JP2022185804A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve dehumidifying capacity immediately after the start of a drying operation.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine includes: an outer tub 2 capable of storing a liquid inside; a drum 3 that is rotatably supported in the outer tub 2 and stores laundry; a blower fan 20 for blowing air to the drum 3; and a heater 22 for heating the air which the blower fan 20 blows. The outer periphery of the outer tub 2 is provided with a water container 40 for storing water inside. The water container 40 is filled with water by the start of a drying step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing clothes and a washing/drying machine for washing and drying clothes.

There are two methods for drying clothes using a washing and drying machine that can continuously perform washing and drying: a hot air heating dehumidification method and a heat pump method.

In the hot air heating dehumidification method, air heated by a heater is blown onto clothes to absorb moisture from the clothes. Moisture-laden air is cooled, condensed and dehumidified in contact with cold surfaces in a given space. Then, the dehumidified air is heated again and the hot air is blown onto the clothes. These operations are performed repeatedly.

The heat pump system configures a refrigeration cycle by connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator with refrigerant pipes. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant that comes out of the compressor is sent to the condenser, and the refrigerant that comes out of the condenser becomes low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant through the expansion valve, and is sent to the evaporator. Refrigerant from the evaporator is sent to the compressor again.

The air is heated in the condenser, and the heated air is blown onto the clothing to absorb moisture from the clothing. Moisture-laden air is cooled in an evaporator and condensed to dehumidify it. The dehumidified air is sent to the condenser again and heated. These operations are performed repeatedly.

As mentioned above, in order to dehumidify the air, it is necessary to construct a cold surface that is lower than the dew point temperature of the air.

A washer/dryer uses tap water for washing, and since this tap water is relatively low temperature, it can be used to dehumidify air containing moisture. As a water-cooling dehumidification system using tap water, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1, for example.

In Patent Literature 1, a rotating tub for storing laundry is provided inside the tub. The rotary tank is composed of an inner tank having a large number of through holes and an outer tank arranged on the outer peripheral side of the inner tank. The rotating tub is rotated by a drive motor. During washing, water is stored in the outer tub and washing is performed by the drive motor. During dehydration, water is discharged into the outer tank through a large number of through holes formed in the inner tank. After the dehydration is completed, the drying operation is started. In the drying operation, the heater and blower are operated to blow hot air onto the clothes. After the drying operation is started, the water supply valve is opened to supply water between the water tank and the rotating tank (outer tank). The outer bath of the rotating bath is cooled by water. Humid air is cooled by the outer bath, condensed and dehumidified.

As described above, in Patent Document 1, the water stored between the water tank and the rotating tank (outer tank) is used for dehumidification.

JP-A-2002-282586

In the drying operation, since the air contains a lot of moisture immediately after starting the drying operation, it is preferable to increase the dehumidification capability immediately after starting the drying operation.

In Patent Document 1, the water used for dehumidification is injected between the water tank and the rotating tank (outer tank) by opening the water supply valve after the drying operation is started. The dehumidifying ability cannot be exhibited until a predetermined amount of water accumulates between the Therefore, there is a problem that the dehumidifying ability is lowered immediately after the drying operation, the drying time is extended, and the electric power is consumed more than necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a washing and drying machine capable of improving the dehumidifying ability immediately after starting the drying operation.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an outer tub capable of storing liquid therein, a drum rotatably supported in the outer tub for containing laundry, and air in the outer tub or the drum. A washing and drying machine comprising a fan for blowing air and a heating means for heating the air blown by the blowing means, wherein a water container for storing water is provided on the outer periphery of the outer tub, and the water container is filled with water before starting the drying process.

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing and drying machine capable of improving the dehumidifying ability immediately after starting the drying operation.

1 is an external perspective view of a drum-type washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of a drum-type washing/drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operations from washing to drying according to the first embodiment of the present invention; It is the figure which compared the dehumidification effect by the presence or absence of the water container which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing operations from washing to drying according to another example of embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of a drum-type washing and drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a drum-type washing and drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing operations from washing to drying according to Example 3 of the present invention;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals, and similar descriptions are not repeated.

