JP2017093706A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use a heat source capable of generating defumidified air by warming air that is cooled and dehumidified by using a low-pressure refrigerant in the drying operation with a high-pressure refrigerant as a heat pump suitable for generating warm air of a higher temperature by adding an external heat exchanger capable of absorbing heat from an outside, and thereby efficiently warm laundry with small electric power in washing.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine comprises: an outer tub that is capable of storing liquid inside; an inner tub that is rotatably supported and is configured to accommodate laundry; a compressor 237 that compresses a refrigerant that is heat-exchanged with air flowing in a duct by a first heat exchanger 233 arranged in a flow path of the duct; a condenser 231 that condenses the refrigerant compressed through the compressor by heat-exchanging it with air flowing in the duct; and a first expansion valve 232 that expands the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged with air flowing in the duct by the condenser. The washing and drying machine further comprises a second heat exchanger 236a that conducts a heat-exchange of the refrigerant expanded by a second expansion valve 235 for expanding the refrigerant heat-exchanged by the first heat exchanger 233 with heat or water from an outside in a washing step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine for washing and drying clothes and the like.

  There is a method using a heat pump as a heating means for increasing the washing temperature. Patent Document 1 states that “a blower that circulates air in a water receiving tank in one direction with the internal space of the water receiving tank as a starting point and an end point, a condenser and a condenser through which refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows. A refrigerant discharged from the compressor has an evaporator that circulates through a condenser, and heat pump that heats the circulating air generated by the blower, and for injecting tap water into the water receiving tank. A water pipe directly or indirectly in contact with the condenser, a first water injection state in which tap water is injected into the water receiving tank without passing through the water pipe, and tap water into the water receiving tank. A valve mechanism that can be switched between a second water injection state that is injected through the water pipe and a water injection stop state that does not inject tap water into the water receiving tank, and the valve mechanism is based on the first water injection state. Tap water into the water tank A normal water injection process for injecting water without passing through a water pipe, and hot air in the water receiving tank based on operating each of the blower and the compressor after the normal water injection process is stopped or during the execution of the normal water injection process. Injecting tap water into the water receiving tank through the water pipe based on setting the valve mechanism to the second water injection state after a lapse of time from the start of the hot air injection process A washing machine characterized by comprising a control circuit for performing a hot water injection process is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses that “a water tank for storing water for washing, a heat pump system in which refrigerant sequentially circulates through a compressor, a radiator, an expansion valve, a heat absorber, and an auxiliary heat exchanger, and water in the water tank for the auxiliary heat. A drainage supply path leading to the exchanger, a rinsing water supply path for supplying water to the radiator from outside the apparatus, a hot water supply path for supplying water supplied to the radiator to the water tank, and the auxiliary heat exchanger A heat exchange tank that encloses and allows water discharged from the water tank to pass therethrough, and a control device that controls the compressor, the blower, and the like, and performs washing and drying. The control device includes water used for rinsing. Is supplied to the radiator through the rinse water supply path, and the rinse water is heated by the radiator by the heat absorbed from the washing wastewater by the auxiliary heat exchanger, and then supplied to the water tank through the hot water supply path. After And to perform dry washing and drying machine "it is disclosed.

JP 2008-6069 A JP 2013-81633 A

  In general, clothes are roughly classified into water-soluble dirt, oily dirt, and solid dirt. In particular, the concentration of the surfactant, which is the main component of the detergent, greatly affects the cleaning performance of oily soils with polarities such as fatty acids and both solid and hydrophilic soils. Specifically, the cleaning performance can be further improved by allowing the high-concentration detergent solution to penetrate into the clothing and performing the tumbling operation. In such washing, at the initial stage of washing, after a high-concentration detergent solution in which a prescribed amount of detergent is dissolved in a small amount of water is infiltrated into clothing, the bottom of the drum is almost free of water. In this case, it is safer to apply warm air or steam directly to clothing or water than to heat the washing water or clothing with a heating means such as a heater provided at the bottom of the outer tub. preferable. Moreover, if warm air is directly applied to the clothes, the temperature can be adjusted without being greatly affected by the amount of water at the bottom of the drum during the washing process. However, when only a heater is used as a heat source for warm air, the amount of power consumed exceeds the heating load (heat capacity), and the amount of power consumed cannot be reduced as much as compared with warm water heating. Therefore, an external heat exchanger that can absorb heat from the outside is added to the heat source that can generate the dehumidified air by heating the air that has been cooled and dehumidified with the low-pressure refrigerant during the drying operation, making it suitable for generating hot air at a higher temperature. As a heat pump, it becomes a problem to efficiently warm the laundry with a small amount of electric power during washing.

  In the washing machine or the washing / drying machine described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the heat pump radiator and the heat absorber are housed in the drying air passage, and the absorbed heat is heated, so that the hot air temperature is efficiently adjusted. It is not configured to raise. Patent Document 2 describes that in the washing water drainage process, the auxiliary heat exchanger absorbs heat. However, the heat absorption amount is limited and the warm air is generated efficiently and continuously during the washing operation. Not. Moreover, since the water supply to an auxiliary heat exchanger is performed through a water tank, the heat absorption by the water supply to the auxiliary heat exchanger in the middle of washing becomes heat absorption from the water heat-exchanged with the water tank, and uses the inside of a water tank. It is not configured to efficiently heat the laundry environment.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine that can efficiently warm laundry during a washing operation.

  In order to solve such a problem, a washing and drying machine according to the present invention includes an outer tub that can store liquid therein, an inner tub that is rotatably supported in the outer tub, and stores laundry. A first heat exchanger disposed in the flow path of the duct, a compressor that compresses the refrigerant heat-exchanged with the air flowing through the duct in the first heat exchanger, and a refrigerant compressed through the compressor A condenser for condensing by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the duct, and a first expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the air flowing through the duct in the condenser. A second expansion unit that expands the refrigerant heat-exchanged by the first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat of the refrigerant expanded by the second expansion valve with external heat or water; Is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the washing-drying machine which can warm a laundry efficiently in the case of a washing operation can be provided.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the right side surface which shows the internal structure of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a basic lineblock diagram seen from the back side of the drum type washing and drying machine concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a mimetic diagram showing the basic composition of the heat pump concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is the Mollier diagram which showed typically the refrigerant | coolant state at the time of the warm air production | generation in the washing of the heat pump which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic diagram which extracted and showed about the water supply and drainage flow path to the water refrigerant | coolant heat exchanger which is an external heat exchanger of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic diagram which showed the mode of spraying in warm air by the small flow volume circulation pump of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the water of the water receiving part of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention is circulated with the circulation pump. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the housing | casing upper part left side of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which removed the upper surface cover of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the outer tub of the drum type washing and drying machine concerning the embodiment of the present invention from the main part front upper part. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is process drawing explaining the driving | operation process of the washing driving | operation (washing-rinsing-dehydration) in the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on the example of 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic diagram which showed the relationship between the suction side water level of the circulation pump which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a head, (a) shows the state which is continuing to rotate the circulation pump in the state where detergent liquid is insufficient. Yes. (b) has shown the state which supplied additional water to the circulation pump suction side from the state of (a). It is the schematic diagram which showed the other Example in the structure of the heat pump unit in this invention. It is the schematic diagram which showed the other Example in the structure of the heat pump unit in this invention.

  Hereinafter, examples will be described with reference to the drawings. Since the washing process is the same for both the drum-type washing machine and the washing / drying machine, the following examples will be described using a drum-type washing / drying machine.

Example 1
FIG. 1 relates to a first embodiment of the present invention, and shows an external perspective view of a drum type washing and drying machine. FIG. 2 relates to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the right side surface showing the internal structure of the drum type washer / dryer.

  First, the appearance will be described. On the upper part of the base 1h, a skeleton is constructed by combining a side plate 1a mainly made of a steel plate and a resin molded product and a reinforcing material (not shown), and further a front cover 1c, a lower front cover 1f, and an upper surface The housing 1 is formed by attaching the cover 1e. The front cover 1c is provided with a door 9 for taking in and out the laundry 207, and a back cover 1d is attached to the back.

  Next, the schematic structure of the washing / drying machine and the process from washing to drying will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 2, an outer tub 2 is provided almost at the center inside the housing 1 shown in FIG. 1. The outer tub 2 is supported by a plurality of lower dampers 5. On the drum 3 rotatably provided inside the outer tub 2, the door 9 is opened and the laundry 207 is put in. The door 9 itself is obtained by fixing a door glass 9a to a door frame 9b, and is attached to the housing by a hinge 9c. A fluid balancer 208 is provided on the outer periphery of the opening of the rotatable drum 3 in order to reduce vibration due to unbalance of the laundry 207 during dehydration. A plurality of lifters 209 for lifting the laundry 207 are provided inside the drum 3. The rotatable drum 3 is directly connected to a drum driving motor M10a via a main shaft 211 connected to a metal flange 210. A rubber bellows 10 made of an elastic body is attached to the opening of the outer tub 2. The rubber bellows 10 serves to maintain the watertightness between the outer tub 2 and the door 9. This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing and dehydration. The rotatable drum 3 has a large number of small holes (not shown) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation in a cylindrical portion which is a side wall.

