JP2008086423A - Washing-drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing-drying machine configured to suppress adhesion of dust by eliminating fins of a heat exchanger. <P>SOLUTION: The washing-drying machine includes a rotary tub for housing an object to be washed, an air circulation passage communicating with the rotation tub and circulating air for drying the object to be washed, a heat pump device provided in the middle of the air circulation passage, a blower provided on the downstream side of the air circulation passage, and a filter provided on the upstream side of the air circulation passage, and is configured to circulate the air between the drum and the air circulation passage to dry the object to be washed. In the washing-drying machine, a cooling medium pipe 6a of the heat pump device is wound around the outer periphery of the main part of the air circulation passage 5 to form a heat exchanger 8 (9) of the heat pump device. The heat exchanger 8 (9) is provided with a pressure drop member 11 consisting of a plurality of plate materials in the air circulation passage 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine for washing an object to be cleaned such as clothes and drying it after dehydration.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a washing / drying machine has been known in which a washing process (including a rinsing process) for washing articles to be washed such as clothes, a dehydration process after washing, and a drying process after dehydration are sequentially performed in a single device. (For example, Patent Document 1). In the case of this washing / drying machine, a system for performing the drying process will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 4, a drum B in which an object to be cleaned A such as clothing is accommodated, and the object A to be cleaned communicating with the drum B An air circulation path C through which drying air to be dried flows, a heat pump device D provided in the middle of the air circulation path C, a blower E provided downstream of the air circulation path C, and an upstream side of the air circulation path And the filter F, and the air to be circulated through the air circulation path C is configured to dry the object A after washing and dehydration.

  In the heat pump apparatus D, a compressor G, two heat exchangers (a heat radiator H and a heat absorber I), and a throttle means J positioned between the two heat exchangers are connected by a connecting pipe to be connected to a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant is circulated in the refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor G is discharged at a high temperature and a high pressure, and heat is exchanged between the radiator H and the air passing through the radiator H, thereby heating the air and cooling the refrigerant itself. When the pressure is reduced by the throttle means J, it is liquefied, and the heat absorber I cools and dehumidifies the air by exchanging heat with the air passing through the heat absorber I, and the refrigerant itself evaporates. The refrigerant gas is returned to the compressor G.

  In the drying process of the object to be cleaned A, the air in the drum B is sucked into the air circulation path C by the blower E, and the air is cooled as it passes through the heat absorber I as described above. Then, the moisture contained in the air is dehumidified by condensing, and further heated when passing through the radiator H, returning to the inside of the drum B as high-temperature dry air to heat the object A to be cleaned. . In this way, by repeating the circulation of air through the air circulation path C, the drying process of the cleaning object A is performed in the drum B.

As described above, the filter F allows the air sucked from the drum B to the air circulation path C to pass therethrough, and separates dust such as yarn waste mixed in the air. For this reason, it is possible to prevent dust such as lint from adhering to the fins of the two heat exchangers (the heat radiator H and the heat absorber I), thereby suppressing the deterioration of the function as a heat exchanger. ing.
JP2006-110394

  In the conventional washing and drying machine, a filter F is provided on the upstream side of the air circulation path C so as to separate dust such as yarn waste, but fine dust passes through the filter F together with air to circulate the air. May enter Route C. When fine dust enters the air circulation path C in this way, it adheres to the fins of the heat exchangers H and I, and the amount of adhesion gradually increases to lower the thermal efficiency.

  Since the heat exchangers H and I are disposed in the air circulation path C, it is not easy to remove dust adhering to the fins and the like, and in reality the removal operation is almost impossible.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine in which fins of a heat exchanger are abolished to prevent adhesion of dust.

