JP2015084996A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of determining freezing of moisture in a gas-liquid separator in a heat pump, and also capable of solving the freezing.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a heat pump which has a refrigeration cycle configured by connecting a compressor, a condenser, decompression means, an evaporator and a gas-liquid separator in a closed loop shape, and sealing a refrigerant inside, in which the evaporator is arranged at an air outlet side of an accommodation chamber in a circulation air passage, and in which the condenser is arranged on a further downstream side than the evaporator in a circulation air flow; freezing determination means for determining whether or not freezing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator in a drying step; and freezing dealing means for stopping the compressor when the occurrence of freezing in the gas-liquid separator is detected by the freezing determination means.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a washing dryer.

Conventionally, in washing and drying machines that perform washing, dehydration, and drying, washing dryers that use a heat pump that does not use an electric heater as a drying means, reduce wrinkles and shrinkage of clothes, save energy, and shorten drying time. is there.
In this type of washing and drying machine, in addition to the heat pump, there is provided a circulation air passage that forms a circulation air flow that takes out air from a water tank that is a storage chamber for storing clothes and returns it to the storage chamber.
The heat pump has a refrigeration cycle configured by connecting a compressor, a condenser, a decompression unit, an evaporator, and a gas-liquid separator in a closed loop shape and enclosing a refrigerant therein, and the evaporator In the circulation air passage, it is arranged on the air outlet side of the storage chamber, and the condenser is arranged on the downstream side of the circulation air flow from the evaporator.

The gas-liquid separator has a refrigerant inlet at the top of the gas-liquid separator main body, a refrigerant outlet pipe that communicates with the upper end opening as a refrigerant outlet inside, and the gas-liquid separator inside the gas-liquid separator main body. In this configuration, a mesh member is provided between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet.
In the drying process, the compressor is operated to operate the refrigeration cycle. That is, the refrigerant in the gas state is compressed and discharged by the compressor, and the discharged refrigerant is condensed and liquefied by heat radiation in the condenser, and at that time, the circulating air is heated. Then, the pressure is reduced by the pressure reducing means. The decompressed refrigerant is further evaporated (gasified, partially in a liquid state) by an evaporator to cool the surroundings (dehumidify the circulating air).

  Then, the refrigerant in the gas-liquid mixed state enters inside from the refrigerant inlet at the upper part of the gas-liquid separator body, and the gas refrigerant (hereinafter referred to as gas refrigerant) passes through the mesh member and is compressed from the refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant outlet pipe. Returned to the machine. On the other hand, liquid refrigerant (hereinafter referred to as liquid refrigerant) adheres to the mesh member, is guided in a predetermined direction, and is stored inside the gas-liquid separator body.

JP 2009-273488 A

By the way, the refrigerant sealed inside the refrigeration cycle is considered as much as possible so that moisture does not get mixed in. However, depending on the management status of each part and the surrounding environment during assembly, a very small amount of moisture There is also concern about the contamination. When moisture is mixed into the refrigerant, the refrigerant temperature drops considerably in the evaporator when the outside air temperature is low. Therefore, when the refrigerant enters the gas-liquid separator existing in the subsequent stage of the evaporator, the moisture is There is a risk of freezing.
If freezing occurs in the mesh member, the refrigerant flow is hindered and the refrigeration cycle does not function normally, that is, the heat pump does not function normally, and it becomes difficult to dry clothes.

  Therefore, a washing and drying machine capable of determining moisture icing in a gas-liquid separator in a heat pump and eliminating the icing is provided.

  The washing / drying machine according to the embodiment is a washing / drying machine that performs each process of washing, dehydration, and drying. The washing / drying machine includes a storage room in which clothes are stored, a circulation fan, and the air in the storage room is taken out again. A circulation air passage for forming a circulation air flow returning to the housing chamber; a refrigerant inlet pipe having a refrigerant inlet at an upper portion of the gas-liquid separator main body and having an upper end opening as a refrigerant outlet; A gas-liquid separator in which a mesh member is provided between the refrigerant inlet inside the liquid separator main body and the refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant outlet pipe, a compressor, a condenser, a decompression means, an evaporator, and the gas-liquid separation; Having a refrigeration cycle configured by connecting a condenser in a closed loop shape and enclosing a refrigerant therein, disposing the evaporator on the air outlet side of the storage chamber in the circulation air passage, The circulating air from the evaporator A heat pump arranged on the downstream side, an icing determination means for determining whether or not icing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator during the drying process, and the occurrence of icing was detected by the icing determination means And ice freezing means for sometimes stopping the compressor.

