JP2012242062A - Dehumidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect temperature difference between a room temperature and a surface temperature of an object with high accuracy.SOLUTION: This dehumidifier includes a cloth drying function for drying dried objects such as clothes, a fan for blowing wind to the dried objects from an outlet 4 formed on a body 1, a louver 6 disposed on the outlet for changing the air blowing direction, and an infrared sensor 9 detecting temperature change within a specific range. The wind from the fan is blown to the dried objects such as clothes whose surface temperature is lower than an ambient temperature by vaporization heat after starting the cloth drying function, the wind from the fan is swung by the louver beyond the specific range in which the temperature change is detected by the infrared sensor, and the wet state of the dried objects can be determined by detecting a signal of the temperature change due to swinging of the dried objects by the infrared sensor.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for detecting the drying of an object to be dried such as clothes by a simple method during operation of a dehumidifier.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a dehumidifying apparatus related to this type, a dehumidifying apparatus that detects changes in indoor temperature and humidity and estimates drying of clothes is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  Hereinafter, the dehumidifier will be described.

  The indoor temperature and humidity are detected using a temperature sensor that detects the indoor temperature and a humidity sensor that detects the humidity in the room. Dehumidifying device to estimate.

  In addition, it detects the surface temperature of the object to be dried, such as clothing, and the room temperature, and calculates the difference between the surface temperature of the object to be dried, such as clothing, and the room temperature to determine whether the object to be dried, such as clothing, is dry. A dehumidifying device is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  Hereinafter, the dehumidifier will be described.

  The temperature of the room and the infrared sensor that detects the surface temperature of clothes are used to detect the temperature of the room and the surface of the object to be dried, such as clothes. It is a dehumidifying device that calculates the temperature difference of the surface temperature and determines the drying of an object to be dried such as clothing.

JP 2007-181585 A JP 2007-240100 A

  In such a conventional dehumidifier, the temperature and humidity of the room are detected using a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the room and a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the room, and the change in temperature and humidity since the start of operation. In order to estimate the drying of clothes and other items to be dried, whether or not the items to be dried are actually dried is based on empirical rules such as experiments. However, there is a problem that even when the operation is continued unnecessarily, the case where the object to be dried such as clothes stops without being dried is generated.

  In addition, the indoor temperature and the surface temperature of objects to be dried such as clothes are detected by using a temperature sensor for detecting the room temperature and an infrared sensor for detecting the surface temperature of clothes, etc., and the room temperature and the objects to be dried such as clothes are detected. Since the temperature difference of the surface temperature of an object is calculated to determine the drying of an object to be dried such as clothing, there is a problem that the configuration and the calculation method are complicated.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and is not a method of estimating drying of an object to be dried such as clothing by detecting the temperature of the room using a temperature sensor or detecting the humidity using a humidity sensor. Also, it is not a method of detecting the surface temperature and room temperature of an object to be dried, such as clothing, and detecting the drying of the object to be dried, such as clothing, based on the temperature difference, etc., but to dry an object such as clothing by applying dry air. An object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidifying device that can detect temperature changes generated from shaking of an object and determine whether an object to be dried such as clothes is dried.

  And in order to achieve this object, it is provided in the clothes drying function for drying objects to be dried such as clothes, a fan for blowing air from the air outlet provided in the main body to the objects to be dried, and the air outlet. It is equipped with a louver that changes the air blowing direction and an infrared sensor that detects a change in temperature within a specific range, and starts the operation of the clothes drying function. The air is applied to an object to be dried such as clothing having a low temperature, and the wind from the fan is swung by the louver so as to exceed a specific range in which the temperature change of the infrared sensor is detected. It is characterized by detecting a signal of a temperature change due to shaking of a dried product and determining that the material to be dried is wet, thereby achieving an intended purpose.

  According to the present invention, a clothes drying function for drying an object to be dried such as clothes, a fan for blowing air from an air outlet provided in the main body to the object to be dried, and an air blowing direction provided at the air outlet are changed. And an infrared sensor for detecting a temperature change in a specific range, the operation of the clothes drying function is started, and the surface temperature is lower than the ambient temperature due to the heat of vaporization of the fan. The louver shakes the wind from the fan so as to exceed a specific range in which the temperature change of the infrared sensor is detected, and the infrared sensor shakes the object to be dried. It is possible to obtain an effect that it is possible to determine that an object to be dried is wet by detecting a signal of temperature change due to.

