JP2011250855A - Washer-dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washer-dryer capable of reducing environmental burdens, shortening time taken for a drying process, and reducing power consumption.SOLUTION: A washer-dryer 1 can execute drying process for drying laundry 30 housed in a rotary drum 3 provided inside an outer tank 2. The drying process includes: a first drying process of heating with a heater 53 humid air containing moisture evaporated from laundry 30 in the outer tank 2 and sending the air to the outer tank 2 with a blower fan 51; and a second drying process executed after the first drying process of taking air in a housing into an exhaust duct 40, blowing the air to the outer tank 2 with the blower fan 51, and exhausting the humid air stored in the outer tank 2 from the drain outlet 21a, and the washer-dryer 1 has an exhaust heat recovering heat exchanger 20a for heat exchanging the humid air exhaust from the outer tank 2 with the air in the housing during execution of the second drying process.

Description

  The present invention relates to a laundry dryer capable of performing a drying process for drying laundry.

  In the washing and drying machine drying process, which can be carried out continuously from the washing process for washing dirt on the laundry to the drying process for drying the laundry, the outside air taken in by the intake fan is heated by a heater to generate high temperature and low humidity. Air is generated and blown into the washing tub to evaporate moisture from the laundry. And the water | moisture content which evaporates from a laundry and is contained in the air in a washing tub is discharged | emitted out of an apparatus (for example, refer patent documents 1-4).

  As a method for removing moisture contained in the air in the washing tub by evaporating from the laundry, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a washing and drying machine that exhausts air containing evaporated moisture to the outside of the machine. For example, Patent Documents 2 to 4 disclose a washing and drying machine that dehumidifies air containing evaporated water and removes the extracted water.

JP 2008-104715 A JP 2008-110135 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-128094 JP 2004-350984 A

For example, in the washing and drying machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, the time required for the drying process can be shortened and the amount of water to be used can be reduced, but in order to exhaust moist air containing moisture evaporated from the laundry to the outside as it is, Highly humid air stays in the vicinity of the washer / dryer, which may increase the load on the surrounding environment such as generation of mold and corrosion of building materials.
Further, for example, the washing and drying machines disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 4 exhaust the dehumidified and dried air to the outside of the machine, so the load on the surrounding environment is reduced, but the time required for the drying process can be shortened. There is a problem that power consumption cannot be reduced.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the washing-drying machine which can reduce the load which it gives to the surrounding environment, shortens the time which a drying process requires, and can reduce power consumption.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a washing and drying machine including a heat exchange device that exchanges heat with the air in the housing in the housing when the humid air containing moisture evaporated from the laundry is exhausted from the drain port. To do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing and drying machine that can reduce the load on the surrounding environment, reduce the time required for the drying process, and reduce power consumption.

It is a perspective view which shows the washing / drying machine which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of a washing dryer. It is a partially broken figure which shows the structure of an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger. (A)-(c) is a partially broken figure which shows another structure of an exhaust-heat recovery heat exchanger. (A) is a rear view which shows arrangement | positioning of the waste heat recovery heat exchanger of another structure, (b) is a partially broken figure which shows the waste heat recovery heat exchanger of another structure. It is a rear view which shows arrangement | positioning of the waste heat recovery heat exchanger of another structure. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of a washing-drying machine. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure in which a control apparatus performs a drying process. It is a figure which shows the structure of an inhalation | air-intake auxiliary | assistance apparatus. It is a partially broken figure which shows the inside of a washing-drying machine provided with a heat pump unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
As shown in FIG. 1, the washing / drying machine 1 according to the present embodiment continuously performs each of the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydrating process, and the drying process as a washing process for washing the laundry 30 (see FIG. 2). This is a so-called drum-type washing and drying machine that performs washing (drying if necessary) and dries the laundry, and is supported by a base 15 having legs 16 that are in contact with a floor such as a laundry pan (not shown). A door 7 for taking in and out the laundry 30 is provided on the front surface of the body 1a.

The door 7 is configured to open and close by operating the open / close button 8, and an operation panel 9, a detergent tray 10, and the like are provided on the upper portion of the door 7. The operation panel 9 includes a display 11, a power switch 9a, a start button 9b, other operation buttons 9c and 9d, and the like, and is configured to allow a user to operate the washing / drying machine 1.
The detergent tray 10 is a tray for the user to put the detergent into the laundry dryer 1.
The display 11 is a display means for displaying the operation state of the washing / drying machine 1, the contents set by the user, errors occurring in the washing / drying machine 1, and the like.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a drying filter panel for collecting cotton dust generated in the drying process, reference numeral 13 denotes a handle portion used when the washing / drying machine 1 is transported, and reference numeral 14 denotes an inside of the housing 1a. A drain hose for draining the accumulated water, a reference numeral 17 is a filter panel for storing a filter for collecting dust such as yarn waste generated in a cleaning process, and a reference numeral 18 is for taking water from a water supply source such as a water supply. It is a water intake.
Further, the side provided with the door 7 is defined as the front side (front), the opposite side is defined as the back side (rear), the side provided with the operation panel 9 is the upper side, and the side provided with the leg 16 is the lower side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 1a includes an outer tub 2 that is supported below by a plurality of suspensions 22 (one suspension 22 is shown in FIG. 2) configured to be movable up and down. The upper part of the outer tub 2 is supported by an elastic support mechanism such as a spring (not shown). With this configuration, the outer tub 2 is elastically supported by the housing 1a.
The outer tub 2 is configured in a cylindrical shape with an opening on the front side, and includes a rotating drum 3 serving as an inner tub in which the laundry 30 is accommodated. The rotating drum 3 is rotatably supported by a driving device (driving motor 4) attached to the bottom of the outer tub 2, and by the rotation of the rotating drum 3, the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydrating process, and the drying in the washing / drying machine 1 are performed. The process is executed.