  The circulation pump 18 for pumping the washing water up to the upper part of the outer tub 2 and spraying the washing water on the laundry 207 in the drum 3 is fixed to the housing base 1 h side below the outer tub 2. The washing water enters the suction port side of the circulation pump 18 through the waste thread filter 222 from the drain port 21 of the water receiving portion 54 provided in the lower part of the outer tub, and after being pressurized by the circulation pump 18, the watering nozzle 223 (FIG. 8) to the inside of the drum 3. Further, the drain port 21 provided for drainage at the bottom of the water receiving part 54 communicates with the drainage hose 26 through the waste thread filter 222 and the drain valve V1, and can drain the water in the water receiving part 54.

  On the other hand, the overflow hose 205 is attached to the front part of the outer tub, and joins with a connecting hose (not shown) from the drain port 21 in front of the drain valve V1. That is, when the drain valve V1 is opened, the overflow hose 205 is configured to communicate with the drain hose 26. If the safety against water pressure rises more than water tightness, that is, if the amount of water has increased beyond the specified water level where the overflow hose is attached, the overflow hose can be forcibly drained in any case. There is no problem even if 205 is connected to the drain hose 26 on the downstream side of the drain valve V1.

  A blower duct 29 that guides airflow to the laundry 207 in the drum 3 and a blower fan 20 that is a blower are fixed to the housing 1 (not shown) apart from the outer tub 2. The blow-out nozzle 203 is fixed to the outer tub 2 at a position on the upper side of the drum 3 that is rotatable when viewed from the front of the washing / drying machine and on the front side of the washing / drying machine as viewed from the side. The outlet of the blowout nozzle 203 and the warm air heater 213 is a flexible bellows tube 212 made of a flexible structure, and is connected so that its longitudinal expansion and contraction direction is substantially perpendicular to the outer tub 2. Absorbs vibration. Temperature sensors (not shown) are provided at the drain port 21, the intake port (not shown) and the discharge port (not shown) of the blower fan 20. A hot air heater 213, which is one of the heating means of this embodiment, is used to adjust the blowing temperature as necessary.

  When the laundry or laundry drying course is selected and the operation is started, a detergent melting process is performed in which the detergent that has been added is melted and sprayed onto the laundry. In the initial stage of the washing process, the detergent is dissolved with a water supply amount smaller than the total amount of water used until the end of the process, and the high-concentration detergent solution is rotated evenly by the circulation pump 18 while rotating the drum 3 and stirring the laundry 207. Scatter. For this reason, usually, a small amount of detergent liquid is present in the laundry 207 soaked with the detergent liquid in the outer tub 2 and the water receiving part 54 at the bottom of the outer tub 2. By rotating the drum 3, the laundry 207 is lifted to the top of the drum 3, and if the washing is continued based on the tumbling operation in which the laundry 207 is dropped to the bottom by gravity, the detergent liquid soaked into the laundry 207 is squeezed out. Therefore, the circulation pump 18 is intermittently driven as necessary, and the detergent liquid is sprayed on the laundry 207 again. Even during this operation, the washing performance can be improved by raising the so-called washing temperature of the washing water and the laundry. In the present embodiment, warm air is created using the heat pump 230 in the washing process to warm the washing water and the laundry.

  FIG. 3 is a basic configuration diagram of the washing / drying machine as viewed from the back side. The hot air system using the heat pump 230 mainly includes the heat pump 230, the water-cooled heat exchanger 236 a that is the external heat exchanger 236, and the blower fan 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pump 230 includes a compressor 237, a radiator 231, a first expansion valve 232, an internal heat exchanger 233, a switching valve 234, a second expansion valve 235 and a water refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, and a pipe connecting them. It consists of a system. In the washing process, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant from the compressor 237 is cooled to circulating air by the radiator 231 and the heat exchanger 233, and then is throttled by the second expansion valve to be low-temperature and low-pressure. The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant is sent to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, heated to water, and then returned to the compressor.

  At this time, the first expansion valve located between the radiator 231 and the internal heat exchanger 233 suppresses the throttle, and suppresses the pressure drop due to the throttle with respect to the refrigerant passing therethrough. That is, the refrigerant is cooled by the airflow from the blower fan 20 in a high pressure state up to the radiator 231 and the internal heat exchanger 233. In other words, the airflow from the blower fan 20 is heated by the refrigerant. Thereafter, the refrigerant is throttled and expanded by the second expansion valve to become a low pressure and absorbs heat by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 236a. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the basic configuration of the heat pump 230 in the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a Mollier diagram schematically showing the refrigerant state when hot air is generated in washing. The heat pump 230 radiates the heat absorbed from the water by the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236 a to the airflow from the blower fan 20 by the heat exchanger 233 and the radiator 231. With such a configuration, the airflow can be efficiently heated without being cooled once in the duct 29, so that the cleaning temperature can be raised quickly.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the water supply and drainage channels extracted from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, which is the external heat exchanger 236. In the water / refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, the cold water absorbed by the refrigerant is guided to the water spray 247 provided in the outer tub 2 by the water supply pressure additionally supplied from the water supply valve 16 at the end of the washing operation or the washing process. Used for cleaning the inside of the tank 2. By washing with water at a temperature lower than that of tap water, it is possible to wash away while suppressing propagation of germs and the like remaining along with the remaining water during washing. Further, the remaining detergent residue can be washed away smoothly while suppressing foaming. In addition, when the remaining hot water in the bath is flowed through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a and used as a heat absorption source, it is often at a normal temperature level after heat exchange, and drainage is performed at the water supply pressure from the water supply valve 16 at the end of washing. There is no problem even if the water is discharged through the switching valve 238.

  In the subsequent washing process, when additional water is supplied into the outer tub and the detergent liquid is increased to the normal amount of washing water, a sufficient amount of water is also secured in the water receiving portion 54 at the bottom of the outer tub. If the hot water heater 240 is provided in the water receiver 54 (see FIG. 8), the hot water heater 240 may be used to continuously warm the wash water.

  Further, the condensation temperature of the heat pump is preferably lower than the critical point from the point of securing the latent heat of the refrigerant and suppressing the circulation flow rate except for the high-pressure refrigerant or the like. For this reason, for example, in HFC-134a, it is desirable to suppress the condensation temperature to less than 90 ° C. with respect to a critical point of about 101.1 ° C. The hot air temperature that rises due to heat exchange with the refrigerant is lower than that, and the heating temperature of the laundry 207 is even lower. For this reason, in a washing course or the like that requires a high temperature of 90 ° C. as a cleaning temperature, the initial heating stage is efficiently heated using a heat pump, and the latter half is heated using a hot air heater 213 provided in the outlet of the blower fan 20. It is preferable to heat the laundry 207 by further increasing the wind temperature. Or it is good to heat using the said warm water heater 240 provided in the water receiving part 54 after additional water supply.

  Further, a circulation pump 239 having a smaller flow rate than that of the circulation pump 18 is separately provided, and the liquid is pumped up from the water receiving portion 54 and sprayed into the warm air in the vicinity of the outlet of the blower fan 20, thereby mixing the droplets with the warm air, It may be sprayed on the laundry 207. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the state of spraying in hot air by the small flow rate circulation pump 239. In the middle of the washing process, when additional water is supplied until a normal circulation amount level can be ensured and sprayed by the circulation pump 18, the temperature of the laundry 207 is drastically lowered. If a small amount of circulating water is sprayed on warm air, the water contained in the laundry 207 can be replaced evenly and little by little. Performance can be improved.

  In this embodiment, as described above, the radiator and the heat exchanger that exchange heat between the refrigerant and the airflow from the blower fan are used as a condenser for heating the air. In the course of the washing process, when water is supplied up to the normal amount of water and the amount of water at the bottom of the outer tub is increased, foaming that occurs when the airflow rubs the liquid level of the water receiving portion 54 and accompanying droplets to the return air of the blower fan In order to prevent this, the air volume may be lowered. Even in such a case, since a sufficient condensation area can be secured, there is no fear of lowering the hot air temperature. In addition, since the external heat exchanger 236 is provided to take in heat energy from outside the housing, the temperature of the airflow blown to the laundry 207 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of water flow to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a that is the external heat exchanger 236. The rising speed can be easily adjusted, and a high-temperature airflow can be stably maintained. As described above, the heat pump is used as one of the heat sources for raising the washing temperature of the laundry at the time of washing by adding the external heat exchanger 236 capable of absorbing heat from the outside to the heat pump for generating dehumidified air during the drying operation. it can. In the heat pump of the present invention, when used as one of the heat sources for raising the washing temperature, the evaporator used for generating the dehumidified air for drying is a part of the condenser so that the temperature is higher than that during the drying operation. Airflow can be easily generated. In this embodiment, the first expansion valve is a valve that can be fully opened with reduced throttle resistance. However, the first expansion valve is closed by providing a bypass that bypasses the first expansion valve. There is no restriction on the function of the flow path.

