JP2014136058A - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clothes dryer which can attain the reduction of exhaust heat loss by including a circulation air channel and can eliminate the need for a structure for dehumidification.SOLUTION: The clothes dryer includes: an outer case; a drying chamber provided in the outer case and having an outlet and an inlet; a circulation air channel provided outside the drying chamber and connecting the outlet and the inlet; a fan provided in the circulation air channel for sucking air in the drying chamber from the outlet into the circulation air channel and supplying air in the circulation air channel from the inlet into the drying chamber; a fan casing constituting a part of the circulation air channel and in which the fan is provided; a heater provided in the circulation air channel for heating air in the circulation air channel; and an exhaust port provided between the fan and the heater in the circulation air channel for exhausting air in the circulation air channel to the outside of the circulation air channel.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a clothes dryer.

  A heater-type clothes dryer dries clothes in a drying chamber by supplying air heated by a heater into the drying chamber. Conventionally, such clothes dryers are roughly classified into two types, an exhaust type and a circulation type. In the exhaust type, air taken from outside is warmed by a heater, and the warm air is applied to clothes in a drying chamber for drying. Then, all the air deprived of moisture from the clothes is discharged to the outside of the clothes dryer. According to this, since it is not necessary to dehumidify air containing a large amount of moisture, a mechanism for performing dehumidification is unnecessary, and a relatively simple configuration can be achieved. However, the air heated by the heater is finally exhausted to the outside after depriving moisture from the clothes. Therefore, in the conventional exhaust-type clothes dryer, the exhaust heat loss is large.

  On the other hand, the circulation type connects the drying chamber and the heater with a circulation air passage to circulate the air, so that the air after depriving moisture from the clothes is heated again by the heater. According to this, since the heat of the air after depriving moisture from clothing can be reused, it is possible to reduce exhaust heat loss as compared with the exhaust type. However, since it is necessary to dehumidify the circulating air, a dehumidifying mechanism is necessary, and it is difficult to reduce the size and cost of the complicated configuration.

JP 2008-110135 A

  Accordingly, a clothes dryer is provided that includes a circulation air passage to reduce exhaust heat loss and eliminates the need for a dehumidifying configuration.

  The clothes dryer of the present embodiment includes an outer box, a drying chamber provided in the outer box and having an outlet and an inlet, a circulation air path provided outside the drying chamber and connecting the outlet and the inlet, and the circulation A fan provided in the air passage for sucking air in the drying chamber from the outlet into the circulation air passage and supplying air in the circulation air passage from the inlet to the drying chamber; and a part of the circulation air passage A fan casing provided with the fan therein, a heater provided in the circulation air passage for heating the air in the circulation air passage, and provided between the fan and the heater in the circulation air passage. And an exhaust port for discharging the air in the circulation air passage out of the circulation air passage.

The perspective view which shows the form which looked at the clothes dryer by one Embodiment from the right front Longitudinal sectional view showing the schematic configuration inside the clothes dryer The figure which decomposes | disassembles and shows the back cover of FIG. The perspective view which shows the structure around the rear part of a top cover in the form seen from the left rear The figure which removes and shows the exhaust cover of FIG. The figure which removes and shows the back cover of FIG. The perspective view which shows a warm air supply apparatus with the form seen from upper direction The perspective view which shows the warm air supply apparatus in the form seen from the bottom Bottom view showing the hot air supply device with the fan casing bottom removed Plan view showing hot air supply device Sectional drawing which follows the X11-X11 line | wire of FIG. FIG. 11 equivalent view showing a case where the damper is in a closed state Sectional drawing which follows the X13-X13 line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the X14-X14 line | wire of FIG. The figure which shows the change of the pressure in a fan casing by the state of a filter device as a table

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a laundry dryer 10 as a clothes dryer includes an outer box 11, a top cover 12, an operation panel 13, a lid 14, and a back cover 15. In the front-rear direction of the washing / drying machine 10, the operation panel 13 side is the front side, and the back cover 15 side is the rear side. Moreover, the right-and-left direction of the washing / drying machine 10 is the right front side in FIG. 1 as the right side, and the left back side in FIG. 1 is the left side.

  The outer box 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and forms an outer shell of the washing / drying machine 10. The top cover 12 is provided on the upper portion of the outer box 11. The top cover 12 is formed in a rectangular frame shape as a whole, and has a laundry doorway (not shown) at the center. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the top cover 12 has a storage chamber 121 serving as a space inside the rear side. The outer box 11 and the top cover 12 constitute a casing of the washing / drying machine 10.

  The operation panel 13 is provided on the front side of the top cover 12. The operation panel 13 is connected to a control device (not shown), and the setting content is input from the user, and the setting content and the current operation status are displayed. The lid 14 is provided on the upper side of the top cover 12, and is configured to be opened and closed in a two-fold manner with the rear edge of the top cover 12 as a fulcrum. The lid 14 opens and closes the laundry entrance / exit of the top cover 12 (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the back cover 15 is provided at the rear portion of the top cover 12 and covers the accommodation chamber 121 at the rear portion of the top cover 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the back cover 15 has a recess 151 in which a part of the upper rear portion of the back cover 15 is recessed. The back cover 15 is provided with a decorative panel 16 and an exhaust cover 17. The decorative panel 16 is provided on the upper surface of the back cover 15 and on the front side of the recess 151. As shown in FIG. 4, the exhaust cover 17 covers the upper part of the recess 151. As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust cover 17 has a plurality of exhaust ports 171 that communicate the inside and the outside of the exhaust cover 17. A space formed by the recess 151 of the back cover 15 and the exhaust cover 17 communicates with the outside through a plurality of discharge ports 171.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the washing / drying machine 10 includes a rotating tub 18, a water tub 19, a stirring body 20, a driving device 21, an elastic support device 22, a water supply device 23, and a drainage device 24. The rotating tub 18 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom and an open upper side, and is configured to be rotatable. The axial direction of the rotation center axis of the rotary tank 18 is parallel to the direction of gravity. That is, the washing / drying machine 10 is a so-called vertical washing machine.

