JP2011024697A - Drying machine and washing/drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drying machine or a washing/drying machine restraining humid-air exhaust outside the machine as less as possible and reducing drying power consumption while preventing uneven dryness of clothes and considering different drying manners. <P>SOLUTION: The washing/drying machine includes a rotary drum in which the clothes are housed, a motor for driving the drum, an outer tub for housing the drum, a case body for supporting the tub and a drying means for blowing hot air inside the drum. The drying means includes a first drying route that sucks air inside the drum and blows hot air from the front of the drum for circulating the hot air, a second drying route that sucks outdoor air and blows the hot air inside the drum for discharging air inside the drum outside the case body and a changing means for changing the first route to the second route. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

    The present invention relates to a dryer or a washing dryer provided with means for drying clothes.

  Drying clothing is to blow high-temperature and low-humidity air (hot air) into the drum using a blower fan and heat source to raise the temperature of the clothing, evaporate the moisture from the clothing, and discharge the evaporated moisture to the outside of the machine. To do. There are two methods for removing the evaporated water: an exhaust system that discharges it directly outside the washing and drying machine (always supplying new air) and a dehumidification system that cools the evaporated water and condenses it to remove the water (circulates the same air). . In general, the exhaust system can reduce power consumption, but there is a problem that humid air is discharged outside the apparatus and the humidity of the room increases.

  Further, there are methods for increasing the amount of warm air and increasing the temperature of hot air in order to shorten the drying time and reduce power consumption. A general washing and drying machine for clothes or a dryer has a configuration in which warm air is blown from one direction of a rotating drum for storing clothes and the warm air is discharged from the opposite direction. However, as the amount of clothing increases, the clothing becomes difficult to move in the rotating drum, so the clothing on the side where the hot air hits dries quickly, while the clothing on the other side is difficult to receive the hot air and the drying speed is slow. . For this reason, if priority is given to the temperature of clothing and the operation is terminated at a temperature of about T1, the rear clothing becomes insufficiently dried, and if the operation is performed without uneven drying, there is a problem that the temperature of the front clothing becomes too high. .

  In view of this, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-354 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-259549 have been proposed as washing / drying machines (or dryers) whose drying efficiency is improved by blowing hot air from a plurality of directions of a rotating drum. The former washer / dryer is provided with a plurality of circulation paths for supplying warm air to the rotating drum, and at least one of the hot air outlets provided in the plurality of circulation paths is provided in a rear side wall region of the rotating drum, Another at least one outlet is provided in the front side wall region of the rotating drum. The blower fan is provided for each of the plurality of circulation paths, and the heating unit is provided for at least one of the plurality of circulation paths. The latter washer / dryer has one blower fan and is configured to switch the hot air outlets before and after the rotating drum with a switching valve. Since these can blow warm air uniformly on clothes, it is possible to achieve drying with little unevenness in drying.

JP 2006-354 A JP 2008-259549 A

  Although the above-mentioned conventional technology can provide a plurality of hot air outlets to achieve drying with little unevenness in drying, the drying method (exhaust method, dehumidification method) is not considered.

  As described above, there are two types of drying methods: an exhaust system that discharges the humid air inside the drum directly to the outside of the machine (always supplying fresh air) and a dehumidification system that cools and condenses the evaporated water to remove moisture (the same air is used). However, the above prior art does not consider reduction of power consumption considering the difference between these methods.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a dryer or a laundry dryer that reduces the power consumption of drying while preventing the clothes from drying out and taking into account the difference in the drying method described above, while minimizing the outflow of humid air as much as possible. Is to provide a machine.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rotating drum in which clothing is accommodated, a motor that drives the rotating drum, an outer tub that accommodates the rotating drum, a housing that supports the outer tub, The washing and drying machine includes a drying unit that blows out hot air into the rotating drum. The drying unit sucks air in the rotating drum, blows out hot air from the front side of the rotating drum, and circulates the hot air. And a second drying path for sucking outside air, blowing warm air into the rotating drum and discharging the air inside the rotating drum to the outside of the housing, the first path and the second path And a switching means for switching between.

  According to the present invention, since the first drying path that is a dehumidifying system, the second drying path that is an exhaust system, and the switching means for switching between the first path and the second path are provided, they are effectively different. Two drying methods can be used.

  For example, in the second half of drying, the moisture contained in the air after hitting clothing is not so much, so if you switch to the second path (exhaust method) in the second half of drying, the exhaust of humid air can be suppressed outside the machine. And power consumption can be reduced.

  Moreover, since the blowing direction of the warm air can be changed simultaneously with the switching of the drying route, the warm air can be applied to the clothes from a direction different from the first half of the drying, and uneven drying can be suppressed.

It is an external view which shows the drum type washing-drying machine of this invention. It is a perspective view which cut | disconnects a part of housing | casing of the drum type washing machine of this invention, and shows an internal structure. It is a perspective view which cut | disconnects a part of housing | casing of the drum type washing machine of this invention, and shows an internal structure. It is a rear view which removes the back cover of the drum type washing machine of the present invention, and shows an internal structure. It is a side view which shows the internal structure of the drum type washing machine of this invention. It is a perspective view of the outer tank which attached the rear part duct. It is a front view of the outer tank cover which provided the front part warm air outlet. It is AA sectional drawing of the front warm air blower outlet in FIG. It is sectional drawing of an outer tub and a washing and dewatering tub which show a rear part warm air blower outlet. FIG. 10 is a front view of the bottom surface of the drum, shown in a CC section in FIG. 9. It is sectional drawing which shows an air supply / exhaust valve. It is a structural schematic diagram which shows the flow of air. It is the clothes photograph after drying of the conventional washer / dryer and the washer / dryer of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the change of the temperature and moisture content of the clothing in the drying process of the conventional washing dryer. It is a figure which shows the change of the temperature and moisture content of the clothing in the drying process of the washing dryer of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an intake valve. It is a structural schematic diagram which shows the flow of air. It is a structural schematic diagram which shows the flow of air.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a drum type washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part of the casing cut to show the internal structure and viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. 3 is a part of the casing cut to show the internal structure and viewed from the diagonal rear. FIG. 4 is a rear view with the back cover removed to show the internal structure, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing the internal structure.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a housing constituting the outer shell. The housing 1 is mounted on a base 1h, and includes left and right side plates 1a and 1b, a front cover 1c, a back cover 1d, a top cover 1e, and a lower front cover 1f. The left and right side plates 1a and 1b are connected by a U-shaped upper reinforcing material 1j, a front reinforcing material 1k, and a rear reinforcing material (not shown), and form a box-shaped casing 1 including the base 1. However, it has sufficient strength as a housing.