Longitudinal side view of the washing and drying machine according to the first embodiment Diagram showing schematic configuration of heat pump Vertical side view of gas-liquid separator Electrical configuration block diagram Flow chart showing control contents Block diagram of electrical configuration according to second embodiment Vertical side view of gas-liquid separator Flow chart showing control contents Vertical sectional side view of a gas-liquid separator according to a third embodiment Vertical sectional side view of a gas-liquid separator according to a fourth embodiment

  The washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, a water tank 2 is disposed inside an outer box 1, and a drum 3 that is a rotating tank is disposed inside the water tank 2. Both the water tank 2 and the drum 3 have a cylindrical shape with one end closed. In this case, the water tank 2 and the drum 3 constitute a tank used for washing clothes (detergent washing and rinsing), dehydration and drying. And the inside of the said drum 3 comprises the storage chamber 3a in which clothing is stored.

  The water tank 2 and the drum 3 have respective openings 4 and 5 on the front side, that is, on the left end surface in FIG. Among these, the opening 5 of the drum 3 is where clothes are put in and out, and the opening 5 is surrounded by the opening 4 of the water tank 2. The opening 4 is connected via a bellows 7 to an opening 6 for putting in and taking out clothes formed on the front surface of the outer box 1. A door 8 is provided at the opening 6 of the outer box 1 so as to be openable and closable.

  The drum 3 is provided with, for example, a liquid-filled rotary balancer 9 around the opening 5, and a hole 10 is formed in the circumferential side, that is, almost the entire region of the drum 3 (one in FIG. 1). Only the part is shown). The hole 10 functions as a water passage hole during washing and dehydration, and functions as a ventilation hole during drying. A plurality of baffles 11 are provided on the inner surface of the peripheral side portion of the drum 3 so as to protrude inward of the drum 3. A plurality of hot air inlets 12 are formed in the end surface portion on the rear side of the drum 3 by an annular arrangement concentric with the center thereof.

  The water tank 2 is formed with a hot air outlet 13 at the upper part of the front end surface, that is, at a portion above the opening 4, and is opposed to the rotation trajectory of the hot air inlet 12 at the upper part of the rear end surface part. Thus, the hot air inlet 14 is formed. A drain port 15 is provided at the bottom of the water tank 2. A drain valve 16 is connected to the drain port 15 outside the water tank 2, and further, a drain hose 17 is connected to the drain valve 16 so that the water in the water tank 2 can be discharged out of the machine.

  A washing machine motor 18 is attached to the back surface of the water tub 2, and the rotation shaft 19 is inserted into the water tub 2, and the center portion of the rear end surface portion of the drum 3 is attached to the front end portion thereof. ing. Thereby, the drum 3 is coaxially supported by the water tank 2 so that rotation is possible. That is, the drum 3 is directly rotated by the washing machine motor 18, and a direct drive system using the washing machine motor 18 is employed.

  The water tank 2 is elastically supported by the outer box 1 via a plurality of suspensions 20 (only one is shown in FIG. 1). As for the support form, the axial direction of the water tank 2 has a horizontal axis shape that is front and rear and an upwardly inclined shape. Further, the drum 3 supported by the water tank 2 has the same form. In this case, the washing machine motor 18 is constituted by an outer rotor type brushless DC motor, and functions as a driving means for rotating the drum 3.

  A base plate 21 is disposed below the water tank 2, that is, on the bottom surface of the outer box 1, and a ventilation duct 22 is disposed on the base plate 21. The ventilation duct 22 has an air inlet 23 at the top of the front end. A warm air outlet 13 of the water tank 2 is connected to the air inlet 23 via a return air duct 24 and a connection hose 25. The return air duct 24 is piped so as to bypass the left side of the opening 4 of the water tank 2.

  A casing 27 of a circulation fan 26 is connected to the rear end portion of the ventilation duct 22. The outlet portion 28 of the casing 27 is connected to the hot air inlet 14 of the water tank 2 via a connection hose 29 and an air supply duct 30. The air supply duct 30 is piped so as to bypass the left side of the washing machine motor 18. Here, the warm air outlet 13 and the warm air inlet 14 of the water tank 2 are connected by the return air duct 24, the connection hose 25, the ventilation duct 22, the casing 27 of the circulation fan 26, the connection hose 29, and the air supply duct 30. Thus, the circulation air passage 31 is configured.

