JP2023070744A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of improving drying efficiency.SOLUTION: The invention includes a case 1, an outer drum 10 that is contained in the case 1 and includes an outlet 54 and a water/air vent 10b, an inner drum 9 that is contained in the outer drum 10, a drive mechanism 12 that drives the rotation of the inner drum 9, a drying mechanism D1 that is contained in the case 1 and blows drying air 51 into the inner drum 9, and an air-sending passage R1 that is located between the outer drum 10 and the inner drum 9 and connects the outlet 54 and the water/air vent 10b. A subsidiary drying passage 70A which is an air passage different from the air-sending passage R1 is included. From an outlet of the subsidiary drying passage 70A, air is discharged at an angle equal to or greater than a right angle to the flow in the flow direction of the air-sending passage R1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to washing machines.

Generally, in the drying process of a washer/dryer, drying progresses by blowing dry air into an inner tub (rotating tub) to warm the clothes accommodated therein and promote moisture evaporation. The blown dry air flows out to the outer tank (water tank) side through the dewatering and ventilation holes provided on the side and bottom of the inner tank, and flows into the outer tank using the gap between the inner and outer tanks as a flow path. After being collected in the provided duct and dehumidified in the duct, the air is blown out of the housing through the exhaust or dry air supply device into the inner tank again. At this time, if the blown dry air flows out to the outer tank side without contacting the clothes, the heat of the dry air is not used for drying the clothes, and the drying efficiency is lowered.

In order to prevent such a decrease in drying efficiency, for example, in Patent Document 1, an auxiliary air circulation path is provided in the outer tank, the air that has flowed out from the inner tank to the outer tank is recirculated to the inner tank, and the secondary air circulation path discloses a washer/dryer in which a fan for circulation is arranged. In addition, in Patent Document 2, a wall member that is elastically deformable is provided at the end of the rotating tub where the opening is provided, and when the rotating tub rotates at high speed during the dehydration process, the tip of the wall member moves away from the tub to dry the water. A washing/drying machine is disclosed in which the tip of a wall member approaches a water tank during low-speed rotation such as in a process, thereby suppressing the amount of dry air directed toward the gap between the rotating tub and the water tank.

JP-A-2006-55191 JP-A-2004-8683

However, in the washing/drying machine described in Patent Document 1, a circulation fan is provided at the outer bottom of the inner tub, and in the washing/drying machine described in Patent Document 2, a wall member is provided at the end of the inner tub. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a sufficient clearance in order to suppress contact with the outer tank when the inner tank rotates at high speed. In addition, there is concern about an increase in cost due to the additional members and an increase in the assembly process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of improving the drying efficiency.

The present invention provides a housing, an outer tank housed in the housing and having a blowout part and an air intake part, an inner tank housed in the outer tank, a driving part for rotationally driving the inner tank, and the An air blowing unit accommodated in a housing and blowing dry air into the inner tank, and an air blowing passage formed between the outer tank and the inner tank and communicating the blowing part and the air intake part, It has a secondary passage that is an air passage different from the air passage, and the discharge part of the secondary passage is connected so that the air is discharged at an angle of at least perpendicular to the flow in the flow direction of the air passage. and

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the washing machine which can improve drying efficiency can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is an external perspective view which shows the washing-drying machine of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing and drying machine shown in FIG. 1; 1 is an external perspective view showing a rotor according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a top view showing the tank cover according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4; 1 is a configuration diagram of a control device according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a flow chart which shows control processing of the washing dryer of a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the control process at the time of the drying operation of the washing-drying machine of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to a sixth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to a seventh embodiment; It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing-drying machine of 8th Embodiment. FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tank cover provided with a drying subpath according to an eighth embodiment;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and applications within the technical concept of the present invention. is also included in the scope.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a washing/drying machine, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing/drying machine.
As shown in FIG. 1 , a washer/dryer (washing machine) 100 includes a housing 1 forming an outer shell, and a top cover 2 on the top of the housing 1 . The housing 1 also includes a power switch 5 and a detergent/softener container 28 (see FIG. 2) on the front side of the top cover 2 . Further, the housing 1 incorporates components related to water supply and drying such as a water supply electromagnetic valve 4, a heater 20 (see FIG. 2), and a blower fan 19 (see FIG. 2) in the rear part of the top cover 2. Further, the housing 1 is provided with an outer lid 3 so as to cover the clothes inlet 2a (see FIG. 2). On the front side of the outer lid 3, a handle 3a and an operation panel 8 having operation switches 6, 6a and a display 25 are provided. Further, the outer cover 3 is opened by bending at the center as indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 2 when the handle 3a is pulled upward. The operation panel 8 is electrically connected to a control device 14 (see FIG. 2) provided at the bottom of the housing 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the washer/dryer 100 includes an outer tub (water tub) 10 housed in the housing 1 . The outer tub 10 is supported substantially at the center of the housing 1 by engaging the four directions of the outer tub 10 via a shock absorber (not shown) and evenly supporting the outer tub 10 . A driving mechanism 12 is attached to the lower portion of the outer tub 10 .

The outer tub 10 accommodates an inner tub 9 which is a washing and dehydrating tub for storing laundry (clothes) 56 . The inner tank 9 includes a cylindrical body plate 9p made of stainless steel, a synthetic resin bottom plate 9q provided at the bottom end of the body plate 9p, and a synthetic resin bottom plate 9q provided at the upper edge of the body plate 9p. It is configured with a fluid balancer 9c. A large number of small through holes 9a (only some of which are shown) are formed in the body plate 9p for water flow and ventilation. Also, the bottom plate 9q is formed with a large number of small through holes 9b (only some of which are shown) for water flow and ventilation. In addition, the inner tub 9 is rotatably provided with a rotary blade 11 for stirring the laundry 56 inside the bottom portion thereof.

The fluid balancer 9c is formed in a ring shape and is provided at the upper end portion of the body plate 9p of the inner tank 9. As shown in FIG. Further, the fluid balancer 9c is arranged so as to protrude radially inward from the body plate 9p of the inner tank 9, and the inner diameter of the fluid balancer 9c is shorter (smaller) than the inner diameter of the body plate 9p of the inner tank 9. is configured to be In addition, the fluid balancer 9c is configured by enclosing a fluid with a large specific gravity inside. It has the function of canceling out and maintaining the balance of rotation.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the rotor blade.
As shown in FIG. 3, the rotating blade 11 has a gently inclined surface 11h and a protuberance which repeatedly apply an upward force component to the laundry 56 (see FIG. 2) placed on the rotating blade 11 by rotating. A portion 11a is formed, and the inclined surface 11h is provided with a large number of small through holes 11c for water flow and ventilation. The inner tub 9 and the rotor blades 11 are rotated independently or integrally by a driving mechanism 12 (driving unit) composed of a clutch mechanism 12a (see FIG. 2) and a washing/dehydrating motor 12b (see FIG. 2). drive.

