JP2020137593A - Blower - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a blower which estimates drying time of clothing from water content and ambient temperature and humidity, and notifies it to a user.SOLUTION: On the basis of water content of an object calculated by comparing the strength of light of two wavelengths received by a light receiving part in a water content sensor, ambient temperature measured by a temperature sensor, and ambient humidity measured by a humidity sensor, drying time of an object is estimated and it is displayed in a display part. Thereby, a blower can be provided in which the drying time is displayed according to the difference of the water content by the raw material, thickness and the like of the object from the time of the first water content detection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a blower used for drying laundry that has been dried indoors by blowing wind toward an object.

In recent years, as lifestyles have changed, there have been increasing demands for indoor drying of laundry at any time. Based on this, there is an increasing demand for blowers that use indoor and non-residential areas as a place to dry laundry.

Various control devices for blowers have already been devised, and an infrared sensor is used to create a temperature distribution in the room, the position of the object to be dried is specified from the temperature distribution, and dehumidified air is blown toward that position. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, there is a method of estimating the drying time of the object to be dried by measuring the temperature and humidity in the room using a temperature / humidity sensor and calculating the absolute humidity in the vicinity of the object to be dried (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

In Patent Document 1, a flap for adjusting the wind direction in the left-right direction and an infrared sensor are installed in the blower. Then, it is determined from the temperature distribution by the infrared sensor which of the three detection ranges of the front right side, the front center, and the front left side of the blower contains the object to be dried. Further, the movable range of the flap of the blower is controlled so that the dehumidified air is blown in a concentrated manner in the determined detection range.

In Patent Document 2, the absolute humidity in the vicinity of the object to be dried is estimated from the ambient temperature and humidity in the room measured by the temperature / humidity sensor, and the drying rate is calculated from the difference between the vicinity of the object to be dried and the absolute humidity in the indoor atmosphere. Then, based on the amount of the object to be dried and the drying speed that can be arbitrarily set by the user, the time until the determination of drying is calculated and displayed on the main body.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-12604 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-181585

In the conventional blower, the object is determined by the temperature distribution in the room. In drying clothes, if the amount of water differs depending on the material, thickness, etc. of the clothes, the drying time may differ even in the same temperature and humidity environment, and the drying time may not be estimated accurately. .. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a blower for grasping the amount of water retained by the material and thickness of an object and estimating the optimum drying time. ..

In order to solve the above problems, the blower according to one aspect of the present invention has a suction port for sucking air from the main body and the outside of the main body into the main body, and an outlet for blowing air sucked from the suction port to the outside of the main body. The air blower that conveys air from the suction port to the air outlet, the water content sensor that calculates the amount of water contained in the object, and the object that controls the operation of the air blower and is calculated by the water content sensor. It is provided with a control unit that calculates the drying time required to dry the object based on the amount of water contained, and a display unit that displays the estimated drying time estimated by the control unit, thereby providing an initial purpose. Is to be achieved.

According to the blower of the present invention, it is possible to accurately grasp the content of water content depending on the material and thickness of the object, and to estimate the optimum drying time.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the blower. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion of the blower. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a control configuration of the blower. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the absorption spectra of water and water vapor in the water content sensor of the blower and the wavelength of light. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flowchart for calculating the drying time of the blower. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the water content of the object in the control unit of the blower and the drying time of the blower. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a table showing the relationship between the water content, temperature / humidity information, and drying time in the drying time storage unit of the blower.

The blower of the present invention has a suction port that sucks air outside the main body into the main body, an outlet that blows air sucked from the suction port to the outside of the main body, a blower that conveys air from the suction port to the outlet, and a drying target. The moisture content sensor that calculates the amount of water contained in the object and the operation of the blower are controlled, and the drying time required to dry the object is estimated based on the moisture content of the object calculated by the moisture sensor. It is a blower having a control unit for controlling the air and a display unit for displaying the drying time estimated by the control unit.

Thereby, the accuracy of the drying time can be improved by estimating the drying time from the water content of the object.

