JP2008200082A - Clothes drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clothes drying machine with a heat pump for drying the clothes, capable of preventing the temperature of a condenser and the pressure of a refrigerant on the high-pressure side in the latter half period of the drying operation from becoming preset values or higher, and capable of increasing the speed of temperature rise in a drying chamber in the initial period of the drying operation. <P>SOLUTION: Outside air is introduced during the drying operation from an outside air intake 40 disposed at an area between a place where an evaporator 34 is disposed and a place where the condenser 35 is disposed in a ventilation path 30, so that the temperature of the condenser 35 and the pressure of the refrigerant on the high-pressure side in the latter half of the drying operation will not become preset values or higher. As a result, it is not necessary to reduce the labor of a compressor, and therefore, a high drying performance can be achieved in the clothes drying machine. By making a PTC heater 41 (a heating member) provided at the outside air intake 40 generate heat in the initial period of the drying operation, outside air can be introduced into the ventilation path 30 while heated by the PTC heater 41. Accordingly, the speed of temperature rise in the drying chamber can be increased in the initial period of the drying operation, and therefore, the drying operation can be finished early. <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. The air is cooled and dehumidified with air, heated with a condenser, sent to the drying chamber sequentially, and the air taken away from the clothing is passed through the air passage to gradually dry the clothing. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

  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.

  However, in the heat pump during the drying operation, not only the amount of heat of the air absorbed by the evaporator is added, but also the amount of work given to the refrigerant by compressing the refrigerant by the compressor. In an air conditioner (room air conditioner) that performs normal room cooling in a house, the condenser is installed in the outdoor unit, and heat balance is achieved by cooling with outdoor air. Since it is in the ventilation path and is used for heating circulating air having a temperature higher than that of outdoor air, the amount of heat accumulates. As a result, in the latter half of the drying operation, the condenser temperature and the high-pressure side pressure of the refrigerant exceed the set values, resulting in the need to reduce the work of the compressor (suppress the amount of heat exchange). As a result, the drying performance cannot be increased.

On the other hand, there are some which have been considered to provide an outside air inlet at a portion between the evaporator-arranged portion and the condenser-arranged portion of the ventilation path. In this case, during the drying operation, the outside air is introduced into the ventilation path from the outside air inlet, so that the temperature of the air passing through the ventilation path is lowered, and the temperature of the condenser and the refrigerant on the high pressure side in the latter half of the drying operation are reduced. Since it is avoided that the pressure exceeds the set value, it is not necessary to lower the work of the compressor, the input at the time of the drying operation can be increased, and high drying performance can be obtained.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 6-75628 JP 2001-198396 A JP 2005-52544 A

  The higher the temperature of the drying chamber, the higher the saturated vapor pressure, and the more water is released from the garment per unit volume. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of damage such as shrinkage of clothing, the temperature has an upper limit, and about 85 [° C.] is generally considered to be the upper limit temperature. Therefore, if the drying operation is to be terminated at an early stage, it is effective to shorten the time to reach the upper limit temperature without exceeding the upper limit temperature.

  On the other hand, in the case where the outside air inlet is considered to be provided in the portion between the evaporator-arranged portion and the condenser-arranged portion of the ventilation path described above, not only in the second half of the drying operation but also in the first half. Since the outside air is also introduced into the ventilation path from the outside air introduction port in the season, the temperature increase in the drying chamber in the first half of the drying operation, particularly in the initial stage, did not progress, and it was difficult to finish the drying operation early.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and therefore the object thereof is to avoid the condenser temperature and the high-pressure side pressure of the refrigerant in the latter half of the drying operation from exceeding a set value, and the drying operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer that can speed up the initial temperature increase in the drying chamber and terminate the drying operation at an early stage.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the clothes dryer of the present invention, a drying chamber and a circulation device for circulating the air in the drying chamber out of the drying chamber by a circulation fan and returning it to the drying chamber through a ventilation path And an evaporator and a condenser are disposed in the ventilation path of the circulation device, and the compressor and the condenser are connected in the order of the compressor, the condenser, the condenser, the evaporator, and the compressor. And a heat pump that constitutes a refrigeration cycle, and performs a drying operation for drying clothes, and has an outside air inlet at a portion between the evaporator-arranged portion and the condenser-arranged portion of the ventilation path. The outside air inlet is provided with a heating member (invention of claim 1).