Returning to FIG. 2, the driving mechanism 12 incorporates a washing/dehydrating driving motor 12b using an inverter-driven motor or a reversible-rotating capacitor split-phase single-phase induction motor, a clutch mechanism 12a, and a planetary gear reduction mechanism (not shown). ing. In addition, the drive mechanism is a washing drive mode in which the rotary blade 11 is repeatedly rotated forward and backward while the inner tub 9 is stationary or released so as to rotate freely by controlling the washing/drying motor 12b and the clutch mechanism 12a. , and a drive function to execute a dehydration drive mode in which the inner tank 9 and the rotor blade 11 are integrally rotated in the same direction.

A vibration sensor 27 for detecting vibration of the outer tub 10 during washing or dehydration is provided on the outer side of the outer tub 10 . An air trap 21a is provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub 10. As shown in FIG. The pressure inside the air trap 21a is transmitted to the water level sensor 21 through the tube 21b, and the water level of the water stored in the outer tub 10 is detected. A water vent (intake portion) 10b, which is an intake portion, is provided in the lower portion of the outer tub 10. As shown in FIG.

The outer tub 10 has a synthetic resin tub cover 31 on its upper surface. The tank cover 31 has a clothes inlet 31a in about two thirds from the front side, and a water supply inlet (not shown) and a circulating water inlet 33 in the rear surface 31b. A detergent/softener inlet 28a is provided in front of the tub cover 31 . An inner lid 23 is attached by a hinge 23b so as to be openable and closable so as to cover the clothes inlet 31a. By lifting the handle 23a upward, the lock (not shown) of the inner lid 23 is released and opened as indicated by the dashed line in the figure, and is locked by pushing the handle 23a downward.

The rear surface 31 b of the tank cover 31 is provided with a blowout section 54 for guiding the dry air 51 into the inner tank 9 . The upstream side of the blowout portion 54 is connected to the heater 20 via a corrugated tube 29b. In addition, in order to facilitate the loading and unloading of the laundry 56, it is desirable to widen the laundry loading slot 31a. Therefore, the blowout part 54 is installed on the outer peripheral side of the inner tank 9 . In addition, the downstream end of the blowing part 54 is provided toward the outer peripheral bottom of the inner tank 9 so that the dry air 51 is blown toward the outer peripheral bottom of the inner tank 9 .

Further, inside the tank cover 31, a secondary drying passage 70A, which will be described later, is provided in order to suppress the flow rate of the drying air 51 flowing between the fluid balancer 9c and the lower surface of the tank cover 31. As shown in FIG. That is, the outer tank 10 has a blowout part 54 on the upper surface side and a water flow vent 10b (intake part) that is an intake part in the lower part. becomes the air blowing path R1 through which the air flows. The air duct R1 passes between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, passes between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tank 9 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tank 10, and extends between the bottom wall of the inner tank 9 and the outer tank. 10, a flow path passing through the inside of the inner tank 9, passing through the through hole 9a toward the outer tank 10, and between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tank 9 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tank 10. through the bottom wall of the inner tank 9 and the bottom wall of the outer tank 10, through the inside of the inner tank 9, through the through hole 9b toward the outer tank 10, and through the bottom of the inner tank 9 It means a channel passing between the wall and the bottom wall of the outer tank 10 .

A drying mechanism (blowing unit) D1 for drying the laundry 56 is composed of a blowing fan 19, a heater 20, a drying duct 22, and a dehumidifying mechanism 22a. The drying duct 22 connects between the water flow vent 10b and the blowout portion 54 . A dehumidification mechanism 22 a , a lint filter (not shown), a blower fan 19 , a heater 20 and a temperature sensor 26 are provided in the middle of the drying duct 22 . When the blower fan 19 is operated and the heater 20 is energized, the dry air 51 is blown into the inner tub 9 from the blowing part 54 through the bellows tube 29b to warm the laundry 56 and evaporate the moisture. The hot and humid air passes through the through holes 9a and 9b and exits into the outer tank 10, is sucked into the drying duct 22 through the water passage vent 10b, and is cooled and dehumidified by cooling water flowing down the dehumidifying mechanism 22a. The low-temperature air is heated again by the heater 20 and circulated so as to be blown into the inner tank 9 . The air that has been cooled and dehumidified in the drying duct 22 passes through a lint filter (not shown) to collect lint. During drying, the drain valve 15 is opened, and the cooling water flowing down the dehumidification mechanism 22a and the dehumidified water are discharged to the outside through the drain hose 24. As shown in FIG.

The rubber bellows tubes 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, and 29e are connected to the outer tank 10 and the tank cover 31, which are vibrated and displaced, and the dry duct 22 and the water supply solenoid valve 4 provided on the fixed side (housing 1, top cover 2, etc.). , the circulation pump 16 and the like.

The water supply electromagnetic valve 4 uses a quadruple valve in this embodiment so that water can be supplied in four directions. The first is a washing water supply electromagnetic valve, which is connected to the water supply inlet and supplies water to the inner tub 9 . The second is a detergent water supply solenoid valve, which is connected to the detergent input chamber of the detergent/softener container 28 . The third is a finishing agent supply electromagnetic valve, which is connected to the finishing agent charging chamber of the detergent/softener container 28 . The detergent/softener container 28 is connected to a detergent/softener inlet 28a to supply the detergent and the finishing agent into the outer tub 10 . The fourth is connected to the dehumidification mechanism 22a.

The washing water circulation pipe 17 connects between the water flow vent 10 b provided at the bottom of the outer tub 10 and the circulating water inlet 33 . A circulation pump 16 and a foreign matter trap 18 are provided at the bottom of the machine body, and a drainage hose 24 is connected to the foreign matter trap 18 via a drainage valve 15 . When the circulation pump 16 is operated, the washing water in the outer tub 10 passes through the circulation pipe 17 from the water vent 10b provided at the bottom of the outer tub 10, and is conveyed to the upper part of the outer tub 10, and is carried to the rear surface of the tub cover 31. The water enters the circulating water cover 30 installed on the inner tank 9 side of the rear surface 31b from the circulating water inlet 33, and is sprayed into the inner tank 9 from the nozzle 34.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the tank cover.
As shown in FIG. 4, the tank cover 31 has a water supply inlet 32, a circulating water inlet 33, and a blowout section 54 on its rear surface. Also, the tub cover 31 has a clothes inlet 31a in the center and a detergent/softener inlet 28a in the front.