Further, the water content sensor includes a light emitting unit that emits detection light having a wavelength that is absorbed by water toward an object and reference light having a wavelength that is less likely to be absorbed by water than the detection light. Based on the ratio of the light receiving part that receives the detection light reflected from the object and the reference light reflected from the object, the intensity of the detection light detected by the light receiving part, and the intensity of the reference light detected by the light receiving part. It has a water content calculation unit that calculates the water content contained in the object.

As a result, the intensity of the light reflected on the object can be directly detected, and the difference in the amount of water depending on the material and thickness of the object can be discriminated.

In addition, the control unit is provided with a drying time storage unit that stores the drying time required for drying the object, which is set according to the amount of water contained in the object, and the drying time storage unit responds to the amount of water contained in the object. It has a configuration for estimating the set drying time.

This makes it possible to estimate and notify the drying time with higher accuracy in consideration of the difference in the amount of water depending on the material and thickness of the object.

Further, the drying time storage unit stores the drying time required for drying the object, which is set by using the amount of water contained in the object and the temperature / humidity information around the main body, and the control unit stores the drying time storage unit. It has a configuration to estimate the drying time set according to the amount of water contained in the object and the temperature / humidity information around the main body.

This makes it possible to estimate and notify the drying time according to changes in the surrounding environment as well as the water content of the object.

In addition, it has a transmission unit that transmits the drying time calculated by the control unit to the communication terminal.

As a result, the estimated drying time of the object can be notified to the user who is away from the main body.

Hereinafter, the blower according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, each of the first embodiment described below shows a preferable specific example of the present invention, and shows a dehumidifier as an example. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement of components, connection modes, etc. shown in the first embodiment below are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the first embodiment below, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the highest level concept of the present invention will be described as arbitrary components.

Further, each figure is a schematic view and is not necessarily exactly illustrated. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like do not always match in each figure. Further, in each figure, substantially the same configuration is designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment 1)
[Blower 1] First, the blower 1 will be described. The blower can blow air toward the object 100, and includes, for example, a dehumidifier, a bath dryer, and the like. Here, a blower 1 having a blower function will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the blower 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the blower 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a blower portion 3 composed of a fan (not shown) is provided inside the main body 2 of the blower 1. The blower unit 3 guides the indoor air from the suction port 10 to the outlet 11. At this time, the indoor air taken in from the suction port 10 is blown into the room from the outlet 11 by the blower unit 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, above the main body 2, an air outlet 11 for blowing air from the air blowing unit 3 and a moisture sensor 12 for measuring the moisture content of the object are provided. Further, a suction port 10 for supplying air to the blower portion 3 is provided below the main body 2.

The main body 2 has a control unit 5, a temperature sensor 14 that measures the ambient temperature at a position where the indoor air around the main body 2 can be detected, a humidity sensor 15 that measures the ambient humidity, and a display unit 13 so that the user can see the display. Provide.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the water content sensor 12 is provided with a light emitting unit 7, a light receiving unit 8, and a water content calculation unit 56, and the light emitting unit 7 emits light toward the object 100 and reflects it. The light is received by the light receiving unit 8. The water content calculation unit 56 calculates the water content of the object 100 from the intensities of light of two wavelengths received by the light receiving unit 8.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the control unit 5 is composed of one or a plurality of microcontrollers. The control unit 5 stores the information of the amount of water contained in the object 100, the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor 14 and the humidity acquired by the humidity sensor 15 in association with the drying time required for the object to dry. The storage unit 81 is provided. Further, the control unit 5 includes a non-volatile memory in which the overall operation program of the blower 1 is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. Has.

Specifically, the control unit 5 contains the water content of the object 100 calculated by comparing the intensities of light of two wavelengths received by the light receiving unit 8, the ambient temperature acquired by the temperature sensor 14, and the humidity sensor. Based on the ambient humidity obtained in 15, the drying time of the object 100 is estimated and displayed on the display unit 13. As a result, the optimum drying time can be calculated according to the difference in the amount of water depending on the material and thickness of the object 100. That is, the moisture content sensor 12 calculates the moisture content of the object once, so that the accurate drying time can be displayed.