  The circulation air passage 31 communicates with the water tank 2 and also with the drum 3. In this case, the circulation fan 26 is a centrifugal fan, and has a centrifugal impeller 32 inside the casing 27 and a motor 33 that rotates the centrifugal impeller 32 outside the casing 27. The circulation fan 26 constitutes a blowing means for circulating the air in the drum 3 through the circulation air passage 31. By the operation of the circulation fan 26, a circulation air flow indicated by an arrow A is formed in the circulation air passage 31 and the accommodating chamber 3a.

  An evaporator 34 is disposed in the circulation air passage 31 inside the ventilation duct 22 on the warm air outlet 13 side which is the air outlet side of the storage chamber 3a. Further, a condenser 35 is disposed in the circulation air passage 31 in the ventilation duct 22 on the downstream side of the circulation air flow from the evaporator 34. Although neither of these evaporator 34 and condenser 35 are shown in detail, they are tube-shaped with fins in which a large number of heat transfer fins are arranged at a fine pitch on the refrigerant flow pipe, and are excellent in heat exchange. Thus, the circulating air flow (circulating wind) in the ventilation duct 22 passes between the heat transfer fins.

  The heat pump 36 that constitutes the drying means together with the circulation air passage 31 and the circulation fan 26 includes a refrigeration cycle 37 (see FIG. 2). The refrigeration cycle 37 includes a compressor 38, the condenser 35, the evaporator 34, a throttle valve (decompression unit) 39 including, for example, an electronic control valve, and a gas-liquid separator 40. The tubes 34a, 38a, etc.) are connected in a closed loop and are filled with a refrigerant. In the heat pump 36, as described above, the evaporator 34 is disposed in the circulating air passage 31 on the air outlet side of the housing chamber 3a, and the condenser 35 is connected to the circulating air from the evaporator 34. Located downstream of the flow. The compressor 38 is a rotary type.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the gas-liquid separator 40 includes a gas-liquid separator main body 41 that forms a container shape with an upper case 41 a and a lower case 41 b. A refrigerant inlet 41c having an opening is formed in the upper portion of the gas-liquid separator main body 41, and the refrigerant inlet 41c is connected to a refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 34 via a refrigerant pipe 34a.

  A lower connection port 41d is formed at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator body 41, and the lower connection port 41d is connected to the lower end of the refrigerant outlet pipe 42 so as to communicate with the outside. Yes. The refrigerant outlet pipe 42 is provided so as to extend upward from the lower connection port 41d, and its upper end opening constitutes a refrigerant outlet 42a. A lower end opening of the refrigerant outlet pipe 42 is connected to an inlet of the compressor 38 through a refrigerant pipe 38a.

  A dome-like mesh member 43 is disposed in the gas-liquid separator body 41 between the refrigerant inlet 41 c and the refrigerant outlet 42 a via a fixture 44. That is, the attachment 44 is attached in such a manner that the annular portion 44a is located between the refrigerant inlet 41c and the refrigerant outlet 42a and contacts the inner peripheral surface of the gas-liquid separator body 41. A mesh member 43 is held on the ring portion 44a. In addition, the fixture 44 has a shielding plate portion 44b located directly above the refrigerant outlet 42a in the central portion inside the annular portion 44a. The shielding plate portion 44b and the annular portion 44a A liquid passing part 44c is formed between the two. The mesh member 43 is configured by composing thin metal wires into a mesh shape. The net member 43 may have a structure in which a large number of small holes are formed in the plate member.

The capacity (drying capacity) of the heat pump 36 is determined by the rotational speed of the compressor 38 and the rotational speed of the circulation fan 26.
In the inner upper portion of the outer box 1, a power supply system control unit 45 and a display system control unit 46 necessary for controlling the washing and drying machine, a water supply valve 47 for supplying water into the water tank 2, a water supply case 48, In addition, a water supply hose 49 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, inside the circulation air passage 31, there are an inlet air temperature sensor 50 for detecting the temperature of the air entering the storage chamber 3a, and an outlet air temperature sensor 51 for detecting the temperature of the air exiting the storage chamber 3a. Is arranged. The evaporator 34 is provided with an evaporator temperature sensor 52 for detecting the evaporator temperature on the refrigerant inlet side. The condenser 35 is provided with a condenser temperature sensor 53 that detects the temperature of the condenser 35. Further, a compressor temperature sensor 54 for detecting the temperature of the compressor 38, in this case, the temperature of the discharge port portion, is provided at the discharge port portion of the compressor 38.

  FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of the control system. The control device 55 includes the control units 45 and 46 (see FIG. 1), and is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, RAM, ROM, or the like. The control device 55 functions as control means for controlling the overall operation (washing process, dehydration process, drying process) of the washing / drying machine by executing a control program stored in advance, and the icing determination means 55a, It functions as the handling means 55b.

  Various operation signals are input to the control device 55 from an operation unit 56 which is an operation means for a user to perform operations related to the operation of the washing and drying machine. Then, various displays including the operation result, the current driving situation, and an abnormality display are displayed on the display unit 57 which is a display unit including a liquid crystal display, for example. In addition, a water level detection signal is input to the control device 55 from a water level sensor 58 provided to detect the water level in the water tank 2. The control device 55 receives temperature detection signals from the inlet air temperature sensor 50, the outlet air temperature sensor 51, the evaporator temperature sensor 52, the condenser temperature sensor 53, and the compressor temperature sensor 54, respectively, A temperature detection signal from an outside air temperature sensor 59 disposed in the vicinity of the back plate portion 1 is input.

  The control device 55 includes a water supply valve 47 provided to supply water into the water tank 2 (inside the drum 3), and a washing machine motor for driving the drum 3 based on various input signals and a control program stored in advance. 18. The drain valve 16, the compressor 38, the circulation fan 26, and the throttle valve 39 provided so as to drain from the water tank 2 (in the drum 3) are driven and controlled via the drive circuit 60.

As described above, the control device 55 controls the washing process, the dehydration process, and the drying process. Of these, the washing process and the dehydration process will be briefly described.
When a user stores clothes in the storage chamber 3a and selects, for example, a washing / drying operation which is a fully automatic course and starts the operation, the washing process is first controlled. This washing process includes a detergent washing process and a rinsing process. In the detergent washing process, the water supply valve 47 is operated to supply water into the water tank 2 with a predetermined amount of water, and the washing machine motor 18 is operated to rotate the drum 3 alternately in both forward and reverse directions at a low speed. This detergent washing process is executed for a predetermined time. In the rinsing process, the same operation as the above-described detergent cleaning process (however, no detergent is added) is executed for a predetermined time.

In the dehydration process, the drain valve 16 is operated to discharge the water in the water tank 2, and then the washing machine motor 18 is operated to rotate the drum 3 in one direction at a high speed. This dehydration process is performed for a predetermined time.
Next, the drying process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
In step P1, the drying operation is started. In this case, the circulation fan 26 is driven at a preset rotation speed, for example, 4500 rpm, and the drum 3 is rotated in both forward and reverse directions at a low speed. Further, the compressor 38 is driven at a preset frequency (rotational speed).

As described above, a circulating air flow in the direction of arrow A is generated in the circulating air passage 31 and the accommodating chamber 3a by the air blowing action of the circulation fan 26.
On the other hand, as the compressor 38 is driven to rotate, the refrigerant (gas refrigerant in the initial state) sealed in the refrigeration cycle 37 is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is indicated by an arrow B in FIG. To the condenser 35 and radiated by the condenser 35. Heat is exchanged with the air in the ventilation duct 22 by the heat dissipation action. As a result, the air in the circulation air passage 31 is heated, and conversely, the temperature of the refrigerant decreases and condenses (becomes a liquid refrigerant). Next, the liquid refrigerant passes through the throttle valve 39 and is decompressed, and then flows into the evaporator 34 and vaporizes (becomes a gas refrigerant but may be partially in the liquid refrigerant state). The evaporator 34 cools and dehumidifies the air in the circulation air passage 31. The refrigerant (including gas refrigerant or partially liquid refrigerant) that has passed through the evaporator 34 enters the gas-liquid separator 40 from the refrigerant inlet 41c.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the gas refrigerant passes through the mesh member 43 and flows into the refrigerant outlet 42 a and is returned to the compressor 38. On the other hand, the liquid refrigerant adheres to the mesh member 43, travels along the mesh member 43 and moves downward around the mesh member 43, passes through the liquid passage portion 44c, and the outer peripheral surface of the refrigerant outlet pipe 42 and the gas-liquid separator. It is stored between the inner peripheral surface of the main body 41 (in the gas-liquid separator 40). The liquid refrigerant stored in the gas-liquid separator 40 is heated by heat transmitted from the compressor 38 to be sequentially gasified, and returned to the compressor 38 from the refrigerant outlet 42a.

