JP2008000231A - Washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing/drying machine drying clothes by a heat pump installed in a casing, having an air blowing function blowing cool air or warm hair outward from the front face of a body at any time when non-executing a drying operation, and preventing the intrusion of foreign matters by closing an air outlet in times other than an air blowing operation. <P>SOLUTION: This washing/drying machine is so constituted as to wash and dry clothes by the drum 9 rotatably supported in a water tub 6 in the casing 2, in the drying operation, introduce heated air from a heat exchanger 13 into the drum by the operation of the heat pump 12 disposed inside the casing and the air blower 16 and dry the laundry, in the optional time under a prescribed condition, change a circulation air course 19 at any time under a prescribed condition and actuating the heat pump, and blowing the air by an air blowing fan 22 outward from the air outlet 23 opened in the front face of the casing, and the air outlet has a louver 21, the air outlet is opened by a lid body 21c in the air blowing operation, and it is closed when finishing the air blowing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine in which clothes in a drum are dried by a heat pump and air-conditioned by blowing air outside the machine.

  In recent years, as shown in the schematic configuration of FIG. 6, the washing / drying machine has a rotating tub as a horizontal axis type drum (59) and an opening provided on the front side of the housing (52). The so-called drum-type washer / dryer (51) has been commercialized and is becoming popular. The washing tub (56) in this kind of drum-type washing and drying machine has a horizontal cylindrical shape, and a support device (61) in the casing (52) that forms the outer shell so that the front is higher than the horizontal. A drum (59) is rotatably provided in the water tank (56) so as to form a gap with the water tank (6), and the drum (59) is a water tank. (56) Directly rotationally driven by a DC brushless motor (60) attached to the rear surface.

  A door (55) that opens and closes the loading port (54) is provided at the loading port (54) for loading and unloading the laundry provided on the front side of the housing (52). The door (55) is locked and the washing water in the water tub (56) is sealed so that it does not overflow to the outside through gaps, etc., and is separately placed above the water tub (56) when drying the laundry. Heated air generated by a drying unit (62) comprising a drying heater (63) and a fan (67) is introduced into the drum (59) to dry clothes, etc. There has been invented a technology that provides a clothes drying apparatus using a sack.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, regarding a clothes drying apparatus (71) using a horizontal axis type rotary tank (79), an apparatus that performs air conditioning by a heat pump (refrigeration cycle) (82) in addition to clothes drying has been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). This is because the heating air discharged from the heating fin (83) that condenses the refrigerant in the heat pump (82) is introduced into the rotating drum-shaped drying chamber (79) to dry the clothes, and the air for drying the clothes The circuit (88) and (89) are shut off, and the fan (87) introduces outside air from the outside of the device, cools it with the cooling dehumidifying fins (86), and discharges it to the outside of the device for cooling and heating. Air conditioning is performed.
Japanese Patent No. 3330789

  However, the method using a drying unit comprising a heater and a fan has a difficulty in increasing power consumption because it is necessary to increase the heater capacity in order to shorten the drying time. Further, since the configuration shown in Patent Document 1 is a clothes drying apparatus and is different from the configuration as a washing / drying machine, it is not easy to wash or has a control configuration from dehydration to drying. Of course, the relation between the washing / drying operation and the blowing operation to the outside of the machine was not taken into consideration.

  Furthermore, the heat pump (82) including the heavy compressor (84) for cooling refrigerant, the cooling and dehumidifying fin (86), the heating fin (83), etc. The front damper (91), which is disposed in the part and inevitably is a blowout part to the outside of the apparatus, is located in the lower part of the apparatus main body. Therefore, when the air conditioning operation is performed, cold air or warm air is discharged to the lower periphery of the apparatus main body, and the blower opening of the damper for blowing air is opened outward and upward. Therefore, when a foreign object such as a button or coin that has been detached from clothing during washing or a foreign object such as an attached hairpin falls, it is easy to enter the opening. There is a possibility that the blower fan disposed in the vicinity of the blower outlet may be defective.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and clothes are dried by a heat pump installed in the casing, and at any time when the drying operation is not performed, cold air or warm air is discharged outward from the front of the main body. An object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine having a blowing function for blowing out wind and closing a blowing port outside the machine except during a blowing operation so that foreign matter is difficult to enter.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a washing and drying machine according to the present invention is configured to wash and dry clothes by a drum rotatably supported inside a water tank in the casing, and a heat pump disposed in the casing during a drying operation. Heated air from the heat exchanger is introduced into the drum by the operation of the blower to dry the laundry, while the heat pump is driven by switching the circulation airflow at any time under a predetermined condition, and opened to the front of the housing The air blower is blown outward from the blower outlet, and the blower port has a louver, and the lid part opens the blower port during the blowing operation and closes it when the blowing ends. It is characterized by.