[Structure of the light emitting unit 7, the light receiving unit 8 and the control unit 5] Next, the outline of the configuration of the water content sensor 12 and the control unit 5 according to the first embodiment will be further described.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the light emitting unit 7 and the light receiving unit 8 and the object 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the blower 1 according to the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the light emitting unit 7 and the light receiving unit 8 detect the amount of water contained in the object 100 existing across the space by comparing two wavelengths having different wavelengths. To do. The amount of water contained in the object 100 is the water accumulated on the object 100 and the water permeated into the object 100.

In the following, each component will be described in detail.

[Light emitting unit 7] The light emitting unit 7 includes a detection light including a first wavelength band which is light having a wavelength absorbed by water, and a second wavelength band having a wavelength smaller than the first wavelength band absorbed by water. Light is emitted toward the object 100. Specifically, the light emitting unit 7 includes a light projecting lens 21 and a light source 22.

The light projecting lens 21 is a condensing lens that collects the light emitted by the light source 22 on the object 100. The projectile lens 21 is a convex lens made of resin, but is not limited to this.

The light source 22 is an LED (Light Emitting Mode) light source that includes a first wavelength band that forms a detection light and a second wavelength band that forms a reference light, and emits continuous light having a peak wavelength on the second wavelength band side. Specifically, the light source 22 is an LED light source made of a compound semiconductor.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing absorption spectra of water and water vapor. As shown in FIG. 5, water has absorption peaks at wavelengths of about 1450 nm and about 1940 nm. Water vapor has absorption peaks at wavelengths slightly lower than the absorption peak of water, specifically at wavelengths of about 1350 nm to 1400 nm and about 1800 nm to 1900 nm.

As the first wavelength band that forms the detection light, a wavelength band having a high absorbance of water is selected. As the second wavelength band that forms the reference light, a wavelength band in which the absorbance of water is smaller than that of the first wavelength band is selected. Then, as an example, the average wavelength of the second wavelength band is made longer than the average wavelength of the first wavelength body. The first wavelength body is not easily affected by water vapor. Further, regarding the center wavelength defined by the center value of the wavelength which is the half value of the maximum transmittance of the optical bandpass filter, for example, the center wavelength of the first wavelength band is 1450 nm and the center wavelength of the second wavelength band is 1700 nm. To do.

In this way, since the light source 22 irradiates the light including the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band continuously, the object 100 is provided with the detection light including the first wavelength band which is largely absorbed by water. Reference light is irradiated that includes a second wavelength band whose absorption by water is smaller than that of the first wavelength band.

[Light receiving unit 8] As shown in FIG. 3, in the light receiving unit 8, the reflected light RA1 irradiated by the light emitting unit 7 and reflected by the object 100 is collected by the light receiving lens 71 and collected by the light receiving lens 71, and the first optical path is passed through the half mirror 34. It is divided into LR01 and the second optical path LR02.

The light receiving lens 71 is a condensing lens that collects the reflected light RA1 reflected by the object 100 on the first light receiving element 73 and the second light receiving element 43. The light receiving lens 71 is fixed to the light receiving portion 8 so that the focus is located on the light receiving surface of the first light receiving element 73, for example. The light receiving lens 71 is, for example, a convex lens made of resin, but is not limited to this.

The half mirror 34 is arranged, for example, between the light receiving lens 71 and the first light receiving element 73, and half of the light collected by the light receiving lens 71 is transmitted and the rest is reflected.

A first bandpass filter 72 and a first light receiving element 73 are provided at the tip of the first optical path LR01 that has passed through the half mirror 34.

The first bandpass filter 72 is a bandpass filter that extracts light in the first wavelength band from the reflected light RA1. Specifically, the first bandpass filter 72 is arranged between the half mirror 34 and the first light receiving element 73, and the reflected light transmitted through the half mirror 34 and incident on the first light receiving element 73. It is provided on the optical path. The first bandpass filter 72 transmits light in the first wavelength band and reflects or absorbs light in other wavelength bands.

The first light receiving element 73 is a light receiving element that is reflected by the object 100, passes through the half mirror 34, receives light in the first wavelength band that has passed through the first bandpass filter 72, and converts it into a first electric signal. is there. The first light receiving element 73 generates a first electric signal according to the amount of received light (that is, the intensity) of the received light by photoelectric conversion of the received light in the first wavelength band. The generated first electric signal is output to the water content calculation unit 56 (FIG. 4). The first light receiving element 73 is, for example, a photodiode, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first light receiving element 73 may be a phototransistor or an image sensor.