  By the above-described drying operation, air (warm air) heated by the condenser 35 is supplied to the storage chamber 3a, and the warm air that has contributed to drying of the clothes in the storage chamber 3a is dehumidified by the evaporator 34, thereby drying the clothes. It will be done.

Immediately after the start of the drying operation in step P1, the time counting is started in step P2.
Then, in Steps P3 to P8 and Steps P12 to P14, it is determined whether or not the drying operation has started up smoothly (normally) (rise determination unit). That is, first, in step P3, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes has elapsed since the start of the drying operation. If it is determined that 5 minutes have elapsed, the compression detected by the compressor temperature sensor 54 in step P4. The temperature of the machine 38 is acquired, and the temperature of the evaporator 34 detected by the evaporator temperature sensor 52 is acquired. Note that the standby for the predetermined time in Step P3 is a time until the refrigeration cycle 37 starts the drying operation and until the temperatures of the compressor 38, the condenser 35, and the evaporator 34 become different. is there. That is, immediately after the start of the drying operation, the temperatures of the compressor 38, the condenser 35, and the evaporator 34 are substantially the same, and therefore, if the determination of the occurrence of freezing described later is performed immediately, the occurrence of freezing may be erroneously determined. . By having time to exit this state, it is possible to satisfactorily determine the occurrence of freezing described later. In other words, it is a reference time (predetermined time from the start of the drying operation) required to acquire appropriate temperature data for determining the occurrence of freezing.

  In step P5, after a predetermined time from the start of the drying operation (in this case, after 5 minutes), the temperature difference between the detected temperature of the compressor 38 and the temperature of the evaporator 34 (compressor 38 temperature−evaporator 34 temperature) is calculated. calculate. In step P6, it is determined whether or not the temperature difference is a predetermined temperature, for example, 5 ° C. or more. If “YES” in the step P6, the process shifts to a step P12 to determine whether the temperature difference state of 5 ° C. or more has continued for a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes, and the state of temperature difference 5 ° C. or more has continued for 5 minutes. ("YES" in step P12), the process proceeds to step P14, and the process proceeds to step P14 to determine that the drying operation has started up normally. If “NO” in the step P12, the process shifts to a step P13 to determine that the start of the drying operation is defective.

  In step P6, if the temperature difference is not 5 ° C. or more, the process proceeds to step P7 to determine whether or not a predetermined time, for example, 20 minutes has elapsed since the start of the drying operation. This “20 minutes” is a determination time in which the result of whether the start-up of the drying operation is normal or defective appears reliably. If it is determined in step P7 that 20 minutes have elapsed, the process proceeds to step P8. In step P8, it is determined whether or not there is a rising failure. If it is determined that there is a rising failure, the process proceeds to step P11. In step P11, a buzzer (not shown) or a display unit 57 notifies an abnormality (abnormal sound output, abnormality display, etc.), and then the drying operation is stopped in step P10.

  The reason why the drying operation can be determined to be normal when the temperature difference of 5 ° C. or more continues for 5 minutes is as follows. That is, when the heat release (condensation) in the condenser 35 and the cooling (evaporation) in the evaporator 34 are performed smoothly in the refrigeration cycle 37, the drying operation starts up smoothly. In this case, the temperature difference between the condenser 35 and the evaporator 34 gradually increases (the condenser 35 is at a high temperature and the evaporator 34 is at a low temperature). Then, the temperature difference between the condenser 35 and the evaporator 34 becomes 5 ° C. or more, and this state continues for 5 minutes or more. With this, it can be determined that the drying operation is normal.

  After it is determined in step P14 that the start of the drying operation is normal, the process proceeds to step P9 and it is determined whether or not the operation state is a drying end condition. The drying end condition may be that the detected temperature difference between the inlet air temperature sensor 50 and the outlet air temperature sensor 51 has decreased to a predetermined determination value, or that the elapsed time of the drying operation has reached a predetermined time.