  According to the washing and drying machine of the present invention, it is possible to effectively perform the drying operation of the laundry by the hot air blowing by the heat pump and the dehumidifying function, and the wind using the heat pump is directed outwardly at any time under a predetermined condition. In addition, the surrounding space can be made a more comfortable atmosphere, and foreign matters are less likely to enter the inside through the blower opening, thereby preventing the occurrence of problems such as a blower fan.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is an external perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. The drum type laundry dryer (1) is an operation for selecting and setting a washing course on the upper front side of the casing (2) forming the outer shell. A panel (3) was arranged, and a circular insertion opening (4) for taking in and out the laundry was opened in the central portion of the front surface, and a transparent window was formed to close the insertion opening (4) so that it could be opened and closed. A door (5) is arranged.

  A water tank (6) is disposed inside the housing (2). The water tank (6) has a horizontal cylindrical shape with the back closed, and an annular water tank cover (6a) is attached to the opening peripheral edge of the front surface portion, and a pair of support devices (7) provided on the left and right of the bottom portion. A drainage hose (8) that leads the washing water in the aquarium (6) out of the machine is connected to the lower part on the back side through a drainage valve. .

  Inside the water tank (6), a bottomed cylindrical drum (9) that is rotatable about a horizontal axis is disposed. The drum (9) is supported in an inclined state slightly upward toward the front along the water tub (6). A large number of dewatering holes (9a) are formed in the peripheral wall of the trunk portion, and the laundry is scraped on the inner peripheral surface thereof. A plurality of raising baffles (9b) are provided. In addition, an annular drum cover (9c) is attached to the front opening side, and is disposed so as to face the charging port (4) together with the water tank cover (6a), and functions as a shared tank in the washing process and the dewatering process. It is.

  The closed back surface of the drum (9) is pivotally supported by the closed back surface portion of the water tank (6), and is rotated by a motor (10) controlled at a rotational speed corresponding to a washing and dewatering process. The motor (10) is, for example, an outer rotor type, and the inner stator is fixed to the water tank (6) side, and the rotary shaft (10a) directly connected to the outer rotor is connected to the rear wall of the water tank (6). And is connected to the center of the back surface of the drum (9).

  A bellows (11) made of a soft resin material having excellent chemical resistance is attached to the gap between the opening periphery of the inlet (4) and the water tank cover (6a) at the front opening of the water tank (6). In order to prevent leakage from the water tank (6) to the outside of the machine, a part of the water tank (6) is extended and brought into contact with the back side of the door (5) in the closed state, and water from the input port (4) to the outside of the machine Leakage is prevented, and a bellows portion is provided to prevent the rotational vibration of the water tank (6) and the drum (9) from being transmitted to the door (5) side.

  The drum-type washing / drying machine (1) having the above-described structure automatically executes the washing, rinsing, and dehydrating function processes by selecting and setting the process, and the laundry is supplied to the drum (9) through the insertion port (4). In the washing and rinsing process, the drum (9) is rotated at a low speed while washing water is supplied into the water tub (6), and the laundry is baffled (9b). Washing is carried out by agitating motion to scrape and drop, and in the dehydration process, the drain valve is opened and the rinse water after the rinsing process is discharged from the drain hose (8) to the outside of the machine, and then the drum (9) is moved in one direction. Centrifugal dehydration is performed from a number of dewatering holes (9a) provided on the peripheral wall of the body by rotating at high speed.

  A heat pump unit (12) is installed in the front-rear direction at a substantially central part in the width direction of the lower part of the casing (2), and the drum (9) is used during the drying operation after the washing process is completed. ) Is rotated in various ways, and the heat generated by the condenser (13) by the heat pump is used to dry the laundry.