  The drive motor 4 is preferably provided such that at least a part of the main body or the like is exposed in the space inside the housing 1a. With this configuration, the air inside the housing 1a can be heated by the heat generated when the drive motor 4 is driven. Hereinafter, the air inside the housing 1a is referred to as air inside the housing.

The outer tub 2 is configured such that water is collected during a process using water such as a cleaning process and a rinsing process, and the door 7 is attached to the outer tub 2 by, for example, a rubber packing 2a. It is configured to be sealable. With this configuration, water accumulated in the outer tub 2 is prevented from leaking to the outside of the housing 1a.
Further, in order to take in water stored in the outer tub 2, a water supply electromagnetic valve 18 a that opens and closes the water intake 18 and a water supply pipe 18 b that guides water taken from the water intake 18 to the outer tub 2 are provided.

Further, a drain outlet 21 a is opened in the outer tub 2, the drain outlet 21 a is connected to the drain valve 21 through the drain duct 21 b, and the drain hose 14 is connected to the drain valve 21. When the drain valve 21 is opened, the water accumulated in the outer tub 2 flows into the drain hose 14 via the drain port 21a, the drain duct 21b, and the drain valve 21, and flows through the drain hose 14 from the inside of the washing / drying machine 1. Drained.
Further, when the overflow duct 20 is connected to the drain duct 21b and the drain valve 21 is opened, drainage that has circulated through the overflow duct 20 and wet air that will be described later are supplied to the drainage hose 14 together with drainage that circulates through the drainage duct 21b. Configured to flow.
The drain duct 21b in the vicinity of the drain valve 21 is provided with a temperature sensor TS1 for measuring the temperature of water and wet air discharged from the drain port 21a (drain port temperature T1).

  The drainage hose 14 is connected to the drainage pipe 100 outside the washing / drying machine 1, and the water drained from the inside of the washing / drying machine 1 flows through the drainage hose 14 and flows into the drainage pipe 100. Such a drain pipe 100 may be provided with a drain trap 101 for preventing invasion of odors and insects. In the drain trap 101, a water seal is formed by water 101a accumulated in a drain pipe 100 that curves in a U-shape, and a general water seal has a height of 50 to 80 mm.

An exhaust duct 40 serving as a vent pipe is connected to the outer tub 2 via a flexible bellows portion 40b so that air in the outer tub 2 can be exhausted. Further, by providing the bellows part 40b, it is possible to prevent the vibration of the outer tub 2 from propagating to the exhaust duct 40.
The exhaust duct 40 is piped from the lower side to the upper side on the back side of the washing / drying machine 1 and is connected to the blower duct 5 formed above the outer tub 2 via the bellows part 5a.
Also, above the outer tub 2, a blower (blower fan 51) that sucks air in the outer tub 2 through the exhaust duct 40 and blows air to the outer tub 2 through the blower duct 5, and a blower fan 51. A heater 53 for heating the air sucked by the is attached.

With this configuration, when the drying process is performed, the air in the outer tub 2 is sucked by the blower fan 51 through the exhaust duct 40 and heated by the heater 53 to be high-temperature air (high-temperature air). Circulation (warm air circulation) that blows air into the outer tub 2 can be formed.
The laundry 30 accommodated in the rotating drum 3 provided in the outer tub 2 is exposed to high-temperature air having an increased saturated water vapor pressure, and moisture is evaporated. The high-temperature air becomes moisture-containing air (humid air).

  According to this configuration, the exhaust duct 40, the blower fan 51, and the blower duct 5 form a circulation path that circulates air when the drying process is performed. Moreover, at the time of execution of a drying process, the outer tank 2 sealed with the door 7 and the packing 2a becomes a drying chamber.

  In addition, it is preferable to provide the drive means (motor etc.) which drive the ventilation fan 51 so that at least one part, such as a main-body part, is exposed to the space inside the housing | casing 1a. With this configuration, the air in the housing can be heated by the heat generated when the blower fan 51 is driven.

Further, the exhaust duct 40 is provided with an intake valve 41 that opens above the blower fan 51 and opens and closes the intake hole 40a. The intake valve 41 is configured such that when the valve is opened, the intake hole 40a is opened and the air flow in the exhaust duct 40 is blocked. When the intake valve 41 is opened, the intake valve 41 is opened, for example, at the lower back of the housing 1a. The outside air taken in as air inside the housing from the air inlet 1b can be taken into the exhaust duct 40 through the intake hole 40a.
A temperature sensor TS2 that measures the temperature of the outside air (outside air temperature T2) taken from the air inlet 1b is provided in the vicinity of the air inlet 1b.