  9 is a door which closes the insertion port for putting in and taking out the clothes provided in the approximate center of the front cover 1c, and is supported by the hinge provided in the front reinforcement material so that opening and closing is possible. When the door opening button 9d is pressed, the lock mechanism (not shown) is released to open the door, and when the door is pressed against the front cover 1c, the door is locked and closed. The front reinforcing member has a circular opening for putting clothes in and out concentrically with an opening of the outer tub described later.

  Reference numeral 6 denotes an operation panel provided in the upper center of the housing 1 and includes a power switch 39, operation switches 12 and 13, and a display 14. The operation panel 6 is electrically connected to a control device 38 provided at the lower part of the housing 1.

  3 is a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub (rotary drum) supported rotatably, having a large number of through holes for water flow and ventilation on its outer peripheral wall and bottom wall, and clothing on the front end face An opening 3a for taking in and out is provided. A fluid balancer 3c integrated with the washing and dewatering tub 3 is provided outside the opening 3a. A plurality of lifters 3b extending in the axial direction are provided inside the outer peripheral wall. When the washing and dewatering tub 3 is rotated during washing and drying, the clothes are lifted along the outer peripheral wall by the lifter 3b and centrifugal force, and dropped by gravity. Repeat the movements. The rotation center axis of the washing and dewatering tub 3 is inclined so that the horizontal or opening 3a side becomes higher.

  Reference numeral 2 denotes a cylindrical outer tub, which coaxially encloses the washing / dehydrating tub 3, opens on the front surface, and attaches the motor 4 to the outer center of the rear end surface. The rotating shaft of the motor 4 passes through the outer tub 2 and is connected to the washing and dewatering tub 3. An outer tub cover 2d is provided at the opening on the front surface, and water can be stored in the outer tub. In the center of the front side of the outer tub cover 2d, there is an opening 2c for taking in and out clothing. The opening provided in the main opening 2c and the front reinforcing member 37 is connected by a rubber bellows 10, and the outer tub 2 is sealed with water by closing the door 9. A drain port 2b is provided at the bottom bottom of the outer tub 2 and a drain hose 26 is connected thereto. A drainage valve 25 is provided in the middle of the drainage hose 26. Water is stored in the outer tub 2 by closing the drainage valve and supplying water, and the drainage valve is opened to discharge the water in the outer tub 2 to the outside of the machine. The outer tub cover 2d has an overflow port 2e on the front outer peripheral portion, and is connected to the drain hose 26 on the downstream side of the drain valve 25 by the overflow hose 2f.

  The outer tub 2 is supported in a vibration-proof manner by a suspension 5 (consisting of a coil spring and a damper) whose lower side is fixed to the base 1h. The upper side of the outer tub 2 is supported by an auxiliary spring (not shown) attached to the upper reinforcing member, and prevents the outer tub 2 from falling in the front-rear direction.

  Reference numeral 19 denotes a detergent container provided on the upper left side in the housing 1, and a drawer-type detergent tray 7 is mounted from the front opening. When putting detergents, the detergent tray 7 is pulled out as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The detergent container 19 is fixed to the upper reinforcement 1j of the housing 1.

  On the rear side of the detergent container 19, components related to water supply such as a water supply electromagnetic valve 16, a bath water supply pump 17, a water level sensor (not shown) are provided. The top cover 1e is provided with a water supply hose connection port 16a from a water tap and a water absorption hose connection port 17a for remaining hot water in the bath. The detergent container 19 is connected to the outer tub 2 and supplies washing water to the outer tub 2 by opening the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 or operating the bath water supply pump 17.

  Reference numeral 29 denotes a drying duct installed vertically inside the back surface of the housing 1, and a lower portion of the duct is connected to an intake port 2 a provided below the back surface of the outer tub 2 through a rubber bellows tube B (29 a). The drying duct 29 has a built-in water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism (not shown). The cooling water hose 24 connects the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 and the water-cooling dehumidifying mechanism, and opens the water supply electromagnetic valve to cool the water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism. Supply water. The cooling water flows down along the wall surface of the drying duct 29, enters the outer tub 2 through the intake port 2a, and is discharged from the drain port 2b.

  The upper part of the drying duct 29 is connected to a filter duct 27 installed in the front-rear direction on the upper right side in the housing 1. An intake / exhaust valve 55 is provided at the connection with the filter duct 27 at the top of the drying duct 29. The filter duct 27 has an opening on the front surface, and a drawer-type drying filter 8 is inserted into the opening. The air that has entered the filter duct 27 from the drying duct 29 flows into the mesh filter 8a of the drying filter 8, and lint is removed. Cleaning of the dry filter 8 is performed by pulling out the dry filter 8 and taking out the mesh filter 8a. Further, an opening is provided in the lower surface of the insertion portion of the dry filter 8 of the filter duct 27, the opening is connected to the intake duct 33, and the other end of the intake duct 33 is connected to the intake port of the blower unit 28. is doing.

  The blower unit 28 includes a drive motor 28a, a fan impeller (not shown), and a fan case 28b. The fan case 28b incorporates a heater 31 and heats air sent from the fan impeller. The heater 31 can be switched between inputs, and the heater of this embodiment has a strong mode and a weak mode. The discharge port of the blower unit 28 is connected to the hot air duct 30. The hot air duct 30 is connected to a front outlet 32 provided in the outer tank cover 2d through a rubber bellows tube A (30a) and a bellows tube joint 30b.

  Reference numeral 51 denotes a rear duct, which is arranged from the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 2 along the back surface of the outer tub 2 as shown in the perspective view of the outer tub in FIG. The front part of the rear duct is connected to the rear opening 30c of the bellows pipe joint 30b, and the rear part is connected to a rear outlet 52 provided on the rear face of the outer tub 2. A switching valve 54 is provided in the bellows tube joint 30b to switch between the front outlet 32 and the rear outlet 52.

