JP2008173330A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To emit cool air while drying clothes. <P>SOLUTION: While a refrigerating cycle having an evaporator 16 of a heat pump 20 and a condenser 17 is operated, air in the inside 5a of a drum 5 is circulated by a circulator 15 through a ventilation path 14 (air channel where the upper part of the evaporator 16 and the condenser 17 are disposed). At the same time, by sending the air through a cool air passage 52 shielded from the air channel 14 by a fan 33 for cool air, the cool air can be delivered at the same time while operation for drying clothes is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clothes dryer for drying clothes with a heat pump.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, clothes dryers that include a heat pump for drying clothes have been attracting attention as having good drying performance and being effective in saving energy. In the clothes dryer equipped with this heat pump, the air in the drying chamber containing the clothes is circulated through the ventilation path of the heat pump in which the compressor and the cycle-connected evaporator and condenser are arranged. Air is cooled and dehumidified with air, heated with a condenser, sequentially sent into the water tank, and the air taken away from the clothing is passed through the air passage to gradually dry the clothing. I try to let them.

  Therefore, the moisture generated when the clothes are dried is collected by the evaporator, the latent heat collected in the fold is converted into a high-temperature refrigerant state by the compressor, and reused as energy for heating the air by the condenser. In this way, the energy can be reused without losing almost any energy except for a slight heat loss outside. Therefore, efficient drying can be realized.

Therefore, in this thing, the said ventilation path is interrupted | blocked by the part between an evaporator and a condenser, And the air outside a ventilation path is passed through an evaporator (cooler), and it is carried out as a cold wind outside machine by this. It is considered to cool a space such as a washroom in which a clothes dryer is installed by discharging (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-56992

  However, in the case of the above-mentioned, the discharge of the cold air is performed in a state where the operation for drying the clothes is stopped and is performed instead, and the cold air is discharged simultaneously while the operation for drying the clothes is performed. I could not.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer capable of simultaneously discharging cold air while driving to dry clothes.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the clothes dryer of the present invention, first, the drying chamber and circulation of the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan and returning the air to the drying chamber through the ventilation path. A circulation device to be performed, and an evaporator and a condenser are disposed in the ventilation path of the circulation device, and the compressor and the throttle are connected to the compressor, the condenser, the throttle, the evaporator, and the compressor. A heat pump that constitutes a refrigeration cycle by connecting in order, and performs a drying operation for drying clothes, and includes a cold air passage that is shielded from the air passage, and the evaporation from the air passage to the cold air passage. And a cool air blower for blowing air to the outside through a portion of the evaporator disposed in the cold air passage (invention of claim 1).

  In the clothes dryer of the present invention, secondly, a drying chamber, a circulation device for circulating the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan, and returning the air to the drying chamber through a ventilation path, and the circulation A refrigerating cycle is provided by arranging an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path of the apparatus, and connecting the compressor and the throttle to the compressor, the condenser, the throttle, the evaporator, and the compressor in this order. A heat pump configured to perform drying operation for drying clothes, including a cool air passage that is shielded from the ventilation passage, and a second passage provided in the heat pump separately from the evaporator in the cold air passage. An evaporator is provided, and a cool air blower for blowing air outside the apparatus through the second evaporator is provided (invention of claim 2).

  Thirdly, in the clothes dryer of the present invention, a drying chamber, a circulation device for circulating the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan, and returning the air to the drying chamber through a ventilation path, and the circulation A refrigerating cycle is provided by arranging an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path of the apparatus, and connecting the compressor and the throttle to the compressor, the condenser, the throttle, the evaporator, and the compressor in this order. A heat pump configured to perform drying operation for drying clothes, including a cold air passage that is shielded from the ventilation passage, and a second air passage separate from the evaporator from the ventilation passage to the cold air passage. A cool air blower that is provided with an evaporator and blows outside through the second evaporator, a second condenser that is different from the condenser, and a second throttle that is different from the condenser. And the compressor is connected to the refrigeration cycle. In common, the second refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting the compressor, the second condenser, the second throttle, the second evaporator, and the compressor in this order. A flow of refrigerant in the second refrigeration cycle in the order of the compressor, the second condenser, the second constrictor, the second evaporator, and the compressor; A switching device is provided for switching between the second evaporator, the second constrictor, the second condenser, and the flow of the compressor in this order (Invention of Claim 3). ).

  According to the first means (invention of claim 1), while operating the heat pump, in parallel with circulating the air in the drying chamber by the circulation device, by blowing air through the cool air passage by the cool air fan. It can be said that cold air is discharged at the same time while driving to dry clothes.

  According to the second means (the invention of claim 2), the air is blown through the cool air passage by the cool air blower in parallel with the circulation of the air in the drying chamber while the heat pump is operated. It can be said that the cool air is discharged at the same time while the operation of drying is performed. In addition, it can be realized without requiring an air path switching device and without requiring complicated control of the air path switching device.