The overflow duct 20 is connected to the exhaust duct 40 above the connecting portion between the exhaust duct 40 and the outer tub 2, connects the exhaust duct 40 and the drainage duct 21b, and includes a heat exchange device (exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a). . The exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a is preferably provided in the vicinity of the air intake port 1b. With this configuration, the inside air immediately after the outside air is taken in from the air intake port 1b and the wetness flowing through the overflow duct 20 Air exchanges heat with the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a.
The overflow duct 20 is connected to the exhaust duct 40 at the upper limit position in the height direction of the water stored in the outer tub 2 and has a function of draining water that exceeds the upper limit position.

  The exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a is configured, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, and extends from the outer tub 2 (see FIG. 2) side toward the air intake port 1b (see FIG. 2) side. 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20 a includes an exhaust part 201 accommodated in the overflow duct 20 and an intake part 200 formed above the exhaust part 201 via a partition part 202. Formed in contact with each other, the exhaust part 201 is formed with a flow path through which humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 flows.

The intake portion 200 is a portion provided outside the overflow duct 20 so as to be exposed to a space inside the housing 1a (see FIG. 2), and from the air intake port 1b (see FIG. 2) to the inside of the housing 1a. A flow path through which relatively low-temperature outside air (air inside the casing) taken in is passed is formed.
Further, a plurality of fins 201a are formed in the partition part 202 along the flow path through which the humid air flows in the exhaust part 201, and a plurality of fins 200a are formed in the partition part 202 along the flow path through which the air in the housing flows. 202.

When the partition part 202, the intake part 200 (plural fins 200a), and the exhaust part 201 (plural fins 201a) are formed of a material such as a metal having high thermal conductivity, the hot humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 and the housing. Heat can be efficiently exchanged with the internal air via the plurality of fins 200a and 201a and the partition portion 202.
The temperature of the air in the housing rises due to heat exchange in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a. At this time, since the exhaust part 201 and the heat absorption part 200 are separated by the partition part 202, it is possible to prevent moisture contained in the humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 from being contained in the case air, and saturation of the case air. The water vapor pressure can be increased. And the laundry 30 (refer FIG. 2) can be efficiently dried by sending the air in a housing | casing in which the saturated water vapor pressure rose to the rotating drum 3 (refer FIG. 2).

The structure of the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a is not limited to the structure shown in FIG.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, an air flow path formed by bending a heat transfer plate (self-excited vibration type heat transport unit 203) encapsulated with a refrigerant into a bellows shape is formed by a partition unit 202. The exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a may be divided in the vertical direction and the lower part is the exhaust part 201 and the upper part is the intake part 200.
Further, when the plurality of fins 203a are formed from the self-excited vibration heat transporting portion 203 toward the humid air flow passage in the exhaust portion 201 and the air passage in the housing in the intake portion 200, the humid air is formed. And the efficiency of heat exchange between the air in the housing can be further improved.
In the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a shown in FIG. 4 (a), the refrigerant in which the humid air flowing through the exhaust part 201 and the air inside the casing flowing through the intake part 200 are sealed in the self-excited vibration heat transport part 203. The heat exchange can be performed via the heat exchanger, and the same effect as the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a configured as shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, it has an exhaust part 201 and an intake part 200 that are partitioned in a vertical direction by a partition part 202, and further passes through the partition part 202 and extends from the exhaust part 201 to the intake part 200. The exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a may have a plurality of heat pipes 204 (six heat pipes 204 are shown in FIG. 4B) extending in the direction of FIG. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to exchange heat between the humid air that flows through the exhaust unit 201 and the air in the housing that flows through the intake unit 200 via the refrigerant sealed in the plurality of heat pipes 204. The same effect as the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a having the configuration shown is obtained. Further, the exhaust part 201 is formed with a plurality of fins 201b extending from the plurality of heat pipes 204 in the circulation direction of the humid air, and the intake part 200 is provided with a plurality of fins extending from the plurality of heat pipes 204 in the circulation direction of the air in the housing. If the fin 200b is formed, the efficiency of heat exchange between the humid air and the air in the housing can be further improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, a plurality of fins 206a along the circulation direction of the humid air are formed with the exhaust block 206 formed on the base portion 206b and a plurality of fins along the circulation direction of the air in the housing. 205a may be an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a including an intake block 205 formed in the base portion 205b. The exhaust block 206 accommodated in the overflow duct 20 and the intake block 205 exposed in the space inside the housing 1a (see FIG. 2) are connected via a thermoelectric element (Peltier element) 207. Configured. The thermoelectric element 207 is an element that absorbs heat on one side of the plane and generates heat on the other side of the plane when power is supplied via a power supply cable (not shown), for example.

