JP2011194035A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing and drying machine in which an increase in load of a compressor is suppressed by reducing dehumidification load of an evaporator in drying operation, thereby capacity of a heat pump unit when the dehumidification load increases during a latter half of the drying operation is maintained and the heat pump unit is made compact.SOLUTION: A circulating air circuit is formed by connecting a circulation air channel 7 comprising an air supply duct 7a, an exhaust duct 7b and a heat exchange duct 7c to an outer tub 3, and the evaporator 11 and a condenser 12 are placed in this order from an upstream side of circulation air inside the heat exchange duct 7c. Inside the exhaustion duct 7b on the upstream side of the evaporator 11, an endothermic heat exchanger 15 having a heat transfer tube 15a is provided. Cooling water is supplied for the endothermic heat exchanger 15 to cool the circulated air in the exhaustion duct 7b.

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine provided with a heat pump unit that circulates and supplies hot air into a drying chamber containing clothes and the like during a drying operation, and functions as a dehumidifying means and a heating means for the hot air.

  In recent years, for example, in a drum-type washing / drying machine, a rotating drum is provided in a drum-shaped outer tub having an inside as a drying chamber, and clothes and the like housed in the drum are dried by applying hot air while stirring. Some of them employ a heat pump system using a refrigeration cycle as a drying system.

  In the case of the above-described heat pump system, the heat pump unit that functions as a heating source of hot air is an evaporator in order from the upstream side of the circulating air in the middle part of the circulating air passage where a closed-loop air circuit is formed via the outer tub, A condenser is arranged and a compressor and a decompression device for supplying refrigerant to these are provided. In this configuration, the circulating air is dehumidified and cooled by the evaporator, and then heated by the condenser to be supplied to the drying chamber as hot air having a low humidity, and the clothes and the like are dried to dry the drying chamber. It is discharged from the air, and is dehumidified and cooled again through the evaporator, and is circulated and supplied.

  In this heat pump system, it is not necessary to discharge the hot air containing moisture discharged from the drying room to the outside (installation location), so the indoor environment is kept comfortable without increasing the temperature and humidity of the installation location. be able to. Furthermore, since clothes and the like can be efficiently dried by dehumidification and warm air, there are many advantages compared to a drying method equipped with a so-called electric heater, such as a significant reduction in power consumption. However, in the heat pump type washing and drying machine, since there are many components of the heat pump unit compared to the drying method in which the electric heater is arranged in the circulation air passage, the weight and volume are disadvantageous, and the installation conditions are limited. There are many circumstances. For this reason, in the heat pump type washing / drying machine, reduction in size and weight of the heat pump unit is a problem.

  By the way, in the heat pump system that forms a closed-loop wind circuit, it is known that the drying efficiency decreases in the latter half of the drying process. This is because, as a feature of the refrigeration cycle, the heat radiation of the condenser is superior to the cooling heat of the evaporator, and the temperature difference of the hot air entering and exiting the drying chamber disappears as the drying operation of clothing and so on progresses to the second half. This is because the dehumidification load is increased by increasing the temperature of the refrigeration cycle, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigeration cycle, increasing the amount of heat of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle, increasing the pressure, and increasing the load on the compressor. Conventionally, when the dehumidifying load is increased in this way, a control operation is performed to reduce the rotational speed of the compressor to reduce the load on the compressor. For this reason, in such a case, there is a problem that the efficiency of the heat pump unit is lowered, that is, the drying efficiency is lowered and the drying time is prolonged.

  In order to solve the above problem, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a fin-and-tube type water heat exchanger is provided in the air passage connecting the evaporator and the condenser as a method of suppressing an increase in the load on the compressor. A configuration has been proposed that assists dehumidification cooling of the evaporator by circulating cooling water.