  According to the third means (the invention of claim 3), the second refrigeration cycle of the heat pump is connected to the compressor, the second in parallel with circulating the air in the drying chamber by the circulation device while operating the heat pump. The operation of drying clothes by operating with the flow of refrigerant in the order of the condenser 2, the second constrictor, the second evaporator, and the compressor, and blowing air through the cold air passage using the cool air fan It can be said that cold air is discharged simultaneously.

  In that case, the second refrigeration cycle of the heat pump is compressed instead of the refrigerant flow in the order of the compressor, the second condenser, the second constrictor, the second evaporator, and the compressor. And the second evaporator, the second constrictor, the second condenser, and the compressor in the order of the refrigerant flow, and blown through the cool air passage by the cool air blower, It can be said that hot air is discharged at the same time while driving to dry.

Hereinafter, the present invention is applied to a washing and drying machine, and a first example (first embodiment) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.
First, FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a washing / drying machine, and an outer box 3 having a laundry (clothing) doorway 2 opened and closed by a door 1 on the front surface (right side in the figure) is used as an outer shell. The water tank 4 is disposed in the inside thereof in a horizontal axis shape with an upward slope. Inside the water tank 4, a drum 5 is disposed in parallel and concentrically with the water tank 4, and a motor 7 that rotates the drum 5 with a rotating shaft 6 is attached to the back of the water tank 4. The drum 5 has a porous shape (only a part of the holes are illustrated), and the inside 5a functions as a laundry room, functions as a dehydration room, and functions as a drying room.

  A ventilation case 8 is disposed below the water tank 4, and a front portion of the ventilation case 8 is connected to an exhaust port 10 formed in an upper portion of the front portion of the water tank 4 via a suction side duct 9. . On the other hand, the rear part of the ventilation case 8 is connected to the air inlet 13 formed in the upper part of the inner part of the water tank 4 through the casing 11a and the discharge side duct 12 of the circulation fan 11, and these suction side ducts 9 are connected. The ventilation path 14 is composed of the ventilation case 8, the casing 11 a of the circulation fan 11, and the discharge side duct 12.

  The circulation fan 11 is configured such that a blower blade 11b is disposed in the casing 11a, and the blower blade 11b is rotationally driven by a motor 11c disposed outside the casing 11a. As a result, the air in the drum 5 is circulated out of the drum 5 through the ventilation path 14 and then returned to the drum 5, so that the ventilation path 14 and the circulation fan 11 allow the air to flow inside the drum 5. A circulation device 15 that circulates the air in the drum 5 is configured.

  Thus, the evaporator 16 is disposed at the front and the condenser 17 is disposed at the rear in the ventilation path 14, particularly inside the ventilation case 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the evaporator 16 and the condenser 17 constitute a heat pump 20 with a compressor 18 and a throttle valve 19 (in particular, an electronic throttle valve in this case). In this heat pump 20, a refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting them through a connecting pipe 21 in the order of the compressor 18, the condenser 17, the throttle valve 19, the evaporator 16, and the compressor 18. A refrigerant (not shown) is enclosed in the cycle. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the compressor 18 and the throttle valve 19 are disposed outside the ventilation case 8 (inside the outer box 3).

  A first damper 22 is disposed at a boundary portion between the ventilation case 8 and the suction side duct 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the first damper 22 has a rotation center portion 22a at the front of the lower end portion of the suction side duct 9, and is rotated by a motor not shown in FIG. The vertical position x that follows the inner surface of the front surface portion of the ventilation case 8, the horizontal position y that closes the lower end portion of the suction side duct 9 (the communication portion between the suction side duct 9 and the ventilation case 8), and the diagonal position therebetween It can be switched to the position z.

  An air outlet 23 is formed in the lower portion of the front end of the ventilation case 8, and a second damper 24 is disposed in the air outlet 23. The second damper 24 has a rotation center portion 24a at the lower side of the air outlet 23, and is rotated by a motor not shown in FIG. The air outlet 23 is opened and can be switched to a horizontal position y lying on the bottom surface of the ventilation case 8.

  Further, a first outside air inlet 25 is formed in the lower part and a second outside air inlet 26 is formed in the upper part of the ventilation case 8 on the rear side of the evaporator 16 (between the condenser 17). is doing. Note that a heat exhaust port 27 is formed in the upper part of the ventilation case 8 in front of the evaporator 16 (between the suction side duct 9).

