JP2007082831A - Drum type washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drum type washing/drying machine capable of performing stationary drying which stops a rotary drum and circulates drying air to dry delicate clothing. <P>SOLUTION: The drum type washing/drying machine is enabled to implement not only washing but also drying for clothing stored in a rotary drum 5 by the arrangement of a water tank unit 10 storing a rotary drum 5 in a water tank 3 and a heat pump unit 20 in a washing machine housing 2 and the connection of the water tank unit 10 and the heat pump unit 20 by an air duct. The machine permits the selection of a stationary drying course to dry delicate clothing and the execution of the circulation of drying air with the rotation of the rotary drum 5 stopped. At the time when the clothing is stored in the rotary drum 5, the mounting of a drying shelf 50 in the rotary drum 5 facilitates the efficient drying of the clothing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine having a drying function added to a drum type washing machine so that each process from washing to drying can be carried out continuously or arbitrarily by selecting a drying process. Is.

  The washing / drying machine not only can carry out each process from washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying continuously, but also can carry out only the drying process independently, so it can be used for drying wet clothes. . In particular, the drum-type washing and drying machine is dried in a horizontal drum or in an inclined drum type rotating drum inclined from the horizontal direction, so that it has the same drying action and convenience as a clothes dryer that is a dedicated drying machine. It is done.

  However, there are various types of clothing, and depending on the type and composition of the fiber or the type of clothing, tumbling drying that uniformly applies hot air to all the clothing contained in the rotating drum while stirring it will cause damage. There is something easy. For example, theta and lingerie are examples of delicate clothing that is not suitable for tumbling drying. A drum-type washing and drying machine has been proposed in which it is possible to select static drying in which hot air is supplied and dried while the rotating drum is stopped so that such delicate clothes can be dried. (See Patent Document 1).

  This drum-type washer / dryer differs from a typical drum-type washer and washer / dryer in that the rotating drum is placed horizontally and rotated at a position corresponding to the laundry inlet provided on the upper surface of the washing machine casing. An opening is formed in the drum and the water tub that accommodates it, and the opening is configured to be closed by a door during operation, and is configured in a special form called a top loading system for taking in and out laundry from above. Yes. When static drying is performed in this drum type washing and drying machine, the water tank and the door of the rotating drum are opened from the laundry input port, and the drying aid is mounted in the rotating drum. The drying aid includes a shelf portion on which clothes are placed by processing a metal wire, and a leg portion for supporting the shelf portion on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum.

  When clothing is placed on the drying aid and the stationary drying course is selected and executed, the rotating operation of the rotating drum is stopped, the warm air heated by the heater blows into the rotating drum, and the air deprived of moisture from the clothing is a water tank. After being discharged to the outside and dehumidified, air is circulated through the rotating drum by being heated again by the heater, and drying of the clothing proceeds.

  It can be easily imagined that it is difficult to insert a drying aid from above into the lower part of the rotating drum as in the drum type washing and drying machine. It is much easier to open a front door and insert a shelf-like auxiliary tool to put clothes in a rotating drum with an opening facing the front, like a typical drum-type washing and drying machine . As a prior art for realizing this, a configuration in which static drying is applied to a clothes dryer is known (see Patent Document 2).

In the above-mentioned clothes dryer, it is possible to attach a shelf-like auxiliary tool for placing clothes in the rotating drum, attach the auxiliary tool in the rotating drum, place the clothes on it, and select the stationary drying course Then, the rotating operation of the rotating drum is stopped, and warm air heated by the heater is blown into the rotating drum to dry the clothes.
JP 2005-152476 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-305197

  As described above, the drum-type washing and drying machine according to the related art performs stationary drying by inserting a drying auxiliary tool for placing clothes under the rotating drum from the laundry input port provided on the upper surface of the washing machine casing. Therefore, it is difficult to insert the drying aid at a deep position. In addition, unlike a general drum-type washing and drying machine, an opening for taking in and out the laundry is provided in the body of the water tub and the rotating drum, so inserting a drying aid having a large placement area is not possible. It can be imagined that the work of placing clothes on the drying aid is not easy. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to insert an auxiliary tool for placing clothes into the rotating drum from the laundry entrance provided on the front side of the washing machine casing. In that respect, the structure of the clothes dryer shown as the prior art can be said to be suitable.