JP 2008-48810 A

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the air passing through the condenser is cooled in two stages of an evaporator and a water heat exchanger, an increase in compressor load can be suppressed by suppressing a temperature increase in the refrigeration cycle. However, the size of the evaporator and the condenser itself is large, and usually these are provided side by side. Therefore, if a water heat exchanger is further arranged between them, the evaporator, the condenser and the water heat exchanger are arranged. The arrangement space of a part will become large. For this reason, in the structure of patent document 1, the further enlargement of the heat pump unit was caused.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to suppress an increase in the load on the compressor of the heat pump unit even in a high-load operation with a high dehumidification load in the washing and drying machine equipped with the heat pump unit. Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine which can prevent a reduction in drying efficiency and shorten the drying time, and can reduce the size of the heat pump unit as compared with the prior art, and thus can be reduced in size and weight as a whole.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the washing and drying machine of the present invention includes a drying chamber having a hot air inlet and a hot air outlet, an outside provided in the drying chamber, and one end connected to the hot air inlet. A circulation air passage whose end is connected to the hot air discharge port, a blower means provided in a midway portion of the circulation air passage, for generating circulation air circulating in the drying chamber and the circulation air passage, and the circulation A heat pump comprising a refrigerant pipe that circulates refrigerant to the condenser, the evaporator and the like by a compressor while arranging an evaporator on the upstream side of the circulating air and a condenser on the downstream side in the middle of the air path. In the drying operation, the circulating air is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator, heated by the condenser and heated to be supplied to the drying chamber through the hot air intake, and the hot air exhausted from the drying chamber is supplied. Repeatedly returning the warm air from the outlet to the evaporator. The heat absorption heat exchanger having a heat transfer pipe to which cooling water is supplied is provided in a portion of the circulation air passage between the hot air outlet and the evaporator. It is characterized by.

  According to this invention, it was set as the structure which provides the heat exchanger for heat absorption which has a heat exchanger tube with which cooling water is supplied in the site | part between a warm air discharge port and an evaporator in a circulation air path. According to this, the warm air (circulation air) containing moisture discharged from the drying chamber by drying clothes and the like is cooled and dehumidified auxiliary by the endothermic heat exchanger to which cooling water is supplied. It is further cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator of the heat pump unit. As a result, even if the dehumidifying load of the circulating wind increases, the heat absorption heat exchanger partially cools and dehumidifies part of the circulation wind, so that it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the compressor and prevent a reduction in drying efficiency and a drying time. Can be shortened. Furthermore, it is not necessary to secure a new space for installing the heat-absorbing heat exchanger by providing the heat-absorbing heat exchanger having the heat transfer tubes in the circulation air passage. Thereby, compared with the past, the heat pump unit can be reduced in size, and as a result, the entire washing and drying machine can be reduced in size and weight.

The side view which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention and shows the schematic structure seen from the side of a drum type washing-drying machine Rear view showing schematic configuration viewed from the back side of the drum type washing and drying machine FIG. 2 equivalent view showing the second embodiment of the present invention FIG. 2 equivalent view showing the third embodiment of the present invention FIG. 2 equivalent view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention The figure which expands and shows the schematic structure of the heat exchanger for heat dissipation FIG. 2 equivalent view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing / drying machine will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  First, the overall structure of the clothes dryer will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The box-shaped main body 1 forming the outer shell is formed with a slightly inclined surface on the front side (left side in FIG. 1), and clothing is formed on the inclined surface. Are provided with a door 2 for opening and closing a loading port (not shown) for taking in and out, an operation panel (not shown), and the like. The main body 1 has a substantially non-perforated outer tub 3 that is fixed in a cylindrical shape, for example, and a large number of through-holes 4a in the outer wall of the outer tub 3. A rotating drum 4 that is rotatable is arranged concentrically.

Both of the outer tub 3 and the rotating drum 4 have a large opening on the front side (front side), are arranged to face the door 2, and between the opening of the outer tub 3 and the inlet of the main body 1. A flexible bellows 5 is watertightly attached. Therefore, when the door 2 is closed, the outer tub 3 forms a substantially closed space, and this space serves as a drying chamber 3c. In this case, since the rotating drum 4 has a through hole shape and communicates with the outer tub 3, the inside of the rotating drum 4 is also set as the drying chamber 3c. In detail, the outer drum 3 is elastically supported on the bottom of the main body 1 via a suspension (not shown) so that the rotating drum 4 is supported in a slightly upwardly inclined state.
A motor 6 for rotating the rotary drum 4 is provided at the center of the back surface of the outer tub 3. The motor 6 is composed of, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor, and is configured to directly rotate the rotating drum 4 through a rotating shaft connected to the rotor, although not particularly shown.