  If it is determined in step P9 that the drying end condition has not been reached, it is determined in steps P15 to P18 whether or not icing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator 40 (icing determination means 55a). That is, in step P15, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature (room temperature) detected by the outside air temperature sensor 59 is less than a predetermined temperature of 15 ° C. If it is less than 15 ° C., the process proceeds to step P16 and the above-described condenser 35 and evaporation are performed. It is determined whether or not the temperature difference from the vessel 34 is less than 5 ° C.

  If the temperature difference is less than 5 ° C in Step P16, it is determined in Step P17 whether or not the temperature difference is less than 5 ° C for 5 minutes, and the temperature difference is less than 5 ° C for 5 minutes. If it is determined, the process proceeds to step P18 and it is determined that icing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator 40.

  The reason why it is determined that icing has occurred when “the temperature difference between the condenser 35 and the evaporator 34 is less than 5 ° C. and this state continues for 5 minutes” is as follows. That is, when water is not mixed in the refrigeration cycle 37 and the refrigeration cycle 37 operates normally (when the drying operation starts up normally), the condenser 35 normally performs a condensing action, and the evaporator 34 Evaporation works normally. As a result, the temperature of the condenser 35 increases and the temperature of the evaporator 34 decreases. And the temperature difference of the condenser 35 and the evaporator 34 will be 5 degreeC or more.

  However, when moisture is mixed in the refrigeration cycle 37, particularly when the outside air temperature is low, the temperature of the evaporator 34 also decreases. Therefore, when the refrigerant flows into the gas-liquid separator 40 from the evaporator 34, There is a possibility that moisture mixed in the refrigerant freezes in the mesh member 43 and the eyes (ventilation portion) of the mesh member 43 are clogged. As the icing region increases and the clogging region of the mesh member 43 increases as the drying operation progresses, the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration cycle 37 becomes worse. Then, the evaporation action in the evaporator 34 is also reduced, and the temperature of the evaporator 34 is increased. For this reason, the dehumidification is not promoted and the drying does not proceed. In this case, since the compressor 38 continues to suck the gas refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 40, the pressure in the gas-liquid separator 40 decreases, the inside remains at a low temperature, and icing is not eliminated.

  Therefore, paying attention to the fact that the temperature of the evaporator 34 rises and approaches the temperature of the condenser 35 when icing occurs as described above, “the temperature difference between the condenser 35 and the evaporator 34 is less than 5 ° C. (predetermined temperature). If it is determined that this state has continued for 5 minutes (predetermined time) (step P17), it can be determined that icing has occurred (step P18).

  After the step P18, freezing handling processing is executed in steps P19 and P20 (freezing handling means 55b). That is, in step P19, the compressor 38 is stopped and the rotational speed of the circulation fan 26 is changed from 4000 rpm to 3000 rpm. The stop of the compressor 38 is continued for a predetermined time, for example, 3 minutes (step P20). As a result, the suction action of the compressor 38 on the gas-liquid separator 40 is stopped, the reduced pressure state is eliminated, and the heat generated during the operation of the compressor 38 is transmitted to the gas-liquid separator 40 via the refrigerant pipe 38a. Is done. As a result, the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 rises, and freezing is eliminated. When the three minutes have elapsed, the freezing is eliminated.

  After Step P20, the process proceeds to Step P21, and if the temperature of the compressor 38 is a restartable temperature, for example, less than 70 ° C., the process proceeds to Step P22, the compressor 38 is restarted, and the circulation blower The number of rotations 26 is changed from 3000 rpm to 5500 rpm. When the temperature of the compressor 38 is 70 ° C. or higher in step P21 (not a restartable temperature), the compressor 38 is continuously stopped to reach a restartable temperature state by natural heat dissipation. After waiting, the process proceeds to Step P22.

In the embodiment described above, since the icing determination means 55a for determining whether or not icing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator 40 during the drying process is provided, the icing of moisture in the gas-liquid separator 40 in the heat pump 36 is performed. Can be judged.
Further, in the above embodiment, the icing countermeasure means 55b for stopping the compressor 38 when the icing determination means 55a detects the occurrence of icing in the gas / liquid separator 40 is provided. When icing occurs, the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 can be raised by stopping the compressor 38, thereby eliminating icing.