  Inside the ventilation case 8, as shown in FIG. 3, partition plates 28, 29, and 30 are respectively provided at the front and rear portions of the upper and lower intermediate portions of the evaporator 16 and the front portion of the upper and lower intermediate portions of the condenser 17. It is arranged horizontally. Although not shown in detail, the evaporator 16 is formed by attaching a large number of vertical heat transfer fins 16b made of, for example, an aluminum plate to a meandering, for example, copper refrigerant circulation pipe. The unit 17 has the same configuration, and the wind flowing in the ventilation case 8 passes between the heat transfer fins 16a and 17a.

  A third damper 31 is disposed on the rear side of the partition plate 29 at the rear of the evaporator 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the third damper 31 has a rotation center portion 31a at the rear end of the partition plate 29, and is rotated by a motor not shown in FIG. A horizontal position x where the front end portion is in contact with the front edge portion of the front partition plate 30 of the condenser 17 (continuous to the partition plate 30) and the rear end portion is the rear side of the first outside air inlet 25. Thus, it is possible to switch to an oblique position y in contact with the bottom surface of the ventilation case 8.

  On the other hand, a blower duct 32 is provided in front of the lower portion of the front end of the ventilation case 8 so as to continue to the air outlet 23. The blower duct 32 is rotationally driven by a cool air blower 33, particularly a motor (not shown) thereof. A blower blade 33a is disposed. The blowout duct 32 is open at the front end toward the front outside the machine.

  Thus, FIG. 2 also shows the water distribution pipe 34. In this water distribution pipe 34, a water supply pipe 35 connected to a tap faucet (not shown) is used as a water supply source, and one of the two outlets 35 a is a water cooling pipe 36 which is a cooling means provided in the condenser 17. Connected to the inlet 36a. Specifically, the water cooling pipe 36 is piped along the refrigerant circulation pipe of the condenser 17 and in contact with the heat transfer fins, and the condenser 17, particularly the refrigerant circulation pipe thereof is connected to the heat transfer fins 17a. It cools through. An outlet portion 36 b of the water cooling pipe 36 is connected to a water injection case 37.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the water injection case 37 is disposed above the water tank 4 and directly connects the other one 35b of the outlet of the water supply valve 35. The water supplied from one 35 b and the water passed through the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17 are poured into the water tank 4.
The water tank 4 is drained to a drain outlet 39 of the house through a first drain valve 38 disposed below the water tank 4, and the drain outlet 39 includes the condenser 17. The water passing through the water cooling pipe 36 is also discharged through the second drain valve 40.

  In addition, FIG. 4 shows a control device 41 provided inside the outer box 3. The control device 41 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and functions as a control means for controlling the overall operation of the washing / drying machine. Various kinds of operations are performed by an operation input unit 42 including various operation switches provided on an operation panel (not shown). An operation signal is input, and a water level detection signal is input from a water level sensor 43 provided to detect the water level in the water tank 4. The temperature of the evaporator 16, the temperature of the condenser 17, and the temperature of the compressor 18. The temperature detection signals are input from temperature sensors 44 to 47 which are temperature detection means for detecting the temperatures of the refrigerant discharge portions of the compressor 18 respectively.

  Based on the input of the various signals and the control program stored in advance, the control device 41, the motor 7, the circulation fan 11, the compressor 18, the throttle valve 19, the first damper 22 driving motor 48, the first The motor 49 for driving the second damper 24, the motor 50 for driving the third damper 31, the blower 33 for cold air, the water supply valve 35, the first drain valve 38, the second drain valve 40, and the drive circuit 51. Is to be controlled through.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 5 shows four modes as examples of operation modes that can be selected by the user. that is,
A: Mode for washing to dewatering without heat pump operation B: Mode for washing to drying with heat pump operation C: Mode for washing to dewatering without heat pump operation and cool air operation D : A mode in which washing to drying is performed with the operation of the heat pump, and then cold air operation is performed.

  FIG. 6 shows the contents of control by the control device 41 in the “washing (warm water washing)” process in the D mode among the above four modes. In this case, when the power is turned on and the operation is started (started), an operation input is accepted (step S1). Next, various settings are made according to the operation input (including the presence / absence of cold air operation and setting of time) (step S2), and the amount of laundry is further detected (step S3), and according to the detection result. The amount of water and the time for each process of washing to drying are set (step S4).

  Then, the water supply operation | movement supplied into the water tank 4 is performed (step S5). In this water supply operation, a predetermined amount of tap water is supplied from the water supply valve 35 directly through the water supply case 37 into the water tank 4, and then the drum 5 is rotated (step S6).

  On the other hand, at the same time, it is determined whether or not the setting of the cold air operation is from the beginning (step S7), and if it is determined that it is (YES), the first to third dampers 22, 24, and 31 are illustrated. 1 and the position shown in FIG. 2 (step S8). That is, the first damper 22 is set to the oblique position z, the second damper 24 is set to the horizontal position y, and the third damper 31 is set to the oblique position y. In this state, the first outside air inlet 25, the lower part of the evaporator 16, the air outlet 23, the blowout duct 32, and a passage (cold air passage) 52 through which air flows from the lower outside of the apparatus to the front outside the apparatus. Is cut off from the ventilation path 14.