  The rotating tank 18 is provided inside the water tank 19. The rotating tub 18 has a plurality of holes 181 and a plurality of protrusions 182. The hole 181 is formed so as to penetrate the cylindrical peripheral side wall portion of the rotating tub 18 in the plate thickness direction. When the laundry is dehydrated, the water separated from the laundry is discharged to the outside of the rotating tub 18 through the hole 181. The projecting portion 182 is formed by projecting the cylindrical side wall portion of the rotating tub 18 inward. The protrusion 182 peels off the laundry from the inner surface of the rotating tub 18 and suppresses the laundry from sticking to the inner surface of the rotating tub 18. In addition, a rotary balancer 183 is provided on the upper part of the rotary tank 18. The rotary balancer 183 is filled with a liquid and stabilizes the rotary tank 18.

  The water tank 19 has a water tank part 191 and a water tank cover 192. The water tank portion 191 is configured in a cylindrical shape having a bottom portion and having an upper side opened. The water tank cover 192 is provided on the upper part of the water tank part 191. The water tank cover 192 has an opening (not shown) at the center. The laundry is put into the rotating tub 18 through an opening (not shown) formed in the water tank cover 192. This opening is opened and closed by an inner lid (not shown) provided in the water tank cover 192.

  The stirrer 20 is provided at the bottom inside the rotary tank 18 so as to be rotatable relative to the rotary tank 18. The rotating shaft of the stirring body 20 and the rotating shaft of the rotating tank 18 coincide with each other. The drive device 21 includes a motor 211, a clutch 212, and the like. The motor 211 is provided on the back side of the bottom of the water tank unit 191. The motor 211 is a so-called direct drive motor of the outer rotor type. The clutch 212 is provided between the motor 211 and the rotating tub 18, and connects the motor 211, the rotating tub 18, and the stirring body 20. The clutch 212 selectively switches between a form in which only the stirring body 20 rotates and a form in which the stirring body 20 and the rotating tub 18 rotate integrally.

  The elastic support device 22 includes a plurality of sets, for example, four sets of suspension rods 221, support portions 222, and elastic members 223. The upper ends of the suspension bars 221 are attached to the four corners of the upper portion of the outer box 11. The suspension rod 221 swings around the mounting portion with the outer box 11 as a fulcrum. The support part 222 is provided in the water tank part 191 of the water tank 19. The lower end portion of each suspension bar 221 is passed through the support portion 222 and supported by the support portion 222 via an elastic member 223 such as a coil spring. Thus, the elastic support device 22 elastically supports the water tank 19 so as to be able to swing. Thereby, the elastic support device 22 reduces the vibration generated in the water tank 19 from being transmitted to the outer box 11 while maintaining the water tank 19 in the vertical axis posture.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the water supply device 23 is provided in a storage chamber 121 formed in the rear portion of the top cover 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the water supply device 23 includes a water injection case 231, a water injection hose 232, an electronically controlled water supply valve 233, a water supply hose connection portion 234, a bath hose connection portion 235, a bath water pump 236 and the like. ing. As shown in FIG. 2, the water injection hose 232 connects the water injection case 231 and the water tank 19. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the water supply hose connecting portion 234 penetrates the back cover 15 and is exposed to the outside of the back cover 15. The water supply hose connection part 234 is connected to an external water source such as a water tap through a water supply hose (not shown).

  The bath hose connection portion 235 is exposed to the outside of the decorative panel 16 as shown in FIG. The bath hose connector 235 is connected to an external water source in which water is stored, such as a bathtub, via a bath water hose (not shown). Then, the water from the water source is sucked up by a bath water pump (not shown) and supplied to the bath hose connection part 235. Water supplied from an external water source to the water supply hose connection 234 or the bath hose connection 235 is supplied to the water injection case 231 by opening and closing the water supply valve 233. Then, the water supplied to the water injection case 231 is poured into the water tank 19 through the water injection hose 232 after dissolving the detergent disposed in the water injection case 231.

  The drainage device 24 includes an electronically controlled drainage valve 241 and a drainage hose 242. The drain valve 241 has a water inlet side connected to a drain port 195 provided at the bottom of the water tank unit 191 and a water outlet side connected to a drain hose 242. When the drain valve 241 is closed, the water tank 19 can store water. On the other hand, when the drain valve 241 is opened, the water stored in the water tank 19 is discharged to the outside of the washing and drying machine 10 through the drain port 195 and the drain valve 241 and the drain hose 242.

