JP2011098021A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To retain the drying efficiency by reducing the amount of airflow without scattering foreign objects such as lint captured in a filter to a rotary drum or to a circulation air path. <P>SOLUTION: A filter portion 12 for capturing lint includes: a cylindrical filter 15; an introducing portion 16 formed to make drying air introduced into one end opening 13 of the filter 15 from the circulation air path 8 into a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter 15: a cylindrical lint capturing portion 17 communicating with the other end opening 14 of the filter 15: and a deriving portion 18 for deriving drying air through the filter 15 to the circulation air path 8. Drying air flowing into the lint capturing portion 17 from the other end opening of the filter 15 is swirled along the peripheral side surface of the lint capturing portion 17 to collect the captured lint within the lint capturing portion 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clothes dryer for drying clothes in a rotating drum.

  Conventionally, this type of drum-type clothes dryer generally has a configuration as shown in FIG. A receiving cylinder 102 is provided in the housing 101, and a rotating drum 103 for storing laundry is provided in the receiving cylinder 102. The rotating drum 103 is driven to rotate by a motor 104 attached to the bottom of the receiving cylinder 102. A blower fan 105 for supplying drying air is provided in the rotary drum 103, and the laundry is dried by circulating the drying air to the rotary drum 103 through a circulation air passage 108 provided with a dehumidifying means 106 and a heating means 107.

  The dehumidifying means 106 and the heating means 107 are an evaporator and a condenser connected to the compressor by a refrigerant circuit. The air for drying in the rotary drum 103 is introduced into the circulation air passage 108 by the blower fan 105, and the dehumidifying means 106 and By exchanging heat through the heating means 107, air is blown to the rotary drum 103 as dry high-temperature air heated after dehumidification, and is dried against the laundry.

  Foreign matter such as lint separated from the laundry in the rotary drum 103 is mixed in the drying air circulating through the circulation air passage 108, and this adheres to the evaporator or condenser, resulting in clogging. A filter 109 that collects foreign matter such as lint is provided in the circulation air passage 108 in order to accumulate on each part of the fan 105 and cause malfunction and failure.

  By performing the drying operation, the lint separated from the laundry is collected and accumulated on the filter 109, and the passage resistance of the drying air circulating through the circulation air passage 108 increases. Therefore, the lint accumulated on the filter 109 is increased. It is considered to remove such things. In FIG. 6, the blower fan 105 is provided so as to be able to rotate forward and backward, and the blower fan 105 is reversely rotated so as to blow away foreign matter adhering to the filter 109 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2008-86419 A

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the blower fan 105 is reversely rotated after use so that the air in the circulation air passage 108 flows backward toward the upstream side, and foreign matters such as lint are blown off from the filter 109. Foreign matter such as lint blown off from 109 enters the rotary drum 103. Therefore, there is a problem that the foreign matter moves in the circulation air passage 108 by adhering to the laundry in the rotary drum 103 and switching the rotation direction of the blower fan 105.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and maintains the drying efficiency by reducing the decrease in the air volume without dissipating foreign matter such as lint collected by the filter to the rotating drum or the circulation air path. For the purpose.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the clothes dryer of the present invention is provided with a filter portion that collects lint that passes through a circulation air passage, and the filter portion is a cylindrical filter having openings at both ends. And an introduction part formed so that the drying air introduced from the circulation air passage into the one end opening of the filter forms a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter, and communicated with the other end opening of the filter. A cylindrical lint collecting section provided; and a drying section that leads the drying air to the circulation air passage through the filter and flows into the lint collecting section from the other end opening of the filter. Is swung along the peripheral side surface of the lint collecting part, and the collected lint is collected in the lint collecting part.

  As a result, even if foreign matter such as collected lint is separated from the filter, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume without escaping to the rotating drum or the circulation air path, and to maintain the drying efficiency of clothes, etc. Can do.

  The clothes dryer of the present invention can suppress a decrease in the air volume without foreign matter such as lint collected by the filter escaping to the rotating drum or the circulation air path, and maintain the drying efficiency of clothes, etc. Can do.