  That is, the heat pump unit (12) has a compressor (14) that compresses and discharges the refrigerant on one side of the bottom surface of the housing (2), and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor (14). The condenser (13) that radiates and condenses the gas, the decompression device such as an expansion valve and capillary tube that decompresses the high-pressure refrigerant, and the evaporator (15) that absorbs heat by evaporating the decompressed refrigerant are connected in a ring. Thus, when the heat pump unit (12) is driven during the drying process of the washing / drying operation, the drying blower (16) disposed on the back side of the condenser (13) is simultaneously controlled to rotate.

  In the heat pump unit (12) and the blower (16), the drum (9) and the water tank (6) are arranged in an inclined state toward the front upper part with respect to the housing (2). It is installed using the space formed between the main body and the bottom of the main body, and can be disposed compactly without requiring a large space dedicated to the heat pump.

  The drying fan (16) is configured to remove the dry air heated to about 70 ° C. by the condenser (13) that is at a high temperature between the downstream side of the drying fan (16) and the back side portion of the drum (9). The drum (9) is blown into the drum (9) from the peripheral portion of the motor (10) through the communicating drum inlet duct (18), and dried by contacting with the laundry. Further, air that has been humidified by contact with the laundry flows out from the drum (9) to the outside through the inlet (4) and the peripheral dewatering hole (9a), and the drum outlet duct (19) Then, moisture in the air is removed by passing through a low-temperature evaporator (15), and then returned to the high-temperature condenser (13) to be circulated as reheated dry air.

  Thus, the lower cover (20) disposed opposite to the evaporator (15) disposed at the lower part on the front side of the washing machine main body (1) and covering the lower part of the front surface of the main body has a width as a blowing part. A louver (21) and a blower fan (22) having a wide dimension are provided. The blower fan (22) sends cool air from the evaporator (15) located at the rear to the blower port (23) at an obliquely upper position, and is a predetermined value that matches the width of the louver (21) The cross flow fan is provided with a large number of blades around a long rotation axis.

  The air blowing port (23) is disposed at a position branched forward from the middle of the drum outlet duct (19) communicating with the evaporator (15), and is provided with a louver (21 ) Is rotated up and down to open and close the blower opening (23) and to blow out air in the outward direction.

  A switching damper (24) is arranged at a branching portion of the drum outlet duct (19). During the drying process after the washing operation, the switching damper (24) is placed on the louver (21) side with the position of the switching damper (24) And the air outlet on the evaporator (15) side from the drum outlet duct (19) is opened so as not to obstruct the flow of hot air circulating in the drum (9) as shown by the arrow in FIG. ing.

  Further, when the louver (21) and the blower fan (22) are driven as a cold air blowout function which is an example of the blower function, as shown in FIG. 3 which is an enlarged view of the blower port (23) portion, the switching damper (24 ), The drum outlet duct (19) side is closed, and the low temperature air from the evaporator (15) cooled by the driven heat pump (12) is indicated by an arrow ( From 23), the air is blown out of the housing, that is, into the outside air in front.

  The louver (21) is formed in a wide rectangular tube shape, and a large number of fins (21a) are arranged in rows at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the tube so as to be rotatable in the width direction. The pivot (21b) provided at both ends of the body is engaged with the side wall of the air outlet (23), and the louver (21) body is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. By energizing a stepping motor (not shown) that is fixed to one outer side and engaged with a pivot on one end side, the blower port (23) is made to rotate by a predetermined angle through the pivot (21b). It opens and closes, and when the blower opening (23) is opened, the cool air from the evaporator (15) is controlled to blow out upward at a desired angle outside.

  When opening the air blowing port (23) to perform the air blowing operation, the louver (21) is rotated to project forward of the air blowing port (23), and the fin (21a) is driven (not shown). It is designed to blow cool air from the evaporator (15) toward the diagonally upper part of the desired angle outside the housing while swinging in the width direction by the source or manually changing the direction. Sometimes, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2, the front wall (21c) of the louver (21) covers the air blowing port (23) as a lid, and the upper edge extending on the upper part is the front surface of the air blowing port (23). Since it contacts the upper part, the louver (21) is housed inside without protruding from the front surface of the main body.

  Therefore, when the washing / drying machine (1) is in a washing-drying operation, the louver (21) is closed without protruding from the front of the main body of the washing / drying machine (1), and the blower opening (23) is also provided. Since there is no opening, it is possible to prevent foreign objects, such as buttons taken from clothes during washing, coins from pockets, hairpins, etc., from falling into the ventilation opening (23), and foreign objects that enter the ventilation fan It is possible to prevent such a problem from occurring.

