JP2011067301A - Drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drying machine which is reduced in size and cost and can maintain a sanitary space clean. <P>SOLUTION: When drying laundry L, L, ..., blowing of a fan 41 circulates air through a closed space-like circulation path 3. When blowing air, which contains positive and negative ions generated by an ion generator 42, to the outside (i.e., sanitary space) of a drying machine, an air discharge flap 45 is opened to connect an air flow path 5 to the circulation path 3. When this occurs, a portion of air which is circulating in the circulation path 3 is discharged from the circulation path 3 to the outside of the drying machine through an air discharge opening 5a open in the front end of the air flow path 5. As a result, the air pressure within the circulation path 3 decreases, however, an air suction flap 44 is opened to cause the air within a housing 6 to be sucked into the circulation path 3, and as a result, no particular problem occurs. The above configuration does not require a fan for blowing the air, which contains the positive and negative ions, to the outside of the drying machine, and as a result, the drying machine is reduced in size and cost. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dryer for drying laundry.

In the sanitary space where the washing / drying machine is installed, moisture is easily raised because water vapor is released from the washing / drying machine. In addition, the sanitary space is likely to be contaminated by carrying laundry contaminated with sweat, sebum, and the like. From the above, mold or malodor may occur in the sanitary space.
In order to keep the sanitary space clean, ventilation and cleaning of the sanitary space is indispensable. However, it is difficult for the user of the washing / drying machine to routinely ventilate or clean a narrow place and a high place in the sanitary space (for example, a gap between the washing / drying machine and the wall and a ceiling). It is.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a drum-type washing / drying machine including a drum for storing laundry and an ion generator that generates positive ions and negative ions (hereinafter, positive and negative ions) has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). The drum-type washing and drying machine described in Patent Document 1 uses the positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator when drying laundry to deodorize and disinfect laundry stored in the drum. .

More specifically, the drum-type washing / drying machine includes a circulation air passage through which air circulates when the laundry contained in the drum is dried, and a blower (hereinafter referred to as a circulation air passage) arranged in the middle of the circulation air passage. Called a blower). When the circulation blower blows, in the circulation air passage, heated air (that is, dry air) is blown into the drum, and air that absorbs water vapor evaporated from the laundry (that is, air that has absorbed moisture) is discharged from the drum. Sucked out.
Furthermore, the drum type washing and drying machine includes a blower (hereinafter referred to as an in-machine blower) for supplying positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator into the drum. When the in-machine blower blows, air containing positive and negative ions is blown into the drum.

  By the way, positive and negative ions released into the air kill or inactivate fungi (for example, mold) and viruses (for example, influenza virus) floating in the air, and cause substances that cause bad odor (for example, Organic compounds such as acetaldehyde (hereinafter referred to as odorous substances) can be decomposed. Therefore, it is conceivable that air containing positive and negative ions is blown from the washing / drying machine equipped with the ion generator to the sanitary space to help keep the sanitary space clean. Since positive and negative ions released into the air in the sanitary space naturally move to narrow places and high places, etc., kill or inactivate fungi and viruses that exist in such places, and further, smell substances Can be disassembled.

JP 2009-66054 A

In order to release positive and negative ions into the air in the sanitary space, a blower that blows air containing positive and negative ions to the outside of the washing and drying machine (hereinafter referred to as an external blower) is required. However, adding an external blower to the washing and drying machine has a problem that it leads to an increase in size and cost of the washing and drying machine.
In particular, since the drum-type washing and drying machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a circulation fan and an in-machine fan, it is unrealistic to add an external fan.
In view of the above, a washing / drying machine in which the functions of the circulation fan, the in-machine fan, and the outside fan are shared by a single fan is desired.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, The main objective has arranged the air blower and the ion generator in the middle of the circulation path for circulating air, and ventilates the air containing an ion outside the apparatus. By providing a structure for ventilating the inside and outside of the circulation path at this time, a dryer capable of keeping the sanitary space clean while reducing the size and cost is provided. There is.

  The dryer according to the present invention includes a storage unit for storing laundry, a blower for sucking air from the inside of the storage unit and blowing it into the storage unit, and the blower disposed in the middle of the drying unit. A dryer comprising a circulation path for circulating air with respect to the housing part, and an ion generator disposed in the middle of the circulation path, and drying the laundry housed in the housing part, One end is open to the outside of the machine, and the other end is connected to the circulation path so as to be able to communicate / block, and the other end of the ventilation path is formed in the middle of the circulation path. And a vent opening that is opened (or closed) to allow (or prohibit) ventilation between the inside and outside of the circulation path when the section is communicated (or blocked) with the circulation path. .