  Moreover, it exists in the surrounding wall part of the outer tank 3 which forms a substantially closed space, and is located in the upper part of a back part, and the warm air inlet 3a for taking in air (warm air) in the outer tank 3 The hot air discharge port 3b for discharging the air (warm air) in the outer tub 3 is formed at the upper front side. Outside the outer tub 3, a duct-like circulation air passage 7 is provided in communication with the one end connected to the hot air inlet 3 a and the other end connected to the hot air outlet 3 b. . For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the circulation air passage 7 extends rearward from the warm air discharge port 3 b side, once faces the upper surface of the main body 1, extends to the back side of the outer tub 3, and hangs downward. is doing. In addition, a filter device 8 that captures lint and the like is provided at a portion facing the upper surface of the main body 1 described above, and the filter device 8 opens and closes an opening / closing lid (not shown), so The filter device 8 can be easily inspected and cleaned.

  On the other hand, the circulation air passage 7 connected to the hot air inlet 3a extends and hangs down so as to avoid the motor 6 provided on the back side of the main body 1 as shown in FIG. In this case, the part connected to the warm air inlet 3a of the circulation air path 7 is an air supply duct for supplying the circulating air (warm air) warmed by the heat pump unit 10 (to be described later) into the outer tub 3 during the drying operation. 7a functions. On the other hand, the part connected to the hot air discharge port 3 b side of the circulation air path 7 functions as an exhaust duct 7 b that discharges the hot air to the outside of the outer tub 3.

  As described above, the air supply duct 7a and the exhaust duct 7b led out rearward from the outer tub 3 and hung along the back side are connected to a heat exchange duct 7c, which will be described in detail later, at a lower end portion thereof, and are connected in a ring shape. The circulation air passage 7 is mainly composed of these ducts (see FIG. 2). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a circulation fan 9 serving as a blowing means is disposed at the lower end portion of the air supply duct 7a, which is an intermediate portion of the circulation air passage 7, and heat is passed through the fan casing. The exchange duct 7c is connected in communication. The circulation fan 9 generates a circulation wind that circulates through the outer tub 3 and the circulation air passage 7 in the direction indicated by the solid arrow A shown in FIG.

  Next, the heat exchange duct 7c will be described in detail. In the heat exchange duct 7c provided in the middle part of the circulation air path 7, the evaporator 11 of the heat pump unit 10 is arranged on the upstream side of the circulation air, and the condenser 12 is arranged on the downstream side. Heat is exchanged with the circulating air flowing through the heat exchange duct 7c. Although not shown in detail, the heat pump unit 10 includes a compressor 13 that compresses and discharges the refrigerant, a condenser 12 that dissipates and condenses the discharged high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and a decompression device (not shown) that decompresses the high-pressure refrigerant. ), An evaporator 11 that absorbs heat by evaporating the decompressed refrigerant, and the like, includes a refrigeration cycle that is pipe-connected (not shown) in a ring shape with a refrigerant pipe (not shown) in which the refrigerant is sealed. A pipe connecting the elements constituting the heat pump unit 10 includes a thermistor (not shown) that serves as a means for detecting the temperatures of the evaporator 11 and the condenser 12 and the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 13. ), And the operation of the heat pump unit 10 is controlled by the temperature signal of each thermistor.