According to the above means, the outside air is introduced into the ventilation path during the drying operation from the outside air introduction port provided in the portion between the evaporator arrangement part and the condenser arrangement part of the ventilation path. Therefore, the temperature of the condenser and the high pressure side pressure of the refrigerant in the second half of the drying operation can be avoided from exceeding the set value, and it is not necessary to lower the work of the compressor, and the input during the drying operation can be increased. Therefore, high drying performance can be obtained.
Then, at the initial stage of the drying operation, by heating the heating member provided at the outside air inlet, the outside air can be introduced into the ventilation path while being heated by the heating member. Therefore, it is possible to speed up the temperature rise of the drying chamber in the initial stage of the drying operation and finish the drying operation early.

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.
First, FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of a washing / drying machine, in particular, a drum-type (horizontal axis) washing / drying machine. A water tank 2 is arranged inside the outer box 1 and rotated inside the water tank 2. A tank (drum) 3 is provided.

  The water tank 2 and the rotating tank 3 are both cylindrical and have respective openings 4 and 5 at the front end face (left side in the figure). Among these, the opening 5 of the rotating tub 3 is for putting in and out the laundry (clothing), and the opening 4 of the water tub 2 surrounds it. The opening 4 of the aquarium 2 is connected to the opening 6 for taking in and out the laundry formed in the front part of the outer box 1 by a bellows 7, and a door 8 is provided in the opening 6 of the outer box 1 so that it can be opened and closed. Yes.

  The rotary tub 3 is also formed with holes 9 in the almost entire region of the peripheral side portion (body portion) (only a part is shown), and this hole 9 functions as a water passage hole during washing and dehydration, It functions as an air vent when drying. In addition, a plurality of baffles 10 for stirring the laundry are provided on the inner surface of the circumferential side portion of the rotating tub 3.

In the water tank 2, a hot air outlet 11 is formed in the upper part of the front end face part (a part above the opening 4), and a hot air inlet 12 is formed in the upper part of the rear end face part. In addition, a drain port 13 is formed at the bottom of the bottom of the water tank 2, a drain valve 14 is connected to the drain port 13 outside the water tank 2, and a drain hose 15 is connected to the drain valve 14. Thus, the water in the water tank 2 is discharged out of the apparatus.
A rotating shaft 16 is attached to the center of the rear surface (back surface) of the rear end surface portion of the rotating tub 3, and the rotating shaft 16 is inserted through the central portion of the rear end surface portion of the water tub 2 so as to be rotatable. It protrudes backward. A large number of hot air introduction holes 17 are formed around the central portion of the end surface portion on the rear side of the rotating tub 3.

On the other hand, a motor 18 is attached to the rear surface (back surface) of the rear end surface portion of the water tank 2. The motor 18 is of an outer rotor type, and in this case, is a brushless DC motor. The rotor 18a is attached to the rotary shaft 16, and the driving device for rotating the rotary tub 3 around the rotary shaft 16 in this configuration. It is supposed to function as.
The water tank 2 is elastically supported on the bottom surface of the outer box 1 by a plurality of suspensions 19 (only one is shown), and the support form is a horizontal axis shape in which the axial direction of the water tank 2 is front and rear. Moreover, it has an upwardly inclined shape, and the rotary tank 3 has the same configuration.

  A base plate 20 is disposed below the water tank 2 (on the bottom surface of the outer box 1), and a ventilation duct 21 is disposed on the base plate 20. The ventilation duct 21 has an air inlet 22 at the top of the front end, and the hot air outlet 11 of the water tank 2 is connected to the air inlet 22 via a return air duct 23 and a connection hose 24. . The return air duct 23 is piped so as to bypass the left side of the opening 4 of the water tank 2.

On the other hand, a casing 26 of a circulation fan 25 is connected to the rear end of the ventilation duct 21, and an outlet 27 of the casing 26 is connected to the temperature of the water tank 2 via a connection hose 28 and an air supply duct 29. It is connected to the wind inlet 12. The air supply duct 29 is piped so as to bypass the left side of the motor 18.
As a result, the warm air outlet 11 and the warm air inlet 12 of the water tank 2 are connected by the return air duct 23, the connection hose 24, the ventilation duct 21, the casing 26 of the circulation fan 25, the connection hose 28, and the air supply duct 29. A ventilation passage 30 is provided in connection.

