JP2020062211A - Drying machine, moisture content estimation device, and moisture content estimation program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology for estimating more precisely moisture content contained in an object to be dried.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine 50 comprises a rotary tub 1 which accommodates an object to be dried, a heater 17 which applies heat to the object to be dried accommodated in the rotary tub 1, an irradiation unit which irradiates electromagnetic waves having a plurality of different frequencies to the rotary tub 1, a detection unit disposed between the irradiation unit and the rotary tub 1 which detects the intensity of reflection waves reflected from the rotary tub 1, and a moisture content estimation device which estimates the moisture content contained in the object to be dried accommodated in the rotary tub 1, based on the intensity of the reflection waves detected by the detection unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a dryer for drying an object to be dried such as clothes, a water content estimation device that can be used in the dryer, and a water content estimation program.

  As a method for increasing the drying performance of a clothes dryer or a washer / dryer, there is a method of using a microwave as a heat source for heating the moisture of clothes (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). According to this method, by irradiating clothes with microwaves and directly heating the water content of the clothes, the water content of the clothes can be quickly evaporated. Therefore, clothes can be dried in a short time.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a conventional clothes dryer described in Patent Document 1. This clothes dryer includes a microwave irradiator 101 for irradiating clothes with microwaves, a clothes store 102 for storing clothes, a blower 103 for taking in outside air into the clothes store 102 and sending out air in the clothes store 102, and clothes. Heater 104 for drying the microwave, microwave control means 105 for controlling the microwave irradiating means 101, microwave reflection detecting means 106 for detecting the state of reflection of the microwave, and control for controlling the microwave control means 105. The circuit 107 is provided.

  The clothes dryer having this configuration can shorten the drying time of the clothes when the water content of the clothes is about 30% or less by directly heating the water attached to the clothes fibers by the microwave. Further, when the clothing is provided with a metal button or the like, it is possible to detect that an abnormality has occurred in the reflected wave of the microwave and stop the irradiation of the microwave.

JP, 2008-000249, A

  The present inventors have proposed a technique for estimating the amount of water contained in an object to be dried in order to appropriately control the dryer, such as suppressing the generation of sparks from a metal such as a button attached to clothes to be dried. The present invention has been conceived as a problem by recognizing that there is a need.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for more accurately estimating the amount of water contained in an object to be dried.

  In order to solve the above problems, a dryer according to an aspect of the present invention is a tank for containing an object to be dried, a heating unit for heating an object to be dried contained in the tank, and an electromagnetic wave having a plurality of different frequencies. Based on the intensity of the reflected wave detected by the detector, the detector that detects the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank and the irradiation unit that is provided between the irradiation unit and the tank. And a moisture amount estimation unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the dried object.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a water content estimation device. This device is obtained by the intensity acquisition unit that acquires the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank when the electromagnetic waves of different frequencies are applied to the tank that contains the object to be dried, and the intensity acquisition unit. And a moisture amount estimation unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above constituent elements and one obtained by converting the expression of the present invention among methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for more accurately estimating the amount of water contained in an object to be dried.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the washing-drying machine which concerns on Embodiment 1 roughly. It is a figure which shows the structure of the microwave heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1. It is a figure which shows the structure of the microwave control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1. It is a figure which shows the example of the intensity | strength of the reflected wave detected by the microwave detection part. It is a figure which shows the example of adjustment of the output of the microwave irradiation part by an output adjustment part. It is a figure which shows the structure of the microwave control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2. It is a figure which shows the example of the intensity of the reflected wave detected by the microwave detection part of the washing-drying machine which concerns on Embodiment 2. It is a figure which shows the average value of the intensity | strength of the reflected wave detected by the microwave detection part of the washing-drying machine which concerns on Embodiment 2, and the water content. It is a figure which shows the structure of the microwave heating apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3. It is a figure which shows the structure of the microwave control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3. It is a figure which shows the structure of the washing-drying machine which concerns on Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the structure of the water content estimation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4. It is a figure which shows the structure of the microwave control apparatus with which the water content estimation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 is equipped. It is a block diagram of the conventional clothes dryer described in patent document 1.

  A dryer according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a tank for containing an object to be dried, a heating unit for heating an object to be dried contained in the tank, an irradiation unit for irradiating the tank with electromagnetic waves having different frequencies, and an irradiation unit. And a detection unit that is provided between the tank and the detection unit for detecting the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank, and contained in the drying target contained in the tank based on the intensity of the reflected wave detected by the detection unit. A water content estimation unit that estimates the water content. According to this aspect, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried can be more accurately estimated. Further, the drying process can be terminated when the amount of water has decreased to a predetermined value which is considered to be the completion of drying.