Therefore, the base portion 206b of the exhaust block 206 is configured to be in contact with the inner wall surface (upper surface) of the overflow duct 20, and the thermoelectric element is disposed on the outer wall surface (upper surface) of the overflow duct 20 corresponding to the position where the base portion 206b is in contact. The flat surface 207 (heat absorption side) may be attached, and the base portion 205b of the air intake block 205 may be attached to the other flat surface (heat generation side) of the thermoelectric element 207.
When electric power is supplied to the thermoelectric element 207, heat can be exchanged between the humid air flowing through the exhaust block 206 and the air inside the casing flowing through the intake block 205 via the thermoelectric element 207. FIG. The same effect as the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a having the configuration shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the overflow duct 20 is piped in a direction orthogonal to the flow of outside air taken in from the air intake port 1b, and the direction in which the humid air and the air in the casing are orthogonal to each other The washing / drying machine 1 may be provided with an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a that circulates and exchanges heat.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, a plurality of exhaust parts 208 (two exhaust parts are shown in FIG. 5B) in which a humid air flow passage 208a is formed along the piping direction of the overflow duct 20. 208) and a plurality of air intake portions 209 in which a flow passage 209a for air in the housing is formed in a direction orthogonal to the piping direction of the overflow duct 20 (two air intake portions 209 are shown in FIG. 5B) Are stacked to constitute the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a. The wet air flow passage 208a is connected to the overflow duct 20, and the internal air flow passage 209a is shielded from the overflow duct 20 and the wet air flow passage 208a so that the wet air and the internal air do not directly contact each other. For example, the same effect as the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a having the configuration shown in FIG.
Further, the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a configured in this way can open the air intake port 1b greatly, and can efficiently suck in the outside air.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, it is good also as a structure which forms a part of overflow duct 20 by a member with high heat conductivity to make the heat exchange part 20c, and also forms the several fin 20c1 in the heat exchange part 20c. . And, for example, it has a cooling fan 20b for forcibly sucking outside air from the air intake port 1b that opens at the bottom of the washer / dryer 1, and the outside air taken into the housing 1a from the air intake port 1b ( The air in the housing may be configured to circulate around the heat exchanging portion 20 c of the overflow duct 20.
Also with this configuration, the humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 and the air in the housing can be heat-exchanged by the heat exchanging unit 20c, and the same effect as the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is achieved.

The washing / drying machine 1 configured as described above is controlled by the control device 6, and a washing process, a rinsing process, a dehydrating process, and a drying process are executed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the control device 6 includes a microcomputer 6a, a power supply circuit 6b, an operation button input circuit 6c, a drive motor drive circuit 6d1, a drain valve drive circuit 6d2, a water supply electromagnetic valve drive circuit 6d3, and a blower fan drive. A circuit 6d4, a heater drive circuit 6d5, and an intake valve drive circuit 6d6 are provided.

The microcomputer 6a executes a program stored in a memory (not shown) to control the washing / drying machine 1 (see FIG. 1).
When the power switch 9a is turned on, the power supply circuit 6b converts, for example, a power supply voltage input from a commercial power supply P1 of AC 100V via a transformer Tr into a drive voltage Vcc (for example, 5V) of the control device 6. Then, it is supplied to the microcomputer 6a, the operation button input circuit 6c and the like. Vss represents a ground voltage.
The operation button input circuit 6c is a circuit that converts the operation state of the start button 9b and the operation buttons 9c and 9d into an input signal (for example, a voltage signal) to the microcomputer 6a. The microcomputer 6a is connected to the operation button input circuit 6c. The operation state of the start button 9b and the operation buttons 9c and 9d can be acquired by the input signal.
The drive motor drive circuit 6d1, the drain valve drive circuit 6d2, the water supply electromagnetic valve drive circuit 6d3, the blower fan drive circuit 6d4, the heater drive circuit 6d5, and the intake valve drive circuit 6d6 are each based on a command from the microcomputer 6a. The driving motor 4, the drain valve 21, the water supply electromagnetic valve 18 a, the blower fan 51, the heater 53, and the intake valve 41 are each supplied with electric power to be driven.

Further, the microcomputer 6a transmits the contents to be displayed on the display unit 11 as data to the display unit 11 as necessary, and the operating state of the washing / drying machine 1 (see FIG. 1) and the user set in the display unit 11 The contents and errors occurring in the washer / dryer 1 are displayed.
When the washing / drying machine 1 includes the buzzer 11a, the microcomputer 6a gives an instruction to the buzzer 11a in accordance with the display on the display 11, for example, and operates the buzzer 11a. According to this configuration, the user can know the state (operating state, error occurrence, etc.) of the washing / drying machine 1 also by the sound of the buzzer 11a.

Further, the microcomputer 6a is connected with temperature sensors TS1, TS2 and a water level sensor WS1, and the microcomputer 6a is connected to the drain temperature (T1) measured by the temperature sensor TS1 and the outside air temperature (T2) measured by the temperature sensor TS2. ) Can be obtained. The water level sensor WS1 is a pressure sensor that measures the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 (see FIG. 2), and the microcomputer 6a acquires the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 that is measured by the water level sensor WS1. Based on the change in the internal pressure, for example, the water level of the water stored in the outer tub 2 (see FIG. 2) is estimated.
When the vibration sensor VS1 for measuring the vibration generated in the outer tub 2 is provided, the vibration sensor VS1 is connected to the microcomputer 6a, and the microcomputer 6a can acquire the vibration generated in the outer tub 2.

  When the washing / drying machine 1 configured as described above performs a washing process by a user's operation, a washing process for washing dirt on the laundry, and a rinsing process for dirty washing water contained in the laundry after the washing process. The dehydration process for dehydrating moisture contained in the laundry and the drying process for drying the laundry are executed.

When executing the cleaning process, the control device 6 closes the drain valve 21 and opens the water supply electromagnetic valve 18a to inject water into the outer tub 2, and drives the driving motor 4 to rotate the rotating drum 3 (FIG. 1) is rotated to wash the laundry 30 (see FIG. 2) in the rotary drum 3.
After completion of the cleaning process, the control device 6 executes a rinsing process. When executing the rinsing process, the control device 6 opens the drain valve 21 to drain the water used in the cleaning process, and then closes the drain valve 21 to inject water into the outer tub 2 again. 3 is rotated.

