JP2008279175A - Washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing/drying machine adapted to dry clothing by a heat pump, having a blowing function of blowing cold air or hot air on the outside of a casing. <P>SOLUTION: In this washing/drying machine, washing or drying is performed in a drum 19 rotatably supported in the interior of a water tub 11 in the casing 3, and in drying operation, heated air from heat exchangers 34, 36 is introduced into the drum 19 by the operation of the heat pump 30 and a blower 37 disposed in the casing 3, thereby drying the washing. The washing/drying machine has a blowing function of driving the heat pump 30 to blow the cold air to the outside of the casing 3 in an optional time except the above drying operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine having a clothes drying function by a heat pump and a function of blowing air to the outside of the housing.

  In recent years, as shown in the schematic configuration of FIG. 8, the washing and drying machine is a so-called drum in which a rotating tub is a horizontal axis type drum 109 and an opening is provided on the front side of the housing 102 to form a laundry inlet 104. The type washing dryer 101 has been commercialized and is becoming popular. The washing tub 106 in this type of drum type washing and drying machine has a sideways cylindrical shape, and is elastic through a support device 111 so that the front is higher than the horizontal inside the casing 102 forming the outer shell. In this water tank 106, a drum 109 is rotatably provided with a gap between the water tank 106 and the drum 109 is directly attached by a DC brushless motor 110 attached to the rear surface of the water tank 106. Driven by rotation.

  A door 105 that opens and closes the loading port 104 is provided in the loading port 104 for loading and unloading the laundry provided on the front side of the housing 102. The door 105 is locked during washing and dehydration to lock the inside of the water tank 106. When the laundry is dried, it is generated by a drying unit 112 including a drying heater 113 and a fan 117 separately disposed above the water tub 106. Recently, a technique has been invented in which heated air is introduced into the drum 109 to dry clothes or the like, and recently, a clothes drying apparatus using condensation heat by a heat pump is provided.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, a clothes drying apparatus 121 using a horizontal axis type rotary tank 129 has been proposed in which air conditioning is performed by a heat pump (refrigeration cycle) 132 in addition to clothes drying (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

This is because the heat pump 132 introduces heated air discharged from the heating fins 133 that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 134 into the rotary drum-shaped drying chamber 129 and dries the clothes, Air conditioning operation in which outside air introduced from the outside of the apparatus by the fan 137 is heated and cooled by the heating fins 133 and the cooling / dehumidifying fins 136 and discharged from the outlet 141 to the outside of the apparatus while the air circulation paths 138 and 139 are closed , There is something to switch.
JP-A-9-56992

  However, since the configuration shown in Patent Document 1 is a clothes drying device and is different from the configuration as a washing dryer, it is not easy to wash or has a control configuration from dehydration to drying. Therefore, the relation between the washing / drying operation and the air discharging operation to the outside of the apparatus has not been considered.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides a washing / drying machine having a blowing function for blowing cold air or hot air to the outside of the housing in a washing / drying machine for drying clothes by a heat pump. For the purpose.

  In order to solve the above problems, a washing and drying machine according to the present invention performs washing and drying in a drum rotatably supported in a water tank in a housing, and a heat pump disposed in the housing during a drying operation. In a washing and drying machine in which heated air from a heat exchanger is introduced into the drum by operating the blower to dry the laundry, the heat pump is driven at any time except during the drying operation to blow cool air to the outside of the housing. It is characterized by having an air blowing function.

  In the washing / drying machine of the present invention, the laundry can be dried by the hot air and the dehumidifying function by the heat pump, and cool air using the heat pump is blown out to the outside of the housing to make the surrounding space a more comfortable atmosphere. be able to.

(First embodiment)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the washing / drying machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of an operation panel 5 provided in the washing / drying machine 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the air conditioning operation, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing various operation steps of the washing / drying machine 1.

  The washing / drying machine 1 according to the present embodiment is a drum type washing machine having an inclined drum as shown in FIG. 1, and a washing course or the like is selectively set on the upper front side of the casing 3 forming the outer shell. An operation panel 5 is disposed, and a circular insertion port 7 through which the laundry is taken in and out is opened in the front center portion. The insertion port 7 is closed so as to be freely opened and closed by a door 9 having a transparent window. When the door is closed, the front surface of the door 9 is substantially flush with the front surface of the housing 3.