  In the present embodiment, since the blower unit 28 is provided on the upper right side in the housing 1, the front outlet 32 is provided at a position diagonally right above the outer tank cover 2d, and the distance to the front outlet 32 is set. It is made as short as possible to minimize pressure loss and heat escape. However, since the rear outlet 52 is provided at a position that is substantially point-symmetric with the inlet 2 a of the drying duct 29 on the upper back of the outer tub 2, the length of the rear duct 51 is long, and heat easily escapes from the rear duct 51. Therefore, the rear duct 51 and the outer tub 2 are provided in close contact with each other. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the heat of the warm air heated by the heater 31 from being diffused into the housing while passing through the rear duct 51. Further, the rear duct 51 is configured to have a U-shaped cross-section, the opening side is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 2, and the rear duct 51 is configured using the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 2. Since the area is reduced, the effect of preventing heat dissipation can be increased.

  Temperature sensors (not shown) are provided at the outlet 2b and the inlet and outlet of the blower unit 28.

  A feature of the present invention is that high-speed wind is directly applied to the clothing to promote the evaporation of moisture from the clothing while stretching the wrinkles of the clothing, and the hot air outlet is switched according to the degree of drying to prevent uneven drying. It is to reduce power consumption. For this purpose, a blower unit 28 that generates high-speed wind and a front blowout port 32 and a rear blowout port 52 that directly apply the wind to clothing are required. The performance required for the blower unit will be described later.

  Details of the front outlet 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 is a front view of the outer tub cover 2d of the front outlet 32 installation portion, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the front outlet 32 cut along a two-dot chain line AA in FIG.

  The front outlet 32 is provided along the opening 2c from the front side of the outer tank cover 2d, and the flow paths 32b and 32c are formed therein. A bellows pipe joint 30b is attached to the inlet of the front outlet 32, and a nozzle 32d is formed at the outlet of the flow path 32c. The inner diameter of the opening 2c of the outer tub cover 2d and the inner diameter of the opening 3a of the washing / dehydration tub 3 are set to be substantially the same so that clothing does not enter between the gap between the washing / dehydration tub 3 and the outer tub cover 2d. Yes. For this reason, the outlet portion 32a of the front outlet 32 is formed so as to protrude inward from the inner peripheral surface of the opening 2c, and the nozzle 32d is opened toward the washing and dewatering tub 3. By doing in this way, the warm air coming out of the nozzle 32d directly hits the clothes in the washing and dewatering tank 3.

  If the amount of protrusion of the outlet portion 32a is too large, the movement of clothing is hindered during washing or drying. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the amount of protrusion is reduced by using a flat slit shape, and the opening 2c and the outlet The surface shape of the portion 32a is changed smoothly. Further, the flow path 32b and the flow path 32c are configured so that there is no useless protrusion or a sudden change in the flow direction, and the flow path area gradually decreases toward the nozzle 32d. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss and fluid sound that occur when high-speed wind flows through the flow paths 32b and 32c.

  The switching valve 54 provided in the bellows pipe joint 30b includes a drive motor 54a and a valve body 54b. The drive motor 54a is attached to the bellows tube joint 30b by a fixing metal 54c. The valve body 54b is rotated by rotating the rotating shaft 54d provided at the end of the valve body 54b by the drive motor 54a. When the valve body 54b is at the position shown in FIG. 8, the switching valve is closed, and when the valve body 54b is at the position of the two-dot chain line, the switching valve is defined as open. When the switching valve 54 is closed, the back opening 30c is closed, so that warm air is blown out from the front outlet 32, and when the switching valve 54 is opened, the air path to the front outlet 32 is closed, so It blows out from the rear outlet 51 through the rear duct 51 from the opening 30c.

  Details of the rear outlet 52 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the outer tub and the rear portion of the washing and dewatering tub 3 cut along the two-dot chain line BB in FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the bottom surface of the washing / dehydrating tub 3 by cutting the outer tub 2 and the washing / dehydrating tub 3 along the two-dot chain line CC of FIG.

  A rear outlet 52 and an intake port 2a are provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub 2. The air inlet 2 a is provided at the lower part of the outer tub, and the rear outlet 52 is provided at the upper part of the outer tub, and both are located substantially symmetrical with respect to the rotating shaft 4 a of the motor 4. The radial position of the air inlet 2a is close to the outermost peripheral portion, and the rear outlet 52 is located inside thereof. A plurality of annular convex portions B53b are formed on the bottom surface of the outer tank on the inner peripheral side from the position of the intake port 2a and on the outer peripheral side of the rear outlet 52. In addition, a plurality of annular protrusions A53a are formed on the outer bottom tank side of the washing and dewatering tank 3 so as to be concentric with the protrusions B53b. Convex part B53b and convex part A53a are alternately arranged, and constitute labyrinth seal 53. A plurality of ventilation holes 3d are provided on the bottom surface of the washing and dewatering tub 3 facing the rear outlet 52, and the ventilation holes 3d are mesh-shaped to prevent clothes from jumping out or to reduce ventilation resistance. It consists of many small holes. A large number of small holes 3 e are provided outside the labyrinth seal 53 on the bottom surface of the washing and dewatering tub 3.

  Thus, by arranging the rear outlet 52 and the inlet 32 apart from each other and providing a labyrinth seal between them, the warm air blown from the rear outlet 52 directly enters the inlet 2a. Can be prevented, and air can be efficiently applied to the clothes in the washing and dewatering tub 3. Moreover, since the speed of the warm air blown out from the rear outlet is high enough to stretch the wrinkles of the clothes, there are many clothes in the washing and dehydrating tank 3 and the clothes are blocking the vent 3d. Even when the clothes are pressed, the clothes are pushed by the force of the wind, and a gap is formed between the clothes, so that the warm air can easily enter the washing and dewatering tank 3, so that the clothes can be efficiently blown.