  Thereafter, the compressor 18 of the heat pump 20 is operated, and the circulation fan 11 and the cold air fan 33 are operated (step S9). As a result, in the heat pump 20, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 18 to become a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant (gas), and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser 17 to dissipate heat, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the refrigerant. The refrigerant is liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant then passes through the throttle valve 19 and is depressurized, and then flows into the evaporator 16 and vaporizes. Then, the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 16 returns to the compressor 18. Under such circumstances, the frequency of operating the compressor 18 and the opening of the throttle valve 19 are within the limits of the temperature of the evaporator 16, the temperature of the condenser 17, the temperature of the compressor 18, and the temperature of the refrigerant discharge portion of the compressor 18. The degree is adjusted (step S10).

  In addition, by the operation of the cool air blower 33, as shown by solid line arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2, outside air is sucked into the cool air passage 52 from the first outside air suction port 25, and this lowers the lower portion of the evaporator 16. It is cooled by passing through. Then, the cold air is discharged to the front outside the machine through the blowout duct 32 and used for cooling a space such as a washroom in which the washing / drying machine is installed.

  During this cold wind operation, it is determined whether or not the set time has been reached (step S11), and while it is determined that it has not reached (NO), the generation of hot water has reached the set time. Is determined (step S12). Even in this step S12, as long as it is determined that it has not reached (NO), the process returns to step S11.

  On the other hand, the circulation blower 11 circulates the air in the drum 5 through the ventilation path 14 as shown by broken line arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2. As a result, the air flowing into the ventilation case 8 from the drum 5 is cooled and dehumidified by passing through the upper part of the evaporator 16, and then heated by passing through the upper and lower parts of the condenser 17 to warm air. The warm air is returned into the drum 5. At this time, part of the air passing through the ventilation path 14 is discharged from the heat exhaust port 27, and outside air is sucked into the ventilation path 14 from the second outside air suction port 26.

  In such a situation, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the condenser 17 has reached a predetermined value (for example, 30 to 50 [° C.]) (step S13). Water is supplied from the valve 35 to the water tank 4 through the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17 and then through the water injection case 37 (step S14). Thereby, the water passing through the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17 is heated by the condenser 17 to be heated, and is supplied into the water tank 4, so that the cold water and hot water previously supplied in the water tank 4 Are mixed to obtain an appropriate water temperature (for example, 5 to 10 [° C.]). Thus, washing of the laundry, particularly in this case, washing with warm water is executed (step S15).

In addition, if the water level in the water tank 4 reaches the required amount of water according to the detection result of the amount of laundry, the water supply valve 35 is closed.
If it is determined in step S12 that the generation of hot water has reached the set time (YES), the operation for generating hot water (operation of the compressor 18 and the circulation fan 11) is terminated. Thereafter, only the operation for cold air operation is performed (step S16).

  Further, it is determined whether or not the washing time has reached the set time (step S17). If it is determined that the washing time has reached (YES), the washing operation (the rotation of the drum 5 and the circulation fan 11) is performed. Is finished) (step S18). Accordingly, after that, only the cold wind operation is performed, and the first to third dampers 22, 24, and 31 are set to the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (step S19).

  That is, the first damper 22 is set at the horizontal position y, the second damper 24 is set at the horizontal position y, and the third damper 31 is set at the horizontal position x. Thereby, the ventilation path 14 is interrupted | blocked between the suction side ducts 9, and the channel | path 52 for cold air continues being open | released by the exhaust port 23 with being interrupted | blocked from the ventilation path 14, and is shown by the solid line arrow in FIG.8 and FIG.9. As shown, the cold air passing through the lower portion of the evaporator 16 from the first outside air inlet 25 continues to be discharged forward to the outside of the apparatus. At this time, the outside air is also drawn into the ventilation path 14 from the second outside air inlet 26 and is cooled by passing through the upper portion of the evaporator 16, and the cold air passes through the blowout duct 32 to the front outside the machine. Is discharged.

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the time of the cold air operation has reached the set time (step S20), and the frequency and throttle valve 19 for operating the compressor 18 are determined until it is determined (YES). The cold air operation is continued while adjusting the opening degree (step S21), and when it is determined that it has reached (YES), the cold air operation (operation of the compressor 18, operation of the cold air blower 33) is terminated (step S22). ).

  If it is determined in step S11 that the previously set time has been reached (YES), the operation for the cold air operation of the compressor 18 is terminated (step S23), and thereafter only the operation for generating hot water is performed. Thus, the first to third dampers 22, 24, 31 are set to the positions shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 (step S24).