  In the present embodiment, a condenser temperature sensor 53 for detecting the temperature of the condenser 35 and an evaporator temperature sensor 52 for detecting the temperature of the evaporator 34 are provided, and the icing determination means 55a is provided in the drying process. When the temperature difference between the condenser temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor 53 and the evaporator temperature detected by the evaporator temperature sensor 52 is detected, and the temperature difference is less than a predetermined temperature, for example, less than 5 ° C. In this configuration, when the temperature difference state continues for a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes or more, it is determined that icing has occurred. Therefore, icing in the gas-liquid separator 40 can be reliably determined.

  In this embodiment, when the room temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, for example, 15 ° C., the determination operation by the icing determination means 55a is performed. In the state where the room temperature is 15 ° C. or higher, even if moisture is contained in the refrigeration cycle 37, there is no possibility of freezing. Therefore, when the room temperature is 15 ° C. or higher, the determination operation by the icing determination means 55a can be omitted, and the control can be simplified. However, the determination operation by the icing determination means 55a may be performed regardless of the room temperature.

  6 to 8 show a second embodiment. In this embodiment, a gas-liquid separator temperature sensor 71 for detecting the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 (the temperature of the mesh member 43) is provided. Further, the function of the icing determination means 55c is different from the function of the icing determination means 55a in the first embodiment. Note that the condenser temperature sensor 53 of the first embodiment is not provided.

  The icing determination means 55c will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In this flowchart, Step P15, Step P16a, Step P17a, and Step P18 correspond to the icing determination means 55c. That is, if it is determined in step P15 that the room temperature is less than 15 ° C., the process proceeds to step P16a. In this step P16a, whether or not the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 detected by the gas-liquid separator temperature sensor 71 is lower than the inlet temperature of the evaporator 34 detected by the evaporator temperature sensor 52 by a predetermined temperature, for example, 10 ° C. or more. If it is determined that the temperature is lower by 10 ° C. or more, the process proceeds to step P17a to determine whether or not the temperature difference state (temperature difference state lower by 10 ° C. or more) has continued for a predetermined time, for example, 1 minute. When the temperature difference state lower by 10 ° C. or more continues for 5 minutes, the process proceeds to step P18 and it is determined that icing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator 40.

  The purpose of this freezing determination is as follows. That is, when icing occurs in the mesh member 43 of the gas-liquid separator 40, the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 rapidly decreases. In this case, although the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 is not uniform depending on the room temperature or the like, the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 is lowered by 10 ° C. or more with respect to the inlet temperature of the evaporator 34 due to the occurrence of freezing in any room temperature situation. . With this temperature difference, it can be determined that icing has occurred. In this case, if it is determined that this temperature difference state continues for at least 1 minute, it can be determined that the occurrence of freezing is more certain. However, it is not necessary to determine whether to continue for one minute at this temperature difference.

  According to the second embodiment, the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 is directly detected, and it is determined whether the temperature of the gas-liquid separator 40 is lower by 10 ° C. or more than the inlet temperature of the evaporator 34. Therefore, the occurrence of freezing in the gas-liquid separator 40 can be reliably determined regardless of the room temperature (outside air temperature).

  FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the first feature is that the mesh member 43 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 42 in the gas-liquid separator 40 can be transferred by a heat transfer member 72 made of a heat conducting material such as a steel plate or a copper plate. Different from the embodiment. The heat transfer member 72 is appropriately formed with a hole 72a through which liquid can pass. Note that the heat transfer member 72 may be provided with a plurality of holes 72a with no gap 72a between them, with a gap for liquid passage therebetween.

  According to the third embodiment, the heat of the compressor 38 can be transferred to the mesh member 43 via the refrigerant pipe 38a, the refrigerant outlet pipe 42, and the heat transfer member 72, so that the occurrence of icing is delayed. In addition, it is possible to speed up the thawing of ice when icing occurs.

  FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the mesh member 73 is different from the mesh member 43 of the first embodiment. The mesh member 73 includes a first mesh member 73a having a coarse mesh and a second mesh member 73b having a relatively fine mesh. The first mesh member 73a is disposed on the refrigerant inlet 41c side, and the second mesh member 73b is spaced apart from the first mesh member 73a and disposed on the refrigerant outlet 42a side of the refrigerant outlet pipe 42. Has been established.