  The washing process in the drum-type washing and drying machine configured as described above will be described in detail from the viewpoint of the operation pattern and the hot air timing. The laundry 207 is put into the rotatable drum 3, water is supplied with the drain valve V1 closed, and the drum 3 is rotated to wash the laundry 207. The washing process further includes a detergent dissolving process, a pre-washing process, and a main washing process. The detergent dissolving process is a process of presenting by cloth amount sensing at the start of washing, dissolving the introduced detergent with water, and spraying it on the laundry 207 in the drum 3. The water supplied to the detergent charging part is guided to the water receiving part 54 located at the bottom of the drum 3 together with the detergent.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the water in the water receiving portion 54 is circulated by the circulation pump 18. When the circulation pump 18 is driven, the water in the water receiving portion 54 enters the suction port (not shown) of the circulation pump 18 through the waste thread filter 222 from the drain port 21. The washing water whose pressure has been increased by the circulation pump 18 is returned to the water receiving portion 54 again from the circulation discharge port 54b communicating with the outlet of the circulation pump 18 (circulation path in the detergent dissolving step). By repeating this circulation, a high-concentration detergent solution in which the detergent is dissolved with a small amount of water is generated. The output of the circulation pump 18 has a specification sufficient to pump up washing water corresponding to the maximum washing load up to the watering nozzle 231 provided above the outer tub 2. For this reason, if it circulates in the circulation path of the above-mentioned detergent dissolution process, the required power of the circulation pump 18 will eventually change into heat energy, and will raise the temperature of a high concentration detergent liquid. The generated high-concentration detergent liquid is pumped up to the watering nozzle 231 provided above the outer tub 2 and sprayed onto the laundry 207 in the drum 3. At this time, at the outlet of the circulation pump 18, a route leading up to the upper part of the outer tub 2 and a route returning to the water receiving portion 54 without being sprayed as described above are required. Discharge ports (see FIG. 2) connected to the respective routes are provided on the outer periphery of the casing, and by changing the rotation direction of the circulation pump 18, the routes can be discharged by discharging from the discharge port side communicating first according to the rotation direction. Switching. Alternatively, there is no problem in function even if the outlet of the circulation pump 18 is provided at one location and branched on the downstream side to switch the flow path.

  In the pre-washing step, the laundry 207 sprayed with the high-concentration detergent solution is heated with the air flow from the blower fan 20 after being heated by the heat pump 230, and the laundry 207 is washed while warming. Since the laundry 207 is in a state of retaining a high-concentration detergent solution, heat conduction is better than air occupying the fiber gap of the laundry 207, and heating can be performed efficiently. Further, by raising the temperature, the surface tension of the highly concentrated detergent liquid that is retained can be lowered. Further, when the temperature of the laundry 207 rises, the air in the fibers swells the fibers, so that the penetration of the high concentration detergent solution into the fibers can be further promoted. As a result, more dirt can be separated from the fibers in a short time. The separated dirt can be quickly dispersed in the high-concentration detergent solution that has been retained in water, so that it can be prevented from aggregating and reattaching again.

  In addition, depending on the dirt, there are cases where the amount of washing water applied to the laundry 207 is smaller (the detergent concentration is higher) and drops more, and conversely, the amount of washing water is larger (the detergent concentration is lower). There is a difference in the driving force for removing dirt acting on both, which can be interpreted as follows. The surfactant, which is one of the main components of the detergent, has a function of accelerating the wetting of the fibers and further attracting the surface potential of dirt and cloth to the negative polarity of the surfactant to make it negatively charged. Thereby, there exists an effect which increases the repulsive force between the stain | pollution | contamination floated from the laundry, and a fiber and stain | pollution | contamination. For this reason, the higher the concentration of the surfactant, the stronger the repulsive force against the van der Waals force can be obtained when cleaning solid dirt adhering mainly with van der Waals force. Therefore, solid stains and the like are generally better removed when the surfactant concentration is higher. On the other hand, the dissolution rate of so-called water-soluble soil that is easily dissolved in water or washing water varies depending on the concentration of the soil that becomes a solute with respect to the washing water as a solvent. The solution with a low concentration of dirt has a high dissolution rate, but the solution with a high concentration decreases the dissolution rate. For this reason, if the density | concentration of the stain | pollution | concentration currently disperse | distributed in the wash water which the laundry 207 retains is thinned, a stain | pollution | contamination will fall from the laundry 207 further. In other words, the washing water retained by the laundry 207 needs to be replaced with washing water having a very low concentration of dirt, or a measure to reduce the concentration of dirt is necessary. That is, the role of the surfactant for this type of dirt is to largely hold the dirt peeled off from the laundry 207 and prevent aggregation and re-adhesion, so if a certain detergent concentration is satisfied, The dependence of detergent concentration on soil removal is small.

  Moreover, raising the cleaning temperature for both stains results in an increase in cleaning power. As for the former, since the molecular diffusion in the washing water is promoted by raising the temperature, more surfactant can be adhered to the cloth surface and the dirt surface, and the repulsive force can be enhanced. Also for the latter, the diffusion of the surfactant in the detergent solution is improved, and wetting of the cloth surface can be promoted. Furthermore, the separated dirt can be effectively diffused.

  In the subsequent main washing step, additional water is supplied when the pre-washing step is completed, the amount of water in the water receiving portion 54 is increased, and the water level is raised. This water level is maintained at a level sufficient to draw up washing water from the water receiving portion 54 by the circulation pump 18 and continuously spray it from the watering nozzle 231 at the upper part of the outer tub. The spraying from the watering nozzle 231 may be continuous or intermittent. Specifically, while a lot of dirt is still attached to the backside of the laundry 207, the washing water that the laundry 207 retains is always kept by continuously spraying and promoting stirring of the washing water. It can be replaced with low-contamination washing water. After that, after most of the dirt has been removed, the cleaning efficiency is better if the remaining dirt is removed mainly by the mechanical force of tapping washing. Therefore, it is preferable that the latter half of the spraying is intermittent spraying so as not to disturb the mechanical force. Moreover, since the amount of power consumption can be suppressed by making the driving force of the circulation pump 18 intermittent, it is preferable from the viewpoint of energy saving.

  The watering nozzle 231 is fixed to the outer tub 2 at a position on the upper side of the drum 3 that is rotatable when viewed from the front of the washing and drying machine and at a front side near the front when viewed from the side of the washing and drying machine. The jetting range from the nozzle 231 is spread with a wide angle with respect to the radial direction of the drum 3. In this main washing step, the mechanical force is applied to the laundry 207 by spreading the wide area and lifting the laundry 207 accumulated in the lower part of the drum 3 by the rotation of the drum 3 and dropping it from the upper part in the drum 3. Wash with a wash. As the drum diameter is larger, a synergistic effect of widespreading and tapping is obtained, and the time of the main washing process can be shortened. In this step, in order to increase the washing temperature of the laundry and the washing water, even if warm air is used as in the pre-washing step, there is essentially no change. The hot air blowing nozzle and the watering nozzle are arranged opposite to the central axis when the washing / drying machine is viewed from the front. By increasing the water level in the drum, even if the amount of circulating water in the circulation pump for the same number of rotations increases, it is configured to suppress foam accompanying the accompanying water droplets and direct contact with the water flow.

  Further, if necessary, the main washing step includes a first main washing step and a second main washing step that is executed after the first main washing step. The amount of water in the second main washing step is larger than the amount of water in the first main washing step, and the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 18 in the second main washing step is the circulation pump in the first main washing step. It is made larger than the circulation flow rate of 18. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the drum-driven motor M10a in the second main washing process is set lower than the rotational speed of the motor M10a in the first main washing process.

  The main washing process is mainly performed to separate dirt such as the inside of clothes or pockets that is difficult to wash in the pre-washing process with a small amount of water from the laundry 207. For this reason, in order to remove various stains, it is more preferable to use a combination of at least two or more processes in which the amount of water and the rotational speed of the drum driving motor M10a are changed as described above. In the first main washing process, in order to increase the rotation speed of the drum 3, all the laundry 207 lifted upward with the rotation of the drum 3 does not fall downward, but most of the laundry 207 is applied to the inner wall of the drum 3 by centrifugal force. It is rotating together with the drum 3 while being stuck. Since the washing water is sprayed there from the circulation pump 18, the flow speed of the washing water passing through the laundry 207 is increased. This makes it easier to dissolve dirt from the laundry. In the subsequent second main washing step, the rotational speed of the drum 3 is made lower than that in the first main washing step, the centrifugal force is weakened, and the sticking of the laundry 207 to the drum 3 is suppressed as much as possible. This is a process that places emphasis on tapping which knocks down from above. Accordingly, it is possible to easily remove mainly hydrophobic dirt by applying mechanical force to the laundry 207. When the laundry 207 is knocked down from the upper side of the drum 3, the level of the washing water stopped below the drum 3 is increased and the amount of circulating water is increased, so that the laundry 207 is more than necessary. It can also prevent the fibers from colliding directly and pressing the fibers.