  The circulation blower 25 has a blower fan 31 inside the casing 26, and the blower fan 31 is rotated by a motor 32 disposed outside the casing 26. Then, after the air in the rotating tub 3 is taken out of the rotating tub 3 through the ventilation passage 30, circulation is performed to return the air from the hot air introduction hole 17 of the rotating tub 3 into the rotating tub 3, Accordingly, a circulation device 33 that circulates the air in the rotating tub 3 is constituted by the ventilation path 30 and the circulation fan 25.

  Thus, in the ventilation path 30, the evaporator 34 is disposed in the front portion and the condenser 35 is disposed in the rear portion inside the ventilation duct 21. Although neither of these evaporator 34 and condenser 35 are shown in detail, they are tube-shaped with fins in which a large number of heat transfer fins are arranged at a fine pitch on the refrigerant flow pipe, and are excellent in heat exchange. A wind flowing through the ventilation duct 21 as described later passes between the heat transfer fins.

  The evaporator 34 and the condenser 35 constitute a heat pump 38 together with the compressor 36 and the throttle (particularly an electronic throttle valve or capillary tube) 37 shown in FIG. The pipe 39 connects the compressor 36, the condenser 35, the throttle 37, the evaporator 34, and the compressor 36 in this order (refrigeration cycle), and the refrigerant is circulated by the operation of the compressor 36. It is like that. The compressor 36 is disposed outside the ventilation duct 21 even in the outer box 1.

  An outside air inlet 40 is formed on the upper wall in the middle portion of the ventilation duct 21 between the portion where the evaporator 34 of the ventilation passage 30 is disposed and the portion where the condenser 35 is disposed. The outside air inlet 40 is provided with a heating member, in this case, an electric heater, in particular, a PTC heater 41. The PTC heater 41 is provided in such a manner that the upper surface of the PTC heater 41 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the ventilation duct 21, so that the drain valve 14 and the drain hose 15 below the water tank 2 and the like in the outer box 1 are arranged. These components are prevented from colliding with the PTC heater 41 due to vibration or the like when the rotating tank 3 rotates.

  In addition, an air discharge path 42 is provided from the front end portion of the ventilation duct 21 where the air suction port 22, which is a portion between the rotary tank 3 and the evaporator 34, in the ventilation path 30 to the front outside the apparatus. . The air discharge path 42 communicates with the air suction port 22 of the ventilation duct 21, and a switching damper 43 is provided at the communication portion.

  More specifically, the switching damper 43 is located on the side of the air discharge path 42 and is supported so that the upper end thereof can be turned up and down by a support shaft 44. The motor or electromagnet is omitted in FIG. As shown by a solid line and a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the air discharge path 42 and the ventilation duct 21 (ventilation path 30) are communicated and blocked, and the circulation apparatus for the ventilation path 30 is rotated by the power of the source. It functions as a wind path switching device for communication and disconnection at 33.

  In addition, an exhaust port 45 is provided in a portion of the ventilation passage 30 on the side of the rotary tub 3 from the portion where the evaporator 34 is disposed and on the upper surface portion adjacent to the air suction port 22 of the ventilation duct 21. The exhaust port 45 is in a position that reaches when the switching damper 43 closes the air suction port 22 (when the air discharge path 42 is opened), and is therefore closed by the switching damper 43 when the air suction port 22 is closed. The air intake 22 is opened by the switching damper 43 when the air intake port 22 is opened (when the air discharge path 42 is closed).

Further, a discharge blower 46 is provided inside the air discharge path 42, and the outlet of the air discharge path 42 ahead of the air discharge path 42 is driven by the power of a drive source such as a motor or an electromagnet not shown in FIG. A shutter 47 that is opened and closed is provided.
In addition, a power supply system control unit 48, a display system control unit 49, a water supply valve 50, a water supply case 51, and a water supply hose 52 are disposed in the upper portion of the outer box 1.

