JP2007082834A - Clothing dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clothing dryer with a compact heat pump unit which can be arranged in a limited capacity space and permits the easy laying of an air circulation route with a drying chamber. <P>SOLUTION: A drying function can be provided in a washing machine housing 2 with no extra space by arranging and connecting an intake connection pipe 32 and an exhaust connection pipe 33 provided in a heat pump unit 20 which compactly stores the components in a unit case 21 to a water tank 3 to be a drying chamber in a drying process by a heated-air delivery duct 13 and a moisture-absorbing air delivery duct 14 and the drying performance by the heat pump and the drying function having an energy-saving property can be provided in a clothing drier and a washing/drying machine. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clothes dryer that feeds heated air into a drying chamber containing clothes and removes moisture from the clothes to dry, and a heat pump system applied to a washing dryer provided with a clothes drying function in the washing machine The present invention relates to a clothes drying apparatus.

  As a means for generating drying air applied to a drying function of a clothes dryer or a washing dryer, a heater heating type in which air is heated by a heater is often employed. Although the heater heating method has a simple structure and can be miniaturized, there are problems such as the necessity of providing a dehumidifying means and an increase in power consumption. In order to solve this problem, a heat pump type drying function using a refrigeration cycle is applied to a clothes dryer or a washing dryer.

For example, the present applicant has previously proposed a configuration in which a drying device using a heat pump is added to a drum-type washing machine as a washing and drying machine to which a heat pump type drying apparatus is applied (see Patent Document 1). In this washing / drying machine, a heat pump is disposed below or behind the water tank containing the rotating drum, and the dry warm air generated by the heat pump is fed into the rotating drum so that the laundry is stored in the rotating drum. The air-absorbing air deprived of moisture is returned to the heat pump, and the air circulation path is configured to heat and feed the dehumidified air again.
JP 2005-052534 A

  However, the heat pump has a pipeline configuration that forms a refrigerant channel that circulates refrigerant between components such as a compressor, a heat absorber, and a radiator, and constructs an air channel that circulates air through the heat absorber and the radiator. In order to obtain the required drying capacity, compressors, heat absorbers and radiators require the required volume, making it difficult to reduce the size and complicating pipe connections. . In particular, in a washing / drying machine in which a drying function is added to the washing function, if the heat pump is configured in a washing machine casing in which components as the washing machine are arranged, the size of the washing / drying machine is likely to increase. Since a washing machine and a washing / drying machine are often installed on a waterproof pan with a limited installation area, the installation location may be limited if the size is increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a garment that constitutes a heat pump unit that accommodates each component of the heat pump and can be installed in a limited space by being integrated with a unit case in which air intake and exhaust passages are formed. It is to provide a drying apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a housing, a rotating drum that houses clothing, a water tank that contains the rotating drum and is supported in the housing, and an air inlet formed on the back surface of the water tank. an exhaust port formed in the side peripheral surface of the tub, and the drum drive motor mounted on the rear surface of the tub, radiator from the compressor, throttle means, the refrigerant circulation pipe back to the compressor through the heat absorber is formed and the heat of compression has been heated-up coolant radiates heat into the air from the radiator, the heat pump absorbs heat from the air sending decompressed refrigerant to the heat absorber by the throttle means, said radiator the blown from the air inlet dry air heated to the rotating the drum by guiding the moisture air deprived of moisture from the garment to the heat absorber is discharged from the exhaust port to the outside of the rotary drum, the heat absorber Dehumidified by And an air circulation path for introducing air into again the radiator, and a blower fan for generating air circulation provided in the air circulation path, integrally in each component unit case to form the heat pump The radiator and the heat absorber are disposed such that one surface of each of the radiator and the heat absorber faces in the front-rear direction at a predetermined interval, and an air flow path is provided between the other surface and the wall surface of the unit case. space is formed, the so said radiator-side air flow path passing the exhaust space from the intake space of the heat absorber side through the heat absorber and the radiator are formed, each of the end portions a pair of side walls in is accommodated in the unit case as a heat absorbing, heat dissipating unit which is held, the unit case, the housed in a space formed on the rear side lower portion of the housing, the said unit case, the exhaust Open the evacuated moisture air into the end side hygroscopic air inlet for introducing into the intake space through the moisture air blowing duct constituting a part of the upper surface on the intake space of the air circulation path from And a heated air exhaust port for supplying heated air from the exhaust space from the intake port into the rotary drum through a heated air blowing duct that forms part of the air circulation path. The heated air exhaust port and the heated air blowing duct are opened in the space, and the heated air is formed integrally with the unit case above the heat absorber and the radiator and extends in the lateral direction from the exhaust port. It is communicated by an air passage, and a connecting portion between the heated air air passage and the heated air air duct is provided on an upper surface of the unit case and on an end side opposite to the moisture absorption air intake port. And