  As means for achieving the above object, claim 1 of the present invention includes a rotating tank in which an object to be cleaned is accommodated, and an air circulation path that communicates with the rotating tank and through which air for drying the object to be cleaned flows. A heat pump device provided in the middle of the air circulation path, a blower provided on the downstream side of the air circulation path, and a filter provided on the upstream side of the air circulation path, wherein the air is the drum and the air In the washing and drying machine configured to dry the object to be cleaned by circulating through the circulation path, the refrigerant pipe of the heat pump device is wound around the outer periphery of the main part of the air circulation path, so that the heat exchanger of the heat pump device Is formed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the washing and drying machine according to the first aspect, the heat exchanger is provided with a pressure loss member inside an air circulation path.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the washing and drying machine according to the second aspect, the pressure loss member is a plurality of plate members provided inside the air circulation path.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the heat exchanger is formed by winding the refrigerant pipe of the heat pump device around the outer periphery of the main part of the air circulation path, the fin used for the normal heat exchanger is abolished. can do. Thereby, the adhesion of dust to the heat exchanger can be suppressed.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the heat exchanger formed by winding the refrigerant pipe is provided with the pressure loss member inside the air circulation path, the flow velocity of the passing air can be reduced. Thereby, the heat efficiency of a heat exchanger can be improved and the function substantially equivalent to the conventional fin / tube type heat exchanger can be provided.

  According to invention of Claim 3, since the said pressure loss member is the several board | plate material provided in the inside of an air circulation path, it can manufacture easily and cheaply.

Next, an embodiment of a washing and drying machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an embodiment of a washing / drying machine according to the present invention. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an outer tub, and a cylindrical water tub 2 is fixed inside the outer tub 1 in an inclined state with a rear portion directed obliquely downward. A front end face of the water tank 2 is open, a bottom plate 2a is attached to the rear end face, and a drive motor 3 is attached to the center of the bottom face side of the bottom plate 2a. The rotating shaft 3a of the driving motor 3 protrudes into the water tank 2, and the protruding end is pivotally attached to the bottom of the cylindrical rotating tank 4. The driving motor 3 moves the rotating tank 4 into the water tank 2. In this way, it can be rotated with the center axis aligned.

  The rotating tank 4 has an opening at the front end, a bottom plate 4a attached to the rear end surface, and a plurality of small holes (not shown) in the peripheral side plate 4b. An object to be cleaned such as clothing (not shown) is placed in the rotating tub 4 and a washing process, a rinsing process, a dehydrating process, and a drying process to be described later are performed in series.

  An air circulation path 5 used in the drying process is provided inside the outer tank 1, and an upstream end of the air circulation path 5 communicates with an opening end of the rotating tank 4 (and an opening end of the water tank 2). The downstream end is communicated with and connected to the bottom of the water tank 2. Thereby, the annular circuit of the air which returns to the inside of the water tank 2 from the inside of the rotating tank 4 via the air circulation path 5 is formed.

  A heat pump device 6 is provided in the middle of the air circulation path 5, and the heat pump device 6 includes a compressor 7, a radiator 8, a heat absorber 9, and a throttle means 10. A refrigeration circuit is formed by connecting these members to each other, and the refrigerant circulates through the refrigeration circuit.

  The heat radiator 8 and the heat absorber 9 have a structure in which fins and tubes are combined as shown in FIG. 4, but in the case of the present invention, they are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A. Thus, it forms by winding the refrigerant | coolant pipe | tube 6a of the heat pump apparatus 6 along the outer periphery of the said air circulation path 5, Comprising: The conventional fin does not exist at all. The air circulation path 5 is formed of a material having good thermal conductivity.

  In the heat exchanger (heat radiator 8 and heat absorber 9) having such a structure, a pressure loss member 11 is provided in the air circulation path 5. As the pressure loss member 11, for example, FIG. 2 and FIG. ), A plurality of plate members attached alternately at predetermined intervals inside the air circulation path 5 are used. Thereby, a zigzag meandering path is formed inside the air circulation path 5 included in the heat exchanger, and the flow rate of the air passing through the meandering path is reduced due to pressure loss.