The second bandpass filter 42 is a bandpass filter that extracts light in the second wavelength band from the light reflected by the half mirror 34. Specifically, the second bandpass filter 42 is arranged between the half mirror 34 and the second light receiving element 43, and is the light of light that reflects the half mirror 34 and is incident on the second light receiving element 43. It is installed on the street. Then, the second bandpass filter 42 transmits light in the second wavelength band and reflects or absorbs light in other wavelength bands.

The second light receiving element 43 is a light receiving element that receives light in the second wavelength band that is reflected by the object 100 and has passed through the second bandpass filter 42 and converts it into a second electric signal. The second light receiving element 43 generates a second electric signal according to the amount of received light (that is, the intensity) of the light received by photoelectric conversion of the received light in the second wavelength band. The generated second electric signal is output to the water content calculation unit 56. The second light receiving element 43 is a light receiving element having the same shape as the first light receiving element 73. That is, when the first light receiving element 73 is a photodiode, the second light receiving element 43 is also a photodiode.

[Moisture content calculation unit 56] As shown in FIG. 4, the water content sensor 12 controls the lighting of the light source 22 of the light emitting unit 7, and the first electricity output from the first light receiving element 73 and the second light receiving element 43. The water content calculation unit 56 for calculating the water content by processing the signal and the second electric signal is provided.

The water content sensor 12 may be housed in the main body 2 or may be attached to the outer surface of the main body 2.

Specifically, the water content sensor 12 includes a light source control unit 51, a first amplification unit 52, a second amplification unit 53, a first signal processing unit 54, a second signal processing unit 55, and a water content calculation unit 56. There is.

The light source control unit 51 includes a drive circuit and a microcontroller. The light source control unit 51 includes a non-volatile memory in which the control program of the light source 22 is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. The light source control unit 51 controls the light source 22 so that the light source 22 is turned on and off repeatedly at a predetermined light emission cycle. Specifically, the light source control unit 51 outputs a pulse signal of a predetermined frequency (for example, 1 kHz) to the light source 22, so that the light source 22 is turned on and off at a predetermined light emission cycle.

The first amplification unit 52 amplifies the first electric signal output by the first light receiving element 73 and outputs it to the first signal processing unit 54. Specifically, the first amplification unit 52 is an operational amplifier that amplifies the first electric signal.

The first signal processing unit 54 is composed of a microcontroller. The first signal processing unit 54 includes a non-volatile memory in which a processing program for the first electric signal is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. Has. The first signal processing unit 54 limits the pass band of the first electric signal, corrects the phase delay due to the pass band limitation, and then performs multiplication processing with the light emission period of the light source 22. The processing for this first electric signal is so-called lock-in amplifier processing. This makes it possible to suppress noise based on ambient light from the first electric signal.

The second amplification unit 53 amplifies the second electric signal output by the second light receiving element 43 and outputs it to the second signal processing unit 55. Specifically, the second amplification unit 53 is an operational amplifier that amplifies the second electric signal.

The second signal processing unit 55 is composed of a microcontroller. The second signal processing unit 55 includes a non-volatile memory in which a processing program for the second electric signal is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. Has. The second signal processing unit 55 limits the pass band of the second electric signal, corrects the phase delay due to the pass band limitation, and then performs multiplication processing with the light emission period of the light source 22. The processing for this second electric signal is a so-called lock-in amplifier processing. This makes it possible to suppress noise based on ambient light from the second electric signal.

The water content calculation unit 56 detects the water content contained in the object 100 based on the first electric signal output from the first light receiving element 73 and the second electric signal output from the second light receiving element 43. Specifically, the water content calculation unit 56 detects the water content contained in the object 100 based on the ratio (signal ratio) between the voltage level of the first electric signal and the voltage level of the second electric signal. In the present embodiment, the water content calculation unit 56 is an object based on the first electric signal processed by the first signal processing unit 54 and the second electric signal processed by the second signal processing unit 55. The amount of water contained in 100 is detected. The water content calculation unit 56 outputs the detected water content to the control unit 5. The specific water content detection process will be described later.