  Moreover, the washing / drying machine 10 includes a circulation air passage 30 as shown in FIG. The circulation air passage 30 connects the outlet 193 and the inlet 194 provided in the water tank cover 192 outside the water tank 19. During the drying operation, the air in the water tank 19 is discharged from the outlet 193 into the circulation air passage 30, warmed in the circulation air passage 30, and returned from the inlet 194 to the water tank 19. Specifically, the circulation air passage 30 is mainly configured by a hot air supply device 40 that generates and supplies hot air during a drying operation, and includes an intake duct 31, a filter device 32, and a supply duct 33. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the intake duct 31 is formed of, for example, a bellows-like hose, and connects the outlet 193 of the water tank 19 and the filter device 32. The filter device 32 is provided above the water tank 19 and is connected to the lower side of the hot air supply device 40. The filter device 32 collects lint from clothes in the water tank 19 during the drying operation. Although not shown in detail in the filter device 32, an outside air intake port communicating with the outside of the circulation air passage 30 is formed. From this outside air intake, outside air, in this case, air inside the outer box 11 is taken into the circulation air passage 30. The supply duct 33 is composed of, for example, a bellows-like hose, and connects the inlet 194 of the water tank 19 and the hot air supply device 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, the hot air supply device 40 is provided in a storage chamber 121 formed in the rear portion of the top cover 12. The hot air supply device 40 includes a heater 41, a fan 42, a fan motor 43, a damper 45, a damper motor 46, and a fan casing 50, as shown in FIGS. Among these, the heater 41, the fan 42, and the damper 45 are provided inside the fan casing 50, and the fan motor 43 and the damper motor 46 are provided outside the fan casing 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 11, and 12, the fan casing 50 has a space inside by combining a fan casing upper part 501 and a fan casing lower part 502. A case sealing member 51 is provided between the fan casing upper portion 501 and the fan casing lower portion 502 as shown in FIGS. The case sealing member 51 ensures the airtightness of the joint portion between the fan casing upper part 501 and the fan casing lower part 502.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the space in the fan casing 50 is divided into a fan accommodating portion 52, an enlarged air passage 53, and a heater accommodating portion 54. A fan 42 is provided in the fan accommodating portion 52. The fan 42 circulates the air in the circulation air passage 30 and is constituted by, for example, a centrifugal multiblade fan, a so-called sirocco fan. The fan motor 43 is a stepping motor, for example, and is provided on the outer surface of the fan casing upper portion 501. As shown in FIG. 8, the fan shaft portion 431 of the fan motor 43 passes through the fan casing upper portion 501 and is connected to the fan 42 in the fan casing 50. When the fan 42 is rotated by driving the fan motor 43, the fan 42 sucks air in the axial direction of the fan shaft portion 431 and discharges the sucked air toward the outside in the radial direction of the fan 42 by centrifugal force.

  The enlarged air passage 53 is provided along the blower side of the fan 42, that is, along the outer periphery of the fan 42. The width of the enlarged air passage 53 is enlarged in a logarithmic spiral shape from the start point 531 to the end point 532. A tongue wall 503 is provided between the fan housing 52 and the enlarged air passage 53 and the heater housing 54. The tongue wall 503 is formed integrally with the fan casing upper part 501. In this case, the end portion of the tongue wall 503 is used as the start point portion 531. Then, with the rotation axis of the fan 42 as the center, the end of the tongue wall 503, that is, the position of the angle α = 30 ° to 45 ° from the start point 531 is set as the reference point 533, and the angle from the reference point 533 to the end point 532 is the angle. β = 270 ° is set.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the heater accommodating portion 54 is formed in a substantially rectangular space in plan view. Of the four corners of the substantially rectangular heater accommodating portion 54, an enlarged air passage provided on the end portion 532 side of the enlarged air passage 53 is located at one corner on the fan accommodating portion 52 and the enlarged air passage 53 side. The end point portion 532 side of 53 is connected.

  Moreover, the fan casing 50 has the inlet 55, the ventilation port 56, and the exhaust port 57, as shown in FIGS. 8-10. The suction port 55 is located inside the fan 42 provided in the fan housing portion 52 in the radial direction, and is formed so as to pass through the bottom of the fan casing 50, that is, the fan casing lower part 502 in a circular shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the suction port 55 is connected to the outlet 193 of the water tank 19 via the filter device 32 and the suction duct 31.

  The air blowing port 56 is provided in the heater accommodating portion 54 on the diagonal side with respect to the end point portion 532 of the enlarged air passage 53. The air blowing port 56 is formed in a circular shape through the bottom of the fan casing 50, that is, the fan casing lower part 502. As shown in FIGS. 8, 11, and 12, the air blowing port 56 communicates with the inside of the air blowing cylinder portion 561 formed in a cylindrical shape. The blower cylinder portion 561 is provided integrally with the fan casing lower portion 502 and protrudes downward from the bottom surface portion of the fan casing lower portion 502. As shown in FIG. 2, a supply duct 33 is connected to the blow cylinder portion 561. Thereby, the air outlet 56 is connected to the inlet 194 of the water tank 19 through the supply duct 33.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the exhaust port 57 is provided in the vicinity of the end point 532 of the enlarged air passage 53, that is, in the circulation air passage 30 downstream of the fan 42 and upstream of the heater 41. The exhaust port 57 is formed through the fan casing upper part 501 in a circular shape, and communicates with the inside of the exhaust cylinder part 571 formed in a cylindrical shape. The exhaust cylinder part 571 is provided integrally with the fan casing upper part 501 and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the fan casing upper part 501. A part of the air circulating in the circulation air passage 30 is exhausted from the exhaust port 57 to the outside of the circulation air passage 30. In this case, the exhaust cylinder part 571 functions as a cylindrical part.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the heater 41 serving as a heat source is provided in the heater housing portion 54 and is provided between the end point portion 532 of the enlarged air passage 53 and the air blowing port 56. The heater 41 is a PTC heater, for example, and has a rectangular plate shape as a whole. The heater 41 is arranged along the diagonal lines of two corners different from the end point 532 side and the air outlet 56 side of the enlarged air passage 53 in the heater accommodating portion 54. In this case, the heater accommodating portion 54 is partitioned by the heater 41 into a space on the end point portion 532 side of the enlarged air passage 53 and a space on the air blowing port 56 side. The heater 41 passes air in the plate-like thickness direction and heats the air.