  The circulating air (warm air) that has flowed into the heat exchange duct 7c from the exhaust duct 7b is subjected to the heat absorption action of the evaporator 11 and is cooled and dehumidified. At this time, a shallow water storage tank 14 is disposed below the evaporator 11, and condensed water dripped after moisture in the air is condensed by cooling and dehumidification of the evaporator 11 is collected in the water storage tank 14. Are stored. The circulating air after being cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 11 reaches the condenser 12, where heat is exchanged with the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, that is, heat is received by heat radiation. In addition, the evaporator 11 and the condenser 12 installed in the heat exchange duct 7c are provided with radiating fins (not shown) provided at small pitch intervals in a refrigerant pipe (not shown), and pass therethrough. The heat exchange is effectively and quickly performed between them.

  In the circulation air passage 7, a heat transfer tube 15 a and an outer peripheral surface thereof are provided in the exhaust duct 7 b which is a portion between the hot air discharge port 3 b and the evaporator 11 in a direction along the exhaust duct 7 b. A so-called fin tube type heat absorption heat exchanger 15 having fins 15b for increasing the effective heat radiation area is provided. When cooling water (such as tap water having a temperature lower than the circulating air in the exhaust duct 7b) is supplied to the heat transfer tube 15a of the endothermic heat exchanger 15, the circulating air (warm temperature) flows through the surface of the heat transfer tube 15a and the fins 15b. The heat of the wind) is absorbed and heat exchange between the cooling water and the circulating wind is performed to cool the circulating wind. Here, a water supply end portion 15c on the water supply side of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 located at the lower part of the exhaust duct 7b is connected to the water supply valve 16 provided at the upper part of the main body 1, for example, a three-way valve. Connected through. At this time, the water supply valve 16 is connected to an external hose (not shown) connected to a water faucet, and is selectively connected to the heat exchanger 15 for heat absorption in the outer tub 3. Connected for water supply.

  Further, a drain end 15d on the drain side of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 located at the upper part of the exhaust duct 7b is connected to a drain valve 17 provided at the lower part of the main body 1 via a connection pipe 25b. The drain valve 17 is connected to an unshown drain hose (not shown) so that washing water discharged from the outer tub 3 and cooling water passing through the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 are drained. Here, although not particularly illustrated, the dew condensation water stored in the water storage tank 14 is also pumped up by the discharge pump 18 and discharged to the outside of the main body 1 through the drain valve 17.

  Incidentally, the water supply valve 16 and the drain valve 17 are opened and closed based on the temperature signals of the thermistors provided in the pipes connecting the components of the heat pump unit 10. Specifically, the detected temperature (the refrigerant discharge temperature of the evaporator 11, the condenser 12, and the compressor 13) of each of the thermistors is a temperature that is equal to or higher than a preset reference value of the refrigeration cycle. When detected, that is, when the temperature of any one of the refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 11, the condenser 12, and the compressor 13 is equal to or higher than a preset temperature, the water supply valve 16 and the drain valve 17 are opened. Accordingly, the cooling water is supplied to the endothermic heat exchanger 15.

Next, the operation of the washing / drying machine having the above configuration will be described.
When the drying operation is started, the motor 6 is driven through control means (not shown), and the rotary drum 4 is controlled to rotate at a low speed. At the same time, the drying process is started by energizing the compressor 13 and the circulation fan 9 of the heat pump unit 10. As a result, the circulating air is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 11 in the circulating air passage 7 connected through the outer tub 3 forming a closed space as a drying chamber, as shown in FIG. 12 is heated to warm air and a flow is generated in the direction indicated by solid arrows A (and B).

  The circulating air heated by the condenser 12 and warmed is blown from the hot air inlet 3a on the back side of the outer tub 3 through the air supply duct 7a and supplied to the inside of the rotating drum 4 as hot air. The clothes and the like housed in the rotating drum 4 are agitated by the rotation of the rotating drum 4 and are satisfactorily contacted with warm air to perform a drying action. As shown by the solid line arrow B, the warm air deprived of moisture, such as clothing, that has dried and contains a large amount of moisture, is exhausted from the warm air outlet 3b located on the front side of the outer tub 3 to the exhaust duct 7b. It passes through the exhaust duct 7b provided on the back side of the outer tub 3 through the filter device 8 in the middle, reaches the lower heat exchange duct 7c through the outside of the heat exchanger 15 for heat absorption, and enters the evaporator 11 Reach.