  FIG. 3 shows a control device 53 including the power supply system control unit 48 and the display system control unit 49. The control device 53 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and functions as a control means for controlling the overall operation of the washing / drying machine. The operation input unit includes various operation switches provided on an operation panel (not shown). 54, various operation signals are input, and a water level detection signal is input from a water level sensor 55 provided to detect the water level in the water tank 2, and the temperature of the evaporator 34, Temperature detection signals are respectively input from temperature sensors 56 to 59 which are temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the condenser 35, the temperature of the compressor 36, and the temperature (outside air temperature) in the outer box 1 (outside the ventilation path 30). It has come to be.

  The control device 53 is used to drive the motor 18, the circulation fan 25, the compressor 36, the throttle 37, and the switching damper 43 in this case, based on the input of the various signals and the control program stored in advance. In this case, the motor 61, the PTC heater 41, the discharge fan 46, the water supply valve 50, and the drain valve 14 for driving the shutter are controlled via the drive circuit 62.

Next, the operation of the washing / drying machine having the above configuration will be described.
In the washing and drying machine having the above configuration, when a standard operation course is started, a washing (washing and rinsing) operation is started first. In this washing operation, an operation of supplying water into the water tub 2 is performed by the water supply valve 50, and then the motor 18 is operated to rotate the rotating tub 3 alternately in both forward and reverse directions at a low speed.
When the washing operation is completed, the dehydration operation is then started. In this dehydration operation, after the water in the water tank 2 is discharged, an operation of rotating the rotating tank 3 in one direction at a high speed is performed. Thereby, the laundry in the rotating tub 3 is centrifugally dehydrated.

  When the dehydration operation is completed, a drying operation is next performed. In this drying operation, the switching damper 43 is set so as to block the ventilation path 42 from the ventilation path 30 and allow the ventilation path 30 to communicate with the circulation device 33 as indicated by a solid line in FIG. In this state, the motor 32 of the circulation fan 25 is operated while rotating the rotating tank 3 in both forward and reverse directions at a low speed. Then, as shown by solid line arrows in FIG. 1, the air in the water tank 2 flows into the ventilation duct 21 from the hot air outlet 11 through the return air duct 23 and the connection hose 24 by the air blowing action of the air blowing fan 31. Inflow.

  At this time, the operation of the compressor 36 of the heat pump 38 is started. As a result, the refrigerant sealed in the heat pump 38 is compressed by the compressor 36 to become a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows into the condenser 35 and exchanges heat with the air in the ventilation duct 21. As a result, the air in the ventilation duct 21 is heated, and conversely, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered and liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant is then depressurized through the restrictor 37 and then flows into the evaporator 34 to be vaporized. Thereby, the evaporator 34 cools the air in the ventilation duct 21. The refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 34 returns to the compressor 36.

  Thus, the air that has flowed into the ventilation duct 21 from the water tank 2 is cooled by the evaporator 34 and dehumidified, and then heated by the condenser 35 to be warmed. Then, the hot air is supplied from the hot air inlet 12 into the water tank 2 through the connection hose 28 and the air supply duct 29, and is further supplied from the hot air introduction hole 17 into the rotary tank 3.

The hot air supplied into the rotary tub 3 deprives the laundry of moisture, and then flows into the ventilation duct 21 from the hot air outlet 11 through the return air duct 23 and the connection hose 24.
Thus, air circulates between the ventilation duct 21 having the evaporator 34 and the condenser 35 and the rotating tub 3 to dry the laundry in the rotating tub 3. Therefore, in this case, the inside of the rotary tank 3 functions as a drying chamber.

  Further, during this drying operation, outside air is introduced into the ventilation path 30 from the outside air inlet 40 of the ventilation duct 21 (ventilation path 30), and at the initial stage of the drying operation, as shown in FIG. The PTC heater 41 provided at the outside air inlet 40 is heated (heater on). Thereby, outside air is introduced into the ventilation path 30 while being heated by the PTC heater 41. The heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is executed only in the initial stage of the drying operation. After a predetermined time from the start of the drying operation, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is stopped (heater off) and the drying is completed in that state. . Therefore, after the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is stopped, outside air that is not heated by the PTC heater 41 is introduced into the ventilation path 30.

  Along with the introduction of the outside air from the outside air introduction port 40 to the ventilation path 30, the rotation tank 3 is connected to the rotation tank 3 from the exhaust port 45 provided in the part closer to the rotation tank 3 than the part where the evaporator 34 of the ventilation path 30 is disposed. A part of the circulating air passing through the ventilation path 30 from the inside is discharged out of the ventilation path 30.

