JP2007222455A - Washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a washing property by heating wash water by a heat pump device in washing and rinsing processes and improving dirt removal performance and to reduce the damage of clothes by low-temperature drying of the clothes. <P>SOLUTION: This washing/drying machine is provided with at least a part of a heat radiator 13 in a water tub 3, a suction air duct 20 connected to the outside air on the upstream side of a heat sink 15 of a circulating air duct 18, and an exhaust duct 21 connected to the outside air in the downstream side of the heat sink. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laundry dryer that performs washing, dehydration and drying in the same rotating tank.

  This type of conventional washing and drying machine will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, a cylindrical water tank 43 supported by a plurality of elastic bodies 42 is provided inside a main body 41 of a conventional washing / drying machine so as to absorb vibration during washing and dehydration. . Inside the water tank 43, a cylindrical rotating tank 45 for storing a dry matter 44 (hereinafter referred to as clothing) such as clothes is rotated by a drive motor 46. A large number of small holes 45a are provided in the peripheral wall.

  On the front surface of the main body 41, an opening 41a for taking in and out the clothes 44 and a door 47 for opening and closing the same are provided. Similar openings 43 a and 45 b are also provided on the front side of the water tank 43 and the rotating tank 45, and the opening 43 a of the water tank 43 is watertightly connected to the opening 41 a of the main body 41 by a bellows 48. The bottom of the water tank 43 has a drain outlet 49 for discharging washing water, is connected to a drain hose 51 via a drain valve 50, and the tip thereof is led out of the machine.

  Furthermore, a compressor 52 that compresses the refrigerant, a radiator 53 that dissipates the heat of condensation of the compressed refrigerant, a decompression unit 54 that decompresses the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant, and a refrigerant that has been decompressed to low pressure A heat pump device 57 is provided that is connected to a heat absorber 55 that removes heat from the surroundings by a pipe 56 so that the refrigerant circulates. Furthermore, the circulation which comes out from the small hole 45a of the rotation tank 45 and the exhaust port 43b provided in the water tank 43, passes through the heat absorber 55 and the heat radiator 53, and returns to the water tank 43 and the rotation tank 45 from the intake port 43c of the water tank 43 again. An air passage 58 is configured, and air circulation is performed by a blower 59 provided in the circulation air passage 58. The water supply valve 60 is connected to a tap faucet 61 by a hose 62.

  In the above configuration, when the washing operation is performed, the door 47 is opened, the clothes 44 and the detergent are put into the rotating tub 45, and the operation is started. First, when the water supply valve 60 opens the water supply port on the washing water side and a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the water tank 43 and the rotary tank 45, the drive motor 46 is operated and the rotary tank 45 is rotationally driven to perform cleaning. After a predetermined time, the drive motor 46 is stopped, the drain valve 50 is opened, and dirty water is drained from the water tank 43 and the rotary tank 45 and discharged to a drainage place outside the machine.

  Next, water is supplied to the water tank 43 and the rotating tank 45 in the same manner as described above, and a rinsing operation is performed. When the rinsing is completed, the drain valve 50 is opened and drained, and then the water tank 43 is driven to rotate at high speed by the drive motor 46, whereby the clothes 44 are dehydrated.

  When the washing operation ends as described above, the drying operation of the clothes 44 starts. In the drying process, the rotating tub 45 is driven to rotate at a low speed by the drive motor 46 to stir the clothes 44. At the same time, the air in the circulating air passage 58 is absorbed by the heat absorber 55 and cooled and dehumidified by the operation of the compressor 52 and the operation of the blower 59 of the heat pump device 57. Thereafter, the warm air heated and dehumidified by the radiator 53 is sent into the water tank 43 from the air inlet 43c.

The dehumidified warm air deprives the clothes 44 of moisture, passes through the water tank 43 through the small hole 45a of the rotating tank 45, and reaches the circulation air path 58 through the exhaust port 43b. The dehumidified water is drained out of the machine via the drain valve 50. The air 44 circulates between the circulation air path 58 and the rotating tub 45, whereby the clothes 44 are dehumidified and dried. As a clothes dryer using the heat pump device having such a configuration, for example, the one shown in Patent Document 1 is disclosed.
JP 7-178289 A

  The clothes dryer disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a radiator that radiates heat of the compressed refrigerant, a decompression unit that decompresses the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant, and a decompression unit. Then, a heat pump device is provided that is connected by a pipe line so that the refrigerant circulates between the low-pressure refrigerant and the heat absorber that draws heat from the surroundings, and the clothes are dried by effectively collecting and using the energy. Therefore, energy consumption can be greatly reduced as compared with the case of drying using a heating means such as a heater.