The various constituent elements of the present invention do not necessarily have to be independent entities, and one constituent element may consist of a plurality of members, a plurality of constituent elements may consist of one member, a certain constituent element may part of a component, part of one component overlaps part of another component, and so on.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a drum-type washing and drying machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The user opens the door 9 provided on the front surface of the housing 1, puts the target clothing into the drum 3, puts it into the input port 11 for detergent or softener, operates the operation surface 10, and performs washing only and drying. Perform necessary driving operations such as

Inside the housing 1 that constitutes the outer shell of the drum-type washer/dryer 100, there are a stainless steel drum 3 (inner tank) for storing clothes, and an outer tank 2 (FIG. 2) arranged on the outer circumference of the drum 3. are provided. A door 9 made of glass is provided on the front surface of the housing 1 to cover the opening of the drum 3 . A hinge 91 is provided at the end of the door 9 to support the door 9 so that it can be opened and closed. Liquid can be stored inside the outer tank 2 . A drum 3 is rotatably supported in the outer tub 2 .

A flexible rubber bellows 12 is provided between the housing 1 and the door 9, and when the door 9 is closed, the door is brought into close contact with the door due to elastic deformation of the bellows, and the inside of the housing is separated from the outside of the housing. It has a structure that can prevent water leakage and moisture leakage.

A plurality of small holes 3a are formed in the wall surface of the cylindrical portion of the drum 3, and water passes through the small holes 3a. In particular, when the drum 3 is dehydrated at high speed after washing and rinsing, the clothes are pressed against the cylindrical inner surface of the drum 3 by centrifugal force, and the water contained in the clothes is released through the plurality of small holes formed in the drum 3. Dehydration to the outer tub 2 through 3a is performed.

In addition, the drum is provided with a plurality of protruding lifters (not shown) for temporarily raking up the clothes as the drum rotates. These projections agitate the clothes by the rotating drum 3 during washing, rinsing and drying.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the drum type washing/drying machine 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a front view of the drum-type washing/drying machine 100 with the front panel removed from the housing 1 . FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III--III in FIG.

Inside the housing 1, there are provided a drum 3 for storing clothes therein, and a concentric outer tub 2 arranged around the outer periphery of the drum 3 with a predetermined gap. The drum 3 is cantilevered by a shaft through a bearing inserted into the inner bottom of the outer tub 2 . The shaft ends are attached to the center of the drum bottom. The other end of the shaft is either directly connected to the motor 31 or connected to the motor via a pulley and belt attached to the shaft.

A water container 40 is provided on the outer circumference of the outer tub 2 so as to cover the entire circumference of the outer tub 2 . The water container 40 stores water inside. A plurality of ribs 41 are provided between the water container 40 and the outer tub 2 to maintain a predetermined gap between the water container 40 and the outer tub 2. - 特許庁

A plurality of suspensions 6 for vibration isolation are provided at the bottom of the water container 40 . A plurality of suspension springs 61 for vibration isolation are provided on the upper portion of the water container 40 . A plurality of suspension springs 61 are arranged between the housing 1 and the water container 40 to suspend the water container 40 from the housing 1 .

A drain pipe 28 communicating with the outer tank 2 and a drain valve 44 provided in the middle of the drain pipe 28 for draining water accumulated in the outer tank 2 are provided in the lower part of the housing 1 .

The water container 40 has a water container water supply valve 421 serving as a water container water supply system 42 for supplying water to the gap between the water container 40 and the outer tank 2, and the water accumulated in the gap between the water container 40 and the outer tank 2. A water container drain valve 431 serving as a water container drain system 43 for draining water is provided. The water container 40 may be integrally formed of the same resin material as the outer tank 2 or a different material, or may be constructed by combining a plurality of materials. When combining a plurality of materials, it is preferable to weld or fuse the connecting portion or to place a sealing material in the connecting portion.

The water accumulated between the water container 40 and the outer tub 2 cools the outer tub 2 because it is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 2 . That is, when water accumulates between the water container 40 and the outer tub 2, the outer tub 2 is cooled by the water and functions as a dehumidifying surface.

The drying unit, which is the main part of the drying process, is composed of a blower fan 20 (blowing means) for blowing air to the outer tank 2 or the drum 3 and a heater 22 (heating means) for heating the air blown by the blowing fan 20. be. The heater 22 is arranged downstream of the blower fan 20 . Further, the drying unit is provided with a blowing nozzle 26 facing the drum 3, and warm air from the drying unit is blown out to the drum 3 or the outer tank 2 through the blowing nozzle 26. - 特許庁

A water-cooling dehumidifying duct 51 is provided on the back surface of the outer tub 2 at a position that allows communication from the drum 3 . A cooling water supply system 52 having a cooling water valve 521 is provided above the water cooling dehumidification duct 51 . Moisture-laden air that has absorbed moisture from the clothes in the drum 3 is condensed and dehumidified when passing through the water cooling dehumidification duct 51 .