  However, in any of the conventional techniques, the warm air blown into the rotating drum to dry the clothes is air heated by a heater, and therefore it is necessary to increase the heating temperature in order to obtain a sufficient drying effect. In addition, when static drying is performed, hot air is directly applied to the clothing, and clothing using heat-sensitive fibers such as wool and synthetic fibers has a problem of causing damage, shrinkage, and discoloration. In order to solve this problem, it is disclosed to control the heating temperature and the air flow rate by the heater, but the control configuration becomes complicated and it is not preferable. In the above drum-type washing and drying machine, when clothes such as theta that are easily shrunk are dried by static drying, control of lowering the heating temperature of the hot air by detecting the progress of drying or operation without drying is performed. Control to stop. Therefore, it can be said that the situation is that complete static drying cannot be performed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a drum-type washing / drying machine which can prevent damage or shrinkage of clothes by performing static drying using dry air generated by a heat pump. There is.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a water tank unit that houses a rotating drum that is rotationally driven in a water tank, and moisture absorption air that feeds heated air generated by a heat pump to the rotating drum and deprives the clothing of moisture. In the drum-type washing and drying machine comprising a drying function for dehumidifying water from the above, heating again and blowing to the rotating drum, and a control means for controlling the operation of each step of washing, rinsing, dewatering and drying, The control means stops the rotation of the rotating drum in response to a selection input from the operation input means in the drying step, and executes a stationary drying operation in which the drying function is operated to circulate drying air in the rotating drum. It is characterized by.

  According to the above configuration, the temperature of the hot air can be set low because the heat pump having high dehumidifying capacity can be dried even if the static drying is performed by stopping the rotation of the rotating drum and blowing the hot air into the drying drum. can do. Therefore, it is possible to reliably dry clothing that is easily damaged or shrunken and discolored depending on the temperature that is the main object of stationary drying.

  In the above-described configuration, the stationary drying operation is performed with the drying shelf having a mesh structure formed in the rotating drum in a substantially horizontal direction and the clothes being spread on the drying shelf, whereby the stirring operation is performed. Even in the case of static drying that is not performed, warm air is uniformly applied to the clothing, and the drying speed and drying effect can be improved.

  Further, the water tank unit is preferably configured in the form of an oblique drum inclined in the washing machine casing so that the rotational axis of the rotational drum accommodated in the water tank unit faces upward on the front side, and the rotational drum is inclined. Therefore, when performing the static drying operation, it is possible to easily perform the work of putting in and out the drying shelf and clothes in the rotating drum.

  According to the present invention, excellent drying performance can be obtained even when warm air generated by a heat pump is applied to clothes and the temperature of the warm air is set low by air circulation with a high dehumidifying ability by the heat pump. Therefore, even with stationary drying with clothes placed at a fixed position, it is possible to dry clothes that are easily damaged or shrunk by heat.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a drum-type washing / drying machine 1 according to an embodiment, and shows a configuration of a drying function, which is a characteristic configuration of the present invention, with emphasis.

  In FIG. 1, a drum drive motor 4 is attached to the back surface of the water tank 3 containing the rotary drum 5, and the rotary shaft 17 of the rotary drum 5 supported by a bearing 16 provided in the water tank 3 is used as the drum drive motor 4. The water tank unit 10 is configured to be driven to rotate. The water tank unit 10 is supported by a suspension structure in the washing machine casing 2 at an inclination angle in which the rotation axis of the rotary drum 5 is upward on the front side. The water tank 3 and the rotating drum 5 are each opened on the front side, and the laundry can be taken in and out from the laundry entrance 6 of the rotating drum 5 by opening the door body 8 provided in the front of the washing machine housing 2. . When the door body 8 is closed, the bellows 43 provided in the opening of the water tank 3 is in close contact with the inner surface of the door body 8, so that the water tank 3 becomes a watertight and airtight space, and each process of washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying is performed. When running, water and air will not leak to the outside.