  That is, the first damper 22 is set at the vertical position x, the second damper 24 is set at the vertical position x, and the third damper 31 is set at the horizontal position x. Thereby, the ventilation path 14 is open | released between the suction side ducts 9, the channel | path 52 for cold air is interrupted | blocked by the exhaust port 23, and only warm water production | generation operation is performed. At this time, the air in the drum 5 is circulated through the ventilation path 14 as shown by the broken line arrows in FIGS. 10 and 11, and the outside air is circulated as shown by the solid line arrows in the figure. The air is sucked into the ventilation path 14 from the outside air inlet 25 and the second outside air inlet 26 and passes through the condenser 17.

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the time of the hot water generating operation has reached the set time (step S25), and the frequency and throttle valve for operating the compressor 18 are determined until it is determined (YES). The warm water generating operation is continued while adjusting the opening of 19 (step S26), and when it is determined that it has reached (YES), the hot water generating operation (operation of the compressor 18, operation of the circulation fan 11) is terminated. (Step S27).

  The above is a case where the cold air operation is performed in parallel in the hot water washing process from the beginning. On the other hand, in the case where the cold air operation is performed in the middle of the washing process in parallel, in step S7, the setting of the cold air operation is first performed. Therefore, it is determined that the first to third dampers 22, 24, and 31 are connected to the above-described FIG. 10 and FIG. The position shown in FIG. 11 is set (step S28). Thereby, the ventilation path 14 is open | released between the suction side ducts 9, the channel | path 52 for cold air is interrupted | blocked by the exhaust port 23, and only warm water production | generation operation is performed (step S29, 30).

And if there is a user's operation about cold wind operation, as shown in "interrupt routine", step S31, 32, 33 similar to step S8, 9, 10 will be interrupted and performed at that time, and Proceed to step S11.
After the washing process, a rinsing process is performed, and the difference from the washing process is that it is the same as the washing process except that it does not use detergent and is not washed with warm water. Is omitted.

  Then, after the rinsing process, a process of dehydration and drying is executed, and FIG. 7 shows the contents of control by the control device 41 in the process of dehydration and drying. In this case, first, the drum 5 is rotated at a high speed at predetermined time intervals (step S51), and then preheat dehydration is performed (step S52). This preheat dehydration is to dehydrate while heating the laundry, and is performed by compressing the heat pump 20 with the first to third dampers 22, 24, 31 set to the positions shown in FIGS. This is done by operating the machine 18 and the circulation fan 11.

Under such circumstances, it is determined whether or not the time for the dehydration operation has reached the set time (step S53). If it is determined that the time has reached (YES), the dehydration operation (high-speed rotation of the drum 5) is performed. Is finished (step S54).
Thereafter, a drying process is executed (step S55). In this drying process, the compressor 18 of the heat pump 20 and the circulation blower are rotated while the drum 5 is rotated at a low speed in a state where the first to third dampers 22, 24, and 31 are set at the positions shown in FIGS. 11 is activated.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the time of the drying operation has reached the set time (step S56). If it is determined that the time has reached (YES), the dehydration operation (the rotation of the drum 5 and the operation of the compressor 18) is performed. And the operation of the circulation fan 11) are finished (step S57).

  On the other hand, when performing the steps of dehydration and drying as described above, first, in parallel with this, it is determined whether or not the setting of the cold air operation is from the beginning (step S58), and it is determined that there is (YES). Then, the same steps 59 and 60 as the previous steps S8 and 9 are performed. Accordingly, the first to third dampers 22, 24, and 31 are set at the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in this state, the cool air is combined with the operation of the compressor 18 and the circulation fan 11 of the heat pump 20. The blower 33 is operated. Therefore, in addition to the air in the drum 5 being circulated through the ventilation passage 14, the cold air generated through the cold air passage 52 (the lower portion of the evaporator 16) is discharged to the front outside the apparatus.

  Under such circumstances, the frequency for operating the compressor 18 and the opening of the throttle valve 19 are adjusted so as to be suitable for performing the cold air operation in parallel with the dehydration and drying operations (step S61). At this time, according to the temperature of the condenser 17, an operation of supplying water from the water supply valve 35 to the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17 to cool the condenser 17 and an operation of not performing the water supply are selected and executed. In this case, the water passing through the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17 is discharged to the drain outlet 39 of the house through the second drain valve 40.

  In step S62 similar to the previous step S11, while it is determined that the cold air operation has not reached the set time (NO), whether or not the dehydration or drying operation time has reached the set time. (Step S63). Even in this step S63, as long as it is determined that it has not been reached (NO), the process returns to step S62.