  In addition, it is already well known that the temperature of washing water used is increased, the activity of the detergent is improved, and dirt and the like are easily dissolved in the washing water in order to improve washing performance during washing.

  And, when drying, heat pump device can be used and energy consumption can be used efficiently. Water used for washing and rinsing can be done by connecting heating means such as a heater, hot water heater, etc., and adding hot water directly. Used to produce hot water.

  However, since such a heating method has a heat conversion efficiency of 1 or less, it requires a lot of energy and time to produce hot water. As a method for solving this problem, a method of making hot water using a heat pump device is conceivable. However, in the case of a washing / drying machine provided with a conventional heat pump device, as described above, the heat pump device is used only when clothes are dried, and a significant energy saving can be expected during drying. None used a heat pump device for heating.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and not only during drying, but also by supplying warm water and warm air efficiently into the aquarium even during easy washing, keeping clothes and washing water at a high temperature, and saving energy. The object is to provide a washing and drying machine with excellent cleaning performance.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a washing and drying machine of the present invention includes a water tank supported in a main body, a rotating tank rotatably provided in the water tank, a compressor and a heat absorber, a decompression unit, A heat pump device in which a radiator is connected by a pipe line through which a refrigerant passes, a circulation air passage that circulates air in the rotating tub from the heat absorber to the rotating tub through the radiator, and drying for the circulation air passage An air blowing means for blowing air; and a control means for controlling the heat pump device and the like, wherein at least a part of the radiator is configured in the water tank, and communicates with the outside air upstream of the heat absorber of the circulation air passage. An intake air passage is provided, and an exhaust air passage communicating with the outside air is provided on the downstream side of the heat absorber.

  Thereby, at the time of drying, the air passing through the circulation air passage is dehumidified with a heat absorber, further heated with a heat radiator, and applied to the clothes in the rotating tub, whereby the moisture of the clothes can be evaporated and dried. At this time, the heat pump device takes away the heat of condensation when the moisture in the air is condensed in the heat sink, gives heat to the air dried in the heat radiator, greatly reduces the relative humidity of the air, and the air is used as clothing. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the drying air at a higher temperature than necessary, and drying can be performed with energy efficiency.

  Further, at the time of washing and rinsing, heat of the air is taken away by the heat absorber from the air introduced from the intake air passage by the heat pump device, and the heat is transferred to the radiator to heat the washing water and the rinsing water. Accordingly, it is possible to warm the washing water and the rinsing water without using a heat source such as a heater, and it is possible to perform the washing and rinsing with high energy efficiency.

  In addition, since the washing water or circulating air directly contacts the radiator in the water tank and exchanges heat, the heat of the refrigerant can be efficiently transmitted to the washing water. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a water supply path for warming the wash water, and the structure can be made compact with a simple structure. Furthermore, by keeping the washing water temperature high, a washing / drying machine having excellent washing performance and high energy saving can be realized.

  The washing / drying machine of the present invention can increase the temperature of clothing and washing water by the heat of the heat pump device when washing and rinsing are performed, and can increase the washing effect with high efficiency and low energy consumption.

  1st invention is the heat pump which connected the water tank supported in the main body, the rotating tank rotatably provided in the said water tank, the compressor, the heat absorber, the pressure reduction means, and the heat radiator with the pipe | tube through which a refrigerant | coolant passes. A circulating air passage that circulates the air in the rotating tub from the heat absorber to the rotating tub to the rotating tub, a blower that blows drying air into the circulating air passage, the heat pump device, and the like And at least a part of the radiator is provided in the water tank, an intake air passage communicating with the outside air is provided on the upstream side of the heat absorber of the circulation air passage, and downstream of the heat absorber. By providing an exhaust air passage that communicates with the outside air on the side, heat is taken away from the air introduced from the intake air passage by the heat pump device by the heat pump device when washing is too easy, and the heat is carried to the radiator to wash and rinse water By heating High washing and rinsing energy efficiency without using little energy source such as a heater is made possible. In addition, since the washing water or circulating air directly contacts the radiator in the water tank and exchanges heat, the heat of the refrigerant can be efficiently transmitted to the washing water. Further, there is no need to provide a water supply path for warming the wash water, and the structure can be made compact with a simple structure. Furthermore, since the washing water temperature can be kept high with high efficiency, a washing / drying machine having excellent washing performance and high energy saving performance can be realized.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, partition means is provided in the intake air path and the exhaust air path of the first invention, and the control means closes the intake air path side and the exhaust air path side during drying. When drying, the drying air circulates in the circulation air path and can be used effectively without throwing away heat to the outside air.When washing is too easy, air is introduced more actively than the outside air and the heat is washed away. Therefore, more heat can be applied to the input of the heat pump device to increase the water temperature.