  According to the above configuration, the components of the heat pump are compactly accommodated in the unit case, the air circulation path is constructed in the unit case, and the intake pipe for forming the air circulation path with the drying chamber and Since the heat pump unit is configured by providing an exhaust pipe, it can be installed in a housing with little excess space and the pipe connection can be easily configured, so it is particularly suitable for providing a heat pump type drying function in a washing machine or the like. A garment drying apparatus can be provided.

In the above configuration, the unit case includes a bottom case that fixes the compressor and the heat absorption / radiation unit to the bottom surface of the half-shell, and has a water storage portion in which a bottom surface below the heat absorber is formed as a recess, and a peripheral edge of the bottom case with covering components of the heat pump accommodating connected to part, moisture absorption air inlet, heated air outlet, heated air blowing passage having a side opening so the rear is opened, and the heated air to the air passage a upper case forming a connecting portion of the blower duct, the heating and the flow path cover the side opening closed from the rear of the air blowing path, is configured to have a screw screwed from the rear of the channel cover , the said upper case, by configuring provided screw portion on the upper and lower parts inside the heated air blowing passage, it is possible to form a heat pump unit into a compact form by integrating the components Moreover, the connection with the air circulation path which circulates the air for drying between a drying chamber and a heat pump unit is easy, and a clothing drying apparatus can be comprised by arrange | positioning and connecting a pipe line with a heat pump unit.

  According to the present invention, the intake connection pipe and the exhaust connection pipe provided in the heat pump unit in which the components of the heat pump are accommodated in the unit case in a compact manner are connected to the drying chamber to connect the insertion chamber and the heat pump unit. By constructing a circulation path for drying air between them, it is easy to provide a drying function in a washing machine with a small excess space, and a drying function that has drying performance and energy saving by a heat pump is applied to a clothes dryer or a laundry dryer. It can be installed in the machine.

  The present embodiment shows a drum-type washing and drying machine in which the clothes drying apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a washing machine. FIG. 1 shows a washing / drying machine 1 according to the embodiment with an emphasis on the structure of the drying function.

  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 12 provided at 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 drum-type washing / drying machine 1 can be installed in an existing installation place with a limited area such as a waterproof pan. When the supporting suspension structure or the components for water supply, drainage, etc. are accommodated, the excess space is reduced, but the washing machine housing 2 is arranged without increasing the size by configuring the heat pump unit 20 compactly. Making it possible.

  FIG. 2 shows the structure of the heat pump unit 20 with the unit case 21 disassembled. A compressor 27, a heat absorber 28, and a heat radiator 29 are fixed in the bottom case 22 constituting the unit case 21. The bottom case 22 is fitted to the peripheral edge thereof, and the upper case 23 is attached and fixed with a screw 43 through a packing member, and the rear surface opening portion of the upper case 23 is interposed with a flow path lid 24 through the packing member. By fixing with the screw 46, a heated air blowing path 45 is formed to close the rear open portion and send heated air to the exhaust connection pipe 32. A connecting cylinder 31 a that connects the exhaust connection pipe 32 is formed at the downstream end of the heated air blowing path 45.

  If a lid is attached from the upper surface side of the upper case 23 in order to form the heated air blowing path 45, there is little room in the front and rear direction in the configuration of the washing and drying machine 1. Therefore, a relief part for screwing is required, unevenness for screwing is made in the air passage, a uniform air passage is not obtained, the cross-sectional area is large and small, and a smooth air flow is achieved. I can't get it. On the other hand, as shown in the above configuration, the flow path lid 24 is extended in the vertical direction with sufficient space by closing the rear surface opening portion of the upper case 23, and screwing portions are provided in the upper and lower portions of the heated air blowing path 45. In addition, the front and rear direction of the heated air blowing path 45 with little space can be formed on a substantially flat surface.