  The heat pump unit 20 is disposed so as to fit in the space formed in the lower part on the back side of the washing machine casing 2 by tilting the water tank unit 10 in the washing machine casing 2. The washing machine housing 2 has a limited volume so that the washing / drying machine 1 can be installed in an existing installation place where the area is limited, such as a waterproof pan, and the large aquarium unit 10, water supply, drainage, etc. However, if the constituent elements are accommodated, the surplus space is reduced, but the heat pump unit 20 can be arranged in a compact manner without increasing the size of the washing machine casing 2.

  The heat pump unit 20 accommodates a compressor 27 (see FIG. 2), a heat absorber 28, and a heat radiator 29 in a unit case 21, and is connected to a hygroscopic air inlet 30 that communicates with the heat absorber 28 provided in the unit case 21. An intake connection pipe 32 is connected, and an exhaust connection pipe 33 is connected to a heated air exhaust port 31 communicating with the radiator 29. On the bottom surface of the unit case 21 corresponding to the heat absorber 28, a water storage part 34 that receives the condensed water dripped from the heat absorber 28 is formed, and the water stored in the water storage part 34 passes through the dust filtration filter 35 from the stored water drainage port. It is drained by a drain pump (not shown).

  Each of the heat absorber 28 and the radiator 29 faces each other with a predetermined interval, and a space serving as an air flow path is formed between each other surface and the wall surface of the unit case 21. End portions of the heat sinks are held by a pair of side wall plates 37 so as to form an air flow path from the intake space on the side through the heat absorber 28 and the radiator 29 to the exhaust space on the radiator 29 side. It is accommodated in the unit case 21 as a heat dissipation unit. The heat absorber 28 is inclined so that the upper part approaches the heat radiator 29, and the heat sink 28 faces the heat sink 28 with the upper part inclined toward the heat absorber 28. It is ensured effectively and the heat pump unit 20 can be disposed in a limited space formed behind the water tank unit 10.

  The heat pump unit 20 and the water tank unit 10 having the above-described configuration are connected by a ventilation path shown in FIG. The water tank 3 has an intake port 11 formed on the back surface thereof and an exhaust port 12 formed on a side peripheral surface thereof. Heated air is blown between the intake port 11 and the exhaust connection pipe 33 of the heat pump unit 20. By connecting with the duct 13 and connecting between the exhaust port 12 and the intake connection pipe 32 of the heat pump unit 20 with the hygroscopic air blowing duct 14 in which the blower fan 15 is disposed, a blowing path for drying clothes is provided. It is formed.

  The rotating drum 5 is formed with a large number of through holes 9 on the side peripheral surface thereof so that water and air can freely flow between the rotating drum 5 and the water tank 3, and the bottom surface communicates with the intake port 11. 1 is provided, the dried heated air supplied from the heat pump unit 20 via the heated air blowing duct 13 is fed into the rotary drum 5 from the intake port 11 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. Can be introduced from the bottom. Further, the heated air deprived of moisture from the clothes housed in the rotating drum 5 becomes hygroscopic air, and passes through the through holes 9 and the laundry entrance 6 into the water tub 3 as shown by arrows in FIG. The air is exhausted from 12 to the hygroscopic air blowing duct 13 and is exhausted toward the intake connection pipe 32 of the heat pump unit 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 configured as described above is provided with an operation / display unit 44 that inputs a driving operation selection instruction and displays a driving state on the front surface of the washing machine housing 2. . A selection instruction is input to a control means (not shown) by inputting selection of a driving course and time setting of each process from the operation / display section 44, and a series of operations from washing to drying are performed by the control operation of each part by the control means. It is possible to freely select whether the operation is performed or only the drying process is performed.