  And the control apparatus 6 opens the drain valve 21 after completion | finish of a rinsing process, drains the water in the outer tank 2, rotates the rotating drum 3 at high speed, performs a dehydration process, and after a dehydration process is complete | finished, a drying process Execute.

When performing the drying process, the control device 6 closes the intake valve 41 shown in FIG. 2 to drive (ON) the heater 53 and rotationally drive the blower fan 51 to blow high-temperature air to the outer tub 2. . The laundry 30 accommodated in the rotating drum 3 is exposed to high-temperature air, moisture contained in the laundry 30 evaporates, and the high-temperature air contains moisture and becomes humid air. Then, the humid air containing the moisture of the laundry 30 is sucked into the blower fan 51, flows through the exhaust duct 40, and returns to the blower fan 51. Thus, in the drying process, the hot air circulates in warm air to dry the laundry 30.
When the humid air flows through the exhaust duct 40, the humid air is cooled by the relatively low temperature in the housing and the exhaust duct 40, and the contained moisture is condensed on the wall surface of the exhaust duct 40.

  Thus, the drying process in which air is circulated in the order of the outer tub 2, the exhaust duct 40, the blower fan 51, and the blower duct 5 to dry the laundry 30 is referred to as a first drying process.

After executing the first drying process for a predetermined time, the control device 6 stops (OFF) the heater 53 and opens the drain valve 21 and the intake valve 41. Outside air (air inside the housing) taken into the inside of the housing 1a from the air intake port 1b is sucked by the blower fan 51 from the intake hole 40a and flows into the exhaust duct 40, flows through the blower duct 5, and flows into the outer tub 2. Be blown. And it is exhausted from the drain outlet 21a together with the moist air accumulated in the outer tub 2 containing the water evaporated from the laundry 30. The humid air exhausted from the drain port 21 a flows into the drain pipe 100 through the drain hose 14 via the drain duct 21 b and the drain valve 21.
Therefore, the humid air is not exhausted around the washing / drying machine 1, and the load on the surrounding environment by the moisture contained in the humid air can be reduced.

  As described above, the drainage trap 101 (see FIG. 2) may be provided in the drainage pipe 100 (see FIG. 2) outside the washing / drying machine 1 to which the drainage hose 14 is connected. Therefore, in order to break the water seal of the drain trap 101 and exhaust the humid air, the humid air flowing through the drain hose 14 requires a pressure of 1000 Pa or more. Therefore, the control device 6 rotationally drives the blower fan 51 so that the humid air flowing through the drainage hose 14 maintains a pressure of 1000 Pa or more.

In addition, a part of the humid air generated in the outer tub 2 flows into the exhaust duct 40, but since the intake valve 41 blocks the air flow in the exhaust duct 40, the humid air that has flowed into the exhaust duct 40 overflows. It flows through the duct 20, reaches the drain valve 21, and flows into the drain hose 14.
At this time, the humid air exchanges heat with the air in the housing by the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20 a while flowing through the overflow duct 20. The humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 is cooled by this heat exchange, and the air in the housing is heated. As a result, the saturated water vapor pressure rises in the air in the housing.

  Further, when the air intake port 1b and the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a are disposed below the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51, and the intake hole 40a is disposed above the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51, The air in the housing that has been taken in from the air intake port 1b and heated by the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a circulates around the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51 while reaching the intake hole 40a, and is thus introduced into the intake hole 40a. To reach. Since the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51 generate heat during driving, the air in the housing is further heated by the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51 before reaching the intake hole 40a. Therefore, even if the air in the housing reaching the intake hole 40a is not heated by the heater 53, the temperature is high and the saturated water vapor pressure is high, and the laundry 30 is efficiently dried when the air is blown to the outer tub 2. be able to. Thus, the drying process which blows the air in the housing | casing taken in from the air intake 1b to the outer tank 2 and dries the laundry 30 is called a 2nd drying process.

  Thus, when performing the drying process, the control device 6 according to the present embodiment sequentially executes the first drying process and the second drying process. And after completion | finish of a 2nd drying process, the control apparatus 6 reduces the pressure of the humid air which distribute | circulates the drainage hose 14, opens the water supply electromagnetic valve 18a, and recovers the water seal of the drainage trap 101 (refer FIG. 2). The drying process is finished.

  The second drying step is a step of blowing the air in the casing (dried air) into the outer tub 2 in order to exhaust the humid air accumulated in the outer tub 2 via the drainage hose 14. If the saturated water vapor pressure is high, the laundry 30 can be dried even when the air in the housing is blown into the outer tub 2 in the second drying step. Therefore, if the saturated water vapor pressure of the air in the housing blown into the outer tub 2 in the second drying process can be increased, the time required for the first drying process can be shortened, and the time required for the drying process can be shortened.

  When the outside air is taken into the housing 1a from the air intake port 1b, the washing / drying machine 1 according to the present embodiment exchanges heat with the humid air in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a, and the temperature rises. Along with this, the saturated water vapor pressure rises. In addition, the air in the casing circulates around the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51 until it reaches the intake hole 40a of the exhaust duct 40 and is further heated by the heat generated by the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51, and is saturated. The water vapor pressure further increases. Therefore, in the second drying step, the air in the housing having a high saturated water vapor pressure can be blown to the outer tub 2 without being heated by the heater 53, and the laundry 30 (see FIG. 2) is efficiently obtained in the second drying step. Can be dried. For example, the laundry 30 can be dried in the second drying step even if the time required for the first drying step is shortened. Further, power consumption in the heater 53 can be reduced.