  In the rinsing process, the drain valve V1 is opened to drain the washing water, the drain valve V1 is closed, and the outer tank 2 is supplied with rinse water up to a predetermined water level. Thereafter, the drum 3 is rotated, and the laundry 207 and the rinse water are stirred and rinsed. The water that has been absorbed by the water / refrigerant heat exchanger 236a at the time of generating hot air in the cleaning operation is used for cleaning the inside of the outer tub 2 and the outside of the drum 3 in this rinsing step. The details of the process will be described in detail in the description (described later) of the operation process of this embodiment.

  In the dehydration step, the drain valve V1 is opened to drain the rinse water in the outer tub 2, and the drum 3 is rotated to centrifugally dehydrate the laundry 207. The dehydration speed is increased to a set speed according to the load unless the laundry 207 is balanced and the current value of the motor M10a exceeds the upper limit. When the dehydration speed is increased and the drum 3 rotates at high speed, vibration is transmitted to the outer tub 2 and the outer tub 2 itself vibrates slightly. Since the air duct 29 is fixed to the housing 1, the bellows hose 215 that connects the drying filter 8 and the side surface of the outer tub 2 works together to absorb part of the vibration.

  In the drying process, the heat pump 230 is driven again to send dry air into the drum 3. At the time of drying, the first expansion valve 232 is throttled, the heat exchanger 233 is used as an evaporator of the heat pump 230, and the second expansion valve 235 is fully opened or avoided, whereby air or water and refrigerant in the external heat exchanger 236 are used. The heat exchange with the water is prevented, and a stable drying operation is achieved. During operation, the temperature and humidity of the airflow are optimized so that both low power consumption, dryness, and good finish can be achieved according to the load level. Here, the dryness is a percentage value obtained by dividing the original mass of a completely dried fabric by the mass of the fabric after the test. Since the first half of the drying is constant rate drying in which the evaporation rate on the cloth surface is dominant, heat pump operation that efficiently creates low-humidity circulating air is preferable. Since the latter half of the drying is reduced rate drying that evaporates water remaining in the cloth, it is preferable to secure the hot air temperature and to transfer heat to the inside of the cloth more easily than the first half.

  In order to further shorten the drying time, a part of the air dehumidified by the heat exchanger 233 as an evaporator is opened by opening the air supply / exhaust port 241 provided between the radiator 231 and the heat exchanger 233. And the same amount of air in the housing as that of the exhaust is taken into the air path upstream of the radiator 231. When the temperature of the warm air is increased, the temperature level of the air returned from the drum 3 to the heat exchanger 233 as an evaporator through the drying filter 8 also increases. As the temperature level rises, the saturated steam humidity for that temperature also rises, resulting in more circulating air containing moisture. Therefore, the heat exchanger 233 cools and dehumidifies, exhausts the saturated air from which the latent heat up to the cooling temperature is exhausted, and heats the air in the housing warmed by the exhaust heat of the main motor M10a and the heat radiation from the compressor 237 (humidity is ambient). Capture the atmosphere). By setting it as such a structure, the warm air with the low humidity heated with the refrigerant | coolant with the heat radiator 231 can be sent in the drum 3. FIG.

  After the drying is completed, the pressure on the drainage hose 26 side is kept higher than the pressure on the drainage hole 240 side, the rotational speed of the blower fan 20 is lowered to a pressure level that does not break the water seal, and the water supply solenoid valve 16 is opened to supply water. Then, the water sealing of the drain trap 202 is recovered and the drying process is completed.

  As described above, according to the washing / drying machine that can be operated from washing to drying or the washing machine that performs washing, the washing temperature of the laundry 207 and the washing water is set to the heat radiator 231 of the heat pump provided in the duct and the heat. By using the exchanger 233 as a condenser of the heat pump 230, it can be efficiently heated. At the time of the drying process, the radiator 231 in the duct is used as the condenser of the heat pump 230 and the heat exchanger 233 through which the refrigerant flows through the first expansion valve 232 is used as the evaporator, so that the dehumidified air is supplied to the drum 3. Can be sent within.

  Next, components related to the washing process will be described in order. First, the configuration of the water supply unit 15 will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of the upper left side of the housing. As shown in FIG. 9, the water supply unit 15 (water supply means) is a device for supplying water to the water supply port 2 a provided outside the outer tank 2 and supplying the water into the outer tank 2. The water supply unit 15 is provided on the back side of the top cover 1e (see FIG. 9). FIG. 10 is a plan view of the washing / drying machine of the present embodiment with the top cover removed. As shown in FIG. 10, the water supply unit 15 includes a water supply hose connection port 16a, a water supply electromagnetic valve 16, a bath water supply pump 17, the water absorption hose connection port 17a, a water level sensor 34, a water level sensor, and an external device. A tube 35 connecting the tanks is installed.

  The water supply hose connection port 16a is a connection part to which the other end of a hose (not shown) having one end attached to a tap water tap is connected. The water supply electromagnetic valve 16 injects tap water with a water supply pipe P1 that communicates with the powder detergent introduction chamber 73 and the liquid detergent introduction chamber 74 of the detergent introduction unit 7, a water supply pipe P2 that communicates with the softening agent introduction chamber 75, and the like. It is a valve that performs opening / closing control of the valve body by electromagnetic force. As shown in FIG. 9, the tap water supplied into the powder detergent charging chamber 73, the liquid detergent charging chamber 74, and the soft finishing agent charging chamber 75 passes through the detergent delivery pipe P3 and the water supply port 2a together with the detergents and the soft finishing agent. Then, water is poured into the outer tub 2.

  Here, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is basically composed of five electromagnetic valves, one of which controls the water supply to the powder detergent introduction chamber 73 and the liquid detergent introduction chamber 74 by opening and closing via the water supply pipe P1. One is controlled by opening and closing the water supply to the flexible finishing agent charging chamber 75 via the water supply pipe P2, and one is the water supply port 2a (see FIG. 9) of the outer tub 2 via the water supply pipe (not shown). ), One for controlling water supply to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, and one for the radiator 231 of the heat pump unit 230 and the sprinkler pipe 242 to the heat exchanger 233 as necessary. Water supply control and water supply to the water spray 247 for cleaning in the outer tub 2 are controlled. Or it can branch from the solenoid valve which controls the water supply to the water supply port 2a of the outer tank 2, and can supply water to the water spray 247 which sprinkles a part of water supply to the outer tank 2 upper part provided in the outer tank 2 or the drum 3 upper part. You may do it. Thereby, water can be stored in the outer tank 2 and the upper part of the outer tank 2 or the upper part of the drum 3 can be washed. Furthermore, the drum 3 and the outer tub 2 can be washed evenly by sprinkling water to the upper part of the drum 3 while rotating the drum 3 and splashing and splashing to the upper part of the outer tub 2. The water spray 247 may be provided so as to spray the inside of the drum 3, so that a part of the water supply can be directly sprayed onto the laundry in the drum 3, so that the rinsing efficiency in the rinsing process can also be improved. .

  The bath water supply pump 17 is a pump that sucks and takes in remaining hot water (bath water) of the bath and mainly injects the water into the outer tub 2. The water absorption hose connection port 17a (see FIG. 10) is a connection portion to which a hose for supplying bath water is connected, and communicates with the bath water supply pump 17.

  As shown in FIG. 2, on the rear bottom surface of the outer tub 2, the drum 3 is rotatably supported in one end side, and the rotating shaft 211 of the motor M10a is supported on the other end side. Inside the outer tub 2, a drum 3 having the rotating shaft 211 fixed to the rear bottom surface is housed in a rotatable state. The outer tub 2 supports the front surface, the lower surface, and the upper surface as follows, thereby preventing the shake and falling. The front surface portion is elastically supported on the front inner wall of the housing 1 by a rubber bellows 10, and the lower surface portion is elastically supported by vibration damping by a damper 5 fixed to the base 1h. Further, the upper surface portion is elastically suspended from and supported by the ceiling surface of the housing 1 by an auxiliary spring 33 (see FIG. 10) attached to the upper reinforcing member 36.