  In addition to the above drying operation, the space in which the washing / drying machine is installed can be cooled. At this time, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the switching damper 43 is switched so that the air discharge path 42 communicates with the air flow path 30 and the air flow path 30 is blocked in the circulation device 33. While the operation of the compressor 36 of the heat pump 38 is started, the shutter 47 is opened as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, and the discharge fan 46 is operated.

  As a result, as indicated by broken line arrows in FIG. 1, the air outside the ventilation duct 21 is introduced into the ventilation duct 21 from the outside air introduction port 40 and is cooled through the evaporator 34. Then, the cooled air is discharged to the front outside the machine through the air discharge path 42, and the space where the washing / drying machine is installed is cooled.

In addition, at this time, it is necessary to cool the condenser 35 which becomes high temperature, for example, a water-cooled pipe for executing this with water supplied from the water supply valve 50 is incorporated in the condenser 35 (not shown).
Further, in this case, the switching damper 43 closes the exhaust port 45, so that the air flow discharged outside the machine without passing through the evaporator 34 from the outside of the ventilation path 30 (not cooled). This avoids the possibility of being able to cool and effectively cools a space such as a washroom in which a clothes dryer is installed.

  In addition, the present configuration can also heat the space where the washing / drying machine is installed. At this time, the switching damper 43 is switched so that the air discharge path 42 is communicated with the air flow path 30 and the air flow path 30 is shut off in the circulation device 33 as described above, and in this state, the PTC heater 41 generates heat. At the same time, the shutter 47 is opened and the discharge blower 46 is operated (the compressor 36 of the heat pump 38 is not operated).

  Thus, the air outside the ventilation duct 21 is introduced into the ventilation duct 21 while being heated by the PTC heater 41 from the outside air inlet 40 and passes through the evaporator 34 (in this case, the evaporator 34 is in an inoperative state and is introduced) The outside air is not cooled), and is discharged to the front outside the machine through the air discharge path 42 to heat the space where the washing and drying machine is installed.

  As described above, in this configuration, outside air is supplied to the ventilation path 30 during the drying operation from the outside air inlet 40 provided in the portion between the evaporator 34 and the condenser 35 in the ventilation path 30. be introduced. Therefore, the temperature of the condenser 35 and the high-pressure side pressure of the refrigerant in the latter half of the drying operation can be avoided from exceeding a set value, and it is not necessary to lower the work of the compressor 36, and the input during the drying operation is increased. Therefore, high drying performance can be obtained.

  In addition, a PTC heater 41 is provided in the outside air introduction port 40. Based on the configuration, the PTC heater 41 generates heat at the initial stage of the drying operation as described above, so that outside air is supplied to the ventilation path 30. It can be introduced while being heated by the PTC heater 41. Therefore, the temperature rise in the rotary tank 3 in the initial stage of the drying operation can be accelerated (the temperature rise in the rotary tank 3 is prevented from being prevented by introducing the outside air that is not heated from the outside air introduction port 40). It is possible to finish the drying operation early.

FIG. 4 shows the inside of the rotary tank 3 until the end of drying of the one having only the outside air inlet 40 (no heater) between the evaporator 34 and the condenser 35 in the ventilation path 30. The temperature change in the rotary tank 3 until the end of drying of the PTC heater 41 provided at the outside air inlet 40 and generating heat at the initial stage of the drying operation (with a heater) is represented by a broken line. It is represented by a solid line. FIG 4 As is apparent from, the latter is obtained to terminate early the drying operation for a time T ₁ than the former.

  In addition, in the case of the present configuration, the switching damper 43 is switched so that the air discharge path 42 is communicated with the ventilation path 30 and the ventilation path 30 is shut off in the circulation device 33, and the PTC heater 41 is heated in this state. At the same time, by opening the shutter 47 and operating the discharge fan 46, the air outside the ventilation duct 21 is introduced into the ventilation duct 21 while being heated by the PTC heater 41 from the outside air introduction port 40 and is discharged from the discharge path 42. It is also possible to heat the space where the washing / drying machine is installed by discharging to the front outside the machine.

