tank 2 (in the drum 4), only water is supplied to the water tank 2 (in the drum 4) up to a predetermined water level, and the drum 4 is alternately rotated in both forward and reverse directions. In the dehydrating operation, after draining from the water tank 2 (in the drum 4), the drum 4 is rotated in one direction at a high speed to dehydrate the laundry.

  Now, the preliminary operation routine of the heat pump 17 performed in the meantime is as shown in FIG. 5B. First, it is determined whether or not the dehydration operation is completed (step B1), and it is not completed (NO). While the determination is made, it is determined from the detection signal of the temperature sensor 24 whether or not the discharge temperature of the compressor 15 exceeds 45 [° C.] (step B2).

  If it is determined in step B3 that the temperature does not exceed 45 [° C.] (NO = 45 [° C.] or less), the preliminary operation of the heat pump 17 is started (step B3). The preliminary operation of the heat pump 17 is to operate the compressor 15 in the same manner as the operation of the heat pump 17 during the drying operation described later. That is, the compressor 15 is energized to a level at which the operation of the heat pump 17 is performed. In this situation, it is next determined from the detection signal of the temperature sensor 24 whether or not the discharge temperature of the compressor 15 has exceeded 100 [° C.] (step B4).

  If it is determined in step B4 that the temperature does not exceed 100 [° C.] (NO), step B4 is repeated. If it is determined that the temperature exceeds 100 [° C.] (YES), the heat pump 17 is spared. The operation is stopped (step B5), and the process returns to step B1. In Step B2, if it is determined that the discharge temperature of the compressor 15 exceeds 45 [° C.] (YES), the process returns to Step B1. Thus, the compressor 15 of the heat pump 17 is heated to a temperature at which the discharge temperature is 45 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower.

  If it is determined in step B1 that the dehydration operation has been completed (YES), the operation proceeds to the drying operation. In the drying operation, first, it is determined whether or not the operation mode of the heat pump 17 is turned off (stopped) (step A5). If not turned off (NO), immediately if turned off. (YES) After waiting for 5 minutes which is a predetermined waiting time (step A6), the drying operation is executed (step A7).

  In the drying operation, the drum 4 is rotated at low speed alternately in the forward and reverse directions, the heat pump 17 is operated, and the blower 14 and the throttle valve 16 are operated. The air in the drum 4 flows into the ventilation case 6 through the suction side duct 8.

  At this time, the compressor 15 is operated by the heat pump 17 so that the refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant (gas), and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser 13, Exchange heat with air. As a result, the air in the ventilation case 6 is heated, and conversely, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered and liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant then passes through the throttle valve 16 and is depressurized, and then flows into the evaporator 12 and vaporizes. Thereby, the evaporator 12 cools the air in the ventilation case 6. The refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 12 returns to the compressor 15.

As a result, the air that has flowed from the drum 4 into the ventilation case 6 through the suction duct 8 is cooled by the evaporator 12 and dehumidified, and then heated by the condenser 13 to be warmed. Then, the warm air is supplied into the drum 4 through the discharge side duct 10.
The hot air supplied into the drum 4 deprives the laundry of moisture, and then flows into the ventilation case 6 through the suction side duct 8.
Thus, air circulates between the ventilation case 6 in which the evaporator 12 and the condenser 13 are arranged and the drum 4 so that the laundry in the drum 4 is dried.
Thereafter, the overall operation is completed.

  As described above, in this configuration, the compressor 15 of the heat pump 17 is heated before the drying operation is performed, whereby the temperature of the lubricating oil 22 in the compressor 15 rises, and the lubricating oil 22 is increased. The melted refrigerant is discharged from the lubricating oil 22. Thus, there is no shortage in the amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle when starting the operation of the heat pump 17 (drying operation), and sufficient drying performance can be obtained from the start of the drying operation. In this case, since it is not necessary to increase the rotational speed of the compressor 15 as in the prior art from the start of the drying operation, the energy required for this is not necessary, and this may cause a problem of efficiency reduction. In addition, it is possible to prevent problems such as an increase in noise caused by increasing the rotational speed of the compressor 15.

  In particular, in the case of the above configuration, heating of the compressor 15 before the drying operation is performed by energizing the compressor 15 at a level at which the operation of the heat pump 17 (preliminary operation) is performed. The temperature of the compressor 15 can be quickly raised, and the efficiency can be improved. Incidentally, if the initial discharge temperature of the compressor 15 is about 25 [° C.], the initial discharge temperature of the compressor 15 rises to 40 [° C.] in about 20 minutes by energization of about 100 to 200 [W]. That's right.