  (27) is a wire mesh as a blocking body, as shown in FIG. 4, so as to close the upper surface opening on the air outlet (23) side of the fan casing (26) housing the air blowing fan (22). It is installed, and several cuts (27a) provided in the peripheral portion are fitted and engaged with the upper surface opening of the fan casing (26). This wire mesh (27) prevents foreign matter such as buttons from entering the blower opening (23) and prevents it from entering the blower fan (22) side. It is a relatively coarse mesh that catches the air without passing through it and does not impede the flow of the wind.

  If foreign matter enters the blower opening (23) and stops on the wire mesh (27), the lower cover (20), which is detachably fixed to the main body by concavo-convex engagement or screws, is removed. Thus, the wire mesh (27) can be removed from the main body together with the louver (21), and the foreign matter can be removed in the detached state, and dust and the like can be removed at the same time.

  In the above embodiment, the wire mesh (27) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the wire mesh, and any structure that prevents foreign matters such as buttons, coins, and hairpins from easily entering the fan casing (26) may be used. It is possible to prevent the blower fan (22) from being defective due to the provision of the foreign substance intrusion prevention body.

  Also, when the blower fan (22) is driven with the switching damper (24) closing the drum outlet duct (19), the air path from the evaporator (15) to the blower port (23) is negative, The air passage wall between the evaporator (15) and the condenser (13) is provided with an air inlet (29). During the ventilation, the presence of the air inlet (29) smoothens the sucked outside air. It passes through the evaporator (15), is dehumidified and cooled, and can be blown out from the air outlet (23) as cold air.

  At this time, a tension coil spring (not shown) is disposed on both the louver (21) and the air blowing port (23) side so that both ends of the louver (21) are engaged with each other. ). The louver (21) is rotated by the stepping motor in the direction of opening the air outlet (23), and is rotated by the contraction force of the coil spring in the closing direction. With this configuration, when the louver (21) closes the air outlet (23), the coil spring returns with a relatively weak elastic force, and an excessive force is not applied. It is possible to prevent problems such as pinching them.

  In addition, (28) in FIG. 3 is a lint filter for removing lint and foreign matter in the air provided in the air passage from the drum (9) to the evaporator (15), from the clothes in the drum (9). It is possible to prevent foreign matter such as lint generated from entering and attaching to the drying fan (16) from the evaporator (15) and condenser (13), and to be cleaned by pulling out the knob (28a). The lint filter (28) can be removed from the main body together with the metal mesh (27) when the lower cover (20) is removed. The

  FIG. 5 is a detailed arrangement configuration of the operation panel (3), and various operation keys and a display unit that a user operates for operating the washing / drying machine (1) are provided on the surface. Specifically, the operation key is selected by pressing a washing operation in which washing, rinsing or dehydration is performed, a washing / drying operation in which the washing operation and the drying operation are performed continuously, or a drying operation in which only the drying operation is performed. Washing operation mode key (32) for setting, stroke selection key (33) for selecting and setting each time and number of times by pressing individual strokes of easy washing, dehydration and drying, and timer Reservation key (34) for selecting a reservation time, power key (35) for turning on / off the washing / drying machine (1), and a large round start for starting or pausing the washing operation A temporary stop key (36) and the like are arranged, and these keys are configured to output an operation signal as many times as they are pressed by a push button switch.

  Further, on the outer periphery of the start / pause key (36), an annular operation dial (37) is rotatably disposed so as to obtain a feeling of movement by rotating by a predetermined angle. This operation dial (37) is attached to the rotary shaft of a rotary switch consisting of a rotary variable resistor, rotary encoder, etc., and an operation signal corresponding to the rotation direction and angle by rotating the operation dial (37). Is output.

  In the washing operation mode key (32), the display mode (32a) on the selected key surface is turned on by a red light emitting diode (LED) provided on the back surface thereof to clearly indicate the operation mode. Further, the liquid crystal display panel (38) is provided with a course display section (39) for displaying the course contents of washing and drying selected in the washing operation mode, and by rotating the operation dial (37) The liquid crystal display unit (39a) provided corresponding to the display items of the course display unit (39) is selected by lighting, and the current time and reservation are displayed on the adjacent display unit (40). The time, the remaining operation time, or the set time of the washing process and the dehydration process and the number of times of over-run are selected and displayed numerically.