The water content calculation unit 56 is, for example, a microcontroller. The water content calculation unit 56 includes a non-volatile memory in which a signal processing program is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like.

[Control Unit 5] The control unit 5 includes a drying time storage unit 81 that stores the amount of water contained in the object 100, the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity of the blower 1, and the drying time of the object 100 in association with each other. The drying time storage unit 81 will be described later.

The control unit 5 may be housed in the main body 2 or may be attached to the outer surface of the main body 2. Alternatively, it may have a communication function such as wireless communication and receive the water content calculated by the water content calculation unit 56.

The drying time storage unit 81 is, for example, a microcontroller. The drying time storage unit 81 includes a non-volatile memory in which a signal processing program is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like.

[Display unit 13] The display unit 13 has a display function of receiving information on the drying time estimated by the control unit 5 and notifying the user. For example, the drying time is notified by the number of lights of the 7-segment display or the LED.

[Calculation Process of Moisture Amount] Subsequently, a method of estimating the drying time from the water content of the object 100 and displaying it on the display unit 13 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

As a flow of calculating the drying time, after the blower 1 is operated in S1, the water content of the object 100 is measured from the water content sensor 12 in S2. Further, the temperature and humidity around the main body 2 are measured in S3, and information on the water content, ambient temperature, and ambient humidity of the object 100 measured in S4 is input to the control unit 5. Based on the information input in S5, the drying time stored in the drying time storage unit 81 is output to the display unit 13, and the display unit 13 displays the drying time in S6. Further, after an arbitrary time T minutes, the water content and ambient temperature / humidity of the object 100 are measured in S7, and the drying time is corrected in S8. The drying time corrected in S8 is displayed again on the display unit 13, and the drying time is corrected every T minutes thereafter.

Immediately after the operation of the blower 1 is started in S1, the water content calculation process executed by S2 will be described.

In the present embodiment, the water content calculation unit 56 detects the amount of the component contained in the object 100 by comparing the light energy Pd of the detection light contained in the reflected light with the light energy Pr of the reference light. .. The light energy Pd corresponds to the intensity of the first electric signal output from the first light receiving element 73, and the light energy Pr corresponds to the intensity of the second electric signal output from the second light receiving element 43.

The light energy Pd is represented by the following (Equation 1).

(Equation 1) Pd = Pd0 × Gd × Rd × Td × Aad × Ivd
Here, Pd0 is the light energy of the light in the first wavelength band that forms the detection light among the light emitted by the light source 22. Gd is the coupling efficiency (condensing rate) of light in the first wavelength band with respect to the first light receiving element 73. Specifically, Gd is the ratio of the portion of the light emitted by the light source 22 that becomes a part of the component diffusely reflected by the object (object 100) (that is, the detection light contained in the reflected light). Equivalent to.

Rd is the reflectance of the detected light by the object 100. Td is the transmittance of the light detected by the first bandpass filter 72. Ivd is the light receiving sensitivity to the detection light included in the reflected light in the first light receiving element 73.

Aad is the absorption rate of the detected light by the component (moisture) contained in the object, and is represented by the following (Equation 2).

(Equation 2) Aad = 10 ^{−αa × Ca × D}
Here, αa is a predetermined absorption coefficient, and specifically, is the absorption coefficient of the detection light by the component (moisture). Ca is the volume concentration of the component (moisture) contained in the object. D is a contribution thickness that is twice the thickness of the component that contributes to the absorption of the detection light.

More specifically, in an object in which water is uniformly dispersed, Ca corresponds to the volume concentration contained in the component of the object when light is incident on the object, reflected and emitted from the object. .. Further, D corresponds to the optical path length from reflection to exit from the object. For example, Ca is the concentration of water contained in the liquid phase covering the object. Further, D is a contribution thickness converted as an average thickness of the liquid phase covering the object.

Therefore, αa × Ca × D corresponds to the amount of components (water content) contained in the object. From the above, it can be seen that the light energy Pd corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal changes according to the amount of water contained in the object. Since the absorbance of moisture is extremely small compared to that of moisture, it can be ignored.

Similarly, the light energy Pr of the reference light incident on the second light receiving element 43 is represented by the following (Equation 3).