  When washing is performed, the door body 8 is opened, the laundry is put into the rotating drum 5, the operation is started by inputting an instruction from the operation / display unit 44, and water is supplied into the water tank 3 from a water supply pipe (not shown). Then, the detergent is supplied, and the drum driving motor 4 rotates the rotating drum 5 to start the washing process. The rotating drum 5 is laundered by repeating the action of tapping washing in which stirring blades 7 provided at a plurality of locations on the inner peripheral surface lift the laundry upward and drop it from above. After this washing process, washing is completed by executing a rinsing process and a dehydrating process. When an operation course for consistently performing from the washing process to the drying process is selected and inputted, the control means shifts to the drying process after the washing is completed when the washing is completed. In addition, when drying wet clothes, only the drying step can be performed.

  In the drying process, if the laundry or wet clothes (hereinafter collectively referred to as clothing) that have been dehydrated are accommodated in the rotating drum 5 and the drying process is performed, the rotating drum 5 rotates at a rotational speed corresponding to the drying process. At the same time as the clothes are rotated and the clothes are stirred, the heat pump unit 20 and the blower fan 15 are driven to start circulation of the drying air.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the heat pump unit 20, the refrigerant is compressed by the operation of the compressor 27, and this pressure causes the refrigerant to flow from the compressor 27 through the refrigerant pipe 41 to the radiator 29, the throttle means 42, and the heat absorber 28. The compressor 27 is circulated. The heat of the compressed refrigerant flows into the radiator 29 and is radiated to the air in contact with the fins provided in the refrigerant pipe 41 provided in the radiator 29, so that the blown air is heated and heated. Air is generated. Since the heated air is supplied from the exhaust space through the exhaust connection pipe 33 and the heated air blowing duct 13 into the rotary drum 5 from the intake port 11, the heated air becomes moisture-absorbed air that has taken away moisture from the clothes to be stirred. The air is discharged from the exhaust port 12 to the hygroscopic air blowing duct 14. The hygroscopic air blown into the hygroscopic air blowing duct 14 enters the intake space of the heat pump unit 20 through the intake connection pipe 32 and the hygroscopic air intake port 30, and the heat absorber 28 through which the low-pressure refrigerant is decompressed by the throttle means 42 flows. When passing through the sensible heat and latent heat are deprived and dehumidified, the dewed water generated by the dehumidification is dripped into the water storage section 34, and the dehumidified and dried air enters the radiator 29 and is heated again. Air circulation is formed. The water stored in the water reservoir 34 is discharged into the water tank 3 by operating a drain pump (not shown) at regular intervals, and the drain valve 19 is opened to pass through the drain pipe 25 from the drain port 18. Drained to the outside.

  The structure of the drying function of the heat pump system that heats and dehumidifies the drying air with the heat pump unit 20 collects the heat absorbed by the heat absorber 28 with the refrigerant and dissipates it again from the radiator 29, so the energy input to the compressor 27 The amount of heat described above can be given to the clothing, and it is possible to reduce the drying time and save energy. Therefore, the drying by the heat pump can be efficiently performed because the dehumidifying ability is high even if the temperature of the heating air is set lower than the drying in which the heated air heated by using the heater as a heat source is applied to the clothing. Also suitable for drying clothes that are sensitive to heat.

  Sensitive clothes such as seta and lingerie tend to be damaged when the drying process is performed while rotating the rotating drum 5 and stirring the clothes. Therefore, in the drum-type washing and drying machine 1 according to this embodiment, the rotating drum 5 The stationary drying in which the drying process is performed with the rotation stopped can be executed. When performing this static drying, the clothes are placed on the rotary drum 5 so as to be flat, and an instruction to input only the drying process is input from the operation / display unit 44, and at the same time an instruction is input for the drying operation time.