  The damper motor 46 is a stepping motor, for example, and is provided outside the side wall of the fan casing upper part 501. The damper shaft portion 461 of the damper motor 46 protrudes into the fan casing 50 through the side wall of the fan casing upper portion 501. The damper shaft portion 461 is located on the heater accommodating portion 54 side, that is, on the downstream side with respect to the exhaust port 57. The axial direction of the damper shaft portion 461 is orthogonal to the direction of the wind flowing through the enlarged air passage 53.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the damper 45 is provided inside the fan casing 50 and below the exhaust port 57. The damper 45 includes a damper main body 451 and a seal part 452. The damper main body 451 has a substantially rectangular shape along the shape in the vicinity of the end point 532 of the enlarged air passage 53 and is configured to cover the exhaust port 57. A side of the damper main body 451 on the heater 41 side is connected to a damper shaft 461 of the damper motor 46. As a result, the damper 45 rotates about the damper shaft portion 461 of the damper motor 46 as a fulcrum.

  The seal portion 452 is provided on the surface of the damper main body 451 on the exhaust port 57 side. The seal portion 452 is made of, for example, resin or metal and has a shape that covers the exhaust port 57. The seal portion 452 is sandwiched between the damper main body portion 451 and the inner surface of the fan casing 50 around the exhaust port 57 when the damper 45 is in a closed state in which the exhaust port 57 is closed. Thereby, when the damper 45 is in the closed state, the damper 45 is in close contact with the inner surface of the fan casing 50 around the exhaust port 57 and seals the exhaust port 57.

  The damper 45 is rotated by driving the damper motor 46 to open and close the exhaust port 57. That is, the damper 45 is in an open state in which the exhaust port 57 is opened as shown in FIG. 11 by rotating in a direction away from the exhaust port 57 with the damper shaft portion 461 as a fulcrum. In this open state, the damper 45 opens toward the upstream side with respect to the air flow in the fan 42 side, that is, the circulation air passage 30. Further, the damper 45 is in a closed state in which the exhaust port 57 is closed as shown in FIG. 12 by rotating in a direction approaching the exhaust port 57. In this case, since the damper 45 is provided inside the fan casing 50, that is, inside the circulation air passage 30, a space for opening and closing the damper 45 is larger than when the damper 45 is provided outside the fan casing 50. There is no need to secure. Further, when the damper 45 is in the closed state, the damper 45 receives a force in the direction in which the damper 45 is closed by the pressure of the air flowing in the fan casing 50. Thereby, the exhaust port 57 can be closed more reliably.

  The damper 45 is configured such that the rotation angle when the damper 45 is in the open state is 90 ° or less at maximum. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the angle θ formed by the inner surface of the fan casing 50 and the surface of the damper 45 on the seal portion 452 side is 90 ° or less when the damper 45 opens the exhaust port 57. Is set to Hereinafter, the angle θ formed by the inner surface of the fan casing 50 and the surface of the damper 45 on the seal portion 452 side is referred to as an opening angle θ. In the present embodiment, the opening angle θ of the damper 45 is set to 45 °. In this case, the opening angle θ may be set by, for example, controlling the damper motor 46 or by providing a restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the damper 45. In this case, when the damper 45 is in the open state, the damper 45 forms a slope that slopes downward toward the upstream side, so that air flowing in the fan casing 50 is guided to the exhaust port 57 along the slope of the damper 45. It is burned. Thereby, the air flowing through the fan casing 50 can be exhausted more reliably.

  The fan casing 50 has a damper accommodating portion 58. The damper accommodating portion 58 is provided at a connection portion between the fan casing upper portion 501 and the exhaust port 57, and is formed by recessing the fan casing upper portion 501 outward, that is, upward. The amount of depression in the damper accommodating portion 58 is set to be equal to or greater than the thickness dimension of the damper 45. In the closed state of the damper 45, the damper 45 is accommodated in the damper accommodating portion 58. Therefore, when the damper 45 is in the closed state, the surface on the fan casing 50 side of the damper 45, that is, the surface opposite to the seal portion 452, is located on the same surface as the inner surface of the fan casing 50, or the fan casing. It is located outside, that is, above, the inner side surface of 50. In this case, when the damper 45 is in the closed state, the damper 45 does not protrude inward from the inner surface of the fan casing 50, so that the damper 45 can be prevented from inhibiting the air flow in the fan casing 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the washing / drying machine 10 includes a silencer 60. The silencer 60 is provided in the recess 151 of the back cover 15 as shown in FIG. The upper part of the silencer 60 is covered with the exhaust cover 17. The silencer 60 is configured as a rectangular box that is long in the left-right direction as a whole. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the silencer 60 has a space inside by combining an upper case 601 and a lower case 602 as box-shaped members.

  The silencer 60 has an inlet 61 and an outlet 62 as shown in FIG. The air inlet 61 is on the lower right side of the silencer 60, that is, on the hot air supply device 40 side, and is formed through the lower case 602 in a circular shape. The inner diameter of the air inlet 61 is larger than the outer diameter of the exhaust cylinder portion 571 provided in the fan casing 50. The air outlet 62 is in the upper left part of the silencer 60 and is formed through the upper case 601 in a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. The air inlet 61 and the air outlet 62 communicate the inside and the outside of the silencer 60. The inlet 61 is connected to the exhaust 57 provided in the circulation air passage 30, that is, the exhaust 57 provided in the fan casing 50 of the hot air supply device 40. The air outlet 62 is connected to a space formed by the concave portion 151 of the back cover 15 and the exhaust cover 17, and further communicates with the outside of the washing / drying machine 10 through the exhaust port 171 of the exhaust cover 17.

  The space inside the silencer 60 is divided into an inlet path 63, a silencer chamber 64, and a water storage chamber 65. The air intake path 63 is a path connecting the air inlet 61 and the sound deadening chamber 64 and is inclined in the front-rear direction with respect to the left-right horizontal direction as shown in FIG. The muffler chamber 64 is formed wider than the air inlet path 63. The volume of the muffler chamber 64 is larger than the volume of the inlet passage 63. The water storage chamber 65 is provided below the sound deadening chamber 64. The water storage chamber 65 stores water when water enters from the air outlet 62. This prevents water that has entered the silencer 60 from the air outlet 62 from further entering the circulation air passage 30 from the air inlet 61.

