JP2785449B2 - Clothes dryer control device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clothes dryer that automatically stops operation according to the drying state of clothes.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, clothes dryers that automatically detect and stop the drying state have become the mainstream. Conventionally, a control device for a clothes dryer of this type is generally as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. FIG. This will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in the figure, a motor 2 serving as a drive source is provided at a lower portion of the main body 1, and the motor 2 is connected to a fan 3 provided on the back side of the main body 1 and a rotary drum 4 provided in front of the fan 3. With belts 5 and 6 stretched between
Drives the fan 3 and the rotating drum 4. Further, a heater 7 serving as a heat source is disposed on the front side of the main body 1, and hot air heated through the heater 7 by the rotation of the fan 3 is introduced into the rotating drum 4, and the heated air accommodated in the rotating drum 4 is received. The dried product (clothing) is heated and dried. The arrow A in the figure indicates the flow of the wind. Reference numeral 8 denotes an electrode, which is in contact with the object to be dried in the rotating drum 4 during operation.

As shown in FIG. 7, the electrode 8 is composed of two conductive members 9 and an insulating member 10, and detects the dry state of the object to be dried by detecting the resistance value r between the conductive members 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the resistance value r between the conductive members 9 increases for a predetermined time.
From time t ₂ which is greater than T ₁ continuously set value a, it is configured so as to terminate the operation at the time t ₄ when a predetermined delay time T ₃ elapsed. Incidentally, to set the delay time T ₃ is because drying is insufficient at time t _2.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional clothes dryer control device, the resistance value r
Time but was larger than the set value a ₁ continuously a predetermined time T
The time required to reach a practically appropriate drying rate than t ₂ is
It depends on the type and volume of the material to be dried in the rotating drum 4. That is, by setting the delay time T ₃ as in this example constant, or is dried against one lot of hard objects or capacity dryness becomes insufficient, the overdried against those with many easy to dry ones and capacity There were problems such as becoming one of the trends.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to determine an optimal operation time according to a capacity and a type of an object to be dried and automatically stop the operation.

Means for Solving the Problems The technical means of the present invention for achieving the above object includes an electrode disposed at a position in contact with the object to be dried in the rotating drum, and a resistance value of the electrode per unit time. Detecting means for detecting the number of times that the resistance value detected by the resistance detecting means has become smaller than a set value within a predetermined time; and a rate of change of the number of times detected by the comparing means. The number of times change rate detecting means for detecting the number of times, the calculating means for setting the operation time according to the number of times detected by the comparing means and the change rate detected by the number of times change rate detecting means, Control means for controlling a motor serving as a heat source and a drive source based on an operation time, wherein the calculating means determines the number of times and the number of times detected by the comparing means at a time when the comparing means continuously detects 0. The operation time is obtained by adding the delay time determined by the change rate by the number-of-times change rate detection means, and the delay time is
It is configured such that it is set to be longer as the number of times detected by the comparing means immediately after the start of operation is larger and as the rate of change immediately before the value is continuously zero is smaller.

According to the technical means of the present invention described above, when the volume of the object to be dried is large, the case where the resistance value between the electrodes within a predetermined time becomes smaller than a set value increases, and when the capacity is opposite, the predetermined value is obtained. Because the number of times that the resistance value of the electrode becomes smaller than the set value during the time decreases,
The capacity of the object to be dried can be detected by the number of times that the resistance value of the electrode becomes smaller than the set value within a predetermined time immediately after the start of operation. Further, the rate of change of the number of times greatly changes when the object to be dried is easy to dry, and the change is small when the object to dry is difficult to dry. Therefore, the type of the object to be dried is determined by detecting the rate of change. be able to.

According to the present invention, based on such information, the number of times detected by the comparing means and the delay time determined by the change rate by the number-of-times change rate detecting means are added to the time when the comparing means continuously detects 0. The delay time is set so as to be longer as the number of times detected by the comparing means immediately after the start of operation is larger and as the rate of change immediately before being continuously zero is smaller. The drying time is set according to the volume and type of the material to be dried.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The same components as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the microcomputer 11
Comparison means 13 for detecting the number of times that the resistance values of the two conductive members of the electrode 8 detected per unit time by the resistance detection means 12 have become smaller than a set value within a predetermined time, and detection by the comparison means 13 The number-of-times change rate detecting means 14 for detecting the rate of change of the number of times performed, and the calculating means 15 for setting the operation time according to the number of times detected by the comparing means 13 and the rate of change detected by the number-of-times change rate detecting means 14 It is configured. Control means
Reference numeral 16 controls the motor 2 and the heater 7 in accordance with a control signal output from the microcomputer 11.