  Inside the housing 3, a cylindrical water tank 11 that is inclined upward toward the front is disposed in a state of being elastically supported by a suspension 12, and an opening 11 a provided on the front surface and an inlet 7. Are connected so as to communicate in a watertight manner by a bellows 13 made of an elastic material such as rubber which forms a tubular shape as a whole.

  The water tank 11 is connected to a water supply connection pipe 15 via a water supply valve 14 and a detergent case 18 at an upper portion thereof, and water and a detergent stored in the detergent case are supplied to the inside from a water supply source such as a water supply. A drain hose 17 is connected to the lower side of the side through a drain valve 16 so as to discharge the washing water inside.

  Inside the aquarium 11, a bottomed cylindrical drum 19 that accommodates laundry is disposed coaxially with the aquarium 11. The drum 19 is supported in an inclined state along the water tank 11, and has a number of dewatering holes 19a on the peripheral wall of the trunk portion and a plurality of baffles 19b for scraping laundry on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The drum 19 has an annular drum cover 19c attached to the front opening side, and is disposed so as to face the charging port 7 together with the bellows 13. The drum 19 functions as a shared tank in the washing process and the dehydrating process.

  The drum 19 is pivotally supported on a closed back portion of the water tank 11 by a drum shaft 21 protruding rearward from the central portion of the back surface, and is driven to rotate by a motor 23 connected to the drum shaft 21. Yes.

  The motor 23 is, for example, an outer rotor type brushless motor, and includes a stator 27 fixed to a housing 25 disposed on the back surface of the water tank 11 and a rotor 29 disposed outside the stator 27. The rotor 29 is connected to the rear end of the drum shaft 21 so as to be integrally rotatable, and the drum 19 is directly driven to rotate via the drum shaft 21. The motor 23 is provided with a rotation sensor 24 having a plurality of Hall elements, and the rotation speed of the motor 23 corresponding to the position of the rotor 29 of the rotating motor 23 and the rotation speed of the drum 19 is determined. It comes to detect.

  The washing / drying machine 1 having such a configuration automatically executes the washing, rinsing, and dehydration function processes by selecting and setting the process, and the laundry is put into the drum 19 through the insertion port 7 and the door 9 is opened. After the closing, for example, as shown in each step performed during the washing operation in FIG. 5A, in the washing step, the drum 19 is opened in a state where the water supply valve 14 is opened and the detergent and the washing water are supplied into the water tank 11. After rotating at a low speed and carrying out a stirring motion for picking up the laundry with the baffle 19b and dropping it, the drain valve 16 is opened and the washing water in the water tank 11 is discharged from the drain hose 17 to the outside. In the rinsing process, the laundry is dehydrated by rotating the drum 19 at a high speed, the water supply valve 14 is opened and the washing is supplied to the water tank 11 and the drum 19 is rotated at a low speed, the drain valve 16 is opened and the water tank 11 is opened. The washing water is drained twice. In the dewatering process, the drum 19 is rotated at a high speed in one direction, and centrifugal dewatering is performed from a number of dewatering holes 19a provided on the peripheral wall of the body.

  A heat pump 30 unit is installed in the front-rear direction at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the lower portion of the casing 3, and the heat pump 30 is rotated while the drum 19 is variously rotated during the drying operation after the washing process is completed. The heat generated by the condenser 33 by driving is used to dry the laundry.

  Specifically, the heat pump 30 includes a compressor 34 that compresses and discharges the refrigerant on one side of the bottom surface of the housing 3, and dissipates and condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 34. A condenser 33, a decompression device 35 such as an expansion valve or a capillary for decompressing the high-pressure refrigerant, and an evaporator 36 for evaporating the decompressed refrigerant to absorb the heat are connected in an annular manner, and drying in the washing and drying operation is performed. When the heat pump 30 is driven in the process, the drying blower 37 disposed on the back side of the condenser 33 is simultaneously controlled to rotate.

  In addition, the heat pump 30 and the drying blower 37 are formed between the water tank 11 and the bottom surface of the main body because the drum 19 and the water tank 11 are inclined toward the front upper part with respect to the housing 3. It is installed using space and can be arranged compactly without requiring a large space dedicated to the heat pump.

  The drying blower 37 passes dry air heated to about 70 ° C. by the condenser 33, which has a high temperature, via a drum inlet duct 38 that communicates the downstream side of the drying blower 37 and the back side portion of the drum 19. Then, the air is blown into the drum 19 from the peripheral portion of the motor 23 and brought into contact with the laundry to be dried. Air humidified by contact with the laundry flows out from the drum 19 through the inlet 7 and the peripheral dewatering hole 19a, and passes through the low temperature evaporator 36 through the drum outlet duct 39. Then, moisture in the air is removed and then returned to the high-temperature condenser 33 to circulate as heated dry air again.