  A plurality of concavo-convex portions 641 having a concavo-convex shape are provided on the upper wall of the muffler chamber 64, that is, the ceiling wall portion of the upper case 601. The uneven portion 641 extends in the short direction, that is, the front-rear direction of the silencer 60, in other words, in the direction orthogonal to the flow direction of the air flowing in the silencer chamber 64. In this case, the concavo-convex portion 641 extends parallel to the air outlet 62. Therefore, when water is applied to the silencer 60, the water can be allowed to escape in parallel to the air outlet 62, and water intrusion from the air outlet 62 can be avoided.

  The silencer 60 is provided with a connecting tube portion 66 at the inlet 61 portion of the lower case 602. The connecting cylinder portion 66 is integral with the lower case 602, is formed in a cylindrical shape, and protrudes downward from the lower case 602. The air inlet 61 communicates with the inner side of the connecting tube portion 66. The inner diameter of the connection tube portion 66 is larger than the outer diameter of the exhaust tube portion 571 provided in the fan casing 50. A step portion 661 is formed inside the connection tube portion 66. The step portion 661 is formed such that the inner diameter of the lower portion of the step portion 661 is larger than the inner diameter of the upper portion, thereby forming a step shape.

  Further, the back cover 15 has an introduction tube portion 152. The introduction cylinder part 152 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends in the vertical direction through the back cover 15. The introduction cylinder portion 152 is provided at a position facing the exhaust port 57 of the fan casing 50. The introduction cylinder part 152 has an introduction port 153 inside the introduction cylinder part 152. That is, the introduction port 153 is formed so as to penetrate the back cover 15 in a circular shape, and communicates the inside of the back cover 15, that is, the space on the recess 151 side and the outside.

  The inner diameter of the introduction port 153 is equal to the inner diameter of the connection tube portion 66. That is, the inner diameter of the introduction port 153 is larger than the outer diameter of the exhaust cylinder portion 571. The introduction cylinder portion 152 has a step portion 154 on the outer portion of the back cover 15, that is, on the silencer 60 side. The step portion 154 is formed such that the outer diameter of the lower portion of the step portion 154 is larger than the outer diameter of the upper portion, thereby forming a step shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 5, 13, and 14, the exhaust cylinder portion 571 of the fan casing 50 is passed through the inside of the introduction cylinder portion 152 of the back cover 15 and protrudes to the outside of the back cover 15, that is, toward the concave portion 151. Yes. The muffler 60 is disposed in the recess 151 through the introduction cylinder 152 of the back cover 15 inside the connection cylinder 66.

  A plate-shaped seal member 67 serving as a first seal member is provided between the fan casing 50 side end portion, that is, the lower end portion, and the fan casing 50 in the introduction cylinder portion 152 of the back cover 15. The plate-shaped seal member 67 is a rubber member configured in a disk shape, for example. A hole 671 that penetrates the plate-shaped seal member 67 in a circular shape is formed at the center of the plate-shaped seal member 67. The exhaust tube portion 571 of the fan casing 50 is passed through the hole portion 671. The plate-like seal member 67 brings the lower end portion of the introduction cylinder portion 152 of the back cover 15 into close contact with the outer surface of the fan casing 50 around the blower cylinder portion 561. Thereby, the fan casing 50 and the back cover 15 are connected airtightly and watertightly. The plate-shaped sealing member 67 allows the air discharged from the exhaust port 57 and the water that has entered the outlet port 62 and overflows the water storage chamber 65 to pass through the gap between the exhaust tube portion 571 and the introduction tube portion 152. Leakage into the storage chamber 121 is prevented.

  Between the introduction cylinder part 152 and the connection cylinder part 66, as shown in FIG.13 and FIG.14, the cyclic | annular seal member 68 used as a 2nd seal member is provided. The annular seal member 68 is, for example, a rubber member, and is configured in an annular shape along the outer peripheral surface of the introduction tube portion 152 and the inner peripheral surface of the step portion 661 portion of the connection tube portion 66. The annular seal member 68 is provided between the step portion 154 of the introduction tube portion 152 and the step portion 661 of the connection tube portion 66, and the introduction tube portion 152 of the back cover 15 and the connection tube portion 66 of the muffler 60. Adhere. Thereby, the back cover 15 and the silencer 60 are connected airtight and watertight. The annular seal member 68 prevents water that has entered the concave portion 151 side of the back cover 15 from entering the fan casing 50 through the gap between the connection cylinder portion 66 and the introduction cylinder portion 152.

  The washing / drying machine 10 executes a washing operation, a dehydration operation, and a drying operation by performing a user operation or automatically selecting them. In the washing operation, first, the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved is poured into the water tank 19 by the water supply device 23. And the stirring body 20 is alternately rotated at low speed by the drive device 21 in the forward / reverse direction. Thereby, the clothes accommodated in the rotating tub 18 are stirred together with the washing water and washed. In the dehydration operation, first, the washing water in the water tank 19 is drained by the drainage device 24. Then, the rotating tank 18 and the stirring body 20 are integrally rotated at a high speed in one direction by the driving device 21. Thereby, the clothes in the rotating tub 18 are dehydrated by centrifugal force.

  In the drying operation, the warm air supply device 40 is operated to advance the drying of the clothes. During the drying operation, the rotating tub 18 and the water tub 19 for storing clothes function as a drying chamber. Specifically, when the drying operation is started, the washing / drying machine 10 sequentially performs a heating process, a dehumidifying process, and a cooling process.