The figure seen from the suction inlet of the dehumidification apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention The figure seen from the blower outlet of the dehumidification apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention The figure which shows the structure of the infrared heat detection means of Embodiment 1 of this invention. Diagram of the control circuit of the infrared heat detection means of the dehumidifier Diagram of the output of the control circuit of the infrared heat detection means of the dehumidifier Figure of output when clothing of the dehumidifier is wet Figure of output when clothing of the dehumidifier is dry Figure of output when clothing of the dehumidifier is dry

  The dehumidifying device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a clothing drying function for drying an object to be dried such as clothing, a fan for blowing air from an air outlet provided in the main body to the object to be dried, and the air outlet. Provided with a louver that changes the blowing direction and an infrared sensor that detects a temperature change in a specific range, starts the operation of the clothes drying function, and the wind from the fan is influenced by the heat of vaporization from the ambient temperature Is applied to an object to be dried such as clothing having a low surface temperature, and the louver sways the wind from the fan so as to exceed a specific range in which the temperature change of the infrared sensor is detected. It is characterized in that a signal of temperature change due to shaking of the object to be dried is detected and it is determined that the object to be dried is wet. Thereby, there is an effect that it is possible to detect whether or not the object to be dried such as clothes is wet by detecting a signal of a temperature change due to shaking of the object to be dried such as clothes.

  In addition, when the signal of temperature change due to shaking of the object to be dried such as clothes generated from the start of the operation of the clothes drying function attenuates and the change in the signal of temperature change disappears, the object to be dried such as clothes is dried. You may make it the structure to judge. Thereby, there exists an effect that it can be judged whether to-be-dried materials, such as clothing, were dried from the transition of the change of the signal of the temperature change by the to-be-dried materials, such as clothing.

  Further, the dehumidifying device according to claim 2 attenuates the temperature change signal due to the shaking of the object to be dried that occurs from the start of the operation of the clothes drying function, and the change in the temperature change signal is eliminated. You may make it the structure which judges that the to-be-dried object dries when the signal of the temperature change by shaking generate | occur | produces. Accordingly, it is possible to determine whether or not the object to be dried has been dried while preventing dry-drying and drying unevenness from the change in the signal of the temperature change due to the shaking of the object to be dried.

  Further, the dehumidifying device according to claim 3 sets the air volume of the blowing means to the maximum air volume when confirming the presence or absence of temperature change due to the shaking of the object to be dried that occurs from the start of the operation of the clothes drying function at regular intervals, You may make it the structure which returns to the original air volume at the time of detecting the temperature change signal with an infrared sensor. This increases the shaking of the object to be dried, facilitates detection of a temperature change signal due to the shaking of the object to be dried, and has an effect of correctly determining the drying of the object to be dried.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the dehumidifying device gradually increases the air volume of the fan when checking the presence or absence of a temperature change signal due to the shaking of the object to be dried generated from the start of the operation of the clothes drying function at regular intervals. Further, it may be configured to return to the original air volume when a temperature change signal is detected by the infrared sensor.

  Thereby, there is an effect that it is possible to detect a signal of a temperature change due to shaking of an object to be dried in a state as quiet as possible.

(Embodiment 1)
1 to 5 show the entire configuration of a dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dehumidifying device is provided on the top surface of the main body 1 to display the operation and operating state of the dehumidifying device, and is provided on the front surface of the main body 1 to suck indoor air. A suction port 3, a blower outlet 4 for blowing out dehumidified air provided on the top surface of the main body 1, a fan 5 for blowing wind from the blower outlet 4 to the object to be dried, and a blower outlet 4 to provide a blowing direction. A room installed in a place that is located near the suction port 3 and the storage tank 8 for collecting the dehumidified moisture and is not easily affected by the operation of the dehumidifier, as the wind direction louver 6 and the air blowing range louver 7 provided as louvers to be changed. A temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature of the water, a humidity sensor 10 for detecting the humidity in the room, and an infrared sensor 11 for converting a temperature change caused by shaking of an object to be dried such as clothes into a signal of voltage fluctuation.

  The wind direction louver 6 changes the wind direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 4 in the vertical direction. The air blowing range louver 7 changes the air blowing range in the horizontal direction.