  As shown in FIG. 9, on the upper left side of the rear side of the outer tub 2, a water supply port 2 a (supply port) for supplying liquid containing water, detergent, bleach, softener, etc. into the outer tub 2. Is provided. A detergent container 72 is provided on the upper left side in the housing 1, and the water supply port 2a and the water outlet 72a of the detergent container 72 are connected by a rubber bellows tube P4.

  A tube 35 is connected to the bottom of the rear end face of the outer tub 2 via an air trap (not shown). The upper end of the tube is connected to a water level sensor 34 (see FIG. 10). Detect the water level inside.

  Next, the water supply path 50 and the conductivity detection means 4 will be described. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the outer tub 2 as viewed from the front side of the main body. The outer tub 2 has an outer peripheral wall 51 and a bottom wall 52. On the back surface 53 (inner surface) of the bottom wall 52 of the outer tub 2, a water supply path 50 (groove 55) for guiding a liquid containing water, detergent, bleach, etc. from the water supply port 2 a to the lower part of the outer tub 2 is formed. Has been. Here, it is assumed that the connecting portion where the inner diameter of the cylindrical outer peripheral wall 51 from the outer peripheral wall 51 to the bottom wall 52 gradually decreases is included in the bottom wall 52.

  The water supply path 50 is a path for guiding the water supplied to the upper part in the outer tub 2 so as to flow to the water receiving part 54 formed in the inner bottom part 56 of the outer tub 2. The water supply path 50 is formed, for example, in the upper part of the outer tub 2, and is formed in a water supply port 2 a that supplies liquid into the outer tub 2 and a bottom wall 52 of the outer tub 2, and liquid is supplied from the water supply port 2 a to the outer tub. 2, and a cover member 61 that covers a portion other than the lower end portion 55 a of the groove 55 to form a pipe line. Note that the cover member 61 may not be provided.

  The groove 55 includes a flow path (water supply path 50) that extends downward from the water supply port 2 a in the vertical direction and is formed in a substantially arc shape that is gently curved toward a lower portion of the outer tub 2. The groove 55 is formed in a U shape in a longitudinal sectional view, and the water supply from the water supply port 2a into the outer tub 2 flows in the vicinity of the inner corner of the rectangular cross section and spreads out from the groove 55 into the outer tub 2. There is nothing. The cover member 61 is a belt-like plate body that is curved on a plane corresponding to the shape of the groove 55. As the material of the cover member 61, for example, the same PP (polypropylene) as that of the outer tub 2 is used.

  On both sides of the groove 55 of the outer tub 2, stepped portions (not shown) that are retracted rearward from the back surface 53 are formed, and the cover member 61 is disposed on the stepped portions (not shown). The upper surface (front surface) of the cover member 61 does not protrude forward from the rear surface 53. The cover member 61 is fixed to the outer tub 2 by screw members (not shown) or the like in screw holes 62 provided at a plurality of positions on both sides of the belt-like plate body, and a pipe line of the water supply path 50 is formed.

  The conductivity detection means 4 is provided at a position where the water supplied from the water supply port 2a is first touched. That is, the water supplied from the water supply port 2 a is provided at a position where it flows down from the groove 55 to the water receiving portion 54. For this reason, the electrical conductivity detection means 4 can measure the electrical conductivity of water correctly when tap water is supplied. Even when a detergent or a soft finish is supplied, the conductivity detection means 4 can detect that the detergent or soft finish is contained in the water. Moreover, since the electrical conductivity detection means 4 is arrange | positioned inside the water receiving part 54, it can detect the electrical conductivity of the water by which the detergent was melt | dissolved in the detergent melt | dissolution process mentioned later.

  The conductivity detection means 4 is a sensor for detecting the conductivity of tap water before washing and washing water at the time of washing (washing, rinsing, dehydrating). A pair of electrodes (not shown) is provided on a sensor base made of synthetic resin. Z)). By making the electrode into a flat plate shape, for example, the electrode area can be secured wider than that of the rod-shaped electrode, and stable conductivity can be detected.

  Next, configurations of the control device 100 and the drive device M10 will be described. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 100 for the drum type washer / dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention. The control device 100 (operation control means) controls the motor M10a (drive device M10), the water supply unit 15 and the heat pump 230 so that the washing operation can be performed, and the inside of the outer tub 2 detected by the conductivity detection means 4 It is a device that calculates the conductivity from the conductivity of the liquid, determines the presence or absence of a soft finish contained in the liquid (discrimination relative to the reference concentration), determines whether the dehydration process is shortened, determines whether the rinsing process is shortened, etc. . As shown in FIG. 12, the control device 100 includes a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as “microcomputer”) 110, a drive circuit, operation switches 12 and 13, conductivity detection means 4, input circuits from various sensors, and the like. . The microcomputer 110 receives various information signals in a user operation, a washing process, and a drying process. The microcomputer 110 is connected to the drive device M10 (motor M10a), the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, the drain valve V1, the blower fan 20, and the like through the drive circuit, and controls the opening / closing, rotation, and energization thereof. In addition, the display 14 and the buzzer (not shown) are controlled in order to inform the user of information related to the drum type washing machine.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the driving device M <b> 10 is a device that rotationally drives the drum 3, and is installed at the outer center of the bottom surface of the outer tub 2. The drive device M10 has a motor M10a and a fixture M10b (see FIG. 2). The rotating shaft of the motor M10a passes through the outer tub 2 and is coupled to the drum 3. The motor M10a includes a rotation detection device 28 configured by a Hall element or a photo interrupter that detects the rotation, and a motor current detection device (not shown) that detects a current flowing through the motor M10a.

  Thus, the control apparatus 100 is comprised centering on the microcomputer 110. FIG. The microcomputer 110 includes an operation pattern database 111, a process control unit 112, a rotation speed calculation unit 113, a clothing weight calculation unit 114, an electrical conductivity measurement unit 115, a detergent amount / wash time determination unit 116, and a turbidity determination. Unit 117 and a threshold storage unit 118.

  The operation switches 12 and 13 are configured to allow the user to input a driving course, and output the input signal to the microcomputer 110. The water level sensor 34 can detect the water level of water stored in the outer tub 2 and outputs a detected signal to the microcomputer 110.

  The temperature sensor T <b> 1 is provided in the lower part (for example, the drain port 21) of the outer tub 2 and can detect the temperature of the water stored in the outer tub 2. The temperature sensor T <b> 2 is provided on the intake side of the blower fan 20, and can detect the temperature of the air taken into the blower fan 20 from the heat pump. The temperature sensor T3 is provided on the exhaust side of the blower fan 20 and on the downstream side of the hot air heater 213, and can detect the temperature of the air blown out from the blower fan 20 into the drum 3. The temperature sensor T4 is provided on the downstream side of the drying filter 8 and on the upstream side of the heat exchanger of the heat pump, and can detect the temperature of the circulating air returning from the drum to the heat pump. The signals detected by the temperature sensors T1 to T4 are output to the microcomputer 110. The acceleration sensor 27 is attached to the outer tub 2 and detects vibration of the outer tub 2 (drum 3). A signal detected by the acceleration sensor is output to the microcomputer 110.

  The rotation detection device 28 is constituted by, for example, a resolver (a type of rotation angle sensor), can detect the rotation of the motor M10a, and the detected signal is output to the microcomputer 110. The motor current detection device 25 can detect the current value of the motor M10a, and the detected signal is output to the microcomputer 110. The conductivity detection means 4 can detect the conductivity of the water stored in the outer tub 2, and the detected signal is output to the microcomputer 110.

  The microcomputer 110 has a function of calling an operation pattern corresponding to the operation course input from the operation switches 12 and 13 from the operation pattern database 111 and starting from any of washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying. The process control unit 112 has a function of performing operation control of each process of the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydration process, and the drying process based on the operation pattern called from the operation pattern database 111. In each process, the process control unit 112 has a function of controlling the indicator 14, the water supply unit 15, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, and the drain valve V1. Further, the process control unit 112 controls driving of the motor M10a of the driving device M10 via the motor driving circuit 121, and controls ON / OFF of the hot air heater switch 123 in a model provided with a hot air heater and a hot water heater. Thus, the energization to the hot water heater 213 is controlled, and the energization to the hot water heater 240 is controlled by controlling ON / OFF of the hot water heater switch 122. The blower fan 20 is controlled via the fan drive circuit 124, and the circulation pump 18 is driven and controlled via the circulation pump drive circuit 125. Further, the compressor 237 is controlled via the compressor drive circuit 126, the opening degree of the first expansion valve 232 is controlled via the first expansion valve drive circuit 127, and the second opening via the second expansion valve drive circuit 128. The opening degree of the 2 expansion valve 235 is controlled. The switching valve 234 included in the components of the heat pump is also controlled via the switching valve control circuit 129.