  Then, a blower fan 42 facing the evaporator 36 is provided in the blowout flow path 40 branched forward from the middle of the drum outlet duct 39 communicating with the evaporator 36, and cool air from the evaporator 36 located at the rear is provided. The blower fan 42 blows outward from the blower outlet 41 disposed in the lower front portion of the washing / drying machine 1.

  A switching damper 44 is disposed at a branch portion of the drum outlet duct 39. During the drying process, the outlet passage 39 side is closed by the switching damper 44 as shown in FIG. The air passage on the 36 side is opened so that the flow of warm air circulating in the drum 19 indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 is not obstructed.

  On the other hand, in order to make cold air blow out at any time except during the drying process, the blower fan 42 is driven in a state where the drum outlet duct 39 side is closed by the switching damper 44 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. At the same time, the louver 45 that closes the air outlet 41 is opened, so that the low-temperature air from the evaporator 36 cooled by the heat pump 30 is blown out from the air outlet 41 through the air outlet passage 40.

  At this time, the water supplied from the water supply valve 14 to the water cooling tube (not shown) provided in the condenser 33 through the water injection tube 46 is cooled, and the condenser 33 is cooled, and the water exchanged with the condenser 33 is supplied from the connection tube 47. By draining into the water tank 11, the condenser 33 can be prevented from becoming abnormally high temperature, and the heat pump 30 can function appropriately.

  When the switching damper 44 closes the drum outlet duct 39 and drives the blower fan 42, the air path from the evaporator 36 to the outlet 41 becomes negative pressure, but the outside air intake port 49 is opened on the back surface of the housing 3. In addition, an air inlet 50 is formed in the air passage wall between the evaporator 36 and the condenser 33, and outside air taken in from the outside air inlet 49 is supplied to the evaporator 36 through the air inlet 50. It has come to be.

  In order to make the hot air blow out, the PTC heater 48 disposed in the intake port 50 is heated, and the blower fan 42 is driven in the state where the drum outlet duct 39 side is closed by the switching damper 44. By opening a louver 45 that closes 41, air outside the machine taken in from the outside air intake port 49 is exchanged with the PTC heater 48 and introduced into the air passage, and is heated from the outlet 41 through the outlet passage 40. Blow out as wind.

  The louver 45 that closes the blower outlet 41 is supported so that pivots provided at both ends engage with the side walls of the blower outlet 41 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The air outlet 41 is opened and closed by driving the louver 45 and rotating the louver 45 by a predetermined angle.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a detailed arrangement configuration of the operation panel 5, and various operation keys and a display unit that a user operates for operating the washing / drying machine 1 are provided on the surface. Specifically, as operation keys, a washing operation as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, a washing / drying operation in which the washing operation and the drying operation are performed continuously, or a drying operation in which only the drying operation is performed, etc. Washing operation mode key 52 for selecting and setting by pressing, stroke selection key 53 for selecting each process of washing to drying by pressing and indicating and setting each time and frequency, and timer reservation time are selected A reservation key 54 for turning on / off, a power key 55 for turning on / off the washing / drying machine 1, and a start / pause key 56 provided in a large circle for starting or pausing the washing operation, etc. These keys are configured such that operation signals are output by the number of times they are pressed by a push button switch.

  Further, on the outer periphery of the start / pause key 56, an annular operation dial 57 is rotatably arranged so as to obtain a feeling of movement by rotating by a predetermined angle. The operation dial 57 is attached to a rotary shaft of a rotary switch including a rotary variable resistor, a rotary encoder, and the like, and an operation signal corresponding to the rotation direction and angle is output by rotating the operation dial 57. It is configured as follows.

  In the washing operation mode key 52, the display mode 52a on the selected key surface is turned on by a red light emitting diode (LED) provided on the back surface thereof to clearly indicate the operation mode. Further, the liquid crystal display panel 58 is provided with a course display section 59 for displaying the course contents of washing and drying selected in the washing operation mode. By rotating the operation dial 57, the course display section 59 is provided. The liquid crystal display unit 59a provided corresponding to the display items is selected by lighting and the adjacent display unit 60 displays the current time, reserved time, remaining operation time, washing process or dehydration process. The set time and the number of times of rinsing are selected and displayed numerically.