5 to 9 show the second to fourth examples (second to fourth 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. 5 and 6, the heat generated by the PTC heater 41 provided at the outside air introduction port 40 is not limited to the time T ₁ (for example, 20 [minutes] not only at the initial stage of the drying operation but also after the drying operation ends. ]) Only. Thereby, the evaporator 34 can be heated and dried after completion | finish of drying operation.

  When the clothes are dried, in the evaporator 34, condensation is generated on the surface as the air passing through the ventilation duct 21 is cooled and dehumidified. Moreover, although not shown, a filter is provided in the air path leading to the evaporator 34 of the ventilation duct 21. This filter captures lint that is sprinkled from the clothes being dried and carried to the air exiting the rotating tub 3 and is effective for this, but allows the passage of very fine components below it. (If you try to capture even the finest components below lint, the filter will quickly become clogged).

For this reason, an extremely fine component less than lint adheres to the surface of the evaporator 34 where condensation has occurred. Some of them contain mold spores and fungus-propagating ingredients, and mold growth is possible. Molds can cause odors and make the user uncomfortable.
In contrast, in this embodiment, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 provided in the external air inlet port 40, not only the initial drying operation, even after completion of drying operation by performing only time T _1, the drying operation Since the evaporator 34 can be heated (e.g., raised to about 30 degrees) after the completion of the above, the evaporator 34 can be dried to suppress mold growth.

FIG. 5 shows the inside of the rotary tank 3 until the end of drying of the air passage 30 having only the outside air inlet 40 (no heater) between the evaporator 34 and the condenser 35. The change in temperature is represented by a broken line, a PTC heater 41 is provided at the outside air inlet 40, and heat is generated at the initial stage of the drying operation and after the drying operation (with a heater) until the end of drying. The change in temperature is indicated by a solid line. As apparent from FIG. 5, the latter has a time after drying operation (heat generation time of the PTC heater 41) T ₁ and a temperature in the evaporator 34 higher than the temperature in the rotary tank 3 (for example, about 30 degrees). Can keep.

FIG. 6 shows the state of the evaporator 34 after the drying of the air passage 30 having only the outside air inlet 40 (no heater) between the portion where the evaporator 34 is disposed and the portion where the condenser 35 is disposed. The change in the surface moisture content is indicated by a broken line, and the change in the surface moisture content of the evaporator 34 of the heater (with heater) provided with the PTC heater 41 at the outside air inlet 40 and generating heat after the drying operation is indicated by the solid line. Yes. As can be seen from FIG. 6, it can be understood that the latter can reduce the surface moisture content of the evaporator 34 more quickly than the former, and can dry the evaporator 34.
In this case, the time during which the PTC heater 41 generates heat after the end of the drying operation is the same as the time when the drying operation can be shortened by generating heat at the initial stage of the previous drying operation (T ₁ ). It may be shorter or longer.

[Third embodiment]
In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is controlled according to the course of the drying operation. The course of the drying operation can be selected by operating the operation panel (not shown) by the user. Specifically, in this case, there are a “standard course”, an “energy saving course”, and an “additional drying course”.

In the “standard course”, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is executed at the initial stage of the drying operation and also after the drying operation.
In the “energy saving course”, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is not executed at the initial stage of the drying operation, but only after the drying operation.
In the “additional drying course”, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is executed only at the initial stage of the drying operation, and is not executed after the drying operation.

Among these, the heat generation control of the “standard course” PTC heater 41 is the same as that of the second embodiment, and therefore, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained.
The heat generation control of the PTC heater 41 in the “energy saving course” is suitable for saving power consumption, and the drying operation is terminated early by not executing the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 at the initial stage of the drying operation. Although it is not possible, power consumption can be reduced. In other words, this course gives priority to saving power consumption rather than ending drying operation early. In this case as well, by performing the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 after the drying operation, the evaporator 34 can be dried after the drying operation to suppress mold growth.

  The heat generation control of the PTC heater 41 in the “additional drying course” is suitable for finish drying of the clothes that have been air-dried. By executing the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 in the initial stage of the drying operation, Due to the dry condition, the drying operation that does not require a long time can be completed earlier. In this case, the clothes that have been air-dried have less moisture remaining in the clothes, and there is little condensation on the evaporator 34 during the drying operation. Therefore, even if the PTC heater 41 does not generate heat after the drying operation, No breeding or less.