Next, the operation from washing to drying in the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing operations from washing to drying according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The drum-type washer/dryer 100 of Example 1 performs three steps of washing, rinsing, and drying. The following flow is executed by a control device (not shown).

In FIG. 4, the user turns on the power button and selects the washing course (step S1). After selecting the washing course, the drum 3 is rotated, the amount of laundry is sensed (step S2), and the amount of detergent and operating time are calculated (step S3). A predetermined amount of detergent is put into the outer tub 2 based on the amount of detergent calculated in step S3 (step S4).

In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the drum-type washing/drying machine 100 is equipped with an automatic detergent injection device that fills the detergent container in advance with the detergent and injects the detergent from the detergent container into the outer tub 2. Detergent input to 2 may be performed manually.

After the detergent is put into the outer tub 2, a water supply step of supplying water to the outer tub 2 is started (step S5). After the water supply to the outer tub 2 reaches a predetermined amount, the detergent dissolving step (step S6), the pre-washing step (step S7) are performed, and the main washing step is performed (step S8).

After performing the main washing process for a predetermined time, the water used in the washing process is drained (step S9), and the dewatering process is performed after the water is drained (step S10).

After performing the dehydration process for a predetermined time, the water supply process for supplying water to the outer tank is started again (step S11).

After the water supply to the outer tub 2 reaches a predetermined amount, the rinsing 1 step is performed (step S12). After performing the rinsing 1 process for a predetermined time, the water used in the rinsing 1 process is drained (step S13), and after the water is drained, the dewatering process is performed (step S14).

After performing the dehydration process for a predetermined time, the water supply process for supplying water to the outer tank is started again (step S15).

After the water supply to the outer tub 2 reaches a predetermined amount, the rinsing 2 step is performed (step S16). After performing the rinsing 2 process for a predetermined time, a draining process of draining the water used in the rinsing 2 process is performed (step S17), and after completion of draining, a dewatering process is performed (step S18).

In the dehydration process before the drying process, the drum 3 is rotated at high speed by the motor 31 so as to dehydrate the clothes as much as possible (high speed dehydration). In high-speed dehydration, in order to determine a high-speed dehydration rotation speed that allows safe operation, an operation is performed to check the amount of imbalance caused by the unevenness of the clothes at a predetermined low rotation speed. The imbalance amount is detected by a sensor (not shown). When the sensor detects an imbalance, the rotation of the drum 3 is stopped, and the clothes sticking to the cylindrical surface of the drum fall to the lower part of the drum due to the action of gravity, thereby changing the arrangement of the clothes. Then, an operation is performed to rotate the drum again at a low speed to check for unbalance. Repeat this operation several times until the imbalance is improved. When it is determined that the unbalanced rotation prevents safe rotation at the maximum rotation speed, high-speed dehydration is performed at a rotation speed equal to or lower than a predetermined maximum rotation speed.

After performing the dehydration process by high-speed dehydration for a predetermined time, the drying process is performed (step S19).

The above processes are the flow from washing to drying, but in the first embodiment, in addition to the above processes, a water container pouring process (step S20) of pouring water into the water container 40 is provided.

In Example 1, the water supply to the water container 40 is completed before the drying process starts, and the water container 40 is filled with water. When the rinsing 2 step (step S16), which is the final rinse, is completed and the process shifts to the draining step (step S17), the water container water supply valve 421 is opened to supply tap water into the water container 40, and the water container water filling step is executed. (step S20). Then, the water container pouring process is completed before the drying process starts. While the water container water supply valve 421 is open and tap water is being supplied into the water container 40, the water container drain valve 431 is closed. The water container 40 does not necessarily need to be filled with water, and the water container water supply valve 421 is closed when a predetermined amount of water has been supplied. In Example 1, the water supply to the water container 40 is completed before the final dehydration step (step S18).

After the drying step is completed, the water container draining valve 431 is opened to execute the water container draining step of draining the water in the water container 40 (step S21).

In the drying process, the blower fan 20 and the heater 22 are operated, and the air heated by the heater 22 is blown onto the clothes in the drum 3 . The heated air absorbs moisture from the clothes, and the moist air passes through the small holes 3a of the drum 3 and flows into the space between the drum 3 and the outer tub 2. - 特許庁Since the outer tub 2 is cooled by the water supplied to the water container 40, the air in contact with the outer tub 2 is condensed and dehumidified. Furthermore, the air that has flowed into the space between the drum 3 and the outer tub 2 is led to the inlet of the water cooling dehumidification duct 51 provided on the back surface of the outer tub 2 .