  A control unit 6 having an operation circuit is disposed on the back surface of the operation panel 5, and press operation signals based on various operation keys of the operation panel 5 and rotation operation signals based on operations of the operation dial 57 are provided in the housing. It outputs to the control means 8 in the drive control unit arrange | positioned in the front lower part of the body 3. FIG.

  As shown in the control block of the washing / drying machine 1 in FIG. 3, the control means 8 is constituted by a detection circuit including a microcomputer, and the microcomputer performs detection based on information stored in advance and executes operation control in accordance therewith. is doing.

  Then, the power from the AC power source 63 is supplied to the control means 8 as DC power that is rectified and smoothed by the DC power circuit 64, and the power relay is energized by turning on the power switch 55 to start operation. At the same time, power is supplied to the water supply valve 14 and the drain valve 16, the motor 23, the heat pump 30, the drying fan 37, the switching damper 44, the louver 45, and the like from the water supply source that requires output, and the control means 8 instructs Therefore, drive is performed.

  Further, the rotation speed of the motor 23 is input to the control means 8 by the rotation sensor 24 and a water level detection signal from the water level sensor 67 for detecting the stored water level in the water tank 11 or between the evaporator 36 and the condenser 33. The temperature sensor 68 provided outside in the vicinity of the air inlet 50 pierced in the air passage wall is detected by the temperature of the ambient atmosphere of the washer / dryer 1 and input to the control means 8, so that control in accordance with each operation process is performed. Further, the door switch 69 detects the door state of the washing / drying machine 1 and controls the opening / closing of the door lock.

  Further, the operation keys 52 to 56 on the operation panel 5 and the switches of the operation dial 57 and the display unit 58 display according to the user's operation and driving state, and the buzzer 70 is operated by the user and driving operation. Display is performed in accordance with an instruction from the control means 8 at the time of termination or abnormality.

  The specifications set by the operation keys 52 to 56 are stored in the non-volatile memory 71, and start from displaying the air volume, operation time, and set temperature stored at the next power-on on the liquid crystal display panel 58.

  Accordingly, an air conditioning operation mode key 61 is similarly provided in the vicinity of the washing operation mode key 52 on the operation panel 5. The air conditioning operation mode key 61 selects and sets a cold air operation mode for blowing cool air, a hot air operation mode for blowing warm air, and an automatic operation mode for switching between cold air and hot air according to room temperature by pressing. However, when the air-conditioning operation mode is set while the power is on, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the air-conditioning operation is performed at an arbitrary timing as long as it is not during the drying process using the heat pump 30. The air blowing display unit 61a corresponding to the selected operation mode is lit and displayed with a blue LED.

  More specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, in a state where the power key 55 is pressed and the power is turned on, the air conditioning operation mode key 61 is pressed to set the air conditioning operation mode (step S101). When the start key 56 is further pressed (step S103), it is determined whether or not the washing machine dryer 1 is in a drying operation in step S105. If not in the drying operation, the process proceeds to step S107.

  In step S105, when the drying operation is being performed and the air conditioning operation is not performed, the blue LED 61a in the air conditioning operation mode key 61 portion is not turned on, and the characters “cannot perform the air conditioning operation” are displayed on the display unit 60 of the liquid crystal display panel. May be notified to the user that the air-conditioning operation cannot be accepted during the drying operation.

  In step S107, the air conditioning operation mode set in step S101 is determined. If the cold air operation mode is set, the cold air operation is executed (step S109), and the cold air operation is continued for a preset time (step S111). . If the hot air operation mode is set in step S101, the hot air operation is executed (step S113), and the hot air operation is continued for a preset time (step S115). If the automatic operation mode is set in step S101, the process proceeds to step S117 to execute the automatic operation mode.

  In step S117, the temperature sensor 68 measures the temperature Tc in the room where the washing / drying machine 1 is disposed. If the room temperature Tc is equal to or higher than the cold air operating temperature (for example, 28 ° C.), the cold air operation is executed (step S119). If the temperature is lower than the hot air operating temperature (for example, 18 ° C.), the hot air operation is executed (step S121). If the temperature is higher than the hot air operating temperature and lower than the cold air operating temperature, the air pump operation is not executed and the heat pump 30 is stopped. (Step S123), Steps S117 to S123 for continuously measuring the room temperature Tc and performing operation / stopping according to the measured room temperature Tc are repeated (Step S125).