  2nd invention is based on the intensity | strength of the reflected wave reflected from the tank in the 1st invention, or the intensity | strength of the electromagnetic wave with which the tank was irradiated, and the reflected wave reflected from the tank. It is configured to estimate the amount of water contained in the object to be dried, based on the ratio to the strength of. According to this aspect, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried can be more accurately estimated.

  In a third aspect based on the first or second aspect, the moisture content estimating unit determines the average of the intensities of different electromagnetic waves with which the tank is irradiated and the intensity of each reflected wave of electromagnetic waves of different frequencies. It is configured to estimate the amount of water based on the ratio to the average. According to this aspect, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried can be more accurately estimated.

  In a fourth invention according to any one of the first to third inventions, the irradiation unit irradiates the tank with an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band, and the detection unit is 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band. It is configured to detect the intensity of the reflected wave of the frequency of. According to this aspect, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried can be estimated by using the microwave in the frequency band in which the microwave heating device can be used.

  The water content estimation apparatus of the fifth invention includes an intensity acquisition unit that acquires the intensities of the reflected waves reflected from the tank when the electromagnetic waves of different frequencies are applied to the tank that contains the object to be dried, And a moisture amount estimating unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquiring unit. According to this aspect, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried can be more accurately estimated. Further, the drying process can be terminated when the amount of water has decreased to a predetermined value which is considered to be the completion of drying.

  A water content estimation program according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a program for acquiring the intensity of a computer that acquires the intensities of reflected waves reflected from a tank when an electromagnetic wave having a plurality of different frequencies is applied to the tank that contains an object to be dried. And a moisture amount estimating unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried, based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquiring unit. According to this aspect, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried can be more accurately estimated.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Further, there is no problem in combining the contents described in the plurality of embodiments within a possible range.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the washer / dryer according to the first embodiment. The washing / drying machine 50 of the present embodiment has a function of washing and drying laundry such as clothes, and can be used as a washing machine that performs only a washing function or a dryer that only performs a drying function. It also functions as a washer / dryer that performs the washing and drying functions.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the washer / dryer 50 includes a water tank 3 having a bottomed cylindrical shape in which washing water is stored. The water tank 3 is swingably supported in the housing 2 (main body) by a damper 4 provided below the water tank 3. A rotary tub 1 in which laundry such as clothes (also referred to as “drying target” when referring to a drying function) is housed is rotatably provided in a water tub 3. This rotary tank 1 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. The rotary tank 1 is provided with its rotation axis inclined forward and upward with respect to the horizontal.

  A drive motor 6 is attached to the back surface of the water tank 3. The drive motor 6 rotates the rotary tank 1 in the forward and reverse directions about the rotation axis. The washer / dryer 50 drives the drive motor 6 to rotate to rotate the rotary tub 1, thereby washing and washing the laundry stored in the rotary tub 1 with stirring, rinsing, and drying.

  A door body 5 is provided at the front part of the housing 2 so as to face the open end sides of the rotary tank 1 and the water tank 3. A user can put laundry in (clothes) in and out of the rotary tub 1 by opening the door 5.

  Further, an elastic sealing member is provided along the entire circumference at the edge of the front opening of the water tank 3. When the user closes the door body 5, the seal member is pressed by the door body 5 and elastically deformed, whereby the watertightness and airtightness of the water tank 3 to the outside of the machine are secured.

  The water supply pipe 13 is connected to the upper part of the water tank 3. The water supply valve 12 is provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 13. The water supply valve 12 supplies water into the water tank 3 via the water supply pipe 13. A drain pipe 11 is connected to the bottom of the water tank 3. The drain valve 10 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 11. The drain valve 10 discharges the water in the water tank 3 to the outside of the machine via the drain pipe 11.

  A damper 4 is provided below the water tank 3. The damper 4 supports the water tank 3 and damps vibrations of the water tank 3 caused by uneven distribution of clothes in the rotary tank 1 during dehydration and the like. A cloth amount detector (not shown) is attached to the damper 4. The cloth amount detection unit detects the amount of displacement in which the shaft of the damper 4 is vertically displaced due to a change in weight due to clothes or the like in the rotary tub 1. The washer / dryer detects the amount of clothes in the rotary tub 1 based on the amount of displacement detected by the cloth amount detector.