Sectional drawing of the principal part of the washing-drying machine provided with the function of the clothes dryer in Embodiment 1 of this invention Perspective view of the filter section of the washer / dryer Cross-sectional view of the main part of the filter section of the washer / dryer Operation explanatory diagram of the filter section of the washer / dryer External perspective view of the washer / dryer Configuration diagram of conventional drum-type clothes dryer

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, an outer tub elastically supported in a housing, a rotatable rotating drum disposed in the outer tub and containing laundry, and air that communicates with the rotating drum and dries laundry flows. A circulation air passage, a blower for blowing air for drying to the circulation air passage, and a filter portion for collecting lint passing through the circulation air passage, the filter portion having openings at both ends. A cylindrical filter, an introduction portion formed so that drying air introduced from the circulation air passage into the one end opening of the filter forms a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter, and the other end opening of the filter A cylindrical lint collecting portion provided in communication with the filter, and a lead-out portion for deriving drying air to the circulation air passage through the filter, and flows into the lint collecting portion from the other end opening of the filter. The lint collecting part By making the clothes dryer swirled along the peripheral side surface and collecting the collected lint in the lint collecting part, the drying air introduced into the filter part from the circulation air path is the inner surface of the filter. To reach the lint collection part. The drying air that has reached the lint collecting section can swirl along the cylindrical peripheral side surface and be collected in the lint collecting section. The lint collected on the inner surface of the filter is conveyed to the lint collecting portion by a spiral flow of drying air along the inner surface of the filter, and does not accumulate on the inner surface of the filter. Therefore, foreign matter such as lint collected by the filter does not escape to the rotating drum or the circulation air passage, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume of the drying air that is circulated to the rotation drum. Can be maintained.

In the second invention, in particular, the filter and the lint collecting part of the first invention are clothes dryers arranged in the coaxial direction, so that the drying air introduced into the filter part from the circulation air path is It becomes a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter, and can reach a lint collecting portion provided in the traveling direction coaxial with the filter, and the lint collected on the inner surface of the filter is moved to the drying air along the inner surface of the filter. It can be collected in the lint collection part by spiral flow.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in particular, when the diameter of the cylindrical filter of the first or second aspect of the invention is φ1, and the diameter of the lint collecting part is φ2, the clothes dryer is set to φ1 <φ2. Rotating the drying air that has reached the lint collecting portion in a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter, swirling along the cylindrical peripheral surface, and collecting and depositing lint on the inner peripheral surface of the lint collecting portion Can do. Therefore, lint can be collected and accommodated outside the spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter, and the spiral flow of the drying air to the lint collecting portion can be stably maintained.

  In the fourth invention, in particular, the introduction part of any one of the first to third inventions is a clothes dryer formed above the central part of the one-end opening through which drying air is introduced into the filter. Thus, the flow of the drying air can be converted into the circumferential direction of the cylindrical filter at the introduction portion, and the spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter can be converted. The lint collected on the inner surface of the filter can be converted into the inner surface of the filter. Can be collected in the lint collecting section by a spiral flow of drying air along the line.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in particular, the lint collecting part according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is provided with an openable / closable lid, and the lid is transparent or semi-transparent so as to face the upper surface of the housing. By using the machine, the degree of accumulation of foreign matters can be easily recognized without removing the filter, and the accumulated foreign matters can be easily removed by opening the lid.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a washing / drying machine having the function of a clothes dryer in the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the filter unit, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the operation of the filter unit, and FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the washer / dryer.

  1 to 5, an outer tub 2 is elastically supported inside a housing 1 by a suspension structure (not shown), and a rotating drum 3 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape in the outer tub 2 has a shaft thereof. The central direction is arranged to be inclined downward from the front side to the back side. A clothing doorway 4 leading to the opening end of the rotary drum 3 is formed on the front side of the outer tub 2, and a door 5 that closes the opening provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the housing 1 so as to be openable and closable. By opening the door 5, the laundry can be taken in and out of the rotary drum 3 through the clothing entrance 4.