  As described above, the warm air is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 11, and the dry air after dehumidification flows into the condenser 12 on the downstream side, where it is heated and warmed again. By repeating this dehumidification and warming and circulating supply, the basic drying action of the object to be dried is executed. At this time, water (condensed water) that has condensed and dropped due to cooling dehumidification of the evaporator 11 is stored in the water storage tank 14. The condensed water is pumped up by the discharge pump 18 and is discharged out of the main body 1 through the drain valve 17.

  When the drying process proceeds a while after the start of the drying operation, the temperature of the circulatory wind rises due to an increase in temperature while the humidity of clothing and the like decreases. Then, the temperature of the evaporator 11 and the condenser 12 rises compared to when the operation is started, so that the dehumidifying load increases and the load on the compressor 13 also increases. In such a situation, any one of the thermistors that are provided in the piping of the heat pump unit 10 and detect the temperatures of the evaporator 11, the condenser 12, and the compressor 13 can be used for the preset refrigeration cycle. When a temperature equal to or higher than the set reference value is detected, the water supply valve 16 is opened and cooling water is supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. Then, the cooling water flows upward in the heat transfer pipe 15a of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 so as to face the flow of the circulating air discharged from the hot air discharge port 3b and flowing downward in the exhaust duct 7b ( (See solid arrow C in FIG. 2). As a result, the hot circulating air in the exhaust duct 7 b is heat-exchanged with the cooling water by the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. Then, it is dehumidified and cooled to reach the heat exchange duct 7c, and reaches the evaporator 11 in a cooled state.

  Thus, in the operation with a high dehumidification load in the latter half of the drying operation, the hot circulating air discharged from the hot air discharge port 3b was supplementarily cooled and dehumidified in the heat-absorbing heat exchanger 15. After that, it is made to flow into the heat exchange duct 7c and further cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 11 of the heat pump unit 10. For this reason, even in a state where the dehumidifying load is high, the temperature of each element (e.g., the evaporator 11, the condenser 12, the compressor 13) of the heat pump unit 10 is lowered, and the load of the refrigeration cycle is reduced.

In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. According to the configuration of this embodiment, between the hot air outlet 3 b and the evaporator 11 of the heat pump unit 10 in the circulation air passage 7. The heat absorption heat exchanger 15 that is supplied with cooling water and can exchange heat is provided. As a result, after the clothes and the like are dried during the drying operation and become hot, the circulating air discharged from the warm air outlet 3b is cooled and dehumidified by the heat-absorbing heat exchanger 15 to the evaporator 11, Then, it is further cooled and dehumidified. As a result, even if the circulation wind becomes high temperature and the dehumidification load increases, the heat exchanger for heat absorption 15 partially cools and dehumidifies the part, so that the temperature rise of each element of the heat pump unit 10 is suppressed, An increase in the load on the compressor 13 is suppressed. That is, the capacity of the heat pump unit 10 can be maintained even when the dehumidifying load is increased in the latter half of the drying operation, and the drying time can be shortened by preventing the drying efficiency from being lowered. Further, by disposing the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 in the exhaust duct 7b, it is not necessary to secure a new space for installing the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. As a result, the heat pump unit 10 can be reduced in size and weight, and thus the washing machine body 1 can be reduced in size and weight. Furthermore, since the heat pump unit 10 can be reduced in size, a space can be provided in the lower portion of the main body 1 and the degree of freedom of the arrangement of the drain valve 17 and the routing of the drainage hose outside the machine increases, so that it is easy to drain directly below. It becomes possible to cope with.