  The washer / dryer 50 also includes a circulation air passage 7 for circulating the air in the water tub 3 and the rotary tub 1, and a microwave heating device 30 for heating the moisture of the clothes in the rotary tub 1. The microwave heating device 30 that constitutes a heating unit that heats the object to be dried irradiates microwaves from the microwave irradiation port 32 provided in the water tank 3 to heat the moisture of the clothes in the rotary tank 1.

  The circulation air passage 7 is configured as an air circulation air passage for drying clothes in the drying process. A water tank 3 and a rotary tank 1 are included in the air circulation air passage. The circulation air passage 7 is connected to an outlet 8 (drying air outlet) provided on the upper side surface of the water tank 3, an outlet 9 (drying air outlet) provided on the rear side surface of the water tank 3, and the water tank 3. It is provided by connecting.

  The blower fan 16 is provided in the circulation air passage 7 as a blower. The blower fan 16 circulates the drying air in the water tank 3 and the rotary tank 1 in the circulation air passage 7.

  An intake air passage 14 and an exhaust air passage 15 are connected to the circulation air passage 7, respectively. The intake air passage 14 takes in the air in the housing 2 into the circulation air passage 7. The exhaust air passage 15 discharges the air in the circulation air passage 7 to the outside of the circulation air passage 7. The ends of the intake air passage 14 and the exhaust air passage 15 that are not connected to the circulation air passage 7 are open to the outside of the circulation air passage 7. The exhaust air passage 15 is provided upstream of the intake air passage 14 in the flow of the drying air. Further, the air may be discharged to the outside of the circulation air passage 7 through the drain pipe 11 without providing the exhaust air passage 15.

  A heater 17 for heating the drying air is incorporated in the circulation air passage 7. The heater 17 is provided downstream of the intake air passage 14 and in front of the outlet of the water tank 3. Like the microwave heating device 30, the heater 17 also constitutes a heating unit for heating an object to be dried, and is energized simultaneously with the microwave heating device 30 or in place of the microwave heating device 30. As a method of heating the object to be dried by the heating unit, a method of directly heating by microwaves, a method of heating the circulating air by a heater or the like, or a method of heating the inner wall of the rotary tank 1 indirectly is performed. There is a method, etc., and there is no particular limitation.

  The washing / drying machine 50 of the present embodiment dries an object to be dried with microwaves that are radiated from the microwave heating device 30 to the rotary tub 1 through the microwave irradiation port 32. When a metal such as a button or a fastener is attached and sparks are generated, or when there is a high possibility that sparks are generated, the microwave heating device 30 reduces the output of microwaves applied to the rotary tank 1, or Stop and switch to drying by the heater 17.

  Next, the flow of dry air will be described. When the blower fan 16 is driven, the drying air that has become humid due to the moisture taken from the laundry in the rotary tub 1 passes through the exhaust port 9 provided at the lower portion of the side surface of the water tub 3 and circulates. It flows into the passage 7 or the exhaust air passage 15. If the exhaust air passage 15 is not provided, the air flows into the circulation air passage 7 or the drain pipe 11. The air flowing into the exhaust air passage 15 is exhausted to the outside of the circulation air passage 7. On the other hand, the air that has flowed into the circulation air passage 7 is sent toward the heater 17 by the blower fan 16 and is heated by the heater 17 when the heater 17 is operating.

  The intake air passage 14 is provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage 7 on the intake side of the blower fan 16. The intake air passage 14 is also provided so as to communicate with the circulation air passage 7 on the upstream side of the heater 17. Therefore, the air outside the circulation air passage 7 that is taken in from the intake air passage 14 is mixed with the drying air that has flowed to the circulation air passage 7 side, and then passes through the heater 17. At this time, when the heater is operating, the mixed air is heated by the heater 17. Further, since the air outside the circulation air passage 7 is mixed with the drying air, the humidity of the drying air after mixing becomes lower than that before mixing.

  The air that has passed through the heater 17 passes through the air outlet 8 and is blown out into the rotary tank 1 again. In addition, in the clothes dryer which does not have a washing function, the water tank 3 which collects washing water, the water supply valve 12, the water supply pipe 13, and the drain valve 10 are not provided. The rotating tank 1 and the circulating air passage 7 are connected so that the rotating tank 1 slides on a seal member such as felt.

  The inflow temperature detection unit 18 is provided in the circulation air passage 7 near the air outlet 8 or near the heater 17. The inflow temperature detection unit 18 detects the temperature of the drying air flowing into the rotary tank 1. The inflow temperature detection unit 18 is composed of, for example, a thermistor or the like.

