JP2706391B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum type clothes dryer, and more particularly, to a clothes dryer having a filter cleaning forcing means for promoting removal of dust accumulated in a dust collecting filter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows a conventional example of a clothes dryer. The rotating drum 1 and the two-sided fan 13 that rotate while containing wet clothing are rotationally driven by the motor 2 via the drum belt 4 and the fan belt 3, respectively. The double-wing fan 13 has blowers on both sides, and the rotating drum 1 is
The inside air is exhausted, and outside air is sucked into the body 6 by the outer wings. A filter 19 is guarded by a filter cover 18 at the exhaust port 24 of the rotary drum 1 and is detachably attached. When the operation starts, the rotating drum 1 rotates and tumbles the stored clothes, and the double-wing fan 13 exhausts the air in the rotating drum 1 from the exhaust port 24. Since the two-blade fan 13 rotates while its outer peripheral portion is substantially closed by the sliding portion 12, the exhausted air is sent to the circulation air duct 8 and reaches the condenser 11, where the air is exhausted by the condenser 11 and the circulation air duct 8. Cooled and condensed by the outside air sucked by the fan 13, the moisture of the exhaust air is condensed, and the moisture is discharged to the outside through the drain port 10. The dehumidified air is heated by the heater 9 and sent into the rotary drum 1 from the air inlet 15, where the rotary drum 1
The air inside is dehumidified and heated while the circulation is repeated to dry the stored clothes. In the figure, the hatched arrows indicate the flow of the circulating air, and the hollow arrows indicate the flow of the outside air.
While circulating the air in the rotating drum 1 as described above,
The filter 19 provided in the exhaust port 24 accumulates lint and dust of clothes, and it is necessary to periodically clean the accumulated dust. As the accumulation of dust progresses, the amount of air flowing through the circulation air passage 8 decreases, and the drying performance decreases. In addition, since the pressure in the rotary drum 1 increases, adverse effects such as dust leaking out of the body 6 from a slight gap in the sliding portion 12 of the two-blade fan 13 and accumulation of dust in the circulation ventilation passage 8 occur. . In order to prevent such an adverse effect, it is detected that dust has accumulated in the filter 19 and a display lamp for urging cleaning is turned on.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned display for urging the user to clean the filter only urges the user to clean the filter, but does not necessarily force the user to clean the filter. The operation of the equipment may be continued, and the above-mentioned adverse effects may occur. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide means for urging a user to clean a filter.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a rotating drum, wherein air in the rotating drum is exhausted to a circulating air passage through a filter provided at an exhaust port of the rotating drum. Then, in a clothes dryer for returning the air dehumidified and heated in the circulating air passage to the rotating drum to dry the clothes in the rotating drum, a detecting means for detecting a clogged state of the filter; A reset switch provided at a position where it can be operated by removal, and a stopping means for preventing the clothes dryer from starting based on a signal from the clogging detecting means;
And a reset means for releasing the operation of the stop means by the operation of the reset switch. The detecting means counts the number of times or the operating time of the clothes dryer,
When the number of times of operation or the operation time becomes equal to or more than a predetermined value, the filter may be determined to be clogged. Further, the detecting means detects the amount of air blown in the circulation air passage from the current value of the heater provided in the circulation air passage, and when the current value falls below a predetermined value, it is determined that the filter is clogged. It is also possible to configure as.

[0005]

According to the present invention, the filter is in a clogged state when the detected value of the clogged state of the filter reaches a preset predetermined value. judge. When the filter clogging detecting means detects a predetermined value, a stopping means for preventing the clothes dryer from starting based on the signal output is operated. By the operation of the stop means, the start of the clothes dryer is stopped, and to release this, it is necessary to operate a reset switch provided at a position where it cannot be operated unless the filter is removed. Therefore, in order to operate the reset switch, it is necessary to remove the filter, and a state is created in which the filter is forced to be cleaned. The filter clogging state detecting means counts the number of operation times or operation time of the clothes dryer, sets an average value of the number of operation times or operation time when the filter becomes clogged to a predetermined value,
When the count reaches the predetermined value, it can be determined that the filter is clogged. Also, the air volume in the circulation air channel changes depending on the clogged state of the filter.
Clogging of the filter can be detected from the decrease in the amount of air blown. To detect the air flow, if the current value of the heater provided in the circulating air path is measured, the decrease in the air flow will be the current value. Can be determined to be clogged.

