JP2012075683A - Drier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drier capable of precisely detecting a timing of removing lint captured by a drying filter device.SOLUTION: The drier comprises an air blower 14 having a fan motor 14a blowing air for drying into a drum 4, a motor current-measuring device 22 measuring a current value of the fan motor 14a, heating means 15 heating the air for drying, a drying filter device 21 disposed in a circulating air tunnel 16 and capturing lint contained in the air for drying generated from a drying object, lint-removing detection means 23a detecting a timing of removing the lint captured in the drying filter device 21, and a control device 23 controlling drying operation. The lint-removing detection means 23a detects a current value of the fan motor 14a in a condition when the current value is stable.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dryer for drying textiles such as clothes.

  Conventionally, this type of dryer produces a lint from clothing and other textiles that are to be dried during the drying operation, and accumulates in the blower or circulation wind tunnel placed in the circulation wind tunnel, which adversely affects the drying performance. Therefore, it is common to provide a dry filter device that captures lint from the drying air. Detection of clogging is detected because lint is trapped and accumulated in the drying filter device during the drying operation, and clogging reduces the air volume of the drying air that passes through the drying filter device and hinders the progress of drying. Various methods have been considered.

  The dryer shown in FIG. 8 detects clogging of the drying filter device 52 based on a change in the driving force with respect to the predetermined rotational speed of the blower fan 51 or a change in the rotational speed with respect to the predetermined driving force of the blower fan 51. The dry filter device 52 is clogged when the detected value of the instruction value detection device 53 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold with respect to the predetermined number of rotations of the blower fan 51. Judge. In addition, a detection value of a rotation speed detection device 55 that detects the rotation speed of the blower fan 51 is determined in advance with respect to an instruction value from the control device 54 corresponding to the driving force of the predetermined rotation speed of the blower fan 51 to the blower fan 51. It is determined that the dry filter device 52 is clogged when it exceeds the threshold value (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  It is also considered to detect the clogging of the drying filter device by detecting the temperature of the drying air (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2008-264351 A JP 2007-37716 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, the ambient temperature of the dryer, the temperature of the laundry to be dried, the temperature of the fan motor that drives the blower fan 51 increases depending on the presence or absence of the continuous drying operation that continues the drying operation, etc. The energization resistance of the motor increases, the relationship between the threshold value and the occurrence of clogging of the dry filter device 52 is broken, and there is a possibility that erroneous detection occurs. Further, it is conceivable to correct the detection value of the instruction value detection device 53 based on the temperature of the drying air entering the blower fan 51, but there is a possibility that a false detection may occur due to factors other than the temperature of the drying air. was there.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the threshold value and the occurrence of clogging of the drying filter device depending on the ambient temperature when using the dryer, the temperature of the laundry to be dried, the presence or absence of continuous drying operation, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a dryer that can prevent the relationship between the two from being broken and can accurately detect the cleaning timing of the lint captured by the drying filter device.

In order to solve the conventional problems, a dryer according to the present invention includes a fan having a fan motor that blows drying air into a drum, a motor current measuring device that measures a current value of the fan motor, and a dryer. A heating means for heating air, a drying filter device disposed in the circulation wind tunnel for capturing lint contained in drying air generated from an object to be dried, and a timing for cleaning the lint captured by the drying filter device. A lint cleaning detecting means for detecting and a control device for controlling the drying operation are provided, and the lint cleaning detecting means detects the current value of the fan motor in a stable state.

  Accordingly, since the current value of the fan motor is detected in a stable state, the timing of lint cleaning can be accurately detected without destroying the relationship between the detection threshold and the occurrence of clogging of the dry filter device.

  The dryer according to the present invention can accurately detect the cleaning timing of the lint captured by the drying filter device.

Sectional drawing of the dryer in Embodiment 1 of this invention Block diagram of the dryer Time chart showing the operation of the dryer Time chart showing operation of dryer in embodiment 2 of the present invention Sectional drawing of the dryer in Embodiment 3 of this invention Block diagram of the dryer Time chart showing the operation of the dryer Cross section of a conventional dryer

  1st invention is a motor current measurement which measures the electric current value of a drum, the circulation wind tunnel which circulates the air in the said drum, the fan which has a fan motor which blows the air for drying in the said drum, and the said fan motor Apparatus, heating means for heating the drying air, a drying filter device that is disposed in the circulation wind tunnel and captures lint contained in the drying air generated from the drying object, and the lint captured by the drying filter device A lint cleaning detecting means for detecting the timing of cleaning and a control device for controlling the drying operation, wherein the lint cleaning detecting means detects the current value of the fan motor in a stable state, The timing of lint cleaning can be adjusted without destroying the relationship between the threshold value for determination compared with the current value of the fan motor and the occurrence of clogging of the dry filter device. It is possible to detect a good time.