  When the washing / drying machine 10 executes the heating process, first, the damper 45 is driven to close the exhaust port 57 as shown in FIG. Then, the heater 41 of the hot air supply device 40 is energized to cause the heater 41 to generate heat, and the fan motor 43 is driven. Then, the air in the rotary tank 18 and the water tank 19 is sucked into the circulation air passage 30 from the outlet 193 of the water tank 19 by the air blowing action of the fan 42, passes through the filter device 32, and enters the fan casing 50. enter. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 12, the air is heated by the heater 41 in the fan casing 50 to be warmed, and then supplied from the air blowing port 56 to the water tank 19 through the supply duct 33 and the inlet 194. Is done.

  The warm air supplied into the water tank 19 heats the clothes in the rotary tank 18 and is sucked into the circulation air path 30 from the outlet 193 of the water tank 19 again. As described above, the hot air supply device 40 heats the air in the rotating tank 18 and the water tank 19 while circulating it. Therefore, by performing this heating process, the temperature of the air in the circulation air passage 30 and the temperature of the clothes in the rotating tub 18 gradually increase.

  When the temperature of the air circulating through the circulation air passage 30 in the heating process rises sufficiently to advance the drying of the clothes in the rotary tub 18, the washing and drying machine 10 performs the dehumidification process. In the dehumidifying process, the dehumidifying operation and the reheating operation are alternately performed. In the dehumidifying operation, the washing and drying machine 10 drives the damper 45 and opens the exhaust port 57 as shown in FIG. 11 while driving the fan 42 and heating the heater 41. In this case, the air that has been warmed by the hot air supply device 40 and supplied into the rotary tub 18 is deprived of moisture from the clothing in the rotary tub 18 and becomes air that contains a large amount of moisture. A part of the air containing a large amount of moisture is discharged from the exhaust port 57 to the outside of the circulation air passage 30 as shown by arrows in FIG. 11 when passing through the circulation air passage 30. At this time, since the inside of the filter device 32 located on the upstream side of the fan 42 in the circulation air passage 30 has a negative pressure, outside air is taken into the filter device 32 from an outside air intake port of the filter device 32 (not shown). Therefore, a part of the air containing a lot of moisture taken away from the clothes is exchanged with the outside air having a low humidity, and the air in the circulation air passage 30 is dehumidified, whereby the drying of the clothes proceeds.

  Here, the pressure in the fan casing 50 during the dehumidifying operation varies depending on the clogged state of the filter of the filter device 32. A change in pressure in the fan casing 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 15. The pressure in the fan casing 50 changes around the end portion 532. In this case, a region from the start point 531 of the enlarged air passage 53 to the vicinity of the end point 532 is defined as a region A, and a region from the vicinity of the end point 532 to the air blowing port 56 in the heater accommodating portion 54 is defined as a region B. To do.

  FIG. 15 shows the pressures in the regions A and B when the filter of the filter device 32 is not clogged and when the filter is clogged in the range of 87.5% of the effective area of the filter. Shows the results. When the filter is not clogged, both areas A and B are at positive pressure. On the other hand, when the filter is clogged, the area A has a negative pressure, whereas the area B has a positive pressure. Here, the exhaust port 57 is provided between the fan 42 and the heater 41, that is, in the region B. Therefore, the pressure around the exhaust port 57 is positive regardless of the state of the filter device 32. Therefore, when the exhaust port 57 is opened, it is possible to prevent the outside air from flowing back from the exhaust port 57 into the fan casing 50 due to a negative pressure around the exhaust port 57. That is, since the pressure around the exhaust port 57 in the fan casing 50 is high with respect to the outside, the air in the circulation air passage 30 containing a large amount of moisture can be smoothly discharged from the exhaust port 57.

  And the air discharged | emitted from the exhaust port 57 to the exterior of the fan casing 50 flows in into the silencer 60 from the inlet port 61 through the inner side of the exhaust cylinder part 571, as shown in FIG.13 and FIG.14. . The air that has flowed into the silencer 60 first reaches the silencer chamber 64 through the inlet path 63 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. In this case, since the width of the sound deadening chamber 64 is larger than the width of the air intake passage 63, the air that has entered the sound deadening chamber 64 from the air intake passage 63 is expanded in the sound deadening chamber 64 and the speed and pressure are reduced.

  Part of the air that has entered the muffler chamber 64 and has reduced in speed and pressure flows out of the muffler 60 from the air outlet 62. At this time, there is a difference in acoustic impedance between the air inlet path 63 and the silencer chamber 64 and between the silencer chamber 64 and the outside of the silencer 60. Sound waves are reflected where there is a large difference in acoustic impedance. For this reason, sound waves generated by the air that has entered the silencing chamber 64 have a large difference in acoustic impedance, for example, the boundary between the silencing chamber 64 and the inlet path 63, the vicinity of the outlet 62 and the inlet 61, Is reflected by the wall portion around the sound deadening chamber 64, in particular, the concave and convex portion 641. The reflected sound waves interfere with each other, thereby consuming sound energy and muting. The air silenced by the silencer 60 flows out of the silencer 60 from the air outlet 62. Then, the air that flows out of the silencer 60 passes through the gap between the silencer 60 and the back cover 15 as shown by an arrow in FIG.

  When the dehumidifying operation is executed, the outside air is taken into the circulation air passage 30 and the temperature of the air in the circulation air passage 30 gradually decreases. Therefore, the washing / drying machine 10 performs the reheating operation after performing the dehumidifying operation for a certain period. When the washing and drying machine 10 executes the reheating operation, the fan 42 and the heater 41 continue to be driven and the damper 45 is driven to close the exhaust port 57. Thereby, the air passing through the circulation air passage 30 is not discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 57, and the air in the circulation air passage 30 and the clothing in the rotating tub 18 are heated again.