  In addition to the first invention, the third invention provides partitioning means provided in the intake air passage and the exhaust air passage, temperature detecting means for detecting the air temperature in the circulation air passage upstream of the heat absorber, and the outside air temperature. When the temperature of the circulating air is higher than the outside air temperature, the control means detects the heat taken away by the heat absorber by closing the intake air passage and the exhaust air passage by the partitioning means. Can be taken away from the air on the higher temperature side, so heat can be taken away efficiently and used for cleaning and drying.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the radiator of the heat pump device according to any one of the first to third aspects of the invention is provided in the bottom of the water tank, and at least a part of the radiator is provided in the circulation air passage outside the water tank. Thus, the radiator is configured in the portion where the washing water at the bottom of the water tank is accumulated, and the radiator and the washing water are in direct contact to exchange heat, so that the heat exchange efficiency can be improved. In addition, when washing is too easy, warming water can be circulated from the radiator part outside the water tank to the rotating tank at the same time as the washing water is warmed, so that the temperature of the clothes can be raised quickly and dirt can be lifted. Then, it is possible to easily remove dirt by washing with washing water.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the radiator of the heat pump device according to any one of the first to third aspects is provided on the outside of the water tank, and is connected to the inside of the water tank via a heat exchanging portion. The heat exchange part does not come into direct contact with the washing water, and there is no concern that the radiator is corroded by the washing water. Moreover, since heat is exchanged in the heat exchange section, the washing water can be warmed without lowering the heat exchange efficiency.

  In addition to any one of the first to third inventions, the sixth invention communicates with the cooling air blowing means for cooling the compressor of the heat pump device, and the heat absorber of the heat pump device on the downstream side of the compressor. A cooling air passage is provided, and the air supplied to the compressor by the cooling air blowing means passes through the heat absorber through the cooling air passage, so that waste heat generated in the compressor passes through the heat absorber. Thus, the efficiency of the heat pump device can be increased, and the heating capacity of the cleaning water in the radiator can be increased, so that the cleaning time and the cleaning performance can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a longitudinal section of a washing / drying machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a cylindrical water tank 3 supported by a plurality of elastic bodies 2 is provided inside a main body 1 of a washing / drying machine, and is configured to absorb vibration during washing and dehydration. Inside the water tub 3, a cylindrical rotating tub 5 that houses clothes 4 to be washed or dried, such as clothes, is configured to be rotated by a drive motor 6, and a plurality of small holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the rotating tub 5. 5a is provided.

  On the front surface of the main body 1, there are provided an opening 1a for taking in and out the garment 4 and a door 7 for opening and closing the opening 1a. Similar openings 3 a and 5 b are also provided on the front side of the water tank 3 and the rotating tank 5, and the opening 3 a of the water tank 3 is water-tightly connected to the opening 1 a of the main body 1 by a bellows 8. The bottom of the aquarium 3 has a drain port 9 for discharging washing water, and is connected to a drain hose 11 via a drain valve 10, and its tip is led out of the machine.

  Furthermore, the compressor 12 that compresses the refrigerant, the radiator 13 that dissipates the heat of condensation of the compressed refrigerant, the decompression means 14 for decompressing the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed to low pressure A heat pump device 17 connected by a pipe line 16 is provided so that the refrigerant circulates through a heat absorber 15 that takes heat from the surroundings, and a part or all of the radiator 13 is installed in the water tank 3.

  Furthermore, it exits from the small hole 5a of the rotating tank 5 and the exhaust port 3b provided in the water tank 3, passes through the heat absorber 15 and the radiator 13, and returns to the water tank 3 and the rotating tank 5 again from the air supply port 3c of the water tank 3. A circulation air passage 18 is configured, and a circulation blow of drying air is performed by a blower (air blowing means) 19 provided in the circulation air passage 18. In addition, an intake air passage 20 connected to the outside air is connected to the circulation air passage 18a on the upstream side of the heat absorber 15, and an exhaust air passage 21 connected to the outside air is similarly connected to the circulation air passage 18b on the downstream side of the heat absorber 15 and the blower 19. Is provided. The water supply valve 22 is connected by a hose 24 connected to a water tap 23.