Here, the circulation pump 18 is provided at the opening of the outer tub 2 with the detergent melting operation for discharging the water sucked from the drain port 21 from the circulation discharge port 54b of the recess 54 and the water sucked from the drain port 21. The circulation operation of discharging the water from the water spray nozzle 231 into the drum 3 can be switched. The configuration of the circulation pump 18 capable of switching the operation may be constituted by a circulation pump 18 and a switching valve (not shown), or by switching the rotation direction of the circulation pump 18. The structure which can switch a discharge direction may be sufficient.

  The rotation speed calculation unit 113 has a function of calculating the rotation speed of the motor M10a based on the detection value from the rotation detection device 28 that detects the rotation of the motor M10a. The clothing weight calculator 114 calculates the weight of the laundry 207 in the drum 3 (see FIG. 2) based on the rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed calculator 113 and the detection value of the motor current detector 25. Have As the weight of the laundry 207 increases, a load for rotating the drum 3 increases, and a large motor current flows through the motor M10a. Therefore, the weight of the laundry 207 depends on the motor current and the rotation speed of the motor M10a. Can be calculated.

  The conductivity measuring unit 115 has a function of measuring the conductivity of tap water and washing water using the detection value from the conductivity detecting means 4. The detergent amount / washing time determining unit 116 has a function of determining the amount of detergent and the rinsing time of the laundry based on the conductivity measured by the conductivity measuring unit 115 and will be described in detail later.

  The turbidity determination unit 117 has a function of determining the degree of dirt on clothing (hereinafter referred to as turbidity) based on the conductivity measured by the conductivity measurement unit 115. The threshold value storage unit 118 has a function of storing a threshold value used when the turbidity determination unit 117 determines the degree of dirt (turbidity) of clothes. Incidentally, the turbidity determination unit 117 and the threshold storage unit 118 are used for the control during the main washing process as follows in this embodiment. Before and after the first main washing step, the conductivity measuring unit 115 measures the conductivity EC1 of the washing water. When measuring the conductivity, it is desirable that the water supply to the outer tub 2 by the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, the circulation by the circulation pump 18, and the rotation of the drum 3 by the motor M10a are stopped. The turbidity determination unit 117 determines whether or not the difference in the conductivity EC1 measured before and after the first main washing process is greater than or equal to the threshold value stored in the threshold value storage unit 118. If NO (lower than the threshold), it is determined that there is little dirt, and if yes, it is determined that there is much dirt, and the process proceeds to the subsequent second main washing step. In the second main washing process, as described above, the water level is set higher than that in the first main washing process, and the circulation flow of the circulation pump 18 is further increased. That is, when the laundry 207 is lifted above the drum 3 and knocked downward, the laundry 207 collides with each other and prevents the fibers from being pressed. However, the longer this process is, the greater the tendency of the laundry 207 to become stiff. Therefore, when there is relatively little dirt, it is desirable to shorten the second main washing process as much as possible. Therefore, when it can be determined that there is little dirt, the operation time of the second main washing process is adjusted to be short. The determination of turbidity can also be used for reviewing the switching timing between other processes and the operation time of each process.

  Next, the operation process of the drum type washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 13: is process drawing explaining the driving | operation process of the washing operation (washing-rinsing-dehydration) in the drum type washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment.

  In step S <b> 1, the process control unit 112 receives a course selection input for the operation process of the drum type washing and drying machine (course selection). Here, the user opens the door 9, puts the laundry 207 to be washed inside the drum 3, and closes the door 9. And a user selects and inputs the course of a driving process by operating the operation switches 12 and 13. By operating the operation switches 12 and 13, the course of the selected operation process is input to the process control unit 112. The process control unit 112 reads the corresponding operation pattern from the operation pattern database 111 based on the input operation process course, and proceeds to step S2. In the following description, it is assumed that a 40 ° C. hot water washing course (washing—two rinses—dehydration) is selected.

In step S2, the process control unit 112 executes a process of detecting the weight (cloth amount) of the laundry put into the drum 3 (cloth amount sensing). Specifically, the process control unit 112 drives the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3, and the clothing weight calculation unit 114 calculates the weight (cloth amount) of the laundry 207 before water injection.

  In step S3, the process control unit 112 executes a process of calculating the detergent amount / operation time (determination of detergent amount operation time). Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 (for example, opens the third electromagnetic valve) and supplies water directly to the water supply port 2 a of the outer tub 2. The conductivity measuring unit 115 detects the conductivity (hardness) of the supplied water. Further, the temperature of the supplied water is detected by the sensor T1. Thereafter, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is controlled to end the water supply to the outer tub 2.

  The detergent amount / washing time determination unit 116 determines the amount of detergent to be put in and the operation time through map search based on the amount of cloth detected in step S2, the electrical conductivity (hardness) of water, and the temperature of water. Then, the process control unit 112 displays the determined amount of detergent and operating time on the display unit 14. Here, the map for determining the detergent amount may be a map dedicated to the hot water washing course. In the hot water washing course, the concentration of the detergent liquid retained by the laundry 207 greatly affects the removal of dirt. If the mechanical force is strong due to the balance between the drum diameter and the motor torque, the amount of detergent can be reduced in a normal washing course. However, in this course, since the washing temperature is raised with a small amount of water, the dependence on the mechanical force is reduced in order to suppress fabric rubbing from the viewpoint of preventing dye transfer (color transfer). For this reason, when the amount of detergent is too small during the hot water washing course, the concentration level should be set according to the normal mechanical force.

  In addition, although it demonstrated as supplying water to the outer tank 2 and detecting the electrical conductivity (hardness) and water temperature of water, it is not restricted to this. For example, the electrical conductivity (hardness) and water temperature of water at the previous operation may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the microcomputer 110 and used.

  In step S4, the process control unit 112 executes a detergent charging waiting process (detergent charging waiting process). For example, the process control unit 112 waits for a predetermined time and proceeds to step S5. Note that the process control unit 112 determines that the detergent has been thrown in by step S5 if the detergent throwing unit 7 is closed after being opened by means (not shown) for detecting the opening and closing of the detergent throwing unit 7. The structure which advances may be sufficient.

  In step S5, the process control unit 112 executes a detergent dissolving process (detergent dissolving process). For example, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 to supply water to the powder detergent charging chamber 73 and the liquid detergent charging chamber 74 via the water supply pipe P1. The detergent and water in the powder detergent charging chamber 73 and the liquid detergent charging chamber 74 flow into the water receiving portion 54 of the outer tub 2 from the outlet 50a through the detergent delivery pipe P3, the bellows pipe P4, the water supply port 2a, and the water supply path 50. (See FIGS. 9 and 10). When water is supplied to a predetermined amount of water, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 (for example, closes the first electromagnetic valve) to stop water supply. Then, the process control unit 112 executes a detergent melting operation (detergent melting operation). Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the circulation pump 18 to discharge water and detergent sucked from the drain port 21 from the circulation discharge port 54 b of the water receiving unit 54. The water and the detergent discharged from the circulation discharge port 54b flow through the water receiving portion 54, travel toward the drain port 21, and circulate (see FIG. 11). Thereby, water and a detergent are stirred and a detergent is melt | dissolved in water. After a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed, the generated high-concentration detergent solution is pumped up to the watering nozzle 223 at the top of the outer tub and sprayed. FIG. 8 shows the state of dispersion. In order to spread a small amount of high-concentration detergent solution as uniformly as possible on the laundry 207, the drum 3 is rotated at a high speed immediately before spreading, and the laundry 207 is stuck to the inner surface of the drum 3 by centrifugal force. While maintaining the rotation of the drum 3, the high-concentration detergent solution pumped up to the watering nozzle 231 at the upper part of the outer tub 2 by the circulation pump 18 is sprayed. The high-concentration detergent liquid permeates the laundry 207 toward the inner wall of the drum 3 by the speed energy at the time of watering and the centrifugal force that works after reaching the laundry 207. Further, since the drum 3 rotates at a rotational speed at which the laundry 207 sticks with centrifugal force, for example, when the drum 3 is rotated at 80 r / min, even if the spraying time is 20 seconds, it is approximately 26 times for the same point on the drum. Can be bathed in sprinkled water.