  The control device 20 is provided in the housing 2. The control device 20 controls the blower fan 16, the microwave heating device 30, and the like. The control device 20 also controls the drive motor 6, the water supply valve 12, the drain valve 10, and the like to sequentially execute the steps of cleaning, rinsing, and drying.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the microwave heating device 30 according to the first embodiment. The microwave heating device 30 includes a microwave irradiation unit 31 that irradiates microwaves, a waveguide 34 that guides the irradiated microwaves, and a microwave irradiation port 32 that is provided in the water tank 3 at the tip of the waveguide 34. A microwave control device 40 for adjusting the output of the microwave radiated from the microwave irradiator 31 and the microwave reflected by the rotary tank 1 provided between the microwave irradiator 31 and the microwave irradiator 32. Is provided between the reflection part 33 and the microwave irradiation port 32, and the microwave is provided at a position between the reflection part 33 and the microwave irradiation port 32. It has a microwave detector 36 for detecting the intensity of the wave.

  The microwave irradiation unit 31 is a microwave oscillator such as a magnetron, and oscillates an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band that can be used by the microwave heating device. It should be noted that it is not limited to the 2.45 GHz band assigned as the ISM (Industry Science Medical) band, and electromagnetic waves having a frequency such as the 915 MHz band similarly assigned may be used. The microwave irradiating unit 31 irradiates the microwave whose output is adjusted by the microwave control device 40. The irradiated microwave is irradiated through the waveguide 34 and the microwave irradiation port 32 into the rotating rotary tank 1 to heat the moisture contained in the object to be dried such as clothes. At this time, by blowing the drying air from the blower fan 16 to the clothes in the rotary tub 1, the moisture evaporated from the object to be dried is discharged from the discharge port 9 through the exhaust air duct 15 to the outside of the water tub 3 together with the drying air. Is discharged to. Alternatively, it is discharged to the outside of the water tank 3 through the drain pipe 11. This promotes the drying of the clothes.

  Among the microwaves radiated in the rotary tank 1, a part of the microwaves not absorbed by the water contained in the object to be dried is radiated as a reflected wave from the rotary tank 1 through the microwave irradiation port 32. Return to part 31. The microwave returned to the microwave irradiator 31 is converted into heat and processed as waste heat.

  The microwave detection unit 36 is capable of detecting microwaves having a frequency in the 2.45 GHz band emitted by the microwave irradiation unit 31, and detects the intensity of reflected waves reflected from the rotary tank 1 and returning to the microwave irradiation unit 31. To do. As will be described later, when estimating the amount of water contained in the object to be dried, based on the ratio of the intensity of the electromagnetic wave applied to the rotary tank 1 to the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the rotary tank 1. The microwave detection unit 36 also detects the intensity of microwaves applied to the rotary tank 1. In this case, the microwave detection unit 36 is, like a general directional coupler, the intensity of the incident wave of the microwave traveling from the microwave irradiation unit 31 toward the rotary tank 1 and the microwave irradiation from the rotary tank 1. It may be possible to separately detect the intensity of the reflected wave of the microwave traveling in the direction of the portion 31. Further, a plurality of microwave detection units 36 may be provided so that the incident wave and the reflected wave can be detected separately.

  The reflection unit 33 reflects a part or all of the reflected wave reflected from the rotary tank 1 and traveling in the direction returning to the microwave irradiation unit 31, and rotates again together with the microwave irradiated from the microwave irradiation unit 31. It is made to enter the tank 1. Thereby, energy loss can be reduced and the drying time can be shortened. Since the microwave detection unit 36 is installed between the rotating tank 1 and the reflecting unit 33, the intensity of the reflected wave of the microwave reflected from the rotating tank 1 can be accurately measured without being affected by the reflecting unit 33. It can be detected well.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the microwave control device 40 according to the first embodiment. The microwave control device 40 is realized by hardware such as a microcomputer, a microcontroller, and an integrated circuit.

  The microwave control device 40 includes an intensity acquisition unit 41, an output adjustment unit 42, and a water content estimation unit 43. These configurations are realized in terms of hardware by a CPU, a memory, and other LSIs of an arbitrary computer, and in terms of software by a program loaded in the memory. It depicts the functional blocks realized by. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms such as hardware alone or a combination of hardware and software.