  The infrared sensor 11 can use a pyroelectric infrared sensor that detects a change in the amount of infrared rays due to a temperature change within a specific range, and is divided into five infrared sensors 11 as shown in FIG. By combining the condensing lens 12 and focusing the respective lenses 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, and 12e of the condensing lens 12 on the infrared light receiving unit 13 of the infrared sensor 11, five temperature changes are detected as one signal. Will be able to. In addition, the distance between the dehumidifying device and the object to be dried, such as clothing, is approximately 0.4 m to 2.0 m in the drying of the clothing of the dehumidifying device. Although it changes, it is considered to be about 4-10cm. For this reason, if the viewing angle of one lens is adjusted to a range of about 1 to 5 degrees, the lower limit of the left and right shaking of the object to be dried such as clothes by the air blown by the dehumidifier is about 4 cm. It becomes possible to detect. As described above, by adjusting the lens division method and the viewing angle, the clothes to be dried such as wet clothes whose temperature is lower than the ambient temperature, and the dry clothes whose temperature is higher than the ambient temperature, etc. It is possible to adjust the horizontal width and the number of places for detecting the shaking of the object to be dried.

  Here, a condensing lens divided into five in the left-right direction is used. Regardless of the number of divisions and the number of divisions in the up-down direction, the condensing lens is divided and the viewing angle is adjusted, so If the horizontal width and the number of places for detecting the shaking of the dry matter are adjusted, the method and the number are not limited, and there is no difference in the operation effect.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a temperature change due to shaking of an object to be dried such as clothes is detected by the infrared sensor 11 as a minute sensor output signal. Then, by configuring an inverting amplifier circuit as shown in FIG. 4, the voltage fluctuation of the small sensor output signal is amplified to a voltage signal having a large amplitude centered on the reference voltage. The microcomputer detects the amplified voltage signal to accurately detect that an object to be dried such as clothing is wet, and also accurately changes the temporal change in temperature due to the shaking of the object to be dried such as clothing. It becomes possible to detect.

  In addition, as a characteristic of pyroelectric infrared sensors, the change in polarity of the microcomputer input voltage indicates whether the swaying of clothes or other items to be dried sways from right to left or from left to right. Since this is proportional to the magnitude of the voltage fluctuation of the microcomputer input voltage, there is no particular problem even if the phase of the output signal of the infrared sensor and the microcomputer input signal is inverted by inversion amplification.

  Although not shown in the figure, inside the main body 1 of the dehumidifying device, a control device 14 for controlling the operation of the dehumidifying device, a hygroscopic material 15 for adsorbing moisture of the sucked air, and the hygroscopic material 15 are heated to absorb moisture. The regeneration heater 16 for releasing moisture from the material 15, the condenser 17 for condensing moisture released from the hygroscopic material 15, and the room air are sucked from the suction port 3 and circulated through the inside of the main body 1 for dehumidification. A fan 5 for blowing air from the outlet 4, a water level detecting means 18 for detecting the level of water accumulated in the water storage tank 8, a stepping motor for driving the wind direction louver 6 and the air blowing range louver 7, etc. are housed. ing. Further, the control device 14 reads signals from the temperature sensor 9, the humidity sensor 10, and the infrared sensor 11, automatically switches the operation of the dehumidifying device based on the magnitude of the signal, and also detects the clothing such as clothing. A load drive circuit 19 composed of electronic parts such as a triac and a relay for driving a load and a function for judging the dryness of the dried product, and a microcomputer 20 having a RAM, ROM such as a counter, a timer and a clock function inside It has. Here, the operation of the microcomputer 20 is carried out in the form of a program of the microcomputer 20 in cooperation with the counter, timer, clock function, RAM and ROM in the microcomputer 20.

  In the dehumidifying apparatus configured as described above, a method for detecting an object to be dried such as wet clothing and a method for detecting the drying of an object to be dried such as clothing will be described.

  When the dehumidifying device is started and dried air is blown on the object to be dried such as clothes, the object to be dried such as clothes shakes in the left and right direction, and the surface temperature of the object to be dried such as clothes is higher than room temperature due to evaporation of moisture Since the temperature is low, the infrared sensor 11 detects a temperature change caused by shaking of an object to be dried such as clothes. Then, the microcomputer 20 can detect the voltage fluctuation centered on the reference potential as shown in FIG. 6, and determines that the object to be dried such as clothes is wet because the voltage fluctuation has occurred. It becomes possible.

  Next, when the operation of the dehumidifying device is continued, as shown in FIG. 7, an object to be dried such as clothes is dried and less affected by the evaporation of moisture, and the temperature change detected by the infrared sensor 11 is reduced and the microcomputer is reduced. The voltage fluctuation of the input signal is also reduced. When moisture evaporates from an object to be dried such as clothing, there is no temperature change detected by the infrared sensor 11 and there is no change from the reference potential. Therefore, there is no change from the reference potential for a certain period of time. By determining that the object to be dried such as clothes has been dried at the time point that continues for T1, it is possible to detect the dry state of the object to be dried such as clothes.