  The dryer according to the present invention further includes a housing in which the housing portion is built, and the vent is open toward the inside of the housing.

  The dryer according to the present invention includes a first opening / closing portion that opens and closes a connection portion between the circulation path and the other end of the air passage, a second opening / closing portion that opens and closes the vent, and the first and And a control unit that controls opening and closing of the second opening and closing unit.

In this invention, a dryer is equipped with the accommodating part, the circulation path, the air blower, the ion generator, the air flow path, and the vent hole, and the vent hole is formed in the middle of the circulation path.
A blower provided in the middle of the circulation path blows air inside the circulation path, whereby the air circulates inside the circulation path. Ions generated by an ion generator provided in the middle of the circuit are released into the air inside the circuit. Therefore, when both the blower and the ion generator are operating, the air containing ions circulates inside the circulation path. As a result, it is repeated that ions are released into the air sucked out from the inside of the accommodating portion, and the air containing the ions is blown into the accommodating portion. At this time, the laundry stored in the storage unit is dried.

  In the case where the ion generator generates positive and negative ions having a deodorizing effect and a sterilizing effect, deodorization and sterilization are performed on the laundry stored in the storage unit. In addition, deodorization and sterilization of the portion through which air containing ions passes, such as the inside of the accommodating portion and the inside of the circulation path, are also performed.

By the way, it is desirable that the circulation path is formed in a closed space. This is because, if the circulation path is open, air containing ions leaks out of the circulation path unnecessarily, and air that does not contain ions enters the circulation path unnecessarily. For this reason, there arises a problem that the air circulation efficiency, and thus the laundry drying efficiency, the deodorization efficiency, and the sterilization efficiency are lowered.
When the circulation path and the air supply path are shut off and the vent hole is closed, the closing performance of the circulation path is maintained. This is because ventilation between the inside and outside of the circulation path is prohibited.

However, when the circulation path and the ventilation path are in communication and / or when the vent is open, the circulation path is open. This is because ventilation between the inside and outside of the circulation path is permitted.
One end of the air passage opens toward the outside of the machine. For this reason, when the circulation path and the ventilation path are communicating, the air circulating through the circulation path, that is, the air containing the ions generated by the ion generator is blown out of the apparatus. As a result, air containing ions is blown from the dryer to the space where the dryer is installed (ie, sanitary space).
Accordingly, the blower exhibits a function of circulating air and a function of blowing air containing ions into and out of the dryer.

When air circulating through the circulation path (ie, air inside the circulation path) is blown out of the apparatus, the air pressure inside the circulation path decreases. However, when air containing ions is blown out of the apparatus, the vent is opened, so that new air is drawn into the circulation path from the outside of the circulation path through the ventilation hole. As a result, the atmospheric pressure inside the circulation path rises.
Even if air containing ions is blown out of the machine, if the air vent remains blocked or there is no air vent, the air pressure inside the circulation path decreases, so that the normal air blow by the blower (For example, air may flow backward from the outside of the machine through the air passage).

  When air containing ions is blown out of the machine, the priority is given to clean the sanitary space rather than improving the air circulation efficiency. However, no particular problem arises.

Incidentally, the air inside the circulation path contains moisture as a result of drying the laundry. For this reason, the ventilation from the dryer to the sanitary space also increases the humidity of the sanitary space.
However, the air blown from the dryer to the sanitary space contains ions, and the ions released into the air kill or inactivate fungi and viruses. Breeding can be suppressed. Further, since ions released into the air decompose odorous substances, it is possible to suppress the so-called moisture odor in the sanitary space. That is, even if the humidity in the sanitary space increases, no particular problem occurs.

  In particular, when the ion generator generates cluster ions, in high-humidity air, the cluster ion particles are likely to increase in size and can exist without collapsing for a long time. For this reason, the deodorizing effect and disinfection effect of the ion in sanitary space can be promoted.

In the present invention, the dryer further includes a housing. The housing here corresponds to an outer box of a drum type washing and drying machine described in Patent Document 1, for example.
In general, since the inside of the housing is open, the humidity tends to be high as in the sanitary space. Moreover, ventilation inside the housing is difficult. If left in high humidity, the inside of the housing becomes a hotbed of fungi and viruses, and the housing may be filled with moisture odor.