  In the present embodiment, the speed of the wind blown from the rear outlet 52 is made slower than the front outlet 32 to the extent that it does not hinder the effect of stretching the wrinkles of the clothes (the effect of spreading the clothes). In general, a flange 23 having a plurality of radial ribs is attached to the washing and dewatering tub 3, and the rotating shaft 4 a of the motor 4 is connected to the center of the flange 23. When the washing and dewatering tub 3 rotates, radial ribs periodically cross the rear outlet 52. For this reason, if the wind speed at the rear outlet 52 is too high, wind noise is generated and noise increases, so the wind speed is slowed down and the increase in wind noise is suppressed.

  Actually, the nozzle area of the rear outlet 52 is larger than the nozzle 32 d of the front outlet 32. When the rotation speed of the blower unit 28 is constant, the wind blown out from the rear outlet 52 is slower than the front outlet 32 but the air volume is increased. Although the effect of evaporating the moisture from the clothes due to the wind speed is reduced, it is offset by the improvement of the effect of evaporating the moisture due to the increased air volume, so that the drying efficiency is not reduced.

  A vent 23 a is provided at a position facing the rear outlet 52 of the flange 23, and a plurality of small holes 3 f are also provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub covering the flange, and the flange 23 comes to the position of the rear outlet 52. Even in this case, the warm air enters the washing / dehydrating tub 3. Further, the shape of the rear outlet 52 should be a slit longer in the circumferential direction than the width of the radial rib of the flange 23. By doing so, the rear outlet 52 is not completely blocked by the ribs of the flange 23, so that warm air can be efficiently introduced into the washing and dewatering tub 3.

  Details of the intake / exhaust valve 55 are shown in FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the two-dot chain line DD in FIG. The intake / exhaust valve 55 includes a drive motor 55a, a valve body 55b, and a valve seat 55c. The valve body 55b is rotated by rotating a rotating shaft 55d provided at the center of the valve body 55b by a drive motor 55a. The state in which the valve seat 55c is closed by the valve body 55b as shown in FIG. 11 is called the intake / exhaust valve closed, and the state in which the drying duct 29 and the filter duct 27 are shut off as shown by the two-dot chain line is called the intake / exhaust valve open. When the intake / exhaust valve 55 is opened, an intake port 56 and an exhaust port 57 are formed. The air inlet 56 is open to the inner space of the upper surface cover 1 e above the housing 1. An exhaust duct 58 is connected to the exhaust port 57 and communicates with the room. A filter 59 is provided at the outlet of the exhaust duct 58 to remove lint contained in the exhaust.

  The flow of wind during the drying operation can be realized in four ways depending on whether the switching valve 54 is open or closed and the intake / exhaust valve 55 is open or closed. In the present invention, both the switching valve 54 and the intake / exhaust valve 55 are closed or , Do both ways open. The flow of wind is indicated by solid line arrows and broken line arrows in FIGS. 1 to 5 and FIGS. 8 to 11, but is shown in the structural schematic diagram of FIG. 12 for easy understanding. First, the case where both are closed will be described (solid arrow in FIG. 12). When the blower unit 28 is operated and the heater 31 is energized, high-speed warm air blows into the washing and dewatering tub 3 from the nozzle 32d (arrow 41), hits the wet clothing, warms the clothing, and evaporates moisture from the clothing. The air that has become hot and humid flows from the through hole provided in the washing and dewatering tub 3 to the outer tub 2 and is sucked into the drying duct 29 from the air inlet 2a and flows from the bottom to the top in the drying duct 29 (arrow 42). Cooling water from the water cooling and dehumidifying mechanism flows down on the wall surface of the drying duct 29, and the hot and humid air is cooled and dehumidified by contacting with the cooling water, and becomes dry low temperature air and enters the filter duct 27 (arrow 43). . The lint is removed through the mesh filter 8a provided in the filter duct 27, enters the intake duct 33, and is sucked into the blower unit 28 (arrow 44). Then, it is heated again by the heater 31 and circulates so as to blow into the washing and dewatering tub 3. This circulation forms a first circulation path that is a dehumidifying system. During this time, the washing and dewatering tub 3 is rotated forward and backward at a low speed to lift the garment to the vicinity of the nozzle 32d so that high-speed warm air directly hits the garment.

  Next, when both are open (broken line arrow in FIG. 12), when the blower unit 28 is operated, the air in the housing 1 is sucked into the filter duct 27 from the intake port 56 (broken line arrow 46). Then, the air enters the intake duct 33 and is sucked into the blower unit (broken line arrow 63), enters the rear duct 51 from the bellows pipe joint 30b (broken line arrow 47), and is led to the back surface of the outer tub 2 by the rear duct, and the rear outlet 52 From the rear side of the washing and dewatering tub 3, the air is blown into the washing and dewatering tub 3 (broken line arrow 48), hits the clothes on the back side in the washing and dewatering tub 3, and moisture is evaporated from the clothes. And it flows into the outer tub 2 from the through-hole provided in the washing and dewatering tub 3, and is pushed into the drying duct 29 from the air inlet 2a (dashed arrow 62). After flowing from the bottom to the top of the drying duct 29, the waste enters the exhaust duct 58 through the exhaust port 57, the yarn waste is removed by the filter 59, and the exhaust is exhausted outside the machine (dashed arrow 45). Thereby, the 2nd circulation path used as an exhaust system is formed. During this time, the washing and dewatering tub 3 is rotated forward and backward at a low speed to lift the garment to the vicinity of the rear outlet 52 so that the wind directly hits the garment.

  Drying proceeds as follows. It is important to give the garment as much heat as possible in order to raise the garment temperature quickly in the early stage of drying. During the preheating period, there is little evaporation of moisture from the clothing.

  As the temperature of the clothing rises, the evaporation of moisture from the clothing increases, so the temperature rise of the clothing becomes dull due to the heat of vaporization, and eventually the heat and the heat of vaporization balance, and the temperature of the clothing becomes almost constant (constant rate) Dry). When the evaporation amount of moisture from the clothing starts to increase, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is opened, cooling water is supplied to the water cooling / dehumidifying mechanism in the drying duct 29, and the humid air containing the evaporated moisture is cooled and condensed. Remove moisture from the air.