If it is determined in step S63 that the operation time for dehydration or drying has reached the set time (YES), the operation for dehydration or drying is terminated, and thereafter only the operation for the cold air operation is performed (step S64). ). Therefore, from here, the first to third dampers 22, 24, 31 are set to the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (step S65).
Then, after passing through steps S66 and 67 similar to the previous steps S20 and 21 and further to step S68 similar to the previous step S22, the cold air operation (operation of the compressor 18 and operation of the cold air blower 33) is terminated.

  If it is determined in step S62 that the preset time has been reached (YES), the operation for the cold air operation of the compressor 18 is terminated (step S69), and thereafter only the dehydration or drying operation is performed. Thus, the first to third dampers 22, 24, 31 are set to the positions shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 (step S70).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the operation time of dehydration or drying has reached the set time (step S71), and the frequency and throttle valve for operating the compressor 18 are determined until it is determined (YES). The operation of dehydration or drying is continued while adjusting the opening of 19 (step S72), and when it is determined that it has reached (YES), the operation of dehydration or drying (rotation of the drum 5, operation of the compressor 18, circulation) The operation of the blower 11 is terminated (step S73).

  The above is the case where the cold air operation is performed in parallel in the process of dehydration and drying, whereas the cold air operation is performed in the middle of the process of dehydration and drying in step S58, Since it is determined that the operation setting is not set from the beginning (NO), dehydration or drying operation without cold air operation is performed, and at this time, the first to third dampers 22, 24, and 31 are connected to the above-described operation. The position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is set (step S74). Thereby, the ventilation path 14 is open | released between the suction side ducts 9, the channel | path 52 for cold air is interrupted | blocked by the vent 23, and only the operation | movement of dehydration or drying is performed (step S75, 76).

Also in this case, if there is a user's operation for the cold wind operation, as shown in the “interrupt routine”, the steps S77, 78, 79 similar to the steps S59, 60, 61 are interrupted and executed at that time. Then, the process proceeds to step S62.
During operation in the D mode, a drain pump (not shown) for discharging the dew generated on the surface of the evaporator 16 to flow out from the drain tank (not shown) is operated at predetermined time intervals. Let

  Further, when the washing process is performed with non-warm water (room temperature water), the heat pump 20 (compressor 18) is not operated and the circulation fan 11 is not operated as shown in the A mode and C mode of FIG. The washing operation is executed only with the tap water supplied from the water supply valve 35 to the water tank 4 through the water injection case 37 directly.

Further, when the dehydration process is performed in an operation without heating, the dehydration operation is performed without operating the heat pump 20 and the circulation fan 11 as shown in the A mode and the C mode of FIG. .
In addition, when the cold air operation is not performed, the heat pump 20 (compressor 18) is not operated and the circulation fan 11 and the cold air fan 33 are not operated as shown in the A mode and the C mode of FIG. Execute each operation.

  As described above, according to the present configuration, it is possible to discharge cold air at the same time while washing, dewatering and drying the laundry (clothing).

  On the other hand, FIGS. 12 to 14 show the second and third examples (second and third embodiments) of the present invention, and the same parts as those of the first example are the same. A description will be omitted with reference numerals, and only different parts will be described.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the cold air passage 61 is blocked from the air passage 14 by a duct 62 independent of the air passage 14 instead of the cold air passage 52 described above. Forming. The cool air passage 61 (duct 62) is provided with a cool air blower 33 and a second evaporator 63 on the windward side thereof. The cold air passage 61 (duct 62) has a rear base end opened and a tip open toward the front outside the machine (in this case, no damper is provided).

  The second evaporator 63 is different from the evaporator 16 and is provided in series with the evaporator 16 in the heat pump 20 as shown in FIG. Therefore, in this case, the evaporator 16 is a first evaporator with respect to the second evaporator 63.

In this configuration, by performing the same operation as described above without operating the damper, the cold air passage 61 performs the operation of washing, dehydrating, and drying, and the outside air sucked into the second passage by the cold air blower 33 is second. The evaporator 63 is cooled and cooled to cool air, and the cool air is discharged forward to the outside of the apparatus to cool a space such as a washroom in which the washing / drying machine is installed.
Thus, in this case as well, it can be said that the cold air is discharged at the same time while washing, dehydrating and drying the laundry. In addition, this can be realized without requiring a damper (air path switching device), and complicated control of the damper is not required.

[Third embodiment]
In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the heat pump 71 and the water distribution pipe 72 are configured in place of the heat pump 20 and the water distribution pipe 34, respectively, and the other structures are the same as in the second embodiment. It is.
In the heat pump 71, the outlet side of the compressor 18 is branched into two, and one of them is connected in the order of the condenser 17-throttle valve 19-evaporator 16-compressor 18 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the refrigeration is performed. A cycle (first refrigeration cycle 73) is configured.