  As shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 3, an intake connection pipe 32 is connected to a hygroscopic air intake port 30 formed in the upper case 23, and exhausted to a connecting cylinder 31 a that communicates with the heated air exhaust port 31 through a heated air blowing path 45. The heat pump unit 20 is formed by connecting the connecting pipe 33. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a water storage part 34 that receives the condensed water dripped from the heat absorber 28 is formed on the bottom surface of the bottom case 22, and the water dropped on the water storage part 34 is filtered through the dust filtration filter 35. And stored in the water storage section 34. This stored water is drained from the stored water drain port 36 by a drain pump (not shown) at regular intervals.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heat absorber 28 is inclined so that the upper part approaches the heat radiator 29, and the heat absorber 28 is inclined with respect to each other with the heat radiator 29 inclined to the heat absorber 28 side. The one side of each of these faces diagonally at a predetermined interval. A front wall surface 23 a of the upper case 23 constituting the unit case 21 is formed on the other surface side of the heat absorber 28 at a predetermined interval substantially parallel to the inclination of the heat absorber 28, and on the other surface side of the heat radiator 29. A rear wall surface 23b of the upper case 23 is formed in a substantially vertical direction from the vicinity of the lower portion of the radiator 29, and an intake space 38 serving as an air flow path between the heat absorber 28 and the front wall surface 23a and between the radiator 29 and the rear wall surface 23b, and An exhaust space 39 is formed. Both end portions of the heat absorber 28 and the radiator 29 are formed so that an air flow path from the intake space on the heat absorber 28 side to the exhaust space 39 on the radiator 29 side through the heat absorber 28 and the radiator 29 is formed. The heat absorbing / dissipating unit 40 held by the pair of side wall plates 37 is accommodated in the unit case 21.

  In this way, the flow path lid 24 is configured to close the rear open portion from the rear of the upper case 23, and the front wall surface 23 a of the upper case 23 is formed to be inclined so as to escape the water tank unit 10. By forming the rear wall surface 23b in a substantially vertical direction along the rear surface of the washing machine housing 2, the limited space can be utilized to the maximum, and the heat pump unit 20 is formed behind the water tank unit 10. It is possible to arrange in a limited space. Moreover, since both ends of the heat absorber 28 and the radiator 29 are held by the pair of side wall plates 37, the heat absorber 28 and the heat radiator 29 can be accommodated in the unit case 21 as the heat absorption / heat radiation unit 40. Incorporation into or removal from 21 can be facilitated, and workability can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the intake space 38 communicates with the hygroscopic air intake port 30, and the exhaust space 39 communicates with the heated air exhaust port 31. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant pipes 41 provided in the heat absorber 28 and the heat radiator 29 are respectively connected to the compressor 27 and have a function of a heat pump cycle as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the components of the heat pump are accommodated in the unit case 21 in a compact manner, and the intake connection pipe 32 and the exhaust connection pipe 33 are connected to the upper case 23 of the unit case 21 as shown in FIG. Thus, the heat pump unit 20 can be arranged in a limited installation space and has a compact and simple pipe connection for circulating the drying air to the heat pump.

  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. An intake port 11 is formed on the back surface of the water tank 3 and an exhaust port 12 is formed on the side peripheral surface. A heated air blower duct 13 is provided between the intake port 11 and the exhaust connection pipe 33 of the heat pump unit 20. By connecting 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 provided with the blower fan 15, an air circulation path for drying air is formed. . In the drum-type washing / drying machine 1 according to the present embodiment, the water tank 3 functions as a drying chamber when the drying process is executed.

  The rotating drum 5 has a plurality of through holes 9 formed on the side peripheral surface thereof so that water and air can freely flow through the water tank 3, and a plurality of small holes communicating with the intake port 11 on the bottom surface. 1 is provided, the dried heated air supplied from the heat pump unit 20 via the heated air blowing duct 13 is rotated from the intake port 11 to the rotating drum as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5 can be introduced. Further, the moisture-absorbing air deprived of moisture from the clothes housed in the rotary drum 5 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 toward the air blowing duct 13 and discharged toward the intake connection pipe 32 of the heat pump unit 20.

  The washing / drying machine 1 having the above-described configuration opens the door body 8, puts laundry into the rotating drum 5, supplies water and detergent into the water tank 3 from a water supply pipe (not shown), and starts the washing process. Accordingly, the drum 5 is rotated by the drum driving motor 4, and the agitating blades 7 provided at a plurality of locations on the inner peripheral surface lift the laundry upward and repeat the action of tapping to wash the laundry from above. Is done. Since washing is completed by executing a rinsing process and a dehydrating process after the washing process, the process can be arbitrarily shifted to a drying process. Moreover, only the drying process which dries wet clothes can also be implemented. Operation | movement of this drying process is demonstrated below with reference to FIGS.