With reference to FIG. 8, the procedure in which the control apparatus 6 performs a drying process is demonstrated (refer FIGS. 1-7 suitably).
For example, when the user turns on the power switch 9a to turn on the power to the washing / drying machine 1, the control device 6 is activated to execute the initial setting of the washing / drying machine 1 (step S1). Specifically, the control device 6 estimates the weight of the laundry 30 by, for example, rotating the rotating drum 3 at a low speed and measuring the vibration thereof.

And the control apparatus 6 sets a washing-drying course (step S2). In step S2, the control device 6 sets, for example, a standard washing / drying course (washing process, rinsing process, dehydration process and drying process), and inputs when the user inputs an instruction to change the setting of the washing / drying course. Change to the specified setting. The user can input an instruction to change the setting of the washing / drying course by operating the operation buttons 9c and 9d provided on the operation panel 9.
After setting the washing / drying course (step S2), the control device 6 waits until the start button 9b is pressed (step S3 → No), and when the user presses the start button 9b (step S3 → Yes), the setting is made. The washing process is executed in accordance with the washing / drying course (step S4).

  The control device 6 executes a washing process (washing process, rinsing process) according to the washing / drying course set in step S4. And after completion | finish of a rinse process, the drain valve 21 is opened, the water in the outer tank 2 is drained, and if the set washing drying course is not a course including a drying process (step S5-> No), the rotating drum 3 The normal dehydration for dehydrating the laundry 30 by rotating is performed (step S20), and the control of the laundry dryer 1 is terminated.

  On the other hand, if the set washing and drying course is a course including a drying process (step S5 → Yes), the control device 6 performs hot air dehydration before executing the drying process (step S6). Specifically, the control device 6 drives (ON) the heater 53 and rotationally drives the blower fan 51 at a low speed. Further, the control device 6 rotates the rotary drum 3 at a high speed. When the hot air dehydration is executed, the high-temperature air heated by the heater 53 flows into the outer tub 2 and the temperature of the laundry 30 rises. And the viscosity of the water | moisture content contained in the laundry 30 falls, and the water | moisture content contained in the laundry 30 is removed effectively by rotation of the rotating drum 3. FIG.

After executing the hot air dehydration over a predetermined time, the control device 6 executes the first drying process (step S7). Specifically, the control device 6 rotates the blower fan 51 at a high speed while the heater 53 is driven (ON), and further controls the drive motor 4 so that the rotating drum 3 rotates alternately left and right.
The high-temperature air heated by the heater 53 flows into the outer tub 2 via the blower duct 5, and the water contained in the laundry 30 that is swept up inside the rotary drum 3 that rotates alternately left and right evaporates and the high-temperature air include.
The hot air contains the moisture of the laundry 30 and becomes moist air, which is sucked by the blower fan 51 and flows through the exhaust duct 40. At this time, the humid air is cooled to discharge the contained moisture, and the moisture discharged from the humid air is condensed on the wall surface of the exhaust duct 40.
The humid air cooled by the exhaust duct 40 is heated again by the heater 53 and blown to the outer tub 2.

The control device 6 waits until the preset specified time elapses after the start of the first drying step, that is, the execution of step S7 (step S8 → No), and when the specified time elapses (step S8 → Yes), the second drying process is executed (step S9). Specifically, the control device 6 stops (OFF) the heater 53, opens the intake valve 41 and the drain valve 21, and rotationally drives the blower fan 51 at high speed.
As described above, the control device 6 rotates the blower fan 51 at a high speed so that the humid air flowing through the drainage hose 14 has a pressure of 1000 Pa or more. And the control apparatus 6 measures initial temperature when a 2nd drying process is started (step S10).
The prescribed time for executing the first drying process, that is, the prescribed time for which the control device 6 waits in step S8 is a time that is appropriately set according to the performance of the washing dryer 1 and the required specifications. Or it is good also as time when a user can change a setting.

  The initial temperatures are the drain port temperature T1 measured by the temperature sensor TS1 when the second drying process is started and the outside air temperature T2 measured by the temperature sensor TS2, which are T1a and T2a, respectively. That is, the control device 6 acquires the drain port temperature T1 measured by the temperature sensor TS1 when the second drying process is started as the initial temperature T1a of the drain port temperature, and further calculates the outside air temperature T2 measured by the temperature sensor TS2. Obtained as the initial temperature T2a of the outside air temperature.

Then, the control device 6 waits until the specified time elapses after the start of the first drying process, that is, the execution of step S7 (step S11 → No), and when the specified time elapses (step S11 → Yes), The end temperature is measured (step S12). In step S12, the control device 6 acquires the drain temperature T1 measured by the temperature sensor TS1 when the specified time has elapsed from the start of the first drying step as the end temperature T1b of the drain temperature, and further, the temperature sensor The outside temperature T2 measured by TS2 is acquired as the end temperature T2b of the outside temperature.
The specified time after the control device 6 executes the first drying process, that is, the specified time that the control device 6 waits in step S11 is appropriately set according to the performance of the washing dryer 1 and the required specifications. It's time.

If the specified time has elapsed since the start of the second drying process, that is, step S9 (step S13 → Yes), the control device 6 proceeds to step S15 and the specified time has elapsed. If not (Step S13 → No), the procedure proceeds to Step S14.
The specified time for executing the second drying step is a time that is appropriately set according to the performance of the washing dryer 1 and the required specifications. Or it is good also as time when a user can change a setting.