  The microwave control device 40 controls the microwave irradiation unit 31 according to an instruction from the control device 20 in the cleaning process, the rinsing process, or the drying process controlled by the control device 20. The microwave control device 40 heats the wash water in the washing step, heats the rinse water in the rinsing step, heats the moisture contained in the drying object in the drying step, and changes the laundry or the drying object. In order to sterilize the attached bacteria by heating, the microwave irradiation unit 31 irradiates the rotary tank 1 with microwaves. When heating the wash water or the rinse water, microwaves may be applied to the water tank 3 in which they are stored.

  The intensity acquisition unit 41 acquires the intensity of the microwave detected by the microwave detection unit 36. The output adjustment unit 42 adjusts the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 according to the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit 41. Specifically, the output adjustment unit 42 reduces the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 when the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit 41 exceeds a predetermined value. This makes it possible to accurately detect the increase in the electric field strength in the rotary tank 1 and lower the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31, so that the generation of sparks due to the metal contained in the object to be dried in the rotary tank 1 is prevented. Can be suppressed.

  The water content estimation unit 43 determines the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the rotary tank 1 or the ratio of the intensity of the incident wave applied to the rotary tank 1 to the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the rotary tank 1. Based on the above, the amount of water contained in the object to be dried is estimated. For example, when based on the ratio of the intensities of the incident wave and the reflected wave, the water content estimation unit 43 acquires the intensity of the incident wave and the intensity of the reflected wave from the microwave detection unit 36 that can independently detect the intensity by the intensity acquisition unit 41. Remaining from the intensity ratio of the incident wave and the reflected wave by using a mathematical expression whose variable is the ratio of the intensity of the incident wave and the intensity of the reflected wave, or a table or graph showing the correspondence relationship between the intensity ratio and the water content. Estimate the water content. A mathematical expression, a table, or a graph for estimating the water content from the intensity ratio of the incident wave and the reflected wave is stored in advance in the storage device provided in the microwave control device 40.

  The output adjustment unit 42 may decrease the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 when the amount of water estimated by the water amount estimation unit 43 falls below a predetermined value. When the amount of water contained in the object to be dried in the rotary tank 1 decreases, the amount of microwaves absorbed by the water decreases, so if the microwave of the same intensity is continuously irradiated into the rotary tank 1, The electric field strength in 1 becomes high, and sparks easily occur. Even in such a case, the possibility of sparks can be reduced by reducing the output of the microwave radiated in the rotary tank 1. Since the amount of water is calculated based on the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit 41, the output adjustment unit 42 also determines the amount of water according to the intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit 41. This means that the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 is adjusted.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the intensity and water content of the reflected wave detected by the microwave detector 36. The microwave output is constant. The water content can be obtained, for example, from the weight of the object to be dried measured by a load cell or the like provided in the rotary tank 1. As the water content of the object to be dried decreases, the amount of water that absorbs the microwave applied to the rotary tank 1 decreases. As a result, the strength of the electric field in the rotary tank 1 increases and the strength of the reflected wave also increases. When the electric field strength in the rotary tank 1 rises, the possibility that sparks are generated by the metal present in the rotary tank 1 also increases. Therefore, the output adjusting unit 42 is so high that the electric field strength in the rotary tank 1 produces sparks. Before that, the output of the microwave radiated into the rotary tank 1 is lowered. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of sparks while maintaining the drying efficiency. The water content estimation unit 43 may calculate the degree of drying of the object to be dried, and the output adjustment unit 42 may adjust the microwave output based on this degree.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the adjustment of the output of the microwave irradiator 31 by the output adjuster 42 for the object to be dried and the drying time. While the object to be dried contains a relatively large amount of water after the drying step is started, most of the electromagnetic waves applied to the rotary tank 1 are absorbed by the water and contribute to heating. The electric field strength inside is not too high, and the reflected wave strength is also low. At this time, even if the object to be dried has a metal button, a fastener, or the like, the possibility of sparking is low, so electromagnetic waves of arbitrary output may be irradiated from the microwave irradiation unit 31. The output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 is the amount of water estimated to be contained in the object to be dried, the weight of the object to be dried measured by the load cell or the like provided in the rotary tank 1, the drying time set by the user. , Room temperature, humidity, etc.

  When the amount of water estimated by the water amount estimation unit 43 falls below a predetermined value, the output adjustment unit 42 lowers the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31. The output adjustment unit 42 may decrease the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 in stages by using a plurality of threshold values, as shown in FIG. In addition, the output adjustment unit 42 may continuously decrease the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 as the amount of water decreases.