  In addition, a thermistor that detects the temperature of each location is provided in the piping that connects the evaporator 11, the condenser 12, the compressor 13, and the like constituting the heat pump unit 10, and any one of the thermistors is set in advance. When a temperature equal to or higher than the detected temperature is detected, the water supply valve 16 is opened and cooling water is supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. According to this, in the first half of the drying operation, the water supply valve 16 is closed and the cooling water is not supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15, and the dehumidifying load increases in the second half of the drying operation, and the evaporator 11, the condenser 12, etc. The cooling water can be supplied only when the temperature becomes high and the load on the compressor 13 increases. As a result, since the cooling water can be efficiently supplied in response to a change in the dehumidifying load during the drying operation, the amount of tap water used as the cooling water can be suppressed and an energy saving effect can be achieved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and only different parts will be described.
In the second embodiment, the water supply end 15c of the endothermic heat exchanger 15 and the water storage tank 14 are connected via a connection pipe 25c, and the water storage tank 14 is connected to the middle of the connection pipe 25c. A supply pump 19 is provided for pumping the stored condensed water and supplying it to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. In the second embodiment, when the drying progresses and the dehumidification load increases in the drying operation, and any one of the thermistors detects a temperature higher than a preset temperature, the supply pump 19 is driven. Then, the dew condensation water stored in the water storage tank 14 is supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 as cooling water. Incidentally, as a reference, the temperature of the hot air (circulated air) discharged from the hot air discharge port 3b is about 40 to 50 ° C., whereas the dew condensation water is about 10 to 25 ° C. For this reason, even if it uses the said dew condensation water as cooling water, sufficient cooling effect can be acquired. In addition, the condensed water generated by cooling and dehumidification of the evaporator 11 is often lower in temperature than tap water, especially in summer, so that the circulating air can be efficiently cooled.

  According to the second embodiment, the cooling water supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 uses the dew condensation water stored in the water storage tank 14, thereby obtaining a water saving effect without consuming tap water. Can do. Similarly to the first embodiment, since the supply pump 19 is driven effectively when the dehumidification load is high based on the temperature signal of each thermistor, the power consumption of the supply pump 19 can be reduced. High energy saving effect can be obtained.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment, which differs from the first embodiment in the following points.
The water storage tank 14 for storing condensed water is partitioned into a shallow storage portion 14a provided below the evaporator 11 and a discharge portion 14b that is deeper than the storage portion 14a. The overflow part 14c is provided in the upper part of so that the storage part 14a and the discharge part 14b may be connected. Condensed water is stored up to a certain amount in the storage part 14a, but the surplus overflows from the overflow part 14c and flows into the discharge part 14b. For this reason, a constant amount of dew condensation water is always stored in the storage unit 14a, and when new dew condensation water is generated by the evaporator 11, it is discharged from the overflow unit 14c accordingly, and is stored in the storage unit 14a. Condensation water (cooling water) is replaced. Thereby, the water temperature of the cooling water can be kept relatively low.

  And like the said 2nd Embodiment, the water supply end part 15c of the heat exchanger 15 for heat absorption and the water storage tank 14 (storage part 14a) are connected via the connection pipe 25c, and this connection pipe 25c A supply pump 19 is provided in the middle. A portion of the dew condensation water stored in the storage unit 14a is pumped up by the supply pump 19 and supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 as cooling water. The drain end 15d of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 is introduced into the storage portion 14a of the water storage tank 14 through the connecting pipe 25d, and the cooling water that has passed through the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 returns to the water storage tank 14 again. Thus, the cooling water is circulated through the water storage tank 14 and the endothermic heat exchanger 15. Moreover, the excessive dew condensation water collected in the discharge part 14b is pumped up by the discharge pump 18 similarly to the said 1st Embodiment, and is discharged | emitted out of the main body 1 through the drain valve 17. FIG.