However, in the dryer of the present invention, when air containing ions is blown out of the apparatus, the air inside the housing passes through the vent of the circulation path and is sucked into the circulation path. Therefore, high-humidity air present inside the housing is blown from the dryer to the sanitary space.
As a result, since the humidity inside the housing is lowered, it is possible to suppress the propagation of fungi, viruses, and the like inside the housing, and the moisture odor inside the housing can be reduced.
Furthermore, ventilation of the sanitary space is easier than ventilation inside the housing. For this reason, when the humidity of the sanitary space is excessively increased by blowing the air inside the machine to the outside of the machine, there is no particular problem if the user of the dryer performs ventilation of the sanitary space.

In the present invention, the dryer further includes first and second opening / closing sections and a control section.
The control unit controls the opening / closing of the first opening / closing unit to connect (or shuts off) the circulation path and the air blowing path, and controls the opening / closing of the second opening / closing unit to open the vent ( (Or occlusion). At this time, ventilation between the inside and the outside of the circulation path is permitted (or prohibited). Therefore, when the air inside the machine is blown outside (or not blown), the user does not need to manually open (or close) the first and second opening / closing sections. That is, user convenience can be improved.

  In addition, since the communication / blocking (or opening / closing of the vent) of the circulation path and the ventilation path can be switched by opening / closing the first opening / closing part (or the second opening / closing part), the dryer It can be configured simply.

In the case of the dryer of the present invention, air containing ions can be blown from the dryer to the sanitary space. For this reason, the deodorizing effect and disinfection effect of ions can be exerted not only on the inside of the laundry and the dryer but also on the inside of the sanitary space. Therefore, the dryer of the present invention can keep the sanitary space clean.
Moreover, the dryer of this invention can combine the function of each of the air blower for circulation, the air blower for in-machines, and the air blower for external devices with one air blower. Therefore, as compared with a dryer provided with two or three blowers, it is possible to reduce the size and cost of the dryer.

  Furthermore, when air containing ions, that is, air inside the circulation path is blown out of the machine, new air can be sucked from the outside of the circulation path through the vents, so that the air pressure inside the circulation path is reduced. It is possible to suppress the inhibition of air blowing caused by excessive reduction.

It is a typical longitudinal section explaining the state where the laundry dryer as a dryer concerning an embodiment of the invention dries laundry. It is a typical longitudinal section explaining the state where the washing dryer as a dryer concerning an embodiment of the invention blows the air containing positive and negative ions outside the machine, drying the laundry. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of the state which removed the top wall of the washing-drying machine as a dryer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a rear view which shows the internal structure of the state which removed the rear wall and drum rotating mechanism of the washing-drying machine as a dryer which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view illustrating a state where a laundry dryer 1 as a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention dries laundry L, L,. On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view for explaining a state in which the washing and drying machine 1 blows air containing positive and negative ions outside the machine while drying the laundry L, L,. FIG.1 and FIG.2 is also the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the principal part structure of the washing-drying machine 1. FIG. The arrows shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the air blowing direction.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the washer / dryer 1 in a state in which a ceiling wall 6b described later is removed, and FIG. 4 is the internal configuration of the washer / dryer 1 in a state where rear walls 6d described later are removed. FIG. The white arrow shown in FIG. 3 represents the air blowing direction.
The washing / drying machine 1 is installed in an indoor sanitary space.

The washing / drying machine 1 is a so-called diagonal drum type washing / drying machine, and executes a washing process, a first drying process shown in FIG. 1, and a second drying process shown in FIG.
In the washing process, the laundry L, L,... Is washed with tap water and detergent and rinsed with tap water. Hereinafter, tap water used for washing may be referred to as washing water.
In both the first drying step and the second drying step, the laundry L, L,... Is dried by blowing hot air containing positive and negative ions. At this time, deodorization and sterilization by positive and negative ions are also performed.

However, in the first drying step, drying, deodorization, and sterilization of the laundry L, L,. On the other hand, in the second drying step, the sanitary space is deodorized and sterilized along with the drying, deodorization, and sterilization of the laundry L, L,.
In addition, when the washing / drying machine 1 is installed in the outdoor sanitary space, the user of the washing / drying machine 1 operates the operation panel of the washing / drying machine 1 to change the setting so as not to execute the second drying process. It may be possible.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the washing / drying machine 1 will be described in detail.
The washing / drying machine 1 includes a housing 6, which includes a control unit 10, a housing unit 2, a circulation path 3, a dust collection filter 40, a blower 41, an ion generator 42, a heater 43, and an intake flap 44. The exhaust flap 45 and the air passage 5 are incorporated. The lower side of the housing 6 is open and is less confidential than the circulation path 3 and a water tank 21 described later.
The control unit 10 is a control center of the washing / drying machine 1.