  Similarly, when the output adjustment unit 42 adjusts the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 according to the intensity of the reflected wave, the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 is lowered when the intensity of the reflected wave exceeds a predetermined value. The output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 may be reduced stepwise by using a plurality of thresholds, or the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 may be continuously reduced as the intensity of the reflected wave increases. . Conversely, when the intensity of the reflected wave decreases, the output adjustment unit 42 may increase the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 to improve the drying efficiency.

  The water content estimated by the water content estimation unit 43 may be used by the control device 20 to control the operation of the washer / dryer 50. For example, the control device 20 may stop the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 and end the drying process when the amount of water has decreased to a predetermined value that is considered to be the completion of drying. The threshold value of the water content for determining whether or not to finish the drying process may be set according to the type of the object to be dried, or may be set by the user. For example, if you want to leave a relatively large amount of water contained and finish it with a moist feel, set a high threshold value, and the amount of water contained in the object to be dried is relatively high. The drying may be terminated with. In addition, for example, the control device 20 may stop the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 and then perform the air blowing operation, and then terminate the drying process.

  Thus, according to the electric field strength in the rotary tank 1 estimated from the intensity of the reflected wave and the water content in the rotary tank 1 estimated from the intensity ratio of the incident wave and the reflected wave, the microwave irradiation unit 31 By adjusting the output, it is possible to prevent the electric field strength in the rotary tank 1 from becoming excessively high and suppress the occurrence of sparks. In addition, it is possible to directly heat the moisture contained in the object to be dried by the microwave while appropriately suppressing the sparks from the metal attached to the object to be dried in the entire drying process. It is possible to improve and shorten the drying time. Then, when the amount of water has decreased to a predetermined value for completion of drying, the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 can be stopped and the drying process can be ended.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the microwave control device 40 according to the second embodiment. The microwave control device 40 according to the second embodiment is similar to the microwave control device 40 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 except that the microwave irradiation unit 31 applies microwaves to the rotary tank 1. A frequency changing unit 44 that changes the frequency is provided. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the first embodiment, it has been assumed that a microwave oscillator whose frequency is not variable, such as a magnetron, is used as the microwave irradiation unit 31. Therefore, the microwave detecting unit 36 detects the intensity of the reflected wave when the microwave irradiating unit 31 irradiates the microwave with a constant frequency. However, in the second embodiment, a semiconductor element or the like capable of oscillating microwaves of different frequencies is used as the microwave irradiation unit 31, and the microwave irradiation unit 31 irradiates the rotary tank 1 with the frequency of the microwave. It can be changed by the changing unit 44. Therefore, the microwave detection unit 36 detects the reflected waves when the rotary tank 1 is irradiated with microwaves having a plurality of different frequencies.

  The frequency changing unit 44 changes the frequency of the microwave radiated from the microwave radiating unit 31 to the rotary tank 1 at any timing during the cleaning, rinsing, or drying operation. As a result, the propagation path of the microwave radiated in the rotary tank 1 changes, the angle at which the microwave is irradiated to the object to be dried, and the intensity distribution of the microwave in the rotary tank 1 change. The wave strength also changes accordingly.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of the frequency and intensity of the reflected wave detected by the microwave detection unit 36 of the washer / dryer 50 according to the second embodiment. The microwave output is constant. 7A and 7B show intensity distributions of reflected waves 20 minutes and 60 minutes after the start of microwave irradiation, respectively. As the irradiation time of the microwave increases, the intensity of the reflected wave generally becomes stronger, but the position and shape of the peak of the intensity of the reflected wave change. Therefore, if attention is paid to a specific frequency, there is a frequency where the intensity does not increase with the passage of irradiation time. When only the reflected wave of such a frequency is detected by the microwave detection unit 36, it may not be possible to accurately estimate the water content.

  Furthermore, since the propagation path of the microwave radiated from the microwave irradiator 31 to the rotary tank 1 differs depending on the frequency, the intensity of the reflected wave returning to the microwave irradiator 31 without being absorbed by water in the rotary tank 1 is It depends not only on the amount of water contained in the object to be dried in the rotary tank 1, but also on the position of the object to be dried in the rotary tank 1 and the distribution of water. Therefore, there is an error in the correlation between the electric field strength or the water content in the rotary tank 1 and the intensity of the reflected wave detected by the microwave detection unit 36 depending on the distribution condition of the object to be dried and the water content in the rotary tank 1. Can occur.