  When the moisture content of the garment decreases, the heat of vaporization decreases, and the temperature of the garment begins to rise again. When the moisture of the garment runs out, the temperature becomes almost the same as that of the warm air, and drying ends (decreasing drying). The garment temperature starts to increase when the drying rate reaches around 0.9. The dryness is defined as the weight of dry clothing / the weight of clothing after drying. The weight of the dry clothes is the weight when the clothes are left overnight in an environment of a temperature of 20 ° C. and a relative humidity of 65%.

  The basic formula of the drying rate when moisture evaporates from the surface of the material (clothing) is expressed by the following equation (1).

(Equation 1)
Qs = α (Ta−Ts) / γ
Where Qs: drying rate (kg / m ² h)
α: Heat transfer coefficient (kJ / m ² h ° C)
γ: latent heat of vaporization (kJ / kg)
Ta: Hot air temperature (° C)
Ts: evaporation surface temperature (° C)
In addition, when the surface area of the garment surface is A (m ² ), the drying rate Q _A (kg / h) is expressed by Formula 2.

(Equation 2)
Q _A = Qs · A = α · A (Ta−Ts) / γ
Further, the drying rate when the moisture evaporates from the inside of the clothes is expressed by Equation 3.

(Equation 3)
Qi = K (Ta−Ts) / γ
Where Qi: drying rate (kg / m ² h)
K: Heat passage rate (kJ / m ² h ° C)
The heat transfer rate K is expressed by the following equation (4).

(Equation 4)
K = 1 / (1 / α + L / λ)
L: cloth thickness (m)
λ: Thermal conductivity (kJ / m · h · K)
From Equation 1, Equation 2, Equation 3, and Equation 4, in order to increase the drying (evaporation) speed,
(1) Raise the warm air temperature Ta.
(2) Increase the heat transfer coefficient α.
(3) Increase the surface area A.
(4) Increase the thermal conductivity λ.
(5) Reduce the thickness of the cloth.

  If the hot air temperature is too high, it will cause damage to clothing, so it is better to keep it at about 90 ° C at the maximum. For this reason, it is difficult to increase the drying rate by raising the temperature. In addition, since the thermal conductivity of the cloth and the thickness of the cloth are determined by the clothing, they cannot be controlled. Since the heat transfer rate is normally proportional to the 0.8th power of the wind speed, the heat transfer rate can be increased by increasing the wind speed. As for the surface area of clothing, the apparent surface area decreases when the clothing becomes dumped. Moreover, when it becomes dumpling shape, the thickness of an apparent cloth will become thick and a drying rate will fall. For this reason, it is better to spread clothing as much as possible.

These can be realized by increasing the wind speed to about 100 m / s. FIG. 13 shows a comparison of the state of the clothes after drying between a conventional washer / dryer and the washer / dryer of this example. The compared drying capacity of the washing and drying machine is 7 kg. The conventional washing and drying machine has an air volume of 1.4 m ³ / min and an air speed of 20 m / s, and the washing and drying machine of this embodiment has an air volume of 1.65 m ³ / min and an air speed with the switching valve 54 and the intake / exhaust valve 55 closed. It was operated at 100 m / s. The weight of the cloth is 3kg, and the compared clothes are cotton pajamas trousers that are very wrinkled. The conventional product is twisted like a string, the surface area is reduced, and the apparent thickness of the cloth is increased, the evaporation of moisture is hindered and the drying speed is lowered. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the clothing is widened and the finish is small. The reason for the small wrinkles is that when the wind with a high wind speed is blown on the clothing, the clothing is pushed out by the wind pressure. When clothing is spread in this way, the surface area increases, the apparent thickness does not increase due to the overlap of clothing, and the heat transfer rate can be increased, so that moisture easily evaporates and the drying speed increases, drying consumption Electric power can be reduced.

  However, if the amount of cloth increases, the clothes become difficult to move in the washing and dewatering tub 3, so that the wind does not hit the clothes uniformly, so that the dryness varies depending on the position of the clothes. FIG. 14 shows the moisture content of clothing and the change in clothing temperature when the heater is dried in the strong mode. In the first half of drying, the clothes contain a lot of moisture, the clothes are small in volume, and the clothes are easy to move in the washing and dewatering tank 3, so that the clothes are evenly heated and the temperature of the clothes is almost the same. As drying progresses, the moisture content decreases and the clothing swells. Then, the movement of the clothes in the washing / dehydrating tub 3 in the front-rear direction is reduced, and a difference occurs in the drying speed between the clothes positioned on the front side and the clothes positioned on the back side in the washing / dehydrating tub 3. The clothing on the front side is exposed to warm air, so it quickly dries quickly and begins a reduced rate drying period, and the clothing temperature starts to rise. On the other hand, since the clothes on the back side are hard to be hit by hot air, the drying time is slow and the time for entering the decreasing rate drying period is delayed, and the time for the clothes to start increasing in temperature is also delayed. Thus, when uneven drying occurs and the clothes on the back side are dried to an appropriate dryness (dryness of about 1.02 to 1.04) and the operation is terminated, the temperature of the clothes on the back side is T2 (80- However, the clothing on the front side becomes overdried and the temperature rises to about the same level as T1 (about 100 ° C.) and warm air.

  Therefore, in the first half of drying, the heater 31 is set to the strong mode, the switching valve 54 and the intake / exhaust valve 55 are closed, and high-speed air is blown out from the front outlet 32. In the latter half of the drying, the switching valve 54 and the intake / exhaust valve 55 are opened, the heater 31 is set to the weak mode, and hot air is blown out from the rear outlet 52. In the first half of drying, drying proceeds at a high drying speed due to the effect of the high-speed wind described above. When the drying progresses and the garment on the front side is almost dried after entering the reduced rate drying period, hot air is blown out from the rear outlet 52. Since warm air hits the clothing on the back side that was difficult to dry with only warm air from the front outlet 32, the drying of the back clothing proceeds rapidly. The reason why the heater 31 was weakened in the latter half of the drying was that the drying of the clothes on the back side had progressed to the extent that the drying of the back side was in the decreasing rate drying period, and the fuselage was sufficiently warmed. This is because it is sufficient for drying. Further, since the area of the rear outlet 52 is larger than that of the front outlet 32, if the operation in the latter half of drying is performed without changing the rotational speed of the blower unit 28, the air is dried with a larger air volume than in the first half of drying. The drying speed can be further increased. Further, the rotational speed of the blower unit 28 in the latter half of drying may be lowered so that the air volume in the first half of drying and the latter half of drying are the same. By doing so, the input of the blower unit 28 can be reduced, so that power consumption can be reduced.