  When an instruction is input for stationary drying, the control means stops the rotation of the rotary drum 5 and activates the blower fan 15 and the heat pump unit 20. As a result, heated air is blown from the bottom surface of the rotating drum 5, and the heated air passes through the clothing and takes moisture away from the through holes 9 formed in the peripheral surface to the water tank 3, or the heated air hitting the clothing is moisture. Is taken out into the water tank 3 from the through hole 9 and the laundry entrance 6. The heated air takes moisture and becomes moisture-absorbed air, which is discharged from the exhaust port 12 of the water tank 3 to the moisture-absorbing air blowing duct 14 and blown to the heat pump unit 20, dehumidified by the heat absorber 28, and then heated by the radiator 29. Then, since the circulation of air that is blown as heated air into the rotating drum 5 is repeated again, the clothes are dried.

  When static drying is performed, the heating air is uniformly applied to the clothing when the clothing is placed on the space inside the rotating drum 5 rather than placing the clothing on the wall surface of the rotating drum 5 as described above, and the permeation of the heating air is performed. This also promotes efficient drying. In order to arrange clothing in the space of the rotating drum 5, as shown in FIG. 3, a drying shelf 50 inserted from the laundry entrance 6 is mounted in the rotating drum 5.

  The laundry entrance / exit 6, which is the opening of the rotating drum 5, is formed with an opening diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the rotating drum 5, so that the drying shelf 50 having a clothing placement surface with a required area is placed inside the rotating drum 5. Although the drying shelf 50 according to the present embodiment can be folded in half by a hinge structure as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the folded shelf board 50 is folded and narrow. Thus, the laundry can be inserted into the rotating drum 5 from the laundry entrance 6. The drying shelf 50 inserted into the rotating drum 5 is arranged so as to be substantially horizontal, and then a wide clothing placement surface is formed by opening the folded upper side. Further, the drying shelf 50 is placed on the stirring blade 7 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum 5 so that the mounting position in the rotating drum 5 is fixed and a stable mounting state is secured. It is comprised so that it can mount.

  4 and 5, the drying shelf 50 has a back surface 51 and a front surface 52 connected by a hinge structure portion 53, and mounting portions for mounting the stirring blade 7 on both sides of the back surface 51 and the front surface 52. 54 is formed. A large number of vent holes 55 are formed in the back surface 51 and the front surface 52, and the heated air easily hits and permeates clothing placed thereon. Further, a handle 56 is provided on the front side of the front surface 52, and as shown in FIG. 5 (a), it is easy to cause the front surface 52 in a folded state on the back surface 51 to the front side, The workability in the rotating drum 5 is improved. The finger hole 57 formed on the back surface 51 side of the handle 56 serves as an insertion hole for a fingertip for facilitating the operation of bringing the handle 56 into a folded state again when taken out from the rotary drum 5.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the stirring blade 7 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum 5 in this configuration is formed in a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape that increases in height and width toward the back side. The mounting portion 54 is mounted so as to embrace the stirring protrusion 7a formed on the top of the stirring blade 7, and ensures the mounting stability. As shown in FIG. 7, the stirring blades 7 are provided at three intervals on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum 5 at equal intervals. Therefore, when the drying shelf 50 is mounted, the rotating drum 5 is manually rotated. The drying shelves 50 are placed so that the two stirring blades 7 are lined up at substantially the same height at the lower side so as to be installed between the two stirring blades 7.

  When the drying shelf 50 in a folded state is placed on the stirring blade 7, the two gripping claws 54 a provided on the mounting portion 54 of the back surface 51 hold the stirring protrusion 7 a, and the rotating drum 5 is inclined. Because of the arrangement, the drying shelf 50 slides to a position where it abuts against the bottom surface of the rotating drum 5 and is placed in a predetermined position with a slight press. Next, when the handle 56 is hooked on the fingertip to cause the front surface 52 to come forward and lightly pressed, the gripping claws 54a provided on the mounting portion 54 of the front surface 52 embrace the stirring protrusion 7a, and as shown in FIG. The central protrusion 52a protruding to the near side of the front surface 52 enters the front plate 6a that forms the laundry entrance / exit 6, and the contact portions 52b on both sides thereof are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the front plate 6a. The shelf board 50 is mounted in a stable state.