Further, the tank cover 31 is provided with a secondary drying path 70A as indicated by a dashed line. The secondary drying channel 70A is arranged in a substantially annular shape. Incidentally, the drying sub-path 70A is not a complete circular ring, but is appropriately cut.

Although the tank cover 31 is formed by resin molding, high-temperature drying air flows through the integrally provided blow-out portion 54 and the auxiliary drying passage 70A. Therefore, in order to suppress deformation due to temperature, it is desirable to be made of a material (for example, resin containing glass fiber) that is heat resistant to 80 degrees or more.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 5, the fluid balancer 9c, the inner tank 9, and the outer tank 10 are shown together.
As shown in FIG. 5, the washer/dryer 100 (see FIG. 1) is formed between the outer tub 10 and the inner tub 9, and includes a blowout portion 54 (see FIG. 2) and a water vent 10b (see FIG. 2). ) is provided. The washer/dryer 100 has a drying sub-path (sub-path) 70A different from the air blowing path R1. The secondary drying path 70A is provided in the tank cover 31. As shown in FIG.

Further, the tank cover 31 is formed by stacking two plates, a tank cover upper plate 31c and a tank cover lower plate 31d, so as to have a relatively large thickness. As a result, not only is it easy to provide the secondary drying channel 70A inside the tank cover 31, but also the wall surface of the channel can be divided and resin-molded, so that easy molding is possible. Packings 75a and 75b (see FIG. 8), which are elastic members, are provided between the upper plate 31c of the tank cover and the lower plate 31d of the tank cover. .

In addition, the secondary drying path 70A has an inflow portion (inflow port) 71A for inflowing air (drying air) from the air gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, and discharges the air (drying air) to the air gap 74. It is composed of a return discharge portion (discharge port) 72A and a flow path 73A communicating between the inflow portion 71A and the discharge portion 72A.

Further, the secondary drying channel 70A is formed in a substantially U shape in a cross-sectional view when cut in the axial direction. In addition, the pressure loss can be reduced by forming the channel 73A short like a U shape. In addition, the inflow portion 71A and the discharge portion 72A are positioned facing the upper surface of the fluid balancer 9c (the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31), in other words, the gap between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31. 74 (blowing passage R1). In addition, the position of the inflow part 71A is arbitrary, and is not limited to the structure facing the gap 74. As shown in FIG.

In addition, the discharge portion 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A is connected at an angle .alpha. That is, the angle α formed by the flow path direction S1 of the ejection portion 72A and the flow path direction S2 of the gap 74 is set to 90° or more. Further, the angle α is an angle that rotates toward the tank cover 31 with respect to the flow path direction S2 and reaches the flow path direction S1. Further, the drying air discharged from the discharge portion 72A faces the flow of the drying air flowing through the gap 74. As shown in FIG. Note that the upper limit of the angle α is set to 180° or less.

Also, the dry air 51a that has flowed into the gap 74 is divided into the dry air 51b that flows through the gap 74 and the dry air 51c that flows into the flow path 73A at the inflow portion 71A of the secondary dry path 70A. The dry air 51 c flows directly through the flow path 73 A into the discharge portion 72 A and is returned to the gap 74 . At this time, the dry air 51d blown out from the discharge part 72A is blown in a direction facing the dry air 51b flowing through the air gap 74, thereby disturbing the flow around the air discharge part 72A and generating a vortex, increasing the ventilation resistance of the air gap 74. do. That is, the angle α between the flow direction of the dry air 51d blown out from the discharge portion 72A and the flow direction of the dry air 51b flowing through the gap 74 from upstream to downstream is 90° or more. As a result, the air volume of the drying air 51a flowing into the gap 74 is reduced and the air volume of the drying air blown onto the laundry 56 (see FIG. 2) in the inner tub 9 is increased, thereby improving the drying efficiency of the clothes.

By the way, as the air volume of the dry air 51d blown out from the discharge portion 72A increases, the flow around the discharge portion 72A is easily disturbed, so the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the channel cross-sectional area C1 of the inflow portion 71A is larger than the channel cross-sectional area C2 of the gap 74 . As a result, the diversion of the drying air 51a is promoted, and the drying air easily flows into the inflow portion 71A.

Further, in the present embodiment, the channel cross-sectional area of the secondary drying channel 70A decreases from the inflow portion 71A toward the discharge portion 72A. That is, it is configured such that the flow channel cross-sectional area C4 of the discharge portion 72A is smaller than the flow channel cross-sectional area C3 of the flow channel 73A. The secondary drying channel 70A is configured such that the flow channel cross-sectional area C4 of the discharge portion 72A is narrower (smaller) than the flow channel cross-sectional area C1 of the inflow portion 71A. As a result, the flow velocity of the drying winds 51c and 51d flowing through the secondary drying passage 70A gradually increases, and the pressure around the discharge portion 72A becomes smaller than the pressure around the inlet portion 71A. becomes easier. As a result, the air volume of the drying air 51c, 51d flowing through the drying sub-path 70A further increases, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 further increases.

In the washing/drying machine 100 having such a configuration, a series of operations from washing to drying are automatically performed. The contents of these operations will be described below. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control unit of the washing/drying machine.
As shown in FIG. 6, a microcomputer (control device) 40 is connected to an operation button input circuit 41, a water level sensor 21, a temperature sensor 26, and a vibration sensor 27, which are connected to the switches 6 and 6a. It receives various information signals in the operation, washing process, and drying process. An output from the microcomputer 40 is connected to a drive circuit 42, which includes a water supply electromagnetic valve 4, a clutch mechanism 12a (abbreviated as clutch in FIG. 6), a drain valve 15, a circulation pump 16, and a washing/dehydrating drive motor 12b (in FIG. 6). abbreviated as an electric motor), the blower fan 19, the heater 20, etc., and controls opening/closing, rotation, and energization of these. The microcomputer 40 is also connected to a 7-segment light-emitting diode display 25, light-emitting diode 7, and buzzer 43 for informing the user of the operating state of the washer/dryer 100. FIG.

The microcomputer 40 is activated when the power switch 5 is pushed and the power is turned on, and executes a basic control processing program for washing and drying as shown in FIGS. The control flow by the microcomputer 40 (control device) will be described below. First, the washing and dewatering steps will be described.

<<Step S101>>
Check the status of the washer/dryer and make initial settings.