  In the second invention, in particular, the lint cleaning detection means of the first invention has a plurality of different detection thresholds, and detects at different thresholds before and after the current value of the fan motor is stabilized. Since the current value before stabilization can be compared, the accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning can be increased.

  In the third aspect of the invention, in particular, the control device of the first or second aspect of the invention updates the detection result every time it is detected by the lint cleaning detection means, so that the surroundings of the dryer are in the initial stage of the drying operation. Even if the temperature of the fan motor deviates from the expected range due to factors such as temperature and continuous drying operation, the accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning is updated because the fan motor current value is updated to a stable detection result. Can be increased.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, a motor temperature measurement device that measures the temperature of the fan motor is provided, and the control device has a temperature of the fan motor that is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. After that, by detecting by the lint cleaning detecting means, the temperature of the fan motor can be directly detected, and the accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning can be improved.

  In a fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, an air temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the drying air is provided, and the control device has a temperature of the drying air equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Since the detection is performed by the lint cleaning detection means, the timing when the fan motor temperature rises to the steady state from the temperature state of the drying air, which greatly contributes to the fan motor temperature rise, is accurate. It becomes possible to reflect well, and the timing of lint cleaning can be accurately detected.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, the air temperature measuring device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is provided immediately before or immediately after the blower that blows the drying air, so that the temperature of the drying air that greatly contributes to an increase in the fan motor temperature. Can be measured immediately before the drying air flows into the blower or immediately after it is discharged, and the effect of the drying air on the temperature rise of the fan motor can be more sensitively read from the air temperature measurement. Since it becomes possible, the precision which detects the timing of lint cleaning can be raised.

  In a seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, there is provided a notifying means for notifying a result detected by the lint cleaning detecting means, and the control device, after the end of the drying operation by the notifying means, By notifying the detected result, it is possible to prevent the drying filter device from being removed during the drying operation and the drying operation from being performed without the drying filter device.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the dryer, and FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation of the dryer.

  1 to 3, the outer tub 1 is elastically supported by a plurality of suspension mechanisms 3 inside a housing 2 of a dryer. The drum 4 has an insertion port 6 for taking in and out the laundry 5 on the front side, is configured in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is disposed in the outer tub 1. The drum 4 is rotatably provided on the drum rotating shaft 11 and accommodates the laundry 5. The peripheral wall 7 of the drum 4 is provided with a number of discharge holes 8 over the entire circumference, The side wall 7 is provided with a stirring baffle 9 for lifting the laundry 5 in the rotation direction of the drum 4. The outer tub 1, the drum 4, and the drum rotation shaft 11 are disposed to be inclined upward by an angle θ (for example, 20 °) with respect to the horizontal.

  A drive motor 10 is provided outside the rear surface side of the outer tub 1 to rotate the drum 4 forward and backward. The drive motor 10 is composed of a brushless DC motor, and the rotation speed can be freely changed by inverter control. A door 12 for opening and closing the inlet 6 is provided on the front surface of the housing 2. The opening 1 a of the outer tub 1 facing the inlet 6 is hermetically connected to the housing 2 by a packing 13.

  A blower 14 for supplying drying air to the drum 4 is provided in the rear upper part of the housing 2, and a heating means 15 constituted by a heater or the like is provided on the downstream side of the blower 14. The blower 14 and the heating means 15 are provided in a circulation wind tunnel 16 for circulating the drying air. The downstream side of the circulation wind tunnel 16 communicates with an air supply port 17 provided at the bottom of the outer tub 1, and the upstream side communicates with an exhaust port 18 provided on the peripheral side wall 7 at the front of the outer tub 1. .

The blower 14 includes a fan 14a having a blade shape and a fan motor 14b that rotationally drives the fan 14a. The drying air blown by the blower 14 is blown into the drum 4 from the air supply port 17 after passing through the heating means 15.

  As shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the drying air discharged from the discharge hole 8 of the drum 4 enters the circulation wind tunnel 16 through the exhaust port 18, passes through the blower 14, the heating means 15, and the air supply port 17, and then passes through the drum 4. It is configured to circulate.

  The circulation wind tunnel 16 includes a cooling water supply unit 19 that supplies cooling water to dehumidify the drying air, a heat exchanger 20 that is cooled by the cooling water supplied from the cooling water supply unit 19, and the drying air. A dry filter device 21 that captures lint passing through the circulation wind tunnel 16 is provided. The drying air that has become wet due to contact with the laundry 5 in the drum 4 is cooled and dehumidified by the heat exchanger 20. The cooling water and the dehumidified water are discharged out of the housing 2 through a drainage channel (not shown).