  The rotating drum 3 is formed with a large number of through holes (not shown) communicating with the outer tub 2 on the peripheral side surface, and agitation protrusions 6 are provided at a plurality of positions on the inner peripheral surface. The rotating drum 3 is rotationally driven in the forward and reverse directions by a motor 7 attached to the back side of the outer tub 2. In addition, a water injection pipe and a drain pipe (not shown) are connected to the outer tank 2 by piping, and water is poured into and drained into the outer tank 2 by controlling the water injection valve and the drain valve.

  A circulation air passage 8 for circulating the drying air is provided in the upper part of the back surface of the outer tub 2 and the front part of the upper surface. The drying air is circulated in the outer tub 2 in the middle of the circulation air passage 8. A blowing means 9 for blowing air, a dehumidifying means 10 for dehumidifying wet air entering the circulation air path 8 from the rotary drum 3, and a heating means 11 for heating the dry air dehumidified by the dehumidifying means 10 are provided, As the dehumidifying means 10 and the heating means 11, a general heat pump cycle configured by an evaporator and a condenser connected to a compressor by a refrigerant circuit is used.

A filter unit 12 is provided in the circulation air passage 8 from the drying drum 3 from which the drying air reaches the dehumidifying means 10. The filter unit 12 includes a cylindrical filter 15 having one end opening 13 and the other end opening 14 at both ends, and drying air introduced from the circulation air passage 8 into the one end opening 13 of the filter 15. Drying into the circulation air path 8 through the filter 15 through the introduction part 16 formed so as to form a spiral flow along the inner surface, a cylindrical lint collecting part 17 provided in communication with the other end opening 14 of the filter 15 A lead-out part 18 for leading out the working air is provided.

  The center of the cylindrical filter 15 and the cylindrical lint collecting portion 17 are arranged in the coaxial direction, and the diameter φ2 of the cylindrical lint collecting portion 17 is set to the diameter φ1 of the cylindrical filter 15. It is formed larger. That is, φ1 <φ2 is set, and the inner peripheral surface 17a of the lint collecting portion 17 is configured to be located outside the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical filter 15.

  The filter unit 12 is connected to the circulation air path 8 at the connection unit 19, and the drying air that has entered the filter unit 12 from the connection unit 19 passes from the introduction unit 20 through the one end opening 13 to the cylindrical filter 15. Get inside. The introduction part 20 is formed above a predetermined height position H from the central part X of the one end opening 13 where the drying air is introduced into the filter 15.

  The filter unit 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper surface 1 a of the housing 1. An arc-shaped lid 21 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lint collecting portion 17 so as to be openable and closable, and the lid 21 can be opened and closed while facing the upper surface 1 a of the housing 1. The lid 21 is made transparent or semi-transparent so that the degree of accumulation of foreign matter can be easily recognized without removing the filter 15, and the foreign matter collected in the lint collecting portion 17 by opening the openable lid 21. Can be easily removed.

  The operation and action of the washing / drying machine of the present invention configured as described above will be described below. When the door 5 is opened and laundry and detergent are put into the rotating drum 3 to start the operation of the washing / drying machine, a predetermined amount of water is injected into the outer tub 2 from a water injection pipe (not shown). The rotating drum 3 is rotationally driven by the motor 7 and the washing process is started. By the rotation of the rotating drum 3, the laundry accommodated in the rotating drum 3 is lifted in the rotating direction by a plurality of stirring protrusions 6 provided on the inner peripheral wall of the rotating drum 3, and falls from the lifted appropriate height position. Since the agitation operation is repeated, the laundry has the effect of tapping and washing.

  After a predetermined washing time, the dirty washing liquid is discharged from a drain pipe (not shown), and the washing liquid contained in the laundry is dehydrated by a dehydrating operation that rotates the rotating drum 3 at a high speed, and then the outer tub. The rinsing process is performed by pouring water into the water pipe 2. In this rinsing process, as in the washing process, the washing accommodated in the rotary drum 3 is repeatedly lifted by the stirring protrusions 6 by the rotation of the rotary drum 3 and dropped to perform rinsing.