<<Step S102>>
The indicator 25 of the operation panel 8 is turned on, and the washing course is set according to the instruction input from the operation switch 6. - 特許庁When there is no instruction input, the standard washing course or the last washing course is automatically set.

<<Step S103>>
An instruction input from the start switch 6a on the operation switch 6 of the operation panel 8 is monitored to branch the processing.

<<Step S104>>
Execute the detergent amount detection process. This amount of detergent is detected based on the amount of rotation load acting on the rotor blade 11 when the rotor blade 11 is rotated in one direction with the inner tub 9 stationary in the dry cloth state before the washing water is supplied. By controlling the washing/drying drive motor 12b and the clutch mechanism 12a in the drive mechanism 12 so as to detect the amount of laundry 56, and determining the appropriate amount of detergent (detergent amount) based on the detected amount of laundry.

The amount of detergent is obtained by referring to a preset comparison table of the amount of cloth and the amount of detergent. Specifically, in the configuration in which an inverter-driven motor is used as the washing/dehydrating motor 12b, the amount of laundry is detected by detecting the rotation speed reached when power is supplied for a predetermined time so as to rotate the washing/dehydrating motor 12b. conduct. In a configuration in which a capacitor split-phase single-phase induction motor is used as the washing/dehydration driving motor 12b, the inertia rotation deceleration characteristic after power failure is detected in a state in which power is supplied to increase the washing/dehydration driving motor 12b to a saturated rotational speed. by Then, the desired amount of detergent is obtained by referring to a preset comparison table of the amount of cloth and the amount of detergent.

The amount of washing water is set so that when the amount of laundry is within a predetermined range (appropriate amount) of the amount of laundry, the water level is maintained so as not to exceed the rotor blade 11, and the amount of washing water accumulates at the bottom of the outer tub 10. - 特許庁Also, the washing time is obtained and set based on the detection result (cloth amount). When the amount of laundry is not detected, a standard wash time is set.

<<Step S105>>
The determined amount of detergent is displayed on the display 25 of the operation panel 8 .

<<Step S106>>
The detergent supply electromagnetic valve is opened to supply detergent to the detergent input chamber of the detergent/softener container 28 . The user puts the displayed amount of powder detergent or liquid detergent into the detergent-filling chamber of the detergent/softener container 28, and then closes the outer lid 3. The powder detergent or liquid detergent put into the detergent-filling chamber through which the detergent water supply flows falls to the bottom of the outer tub 10 through the detergent/softener inlet 28a together with the detergent water supply.

<<Step S107>>
Stop the water supply when the detergent reaches the water level. The detergent dissolving water level is a sufficient amount of water to agitate the supplied water and the detergent at the bottom of the inner tank 9 when the inner tank 9 is rotated in the subsequent detergent dissolving step (step S108), and the water surface. is lower than the height of the lower surface of the rotor blade 11 (the laundry 56 does not get wet before the detergent is dissolved).

<<Step S108>>
By slowly rotating the inner tank 9 and the rotor blade 11 integrally in one direction, the detergent-dissolved water and powder detergent or liquid detergent put into the bottom of the outer tank 10 are stirred at the bottom surface of the inner tank 9. , perform detergent dissolution to produce wash water with a high detergent concentration.

<<Step S109>>
Carry out a pre-wash. This pre-washing is carried out intermittently by rotating the rotor blades 11 forward and backward while the inner tank 9 is stationary, and by operating the circulation pump 16 during the forward and reverse rotation of the rotor blades 11, Detergent water from the bottom is sprinkled from the nozzle 34 onto the laundry 56. - 特許庁At this time, the high-concentration detergent water is sprayed on the laundry 56, so that the detergent permeates the laundry 56 evenly due to the penetrating action of the detergent. The high-concentration detergent water that permeates the laundry 56 has a high ability to dissolve oil, dissolves oil stains such as sebum stains, and has a very large effect of lifting the stains from the laundry 56, resulting in high detergency. . Next, while the rotary blades 11 and the circulation pump 16 are stopped, the detergent water supply solenoid valve and the washing water supply solenoid valve are opened while referring to the detection signal of the water level sensor 21, and water is supplied so that the water level does not exceed the set water level. . By repeating this operation a plurality of times, the laundry 56 is mixed with the washing water and dispersed on the rotary blade 11. - 特許庁

<<Step S110>>
Execute the main wash. In this main washing, first, the amount of laundry is detected by the same method as described above, and the set washing time is corrected and set. After that, the circulation pump 16 is operated while rotating the rotary blade 11 forward and backward while the inner tub 9 is kept stationary, and the wash water collected at the bottom of the outer tub 10 is sprayed onto the laundry 56 from the nozzle 34 for washing. Stirring for water circulation and cloth untangling agitation for rotating the rotary blade 11 forward and reverse while stopping the operation of the circulation pump 16 and stopping the circulation of washing water are repeated. Due to the forward and reverse rotation of the rotary blades 11, the laundry 56 is alternately rotated in the circumferential direction and the radial direction within the inner tub 9, and is evenly washed. Finally, in a state in which the operation of the circulation pump 16 is stopped to stop the circulation of the wash water, the rotor blades 11 are rotated forward and backward to perform uniform stirring, thereby ending the main washing time.

<<Step S111>>
Perform the first reservoir rinse. In this water rinsing, first, after opening the drain valve 15 and draining the washing water remaining at the bottom of the outer tub 10, the inner tub 9 and the rotary blade 11 are integrally rotated in one direction to wash the laundry 56. The wash water contained in is centrifugally dehydrated. The rotation speed of the inner tank 9 and the rotor blade 11 during this washing water dehydration is set to be the same as the rotation speed (approximately 1100 r/min) in the final dehydration described later, and the dehydration operation is performed so as to achieve a high dehydration rate.

After that, while the drain valve 15 is closed and the inner tub 9 and the rotor blade 11 are slowly rotated integrally in one direction, the washing water supply electromagnetic valve is opened to pour tap water from the sprinkling port to the laundry 56 on the rotor blade 11. water so that it falls on the water.