  In the dehumidifying process, the washing / drying machine 10 repeats the dehumidifying operation and the reheating operation a plurality of times, and then determines the end of drying of the clothes and moves to the cooling process. The determination of the end of drying of the clothes is made, for example, when a preset time has elapsed or when a drying temperature sensor (not shown) detects a predetermined temperature. When the washing / drying machine 10 executes the cooling process, the heating of the heater 41 is stopped, and the fan 42 is continuously driven while the damper 45 is operated and the exhaust port 57 is opened. As a result, high-temperature air in the circulation air passage 30 is exhausted from the exhaust port 57 to the outside of the circulation air passage 30, and relatively low temperature outside air is taken into the circulation air passage 30, Cool clothing. Then, after the clothes are sufficiently cooled, the washing / drying machine 10 stops the fan 42 and ends the drying process. During the drying process, the washing / drying machine 10 appropriately agitates the clothes in the rotating tub 18 by appropriately driving the motor 211 to rotate the rotating tub 18.

  According to this, the exhaust port 57 is provided in the fan casing 50 constituting the circulation air passage 30 and provided between the fan 42 and the heater 41. Therefore, for example, even when the filter device 32 is clogged and the pressure balance in the circulation air passage 30 is lost, the vicinity of the exhaust port 57 can be maintained as positive as possible. Therefore, the air containing moisture generated as the clothes are dried can be efficiently discharged from the exhaust port 57 to the outside of the circulation air passage 30. As a result, the washer / dryer 10 is provided with the circulation air passage 30 so as to reduce the waste heat loss during the drying operation, and the configuration for dehumidifying is not required, and thus the size and cost can be reduced. Can do.

  The exhaust port 57 is provided on the upstream side of the heater 41. That is, since the heater 41 is provided on the downstream side of the exhaust port 57, the air heated by the heater 41 can be prevented from being discharged to the outside before contributing to the drying of clothes. That is, most of the air heated by the heater 41 can contribute to the drying of clothing. Therefore, the washing / drying machine 10 can further reduce the exhaust heat loss of the heater 41 and, as a result, can exhibit higher drying performance.

  In the fan casing 50, an enlarged air passage 53 that is provided along the outer periphery of the fan 42 and that expands in a logarithmic spiral shape from a start point 531 to an end point 532 is provided. The exhaust port 57 is provided in the fan casing 50 in the vicinity of the end point 532 of the enlarged air passage 53 of the end point 532. According to this, the air blowing performance of the centrifugal multiblade fan 42 can be exhibited more effectively, and as a result, the exhaust performance from the exhaust port 57 can be improved.

  The fan casing 50 is provided inside the rear of the top cover 12. The exhaust port 57 is provided in the upper part of the fan casing 50, that is, the fan casing upper part 501. According to this, the structure which discharges the air discharged | emitted from the exhaust port 57 from the upper surface side of the top cover 12 to the washing-dryer 10 exterior becomes easy.

  The fan casing 50 is provided in a housing chamber 121 formed inside the casing of the washing / drying machine 10, that is, above the top cover 12. A back cover 15 that covers the fan casing 50, that is, the circulation air passage 30, is provided above the fan casing 50. The exhaust port 57 is connected to an exhaust cylinder part 571 formed in a cylindrical shape, and the tip of the exhaust cylinder part 571 protrudes to the outside of the back cover 15 as shown in FIG. According to this, the air including the moisture in the circulation air passage 30 can be discharged outside the top cover 12, that is, outside the back cover 15. Therefore, the temperature rise in the top cover 12 and the occurrence of condensation can be effectively prevented. In this case, it is more effective when the fan motor 43, the damper motor 46, and electric components (not shown) are provided in the housing chamber 121.

  The exhaust port 57 is connected to the muffler 60 via the exhaust tube portion 571. According to this, it is possible to reduce noise such as resonance sound generated when air is discharged from the exhaust port 57 during the drying operation.

  The washing / drying machine 10 includes a damper 45 that opens and closes the exhaust port 57. According to this, since the exhaust port 57 can be freely opened and closed in accordance with the state of the drying operation, the exhaust from the exhaust port 57 can be actively controlled. For this reason, it is possible to finely control the humidity and temperature in the circulation air passage 30 during the drying operation.

  The damper 45 is provided inside the fan casing 50 and is configured to be rotatable about a damper shaft portion 461 of the damper motor 46. And the damper 45 will be in the open state which opens the exhaust port 57 by rotating in the direction away from the exhaust port 57, and the closed state which closes the exhaust port 57 by rotating in the direction approaching the exhaust port 57. It becomes. That is, the damper 45 opens and closes the exhaust port 57 by rotating inward of the fan casing 50. According to this, the damper 45 is located inside the fan casing 50 even when the exhaust port 57 is opened. Therefore, unlike the case where the damper 45 is provided outside the fan casing 50, it is not necessary to secure a space for opening and closing the damper 45 outside the fan casing 50. Therefore, the provision of the damper 45 can prevent the fan casing 50, that is, the hot air supply device 40 from becoming large.

  Further, according to this, in a state where the damper 45 closes the exhaust port 57, a force pressing the damper 45 against the wall portion of the fan casing 50 acts by the positive pressure around the exhaust port 57. Therefore, the damper 45 and the inner surface of the fan casing 50 around the exhaust port 57 are more closely attached, and thereby the airtightness of the exhaust port 57 by the damper 45 can be improved.

  The damper motor 46 that drives the damper 45 is provided with a damper shaft portion 461 on the downstream side of the circulation air passage 30 with respect to the exhaust port 57. The angle θ formed between the inner surface of the fan casing 50 and the damper 45 is 90 degrees or less, that is, an acute angle when the exhaust port 57 is open. That is, the damper 45 is inclined downward from the downstream side toward the upstream side when the exhaust port 57 is open. According to this, a part of the air flowing in the circulation air passage 30 is guided to the exhaust port 57 along the slope of the damper 45, so that the air in the circulation air passage 30 can be efficiently discharged.