  In the above configuration, when the washing operation is performed, the door 7 is opened, the clothes 4 and the detergent are put into the rotating tub 5, and the operation is started. First, when the water supply valve 22 opens the water supply opening on the washing water side and a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 5, the drive motor 6 is activated and the rotary tank 5 is rotationally driven to perform the washing operation. . At this time, by operating the compressor 12 and the blower 19 of the heat pump device 17, outside air is taken in from the intake air passage 20, and the air in the circulation air passage 18 a is absorbed by the heat absorber 15, and moisture in the air Is cooled and condensed, takes heat of condensation, and is exhausted from the exhaust air passage 21 to the outside of the main body 1.

  The refrigerant in the pipe line 16 carries this heat, and the radiator 13 heats the washing water in the water tank 3 and simultaneously heats the air in the circulation air path 18. As a result, the temperature of the washing water and the temperature of the garment 4 rise, and the washing performance is significantly improved as compared with the case where there is no temperature rise. Further, after washing for a predetermined time, the drive motor 6 is stopped and the drain valve 10 is opened, and dirty water is drained from the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 5 and drained to a drainage place outside the machine.

  Next, water is supplied to the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 5 in the same manner as described above, and a rinsing operation is performed. Similarly, the heat pump device 17 is operated, the temperature of the rinsing water is raised, and the rinsing performance can be improved. When the rinsing is completed, the drain valve 10 is opened and drained, and then the rotating tub 5 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 6 at a high speed, whereby the clothes 4 are dehydrated.

  When the washing, rinsing, and dehydrating operations are completed as described above, the drying operation is started next. In the drying process, the air in the circulating air passage 18 is absorbed by the heat of the compressor 12 of the heat pump device 17 and the operation of the blower 19 while the garment 4 is agitated by rotating the rotary tub 5 at a low speed by the drive motor 6. The heat is absorbed at 15 and cooled and dehumidified, heated by the radiator 13 and fed into the water tank 3 from the air supply port 3 c. The dehumidified warm air takes away moisture from the clothing 4, and then passes through the small tank 5a of the rotating tank 5 through the water tank 3 and reaches the circulation air path 18 through the exhaust port 3b. The dehumidified water is drained out of the machine via the drain valve 10. As described above, the air is circulated between the circulation air passage 18 and the rotary tub 5 so that the clothes 4 are dried.

  As a result, the heat pump device 17 can be used effectively not only in the energy consumption reduction effect in the drying process but also in the cleaning and rinsing process, so that the cleaning performance and rinsing performance can be improved. is there.

  In addition, while controlling drive of the drive motor 6, the heat pump apparatus 17, the air blower 19, etc., each process of washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying is sequentially operated by a control means (not shown) based on a set program. Is.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 2 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a washing / drying machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, partitioning means 24 and 25 are provided in the intake air passage 20 and the exhaust air passage 21 provided so as to branch from the circulation air passage 18 and connect to the outside air. The partition means 24 and 25 are opened during washing and rinsing, and communicate with outside air via the intake air passage 20 and the exhaust air passage 21. Further, it is closed during the drying process so as to be shut off from the outside air, and the drying air flows through the circulation air passage 18.

  With this configuration, the drying air circulates in the circulation air passage 18 during drying, so that the heat of the air can be effectively utilized without throwing away heat to the outside air, and air is introduced more actively than the outside air when washing is too easy. Since the heat is absorbed by the heat absorber 15 of the heat pump device 17 and the heat of the outside air can be added by the radiator 13 to warm the washing water, a large amount of heat can be carried by the heat pump device 17, Heat higher than the input of the device 17 can be applied to increase the water temperature.

  Further, a switching means (not shown) is provided in place of the partition means 24 and 25 at a branch portion between the circulation air passage 18, the intake air passage 20, and the exhaust air passage 21, and the circulation air passage 18 is used when washing and rinsing. Even if the side is closed and the intake air passage 20 and the exhaust air passage 21 are closed during the drying process, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

  Further, a temperature detecting means 28 for detecting the air temperature of the circulating air passage 18 upstream of the heat absorber 15 and an outside air temperature detecting means 29 for detecting the temperature of the outside air are provided. When the temperature of the circulating air detected by the temperature detecting means 28 is higher than the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means 29, the control means controls the respective partition means 24 and 25 to be closed.

  With this configuration, when the heat absorber 15 absorbs heat, the heat can be taken away from the air on the circulating air passage 18 side or the outside air, whichever is higher, so the heat is taken away efficiently, and the radiator 13 In addition, heat can be applied to the circulating air and cleaning and drying can be performed efficiently. In addition, even if the radiator 13 is completely submerged in the water at the bottom of the water tank 5 as shown in FIG.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, the washing / drying machine in Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a longitudinal section of the washing and drying machine in the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the radiator 13 of the heat pump device 17 is provided at the bottom of the water tank 3, and the other part is provided in the circulation air passage 18 outside the water tank 3.