In the water-cooled dehumidifying duct 51, tap water flows down from above at a predetermined flow rate by the cooling water supply system 52 by opening the cooling water valve 521. As shown in FIG. The latent heat of the air is transferred to the cooling water side by direct contact heat exchange with the rising air flow, and the moisture in the air is reduced (dehumidification). Such a series of operations are repeated during the drying process, and the clothes are dried by evaporation from the clothes and dehumidification of the air. In the final stage of the drying process, the drying is completed when the detected values from the temperature and humidity sensors provided at predetermined locations reach a predetermined drying rate of the clothes.

At the beginning of the drying process, the clothes contain a large amount of moisture and evaporate to circulate high-temperature, high-humidity air through the above paths. High-humidity air condenses on the walls of the channel below its dew point temperature. For example, if the inner surface of the outer bath 2 is below the dew point temperature, it will also condense.

In Embodiment 1, a water container 40 is provided in addition to a water cooling dehumidification duct 51 for water cooling and dehumidification and a cooling water supply system 52 . The heat capacity of the water supplied between the outer tub 2 and the water container 40 delays the temperature rise of the outer tub 2 . As a result, the inner surface of the outer tank 2 acts as a dehumidifying surface because the temperature becomes lower than the dew point temperature for a long period of time during the drying process. The inner surface of the outer tank 2 effectively acts as a dehumidification surface when the heat transfer area is insufficient only with the water-cooled dehumidification duct 51 described above. When the temperature of the water supplied to the water container 40 rises with the time of the drying process, the temperature of the wall surface of the outer tank 2 also rises and the amount of dehumidification decreases. dehumidification and drying can be performed.

Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the water container 40 is filled with water at the start of the drying operation, and the outer tub 2 is cooled.

The above phenomenon will be explained with the graph of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram comparing dehumidification effects with and without a water container according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates temperature.

When the drying process starts, the heater causes the temperature of the air in the outer bath to rise over time. In addition, the temperature of the outer bath 2 also rises as the temperature of the air in the outer bath rises. The temperature of the outer bath 2 rises regardless of the presence or absence of the water container 40 . However, when the water container 40 is present, the temperature rise of the outer tub 2 is delayed as compared with the case where the water container 40 is not provided. That is, when viewed at the same time, the temperature with the water container 40 is lower than that without the water container 40, and this temperature difference results in a difference in dehumidification capability. In other words, the dehumidifying capacity with the water container 40 is higher than that without the water container 40 . Furthermore, since the temperature rise of the outer tub 2 with the water container 40 is delayed compared to the case without the water container 40, the dehumidification time can be lengthened. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the water container 40 is filled with water when the drying operation is started, and the outer tub 2 is cooled. In addition, in Example 1, the drying time can be shortened, and the power consumption can be reduced.

In the process shown in FIG. 4, the water supply to the water container 40 is completed before the final dehydration process (step S18) starts, and the water container 40 is filled with water. This is for the following reasons.

In a general vibration system, vibration is small when the mass of the moving part is large during high-speed dehydration. The mass of the tap water preliminarily supplied to the water container 40 increases the mass of the drum 3, the outer tank 2, and the water container 40 as a whole, so that high-speed dehydration can be started at a predetermined number of rotations stably with little vibration. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of operations for detecting the aforementioned imbalance and correcting the unevenness of the clothes, thereby shortening the time from washing to drying. In addition, it can rotate at the set maximum dehydration speed, which increases the dehydration rate of clothes and shortens the drying time.

Furthermore, in order to increase the mass of the movable part, in existing washing and drying machines, a counterweight made of iron or concrete is generally attached to the outer tub 2 in advance. In that case, the weight of the main body of the washer/dryer is heavy, which affects the packing, transportation, and installation. On the other hand, according to Embodiment 1, by supplying water to the water container 40 before high-speed dehydration during operation, vibration during dehydration can be suppressed, and a lightweight washing/drying machine is provided during movement, transportation, and installation. be able to.

Incidentally, the step of pouring water into the water container 40 may be performed as shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing operations from washing to drying according to another example of the first embodiment.

In FIG. 6, the step of pouring water into the water container 40 is performed after the draining step of the main washing step. That is, in FIG. 6, the process of pouring water into the water container 40 is completed before the start of the dehydration process, and the water container 40 is filled with water. The dehydration process is performed three times after the main washing process, after the first rinse process, and after the second rinse process. Vibration during dehydration, which is performed three times, can be suppressed.