  As described above, since it is possible to efficiently dry the back-side clothing that is difficult to dry, it is possible to suppress wasteful power consumption, prevent uneven clothing drying, and prevent the clothing temperature from rising excessively.

  FIG. 15 shows changes in clothing temperature and moisture content during drying according to this example. The first half of the drying is the same as the temperature change of the conventional machine, but in the second half of the drying when the outlet is switched to the rear, it can be seen that the temperature of the back clothing rises rapidly and dries. On the other hand, the temperature of the front garment, which is no longer exposed to hot air, decreases slightly, but there is no problem because it is already dry. Thus, since the back clothing can be effectively dried in the latter half of drying, the drying time can be set to t2 shorter than t1 in the case of only the front outlet, and time and power consumption can be reduced.

  In order to further reduce the power consumption, the heater 31 may be turned off in the latter half of the drying. In the first half of drying, the temperature of the clothes, the outer tub 2 and the washing / dehydrating tub 3 is sufficiently high, and the temperature of the air in the housing 1 is also increased. When the intake / exhaust valve 55 is opened in the latter half of the drying, the warmed air in the housing 1 is sucked and adiabatically compressed by the blower unit 28 to further increase the temperature. In the case of the present embodiment, the rotational speed of the blower unit 28 is 14000 revolutions per minute, and the temperature rise at the blower fan is about 8 ° C. And since heat is further received from the outer tub 2 while passing through the rear duct 51 provided in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 2, the warm air can be blown out from the rear outlet 52 without a heater. Because. In the case where the ambient temperature is 20 ° C., the blowing temperature from the rear blowing port is about 50 ° C. immediately after the latter half of the drying, and the temperature decreases with time, but is about 35 ° C. at the end of drying.

Although described above from the viewpoint of power consumption, the present embodiment is advantageous in terms of preventing wrinkles during drying. That is, in the first half of drying, warm air with a wind speed of about 100 m / s and an air volume of about 1.6 m ³ / min is blown out from the front outlet 32, and drying is performed while preventing the wrinkles of the clothes by pushing and spreading the clothes with the wind pressure. . However, if the amount of clothes is large, the clothes on the back side of the washing and dewatering tub 3 are not easily hit by high-speed wind, and thus the wrinkles of the back side clothes cannot be prevented. At the time of switching to the latter half of the drying, the back clothing is dried to the extent that it enters the decreasing rate drying period, and the dryness is about 0.9. When the dryness exceeds 0.9, it becomes difficult to remove wrinkles from the clothes. In the present embodiment, since the warm air is blown out from the rear outlet 52 when the dryness of the back garment is about 0.9, there is an effect of stretching the wrinkles of the rear garment. Considering the effect of stretching the wrinkles, it is desirable that the wind speed and the air volume from the rear outlet 52 are substantially the same as those of the front outlet 32. However, when the washing and dewatering tub 3 rotates, high-speed wind hits the radial ribs of the flange 23, and wind noise is generated. For this reason, in this embodiment, the area of the rear outlet 52 is made larger than the area of the front outlet, and the wind speed is set to 70 m / s and the air volume 1.7 m ³ / min to reduce wind noise. Even if the wind speed is reduced in this way, it is sufficiently faster than the wind speed (10 to 20 m / s) of a conventional general washing dryer, which is slightly lower than the wrinkle-stretching effect of the front outlet, but is sufficiently wrinkled. Has a stretching effect. Note that warm air is not blown to the front garment in the latter half of the drying, but the wrinkles hardly increase during the operation in the latter half of the drying because it is dried with less wrinkles.

By the way, in order to further improve the drying efficiency, it is also conceivable that the switching valve 54 is set to a neutral position so that warm air is blown out from both the front outlet 32 and the rear outlet 52 simultaneously. However, with the capacity of the blower unit 28 of the present embodiment, when an air speed of 100 m / s is to be secured, the air volume per outlet is about 0.8 m ³ / min, and this air volume has the effect of stretching wrinkles. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain a dry finish equivalent to that of the present example. If the capacity of the blower unit is doubled, the finish can be improved by blowing out the front and back simultaneously. However, since the power for operating the blower unit is also doubled, the commercial power supply (100V, 15A) requires input of the heater. This is not a good idea because it needs to be small and the temperature of the hot air drops. In addition, since the blower unit is increased in size, the casing size of the washing / drying machine must be increased, which is also a problem from the viewpoint of installation (space saving). However, when a heat pump system is used as a heat source for warm air, a sufficient amount of heat can be obtained even if the input of the heat source is small, so that high-efficiency drying and high-finish drying by simultaneous front and rear blowing can be realized.

  In the present embodiment, one outlet is provided before and after the washing and dewatering tub 3, and the number of intake ports is one. This can be realized with a single blower unit by switching the front and rear outlets with a switching valve, and can be a compact and low-cost washing and drying machine.

  Further, the warm air circulation path for the front blowing is configured as a closed loop, the warm air circulation path for the rear blowing is formed as an open loop, and the closed loop and the open loop are switched by the intake / exhaust valve. At the time of switching from the first half of drying to the second half of drying, the rear garment is dry enough to enter the reduced rate drying period, and the moisture content of the garment is reduced. For this reason, in the latter half of drying, the moisture contained in the air after hitting the clothes is not so much. For this reason, water-cooled dehumidification may be performed in the drying duct in the latter half of the drying while it is in a closed loop. However, since the heater is operated weakly or the heater is turned off in the latter half of the drying, the hot air temperature is low and the dehumidifying efficiency is too high Absent. Therefore, drying can be completed in a shorter time by setting the hot air circulation path as an open loop, sucking dry air from the inside of the housing, and exhausting air containing moisture evaporated from the clothing. At this time, the moisture released into the room is much less than when the laundry is dried in the room, and the room is hardly humid.