The top walls 6a and 6b of the housing 6 form steps. Specifically, the top wall 6a on the front wall 6c side is low, and the top wall 6b on the rear wall 6d side is high. Between the rear end portion of the top wall 6a and the front end portion of the top wall 6b, an air outlet 5a described later is opened.
In the front wall 6c of the housing 6, the laundry L, L,... Is put into the housing 6 and a loading port 61 for taking out the laundry L, L,. The inlet 61 is formed so as to be opened and closed by the outer door 60. During the execution of the washing process, the first drying process, and the second drying process, the insertion port 61 is closed by the outer door 60.

The accommodating portion 2 includes an inner door 20, each bottomed tubular water tank 21 and a drum 22, and a drum rotating mechanism 23.
Each of the water tank 21 and the drum 22 has an inclined position toward the inlet 61, a bottom wall toward the rear wall 6d side of the casing 6, an opening is high and the bottom wall is low, and the center of the casing 6 is inclined. It is arranged in the part.
The water tank 21 is elastically fixed and supported on the housing 6 by springs and support legs. The opening of the water tank 21 is closed by the inner door 20 so as to be freely opened and closed. During the execution of the washing process, the first drying process, and the second drying process, the opening of the water tank 21 is closed by the inner door 20.

  The inner door 20 and the outer door 60 can be opened and closed simultaneously. Therefore, for example, when the user presses the outer door 60 from the outside and closes the outer door 60 with the outer door 60 and the inner door 20 open, the inner door 20 and the outer door 60 are interlocked, The opening of the water tank 21 and the inlet 61 of the housing 6 are closed.

A supply port 211 is provided at the upper edge of the opening of the water tank 21. The front end opening (downstream side opening) of the supply port 211 is directed to the inside of the drum 22, and the air blown to the proximal end opening (upstream side opening) of the supply port 211 passes through the supply port 211. Then, the air is blown into the drum 22 from the front end opening of the supply port 211.
An exhaust port 212 that is always open is formed at the bottom of the bottom wall of the water tank 21, and water supplied from the cooling duct 31 side described later passes through the exhaust port 212.
A drainage port (not shown) is formed at the lowermost peripheral wall of the water tank 21, and the drainage port is closed during the execution of the washing process, and the washing water is stored in the water tank 21, and the first drying process and the second drying process are performed. During the execution of each drying step, it is opened to drain the water supplied from the cooling duct. The water drained from the drain outlet is sent to, for example, a sewer.

An electric motor portion of the drum rotation mechanism 23 is disposed on the outer surface of the bottom wall of the water tank 21, and the rotation shaft portion of the drum rotation mechanism 23 passes through the center position of the bottom wall of the water tank 21. However, there is no possibility that washing water or air inside the water tank 21 leaks out of the water tank 21 from a portion that is penetrated by the rotating shaft portion of the drum rotating mechanism 23.
The drum 22 is housed inside the water tank 21 and houses the laundry L, L,... Thrown through the opened charging port 61 and the opened opening of the water tank 21.

A plurality of through holes 220, 220,... Through which washing water and air can easily pass are formed in the peripheral wall of the drum 22. For this reason, even when the inner door 20 closes the opening of the water tank 21, the washing water and the air can freely enter and exit the drum 22.
At the center position of the bottom wall of the drum 22, the tip end portion of the rotating shaft portion of the drum rotating mechanism 23 is connected. For this reason, when the drum rotation mechanism 23 operates, the drum 22 rotates in the circumferential direction. At this time, the laundry L, L,... Accommodated in the drum 22 is repeatedly moved from the lower side to the upper side with rotation of the peripheral wall of the drum 22, for example, and repeatedly dropped from the upper side to the lower side by its own weight. The laundry L, L,... Is stirred and washed and dried.

Inside the circulation path 3, air circulates in order to suck out air from the inside of the housing portion 2 and blow it into the housing portion 2. For this reason, the circulation path 3 has the connection duct 30, the cooling duct 31, the communication duct 32, and the ventilation duct 33 in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side.
The connection duct 30 connects the exhaust port 212 of the water tank 21 and the upstream opening of the cooling duct 31. As a result, the water tank 21 and the cooling duct 31 are communicated.

The cooling duct 31 is arranged in a vertical posture. The lower end of the upstream opening (that is, the lower opening) of the cooling duct 31 is located at a height that is the same as or slightly above the water inlet 212 of the water tank 21. For this reason, no water remains in the cooling duct 31. On the other hand, the downstream opening (that is, the upper opening) of the cooling duct 31 is located at the same height as the uppermost end of the bottom wall of the water tank 21.
Washing water or air inside the water tank 21 flows into the cooling duct 31 through the water inlet 212 and the connecting duct 30. In particular, during washing of the laundry L, L,..., Not only washing water but also detergent bubbles flow in. However, due to the height difference between the water inlet 212 of the water tank 21 and the downstream opening of the cooling duct 31, the washing water or foam that has flowed into the cooling duct 31 passes through the cooling duct 31 and enters the downstream side unnecessarily. Inconvenience is suppressed.