Next, with the rotation of the inner tub 9 and the rotor blades 11 stopped, rinsing water is supplied so that the water level at the bottom of the outer tub 10 does not exceed the set water level. Then, in the same manner as the push washing agitation in the main washing, while the rotating blades 11 are rotated forward and backward while the inner tank 9 is stationary, the rinsing water accumulated at the bottom of the outer tank 10 is discharged to the nozzle by operating the circulation pump 16. The rinsing water circulation agitation rinsing is performed by circulating from 34 so as to fall on the laundry 56 on the rotor 11 . Then, while the rotation of the rotor blade 11 and the operation of the circulation pump 16 are stopped, the water level of the rinse water accumulated in the bottom of the outer tub 10 is detected, and water is supplied so that the water level does not exceed the set water level. Then, while rotating the rotary blades 11 forward and backward while the inner tub 9 is stationary, the circulation pump 16 is operated to remove the rinse water accumulated at the bottom of the outer tub 10 from the nozzles 34 to the laundry on the rotary blades 11. A rinse water circulation agitation rinse is performed, which is circulated down to 56 . As in washing, the laundry 56 in the inner tub 9 is alternated between the circumferential direction and the radial direction, so that the rinsing water is evenly applied to the laundry 56 to dilute the detergent. Thereafter, the circulation pump 16 is stopped to stop the circulation of the rinsing water, and uniform stirring is performed by continuing the forward and reverse rotation of the rotor blades 11 .

<<Step S112>>
Perform a second reservoir rinse. This second rinsing is performed by opening the softener water supply electromagnetic valve and supplying water to the softener charging chamber in the detergent/softener container 28, thereby removing the softener from the softener charging chamber into the outer tank. Add a control that introduces at the bottom of 10. Other operations are performed in the same manner as in the first rinsing.

<<Step S113>>
Execute the final dehydration process. In the final dehydration, the inner tub 9 and the rotor blade 11 are integrated with the drain valve 15 open, and the drive mechanism is operated to rotate the laundry in one direction at high speed. 56 is centrifuged to dehydrate. The operation time for this final dehydration is set to a time at which a desired dehydration rate is obtained.

<<Step S114>>
Check whether the washing/drying course is set and branch the process. If the washing/drying course has not been selected, the washing is completed, and this control flow ends. On the other hand, when the washing/drying course is selected, the drying process is started.

After the washing process is completed, the drying process is carried out. FIG. 8 shows the control flow of this drying process. This control flow will be described below.
<<Step S200>>
As shown in FIG. 8, in the drying step, the inner tub 9 is rotated at high speed to dehydrate the laundry 56 further. This step can be omitted if sufficient dehydration has been carried out in the previous washing process.

<<Step S201>>
This is a process for performing step S200 for a predetermined period of time, and the dehydration process is performed until a predetermined period of time elapses. This step can also be omitted if sufficient dehydration has been carried out in the previous washing process.

<<Step S202>>
The blowing fan 19 and the heater 20 are operated to blow dry air from the blowing part 54 to the laundry 56 in the inner tub 9 .

<<Step S203>>
The inner tub 9 and the rotary blades 11 are slowly rotated integrally, and the rotary blades 11 are rotated forward and backward while the inner tub 9 is stationary, thereby heating and drying the laundry 56 as a whole while stirring. .

<<Step S204>>
The temperature sensor 26 monitors the temperature of the drying air 51, and it is determined that the drying is complete when the rate of temperature change reaches a predetermined value. If the laundry 56 is not dry, the inner tub 9 or the rotary blade 11 is rotated in step S203, and the determination in step S204 is made again.

<<Step S205>>
After the heater 20 is turned off, the blower fan 19 is also turned off to stop the rotation of the inner tank 9 and the rotary blades 11, thereby ending the drying process.

Although the heater 20 is used as the heat source in this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained by using a heat pump as the heat source.

By the way, during drying, the dry air 51 (see FIG. 2) blown out from the blowing part 54 is blown onto the laundry 56 in the inner tub 9, and after warming the laundry 56, the inner tub 9 tank wall surface (body plate ) and the through hole 9b provided in the rotor blade 11, it flows out to the outer tank 10 side (see FIG. 2). At this time, since there is ventilation resistance in the through holes 9a and 9b provided in the inner tank 9 and the rotor blades 11, most of the drying air 51 is blown into the inner tank 9, but part of it is blown into the inner tank 9. It does not enter the inside and is diverted to the gap 74 which is the gap between the inner tank 9 and the outer tank 10 . The diverted drying air 51a (see FIG. 5) winds around the outside of the inner tub 9 and is not blown onto the laundry 56, leading to a decrease in drying efficiency. In particular, when the amount of laundry 56 put in is large relative to the volume of the inner tub 9, the laundry 56 is placed in the through hole 9a provided in the inner tub 9 wall surface or in the rotary blade 11. Since the through hole 9b is blocked, the ventilation resistance of the inner tank 9 is increased, and the drying air can easily escape from the gap 74, which has a relatively small ventilation resistance.

Also, when the distance between the tank cover 31 provided in the outer tank 10 and the fluid balancer 9c provided in the inner tank 9 is shortened, the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 can be increased. However, when the inner tub 9 rotates at high speed during dehydration or the like, the inner tub 9 may come into contact with the outer tub 10, thus creating a trade-off relationship. In this embodiment, by providing the drying sub-path 70A in the tank cover 31, it is possible to increase the ventilation resistance of the air gap 74 without shortening the distance between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, thus facilitating compatibility with the clearance. Become.

The washing and drying machine 100 of the first embodiment configured as described above includes a housing 1, an outer tub 10 housed in the housing 1 and provided with a blowout portion 54 and a water vent 10b, and An inner tank 9 to be housed, a driving mechanism 12 for rotating the inner tank 9, a drying mechanism D1 housed in the housing 1 and blowing dry air into the inner tank 9, and an outer tank 10 and the inner tank 9. and an air passage R1 formed therebetween and communicating between the blowout portion 54 and the water passage vent 10b (see FIG. 5). Moreover, the washing/drying machine 100 has a secondary drying passage 70A that is an air passage different from the air passage R1. The discharge portion 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A discharges at an angle greater than or equal to the vertical direction with respect to the flow path direction S2 of the air gap 74 of the air blowing passage R1. According to this, by increasing the ventilation resistance of the air gap 74 and suppressing the air volume of the dry air 51b flowing through the air gap 74, the air volume of the dry air 51 blown into the inner tub 9 is increased, and the drying efficiency of the laundry 56 is increased. improves.

Further, in the first embodiment, the channel cross-sectional areas C1, C3, and C4 of the drying sub-passage 70A decrease from the inflow portion 71A toward the discharge portion 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A (see FIG. 5). According to this, the flow velocity of the drying winds 51c and 51d flowing through the secondary drying passage 70A gradually increases, and the pressure around the discharge portion 72A becomes smaller than the pressure around the inlet portion 71A. becomes easier to flow. As a result, the amount of the drying air 51c, 51d flowing through the drying sub-path 70A further increases, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 further increases.