(Equation 3) Pr = Pr0 × Gr × Rr × Tr × Ivr
In the present embodiment, the reference light can be considered to be substantially not absorbed by the components contained in the object, and therefore, as can be seen in comparison with (Equation 1), it corresponds to the absorption rate Aad due to water. The term is not included in (Equation 3).

In (Equation 3), Pr0 is the light energy of the light in the second wavelength band forming the reference light among the light emitted by the light source 22. Gr is the coupling efficiency (condensing rate) of the reference light emitted by the light source 22 with respect to the second light receiving element 43. Specifically, Gr corresponds to the proportion of the portion of the reference light that becomes a part of the component diffusely reflected by the object (that is, the reference light contained in the reflected light). Rr is the reflectance of the reference light by the object. Tr is the transmittance of the reference light by the second bandpass filter 42. Ivr is the light receiving sensitivity of the second light receiving element 43 with respect to the reflected light.

In the present embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 22, that is, the detection light and the reference light are irradiated coaxially and with the same spot size, so that the coupling efficiency Gd of the detection light and the coupling efficiency Gr of the reference light are Approximately equal. Further, since the peak wavelengths of the detection light and the reference light are relatively close to each other, the reflectance Rd of the detection light and the reflectance Rr of the reference light are substantially equal to each other.

Therefore, the following (Equation 4) is derived by taking the ratio (signal ratio) between (Equation 1) and (Equation 3).

(Equation 4) Pd / Pr = Z × Aad
Here, Z is a constant term and is represented by (Equation 5).

(Equation 5) Z = (Pd0 / Pr0) × (Td / Tr) × (Ivd / Ivr)
The light energies Pd0 and Pr0 are each predetermined as the initial output of the light source 22. Further, the transmittance Td and the transmittance Tr are predetermined by the transmission characteristics of the first bandpass filter 72 and the second bandpass filter 42, respectively. The light receiving sensitivity Ivd and the light receiving sensitivity Ivr are predetermined by the light receiving characteristics of the first light receiving element 73 and the second light receiving element 43, respectively. Therefore, Z represented by (Equation 5) can be regarded as a constant.

The water content calculation unit 56 calculates the light energy Pd of the detection light based on the first electric signal, and calculates the light energy Pr of the reference light based on the second electric signal. Specifically, the signal level (voltage level) of the first electric signal corresponds to the light energy Pd, and the signal level (voltage level) of the second electric signal corresponds to the light energy Pr.

Therefore, the water content calculation unit 56 can calculate the water absorption rate Aad contained in the object 100 based on (Equation 4). As a result, the water content calculation unit 56 can calculate the water content based on (Equation 2).

Moisture (water vapor) also exists in the space, but it is assumed that the detection light and the reference light may be absorbed by the water vapor. The water content sensor 12 may be provided with a correction unit that corrects the first electric signal and the second electric signal so as to cancel the absorption by the water vapor.

[Measurement of ambient temperature and humidity] The temperature sensor 14 measures the ambient temperature around the main body, and the humidity sensor 15 measures the atmospheric humidity around the main body. Specifically, the temperature sensor 14 is a thermistor or the like, and the humidity sensor 15 is a polymer sensor or the like.

In S3 of FIG. 6, the temperature sensor 14 and the humidity sensor 15 measure the ambient temperature of the main body and the humidity around the main body. The measured temperature / humidity information is sent to the control unit 5 and used for estimating the drying time.

[Estimation of drying time] Subsequently, in S4 and S5 of FIG. 6, the drying time is estimated.

The graph shown in FIG. 7 shows the change between the water content of the object 100 and the drying time of the object 100 calculated by the water content sensor 12. As shown in FIG. 7, the drying time for the object 100 to dry can be estimated from the water content of the initial object 100 calculated by the water content sensor 12. The control unit 5 sets a drying determination threshold value for determining that the water content of the object 100 decreases and is dry, and estimates the drying time of the object 100 from the graph of the water content change shown in FIG. 7. For example, when there are objects 100 of A, B, and C having different materials, thicknesses, and the like, and the initial water content is as shown in FIG. 7, the drying times are _Ta , T _b , and T _{c of} FIG. 7, respectively. It can be estimated that T _a > T _b > T _c ).