It should be noted that the energization of the compressor 15 in this case may be adjusted according to demands such as the outside air temperature and the amount of laundry, and the energization is at a level for operating the compressor 15 in the same manner as the operation of the heat pump 17 during the drying operation described above. It is not limited.
Further, when performing the preliminary operation of the heat pump 17, it is preferable that the air blower 14 is also operated appropriately to vaporize the refrigerant so that the refrigerant does not flow into the compressor 15 in a liquid state.

  7 to 14 show the second to sixth examples (second to sixth embodiments) of the present invention. The same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in the first example. A description will be omitted, and only different parts will be described.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a three-way switching valve 41 having two outlet portions with respect to one inlet portion is provided between the compressor 15 and the condenser 13 of the heat pump 17. Are connected to the outlet 19 b of the compressor 15, one outlet is connected to the condenser 13 at the inlet, and the other outlet is connected to the inlet 19 a of the compressor 15.

With this configuration, before the drying operation is performed, the compressor 15 is heated by energizing the compressor 15 at a level at which the operation (preliminary operation) of the heat pump 17 is performed, and the switching valve 41 is connected from the inlet to the compressor 15. The state is switched to a state in which the outlet portion on the inlet portion 19a side communicates. Then, as indicated by the arrows, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 15 is returned to the compressor 15 while maintaining the high temperature and pressure.
Thus, the temperature of the compressor 15 can be raised more rapidly, and the efficiency can be further improved.

[Third embodiment]
In the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the compressor 15 before the drying operation is heated by energizing the compressor 15 at a level where the operation of the heat pump 17 is not performed. Specifically, the control device 25 energizes the motor 20 of the compressor 15 with 30 to 50 [W] in step B102 instead of step B3 in FIG. 1, and in step B104 instead of step B5, The energization of 30 to 50 [W] to the motor 20 of the compressor 15 is stopped.

  In this case, as the temperature sensor as the temperature detecting means, the temperature sensor 51 attached to the compressor 15 (particularly the housing 19) and detecting the temperature thereof is used. Instead of the temperature sensor 24, a temperature detection signal is input from the temperature sensor 51, and the control device 25 sends the compressor 15 (motor 20) via the drive circuit 30 based on the input and a control program stored in advance. Drive control.

  Therefore, in this case, in step B101 instead of step B2 in FIG. 1, it is determined from the detection signal of the temperature sensor 51 whether the temperature of the compressor 15 (housing 19) exceeds 45 [° C.], In step B103 instead of step B4, it is determined from the detection signal of the temperature sensor 51 whether or not the temperature of the compressor 15 (housing 19) has exceeded 100 [° C.].

  By doing so, the motor 20 can be heated without operating the compression mechanism 21 to increase the temperature of the compressor 15 and the temperature of the lubricating oil 22 can be increased, and the compressor 15 is slightly heated. Since power can be used, the efficiency can be further improved and the noise can be reduced.

[Fourth embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, heating of the compressor 15 before the drying operation is performed by energizing a heater attached to the compressor 15. Specifically, a heater (for example, a sheathed wire heater) 61 is attached to the outer periphery of the compressor 15 of the heat pump 17, particularly the housing 19 of the heat pump 17 via, for example, a heat transfer tape (not shown), and compressed. A temperature sensor 62 similar to the temperature sensor 51 of the third embodiment for detecting the temperature of the machine 15 (particularly the housing 19) is attached and attached.

  Accordingly, a temperature detection signal is input from the temperature sensor 62 to the control device 25 in place of the temperature sensor 24 described above, and the control device 25 receives the input and the control stored in advance. The heater 61 is driven and controlled via the drive circuit 30 based on the program.

  With this configuration, the control device 25 further determines whether or not the temperature of the compressor 15 exceeds 45 ° C. from the detection signal of the temperature sensor 62 in step B201 instead of step B2 in FIG. In step B202 instead of step B3, the heater 61 is energized at about 200 [W], and in step B203 instead of step B4, the temperature of the compressor 15 exceeds 100 [° C.] from the detection signal of the temperature sensor 62. In step B204 instead of step B5, the energization of the heater 61 is stopped.

Even if it does in this way, the compressor 15 can be heated and the temperature can be raised, the temperature of the lubricating oil 22 can be raised, and the effect similar to 1st Example can be acquired.
In this case, since the soundproof cover that covers the periphery of the compressor 15 has a heat insulating property, the heat generated by the heater 61 is less dissipated to the outside, and the heating of the compressor 15 is promoted. It is effective for increasing the temperature, and therefore the efficiency can be further improved.

[Fifth embodiment]
In the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the heating of the compressor 15 before the drying operation is performed, the energization of the compressor 15 at the level where the operation (preliminary operation) of the heat pump 17 of the first embodiment is performed, The heater 61 attached to the compressor 15 of the fourth embodiment is energized. Specifically, the control device 25 performs preliminary operation of the heat pump 17 (energization of the compressor 15 to a level at which the operation of the heat pump 17 is performed) in step B301 instead of step B3 of FIG. Energization is performed at about 200 [W], and in step B302 instead of step B5, the preliminary operation of the heat pump 17 is stopped and the energization of the heater 61 is stopped.