  Further, if the operation of the dehumidifying device is continued without determining that the object to be dried such as clothes is dried as described above, the object to be dried such as clothes is dried and less affected by evaporation of moisture as shown in FIG. Thus, the temperature change detected by the infrared sensor 11 is reduced, and the voltage fluctuation of the microcomputer input signal is also reduced. When moisture evaporates from an object to be dried such as clothes, the temperature change detected by the infrared sensor 11 is also eliminated, and there is no fluctuation from the reference potential. If the operation of the dehumidifier is continued, the surface temperature of the object to be dried such as clothing becomes higher than the ambient temperature due to the influence of air blown from the dehumidifier at a temperature higher than the room temperature, and the infrared sensor 11 changes the temperature. As a result, a voltage fluctuation signal is generated in the microcomputer input signal. By determining that the dried object such as clothes is dried when the voltage variation continues for a certain time T2 in the regenerated microcomputer input signal, the dry state with a higher degree of drying, that is, the dried object such as clothes It is possible to detect the dry state of an object to be dried, such as clothing, by preventing raw drying and uneven drying.

(Embodiment 2)
The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The temperature change caused by the shaking of the object to be dried such as clothing is confirmed every predetermined time, and the air volume of the fan 5 is increased when the temperature change caused by the shaking of the object to be dried such as clothing is confirmed every certain time.

  A method for accurately detecting an object to be dried such as wet clothing in the dehumidifying apparatus configured as described above will be described.

  When a temperature change of an object to be dried such as clothing is detected every certain time, the airflow of the fan 5 is maximized to increase the shaking of the clothing. As a result, the shaking of the object to be dried such as clothing increases, making it easy to detect the temperature change of the object to be dried such as clothing, and an error such as judging that the object to be dried such as clothing is not dried but dried. Detection can be prevented.

  In addition, when detecting a temperature change of an object to be dried such as clothing every predetermined time, the air volume of the fan 5 is gradually increased so that when the swing of the object to be dried such as clothing is detected, the original air volume is restored. To. This makes it easier to detect temperature changes in dry objects such as clothes when the operating sound of the dehumidifier is low, and false detections such as determining that the dry objects such as clothes are not dried but dried. It becomes possible to prevent.

  Here, the air volume is gradually increased, but it is not necessary to increase the air volume if the change in temperature of the object to be dried such as clothes can be detected with the original air volume.

  The dehumidifying apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to drying control of clothes for general household appliances.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Operation display part 3 Intake port 4 Outlet 5 Fan 6 Air direction louver 7 Blowing range louver 8 Water storage tank 9 Temperature sensor 10 Humidity sensor 11 Infrared sensor 12 Condensing lens 12a Each lens 12b Each lens 12c Each lens 12d Each lens 12e Each lens 13 Infrared light receiver 14 Control device 15 Hygroscopic material 16 Regenerative heater 17 Condenser 18 Water level detection means 19 Load drive circuit 20 Microcomputer

Claims (5)

A clothing drying function for drying an object to be dried such as clothing, a fan for blowing air from an air outlet provided in the main body to an object to be dried, a louver provided at the air outlet to change the air blowing direction, and a specific An infrared sensor that detects a temperature change in the range, starts the operation of the clothing drying function, and the clothing from which the surface temperature is lower than the ambient temperature due to the heat of vaporization of the wind from the fan is dried. The air from the fan is swung so as to exceed a specific range in which the temperature change of the infrared sensor is detected by the louver, and a temperature change signal due to the shake of the object to be dried is detected by the infrared sensor. A dehumidifying device for determining that an object to be dried is wet. Claims characterized in that it is determined that the object to be dried has dried when the signal of the temperature change due to the shaking of the object to be dried generated from the start of the operation of the clothes drying function is attenuated and the change in the signal of the temperature change is eliminated. Item 1. A dehumidifying device according to item 1. When the signal of temperature change due to shaking of the object to be dried that occurs from the start of the operation of the clothes drying function attenuates and the fluctuation of temperature change signal disappears, and again when the signal of temperature change due to shaking of the object to be dried occurs The dehumidifying device according to claim 1, wherein the object to be dried is determined to be dry. When the air flow of the blower means is set to the maximum air flow and the temperature change signal is detected by the infrared sensor when checking the presence or absence of temperature change due to shaking of the object to be dried that occurs from the start of the operation of the clothing drying function at regular intervals The dehumidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air volume is returned to the original air amount. When checking for the presence or absence of a temperature change signal due to shaking of the object to be dried that occurs from the start of the clothes drying function at regular intervals, gradually increase the air volume of the blower and detect the temperature change signal with an infrared sensor. The dehumidifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air volume is returned to the original air amount at the time when the air is discharged.

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