  According to the third embodiment, the cooling water supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 is used by circulating the condensed water stored in the water storage tank 14, so that it is possible to save water without consuming tap water. Can be obtained. In addition, a constant amount of condensed water (cooling water) is always stored in the storage portion 14a of the water storage tank 14, and replacement with newly generated condensed water is performed as needed. For this reason, even if it circulates cooling water, the temperature can be kept comparatively low, and the fall of the efficiency of the heat exchanger 15 for heat absorption can be prevented.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment, which differs from the third embodiment in the following points.
In the third embodiment, the drain end 15d of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 is introduced into the storage part 14a of the water storage tank 14 via the connection pipe 25d. In the present embodiment, however, the drain end part 15d is connected via the connection pipe 25e. It is connected to the water supply end 20c of the heat exchanger 20 for heat dissipation. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6, the heat-dissipating heat exchanger 20 has fins 20b on the outer peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 20a, similar to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger 15, and is a so-called fin-tube heat exchanger. Make up the vessel. The heat dissipation heat exchanger 20 is disposed above the drain valve 17 in the main body 1, and a heat dissipation fan 21 is provided in the vicinity of the heat dissipation heat exchanger 20. The drain end 20d of the heat-dissipating heat exchanger 20 is introduced into the storage part 14a of the water storage tank 14 through a connecting pipe 25f. Thereby, the cooling water supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 from the storage part 14a of the water storage tank 14 by the supply pump 19 is heated by heat exchange and discharged from the heat absorption heat exchanger 15, and then the heat for heat dissipation. It is supplied to the exchanger 20, cooled by the heat-dissipating heat exchanger 20 and the heat-dissipating fan 21, and returned to and stored in the storage part 14 a of the water storage tank 14. Thereby, the cooling water is configured to circulate through the water storage tank 14, the heat absorption heat exchanger 15, and the heat radiation heat exchanger 20.

  According to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the third embodiment, the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 absorbs the heat of the circulating air and heats the cooling water, and the heat dissipation heat exchanger. Since the cooling water is returned to the water storage tank 14 after being cooled at 20, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the cooling water and continue the circulation of the cooling water at a constant temperature level, and thus maintain the efficiency of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. Can do.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment, which differs from the fourth embodiment in the following points.
Below the evaporator 11, a shallow water storage tank 14 is disposed as in the first embodiment. In addition to the water storage tank 14, a buffer tank 22 that stores condensed water (cooling water) is provided above the drain valve 17. The buffer tank 22 and the water storage tank 14 are connected via a connecting pipe 25g, and the dew condensation water (cooling water) stored in the water storage tank 14 is supplied to the buffer tank 22 by the supply pump 19. A connecting pipe 25 h is connected to the lower portion of the buffer tank 22, and its discharge tip is connected to the water supply end 15 c of the heat absorption heat exchanger 15. A circulation pump 23 for pumping the dew condensation water stored in the water storage tank 14 and supplying it to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 is provided in the middle of the connection pipe 25h. The drain end 20d of the heat dissipation heat exchanger 20 is connected to the upper surface of the buffer tank 22 through a connecting pipe 25i. As a result, the cooling water stored in the buffer tank 22 is supplied to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 by the circulation pump 23, discharged from the heat absorption heat exchanger 15, and supplied to the heat dissipation heat exchanger 20. The heat exchanger 20 is discharged, returned to the buffer tank 22 and stored again, and these are circulated.

  In addition, the upper end (water inlet) of the pipe 24 is positioned at the upper part in the buffer tank 22 so that the buffer tank 22 is drained from the upper part in the buffer tank 22, and the lower end is located below the buffer tank 22. A drainage pipe 24 is provided in a form connected to the drainage valve 17 located. Thereby, the cooling water is stored up to a certain amount in the buffer tank 22, but when the amount of water stored in the buffer tank 22 exceeds a certain amount, the excess overflows from the drain pipe 24 and is discharged to the drain valve 17. Accordingly, a constant amount of cooling water is always stored in the buffer tank 22 and is discharged by that amount when supplied from the storage tank 14 by the supply pump 19, so that the cooling water stored in the buffer tank 22 is replaced. Is done. Thereby, the water temperature of the cooling water can be kept relatively low.

  According to the fifth embodiment, the same effect as that of the fourth embodiment can be obtained, and the buffer tank 22 is located above the drain valve 17 and connected to the drain pipe 24. Excess water can be drained at any time without any special pump.