  The drum-type washing / drying machine in which washing and rinsing are performed by such an operation is provided with a function of a clothes dryer for drying the laundry stored in the rotary drum 3, and the air in the outer tub 2 is removed. A circulation air passage 8 is formed in which the dehumidified and heated air that is dried and blown into the outer tub 2 is blown again. A dehumidifying unit 10, a heating unit 11, and a blower unit 9 are provided in the circulation air path 8 and are disposed above the rotating drum 3.

  An air flow is generated in the circulation air passage 8 by the blowing means 9. The air in the rotating drum 3 containing the laundry is exhausted from the outer tub 2 to the circulation air path 8 through many through holes (not shown) formed on the peripheral side surface of the rotating drum 3. In the circulation air path 8, a filter unit 12, a dehumidifying unit 10, a heating unit 11, and a blowing unit 9 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side where the drying air flows. The drying air exhausted to the circulation air path 8 is dehumidified by dehydrating the moisture by the dehumidifying means 10 and then heated by heat exchange with the heating means 11 to become dry high-temperature air.

The dried high-temperature air is blown to the outer tub 2 by the blowing means 9, and the high-temperature dry air blown into the outer tub 2 enters the rotary drum 3 through the through holes and is exposed to laundry such as clothes. However, it passes through the outer tub 2 and is introduced into the circulation air passage 8. The drying process is executed by repeating the circulation by the air flow operation shown by the arrow A in FIG.

  In the drying process using the circulation air path 8, foreign matters such as lint generated mainly from laundry such as clothes are circulated in the circulation air circulated through the circulation air path 8. In order to remove foreign matters such as lint from the circulating air, a filter unit 12 is provided in the middle of the circulating air passage 8, that is, upstream of the dehumidifying means 10, the heating means 11, the air blowing means 9, and the like.

  The drying air b that has entered the filter unit 12 from the circulation air passage 8 through the connection unit 19 is introduced into the filter 15 by the introduction unit 16 formed above the central portion X of the one end opening 13. The flow direction is changed to the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the filter 15 and reaches the lint collecting portion 17 as a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter 15 as shown in FIG.

  The drying air that has reached the lint collecting portion 17 swirls along the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 17a, and the lint is collected in a film shape along the inner peripheral surface 17a and collected in the lint collecting portion 17. Can do. Foreign matter such as lint collected on the inner surface of the filter 15 is conveyed to the lint collecting portion 17 by a spiral flow of drying air having a high flow velocity along the inner surface of the filter 15 and does not accumulate on the inner surface of the filter 15. Then, foreign air such as lint is collected and the drying air having a low flow rate that does not include the lint passes through the filter 15, is discharged from the outlet 18 to the circulation air path 8, and circulates to the rotary drum 3.

  Therefore, foreign matter such as lint collected by the filter 15 does not escape to the rotary drum 3 or the circulation air path 8, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume of the drying air that is circulated to the rotation drum 3, Drying efficiency of clothes and the like can be maintained.

  Further, since the filter 15 and the lint collecting portion 17 are formed in a cylindrical shape and the center thereof is disposed in the coaxial direction, the drying air introduced from the circulation air passage 8 into the filter portion 12 The spiral flow flowing along the inner surface can reach the lint collecting portion 17 provided in the traveling direction coaxial with the filter 15, and the lint collected on the inner surface of the filter 15 is dried along the inner surface of the filter 15. It can be collected in the lint collecting part 17 by a spiral flow of working air.

  Further, when the diameter of the cylindrical filter 15 is φ1 and the diameter of the lint collecting portion 17 is φ2, φ1 <φ2, so that the spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter 15 becomes a lint collecting. The drying air that has reached the portion 17 can be swung along the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 17a, and the lint can be collected and accumulated on the inner peripheral surface 17a of the lint collecting portion 17. Therefore, the collected lint can be accommodated outside the spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter 15, and the spiral flow of the drying air to the lint collecting portion 17 can be stably maintained.