Further, in the first embodiment, the channel cross-sectional area C1 of the inflow portion 71A is larger than the channel cross-sectional area C2 of the gap 74 in the secondary drying channel 70A. This makes it easier for the dry air 51a that has flowed into the gap 74 to flow into the secondary dry path 70A, and increases the air volume of the dry air 51c that flows through the secondary dry path 70A.

Further, in the first embodiment, the outer tub 10 has a tub cover 31, and the discharge part 72A is provided on the tub cover 31 (see FIG. 5). According to this, it is only necessary to combine the upper plate 31c of the tank cover and the lower plate 31d of the tank cover, so that the secondary drying path 70A can be easily formed.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a secondary drying path according to the second embodiment. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as in the first embodiment, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 9, in the second embodiment, instead of the first embodiment in which the secondary drying channel 70A is provided in the tank cover 31, the secondary drying channel 70B is provided in the fluid balancer 9c. The drying sub-passage 70B has a shape in which the drying sub-passage 70A is turned upside down. It is composed of a portion 72B and a flow path 73B communicating between the inflow portion 71B and the discharge portion 72B.

Further, the secondary drying path 70B is formed in a substantially U shape in a cross-sectional view when cut in the axial direction. In addition, the inflow portion 71B and the discharge portion 72B are positioned facing the lower surface of the tank cover 31 (the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31), in other words, the gap between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31. 74 (blowing passage R1). In addition, the position of the inflow part 71B is arbitrary, and is not limited to the structure facing the gap 74 .

Also, the discharge portion 72B of the drying sub-passage 70B is connected to the flow in the air gap (blowing passage) 74 in the flow passage direction S4 at an angle β that is greater than or equal to the perpendicular. Also, the angle β formed by the flow path direction S3 of the ejection portion 72B and the flow path direction S4 of the gap 74 is set to 90° or more, as in the first embodiment. Further, the angle β is an angle that rotates toward the fluid balancer 9c side with respect to the flow path direction S4 and reaches the flow path direction S3. Further, the drying air discharged from the discharge portion 72B faces the flow of the drying air flowing through the gap 74 . Note that the upper limit of the angle β is set to 180° or less.

In the second embodiment, the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 is increased and the drying efficiency of the clothes is improved in the same manner as in the case where the secondary drying path 70A is provided in the tub cover 31 as in the first embodiment.

Further, in the second embodiment, the inner tank 9 is provided with a fluid balancer 9c, and the discharge part 72B is provided in the fluid balancer 9c (see FIG. 9). According to this, similarly to the case where the discharge part 72A is provided in the tank cover 31, it becomes easy to form the secondary drying path 70B.

(Third Embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to the third embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10, in the third embodiment, instead of the first embodiment having a single sub-drying path 70A, the sub-drying path 70A is centered on the rotation axis O (see FIG. 2) of the inner tank 9. are provided in the tank cover 31 as a plurality. The three drying sub-paths 70A all have the same shape, and each have an inflow portion 71A, a discharge portion 72A and a flow path 73A.

In the third embodiment, since the flow is disturbed around each discharge part 72A, the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 is further increased compared to the case where there is only one drying sub-path 70A, and the clothes drying efficiency is further improved.

As described above, in the third embodiment, a plurality of drying subpaths 70A are provided at positions with different distances from the rotation axis O of the inner tank 9 . According to this, the ventilation resistance of the air gap 74 is increased as compared with the case where the single secondary drying channel 70A is provided, and the drying efficiency of the clothes is further improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to the fourth embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 11, in the fourth embodiment, a convex member 75 (convex portion) is added to the secondary drying path 70A of the first embodiment. Although not shown, the discharge part 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A is connected at an angle .alpha. there is

The protruding member 75 is provided on the fluid balancer 9c, which is the facing surface of the inflow portion 71A. The secondary drying path 70A functions in the drying process, and the inner tank 9 only rotates at a low speed. Therefore, if the protruding member 75 faces the inflow portion 71A when the rotation of the inner tub 9 is stopped, the protruding member 75 does not move out of the position facing the inflow portion 71A during drying.

In the fourth embodiment, the main direction of the dry air 51 flowing through the gap 74 is changed to the inflow portion 71 side, so that the dry air 51a is easily diverted to the secondary dry air passage 70A. As a result, the air volume of the drying air 51b flowing through the secondary drying passage 70A is increased, so that the flow around the discharge section 72A is easily disturbed, and the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 is increased as compared with the case where the projecting member 75 is not provided. Therefore, the drying efficiency of the clothes is further improved.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the projecting member 75 is formed on the surface facing the inflow portion 71A of the secondary drying channel 70A (the upper surface of the fluid balancer 9c). This makes it easier to introduce the drying air 51a that has flowed into the gap 74 into the secondary drying path 70A, so that the ventilation resistance of the gap 74 can be increased more than when the projecting member 75 is not provided, thereby drying the clothes. Efficiency can be further improved.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to the fifth embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 12, the fifth embodiment has a configuration in which the secondary drying channel 70A of the first embodiment and the secondary drying channel 70B of the second embodiment are combined. In addition, in the fifth embodiment, the drying sub-path 70A and the drying sub-path 70B are configured to have vertically symmetrical shapes. Also, the inflow portion 71A of the drying sub-passage 70A and the inflow portion 71B of the drying sub-passage 70B face each other, and the discharge portion 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A and the discharge portion 72B of the drying sub-passage 70B face each other. In the fifth embodiment, the inflow portion 71A and the discharge portion 72A of the drying sub-passage 70A and the inflow portion 71B and the discharge portion 72B of the drying sub-passage 70B are aligned with each other in the flow direction of the drying air 51b in the gap 74. Although the case where they are arranged is taken as an example, they may be arranged so as to be shifted from each other in the flow direction.

In the fifth embodiment, since the flow is disturbed around the discharge portions 72A and 72B, the ventilation resistance of the air gap 74 increases more than when there is one drying sub-passage 70A (or drying sub-passage 70B). Improves drying efficiency.

In the fifth embodiment, the case where the tank cover 31 is provided with the single drying sub-path 70A and the fluid balancer 9c is provided with the single drying sub-path 70B has been described as an example. A plurality of drying sub-paths 70A may be provided, and the fluid balancer 9c may be provided with a plurality of drying sub-paths 70B.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to the sixth embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, the sixth embodiment includes a drying sub-path 70C instead of the drying sub-path 70A of the first embodiment. It should be noted that the sixth embodiment is an embodiment showing that the inflow portion is not limited to face the gap 74 .

The secondary drying channel 70</b>C is configured such that the inflow portion 71</b>C faces the clothes inlet 31 a (inner peripheral wall) formed in the tub cover 31 . Further, the drying sub-path 70C includes a discharge portion 72C at a position facing the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31, and a flow path 73C communicating the inflow portion 71C and the discharge portion 72C. .