  Such a cooling duct 31 has a water-cooled air dehumidifying function. During the execution of the first drying process and the second drying process, a water supply of several hundred cc per minute is supplied from the water supply port 311 provided in the middle of the cooling duct 31 to the inside of the cooling duct 31 through a water supply channel (not shown). Water is supplied. The supplied tap water contacts the air passing through the cooling duct 31 while flowing down from the upper side to the lower side. The air in contact with the tap water is cooled and becomes supersaturated, so that moisture in the air is condensed and condensed to return to the water, and as a result, dehumidified. And the tap water which reached the downstream opening part of the cooling duct 31 passes the connection duct 30 and the exhaust port 212, and is drained out of the machine from the drain port of the water tank 21.

  The communication duct 32 connects the cooling duct 31 and the ventilation duct 33 by connecting the downstream opening of the cooling duct 31 and the upstream opening of the ventilation duct 33.

The ventilation duct 33 is piped near the top wall 6 b of the housing 6. In the ventilation duct 33, a dust collection filter 40, a blower 41, an ion generator 42, and a heater 43 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. The downstream opening of the ventilation duct 33 is connected to the proximal opening of the supply port 211 of the water tank 21. That is, the ventilation duct 33 and the water tank 2 are connected via the supply port 211.
1 is in communication.

  An intake port 3 a is formed in the peripheral wall located between the dust collection filter 40 and the blower 41 of the ventilation duct 33, and the peripheral wall located between the ion generator 42 and the heater 43 of the ventilation duct 33. Is formed with an exhaust port 3b. However, the intake port 3a is closed by an intake flap 44 so as to be opened and closed, and the exhaust port 3b is closed by an exhaust flap 45 so as to be opened and closed. The base end portions of the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 are rotatably supported at the downstream edge portions of the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b. By providing the rotary shaft on the downstream side, the air flow can be smoothly guided when the flap is opened.

When the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 close the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b, and the inner door 20 closes the opening of the water tank 21, the entire circulation path 3 including the water tank 21 is a closed space. Shape. As a result, the air inside the water tank 21 and the circulation path 3 is prevented from leaking to the outside unnecessarily, and conversely, the air outside the water tank 21 and the circulation path 3 is prevented from entering the inside unnecessarily.
In the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b, the control unit 10 switches between opening and closing of the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 (specifically, the postures of the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 are changed). Is opened and closed.

During at least the first drying step, the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b are closed (see FIG. 1). At this time, each of the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 is disposed along the ventilation duct 33.
Further, at least during the second drying step, the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b are opened (see FIG. 2). At this time, the intake flap 44 is arranged outside the ventilation duct 33 in an orthogonal posture with respect to the ventilation duct 33. On the other hand, the exhaust flap 45 is disposed inside the ventilation duct 33 in an inclined posture with respect to the ventilation duct 33. As a result, the exhaust flap 45 partially closes the ventilation duct 33 but does not completely close it. The inclination angle of the exhaust flap 45 may be less than 90 ° (for example, 45 °) based on the state where the exhaust port 3b is closed. Moreover, by opening at an inclination angle, air can be smoothly guided and air containing ions can be discharged outside the apparatus without loss.

The intake port 3a as described above functions as a vent hole in the embodiment of the present invention, and the intake flap 44 functions as a second opening / closing portion in the embodiment of the present invention.
The member that opens and closes the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b is not limited to the flap, and may be a shutter, for example. However, since each of the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 also has a function of guiding air, as will be described later, the air can be efficiently sucked and discharged.

The dust collection filter 40 filters air passing through itself. As a result, foreign matter contained in the air adheres to the dust collection filter 40. This foreign material is, for example, the laundry L, L,..., Lint and cotton dust generated from the laundry.
The ceiling wall 6b is provided with an opening / closing door (not shown). With the opening / closing door opened, the dust collection filter 40 to which foreign matter has adhered is removed from the ventilation duct 33, and then a new or cleaned dust collection filter 40 is installed. After being attached to the ventilation duct 33, the door is closed.