  With this configuration, since the heat radiator 13 and the washing water are in direct contact with each other to exchange heat, the heat exchange efficiency can be improved, and at the same time as washing, the washing water is warmed by the radiator 13 and the rotating tank 5 at the same time. Since warm air can be circulated in the interior, the temperature of the garment 4 can be increased quickly, the dirt can be lifted, and then washed with washing water, so that the dirt can be easily removed.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, the washing / drying machine in Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the washing / drying machine according to the fourth embodiment. The heat radiator 13 of the heat pump device 17 is provided outside the water tank 3 and is configured to communicate with the inside of the water tank 3 via the heat exchanging unit 30.

  With this configuration, the heat exchanging portion 30 of the radiator 13 is not in direct contact with the cleaning water, and there is no fear that the radiator 13 is corroded by the cleaning water. Further, since the heat exchange is performed in the heat exchange section 30, the washing water can be warmed without lowering the heat exchange efficiency.

(Embodiment 5)
Next, the washing / drying machine in Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a simplified diagram of a longitudinal section of the washing and drying machine in the fifth embodiment.

  A cooling blower 31 for cooling the compressor 12 of the heat pump device 17 is provided, and a cooling air passage 32 through which the heat absorber 15 of the heat pump device 17 passes is provided on the downstream side of the compressor 12. With this configuration, waste heat generated in the compressor 12 passes through the radiator 13, so that the efficiency of the heat pump device 17 can be increased and the heating capacity of the cleaning water in the radiator 13 can be increased. Therefore, the cleaning time and cleaning performance can be improved.

  As described above, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is capable of heating the washing water and drying at a low temperature using the heating and dehumidifying means using the heat pump device, so that there is little damage to the clothes and efficiency. It can be dried well and can be applied to food equipment and other equipment that requires drying at low temperatures in other fields.

Simplified longitudinal sectional view of the washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Simplified view of a longitudinal section of the washing and drying machine in Embodiment 2 of the present invention Simplified longitudinal section of another example of the washer / dryer Simplified longitudinal sectional view of the washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Simplified cross-sectional view of a washing and drying machine in Embodiment 4 of the present invention Simplified view of a longitudinal section of a washing and drying machine in Embodiment 5 of the present invention Simplified longitudinal section of a conventional washer / dryer

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 3 Water tank 5 Rotating tank 6 Drive motor 12 Compressor 13 Radiator 14 Pressure reducing means 15 Heat absorber 17 Heat pump device 18 Circulating air path 19 Blower 20 Intake air path 21 Exhaust air path 22 Water supply valve 24, 25 Partition means 28 Temperature detection Means 29 Outside air temperature sensing means

Claims (6)

A water tank supported within the main body, a rotary tank provided rotatably in the water tank, a heat pump device in which a compressor, a heat absorber, a decompression unit, and a radiator are connected by a conduit through which the refrigerant passes, and the rotary tank A circulation air passage that circulates the air from the heat absorber to the rotary tank through the radiator, a blower that blows drying air into the circulation air passage, and a control means that controls the heat pump device and the like And at least a part of the radiator is configured in the water tank, an intake air passage communicating with the outside air is provided upstream of the heat sink of the circulation air passage, and communicated with the outside air downstream of the heat absorber. Washer / dryer with exhaust air duct. 2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein partition means is provided in the intake air path and the exhaust air path, and the control means closes the intake air path side and the exhaust air path side when drying. There are provided partition means provided in the intake air flow path and exhaust air flow path, temperature detection means for detecting the air temperature of the circulation air path upstream of the heat absorber, and outside air temperature detection means for detecting the outside air temperature. The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein when the air temperature is higher than the outside air temperature, the intake air passage and the exhaust air passage are closed by the partition means. 4. The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the radiator of the heat pump device is provided at a bottom portion in the water tank, and at least a part is provided in a circulation air passage outside the water tank. The radiator of a heat pump device is a washing and drying machine given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-3 provided in the outside of a water tank, and connected with the inside of said water tank via a heat exchange part. Cooling air blowing means for cooling the compressor of the heat pump device, and a cooling air passage communicating with the heat absorber of the heat pump device on the downstream side of the compressor, and the air supplied to the compressor by the cooling air blowing means The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat is passed through the heat absorber through the cooling air passage.