[Fourth embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is controlled based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 59 which is a temperature detection means for detecting the outside air temperature. Specifically, in this case, for example, if the detected outside air temperature is 30 [° C.] or higher with reference to 30 [° C.], heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is not performed at the initial stage of the drying operation, but after the drying operation. Only for 5 minutes, for example.
On the other hand, if the detected outside air temperature is less than 30 [° C.], the PTC heater 41 generates heat at the beginning of the drying operation, and also after the drying operation, for example, for 20 [minutes] longer than the above. To do.

When the detected outside air temperature is 30 ° C. or higher, it can be said that the temperature of the outside air introduced from the outside air introduction hole 40 into the ventilation path 30 is sufficiently high. Therefore, in that case, the drying operation can be completed sufficiently early without performing the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 at the initial stage of the drying operation. Further, in this case, since the heat generated by the PTC heater 41 is not executed in the initial stage of the drying operation, power consumption can be reduced.
Moreover, in this case, since the detected outside air temperature is 30 [° C.] or more, the evaporator 34 after the drying operation is easy to dry, and therefore, the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 is executed for, for example, 5 [minutes] after the drying operation. Thus, the evaporator 34 can be dried, so that mold growth can be suppressed and power consumption can be reduced.

When the detected outside air temperature is less than 30 [° C.], the temperature of the outside air introduced from the outside air introduction hole 40 into the ventilation path 30 is low. Therefore, in that case, the heat generated by the PTC heater 41 is executed at the beginning of the drying operation, so that the low-temperature outside air temperature can be heated (heated up) by the PTC heater 41 and introduced into the ventilation path 30. Driving can be terminated early.
In this case, since the detected outside air temperature is less than 30 [° C.], the evaporator 34 after the drying operation is difficult to dry (condensed water is difficult to evaporate). Therefore, in this case, the evaporator 34 can be sufficiently dried by suppressing the growth of mold by executing the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 for 20 minutes longer than the above after the drying operation, for example. Can do.

  FIG. 9 shows the change in the surface moisture content of the evaporator 34 after completion of drying, according to the outside air temperature. The lower the outside air temperature is, 30 [° C.], 20 [° C.], and 10 [° C.], the longer it takes for the surface moisture content of the evaporator 34 to be exhausted after drying. On the other hand, even if the outside air temperature is less than 30 [° C.], the surface moisture of the evaporator 34 after the drying is finished by executing the heat generation of the PTC heater 41 for 20 minutes after the drying operation (with a heater). The amount can be eliminated quickly, i.e., the evaporator 34 can be sufficiently dried, thereby preventing mold growth.

  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.

Overall side view of the first embodiment of the present invention Cycle diagram of heat pump Electrical configuration block diagram Diagram showing temperature change in drying chamber during drying operation FIG. 4 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the change of the surface moisture content of the evaporator after drying operation The figure showing the 3rd example of the present invention (control contents according to course of dry operation) The figure showing 4th Example (control contents according to detection outside temperature) of the present invention. 6 equivalent diagram

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 3 is a rotating tank (drying chamber), 25 is a circulation fan, 30 is a ventilation path, 33 is a circulation device, 34 is an evaporator, 35 is a condenser, 36 is a compressor, 37 is a throttle, and 38 is A heat pump, 40 is an outside air inlet, 41 is a PTC heater (heating member), 42 is an air discharge path, 43 is a switching damper (air path switching device), 46 is a discharge fan, 59 is a temperature sensor (temperature detection means). Show.

Claims (5)

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,
An outside air inlet is provided in a portion between the evaporator-arranged portion and the condenser-arranged portion of the ventilation path,
A clothes dryer comprising a heating member at the outside air inlet. The air passage has an air passage that leads from the air passage to the outside of the machine. The air passage switching device that communicates and shuts off the air passage and the air passage, and the air passage switching device that connects and blocks the air passage, and the air discharge through the air passage. It has a blower for discharging air
2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein air introduced while being heated by a heating member provided at an outside air inlet is discharged outside the machine through an air discharge path.   The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the heating member provided at the outside air introduction port generates heat after the drying operation is completed.   2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the heat generation of the heating member provided at the outside air inlet is controlled for each course of the drying operation.   2. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, further comprising temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature, and controlling the heat generation of the heating member provided at the outside air inlet based on the detection result.

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