Based on the initial moisture content calculated by the moisture content sensor 12, by adding information on the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor 14 and the ambient humidity measured by the humidity sensor 15, the drying time corresponding to changes in the ambient environment can be obtained. Make an estimate. The control unit 5 adds the value of ambient temperature and humidity to the graph of the estimated change in water content, responds to the change in the drying speed due to the ambient conditions as the slope of the graph, and estimates the drying time.

The drying rate Rc corresponding to the slope of the graph shown in FIG. 7 is represented by the following (Equation 6).

(Equation 6) Rc = -α (t-t _w ) / W
Here, α is a heat transfer coefficient and is a constant, t is a dry-bulb temperature, t _w is a wet-bulb temperature, and W is latent heat. From (Equation 6), when the ambient temperature rises, the drying speed increases and the inclination increases, and when the ambient humidity increases, the drying speed decreases and the inclination tends to decrease.

The table of FIG. 8 is the information stored in the drying time storage unit 81, and the drying time is calculated based on the table of FIG. The drying time storage unit 81 is provided with a table for estimating the drying time from the initial water content calculated by the water content sensor 12, the temperature around the main body, and the humidity around the main body. By selecting one of the tables (A, B, C) in FIG. 8 from the initial moisture content value calculated by the moisture content sensor 12 and inputting the ambient temperature / humidity information, drying in that environment Output time.

For example, in the objects 100 of A, B, and C having different materials and thicknesses, the relationship between each water content calculated by the water content sensor 12 and the drying time is as shown in FIG. That is, in the objects 100 of A, B, and C having different materials and thicknesses, the initial water content is different. Therefore, the drying time is calculated according to the amount of water at the initial stage of each. In the environment of temperature 20 ° C. and humidity 40%, the drying time of the object 100 A from the initial water content, the ambient temperature of the main body, and the ambient humidity of the main body is 200 minutes from the table of the drying time storage unit 81 shown in FIG. It can be estimated that B and C of the object 100 are also 192 minutes and 178 minutes from the table of the drying time storage unit 81, respectively. It is possible to estimate the drying time only from the initial water content from the graph in Fig. 7, but in addition, the drying time can be estimated more accurately by responding to changes in the surrounding environment from the table in Fig. 8 based on the temperature and humidity information. It becomes possible to do. The table of FIG. 8 is merely an example, and the value of the drying time is not limited to this.

Here, the initial water content is used in the sense that it is calculated by the first water content sensor 12 after the start of operation. For example, one value selected from the 1st to 5th detections is defined. However, the average value of the calculated water content in 5 times may be used as the initial value. The water content detected and calculated after an arbitrary T minutes in the "correction of drying time" described later does not correspond to the initial water content. That is, it means that it is not the amount of water for correction used to correct the drying time.

Finally, in S6 of FIG. 6, the estimated drying time is sent to the display unit 13, and the user notifies the drying time of the object 100 on the display unit 13.

[Correction of drying time] After an arbitrary time T minutes (for example, 5 minutes later) from S6 in FIG. 6, the water content of the object 100 is calculated again and the ambient temperature and humidity are measured in S7. After that, in S8, the control unit 5 tilts the graph shown in FIG. 7 from the difference between the initial water content value calculated by the water content sensor 12 and the correction water content which is the water content value measured after T minutes. Calculate the drying rate corresponding to. The drying time is estimated from the calculated drying speed, and correction is performed based on the drying time output in S5. In addition, the absolute humidity is calculated by measuring the ambient temperature and humidity in the same manner. The time from the change in absolute humidity to the amount of absolute humidity judged to be dry is estimated, and the drying time is corrected. The corrected drying time is notified to the user again on the display unit 13. By continuing the correction every T-minute cycle, it is possible to respond to changes in the surrounding environment and improve the accuracy of the drying time.