  The pressure loss member 11 provided in the air circulation path 5 of the heat exchanger is not limited to the above-described one. For example, a punching plate 11A having a large number of through holes as shown in FIG. Thus, a slit plate 11B having a plurality of slit holes can be used. In the case of the punching plate 11A or the slit plate 11B, a zigzag meandering path is formed by alternately mounting in the air circulation path 5 in the same manner as the above plate material, but a predetermined interval is provided although not shown. It may be configured as a partition plate so that air passes through the through hole or the slit hole. The pressure loss member 11, the punching plate 11A, and the slit plate 11B are all preferably made of a material having good thermal conductivity.

  As the throttle means 10, for example, a capillary tube or a throttle valve can be used, and is provided between the radiator 8 and the heat absorber 9 and connected to the refrigerant pipe 6a.

  A filter 12 is provided on the upstream side of the air circulation path 5 to allow air from the rotating tub 4 to pass during the drying process, and to capture and separate dust such as yarn waste mixed in the air. Eggplant. As this filter 12, for example, a fine mesh-shaped one formed of a synthetic resin or the like, or one formed by entwining fibers can be used.

  Further, a blower 13 is provided on the downstream side of the air circulation path 5, and the blower 13 is formed so as to be able to rotate forward and backward by a motor (not shown). During forward rotation, air flows from the upstream side of the air circulation path 5. It flows toward the downstream side, and flows from the downstream side toward the upstream side during reverse rotation.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 14 denotes a water supply pipe, one end of which is connected to a water source (not shown) such as a water tap and the other end is connected to the water tank 2. Supply the required amount of water. 15 is a drain pipe, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the water tank 2 and the other end is connected to a drain outlet (not shown) on the floor. The water is drained from the water tank 2 through the drain pipe 15.

In the washing and drying machine configured as described above, first, an opening / closing lid (not shown) is opened, and an object to be cleaned (not shown) is put into the rotating tub 4, and a necessary amount of water is supplied from the water supply pipe 14 into the water tank 2. When the water is supplied, most of the water supply enters the rotating tub 4 through the small holes in the peripheral side plate 4 b of the rotating tub 4. Then, after putting a necessary amount of detergent into the rotating tub 4 and turning on a switch (not shown), the washing process starts. This washing process is performed by operating the drive motor 3 to rotate the rotating tub 4.

  When the electromagnetic valve (not shown) of the drain pipe 15 is opened after the washing process is completed, the washing sewage in the rotary tub 4 is drained through the water tank 2. Thereafter, the electromagnetic valve of the drain pipe 15 is closed to supply a required amount of water from the water supply pipe 14 into the water tank 2, and the rinsing process is performed by rotating the rotating tank 4 by operating the driving motor 3 again. Do. This rinsing step is usually repeated a plurality of times.

  After completion of the rinsing process, the solenoid valve of the drain pipe 15 is opened again to drain the sewage in the rotating tank 4 and the dehydrating process is performed by rotating the rotating tank 4 with the drive motor 3. In this dehydration step, the rotating tub 4 is rotated at a higher speed than during washing, and water is scattered from the object to be cleaned by centrifugal force. The water splashed from the object to be cleaned is drained from the drain pipe 15 through the water tank 2.

  After completion of the dehydration process, the heat pump device 6 is operated, and the drying process is performed by rotating the blower 13 forward. Moist air in the rotary tub 4 enters the air circulation path 5 by the forward rotation of the blower 13 and flows downstream through the filter 12. The moist air is cooled when passing through the heat absorber 9, and the moisture in the air is condensed. The condensed water generated here is drained from the air circulation path 5 through a drain pipe (not shown) connected to the drain pipe 15. Since the heat absorber 9 is provided with the pressure loss member 11 in the air circulation path 5 as described above, the flow velocity of the air passing therethrough can be reduced, thereby improving the heat efficiency as a heat exchanger, The same function as that of the fin / tube heat exchanger can be exhibited.