  When a laundry or wet clothes (hereinafter collectively referred to as clothing) is stored 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 to remove the clothes. Simultaneously with the stirring, the heat pump unit 20 and the blower fan 15 are driven to start circulation of the drying air. 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 through the refrigerant pipe 41 and circulate through the radiator 29, the throttle means 42, and the heat absorber 28 as shown in FIG. 4. Since 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, the blown air is heated. Since the heated air is supplied from the exhaust space 39 through the exhaust connection pipe 33 and the heated air blowing duct 13 into the rotary drum 5 from the intake port 12, the heated air becomes moisture-absorbed air that has taken moisture from the clothes to be stirred. Then, the air is discharged from the exhaust port 12 to the hygroscopic air blowing duct 14. The hygroscopic air blown to the hygroscopic air blowing duct 14 enters the intake space 38 of the heat pump unit 20 through the intake connection pipe 32 and the hygroscopic air intake port 30, and the heat absorber through which the low-pressure refrigerant is decompressed by the throttle means 42 flows. When passing through 28, sensible heat and latent heat are deprived and dehumidified, and dewed water generated by dehumidification is dropped into the water storage section 34, and the dehumidified and dried air enters the radiator 29 and is heated again. An 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 clothes drying apparatus that heats and dehumidifies the drying air by the heat pump unit 20 collects the heat absorbed by the heat absorber 28 with the refrigerant and dissipates the heat again from the radiator 29, so that it exceeds the energy input to the compressor 27. The amount of heat can be applied to the clothing, and it is possible to reduce the drying time and save energy.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the components of the heat pump are accommodated in the unit case in a compact manner, and the intake connection pipe communicating with the heat absorber and the exhaust connection pipe communicating with the radiator are attached to the unit case. Since the unit is configured, a heat pump can be installed in a limited space, and an air circulation path to the drying chamber can be easily constructed, thus realizing a reduction in drying time and energy saving. A clothes drying apparatus can be provided.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the drum type washing-drying machine to which the clothes drying apparatus which concerns on this invention is applied. The disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a heat pump unit. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a heat pump unit. The schematic diagram explaining the heat pump cycle and the circulation path of the air for drying.

Explanation of symbols

1 Washing dryer 2 Washing machine housing 3 Water tank (drying room)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Rotating drum 11 Intake port 12 Exhaust port 13 Heated air ventilation duct 14 Hygroscopic air ventilation duct 15 Blower fan 20 Heat pump unit 21 Unit case 22 Bottom case 23 Upper case 24 Channel cover 27 Compressor 28 Heat absorber 29 Radiator 30 Hygroscopic air Intake port 31 Heated air exhaust port 32 Intake connection pipe 33 Exhaust connection pipe 34 Water storage part 37 Side wall plate 38 Intake space 39 Exhaust space 41 Refrigerant conduit 42 Throttle means

Claims (2)

A refrigerant circulation line that returns from the compressor to the compressor through the radiator, the throttle means, and the heat absorber is formed, and the heat of the compressed and heated refrigerant is radiated from the radiator to the air, and the pressure is reduced by the throttle means. A heat pump that absorbs heat from the air by sending refrigerant to the heat absorber is constructed, and the dry air heated by the radiator is blown into the drying chamber containing the clothing, and the moisture-absorbing air deprived of moisture from the clothing is discharged outside the drying chamber. In the clothes drying apparatus in which an air circulation path is formed to introduce the air dehumidified by the heat absorber to the heat radiator again,
Each component forming the heat pump is integrally accommodated in a unit case, and each of the radiator and the heat absorber faces each other with a predetermined interval, and the other surface and the wall surface of the unit case. Each end of each of the air passages is formed so that air passages are formed from the intake space on the heat absorber side through the heat absorber and the heat radiator to the exhaust space on the heat radiator side. Is accommodated in the unit case as a heat absorption / radiation unit held by a pair of side wall plates, and an intake conduit for introducing the hygroscopic air into the intake space, and an exhaust conduit for sending the dry air from the exhaust space Is a heat pump unit formed in a unit case.   The unit case is fixed to the bottom surface of the half-shell and the bottom case is provided with a water storage part in which the bottom surface below the heat absorber is formed as a recess, and connected to the peripheral part of the bottom case. An upper case that covers the components of the heat pump accommodated and that forms a ventilation passage that communicates with the exhaust pipe from the hygroscopic air intake opening that opens onto the intake space and the heated air exhaust opening that opens onto the exhaust space; and A flow path lid that closes the side opening of the air passage, an intake connection pipe that is connected to the hygroscopic air intake port, and an exhaust connection pipe that is connected to the opening that communicates with the air passage. The clothing drying apparatus according to claim 1.

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