The reason why the dust collection filter 40 is arranged at the most upstream position of the ventilation duct 33 is that foreign matter contained in the air reaches the blower 41, the ion generator 42, the heater 43, or the supply port 211. It is for suppressing.
If the dust collection filter 40 is not disposed at the most upstream position of the ventilation duct 33, the foreign matter that has reached the blower 41 is entangled with the blower 41 or clogs the blower 41, thereby reducing the blowing ability of the blower 41. Let The foreign matter that has reached the ion generator 42 is heated by plasma discharge to generate a strange odor, a flame, or the like, or inhibits the generation of ions. The foreign matter that has reached the heater 43 is heated to generate a strange odor or a flame. The foreign matter that has reached the supply port 211 clogs the supply port 211, thereby inhibiting the blowing of air into the drum 22.

  The blower 41 includes a fan motor disposed between the ventilation duct 33 and the ceiling wall 6b and a fan disposed inside the ventilation duct 33, and the fan rotates when power is supplied to the fan motor. The rotational speed of the blower 41 in operation can be switched between at least two levels. Such a blower 41 blows air inside the ventilation duct 33 by sucking air from its upstream side and discharging it to its downstream side. When the blower 41 blows air, the air circulates in the circulation path 3.

  The ion generator 42 includes an ion generating element disposed inside the ventilation duct 33 and a power supply circuit disposed between the ventilation duct 33 and the top wall 6b. By applying a voltage, the ion generating element is plasma-discharged. As a result, the ion generating element generates clustered positive and negative ions. The generated positive and negative ions are released into the air inside the ventilation duct 33. Positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator 42 have a deodorizing effect and a sterilizing effect.

In the heater 43, an electric heater (for example, a sheathed heater) that generates a high temperature is disposed inside the ventilation duct 33. The air in contact with the heat sink is heated, and as a result, the humidity of the air is further reduced to a low humidity state.
The reason why the heater 43 is arranged at the most downstream position of the ventilation duct 33 is to prevent high-temperature air from deforming or causing failure of the dust collection filter 40, the blower 41, or the ion generator 42. It is.

The upstream opening of the air duct 5 coincides with the exhaust port 3 b of the ventilation duct 33. For this reason, when the exhaust port 3b is closed by the exhaust flap 45, the air passage 5 and the ventilation duct 33 are disconnected, and when the exhaust port 3b is opened, the air passage 5 The ventilation duct 33 is in communication. The air outlet 5a, which is the downstream side opening of the air passage 5, opens toward the outside of the machine. A dust collection filter may be provided in the middle of the air passage 5. That way, the air going out of the machine can be kept clean and free of dust.
The upstream side opening (or downstream side opening) of the air passage 5 functions as one side (or the other side) of the air passage in the embodiment of the present invention, and the exhaust port 3b is an embodiment of the present invention. The exhaust flap 45 functions as a first opening / closing portion in the embodiment of the present invention.
A dust collection filter may be arranged in the middle of the air passage 5. In this case, the air blown out of the machine can be clean air with less dust.

Next, the first drying process shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail.
After completion of the washing process, the washing / drying machine 1 proceeds to the first drying process.
In the first drying step, the drum rotating mechanism 23, the blower 41, the ion generator 42, and the heater 43 are operated. Further, tap water is supplied to the cooling duct 31. Further, the intake port 3 a and the exhaust port 3 b are closed by the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45.

Since the drum rotating mechanism 23 is operating, the drum 22 rotates. At this time, the laundry L, L, ... accommodated in the drum 22 is agitated.
Low-humidity and high-temperature air is blown into the drum 22 through the supply port 211.
The hot air blown in contact with the laundry L, L,... Being stirred, and raises the temperature inside the drum 22. As a result, the moisture contained in the laundry L, L,.
The evaporated water vapor is contained in the air inside the water tank 21. That is, the blown-in low-humidity air becomes high-humidity air by absorbing moisture.

High-humidity and high-temperature air is sucked out of the drum 22 through the opening of the drum 22 or through holes 220, 220,..., And further to the outside of the water tank 21 through the exhaust port 212. Sucked out to 30.
The sucked high-humidity and high-temperature air is sent to the cooling duct 31 through the connection duct 30.
The high-humidity and high-temperature air blown to the cooling duct 31 is cooled while passing through the cooling duct 31, and the moisture in the air condenses and condenses, so that the supersaturated moisture is removed and the humidity is low. Of air. The low-temperature air is blown from the cooling duct 31 through the communication duct 32 to the ventilation duct 33.

  The low-temperature air blown to the ventilation duct 33 is filtered by the dust collection filter 40, and then is sucked into the blower 41 from the upstream side and discharged to the downstream side. Thereafter, the low-temperature air is heated by the heater 43 to become a high temperature and the amount of saturated water vapor increases. As a result, the air becomes low-humidity and high-temperature air, and from the ventilation duct 33 through the supply port 211, the drum 22 is blown into the interior.