  The heat exchanger 20 that cools and dehumidifies the drying air and the heating means 15 that heats the drying air can be configured by a heat pump cycle. A specific configuration may be a well-known configuration used in a clothes dryer, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  The drying filter device 21 is provided on the upstream side of the blower 14 and captures lint contained in the drying air generated from the laundry 5, thereby preventing problems due to lint accumulation in the blower 14. Further, a motor current measuring device 22 for measuring a current value at the time of driving the fan motor 14b is provided.

  The control device 23 controls the drive motor 10, the blower 14, the heating means 15, etc., controls the drying operation, and receives the current value measured by the motor current measuring device 22. The control device 23 includes lint cleaning detection means 23 a that detects the cleaning timing of the lint captured by the dry filter device 21. The lint cleaning detection means 23a detects the current value of the fan motor 14b with respect to a predetermined rotational speed of the fan motor 14b. The detection result is notified by the notification means 24 after the drying operation is completed.

  About the dryer comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below. When the wet laundry 5 is put into the drum 4 and the drying operation is started, the drive motor 10 is driven to rotate the drum 4 forward and backward at a predetermined rotational speed. The laundry in the drum 4 is lifted and dropped by the stirring baffle 9 in the rotation direction, and stirred in the drum 4.

  The drying air is blown by the blower 14, passes through the heating means 15 and is heated, and then blows into the drum 4 from the air supply port 17. The drying air blown into the drum 4 comes into contact with the wet laundry 5 and removes moisture from the laundry 5, and then becomes wet drying air containing lint generated from the laundry 5. Out of the outer tank 1 through the exhaust hole 8 and the exhaust port 18 of the outer tank 1.

  The wet drying air enters the circulation wind tunnel 16 from the exhaust port 18, is cooled and dehumidified by the cooling water in the heat exchanger 20, and then is lint from the drying air by the drying filter device 21 before reaching the blower 14. Capture and remove.

  In the dry filter device 21, lint gradually accumulates every time a drying operation is performed, causing clogging. The clogging causes a pressure loss corresponding to the lint accumulation amount, and prevents the passage of the drying air, thereby reducing the flow rate of the drying air. Since the decrease in the flow rate of the drying air increases the length of the drying operation and increases the amount of power required for the drying operation, it is necessary to accurately detect the lint cleaning timing.

  The control device 23 includes lint cleaning detection means 23 a that detects the cleaning timing of the lint captured by the dry filter device 21. The lint cleaning detection means 23a detects the current value of the fan motor 14b with respect to a predetermined rotational speed of the fan motor 14b. The lint cleaning detection means 23a starts the heating means 15 and then drives the fan motor 14b at a predetermined rotational speed.

  The lint cleaning detecting means 23a intermittently detects the current value (a) after the fan motor 14b starts to be driven by the start of the drying operation (after a in FIG. 3). . The detection interval Ta is set to about 15 to 30 minutes, for example.

  The heating means shown in the time chart of FIG. 3 shows an operation in the case where the dehumidification and heating of the drying air is configured by a heat pump cycle, and is driven with a delay after the drying operation is started.

  Each time a drying operation is performed, lint gradually accumulates. The state of lint accumulation varies depending on the type and amount of the dry object to be put into the drum 4, and the current value changes as shown by the broken line in FIG. 3 according to the lint accumulation amount. When the threshold is exceeded in FIG. 3B, the lint cleaning timing is detected at the subsequent detection timing.

  In addition, the control device 23 updates the detection result every time it is detected by the lint cleaning detection means 23a. As a result, even when the temperature of the fan motor 14b deviates from the expected range due to factors such as the ambient temperature of the dryer or continuous drying operation at the initial stage of the drying operation, the current value of the fan motor 14b is detected in a stable state. Therefore, the accuracy of detecting the lint cleaning timing can be improved.

  In addition, the control device 23 notifies the result detected by the lint cleaning detection unit 23a by the notification unit 24 after the drying operation is completed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the drying filter device 21 from being removed during the drying operation and the drying operation from being performed without the drying filter device 21.

  As described above, the lint cleaning detection unit 23a according to the present embodiment detects the current value of the fan motor 14b in a stable state, and the detection threshold value and clogging of the dry filter device 21 occur. The timing of lint cleaning can be detected accurately without breaking the relationship.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a time chart showing the operation of the dryer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The lint cleaning detection means 23a of the present embodiment has a plurality of different detection threshold values, and detects the threshold values before and after the current value of the fan motor 14b is stabilized. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations, and the detailed description of the first embodiment is used.