[0006]

EXAMPLES Next, specific examples will be shown for the understanding of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a main part of a filter mounting portion according to the present invention. The filter 19 and the filter cover 18 provided at the exhaust port 24 of the rotary drum 1 shown in FIG.
Push button 2 of the reset switch provided at the position covered by 9
1, a reset switch 23 is shown. Filter 19
The filter cover 18 is detachably provided on the fixture 20 so that the push button 21 of the reset switch cannot be operated unless the filter 19 is removed. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the clothes dryer is the same as that shown in FIG. 6, and the amount of dust accumulated in the filter 19 changes the amount of air flowing through the circulation air passage 8. The clogging state of the filter 19 is determined by detecting the current value of the heater 9 provided in the filter 19. FIG. 2 shows the first
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control device according to the embodiment, and illustrates a current sensor 31;
Detects the current value of the heater 9 and the current value of the heater 9 changes according to the amount of air flowing through the circulation air passage 8, so that the clogging of the filter 19 can be detected based on the current value. . When the detection value of the current sensor 31 is input to a reference value comparison unit 32 that stores the current value of the heater 9 in the clogged state where the filter 19 needs to be cleaned, and the current value of the heater 9 reaches a predetermined value, The control unit 33 turns on the filter cleaning lamp 34 and activates the operation stop control unit 35. When the operation stop control unit 35 is operated, the clothes dryer is controlled so as not to operate even when the operation start switch 44 is turned on in the subsequent operation of the clothes dryer. To reset the shutdown, the filter cover 1 shown in FIG.
By removing the filter 8 and the filter 19 and pressing the reset push button 21 at the position covered by the filter 19 to turn on the reset switch 23, the operation stop control unit 35 is reset to a state where the operation can be resumed.

As described above, in order to operate the reset switch 23, the filter 19 must be removed, so that the user forcibly cleans the filter 19.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the above control procedure. In order to operate the filter 19 without cleaning while the filter cleaning lamp 34 is lit, the operation is not started even if the operation start switch 44 is operated, and a means such as a warning buzzer for urging the filter 19 to be cleaned is provided. This notifies that the cleaning of the filter 19 and the operation of the reset push button 21 have not been completed. Since the current value of the heater 9 is affected not only by the amount of air blown through the circulation air passage 8 but also by the temperature of the blown air, the detection value of the temperature sensor 36 that detects the temperature of the circulation air passage 8 is controlled. The reference value for stopping the operation by inputting to the section 33 is corrected. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a control device 37 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the operation time or the number of times of operation of the clothes dryer is counted by the counter section 38, and when the counted number reaches a predetermined value stored in the reference value comparing section 39, the filter cleaning lamp is controlled by the control section 41. The operation stop control unit 42 that stops the operation from the next time is operated while turning on 40. In order to reset the operation stop state, the push button 21 of the reset switch 23 at the position covered by the filter 19 shown in FIG. The condition is that the operation stop state of the unit 42 is reset. Therefore,
Since the filter 19 has to be removed in order to operate the reset push button 21, the user forcibly cleans the filter 19. According to the present embodiment, the filter 19 is cleaned at a predetermined number of times of operation or at every operation time, and is periodically cleaned before the filter 19 is clogged. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure according to the present embodiment. As in the first embodiment, even if the operation start switch 43 is operated without cleaning the filter 19 and without operating the reset push button 21. , The operation is not started, and only a notification by a buzzer or the like for urging the filter 19 to be cleaned is made.

[0008]

According to the present invention, since the filter is constructed as described above, it is possible to forcibly clean the filter, the drying ability is reduced due to the clogging of the filter, and the accumulated dust is removed from the outside of the body. It is possible to eliminate the adverse effects such as leakage to the air and accumulation in the circulation air passage. The present invention not only eliminates the above-mentioned adverse effects, but also allows the clothes dryer to always operate in a normal state by forcibly cleaning the filter which is likely to be forgotten. It can also exhibit good operation and the effect of suppressing the occurrence of failure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control procedure according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional clothes dryer.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rotary drum 8 ... Circulating air path 9 ... Heater 17 ... Exhaust port 18 ... Filter cover 19 ... Filter 21 ... Reset push button 23 ... Reset switch 31 ... Current sensor (judgment means) 35, 42 ... Operation stop control part ( Stop means) 38 ... Counter (judgment means)

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] While rotating the rotating drum, air in the rotating drum is exhausted through a filter provided in an exhaust port of the rotating drum to a circulation air passage, and the air dehumidified and heated in the circulation air passage is rotated by the rotation. In a clothes dryer for returning to a drum and drying clothes in the rotating drum, a detecting means for detecting a clogged state of the filter, and a reset switch provided at a position where the filter can be operated by removing the filter. And stopping means for preventing the clothes dryer from starting based on a signal from the clogging detecting means; and reset means for canceling the operation of the stopping means by operating the reset switch. Characterized clothes dryer. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means counts the number of times or the operating time of the clothes dryer, and determines that the filter is clogged when the number of times or the operating time exceeds a predetermined value. The clothes dryer according to claim 1. 3. The detecting means detects the amount of air blown in the circulation air passage from the current value of a heater provided in the circulation air passage, and when the current value falls below a predetermined value, the filter is clogged. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the clothes dryer is determined to have been performed.