  In step S14, the control device 6 calculates a change ΔT1 (T1a-T1b) in the drain temperature T1 and a change ΔT2 (T2a-T2b) in the outside air temperature T2 due to the execution of the second drying process, and further, the drain temperature T1. If the difference (ΔT1−ΔT2) obtained by subtracting the change ΔT2 in the outside air temperature T2 from the change ΔT1 in the air is higher than the specified temperature (step S14 → Yes), the control device 6 determines that the drying is finished and moves the procedure to step S15. If the difference obtained by subtracting the change ΔT2 of the outside air temperature T2 from the change ΔT1 of the drain outlet temperature T1 is equal to or less than the specified temperature (step S14 → No), the control device 6 returns the procedure to step S12.

  The specified temperature used for the determination in step S14 by the control device 6 is a temperature at which it can be determined that the dryness of the laundry 30 (the mass of the dry cloth / the mass of the compress) is 1.0 or more, for example, the laundry drying This is a characteristic value determined based on the specifications of the machine 1 or experimental measurement.

In step S15, the control device 6 recovers the water sealing of the drain trap 101 provided in the drain pipe 100 outside the washer / dryer 1.
The control device 6 opens the water supply electromagnetic valve 18 a, reduces the rotational speed of the blower fan 51, and lowers the pressure of the humid air flowing through the drainage hose 14. For example, the control device 6 reduces the rotation speed of the blower fan 51 so that the pressure of the humid air flowing through the drainage hose 14 is 1000 Pa or less.

The control device 6 advances the procedure to step S18 after starting the water seal recovery process, that is, after executing step S15, if a predetermined specified time has elapsed (step S16 → Yes), If the predetermined specified time has not elapsed (step S16 → No), the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 is measured by the water level sensor WS1. If the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 measured by the water level sensor WS1 is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure determined in advance (step S17 → No), the control device 6 returns the procedure to step S16, and the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 Is higher than the specified pressure (step S17 → Yes), the procedure proceeds to step S18, the drive motor 4 and the blower fan 51 are stopped, and the intake valve 41 and the drain valve 21 are closed.
The specified time for the control device 6 to determine the recovery of the water seal is a time that is appropriately set according to the performance of the washing / drying machine 1 and the required specifications.

For example, when the water sealing of the drain trap 101 is restored, the flow of the air blown to the drain pipe 100 by the blower fan 51 is blocked, and the pressure of the drain hose 14, the drain duct 21b, and the exhaust duct 40 is increased. Therefore, the control device 6 can determine that the water sealing of the drain trap 101 has been recovered when the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 measured by the water level sensor WS1 increases and reaches the specified pressure.
In addition, when the drain trap 101 is not formed in the drain pipe 100, the flow of the air blown to the drain pipe 100 by the blower fan 51 is not blocked, so the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 measured by the water level sensor WS1 changes. do not do.
Therefore, when the specified time elapses in a state where the pressure in the exhaust duct 40 measured by the water level sensor WS1 does not reach the specified pressure, the control device 6 determines that the drain trap 101 is not formed and recovers the water seal. Cancel processing.

  The specified pressure for determining that the water seal has been recovered in step S17 by the control device 6 may be a pressure determined by experimental measurement, for example.

  In the drying process, when the control device 6 executes the first drying process (step S7), when the drain valve 21 is opened and the intake valve 41 is opened, the outer tub 2 is connected to the air intake port 1b. High-temperature air in which the air in the housing that has been taken in is heated by the heater 53 is blown. The high-temperature air in which the air in the casing is heated by the heater 53 has a lower humidity than the air that circulates in the hot air, and thus the laundry 30 can be dried more reliably.

For example, when a course (high drying course) for reliably drying the laundry 30 is set in the washing / drying machine 1, when the user selects the high drying course, the control device 6 performs the first drying process. The drain valve 21 and the intake valve 41 are configured to open at the time of execution. Even in this case, the outside air taken in as air in the housing from the air intake port 1b heat-exchanges with the humid air discharged from the outer tub 2 in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a, and the temperature rises. The temperature of the high-temperature air blown into the tub 2 can be increased, and the efficiency of drying the laundry 30 can be improved.
Thus, also when heating the air in a housing | casing with the heater 53 and ventilating to the outer tank 2, the efficiency which dries the laundry 30 can be improved.

As described above, the washing / drying machine 1 (see FIG. 1) according to the present embodiment performs the second drying process after the first drying process is performed in the execution of the drying process.
In the second drying step, the wet air that accumulates in the outer tub 2 (see FIG. 1) in the execution of the first drying step passes through the drain hose 14 (see FIG. 2) and the drain duct 21b (see FIG. 2) to the drain pipe 100. (See FIG. 2). Therefore, the humid air is not exhausted around the washing / drying machine 1, and the load on the surrounding environment by the moisture contained in the humid air can be reduced.

  Further, in the second drying process, the amount of heat stored in the high-temperature air in the first drying process is transferred to the dried air in the casing without using the heater 53 (see FIG. 2). The laundry 30 (see FIG. 2) can be effectively dried. Therefore, the time required for the first drying step can be shortened, and consequently the time related to the drying step can be shortened.