  In the present embodiment, the intensity acquisition unit 41 respectively acquires the intensity of the reflected wave when the rotary tank 1 is irradiated with microwaves of different frequencies from the microwave irradiation unit 31 by the frequency changing unit 44. The output adjusting unit 42 adjusts the output of the microwave based on the acquired average value or integrated value of the intensities of the reflected waves. As a result, it is possible to smooth the fluctuation of the intensity of the reflected wave caused by the change of the object to be dried and the distribution of the water content, so that it is possible to more accurately estimate the electric field strength and the water content in the rotary tank 1. The microwave output can be adjusted more appropriately. Furthermore, by repeating the above-described operation of acquiring the intensity of the reflected wave at a plurality of frequencies and smoothing it a plurality of times in a short time, it is possible to more accurately estimate the water content and adjust the microwave output.

  FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the average value of the intensities of the reflected waves detected by the microwave detection unit 36 of the washer / dryer 50 according to the second embodiment and the water content. The microwave output is constant. The relationship between the average value of the reflected wave intensity and the water content when 100%, 50%, and 25% of the clothes are dried with respect to the rated capacity of the washer / dryer 50 is almost the same. It was shown that the same curve can be used to estimate the water content from the average value of the reflected wave intensity.

  The frequency changing unit 44 causes the microwave irradiating unit 31 to irradiate the rotary tank 1 with microwaves having different frequencies at predetermined timing, for example, at regular intervals during the cleaning, rinsing, or drying operation. The frequency changing unit 44 may change the frequency stepwise or continuously at predetermined intervals and scan a predetermined range. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the frequency may be scanned in a predetermined range around 2.45 GHz. In this case, considering the ISM band, it is possible in the range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz. The intensity acquisition unit 41 acquires the intensity of the reflected wave from the microwave detection unit 36 when the microwave of each frequency is applied to the rotary tank 1. The water content estimation unit 43 calculates the average value of the reflected waves of different frequencies and estimates the water content using the approximate equation of the curve shown in FIG. The output adjustment unit 42 adjusts the output of the microwave irradiation unit 31 according to the water content estimated by the water content estimation unit 43.

  As described above, according to the technique of the present embodiment, the amount of water in the rotary tank 1 can be more accurately estimated, so that the electric field strength in the rotary tank 1 can be prevented from becoming excessively high, and the spark can be prevented. Occurrence can be suppressed. In addition, it is possible to directly heat the moisture contained in the object to be dried by the microwave while appropriately suppressing the sparks from the metal attached to the object to be dried in the entire drying process. It is possible to improve and shorten the drying time.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the microwave heating device 30 according to the third embodiment. The microwave heating device 30 according to the third embodiment includes a second microwave irradiation unit 37 in addition to the configuration of the microwave heating device 30 shown in FIG. The second microwave irradiator 37 is a frequency variable microwave irradiator composed of a semiconductor element or the like, like the microwave irradiator 31 described in the second embodiment. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the microwave control device 40 according to the third embodiment. In the microwave control device 40 according to the third embodiment, the microwave irradiation unit 31 is configured by a magnetron or the like in which the frequency of the oscillating microwave is not variable, like the microwave irradiation unit 31 of the first embodiment. The microwave in the 2.45 GHz band is applied to the rotary tank 1 to heat the water in the rotary tank 1. The second microwave irradiator 37 is composed of a semiconductor element or the like in which the frequency of the oscillating microwave is variable, like the microwave irradiator 31 of the second embodiment. Used to estimate strength and water content.

  In the third embodiment, the second microwave irradiation section 37 is provided separately from the microwave irradiation section 31. The installation place of the second microwave irradiation unit 37 is not particularly limited as long as it is a place where the rotary tank 1 can be irradiated with microwaves. The second microwave irradiator 37 may irradiate the rotary tank 1 with an electromagnetic wave having a frequency different from the microwave of the 2.45 GHz band which the microwave irradiator 31 irradiates the rotary tank 1. The electromagnetic wave with which the second microwave irradiator 37 irradiates the rotary tank 1 in order to estimate the amount of water in the rotary tank 1 is an electromagnetic wave of any frequency as long as it is an electromagnetic wave that can be absorbed by water. Good. Specifically, an electromagnetic wave of 10 MHz to 25 GHz in which the frequency band of the ISM band exists is preferable.

  The second microwave irradiator 37 may irradiate the rotary tank 1 with an electromagnetic wave having a lower intensity than the microwave irradiator 31. The second microwave irradiator 37 is not provided to heat the water in the rotary tank 1, so that the microwave having the intensity required to heat the water in the rotary tank 1 is supplied to the rotary tank 1. It is not necessary to irradiate 1 on the rotary tank 1. It is sufficient to irradiate the rotary tank 1 with microwaves having an intensity that allows the microwave detection unit 36 to detect a reflected wave. Therefore, as the second microwave irradiation section 37, a small-sized and low-power semiconductor element can be used. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the washer / dryer 50 can be reduced.