  Next, an embodiment in which exhaust is not released into the room will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. An intake valve 60 is provided in the vicinity of the connection with the filter duct 27 at the top of the drying duct 29. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the two-dot chain line DD in FIG. 4 and shows details of the intake valve 60. The intake valve 60 includes a drive motor 60a, a valve body 60b, and a valve seat 60c. The valve body 60b is rotated by rotating a rotary shaft 60d provided at the end of the valve body 60b with a drive motor. The state in which the valve seat 60c is closed with the valve body 60b as shown in FIG. 16 is called the intake valve closed, and the state in which the drying duct 29 and the filter duct 27 are shut off as shown by the two-dot chain line is called the intake valve open. When the intake valve 60 is opened, an intake port 61 is formed.

  The flow of the wind during the drying operation is shown in the structural schematic diagram of FIG. In this embodiment, the switching valve 54 and the intake valve are both closed or both open. The case where both are open (solid arrow in FIG. 17) is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted, and the case where both are open (broken arrow in FIG. 17) will be described. When the blower unit 28 is operated, the air in the housing 1 is sucked into the filter duct 27 from the air inlet 56 (broken line arrow 46). Then, the air enters the intake duct 33 and is sucked into the blower unit (arrow 44), enters the rear duct 51 from the bellows pipe joint 30b (broken line arrow 47), is led to the back of the outer tub 2 by the rear duct, and from the rear outlet 52 Blowing into the washing and dehydrating tub 3 from the back side of the washing and dehydrating tub 3 (broken line arrow 48) hits the clothing on the back side in the washing and dehydrating tub 3, and evaporates moisture from the garment. And it flows into the outer tank 2 from the through-hole provided in the washing and dewatering tank 3, and a part passes through the overflow hose 2f from the overflow port 2e (broken line arrow 49) and is exhausted from the drain hose 26 to the outside of the machine. The rest passes through the drain valve 25 from the drain port 2b (broken line arrow 50), merges with the flow from the overflow hose 2f, and is discharged from the drain hose 26 to the outside of the machine. Usually, since the drain hose is connected to the water distribution pipe, it is exhausted into the water distribution pipe and not exhausted into the room, so that it is possible to prevent the humidity in the room from increasing.

  In the embodiment described above, the hot air circulation path for the front blowing is configured in a closed loop, and the hot air circulation path for the rear blowing is configured in an open loop. Can be obtained. The flow of air in this case is shown in the structural schematic diagram of FIG. 18 (the configuration is the same as that shown in FIG. 12). In the operation in this case, warm air is blown out from the rear outlet 52 in the first half of drying, and hot air is blown out from the front outlet 32 in the second half of drying. When the hot air is blown out from the rear outlet 52, when the switching valve 54 is opened and the intake / exhaust valve 55 is closed, the air flows as shown by broken line arrows in the figure. When the air blower unit 28 is operated and the heater 31 is energized, it enters the rear duct 51 from the bellows pipe joint 30b (broken line arrow 47), is led to the back of the outer tub 2 by the rear duct, and is washed and dewatered from the rear outlet 52. 3 is blown into the washing / dehydrating tub 3 from the rear side (broken line arrow 48), hits the clothing on the back side in the washing / dehydrating tub 3, and evaporates moisture from the clothing. The air that has become hot and humid flows from the through hole provided in the washing and dewatering tub 3 to the outer tub 2, is sucked into the drying duct 29 from the air inlet 2 a, and flows through the drying duct 29 from the bottom to the top (dashed arrow 62). . The water is cooled and dehumidified by a water cooling and dehumidifying mechanism provided in the drying duct 29, and becomes dry low-temperature air and enters the filter duct 27 (broken arrow 67). The lint is removed through the mesh filter 8 a provided in the filter duct 27, enters the intake duct 33, is sucked into the blower unit 28, is heated again by the heater 31, and is circulated so as to be blown into the washing and dewatering tub 3.

  When warm air is blown out from the front outlet 32, the switching valve 54 is closed and the intake / exhaust valve 55 is opened. When the blower unit 28 is operated, the air in the housing 1 is sucked into the filter duct 27 from the intake port 56 (arrow 65). Then, it passes through the filter 8, the blower unit 28, and the heater 31, and is blown into the washing / dehydrating tub 3 from the front blowing port 32 (arrow 41). It hits the front garment in the washing and dewatering tub 3 and evaporates moisture from the garment. And it flows into the outer tub from the through-hole provided in the washing and dewatering tub 3, and is pushed into the drying duct 29 from the air inlet 2a (arrow 42). The drying duct 29 flows from the bottom to the top, enters the exhaust duct 58 through the exhaust port 57, the yarn waste is removed by the filter 59, and is exhausted outside the machine (arrow 64).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by forming the first half of the hot air circulation path in a closed loop and switching the second half of the hot air circulation path to an open loop formation, it is possible to suppress the discharge of humid air outside the machine and , Power consumption can be reduced. Moreover, since the blowing direction of the warm air can be changed simultaneously with the switching of the drying route, the warm air can be applied to the clothes from a direction different from the first half of the drying, and uneven drying can be suppressed.

  In addition, since high-speed hot air is directly blown onto the clothes during the drying operation, the heat transfer coefficient between the clothes and the wind is improved, and the warm air efficiently warms the clothes. Moreover, since the wind speed is high, it is easy to hit the clothes behind the rotating drum.

  In addition, since air is blown from the rear outlet in the latter half of the drying, drying of the clothing on the back side of the rotating drum which is difficult to dry is promoted, drying unevenness can be prevented and drying time is short and power consumption is low Can be realized.

  In addition, since the temperature of the clothes is sufficiently increased in the second half of drying, the power consumption can be reduced by setting the heating means to a weak operation when blowing air from the rear outlet. Or, by turning off the power to the heating means and sucking the air inside the casing warmed in the first half of the drying from the air intake means and blowing it on the clothing, hot air can be supplied without using the heating means. Can be reduced.

  In addition, when blowing air from the rear outlet in the latter half of the drying process, the dry air in the housing is sucked in and the moist air in the rotating drum is exhausted outside the housing. Electric power can be reduced. By doing in this way, since the temperature rise of the clothing due to excessive drying of the clothing can be prevented, damage to the clothing can also be suppressed.