  FIG. 14 schematically shows the relationship between the suction-side water level of the circulation pump 18 and the head when spraying the high-concentration detergent solution, and the relationship with the additional water added to the suction side in the latter half of the spraying. This is schematically shown (FIG. 14B). Since the generated high-concentration detergent liquid is small, the high-concentration detergent liquid sprinkled from the sprinkling nozzle 231 at the top of the outer tub 2 by moving the circulation pump 18 almost infiltrates into the laundry 207 and thus does not return to the water receiving portion 54. The high concentration detergent solution at the suction port of the circulation pump 18 will eventually become insufficient. FIG. 14A shows a state in which the circulation pump 18 is continuously rotated in a state where a sufficient amount for pumping up the high-concentration detergent liquid to the watering nozzle 223 cannot be secured. Since the suction port of the circulation pump 18 is not sufficiently filled with the high-concentration detergent solution, the circulation pump 18 cannot secure the head, and the high-concentration detergent solution stays in the path to the watering nozzle 223. FIG. 14B shows a state in which additional water is supplied from the state of FIG. In this state, when additional water is supplied to the water receiving portion 54, the suction side of the circulation pump 18 is filled with the high-concentration detergent liquid and the added water, and the head can be secured again, so that it is possible to continuously pump up. Become. As a result, the remaining high-concentration detergent liquid remaining in the path from the outlet of the circulation pump 18 to the watering nozzle 223 can be sprayed on the laundry 207 with the detergent concentration as generated in the first half of the detergent-melting step. As described above, the high-concentration detergent solution produced in the first half of the detergent dissolving step can be efficiently immersed in the laundry. After the high-concentration detergent solution is soaked in the laundry 207, hot air is efficiently generated and blown in the next step, thereby reducing the power consumption and improving the cleaning power.

  In step S6, the process control unit 112 performs a pre-cleaning cleaning process (pre-cleaning cleaning process). In the pre-washing washing process, warm air heated by the heat pump 230 is blown to the laundry 207 by the blower fan 20 on the laundry 207 sprayed with the high-concentration detergent solution, and is spread and heated. At this time, water is supplied to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a as a heat absorption source to the heat pump 230 as needed. A temperature sensor (not shown) may be provided on the cold water outlet side of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, and water may be intermittently supplied when this temperature falls below a predetermined temperature. In addition, the cold water pushed away from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a by water supply is drained out of the apparatus from the drain valve V1. In this step, since the laundry 207 is in a state where a high-concentration detergent solution is retained, the apparent thermal conductivity of the laundry 207 is high and can be efficiently heated. In addition, by raising the temperature, the surface tension and viscosity of the high-concentration detergent liquid that is held in water can be reduced, and the fibers of the laundry 207 are further swollen, further promoting the penetration of the high-concentration detergent liquid into the fibers. it can. Thereby, dirt can be efficiently separated from the fiber. The separated dirt can be quickly dispersed in the high-concentration detergent solution that has been retained in water, so that it can be prevented from aggregating and reattaching again. When a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the process, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is controlled to raise the level of the washing water in the outer tub 2. And if the water level of the washing water in the outer tub 2 rises to a predetermined water level WL1 (WL0 <WL1) with respect to the water level WL0 at the time of the detergent dissolving process, the water supply is stopped, the pre-washing process is terminated, and the process goes to step S7. move on.

  When the pre-washing process of step S6 is completed, the process control unit 112 executes the main washing process. Here, the main washing step refers to applying a mechanical force to the laundry 207 by lifting the laundry 207 accumulated in the lower part of the drum 3 by the rotation of the drum 3 and dropping it from the upper part in the drum 3. It is a process of scrubbing. The main washing process includes one main washing process (first main washing process) in step S7 and two main washing processes (second main washing process) in step S8.

  In step S7, the process control unit 112 executes a first main washing process (first main washing process). Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the circulation pump 18 to have a predetermined flow rate PF1, and the washing water sucked from the drain port 21 is supplied from a watering nozzle 231 provided at the opening of the outer tub 2. Water is sprinkled inside the drum 3, and the drum M is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed DR1 by controlling the motor M10a, thereby washing the laundry 207 inside the drum 3. At this time, in a model in which a hot water heater is provided in the water receiving portion, the hot water heater 240 is energized to warm the additional water supplied to a predetermined temperature (40 ° C.) that is selected and set. If the model does not include the hot water heater 240, hot air is continuously generated by the heat pump 230 and blown from the blower fan 20. However, since the water level in the drum 3 is increased and the amount of circulating water is also increased, the accompanying liquid droplets due to the hot air. In order to suppress foaming of detergent and detergent, the amount of warm air should be suppressed. In the present embodiment, since the radiator 231 and the heat exchanger 233 in the duct are refrigerant condensers, a sufficient heat transfer area is secured, and the temperature of the hot air can be reduced and the amount of heat can be significantly reduced. Further, when the selection of this course is permitted even when the set temperature is high or the washing load is large, it is preferable to provide a warm air heater 213 at the outlet of the blower fan 20 and further raise the temperature. At this time, a circulation pump 239 with a small flow rate may be installed separately, pumped up from the water receiving portion 54 and sprayed in the vicinity of the outlet of the blower fan 20 to mix the droplets with the warm air and spray it on the laundry 207. . When the additional water supply is sprayed by the normal circulation pump 18, the temperature of the laundry 207 is drastically lowered. However, with such a configuration, the water contained in the laundry 207 can be replaced uniformly and little by little. In addition, since the temperature drop of the laundry 207 can be suppressed, the cleaning performance can be further improved.

  If predetermined time (T1) passes, the process control part 112 will complete | finish a 1st main washing process, and will progress to step S8. In step S8, the process control unit 112 executes a second main washing process (second main washing process). Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 to supply water to the outer tub 2 up to a predetermined water level WL2 (WL1 <WL2). In addition, the process control unit 112 controls the circulation pump 18 to have a predetermined flow rate PF2 (PF1 <PF2), and the water spray nozzle provided in the opening of the outer tub 2 for the washing water sucked from the drain port 21 Water is sprayed into the drum 3 from 231 and the drum M is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed DR2 (DR1> DR2) by controlling the motor M10a, thereby washing the laundry 207 inside the drum 3. When the predetermined time (T2) elapses, the process control unit 112 stops the motor M10a and the circulation pump 18, opens the drain valve V1, and drains the washing water in the outer tub 2.

  In step S9, the process control unit 112 performs the first rinsing process (first rinsing process). For example, in the first rinsing step, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 and the drain valve V1 to repeat water supply and drainage, and also controls the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3 to turn the circulation pump 18 on. The rinsing water sucked from the drain port 21 is controlled and sprinkled from the water nozzle 231 provided in the opening of the outer tub 2 into the drum 3 to rinse the clothes. And when predetermined time passes, the process control part 112 will stop the motor M10a and the circulation pump 18, open the drain valve V1, and will drain the rinse water in the outer tank 2. FIG.

  Further, in the latter half of the first rinsing step, water is supplied to the water refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, and cold water staying in the water refrigerant heat exchanger 236a is sprayed from the water spray 247, which is a cleaning nozzle, to the inside of the outer tub 2 and the drum 3. Then wash away any residual germs and germs from the laundry. By washing away with water having a temperature lower than that at room temperature, it is possible to suppress the growth of germs compared to water at room temperature. Therefore, even when remaining in the drainage path, generation of slime and mold can be suppressed as much as possible. Further, the remaining components of the detergent liquid can be washed away without foaming.

  Also, if cold water generated by absorbing heat when creating warm air during washing is used for washing the tub at the end of washing, the germs attached to the outer tub and drum can be washed away without breeding. The machine can be kept clean, leading to improved hygiene. Further, since the remaining detergent components can be washed away quickly without foaming, cleanliness can be maintained with a small amount of water.

  In step S10, the process control unit 112 executes a second rinsing process (second rinsing process). For example, in the second rinsing process, the process control unit 112 closes the drain valve V1 and controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 to supply water to the outer tub 2 to a predetermined water level. In addition, the process control unit 112 controls the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3 and controls the circulation pump 18 so that the rinsing water sucked from the drain port 21 is supplied from the watering nozzle 223 provided at the opening of the outer tub 2. Rinse the laundry 207 by sprinkling water inside the drum 3. And when predetermined time passes, the process control part 112 will stop the motor M10a and the circulation pump 18, open the drain valve V1, and will drain the rinse water in the outer tank 2. FIG.

  In step S11, the process control unit 112 executes a dehydration process (dehydration process). Specifically, the process control unit 112 opens the drain valve V1, and controls the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3 at a higher speed than during the main washing process, thereby centrifugally dehydrating the laundry 207. Then, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the process control unit 112 stops the motor M10a, closes the drain valve V1, and ends the washing course (washing-rinsing-dehydration).

  In addition, in the main washing process in step S7 and step S8, it is set as the driving | running characteristic which suppresses the blackening of the laundry 207, and a wrinkle, and it demonstrates focusing on the mechanism below. After the first main washing process (step S7), the second main washing process (step S8) is performed, and the water level WL2 in the second main washing process is higher than the water level WL1 in the first main washing process (WL1). <WL2). That is, by increasing the amount of washing water in the outer tub 2, the dirt peeled off from the laundry 207 can be dispersed in the washing water, and the dirt peeled off from the laundry 207 adheres to the laundry 207 again. It is possible to suppress “darkening of laundry” caused by the above.