  Further, the introduction part 16 for introducing the drying air from the connection part 19 is formed above the central part of the one end opening 13 through which the drying air is introduced into the filter 15, and the connection part 19 is cylindrical. The filter 15 is bent so as to be supplied to the filter portion 12 from a direction intersecting the central axis direction of the filter 15 formed in the above. Accordingly, the drying air that has entered the filter unit 12 from the connection unit 19 converts the flow of the drying air into the circumferential direction of the cylindrical filter 15 at the introduction unit 16 and forms a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter 15. The flow rate can be increased.

As the drying operation proceeds, lint is concentrated and deposited on the inner peripheral surface 17a of the lint collecting portion 17. The amount of lint accumulated on the inner peripheral surface 17a of the lint collecting portion 17 is always visible from the outside through the transparent or translucent lid 21 facing the upper surface 1a of the housing 1, and can be opened and closed freely. By opening the lid 21, foreign matter accumulated in the lint collecting portion 17 can be removed, and the rotating drum 3
It is possible to secure the air volume of the drying air that is circulated and supplied to the interior, maintain the predetermined air volume that is set during the drying operation, and suppress the decrease in the air volume, thereby maintaining the drying efficiency of clothes and the like.

  In addition to the lid 21, the lint collecting unit 17 can incorporate external light (even lighting) into the lint collecting unit 17 if the side surface part 17 b is configured to be transparent or translucent. It is possible to further improve the visibility of foreign matter accumulated in the surface.

  The dehumidifying means 10 and the heating means 11 constitute an air conditioner together with a compressor connected by a refrigerant circuit for circulating the refrigerant as a combination of an evaporator and a condenser, and the dehumidifying means 10 is water from a water supply valve (not shown). As the heat exchange plate cooled by spraying or the like, the heating means 11 may be a heater in contact with the circulating air containing moisture to dehydrate and dehydrate the moisture. The air blowing means 9 is a sirocco type or turbo type fan.

  As described above, the clothes dryer according to the present invention can suppress a decrease in the air volume without scattering foreign matter such as lint collected by the filter to the rotating drum or the circulation air path. Since the drying efficiency can be maintained, it is useful as a clothes dryer and a washing dryer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing | casing 2 Outer tank 3 Rotating drum 8 Circulating air path 9 Blower means 12 Filter part 13 One end opening part (opening part)
14 Opening the other end (opening)
15 Filter 16 Introduction Portion 17 Lint Collection Portion 18 Lead-out Portion

Claims (5)

An outer tub elastically supported in the housing, a rotatable rotating drum disposed in the outer tub and containing laundry, a circulation air passage through which air for drying the laundry communicates with the rotating drum, and A blower that blows drying air to the circulation air passage, and a filter portion that collects lint that passes through the circulation air passage, and the filter portion includes a cylindrical filter having openings at both ends; Provided in such a way that the drying air introduced from the circulation air passage into the one end opening of the filter forms a spiral flow along the inner surface of the filter, and the other end opening of the filter. A cylindrical lint collecting portion and a deriving portion for deriving drying air to the circulation air passage through the filter, and the drying air flowing into the lint collecting portion from the other end opening of the filter Along the circumferential side of the lint collection part Pivoted, clothes dryer The collected lint and so as to gather at the lint collecting portion. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the filter and the lint collecting portion are arranged in a coaxial direction. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the diameter of the cylindrical filter is φ1, and the diameter of the lint collecting part is φ2, so that φ1 <φ2. The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the introduction portion is formed above a center portion of the one-end opening where the drying air is introduced into the filter. The clothes dryer of any one of Claims 1-4 which provided the lid | cover which can be opened and closed in a lint collection part, and made the said lid | cover transparent or translucent and faced the upper surface of a housing | casing.

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