  A control unit including an operation circuit is disposed on the back surface of the operation panel (3), and a rotation operation based on the operation of the operation dial (37) and a pressing operation signal based on various operation keys of the operation panel (3). The signal is output to the control means in the drive control unit disposed in the lower front portion of the housing (2).

  Accordingly, a blow key (41) is similarly provided below the washing mode key (32) in the operation panel (3). As described above, this air blow key (41) blows out the air dehumidified by the heat pump to perform the air conditioning operation, and the air blow operation is set by pressing the air blow key (41) while the power is on. When the operation of the washing machine such as washing or drying is stopped, the fan can be blown and the fan is blown by rotating the operation dial (37) on the outer periphery of the start / pause key (36). Whether the air is cold or warm is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel (38) and selected, and at the same time, the air blowing display (41a) is lit and displayed with a blue LED.

  When an air-conditioning operation mode, for example, a cold air blowout is selected according to the setting and the start key (36) is pressed, the heat pump (12) starts operation, delays for a predetermined time, and the switching damper (24) as shown in FIG. Closes the drum outlet duct (19), and the louver (21) rotates to open the blower opening (23), and the blower fan (22) further rotates to lower the evaporator (15). The cool air from the air is discharged outward from the air blowing port (23) by the louver (21). When the washing machine is performing a washing to drying operation, the switching damper (24) closes the blowing port (23) side and the blowing fan (22) even if the blowing key (41) is pressed. The front wall (21c) closes the opening of the blower opening (23) so that it does not protrude outward while the louver (21) is closed.

  In the above description, only the so-called cooling function configuration for blowing out low-temperature air to the outside has been described. However, the air discharged from the louver (21) is not limited to cold air, and a heating operation may be performed by discharging warm air. .

  In that case, a heating function key or the like is added as a display or operation specification of the operation panel (3), and the expansion device (15) in the heat pump unit (12) is used as a four-way valve so that the refrigerant is discharged from the evaporator (15). A flow path that flows toward the condenser (13) is provided, and the refrigerant flow path is switched by a valve so that the high-temperature refrigerant from the compressor (14) is first introduced into the evaporator (15) for condensation. This can be used as a high-temperature side heat exchanger, and warm air heated by the evaporator (15) is blown from the louver (21) to the outside, for example, in the front horizontal direction, and used as foot heating in winter be able to.

  When the set time elapses due to timer control or the like, the air-conditioning function operation is ended, and when the air blowing is arbitrarily stopped, the heat pump (12) and the air blowing are pushed by pressing the start key (36). Stop the operation of the fan (22) and return the angle of the louver (21) and the switching damper (24) to close the air outlet (23) so that there is no protrusion to the opening or front. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a good appearance and prevent foreign matter and dust from entering the inside.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mode in which the opening (23) is opened and closed by the rotation of the louver (21) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Is configured to open and close by sliding the plate-shaped lid in the vertical direction, and when the washing / drying machine (1) is operated from washing to drying, the air blowing port (23) is closed by the slide lid. Further, foreign matters such as buttons may be prevented from falling and entering the open air opening (23).

1 is a schematic perspective view of a drum type washing and drying machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing an external air outlet that is the main part of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view which shows the metal mesh in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of an operation panel unit in FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the conventional drum type washing-drying machine structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clothes drying apparatus which shows another conventional structure.

Explanation of symbols

1 Washer / Dryer 3 Operation Panel 6 Water Tank 9 Drum
12 Heat pump unit
13 Condenser
14 Compressor
15 Evaporator
16 Blower for drying
18 Drum inlet duct
19 Drum outlet duct
20 Bottom cover
21 louvers
22 Blower fan
23 Blower
24 switching damper
26 Fan casing
27 Wire mesh

Claims (2)

  The clothes are washed and dried by a drum that is rotatably supported in the water tank in the housing, and during the drying operation, heated air from the heat exchanger is moved into the drum by the operation of a heat pump and a blower disposed in the housing. Introducing and drying laundry, switching the circulation air path at any time under predetermined conditions to drive the heat pump and blowing the air from the blower fan outward from the blower opening opened on the front of the housing In addition, a washing / drying machine characterized in that the air outlet has a lid, which is opened during the air blowing operation and closed at the time of the air blowing. The washing fan according to claim 1, wherein the blower fan is disposed between the heat exchanger of the heat pump and the blower opening, and an upper portion thereof is covered with a blocking body that prevents entry of foreign matter into the fan casing. Dryer.

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