  The damper 45 is accommodated in the damper accommodating portion 58 when the exhaust port 57 is closed. That is, in the closed state of the exhaust port 57, the lower surface of the damper 45 is on the same plane as the inner surface of the fan casing 50 or located outside the inner surface of the fan casing 50. It does not protrude to the inside of the fan casing 50 from the side surface. According to this, in the closed state of the exhaust port 57, it can be avoided that the damper 45 becomes an obstacle to the flow of air in the circulation air passage 30. As a result, it is possible to reduce pressure loss in the circulation air passage 30 due to the damper 45 being provided in the fan casing 50, that is, in the circulation air passage 30, and the air flowing in the circulation air passage 30 can be reduced. It is possible to suppress noise generated by collision.

  The damper 45 has a seal portion 452 provided on the surface of the damper main body 451 on the exhaust port 57 side. The seal portion 452 brings the inner surface of the fan casing 50 and the damper 45 into close contact with each other when the exhaust port 57 is closed. According to this, the damper 45 can more reliably close the exhaust port 57, and thus can more reliably block communication between the circulation air passage 30 and the outside via the exhaust port 57. Therefore, when performing the heating process of the drying operation, the heated air is prevented from leaking from the exhaust port 57, and the air in the circulation air passage 30 can be efficiently raised, and as a result, the drying efficiency is improved. Can be planned.

In addition, although the clothes dryer of the said embodiment shall also have a washing-drying function, the clothes dryer which does not have a washing function may be sufficient. Further, the present invention is not limited to a vertical type washing and drying machine, and may be a drum type washing and drying machine having a horizontal axis or an oblique axis, for example.
The heater 41 is not limited to a PTC heater, and various heaters can be employed.
The exhaust port 57 may be provided in the middle of the circulation air passage 30 and between the fan 42 and the heater 41, and is not necessarily provided in the fan casing 50.

  According to the embodiment described above, the exhaust port for discharging the air in the circulation air passage to the outside of the circulation air passage is provided in the middle of the circulation air passage and between the fan and the heater. For this reason, since the vicinity of the exhaust port can be maintained as positive pressure as possible, air containing a large amount of moisture taken from clothing during the drying operation can be efficiently discharged from the exhaust port to the outside of the circulation air path. it can. Thereby, the clothes dryer can reduce the waste heat loss during the drying operation by providing the circulation air passage, and the configuration for dehumidifying is unnecessary. Moreover, since the exhaust port is provided on the upstream side of the heater, the air heated by the heater can be prevented from being discharged to the outside before contributing to drying of the clothes. Therefore, the clothes dryer can further reduce the exhaust heat loss of the heater, and as a result, can exhibit higher drying performance.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 10 is a washing dryer (clothing dryer), 11 is an outer box, 12 is a top cover, 15 is a back cover, 18 is a rotating tank (drying chamber), 19 is a water tank (drying chamber), 193 is an outlet, 194 is an inlet, 30 is a circulation air passage, 41 is a heater, 42 is a fan, 45 is a damper, 452 is a seal member, 461 is a damper motor shaft (shaft), 50 is a fan casing, 53 is an enlarged air passage, and 531 is A start point portion, 532 is an end point portion, 57 is an exhaust port, 571 is an exhaust tube portion (tubular portion), and 60 is a silencer.

Claims (10)

An outer box,
A drying chamber provided in the outer box and having an outlet and an inlet;
A circulation air path provided outside the drying chamber and connecting the outlet and the inlet;
A fan that is provided in the circulation air passage and sucks air in the drying chamber from the outlet into the circulation air passage and supplies air in the circulation air passage from the inlet to the drying chamber;
A fan casing which constitutes a part of the circulation air passage and in which the fan is provided;
A heater provided in the circulation air passage for heating air in the circulation air passage;
An exhaust port provided between the fan and the heater of the circulation air passage for discharging the air in the circulation air passage to the outside of the circulation air passage;
A clothes dryer comprising: The fan is a centrifugal multiblade fan,
The fan casing has an enlarged air passage that is provided along the outer periphery of the fan and expands in a logarithmic spiral shape from a start point to an end point.
The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust port is provided in the fan casing and in the vicinity of the end point. A top cover provided at the top of the outer box;
The fan casing is provided inside the rear of the top cover,
The clothes dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exhaust port is provided in an upper portion of the fan casing. A back cover that covers the fan casing;
The exhaust port is connected to a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape,
The clothes dryer according to claim 3, wherein a tip end of the cylindrical portion protrudes outside the back cover.   The clothes dryer according to claim 4, wherein the exhaust port is connected to a silencer through the tubular portion.   The clothes dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a damper that opens and closes the exhaust port.   The damper is provided inside the fan casing and is configured to be rotatable about a shaft portion as a fulcrum. The damper is in an open state in which the exhaust port is opened by rotating in a direction away from the exhaust port. The clothes dryer according to claim 6, wherein the clothes dryer is in a closed state in which the exhaust port is closed by rotating in a direction approaching to. The shaft portion is provided on the downstream side of the circulation air passage with respect to the exhaust port,
The clothes dryer according to claim 7, wherein an angle formed between an inner surface of the fan casing and the damper is 90 degrees or less in the opened state.   The clothes dryer according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the damper does not protrude from the inner surface of the fan casing to the inside of the fan casing in the closed state.   The clothes drying according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the damper has a seal portion that is provided on the exhaust port side and closely contacts the inner surface of the fan casing and the damper in the closed state. Machine.

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