In each of the above embodiments, the water supply valve 16, the supply pump 19, the circulation pump 23, and the like for supplying cooling water to the heat absorption heat exchanger 15 are thermistors that detect the temperature of each component of the heat pump unit 10. However, it may be operated based on a preset timing. For example, when a drying operation is performed, a control device (not shown) measures the outside air temperature, the weight of clothes, and the like, and an approximate drying time is calculated. Based on this drying time, for example, drying in which the dehumidification amount increases rapidly Control may be performed such that the water supply valve 16 is opened 40 minutes after the start of operation and the water supply valve 16 is closed 30 minutes before the end of the reduction of the dehumidifying load.
Further, the opening / closing of the drain valve 17 does not necessarily have to be synchronized with the opening / closing of the water supply valve 16 and the like, and may be changed according to the amount of water stored in the water storage tank 14 and the operation status.
Furthermore, piping connected to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger 15 and the heat-dissipating heat exchanger 20 is not particularly limited, and resin-made tube piping, steel pipe, or the like may be used.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  In the drawings, 1 is a main body, 3 is an outer tub, 3a is a hot air inlet, 3b is a hot air outlet, 3c is a drying chamber, 7 is a circulation air passage, 9 is a circulation fan (air blowing means), and 10 is a heat pump unit. , 11 is an evaporator, 12 is a condenser, 13 is a compressor, 14 is a water storage tank, 15 is a heat exchanger for heat absorption, 15a is a heat transfer pipe, 15c is a water supply end (water supply side), and 15d is a water discharge end ( (Drain side), 16 is a water supply valve, 17 is a drain valve, 19 is a supply pump, 20 is a heat exchanger for heat radiation, 22 is a buffer tank, 23 is a circulation pump, and 24 is a drain pipe.

Claims (6)

A drying chamber having a hot air inlet and a hot air outlet;
A circulation air path provided outside the drying chamber and having one end connected to the hot air inlet and the other end connected to the hot air outlet;
A blower unit that is provided at an intermediate portion of the circulation air passage and generates circulation air that circulates in the drying chamber and the circulation air passage;
In the middle of the circulation air passage, an evaporator is disposed upstream of the circulation air and a condenser is disposed downstream, and a refrigerant pipe for circulating the refrigerant to the condenser, the evaporator, and the like by a compressor is provided. A heat pump unit,
During the drying operation, the circulating air is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator, heated by the condenser to be warmed, supplied to the drying chamber from the hot air inlet, and the temperature discharged from the hot air outlet of the drying chamber. In what was made to repeat returning wind to the evaporator,
A washer / dryer characterized in that a heat-absorbing heat exchanger having a heat transfer pipe to which cooling water is supplied is provided in a portion of the circulation air passage between the hot air outlet and the evaporator. .   The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein a water supply side of the heat-absorbing heat exchanger is connected to a water supply valve, and a drainage side is connected to the drainage valve. A water storage tank for storing condensed water generated by cooling and dehumidification disposed below the evaporator;
A supply pump connected to the water storage tank;
The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein condensed water in the water storage tank is supplied to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger as cooling water by the supply pump.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 3, wherein the cooling water supplied from the water storage tank to the heat absorption heat exchanger is discharged from the heat absorption heat exchanger and stored again in the water storage tank. . A water storage tank for storing condensed water generated by cooling and dehumidification disposed below the evaporator;
A supply pump connected to the water storage tank;
A buffer tank for storing cooling water supplied from the water storage tank by the supply pump;
A circulation pump connected to the water supply side of the heat absorption heat exchanger and for supplying cooling water stored in the buffer tank to the heat absorption heat exchanger;
A heat-dissipating heat exchanger connected to the drain side of the heat-absorbing heat exchanger and supplied with cooling water discharged from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger;
The cooling water discharged from the heat dissipation heat exchanger is stored again in the buffer tank,
2. The washing according to claim 1, wherein the buffer tank is provided with a drain pipe connected to a drain valve, and surplus water is discharged from the drain pipe when the amount of water stored in the buffer tank exceeds a certain level. Dryer.   Cooling water is supplied to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger when the temperature of any one of the refrigerant discharged from the evaporator, the condenser, and the compressor is equal to or higher than a preset temperature. The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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