Further, the rotational speed DR2 of the drum 3 in the second main washing process is slower than the rotational speed DR1 of the drum 3 in the first main washing process (DR1> DR2). The position at which the fall starts when the laundry 207 accumulated in the lower part of the drum 3 is lifted and dropped from above in the drum 3 by making the rotational speed DR2 of the drum 3 slower than the rotational speed DR1. Becomes lower. That is, a drop impact (mechanical force) applied to the laundry 207 to be washed is suppressed, and “stiffness of the laundry” can be suppressed. Also, by raising the water level WL2, the drop impact (mechanical force) can be suppressed, and "stiffness of the laundry" can be suppressed. On the other hand, the rotational speed DR1 of the drum 3 is rotated at a rotational speed faster than the laundry 207 attached to the inner wall of the drum 3 by centrifugal force is lifted upward by gravity (centrifugal force> (Gravity), it can be used as an operation that does not cause all laundry to fall like tapping. In other words, the washing operation may be performed by allowing the laundry 207 to pass a larger amount of circulation than the normal washing operation while suppressing tapping washing as much as possible. However, there is a possibility that the washing performance by tapping washing may be lowered. On the other hand, the flow rate PF2 of the circulation pump 18 in the second main washing step is made larger than the flow rate PF1 of the circulation pump 18 in the first main washing step. (PF1 <PF2), it is possible to ensure the cleaning performance by the water flow. For example, the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 18 is desirably 30 L / min or more and 80 L / min or less. Further, the operation time (T1) of the first main washing process and the operation time (T2) of the second main washing process are longer than the operation time (T2) of the second main washing process (T2). It is desirable to set it to be longer than T1) (T1 <T2). By doing so, it is possible to further suppress the “stiffness of the laundry”.

  As described above, according to the operation process of the drum type washer / dryer according to the first embodiment, warm air can be efficiently generated, and the cleaning performance can be improved with a small amount of power consumption. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress darkening of clothes and the stuffiness of clothes.

  In addition, a normal washing course can be selected for a laundry in which discoloration or fading is a concern with respect to temperature, or for a laundry in which the shrinkage of the fibers becomes conspicuous due to heating. In this case, the power consumption is small. In addition, you can choose a water-saving washing course for laundry that wants to save water, except for white goods and thin patterns that are darkened, and towels that are worried about wrinkles. In this case, the water level in the entire washing can be suppressed by setting the circulating flow rate to 15 to 20 L / min without raising the water level in the main washing step.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the configuration of the heat pump 230. In this embodiment, the second expansion valve 235 and the external heat exchanger 236 are provided between the pipes from the internal heat exchanger 233 to the compressor 237. Note that, like the first expansion valve 232, the second expansion valve 235 can suppress the throttle resistance. For example, if the external heat exchanger 236 is a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a and the water flow can flow down by gravity, the water in the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 236a is emptied by opening the drain valve, Since it is not necessary to exchange heat when the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant heat exchanger 236a, a flow path that avoids the water refrigerant heat exchanger 236a is not required. With such a configuration, operation control and the number of parts can be reduced.

  FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the configuration of the heat pump 230. In this embodiment, the external heat exchanger 236 is provided with an air refrigerant heat exchanger 236b. When the hot water is generated by the heat pump 230, the heat in the housing heated by the exhaust heat of the main motor M10a that drives the drum 3 or the exhaust heat of the blower fan 20 can be used as the heat absorption source. By adopting such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a water pipe to the external heat exchanger 236, and operation control and the number of parts can be reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing | casing 1a, 1b Side plate 1c Front cover 1d Back cover 1e on the back Top cover 1f on the upper surface Lower front cover 1i Clothes input 1h Base 2 Outer tub 2a Water supply 2d Screw hole 3 Drum 3a Open 3b Bottom wall 3f Circular concave part 4 Conductivity detection means 4a Flow channel 4b Side wall 5 Damper 6 Operation panel 7 Detergent input part 8 Dry filter 8a Mesh type filter 9 Door 9a Door glass 9b Door frame 9c Hinge 9d Door opening button 10 Rubber Made bellows M10 drive unit
M10a Motor M10b Mounting tool
12, 13 Operation switch 14 Display 15 Water supply unit (water supply means)
16 Water supply solenoid valve 16a Water supply hose connection port 17 Bath water supply pump 17a Water absorption hose connection port 18 for remaining hot water in the bath 18 Circulation pump 20 Blower fan 21 Drain port 22 Hose 26 Drain hose 28 Rotation detector 29 Air blow duct 31 Hot air duct 32 Water supply hose 33 Auxiliary spring 34 Water level sensor 35 Tube 36 Upper reinforcement 37 Front reinforcement 38 Air trap 39 Power switch 41 Sensor base 41a made of synthetic resin Electrode support 41c1 Cylindrical part 41c2 Upper surface 41d Groove 41d1 Inclined wall 41d4 Bottom 41e Rib 41f Mounting portion 41f1 Screw insertion holes 42A, 42B A pair of electrodes 42a Detection portion 42b Resin fixing portion 42b1 First fixing portion 42b3 Through hole 42c Connector connection portion 50 Water supply path 50a Outlet 51 Outer wall 51 Outer wall 52 Bottom wall 53 Back (Inner surface)
54 Water receiver
54a Bottom surface 55 Groove 57 First inclined surface (inclined surface)
57a Sensor installation hole 58 Second inclined surface 59 Rib 61 Cover member 62 Screw hole 71 Pull-out tray 72 Detergent container 72b Front opening 72c Upper opening 73 Powder detergent charging chamber 74 Liquid detergent charging chamber 75 Soft finish agent charging chamber 76 Exit 77 Siphon

100 Control device (operation control means)

110 Microcomputer 111 Operation pattern database 112 Process control unit 113 Rotational speed calculation unit 114 Clothing weight calculation unit 115 Conductivity measurement unit 116 Detergent amount / wash time determination unit 117 Turbidity determination unit 118 Threshold storage unit

122 Hot water heater switch 123 Hot air heater switch 124 Fan drive circuit 125 Circulation pump drive circuit 126 Compressor drive circuit 127 First expansion valve drive circuit 128 Second expansion valve drive circuit 129 Switching valve drive circuit

P1, P2 Water supply pipe P3 Detergent delivery pipe

V1 Drain valve T1-T3 Temperature sensor


201 Drying device 202 Drain trap 203 Blowing nozzle 204 Air supply valve 205 Overflow hose 206 Air supply hole 207 Laundry 208 Fluid balancer 209 Lifter 210 Metal flange 211 Rotating shaft 212 Rubber bellows tube 213 Hot air heater 214 Fan motor 215 Bellows hose 216 Outer tank mounting part 222 Waste thread filter 223 Sprinkling nozzle 230 Heat pump
231 radiator
232 First expansion valve 233 Internal heat exchanger 234 Switching valve 235 Second expansion valve
236 External heat exchanger 236a Water refrigerant heat exchanger 236b Air refrigerant heat exchanger 237 Compressor 238 Drain switching valve 239 Small flow rate circulation pump 240 Hot water heater 241 Supply / exhaust port 242 Sprinkling pipe

247 Water spray

EC1 Conductivity (electric conductivity) (before the first main washing process)
EC2 conductivity (after the first main washing process)

Claims (6)

An outer tank capable of storing liquid inside,
An inner tub that is rotatably supported in the outer tub and accommodates laundry;
A first heat exchanger disposed in the duct flow path;
A compressor that compresses the refrigerant heat exchanged with the air flowing through the duct in the first heat exchanger;
A condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed through the compressor by heat exchange with air flowing through the duct;
A first expansion valve that expands the refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the air flowing through the duct in the condenser, and
During the washing process,
A second expansion section for expanding the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the first heat exchanger;
A washing and drying machine comprising: a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant expanded by the second expansion valve and heat from outside or water. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1,
A control unit for controlling the opening of the second expansion unit;
The said control part controls the opening degree of a said 2nd expansion part by drying operation and washing operation, The washing dryer characterized by the above-mentioned. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1,
A switching valve arranged between the first heat exchanger and the compressor and capable of switching a flow direction of the refrigerant;
A control unit for controlling the switching valve,
In the washing operation, the control unit expands the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the first heat exchanger in the second expansion unit, and heat-exchanges the expanded refrigerant in the second heat exchanger. The washing / drying machine, wherein the switching valve is controlled. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1,
A water injection path for injecting water into the second heat exchanger from the water supply port;
And a control valve for controlling water injection to the second heat exchanger provided in the water injection path. In the washing and drying machine according to claim 2,
In the drying operation, the control unit throttles the refrigerant flow path in the first expansion valve so that the refrigerant flowing in the first heat exchanger has a lower pressure than the refrigerant flowing in the condenser. The washing and drying machine, wherein the opening degree of the second expansion part is controlled so that the refrigerant flowing in the condenser and the refrigerant flowing in the first heat exchanger have the same pressure. In the washing and drying machine according to claim 1,
A washing / drying machine comprising a spraying mechanism for spraying water poured into the second heat exchanger into the outer tank or the inner tank.

Images