As described above, according to the blower 1 according to the present embodiment, the light emitting unit 7 that emits light to the object 100, the light receiving unit 8 that receives the reflected light from the object 100, and the light receiving intensity thereof. It is provided with a water content calculation unit 56 that detects the water content of the object 100 based on the ratio of the above, and a control unit 5 that estimates the drying time of the object 100 based on the water content. The blower 1 includes a display unit 13 that displays the drying time estimated by the control unit, a temperature sensor 14 that measures the temperature, and a humidity sensor 15 that measures the humidity. Further, in the blower, the light emitting unit 7 targets the detection light including the first wavelength band which is the light absorbed by water and the reference light including the second wavelength band which is the light which is less easily absorbed by water than the detection light. Irradiate toward 100. Then, the light receiving unit 8 receives the first light receiving element 73 that receives the detection light reflected by the object 100 and converts it into the first electric signal, and the reference light reflected by the object 100, and receives the second electricity. A second light receiving element 43 for converting into a signal is provided, and the water content of the object 100 is calculated. Further, the control unit 5 includes a drying time storage unit 81 that stores the initial amount of water contained in the object 100, the temperature, and the drying time set according to the humidity.

According to this configuration, the ratio of the intensity of the light reflected on the object 100, that is, the amount of water can be directly detected. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the drying time at the first detection, which could not be done by the conventional estimation from the temperature / humidity distribution. Further, it becomes possible to discriminate the difference in the amount of water depending on the material, thickness, etc. of the object 100, which could not be discriminated by the temperature / humidity distribution. This is possible because the wavelengths of the detection light and the reference light emitted by the light emitting unit 7 are 1450 nm and 1700 nm, respectively. Therefore, the user can know the drying time of the object 100 immediately after the start of operation, and the drying time can be estimated quickly.

[Modification Example] In the above embodiment, a case where the drying time is displayed on the display unit 13 provided in the main body 2 is illustrated. However, the drying time may be displayed on another communication terminal by providing a communication means in the main body 2 and transmitting the drying time estimated by the control unit 5 to another communication terminal. Examples of other communication terminals include smartphones.

In addition, it is realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each embodiment within the range obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment and the gist of the present invention. Forms are also included in the present invention.

As described above, the estimation of the drying time by detecting the intensity of the reflected infrared light in the blower according to the present invention can improve the measurement accuracy of the degree of drying progress of the object to be dried and can quickly estimate the drying time. It is useful for controlling the operation of blowers for drying things.

1 Blower 2 Main body 3 Blower 5 Control 7 Light emitting 8 Light receiving 10 Suction port 11 Air outlet 12 Moisture sensor 13 Display 14 Temperature sensor 15 Humidity sensor 21 Floodlight lens 22 Light source 34 Half mirror 42 Second bandpass filter 43 Second light receiving element 51 Light source control unit 52 First amplification unit 53 Second amplification unit 54 First signal processing unit 55 Second signal processing unit 56 Moisture content calculation unit 71 Light receiving lens 72 First bandpass filter 73 First light receiving element 81 Drying time storage 100 Object

Claims (5)

With the main body
A suction port that sucks air outside the main body into the main body,
An outlet that blows out the air sucked from the suction port to the outside of the main body,
A blower that conveys air from the suction port to the air outlet,
A moisture sensor that calculates the amount of moisture contained in the object,
A control unit that controls the operation of the blower unit is provided.
The control unit estimates the drying time required for the object to dry based on the amount of water contained in the object calculated by the moisture sensor.
A blower including a display unit that displays the drying time calculated by the control unit. The water content sensor includes a light emitting unit that emits detection light having a wavelength that is absorbed by water toward the object and reference light having a wavelength that is less likely to be absorbed by water than the detected light. The light receiving portion that receives the detection light reflected from the object and the reference light reflected from the object, the intensity of the detection light detected by the light receiving portion, and the light receiving portion detected. The blower according to claim 1, further comprising a water content calculation unit that calculates the water content contained in the object based on the ratio to the intensity of the reference light. The control unit includes a drying time storage unit that stores a drying time required for drying the object, which is set according to the amount of water contained in the object.
The blower according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit estimates a drying time set according to the amount of water contained in the object from the drying time storage unit. The drying time storage unit stores the drying time required for drying the object, which is set by using the amount of water contained in the object and the temperature / humidity information around the main body.
The blower according to claim 3, wherein the control unit estimates a drying time set according to the amount of water contained in the object and temperature / humidity information around the main body from the drying time storage unit. .. The blower according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits the drying time estimated by the control unit to the communication terminal.