In the sixth embodiment, even when the inflow portion 71C is provided on the side of the tub cover 31 facing the clothes inlet 31a, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

In the sixth embodiment, the inflow part 71C is provided on the side of the tub cover 31 facing the clothes inlet 31a. may be formed on the side facing the opening 9c1 (see FIG. 9) of the fluid balancer 9c. Also in this case, the same effects as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

(Seventh embodiment)
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a drying subpath according to the seventh embodiment. In addition, in the first to sixth embodiments, the case where the discharge portions 72A, 72B, and 72C are connected so as to face the gap 74 between the fluid balancer 9c and the tank cover 31 has been described as an example. However, in the seventh embodiment, a secondary drying passage 70D, which is an air passage different from the blowing passage R1 that communicates the blowout portion 54 and the water passage vent 10b, is provided.

The secondary drying path 70D has an inflow portion (inflow port) 71D into which air (drying air) flows from the air gap 74A between the fluid balancer 9c and the outer tank 10, and the air (drying air) is discharged to the air gap 74 and returned. It is composed of a discharge portion (discharge port) 72D and a flow path 73D communicating between the inflow portion 71D and the discharge portion 72D.

Further, the secondary drying path 70D is formed in a substantially U shape in a cross-sectional view when cut in the axial direction. The inflow portion 71D and the discharge portion 72D are formed at positions facing the gap 74A between the outer peripheral surface of the fluid balancer 9c and the outer tank 10. As shown in FIG. In addition, the position of the inflow part 71A is arbitrary, and is not limited to the structure facing the gap 74A.

In addition, the discharge portion 72D of the drying sub-passage 70D is connected at an angle γ that is at least perpendicular to the flow in the flow passage direction S6 of the air gap (blowing passage) 74A. The angle γ between the flow path direction S5 of the discharge portion 72D and the flow path direction S6 of the gap 74A is set to 90° or more, like the angle α in the first embodiment and the angle β in the second embodiment. ing. Moreover, the angle γ is an angle that rotates toward the outer tank 10 side with respect to the flow path direction S6 and reaches the flow path direction S5. Further, the drying air discharged from the discharge portion 72</b>D faces the flow of the drying air flowing through the gap 74 . Note that the upper limit of the angle γ is set to 180° or less.

(Eighth embodiment)
FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the drum-type washing/drying machine of the eighth embodiment. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tank cover provided with a drying subpath according to the eighth embodiment. Although the first to seventh embodiments have been described by taking the vertical washing/drying machine as an example, they can also be applied to a drum type washing/drying machine (washing machine).

Next, a schematic structure of the washing/drying machine 200 (washing machine) will be briefly described.
As shown in FIG. 15, an outer bath 202 is provided inside the housing 201 . The outer tub 202 is supported by a plurality of suspensions 206 below.

An inner tank 203 which is a rotating drum is provided inside the outer tank 202 . The inner tank 203 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is rotatably supported within the outer tank 202 . Further, the inner tub 203 can be loaded with the laundry 56 by opening the door 204 . In addition, the inner tank 203 has a large number of through holes 203a (only some of which are shown) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation in the cylindrical portion which is the side wall (peripheral wall). In addition, a fluid balancer 205 is provided around the opening of the inner tub 203 to reduce vibration caused by unbalanced laundry 56 during dehydration. A plurality of lifters 207 for lifting the laundry 56 are provided inside the inner tub 203 .

In addition, the inner tank 203 is directly connected to a driving motor 210 (driving section) via a main shaft 209 connected to a flange 208 . The method for driving the inner tank 203 is not limited to the present embodiment, and a so-called belt driving method in which a pulley fixed to the main shaft and a motor fixed to the outer tank are connected via a belt to drive the inner tank 203 is used. A drive type configuration may be used.

A tank cover 231 having a drying sub-path 170 is provided in front of the outer tank 202 . A rubber packing 211 made of an elastic material is attached to the opening of the outer tub 202 . This packing 211 serves to maintain airtightness and watertightness between the inside of the outer tank 202 and the door 204 . This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing and dehydration. The inner tank 203 has a side wall provided with a large number of through holes 203a (only some of which are shown) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation. A drain port 216 provided in the water receiving portion 212 of the outer tub 202 is connected to a drain hose 214 via a drain valve 213 . Also, the overflow hose 215 is attached to the lower part of the drying duct 217 on the back of the drum, and joins the hose from the drain port 216 before the drain valve 213 . That is, when the drain valve 213 is opened, it is configured to communicate with the drain hose 214 .

A washing water circulation pump 218 is provided in the lower portion of the outer tub 202 . When the circulation pump 218 is driven, the water in the water receiving portion 212 enters the circulation pump 218 through the drain port 216 and the lint filter 225 . The washing water pressurized by the circulation pump 218 is pumped up to a water spray nozzle (not shown) provided at the top of the outer tub 202 and sprayed onto the laundry 56 in the inner tub 203 . Since the washing water passes through the laundry 56 and is returned to the water receiving portion 212 again, by repeating this circulation, the laundry 56 can be moistened with a small amount of water and the detergent can be permeated.

A drying mechanism (blowing unit) D2 for drying the laundry 56 in the inner tub 203 is composed of a blowing fan 219, a heater 220, a drying duct 217, and a dehumidifying mechanism 217a. The blower fan 219 is fixed to the housing 1 apart from the outer tub 202 . A flexible bellows 222 is connected between the outlet of the heater 220 and the blowout part 221 . The drying duct 217 connects a ventilation port 223 (intake portion) provided in the outer tub 202 and the blower fan 219 via a bellows tube 224 . The drying duct 217 is separated from the outer tub 202 and fixed (not shown) to the rear surface of the housing 201, and a dehumidifying mechanism 217a is provided in the middle.

The washing/drying machine 200 configured as described above is provided with an air passage R2 formed between the outer tub 202 and the inner tub 203 and connecting the blowing part 221 and the air vent 223 . The airflow path R2 is a flow path that passes between the fluid balancer 205 and the tank cover 231 and between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tank 203 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tank 202, and the inside of the inner tank 203. It means a passage that passes through the through hole 203 a toward the outer tank 202 and that passes between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tank 203 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tank 202 .