  Further, since the wind speed at the rear outlet is slower than that at the front outlet, wind noise generated when the wind blown from the rear outlet hits the rotating drum bottom plate can be reduced.

  In addition, since the positional relationship between the suction port and the rear outlet is provided at a position separated by the rotation shaft of the rotary drum, the wind blown from the rear outlet can be sucked from the inlet without hitting the clothing. Can be prevented, and the clothes behind the rotating drum can be efficiently dried.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing | casing 2 Outer tub 2d Outer tub cover 3 Washing / dehydration tub 4, 28a Motor 6 Operation panel 8 Drying filter 9 Door 16 Water supply solenoid valve 27 Filter duct 28 Blower unit 28b Fan case 29 Drying duct 31 Heater 32 Front outlet 32d Nozzle 33 Intake duct 38 Control device 51 Rear duct 52 Rear outlet 53 Labyrinth seal 54 Switching valve 55 Intake / exhaust valve 60 Intake valve

Claims (12)

A rotating drum for storing clothing; a motor for driving the rotating drum; an outer tub for storing the rotating drum; a housing for supporting the outer tub; and a drying means for blowing hot air into the rotating drum; In the washing and drying machine equipped with
The drying means sucks air in the rotating drum, blows warm air into the rotating drum, blows warm air, circulates warm air, sucks outside air, blows warm air into the rotating drum, A second drying path for exhausting the air out of the housing,
A washing / drying machine comprising switching means for switching between the first path and the second path. A rotating drum for storing clothing; a motor for driving the rotating drum; an outer tub for storing the rotating drum; a housing for supporting the outer tub; and a drying means for blowing hot air into the rotating drum; In the washing and drying machine equipped with
The drying means includes a first drying path through which warm air is blown from the front side of the rotating drum through a suction port provided on the rear surface side of the rotating drum, and the warm air is circulated from the suction side of the rotating drum. A second drying path for blowing out air and discharging the air in the rotating drum to the outside of the housing;
A washing / drying machine comprising switching means for switching between the first path and the second path. In claim 1 or 2,
Heating the air flowing in the first path or the second path, and having heating means that can be controlled in at least two stages;
In the initial stage of the drying operation, the switching means switches to the first circulation path, and the output of the heating means is strongly controlled,
A washing / drying machine characterized in that the output of the heating means is weakly controlled by switching to the second circulation path by the switching means in the middle of the drying operation. A rotating drum for storing clothing; a motor for driving the rotating drum; an outer tub for storing the rotating drum; a housing for supporting the outer tub; and a drying means for blowing hot air into the rotating drum; In the washing and drying machine equipped with
The drying means includes a suction port provided on a rear surface side of the rotary drum, a blower unit that sucks and discharges air in the rotary drum from the suction port, and an intake / exhaust gas provided between the blower unit and the suction port. Switching means; heating means provided on the discharge side of the blowing means; a plurality of outlets provided downstream of the heating means; and the hot air provided between the heating means and the plurality of outlets Having a switching means for switching the blowing destination,
The plurality of air outlets have at least a front air outlet that blows air into the rotating drum from the front side of the rotating drum and a rear air outlet that blows air from the rear side of the rotating drum. When blowing out the wind, the air in the rotating drum is sucked in and the hot air is circulated so as to be blown out again into the rotating drum. When the warm air is blown out from the rear outlet, the intake / exhaust switching means sucks in the outside air. A washer / dryer characterized by blowing into the rotating drum and discharging the air in the rotating drum from the intake / exhaust switching means to the outside of the casing. A rotating drum for storing clothing, a motor for driving the rotating drum, an outer tub for storing the rotating drum, drainage means for draining washing water stored in the outer tub, and the outer tub are supported. In a washing and drying machine comprising a housing and a drying means for blowing warm air into the rotating drum,
The drying means includes a suction port provided on the rear surface side of the rotating drum, a blowing unit that sucks and discharges air in the rotating drum from the suction port, and an intake unit provided between the blowing unit and the suction port. Heating means provided on the discharge side of the blower means, a plurality of outlets provided downstream of the heating means, and a hot air outlet provided between the heating means and the plurality of outlets Switching means for switching between,
The plurality of air outlets have at least a front air outlet that blows air into the rotating drum from the front side of the rotating drum and a rear air outlet that blows air from the rear side of the rotating drum. When blowing out the wind, the air in the rotating drum is sucked in and the hot air is circulated so as to be blown out again into the rotating drum. When the warm air is blown out from the rear outlet, the intake / exhaust switching means sucks in the outside air. A washing and drying machine characterized by blowing into the rotating drum and discharging the air in the rotating drum from the drainage means to the outside of the housing. In claim 4 or 5,
The heating means can control the output to at least two stages, and the output of the heating means is strongly controlled in the initial stage of the drying operation, hot air is blown out from the front outlet, and the heating means A washing and drying machine characterized in that the output is controlled to be weak and hot air is blown out from the rear outlet. In claim 4 or 5,
The control means energizes the heating means in the initial stage of the drying operation, blows out warm air from the front blowing port, stops energization of the heating means in the middle of the drying operation, and blows out wind or hot air from the rear blowing port. A washing dryer characterized by that. In claims 4 and 5,
The washing and drying machine, wherein the wind speed of the rear outlet is made slower than the wind speed of the front outlet. In claim 4 or 5,
The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the suction port and the rear blowing port are provided at positions separated by a rotation shaft of the rotating drum. In claim 4 or 5,
A washing / drying machine characterized in that an air path from the wind switching means to the rear outlet is provided in close contact with the outer surface of the outer tub. In claim 4 or 5,
The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the intake / exhaust switching means or the intake means is provided in an upper part of the housing. A rotating drum for storing clothing; a motor for driving the rotating drum; an outer tub for storing the rotating drum; a housing for supporting the outer tub; and a drying means for blowing hot air into the rotating drum; In the dryer with
The drying means sucks air in the rotating drum, blows warm air into the rotating drum, blows warm air, circulates warm air, sucks outside air, blows warm air into the rotating drum, A second drying path for exhausting the air out of the housing,
A dryer comprising switching means for switching between the first path and the second path.

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