By doing in this way, the temperature of the compressor 15 can be raised further rapidly.
In this case, the temperature sensor uses the temperature sensor 24 of the first embodiment. However, the energization of the compressor 15 at a level where the operation (preliminary operation) of the heat pump 17 of the fifth embodiment is performed is changed to the energization of the compressor 15 at a level where the operation of the heat pump 17 of the third embodiment is not performed. In this case, the temperature sensor uses the temperature sensor 51 of the third embodiment or the temperature sensor 62 of the fourth embodiment.
The temperature sensor 51 of the third embodiment or the temperature sensor 62 of the fourth embodiment may be used in place of the temperature sensor 24 in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[Sixth embodiment]
In the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 14, for example, a differential pressure valve is used as a blocking means for blocking the reverse flow of the refrigerant from the compressor 15 to the evaporator 12 between the compressor 15 and the evaporator 12 of the heat pump 17. A check valve 71 is provided.

  In this configuration, when the heat pump 17 is stopped, the throttle valve 16 is fully closed and then the compressor 15 is stopped. Accordingly, the compressor 15 is stopped through the compression mechanism 21 of the stopped compressor 15 (condenser). 13 side) refrigerant flows to the low pressure (evaporator 12 side) side, and the refrigerant pressure between the compressor 15 and the check valve 71 becomes higher than the low pressure side pressure during operation. That is, the pressure on the inlet side (evaporator 12 side) of the check valve 71 is low, and the pressure on the outlet side (compressor 15 side) is high. For this reason, the refrigerant from the evaporator 12 does not flow to the compressor 15 side.

  On the other hand, the refrigerant in the condenser 13 gradually flows to the compressor 15 side, but does not flow to the evaporator 12 side because it is closed by the throttle valve 16. Therefore, of all the refrigerant in the heat pump 17, the refrigerant in the evaporator 12 stays in the evaporator 12 as it is. Therefore, the refrigerant (about 1/3) of that amount does not dissolve in the lubricating oil 22 of the compressor 15.

  Thus, in this case as well, there is no shortage in the amount of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle when starting the operation of the heat pump, so that sufficient drying performance can be obtained from the start of the drying operation, and Since it is no longer necessary to increase the rotational speed of the compressor from the start time, problems such as efficiency reduction and noise increase can be avoided.

In addition, as a whole washing-drying machine, it is not restricted to the above-mentioned horizontal axis | shaft drum (horizontal axis) type | formula, A vertical axis | shaft type may be sufficient.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

The flowchart for explaining the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention. Schematic longitudinal section of the entire washing and drying machine Schematic configuration diagram of heat pump Schematic longitudinal section of the compressor Electrical configuration block diagram A diagram showing the relationship between the temperature of lubricating oil inside the compressor and the amount of refrigerant dissolved in the lubricating oil FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 equivalent diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. 1 equivalent diagram External appearance perspective view of the compressor which shows 4th Example of this invention, and the component attached to this Figure equivalent to FIG. 1 equivalent diagram FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 2 is a water tank, 4 is a drum (rotary tank), 11 is an air passage, 12 is an evaporator, 13 is a condenser, 14 is a blower, 15 is a compressor, 17 is a heat pump, 25 is a control device, 61 is A heater 71 indicates a check valve (blocking means).

Claims (5)

A rotating tank, a water tank that accommodates the rotating tank, and a ventilation path, and a blower that circulates the air in the rotating tank through the ventilation path, and an evaporator and a condenser are arranged in the ventilation path. In what comprises a heat pump that configures the refrigeration cycle by connecting them with a compressor, and performs laundry washing, dehydration and drying operations,
A washing dryer, wherein the compressor is heated before the drying operation.   2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein heating of the compressor before the drying operation is performed by energizing the compressor at a level at which the heat pump is operated.   2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein heating of the compressor before the drying operation is performed by energizing the compressor at a level at which the operation of the heat pump is not performed.   2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein heating of the compressor before the drying operation is performed by energizing a heater attached to the compressor. A rotating tank, a water tank that accommodates the rotating tank, and a ventilation path, and a blower that circulates the air in the rotating tank through the ventilation path, and an evaporator and a condenser are arranged in the ventilation path. In what comprises a heat pump that configures the refrigeration cycle by connecting them with a compressor, and performs laundry washing, dehydration and drying operations,
A washing / drying machine comprising: a blocking means for blocking a reverse flow of the refrigerant from the compressor to the evaporator while the heat pump is stopped.

Images