  As described above, in the washer / dryer 1 according to this embodiment, in the washer / dryer 1 having a function of blowing air to the outside of the casing, the drying operation is executed even when the washer / dryer 1 is being activated. In some cases, the heat pump 30 is prioritized for use in the drying operation, and the air-conditioning operation function is canceled and stopped, and control is performed so that the air-conditioning operation can be performed at any time other than the drying operation. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the temperature of the atmosphere in which the washing / drying machine 1 is installed without hindering the drying efficiency, and to provide a convenient washing / drying machine.

  In addition, the user can switch and set the cold air operation, the hot air operation, and the automatic operation according to the room temperature, and the air conditioning operation according to the user's desire is possible.

  Further, when the washing and drying machine 1 does not accept the air conditioning operation during the drying operation, the fact is displayed on the display panel 58 and can be notified to the user, so that it is easy to understand and easy to use without misunderstanding that it is a malfunction. A dryer can be provided.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Elements that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

  The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that the warm air heated by the heat pump 30 is blown out from the air outlet 41.

  That is, the heat pump 30 is provided with a four-way valve (not shown) for switching between a flow path through which the refrigerant flows from the condenser 33 toward the evaporator 36 and a flow path through which the refrigerant flows from the evaporator 36 toward the condenser 33. Thus, the refrigerant flow path is switched to introduce the high-temperature refrigerant from the compressor 34 into the evaporator 36 to cause condensation, thereby causing the evaporator 36 to function as a high-temperature side heat exchanger, and the switching damper 44 causes the drum outlet duct 39 to function. With the side closed, the blower fan 42 is driven and the louver 45 that closes the blower outlet 41 is opened to blow high-temperature air outward from the blower outlet 41.

  Also in this embodiment, a PTC heater is provided in the intake port 50 as in the first embodiment described above, and the evaporator 33 serving as a high temperature side heat exchanger and the PTC heater are used in combination with the outside air intake port. The outside air taken in from 49 may be heated.

  7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the washing / drying machine 1 according to the modified example of this embodiment, in addition to the intake port 50 provided between the evaporator 36 and the condenser 33, the condenser 33 An air inlet 51 is also formed in the air passage wall between the air blower 37 and the drying blower 37, and opening and closing shutters are provided at both the air inlets 50 and 51, respectively.

  Then, the refrigerant flow path is switched by a four-way valve to introduce the high-temperature refrigerant from the compressor 34 into the evaporator 36 so that the evaporator 36 functions as a high-temperature side heat exchanger, and the refrigerant decompressed via the decompression device 35 is supplied. In a state where the condenser 33 is introduced into the condenser 33 and functions as a low temperature side heat exchanger, the inlet 50 is closed and the inlet 51 provided between the condenser 33 and the drying fan 37 is opened. Then, the drum outlet duct 39 side is closed by the switching damper 44, the blower fan 42 is driven, and the louver 45 that closes the outlet 41 is opened, so that the outside air taken in from the outside air intake port 49 and the intake port 51 is cooled to the low temperature side. It passes through the condenser 33 as a heat exchanger, is dehumidified and cooled, passes through the evaporator 36 as a high temperature side heat exchanger, is heated, and blows out dehumidified air with a small amount of water vapor from the outlet 41. It is possible.

It is sectional drawing of the washing-drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the operation panel provided in the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the air-conditioning driving | operation of the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the process of the various driving | operations in the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the washing-drying machine which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the washing dryer concerning a modification of a 2nd embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the conventional drum type washing-drying machine structure. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clothes drying apparatus which shows another conventional structure.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Washing-drying machine, 3 ... Housing | casing, 11 ... Water tank, 19 ... Drum, 30 ... Heat pump, 33 ... Condenser, 34 ... Compressor, 35 ... Decompression device, 36 ... Evaporator, 37 ... Blower for drying, 38 ... Drum inlet duct, 39 ... Drum outlet duct, 40 ... Blowing flow path, 41 ... Blowing outlet, 42 ... Blower fan, 44 ... Switching damper

Claims (4)

Washing and drying are performed in a drum that is rotatably supported inside a water tank in the housing, and during the drying operation, heated air from the heat exchanger is moved into the drum by the operation of a heat pump and a blower disposed in the housing. In a laundry dryer that introduces and dries laundry,
A washing / drying machine comprising a blowing function of driving the heat pump at any time except during the drying operation to blow cool air to the outside of the housing.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing function is capable of blowing warm air to the outside of the housing at any time except during the drying operation.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 2, further comprising a control mechanism for switching between cool air and hot air and blowing air to the outside of the housing.   The washing and drying machine according to claim 3, wherein the control mechanism switches between cold air and hot air according to room temperature.

Images