  The other of the two branched outlets of the compressor 18 is a four-way valve 74-a second condenser 75-a second throttle valve as a second throttle valve 76-a second evaporator 77-a four-way valve 74-compression. The second refrigeration cycle 78 is configured by connecting in the order of the machines 18. The four-way valve 74 is a switching device that switches the flow of the refrigerant in the second refrigeration cycle 78, and is switched between a state indicated by a solid line and a state indicated by a broken line in the figure. Further, the second condenser 75, the second throttle valve 76, and the second evaporator 77 are different from the condenser 17, the throttle valve 19, and the evaporator 16, respectively. In this case, the condenser 17, the throttle valve 19 and the evaporator 16 are respectively the first condenser and the first throttle for the second condenser 75, the second throttle valve 76 and the second evaporator 77. It is a valve and a first evaporator.

In this case, the second evaporator 77 is disposed in the cold air passage 61 (second embodiment) similarly to the second evaporator 63, whereas the second condenser 75 is disposed. Is arranged outside the ventilation path 14 (ventilation case 8) in the outer box 3.
In the water distribution pipe 72, instead of the water supply valve 35 described above, a water supply valve 79 connected to a faucet (not shown) is used as a water supply source, and one of the three outlets 79a is branched into two branches. Is connected to an inlet 81a of a water cooling pipe 81 which is a cooling means disposed in the second condenser 75 through a first on-off valve 80. The outlet 81 b of the water cooling pipe 81 is connected to the drain port 39.

  The other of the two branched outlets 79a of the water supply valve 79 is connected to the inlet 36a of the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17, and the outlet 36b of the water cooling pipe 36 is branched into three, one of which is the second A second on-off valve 82 is connected to the inlet 81 a of the water cooling pipe 81 of the condenser 75. One of the other two branched outlets 36 b of the water cooling pipe 36 is connected to the drain port 39 via the third on-off valve 83, and the remaining one is connected to the water injection case 37. Yes. Further, the other two 79 b and 79 c of the outlet of the water supply valve 79 are also connected to the water injection case 37.

  In this configuration, when discharging cold air, the four-way valve 74 is set in a state indicated by a solid line, so that the compressor 18 -the condenser 17 -the throttle valve 19 -the evaporator 16 in the first refrigeration cycle 73 of the heat pump 71. The refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 18, and in the second refrigeration cycle, the compressor 18—the four-way valve 74—the second condenser 75—the second throttle valve 76—the second evaporator 77—the four-way valve 74— The refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 18.

As a result, the evaporator 16 dehumidifies the air passing therethrough in the ventilation path 14, and the second evaporator 77 cools the outside air passing through the cool air passage 61 and supplies the cool air to discharge.
Thus, in this case as well, it can be said that the cold air is discharged at the same time while washing, dehydrating and drying the laundry. A single cold air discharge operation can be performed in the same manner as in the first and second embodiments.

  On the other hand, the four-way valve 74 is switched to a state indicated by a broken line. Then, in the first refrigeration cycle 73 of the heat pump 71, there is no difference from the above, but in the second refrigeration cycle 78, the refrigerant is opposite to the above, the compressor 18-the second evaporator 77-the second. The throttle valve 76, the second condenser 75, the four-way valve 74, and the compressor 18 are switched in this order. For this reason, the second evaporator 77 functions as a condenser, and the second condenser 75 functions as an evaporator.

Accordingly, the second evaporator 77 (in this case, the condenser) heats the outside air passing through the cold air passage 61 to warm it and supplies it to the discharge of warm air.
Thus, in this case, the operation of washing, dehydrating and drying the laundry can be switched at the same time, and hot air is simultaneously discharged. Also, a single hot air discharge operation can be switched.

  In this warm air discharge operation, the second evaporator 77 is maintained at a temperature required for generating warm air (for example, 50 ° C. [50 ° C.] or higher), and accordingly, the second condenser 75 (this In this case, when the temperature of the evaporator becomes a predetermined value (for example, 0 [° C.]) or less, the evaporator 16 (first evaporator) causes frost formation or a rapid decrease in temperature. Water flows from the valve 79 to the water cooling pipe 81 of the second condenser 75 through the first on-off valve 80. As a result, the temperature of the second condenser 75 is increased by the water temperature, and frost formation at the evaporator 16 and a rapid decrease in temperature are prevented. At this time, the second on-off valve 82 is closed so that water that has passed through the first on-off valve 80 does not flow in the direction of the water injection case 37 through the second on-off valve 82.