  By the way, positive and negative ions generated by the ion generator 42 are released into the air inside the ventilation duct 33 on the downstream side of the blower 41. As a result, air containing positive and negative ions circulates inside the circulation path 3. The positive and negative ions contained in the circulating air are blown into the drum 22 to efficiently deodorize and disinfect the stirred laundry L, L,. However, the deodorization and sterilization of the laundry L, L,... Are a part of positive and negative ions contained in the air blown into the drum 22, and the remainder is the drum 22, the water tank 21, and Deodorize and disinfect the inside of the circuit 3.

Next, the second drying process shown in FIG. 2 will be described in detail.
After the end of the first drying process, the laundry dryer 1 proceeds to the second drying process. The timing at which the first drying process ends is the timing at which the laundry L, L,. The dryness of the laundry L, L,... Is determined by the control unit 10 based on the humidity detected by a humidity sensor (not shown) installed in the water tank 21, for example. When the humidity inside the aquarium 21 reaches a predetermined humidity or less, it can be considered that the laundry L, L,.

In the second drying process, the drum rotating mechanism 23, the blower 41, the ion generator 42, and the heater 43 continue to operate. Further, tap water continues to be supplied to the cooling duct 31.
However, the rotational speed of the blower 41 in the second drying step needs to ensure not only the necessary amount of air to circulate in the machine, but also a sufficient amount of air to blow outside the machine. Therefore, the rotational speed of the blower 41 in the first drying process may be increased.
Furthermore, when the postures of the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45 are changed, the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b are opened.
In the second drying process, the heater 43 may stop operating in order to cool the inside of the apparatus.

The circulation of air in the first drying process and the circulation of air in the second drying process, except that the amount of air blown into the drum 22 is smaller in the second drying process than in the first drying process. Are the same. For this reason, the description about the circulation of the air in a 2nd drying process is abbreviate | omitted.
The blower 41 sucks the air upstream of itself. Further, a part of the air circulating in the circulation path 3 is blown out of the apparatus as will be described later, whereby the atmospheric pressure inside the circulation path 3 is lowered. As a result of the above, the air outside the circulation path 3, specifically, the inside of the housing 6 is guided to the intake flap 44 and is sucked into the ventilation duct 33 through the opened intake port 3 a, Further, the air is discharged to the downstream side of the blower 41. For this reason, the atmospheric | air pressure inside the circulation path 3 does not fall excessively.

  When the air inside the housing 6 is sucked into the ventilation duct 33, the air pressure inside the housing 6 decreases. At this time, the outside of the housing 6, that is, the air outside the machine, Is automatically inhaled into Therefore, the air pressure inside the housing 6 does not decrease excessively. In addition, since the inside of the housing 6 is ventilated by the inflow of air outside the apparatus, the propagation of fungi and viruses inside the housing 6 is suppressed, and the moisture odor inside the housing 6 is reduced. The

  Incidentally, the air inlet 3 a is formed between the dust collection filter 40 and the blower 41. If the intake port 3 a is formed on the upstream side of the dust collection filter 40, there is a possibility that foreign matter that should be removed by the dust collection filter 40 falls down to the outside of the circulation path 3 through the intake port 3 a. Also, if the intake port 3a is formed on the downstream side of the blower 41, the air blown by the blower 41 tends to leak out of the circulation path 3 through the intake port 3a, and efficiently sucks air through the intake port 3a. There is a risk that it will not be possible. Furthermore, if the intake port 3a is formed on the downstream side of the ion generator 42 (or the heater 43), air (or high-temperature air) containing a large amount of positive and negative ions is circulated through the intake port 3a. There is a possibility that the air is blown unnecessarily to the outside of 3.

A part of the air blown to the downstream side of the ion generator 42 is guided to the exhaust flap 45, passes through the exhaust port 3 b, and is discharged from the ventilation duct 33 to the blower path 5. The air discharged to the air passage 5 passes through the air passage 5 and is blown out of the machine from the air outlet 5a.
Since the exhaust port 3b is disposed between the ion generator 42 and the heater 43, a large amount of positive and negative ions are contained in the air blown out from the blower port 5a to the outside of the apparatus. The temperature of the air blown out of the machine is low. Moreover, the humidity of the air blown out of the machine is higher than the humidity outside the machine. This is because the air blown out of the machine is the moisture remaining in the machine without being dehumidified by the cooling duct 31 among the moisture inside the machine (for example, the water vapor evaporated from the laundry L, L,...). ) Is included.