  The air dehumidified by the heat absorber 9 is heated when passing through the radiator 8 to become high-temperature dry air, flows into the water tank 2 by the blower 13, and enters the rotating tank 4 through the small holes. Returned. The object to be cleaned in the rotary tank 4 is heated by the high temperature dry air. Since the pressure loss member 11 is also provided in the air circulation path 5 as described above, the radiator 8 can also reduce the flow velocity of the air passing therethrough, thereby improving the thermal efficiency as a heat exchanger, The same function as that of the fin / tube heat exchanger can be exhibited. In this way, the object to be cleaned can be dried by repeatedly circulating the air. When this drying process is performed while rotating the rotating tub 4, the drying efficiency can be increased.

  In the drying process, as the object to be cleaned progresses, the tendency for dust such as lint to float in the rotary tank 4 increases. The dust such as yarn waste is mixed into the air and flows into the air circulation path 5, but is captured and separated by the filter 12. For this reason, it is possible to suppress dust such as yarn waste from adhering to the pressure loss member 11 of the heat absorber 9 or the radiator 8. In addition, fine dust that has passed through the filter 12 is expected to adhere to the pressure loss member 11, but since the distance between the pressure loss members 11 is wider than the fins in the conventional heat exchanger, the amount of dust attached is suppressed to a small amount. It is possible.

  As the number of drying steps increases, the amount of dust such as yarn waste captured by the filter 12 gradually increases. When the amount of attached dust increases, the filter 12 is clogged, the filtration function is lowered, and the amount of air flowing into the air circulation path 5 is reduced. When such a phenomenon occurs, the amount of high-temperature dry air returned to the rotating tub 4 decreases, leading to a decrease in drying efficiency.

  Therefore, after using the washing and drying machine, the blower 13 is rotated in the reverse direction, the air in the air circulation path 5 is forced to flow backward toward the upstream side, and dust such as lint adhering to the filter 12 is sprayed. Blow away and eliminate. Thereby, the cleaning operation of the filter 12 can be automatically performed, and the number of replacements of the filter 12 can be reduced.

  In this case, it is preferable that dust such as yarn waste blown off from the filter 12 does not return into the rotary tank 4. For this reason, for example, a dust collecting means (not shown) is provided detachably on the upstream side of the filter 12. A sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of dust such as yarn waste adhering to the filter 12 may be provided.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in a washing and drying machine, and constitutes a heat exchanger by winding a refrigerant pipe of a heat pump device around the outer periphery of a main part of an air circulation path, thereby eliminating the fins of the heat exchanger. Thus, it is possible to provide a washing and drying machine that suppresses adhesion of dust.

It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows embodiment of the washing-drying machine which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the heat exchanger in embodiment of the washing-drying machine which concerns on this invention. (A) is a schematic perspective view which shows the heat exchanger in embodiment of the washing-drying machine which concerns on this invention, (b) and (c) are each a top view which shows other embodiment of the pressure loss member in a heat exchanger. is there. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the conventional washing dryer.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer tank 2 Water tank 3 Drive motor 4 Rotating tank 5 Air circulation path 6 Heat pump apparatus 6a Refrigerant pipe 7 Compressor 8 Radiator 9 Heat absorber 10 Squeezing means 11 Pressure loss member 12 Filter 13 Blower 14 Water supply pipe 15 Drain pipe

Claims (3)

  A rotating tank in which the object to be cleaned is accommodated, an air circulation path through which air for drying the object to be cleaned flows in communication with the rotating tank, a heat pump device provided in the middle of the air circulation path, and an air circulation path Laundry provided with a blower provided on the downstream side and a filter provided on the upstream side of the air circulation path so that the air is dried through the drum and the air circulation path. In the dryer, the refrigerant pipe of the heat pump device is wound around an outer periphery of a main part of the air circulation path, thereby forming a heat exchanger of the heat pump device.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is provided with a pressure loss member in an air circulation path.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 2, wherein the pressure loss member is a plurality of plate members attached to the inside of the air circulation path.

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