In Example 1, rinsing is performed twice (rinsing 1, rinsing 2), but rinsing may be performed once.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a drum-type washing/drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a front view of the drum-type washing/drying machine 100 with the front panel removed from the housing 1 . 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7. FIG. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same configurations as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the water container 40 is arranged on a portion of the outer circumference of the outer tub 2 . In FIG. 7, the water container 40 is arranged in the upper half of the outer circumference of the outer tub 2 . With such a configuration, the dehumidification promoting surface can be limited. As a result, the gravitational action on the condensed water on the inner surface of the outer tank increases, and the water is drained smoothly.

Moreover, since the amount of water stored in the water container 40 can be reduced, water can be saved.

Furthermore, since the lower suspension 6, which requires mechanical strength, can be pin-connected directly to the outer tank 2, strength can be ensured and reliability can be improved.

Furthermore, although it is related to the air flow, it is possible to prevent the temperature from dropping by suppressing the movement of the sensible heat of the air circulating inside as much as possible, thereby promoting efficient evaporation even with a predetermined heating amount.

If the contacting portion of the outer tank 2 that contacts the water container 40 is made of a metal insert material or the like, the heat conductivity is high and the low-temperature effect of the water supply can be further utilized.

Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a drum-type washing/drying machine 100 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing operations from washing to drying according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Configurations common to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a pump 451 is provided in the water supply system to the water container 40 . In FIG. 9, a water pipe 45 is provided between the outer tub 2 and the water container 40 . Further, the water pipe 45 is provided with a pump 451 .

The operation from washing to drying is as follows. Steps S1 to S12 are the same as in the first embodiment.

After performing the rinsing 1 process for a predetermined time (step S12), the rinsing 1 process is stopped, the pump 451 is driven, and the process of pouring water into the water container 40 is performed (step S20'). The rinsing water collected in the outer tub 2 is sent to the water container 40 through the water pipe 45. - 特許庁After the completion of filling water into the water container 40, the pump 451 is stopped, and a draining step of draining the water remaining in the outer tank 2 is performed (step S14). The steps after the dehydration step are the same as in Example 1.

According to the third embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the pump 451 is operated to supply the water after the first rinsing process to the water container 40, so that the comparison is made when tap water is newly supplied. and save water. In addition, since rinsing water is used as the water to be supplied to the water container 40, it is possible to prevent dirt from adhering to the inside of the water container 40. - 特許庁In the third embodiment, the water after one step of rinsing is supplied to the water container 40, but the water after two steps of rinsing may be supplied. In this case, since cleaner water is supplied into the water container 40, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dirt to the inside of the water container 40. FIG.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. The above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Case, 2...Outer tank, 3...Drum, 3a...Small hole, 6...Suspension, 9...Door, 10...Operation surface, 11...Inlet, 12...Bellows, 20...Blower fan, 22...Heater, 26 Blow-off nozzle 28 Drain pipe 31 Motor 40 Water container 41 Rib 42 Water container water supply system 421 Water container water supply valve 43 Water container drainage system 431 Water container drainage valve , 44... Drain valve, 45... Water pipe, 451... Pump, 51... Water cooling/dehumidifying duct, 52... Cooling water supply system, 521... Cooling water valve, 61... Suspension spring, 91... Hinge, 100... Drum type washing and drying machine

Claims (6)

an outer tub capable of storing a liquid therein; a drum rotatably supported in the outer tub for containing laundry; a blower for blowing air into the outer tub or the drum; A washing and drying machine comprising a heating means for heating the air to
A water container for storing water is provided on the outer periphery of the outer tank,
A washing/drying machine, wherein the water container is filled with water before starting the drying process. In claim 1,
A washing and drying machine, wherein the water container is filled with water before starting the dehydration process. In claim 1 or 2,
The washer/dryer, wherein the water container is arranged all around the outer tub. In claim 1 or 2,
The washing and drying machine, wherein the water container is arranged in a part of the outer tub. In claim 1 or 2,
A washing and drying machine, wherein the water container includes a water container water supply valve for supplying tap water and a water container drain valve for draining water from the water container. In claim 1 or 2,
A pump arranged in a water pipe connecting the outer tank and the water container,
A washing/drying machine characterized in that after a rinsing process is finished, the pump is driven to send water from the outer tub to the water container before a draining process.

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