Positive and negative ions contained in the air blown out of the machine deodorize and disinfect the sanitary space. At this time, although the humidity of the sanitary space increases, the deodorizing effect and the sterilizing effect of positive and negative ions are improved accordingly, so that the deodorizing efficiency and the sterilizing efficiency in the sanitary space are improved.
By the way, if the exhaust port 3b is arranged on the upstream side of the ion generator 42, the air blown out of the apparatus contains only a small amount of ions. Therefore, the sanitary space may not be sufficiently deodorized and sterilized.
In addition, if the exhaust port 3b is disposed on the downstream side of the heater 43, the air blown out of the machine is hot. For this reason, there is a possibility that the temperature of the sanitary space will rise unnecessarily, or the user of the washer / dryer 1 may be burned.

The remaining portion of the air blown to the downstream side of the ion generator 42 is blown to the heater 43 side, bypassing the exhaust flap 45, and circulates in the circulation path 3 again.
When the laundry L, L,... Is completely dried, the second drying process ends. At this time, the drum rotation mechanism 23, the blower 41, the ion generator 42, and the heater 43 each stop operating. Further, the supply of tap water to the cooling duct 31 is stopped.
The intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b may remain open, but at the latest, when the new second drying process is performed, the intake port 3a and the exhaust port 3b are blocked by the intake flap 44 and the exhaust flap 45.
After the end of the second drying process, the user opens the outer door 60 and the inner door 20 and takes out the laundry L, L,.

  By the way, when the air pressure inside the circulation path 3 decreases, the air pressure inside the water tank 21 also decreases, but at this time, air is not sucked from outside the machine through the drain port of the water tank 21. This is because a trap is generally provided in a drain pipe (not shown) disposed between the drain of the water tank 21 and the sewer. If the air pressure inside the water tank 21 decreases excessively, it is conceivable that air is sucked from outside the machine through the drain port of the water tank 21, but in the washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment, the air intake port 3a. Since the opening of the water tank 21 prevents an excessive decrease in the air pressure inside the water tank 21, such inconvenience cannot occur.

The laundry dryer 1 as described above can perform not only washing, drying, deodorization, and sterilization of the laundry L, L,... But also deodorization and sterilization of the sanitary space. Moreover, the washing / drying machine 1 can perform not only deodorization and sterilization inside the housing part 2 and the circulation path 3 but also ventilation inside the housing 6.
As a result, the user can obtain clean laundry L, L,. Moreover, the washing / drying machine 1 and the sanitary space can be kept clean without frequent cleaning or ventilation.
The washing / drying machine 1 may be configured to blow air containing negative ions instead of positive and negative ions to the outside of the machine. In this case, the relaxation effect in the sanitary space is prioritized over the deodorization and sterilization in the sanitary space.
A special course for blowing positive and negative ions outside the machine may be provided. The user can deodorize and sanitize the sanitary space when desired. For example, it can be used for deodorization when a particular odor is being dried in a room.

The embodiment disclosed this time is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not intended to include the above-described meanings, but is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope of the claims. For example, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the oblique drum type washing and drying machine, and may be a vertical drum type or a horizontal drum type. Moreover, embodiment of this invention is not limited to a washing dryer, The dryer which does not have a washing function may be sufficient.
In addition, as long as the effect of the present invention is obtained, the washing / drying machine 1 may include components that are not disclosed in the embodiment.

1 Washing dryer (dryer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Control part 2 Storage part 3 Circulation path 3a Intake port (ventilation port)
3b Exhaust port (connection part)
41 Blower 42 Ion generator 44 Flap for intake (second opening / closing part)
45 Flap for exhaust (first opening / closing part)
5 Air duct 6 Housing L Laundry

Claims (3)

A storage section for storing laundry;
A blower for sucking out air from the interior of the housing and blowing it into the housing;
The air blower is arranged in the middle thereof, and a circulation path for circulating air to the accommodating portion;
An ion generator disposed in the middle of the circulation path, and a dryer for drying the laundry stored in the storage unit,
An air passage having one end opened to the outside of the machine and the other end connected to the circulation path so as to be able to communicate / block;
In order to permit (or prohibit) ventilation between the inside and outside of the circulation path when the other end of the ventilation path is communicated (or blocked) with the circulation path. And a vent which is opened (or closed). It further comprises a housing containing the housing part,
The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the vent is opened toward the inside of the housing. A first opening / closing portion that opens and closes a connection portion between the circulation path and the other end of the air passage;
A second opening / closing part for opening and closing the vent;
The dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls opening and closing of the first and second opening and closing units.

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