  The water that has flowed through the water cooling pipe 81 of the second condenser 75 and has become low temperature by heat exchange is discarded to the drain port 39. In this case, when the temperature of the second condenser 75 suddenly decreases, the water cooling pipe 81 of the second condenser 75 freezes and does not flow, so the hot air discharge operation is stopped. This discontinuation of the hot air discharge operation causes the second condenser 75 to function as a condenser by stopping the cool air (hot air) blower 33 and switching the four-way valve 74 to the state indicated by the solid line. The second evaporator 77 is made to function as an evaporator.

In this state, the heat pump 71 is continuously operated, and the temperature of the second condenser 75 is raised by the high-temperature refrigerant flowing through it. In addition, in the water distribution pipe 72, water is caused to flow from the water supply valve 79 to the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17 (first condenser), and the water whose temperature has risen thereby is second condensed through the second on-off valve 82. The temperature of the second condenser 75 is also raised by flowing through the water cooling pipe 81 of the condenser 75. At this time, the first on-off valve 80 is closed so that the water that has passed through the second on-off valve 82 does not flow through the first on-off valve 80 toward the water cooling pipe 36 of the condenser 17. To.
Thereafter, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the hot air discharge operation is resumed.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited only to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings. In particular, the entire washing / drying machine is not limited to the horizontal axis shape described above, and the water tank and the rotating tank are formed in a vertical axis shape. The drying chamber may not be rotated. In addition, the present invention is not limited to a washing and drying machine, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention, such as being applicable to a clothes drying machine having only a drying function.

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal side view of the whole showing a first embodiment of the present invention. Configuration diagram showing heat pump and water distribution pipe along with drum and ventilation path Schematic perspective view of the evaporator part Electrical configuration block diagram Diagram showing operation modes by content Flow chart showing the control contents during the washing process Flow chart showing control contents during dehydration and drying process Figure 1 equivalent figure in different states Figure 2 equivalent figure in different states Figure equivalent to Figure 1 in a different state Fig. 2 equivalent figure in a different state FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 2 equivalent diagram FIG. 2 equivalent view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 5a is the inside of a drum (drying chamber), 11 is a circulation fan, 14 is a ventilation path, 15 is a circulation device, 16 is an evaporator, 17 is a condenser, 18 is a compressor, 19 is a throttle valve (throttle) ), 20 is a heat pump, 33 is a cold air blower, 52 is a cold air passage, 61 is a cold air passage, 63 is a second evaporator, 71 is a heat pump, 73 is a first refrigeration cycle, and 74 is a four-way valve ( (Switching device), 75 is a second condenser, 76 is a second throttle valve (second throttle), 77 is a second evaporator, and 78 is a second refrigeration cycle.

Claims (3)

A drying chamber;
A circulation device that circulates the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan and returns the air to the drying chamber through a ventilation path;
By arranging an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path of this circulation device, and connecting them to a compressor and a constrictor in the order of a compressor, a condenser, a constrictor, an evaporator, and a compressor. Including a heat pump constituting a refrigeration cycle,
In what performs the drying operation to dry clothes,
Comprising a passage for cold air to be shielded from the air passage,
While disposing the evaporator from the ventilation path to the cold air passage,
A clothes dryer comprising a cool air blower for blowing air to the outside through a portion of the evaporator disposed in the cold air passage. A drying chamber;
A circulation device that circulates the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan and returns the air to the drying chamber through a ventilation path;
By arranging an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path of this circulation device, and connecting them to a compressor and a constrictor in the order of a compressor, a condenser, a constrictor, an evaporator, and a compressor. Including a heat pump constituting a refrigeration cycle,
In what performs the drying operation to dry clothes,
Comprising a passage for cold air to be shielded from the air passage,
In addition to the evaporator, a second evaporator provided in the heat pump is disposed in the cold air passage,
A clothes dryer comprising a cool air blower that blows air outside through the second evaporator. A drying chamber;
A circulation device that circulates the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan and returns the air to the drying chamber through a ventilation path;
By arranging an evaporator and a condenser in the ventilation path of this circulation device, and connecting them to a compressor and a constrictor in the order of a compressor, a condenser, a constrictor, an evaporator, and a compressor. Including a heat pump constituting a refrigeration cycle,
In what performs the drying operation to dry clothes,
Comprising a passage for cold air to be shielded from the air passage,
A second evaporator different from the evaporator is disposed from the air passage to the cold air passage,
A cool air blower that blows out of the apparatus through the second evaporator;
A second condenser separate from the condenser;
A second restrictor separate from the restrictor,
By using the compressor in common with the refrigeration cycle, the compressor, the second condenser, the second constrictor, the second evaporator, and the compressor are connected in this order. 2 refrigeration cycles,
In this second refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor, the second condenser, the second constrictor, the second evaporator, and the compressor, the compressor, A clothes dryer comprising a switching device that switches between a second evaporator, the second constrictor, the second condenser, and a flow that flows in the order of the compressor.

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