  The detection threshold is set high (i1) before the current value of the fan motor 14b is stabilized, that is, until the current value is stabilized (i1), and low (i2) after the current value is stabilized. This is because it is necessary to make a comparison before stabilization depending on how the dryer is used, that is, how the drying operation is performed, and it is possible to have a detection threshold corresponding to before and after the current value of the fan motor 14b is stabilized. Therefore, the accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning can be increased.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a dryer according to the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the dryer, and FIG. 7 is a time chart showing the operation of the dryer. A feature of the present embodiment is that a motor temperature measuring device 25 that measures the temperature of the fan motor 14 b and an air temperature measuring device 26 that measures the temperature of the drying air flowing through the circulation wind tunnel 16 are provided. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations, and the detailed description of the first embodiment is used.

  The control device 23 detects the temperature of the fan motor 14b measured by the motor temperature measuring device 25 by a lint cleaning detection means 23a after the temperature becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value (T1). Since the temperature of the fan motor 14b that strongly affects the detection of the cleaning timing of the fan is directly measured by the motor temperature measuring device 25, the temperature at which the fan motor 14b rises and the steady state timing can be accurately read. The cleaning timing of the dry filter device 21 can be detected stably in a state where the temperature of the motor 14b is steady.

  Further, the control device 23 detects the temperature of the drying air measured by the air temperature measuring device 26 by a lint cleaning detection means 23a after the temperature becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value (T2). Due to the temperature of the drying air that greatly contributes to the increase in the temperature of 14b, it is possible to determine to perform detection after the temperature of the fan motor 14b has increased and reached a steady state. Therefore, since the temperature of the fan motor 14b is very stable compared to an unstable state in the middle of the rise, the dry filter device can be obtained without breaking the relationship between the threshold value and the occurrence of clogging of the dry filter device 21. The timing of cleaning the lint deposited on 21 can be accurately detected.

  Further, since the air temperature measuring device 26 is provided immediately after the blower 14, the temperature of the drying air that greatly contributes to the rise in the temperature of the fan motor 14 b is measured immediately after the drying air is discharged from the blower 14. It is possible to read the influence of the drying air on the temperature rise of the fan motor 14b more sensitively from the measurement of the air temperature, so that the accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning can be improved. .

  When the circulation wind tunnel 16 upstream and downstream of the blower 14 is provided with a purpose of performing heat exchange with the drying air (the heating means 15, the heat exchanger 20, etc.), between these and the blower 14. Alternatively, it is desirable to provide the air temperature measuring device 26 on the opposite side across the blower 14 at the position where the one that performs heat exchange is provided in the circulation wind tunnel 16.

  That is, by providing the air temperature measuring device 26 immediately before or immediately after the blower 14 that blows the drying air, the drying air has a temperature that greatly contributes to an increase in the temperature of the fan motor 14b. It is possible to measure immediately before flowing in or immediately after being discharged, and the influence of the drying air on the temperature increase of the fan motor 14b can be more sensitively read from the measurement of the air temperature. The accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning can be increased.

  The motor temperature measuring device 25 and the air temperature measuring device 26 can be implemented differently. In addition, the accuracy of detecting the timing of lint cleaning can be further increased.

  As described above, the dryer according to the present invention is useful as a dryer because it can accurately detect the cleaning timing of the lint captured by the drying filter device.

4 Drum 14 Blower 14b Fan motor 15 Heating means 16 Circulating wind tunnel 21 Drying filter device 22 Motor current measuring device 23 Control device 23a Lint cleaning detection means

Claims (7)

A drum, a circulation wind tunnel for circulating air in the drum, a blower having a fan motor for blowing drying air into the drum, a motor current measuring device for measuring a current value of the fan motor, and drying air A heating filter that heats the lint, a drying filter device that is disposed in the circulation wind tunnel and that captures lint contained in drying air generated from the drying object, and a timing for cleaning the lint captured by the drying filter device A lint cleaning detecting means for controlling the drying operation, and the lint cleaning detecting means for detecting the current value of the fan motor in a stable state. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the lint cleaning detection means has a plurality of different detection threshold values, and detects the threshold values before and after the current value of the fan motor is stabilized. 3. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the control device updates the detection result every time it is detected by the lint cleaning detection means. 4. A motor temperature measuring device for measuring a temperature of the fan motor is provided, and the control device detects the temperature by the lint cleaning detecting means after the temperature of the fan motor reaches a predetermined value or more. The dryer according to item 1. The air temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the drying air is provided, and the control device detects the temperature by the lint cleaning detecting means after the temperature of the drying air becomes a predetermined value or more. The dryer according to claim 1. 6. The dryer according to claim 5, wherein the air temperature measuring device is provided immediately before or after a blower that blows drying air. The notification device that notifies the result detected by the lint cleaning detection device is provided, and the control device notifies the detection result after the drying operation by the notification device. Dryer.