  When the stationary drying is finished, the drying shelf 50 needs to be taken out of the rotating drum 5, so that the fingertips 57 are hooked on the finger holes 57 to cause the front surface 52, and when folded down on the back surface 51, When the whole is lifted, the drying shelf 50 can be easily removed. The take-out of the rotating drum 5 is folded in the same manner as at the time of insertion so that the width is reduced. Therefore, the rotating drum 5 is rotated so as to change the vertical and horizontal directions, and the laundry entrance 6 is made narrow. When it is pulled out, it can be easily removed.

  In order to carry out this static drying, the operation of putting in and out the drying shelf 50 with respect to the rotating drum 5 and the operation of placing clothing on the attached drying shelf 50 are the drum type according to this embodiment. Since the rotating drum 5 is inclined as in the washing / drying machine 1, the degree of bending is low and workability is significantly improved. An oblique drum type washing machine or washing / drying machine in which the rotating drum 5 is inclined can be easily put in and out of the rotating drum 5 and can be installed in a washroom or the like with little space on the front side. Although it was developed mainly for the purpose, it becomes an effective structure when performing static drying.

  In the drying shelf 50, the back surface 51 and the front surface 52 are folded in half by the hinge structure portion 53 to reduce the width when being put into and out of the rotary drum 5, but the drying shelf 50 Is formed of a flexible material, it can be bent and inserted when passing through the laundry entrance 6. Since the laundry entrance 6 is a circular opening, if the drying shelf 50 is bent in an arc shape along the circular periphery, it can be easily inserted into the rotating drum 5 and enters the rotating drum 5. Since the elastic deformation returns to the flat surface, the garment placement surface is formed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the drying process can be performed by the drying function having the heating and dehumidifying ability by the heat pump, so that the drying having excellent drying ability is performed even if the heating temperature of the blown air is set low. Can do. Therefore, even when sensitive clothes that are sensitive to heat are statically dried, high-temperature air does not directly hit the clothes, and static drying that does not cause damage or shrinkage can be performed. When the shelf board is mounted and static drying is performed, a drum-type washing and drying machine that can perform more efficient drying can be provided.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment. The schematic diagram explaining the structure of a drying function. The partial perspective view which shows the state which looked at the front of the drum type washing-drying machine and the inside of a rotating drum. The top view which shows the structure of the shelf for drying. The side view shown in the state (a) which expanded the shelf board for drying, and the expand | deployed state (b). (A) which shows the structure of a stirring blade is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a front view. Explanatory drawing which shows the mounting structure in the rotating drum of the shelf for drying.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drum type washing and drying machine 2 Washing machine housing 3 Water tank 5 Rotating drum 6 Laundry doorway 7 Stirring blade 8 Door body 10 Water tank unit 11 Intake port 12 Exhaust port 13 Heated air blowing duct 14 Hygroscopic air blowing duct 15 Blower fan 20 Heat pump Unit 27 Compressor 28 Heat absorber 29 Radiator 34 Water storage part 44 Operation / display part 50 Drying shelf board 51 Back face 52 Front face 53 Hinge structure part 54 Mounting part

Claims (3)

A water tank unit that houses a rotating drum that is driven to rotate in the water tank, and heated air generated by a heat pump is supplied to the rotating drum, dehumidifying moisture from the moisture-absorbing air that has taken moisture away from clothing, and heated again to rotate. In a drum-type washing / drying machine comprising a drying function for blowing air to a drum and a control means for controlling the operation of each process of washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying,
The control means stops the rotation of the rotating drum in response to a selection input from the operation input means in the drying process, and operates the drying function to execute a stationary drying operation for circulating the drying air in the rotating drum. A drum-type washing and drying machine characterized by that.   The drum-type laundry drying according to claim 1, wherein the stationary drying operation is performed in a state where a drying shelf having a mesh structure formed in a rotating drum is installed in a substantially horizontal direction and clothing is spread on the drying shelf. Machine.   The drum-type laundry according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aquarium unit is configured in a slanted drum type that is inclinedly arranged in the washing machine casing so that the rotational axis of the rotating drum accommodated in the water tank unit faces upward on the front side. Dryer.

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