In the washer/dryer 200 configured as described above, when the blower fan 219 is operated and the heater 220 is energized, the dry air 51 is blown into the inner tub 203 from the outlet 221 to warm the laundry 56 and evaporate the moisture. The hot and humid air passes through the through-hole 203a, goes out to the outer tank 202, and is sucked into the drying duct 217 through the vent 223. - 特許庁At this time, as in the first embodiment, since the inner tank 203 has ventilation resistance, part of the dry air 51 flows into the gap 174 (ventilation path) between the outer tank 202 and the inner tank 203. become.

As shown in FIG. 16, the tank cover 231 is composed of two plates, a tank cover upper plate 231a and a tank cover lower plate 231b, and is provided with a drying sub-path 170 (sub-path) inside. A packing 232b, which is an elastic member, is provided between the upper plate 231a of the tank cover and the lower plate 231b of the tank cover, so that the structure of the tank cover 31 is improved in airtightness.

The drying subpath 170 has an inflow portion (inflow port) 171 for inflowing air (dry air) from a gap 174 between the fluid balancer 205 and the tank cover 231, and discharges the air (dry air) to the gap 174 and returns it. It is composed of a discharge portion (discharge port) 172 and a channel 173 that communicates between the inflow portion 171 and the discharge portion 172 .

Further, the drying subpath 170 is formed in a substantially U shape in a cross-sectional view when cut in the axial direction of the outer tub 202 . The inflow portion 171 and the discharge portion 172 are located on the front surface of the fluid balancer 205 (at a position facing the gap 174 between the fluid balancer 205 and the tank cover 231, in other words, the gap 174 between the fluid balancer 205 and the tank cover 231). The position of the inflow part 171 is arbitrary and does not need to face the air gap 174 .

Also, the discharge part 172 of the drying sub-passage 170 is connected to the flow in the flow path direction S20 (flow from the upstream side to the downstream side) of the air gap (blowing passage) 174 at an angle δ greater than or equal to the vertical. That is, the angle δ formed by the flow path direction S10 of the ejection portion 172 and the flow path direction S20 of the gap 174 is set to 90° or more. Further, the angle δ is an angle that rotates toward the tank cover 231 with respect to the flow path direction S20 and reaches the flow path direction S10. Moreover, the dry air discharged from the discharge part 172 faces the flow of the dry air flowing through the gap 174 . Note that the upper limit of the angle δ is set to 180° or less.

The washing/drying machine 200 configured as described above includes a housing 201, an outer tub 202 housed in the housing 201 and provided with a blowout portion 221 and a vent 223, and an inner tub 203 housed in the outer tub 202. , a driving motor 210 that rotates the inner tank 203, an air passage R2 that is accommodated in the housing 201 and blows dry air 51 into the inner tank 203, and is formed between the outer tank 202 and the inner tank 203, A blowing path R2 that communicates the blowing part 221 and the vent 223 is provided. In addition, the washer/dryer 200 has a secondary drying passage 170 that is an air passage different from the air passage R2. The discharge portion 172 of the drying sub-path 170 is connected to the flow path direction S20 of the gap 174 so that the ink is discharged at an angle δ that is greater than or equal to the vertical. As a result, the dry air 151 a that has flowed in from the gap 174 is divided at the inflow portion 171 to become the dry air 151 c that passes through the flow path 173 and is returned from the discharge portion 172 to the gap 174 . Further, since the angle δ between the flow path direction S20 and the flow path direction S10 is set to 90° or more, the dry air 151d of the discharge section 172 is discharged in the direction of the dry air 151b flowing through the gap 141. Since the directions are substantially opposite to each other, the ventilation resistance of the air gap 174 increases. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the air volume of the drying air 51 blown into the inner tub 203 is increased, and the drying efficiency of the laundry 56 is improved.

In the eighth embodiment, the case where the auxiliary drying path 170 is provided in the tank cover 231 has been described as an example, but the first to seventh embodiments may be combined as appropriate. For example, the fluid balancer 205 may be provided with the drying sub-path as in the second embodiment, or both the tank cover 231 and the fluid balancer 205 may be provided with drying sub-paths. A plurality of them may be provided at positions with different distances from the axis.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the case where the drying sub-path is provided in the ventilation path R1 (gap 74) between the tank cover 31 and the fluid balancer 9c has been mainly described. It may be a configuration in which a drying sub-path is provided in the ventilation path R1 between.

Further, the washing/drying machine 100 can be configured by appropriately combining the first to seventh embodiments.

Reference Signs List 1 housing 9 inner tank 9a, 9b through hole 9c fluid balancer (balance ring)
10 Outer tank 10b Water passage vent (intake part)
12 drive mechanism (drive unit)
19 Blower fan 20 Heater 22 Drying duct 22a Dehumidification mechanism 31 Tank cover 31c Tank cover upper plate 31d Tank cover lower plate 51, 51a, 51b, 51c Dry air 54 Blow-out part 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D Drying secondary path (secondary path)
71 Inflow Portion 72 Discharge Portion 73 Flow Path 74 Gap (air passage)
75 convex member (convex part)
170 dry side road (side road)
171 Inflow Portion 172 Discharge Portion 173 Flow Path 174 Gap (air passage)
200 washing and drying machine (washing machine)
201 housing 202 outer tank 203 inner tank 203a through hole 205 fluid balancer (balance ring)
210 drive motor (drive unit)
217 Drying duct 217a Dehumidification mechanism 219 Blower fan 220 Heater 221 Blow-out part 223 Vent (intake part)
231 tank cover 231a tank cover upper plate 231b tank cover lower plate D1, D2 drying mechanism (air blower)
R1, R2 air duct

Claims (7)

a housing;
an outer tank housed in the housing and including a blowout portion and an intake portion;
an inner tank accommodated in the outer tank;
a drive unit that rotates the inner tank;
a blowing unit accommodated in the housing and blowing dry air into the inner tank;
an air passage that is formed between the outer tank and the inner tank and communicates the blowing section and the suction section;
with
Having a secondary passage that is an air passage different from the air passage,
A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the discharge part of the secondary passage is connected so that the air is discharged at an angle greater than or equal to a right angle with respect to the flow in the flow direction of the air blow passage. The washing machine according to claim 1,
A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein a channel cross-sectional area of the secondary channel decreases from an inflow portion of the secondary channel toward the discharge portion. The washing machine according to claim 2,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the secondary channel has a channel cross-sectional area of the inflow portion larger than that of the air blow channel. The washing machine according to claim 2 or claim 3,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the air passage has a convex portion formed on a surface facing the inflow portion. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The outer tank has a tank cover,
A washing machine, wherein the discharge part is provided in the tub cover. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The inner tank has a balancing ring,
A washing machine, wherein the discharge part is provided in the balance ring. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said secondary paths are provided at positions different in distance from said rotating shaft of said inner tub.

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