For example, when 6 kg of laundry 30 (see FIG. 2) is dried by the laundry dryer 1 (see FIG. 1) with the power consumption of the heater 53 of 600 W and the blower fan 51 of 1.5 m ³ / min. It has been found that if the heater 53 (see FIG. 2) is stopped (OFF) in the two drying steps, 10% to 20% of the power consumption can be reduced compared to when the drying step is executed without stopping the heater 53.
Further, by heating the air in the housing with the driving motor 4 (see FIG. 2) and the blower fan 51 (see FIG. 2), the outside air taken in from the air intake port 1b is used without being heated. It was found that the power consumption in the execution of the drying process can be reduced by about 7%.

  Thus, the washing / drying machine 1 (refer FIG. 1) which concerns on this embodiment can reduce the power consumption in a drying process by utilizing the calorie | heat amount of the high temperature air produced in the 1st drying process in a 2nd drying process. .

It should be noted that the design of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.
For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the structure provided with the inhalation | air-intake auxiliary | assistance apparatus 45 which assists taking in of the external air from the air intake 1b may be sufficient. For example, the intake assist device 45 transmits the power intake device 45a including a fan (axial fan) that rotates with humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 and the rotation of the power intake device 45a to the outside of the overflow duct 20 by, for example, gears. It includes a power transmission device 45b that transmits power, and an intake fan 45c (intake device) that rotates to transmit outside air from the air intake port 1b by transmitting the rotation of the power transmission device 45b.

  According to this configuration, for example, even if the internal space of the housing 1a is narrow and the outside air can not be suitably sucked from the air intake port 1b, the outside air can be efficiently sucked from the air intake port 1b by the intake assist device 45. . Furthermore, since the intake assist device 45 takes in the flow of the humid air flowing through the overflow duct 20 as power and uses it as a drive source by the power take-in device 45a, it can assist in taking in outside air without increasing power consumption.

Further, for example, the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a shown in FIG. 3 can be used as follows.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the humid air flowing through the exhaust duct 40 is heated by a heat pump circuit including a compressor 300, a condenser 302, an evaporator 301, and an expansion valve (not shown), and the high temperature used in the drying process. There is a washing and drying machine 1 'that generates air.
In the case of such a washing / drying machine 1 ′, a part of the humid air is exhausted to the outside of the washing / drying machine 1 ′ on the upstream side of the evaporator 301 to discharge moisture, and the outside drying air is sucked into the condenser. It has been found that heating at 302 can reduce the load on the heat pump circuit.

Therefore, an exhaust passage 303 that is formed in the exhaust duct 40 and exhausts humid air to the back of the washing / drying machine 1 ′, and an intake passage 304 that sucks outside air from the back of the washing / drying machine 1 ′ and heats it by the condenser 302, When the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a shown in FIG. 3 is provided, the heat quantity of the humid air exhausted from the exhaust passage 303 can be transferred to the outside air sucked from the intake passage 304 and heated.
In this case, the exhaust portion 201 may be provided in the exhaust passage 303 and the intake portion 200 may be provided in the intake passage 304.
In the washing / drying machine 1 ′ configured as described above, the amount of heat of the humid air is recovered, and only the moisture contained in the humid air can be discharged to the outside, so that the amount of heat of the humid air can be used effectively.
In addition, the washer / dryer 1 ′ shown in FIG. 10 may include the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C instead of the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 20a shown in FIG. Is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing-drying machine 1b Air intake 2 Outer tank 3 Rotating drum 4 Drive motor (drive device)
20a Waste heat recovery heat exchanger (heat exchange device)
21a Drain port 40 Exhaust duct (vent pipe)
40a Intake hole 45 Intake assist device 45a Power intake device 45c Intake fan (intake device)
51 Blower (Blower)
53 Heater

Claims (4)

A washing and drying machine capable of performing a drying process of drying laundry stored in a rotating drum provided in an outer tub supported by a housing,
The drying step
A first drying step of heating the humidified air containing water evaporated from the laundry in the outer tub serving as a drying chamber and flowing through the ventilation pipe with a heater and then blowing the air to the outer tub with a blower;
It is performed after the first drying step, takes in the air in the housing inside the housing into the vent pipe, blows it to the outer tub with the blowing means, and drains the humid air accumulated in the outer tub. A second drying step of exhausting from the mouth,
A washing and drying machine comprising: a heat exchange device for exchanging heat between the humid air exhausted from the outer tub and the air in the housing during the execution of the second drying step. The housing has an air intake opening for taking outside air that becomes air in the housing into the housing when the second drying step is performed,
The heat exchanging device is arranged near the air intake port, and is configured so that heat can be exchanged between the air in the housing and the humid air immediately after being taken in from the air intake port. The washing / drying machine according to claim 1. The air intake and the heat exchange device are disposed below the driving device and the blower that rotate the rotating drum,
An intake hole for taking in the air in the housing into the ventilation pipe is disposed above the drive device and the blower device,
The air in the housing that has been taken in from the air intake port during the execution of the second drying step exchanges heat with the moist air in the heat exchange device, and then rises around the drive device and the blower device. The washing / drying machine according to claim 2, wherein the washing / drying machine is taken into the ventilation pipe from an intake hole. A power intake device that takes in the flow of the humid air exhausted from the outer tub as power;
The intake auxiliary device comprising: an intake device that is driven so as to take in outside air from the air intake port with the power of the power intake device. Laundry dryer.

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