  In the fourth embodiment, when icing occurs in the gas-liquid separator 40, the refrigerant first adheres to the first mesh member 73a, so that moisture is frozen in the first mesh member 73a. In this case, since the first mesh member 73a is rough, clogging does not occur immediately, and the air permeability of the gas refrigerant is not immediately impaired. As a result, it is possible to delay the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration cycle 37 is reduced due to icing. Since the first mesh member 73a is rough, the passage blocking action for the liquid refrigerant is slightly reduced. However, since the second mesh member 73b having a fine mesh exists below the first mesh member 73a, the second mesh member 73b prevents the liquid refrigerant from passing therearound (the refrigerant outlet pipe 42). Can be guided to the area off the top).

According to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to delay the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration cycle 37 decreases when icing occurs.
According to the washing and drying machine of the embodiment described above, icing determination means for determining whether or not icing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator during the drying process, and generation of icing in the gas-liquid separator by the icing determination means. Since it is provided with an icing countermeasure means for stopping the compressor when the mist is detected, it is possible to determine the icing of moisture in the gas-liquid separator in the heat pump and to eliminate the icing.

In addition, the specific temperature value of each predetermined temperature in the 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment, the specific temperature difference, or the specific time of predetermined time shows an example, and can be changed suitably.
Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 1 is the outer box of the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment, 2 is a water tank, 3 is a drum, 3a is a storage chamber, 26 is a circulation fan, 31 is a circulation air passage, 34 is an evaporator, and 35 is condensation. 36, a heat pump, 37 a refrigeration cycle, 38 a compressor, 39 a throttle valve (pressure reduction means), 40 a gas-liquid separator, 41c a refrigerant inlet, 42 a refrigerant outlet pipe, 42a a refrigerant outlet, 43 Is a mesh member, 52 is an evaporator temperature sensor, 53 is a condenser temperature sensor, 54 is a compressor temperature sensor, 55 is a control device, 55a is icing determination means, 55b is icing countermeasure means, and 71 is a gas-liquid separator temperature sensor. , 72 is a heat transfer member, and 73 is a mesh member.

Claims (5)

A washing and drying machine that performs each process of washing, dehydration, and drying,
A storage room in which clothing is stored;
A circulation air passage that has a circulation fan and forms a circulation air flow that takes out the air in the accommodation chamber and returns it to the accommodation chamber;
It has a refrigerant inlet at the upper part of the gas-liquid separator main body, and has a refrigerant outlet pipe communicating with the outside with the upper end opening as a refrigerant outlet inside, and for the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet inside the gas-liquid separator main body A gas-liquid separator provided with a mesh member between the refrigerant outlet of the pipe;
A compressor, a condenser, a decompression means, an evaporator, and a gas-liquid separator connected in a closed loop and having a refrigeration cycle configured to enclose a refrigerant therein; and the evaporator is disposed in the circulation air passage A heat pump that is arranged on the air outlet side of the housing chamber and that the condenser is arranged on the downstream side of the circulating air flow from the evaporator,
Freezing determination means for determining whether or not freezing has occurred in the gas-liquid separator in the drying process;
A washing and drying machine comprising: an icing countermeasure unit that stops the compressor when the icing determination unit detects the occurrence of the icing. A condenser temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the condenser;
An evaporator temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the evaporator;
The icing determination means includes
A temperature difference between the condenser temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor and the evaporator temperature detected by the evaporator temperature sensor is detected after a predetermined time from the start of the drying operation, and the temperature difference becomes less than the predetermined temperature difference. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein when the temperature difference state continues for a predetermined time or more, it is determined that the icing has occurred. An evaporator temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant inlet side in the evaporator;
A gas-liquid separator temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the gas-liquid separator;
The freezing occurred when the gas-liquid separator temperature detected by the gas-liquid separator temperature sensor was lower than the evaporator temperature detected by the evaporator temperature sensor by a predetermined time after the start of the drying operation. The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, which is determined as follows.   The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mesh member and the refrigerant outlet pipe in the gas-liquid separator can transfer heat by a heat transfer member made of a heat conducting material.   The mesh member includes a first mesh member having a coarse mesh and a second mesh member having a relatively fine mesh, the first mesh member being disposed on the refrigerant inlet side, and the second mesh member. The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a mesh member is disposed on the refrigerant outlet side of the refrigerant outlet pipe so as to be separated from the first mesh member.

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