[Embodiment 4]
FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the washer / dryer 50 according to the fourth embodiment. The washer / dryer 50 according to the fourth embodiment includes a water content estimation device 60 in place of the microwave heating device 30 in the configuration of the washer / dryer 50 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

  FIG. 12 shows the configuration of the water content estimation device 60 according to the fourth embodiment. The water content estimation apparatus 60 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the microwave heating apparatus 30 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 9 except that the microwave irradiation unit 31 and the reflection unit 33 are omitted.

  FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the microwave control device 40 provided in the water content estimation device 60 according to the fourth embodiment. The microwave control device 40 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the microwave control device 40 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10 except that the output adjusting unit 42 is omitted.

  Like the conventional dryer, the washer / dryer 50 according to the fourth embodiment is for drying the object to be dried by blowing the dry air heated by the heater 17 into the rotary tank 1. The second microwave irradiator 37 is used to estimate the amount of water contained in. As described in the second embodiment, it is desirable that the second microwave irradiator 37 be composed of a semiconductor element or the like that can change the frequency of the oscillating microwave. Further, the frequency of the microwave oscillated by the magnetron may be modulated by a frequency modulator or the like. This makes it possible to estimate the amount of water contained in the object to be dried with higher accuracy. A semiconductor element is generally more expensive than a microwave oscillator such as a magnetron, but as described in the third embodiment, a relatively inexpensive low-power semiconductor element is used as the second microwave irradiation section 37. Since this is possible, the manufacturing cost of the washer / dryer 50 can be suppressed.

  The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that this embodiment is an exemplification, and that various modifications can be made to the combinations of the respective constituent elements and the respective processing processes, and that such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. .

  The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the drum type clothes dryer (washer / dryer) described in the above embodiment. For example, it may be applied to a hanging and drying type other than the drum type, a vertical pulsator type washer / dryer, or the like.

  1 rotary tank, 2 housing, 3 water tank, 4 damper, 5 door body, 6 drive motor, 7 circulation air passage, 8 outlet, 9 outlet, 10 drain valve, 11 drain pipe, 12 water supply valve, 13 water supply pipe , 14 intake air passage, 15 exhaust air passage, 16 blower fan, 17 heater, 18 inflow temperature detection unit, 20 control device, 30 microwave heating device, 31 microwave irradiation unit, 32 microwave irradiation port, 33 reflection unit, 34 waveguide, 36 microwave detection unit, 37 second microwave irradiation unit, 40 microwave control device, 41 intensity acquisition unit, 42 output adjustment unit, 43 water content estimation unit, 44 frequency change unit, 50 washing and drying Machine, 60 Water content estimation device.

Claims (6)

A tank containing the object to be dried,
A heating unit for heating the object to be dried contained in the tank,
An irradiation unit that irradiates the tank with electromagnetic waves of different frequencies,
A detection unit provided between the irradiation unit and the tank, for detecting the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank,
Based on the intensity of the reflected wave detected by the detection unit, a moisture amount estimation unit that estimates the amount of moisture contained in the drying target accommodated in the tank,
A dryer comprising:   The water content estimation unit is based on the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank, or based on the ratio of the intensity of the electromagnetic wave applied to the tank and the intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the tank. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water contained in the object to be dried is estimated. The water content estimation unit determines the water content based on the ratio of the average of the intensities of different electromagnetic waves with which the tank is irradiated and the average of the intensities of reflected waves of electromagnetic waves of different frequencies. It estimates, The dryer of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The irradiation unit irradiates the tank with an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band,
The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit detects the intensity of a reflected wave having a frequency of 2.45 GHz band or 915 MHz band. When the tank containing the object to be dried is irradiated with electromagnetic waves of different frequencies, an intensity acquisition unit that acquires the intensities of the reflected waves reflected from the tank, respectively,
Based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit, a water content estimation unit that estimates the amount of water contained in the drying object,
A water content estimation device comprising: Computer,
When electromagnetic waves of different frequencies are radiated to the tank containing the object to be dried, an intensity acquisition unit that acquires the intensities of the reflected waves reflected from the tank, respectively.
Based on the intensity of each reflected wave acquired by the intensity acquisition unit, a water content estimation unit that estimates the amount of water contained in the object to be dried,
Water content estimation program to function as.