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, the time change of the number of times C in which the resistance value of the object to be dried in the rotary drum 4 detected per unit time via the electrode 8 becomes smaller than the set value within a predetermined time period Is shown. For example, assuming that the resistance value of the object to be dried is detected every second and the number of times C in which the resistance value becomes smaller than the set value is detected in 10 seconds, C is 0 to 10
It is an integer up to. Since the resistance value of the material to be dried increases as the drying proceeds, C often gradually becomes a number close to 0, and finally 0 continues. When the material to be dried is wet at the beginning of operation, the resistance value is small, and C is
This is a number close to 10. C begins to decrease as drying proceeds. From the time t ₆ to between C becomes zero consecutively set time T _5, and ends the operation at the time t ₈ after the elapse of the delay time T _7. Delay time T ₇ is a C function of changes C 'in between the immediately preceding time T ₈ to be 0 C continuously. For example, T ₇ = K × (10−C ′) (1) is set, and when C ′ is small, T ₇ is lengthened. That is, when the type of the material to be dried is a thick material or has a large capacity, it is difficult to dry. Therefore, C shown in FIG. 2 decreases relatively slowly and C ′ decreases. It is necessary to lengthen the delay time T ₇ for the drying object which is difficult to dry,
(1) T ₇ is set longer by formula. Conversely, when the type of the object to be dried is thin or has a small capacity, it is easy to dry, so that C shown in FIG. 2 decreases sharply and C ′ increases. Since it is short delay time T ₇ for easy to dry the material to be dried, T ₇ is set shorter by (1).

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in the figure, comparison means for detecting the number of times that the resistance value between two conductive members of the electrode 8 detected per unit time by the conventional detection means 12 becomes smaller than a set value within a predetermined time.
And a microcomputer 17 including a calculating means 19 for setting an operation time in accordance with the number of times detected by the comparing means 18. 15 is a microcomputer
Motor 2 and heater 7 according to the control signal output from 17
Control means for controlling the

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the number of times C in which the resistance value of the object to be dried in the rotary drum 4 detected via the electrode 8 per unit time becomes smaller than the set value within a predetermined time period Indicates a change. For example, assuming that the resistance value of the object to be dried is detected every second and the number of times C when the resistance value becomes smaller than the set value b in 10 seconds is set, C is from 0 to 10. Is an integer. Since the resistance of the material to be dried increases as the drying proceeds, C becomes O as the drying proceeds.
In many cases, and finally O is continuous. When the material to be dried is wet at the beginning of the operation, the resistance value is small, and when the amount of the material to be dried is large, the frequency of contact with the conductive member of the electrode 8 is high. From the time t ₆ became 0 in succession during the time T ₅ there is C, and terminates the operation at the time t ₈ has elapsed delay time T _7. FIG. 5 shows the time change of C when the amount of the material to be dried is small. If the material to be dried is damp at the beginning of operation,
Since the resistance value is small but the frequency of contact with the conductive member of the electrode 8 is low, C is a smaller number than when the amount of the object to be dried is large. Here, if a value C 'between 0 and 10 is set, C is larger than C' at the beginning of operation when the amount of the material to be dried is large. FIG. 5 shows a graph when the amount of the material to be dried is small. In this case, C is smaller than C '.
If C is smaller than C 'at the beginning of operation,
^' ₇ ▼ is set to K × T ₇ . However, it is assumed that 0 <K <1. Time C is zero continuously between T ₅ ▲ t _^'6 ▼ delay time from ▲ ^T' ₇ ▼ is shorter than T ₇ of FIG. 4, the time ▲
The operation is terminated at t ^′ ₈ ▼. That is, when the amount of material to be dried is large long delay time T _7, the delay time ▲ T _^'7 ▼ becomes shorter when less.

Furthermore, if C 'is set in several steps and K is set only for C', the delay time can be set according to the amount of the material to be dried.

As is clear from the above description of the embodiment, according to the present invention, the operation time set by the calculating means is the number of times that the resistance value of the object to be dried becomes smaller than the set value within a predetermined time. Since the operation delay time is determined by the number obtained by the comparison means based on the above, the drying end time can be set according to the volume of the material to be dried. In addition, since the operation delay time is determined according to the change rate of the number of times, it is possible to set the drying end time with high accuracy according to the type of the object to be dried.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control device of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control device for a clothes dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 are graphs showing the time change of the number of times that the resistance value of the electrode of the control device of the clothes dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention becomes smaller than the set value within a predetermined time, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional clothes dryer, FIG. 7 is an external perspective view showing an electrode portion of a conventional clothes dryer control device, and FIG. 8 is an electrode resistance of the conventional clothes dryer control device. It is the graph which showed the change of the value and time. 2 ... motor, 7 ... heater, 8 ... electrodes, 11 ... microcomputer, 13 ... comparison means, 14 ... number-of-times change rate detection means, 15 ... calculation means, 16 ... control means.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An electrode disposed at a position in contact with an object to be dried in a rotating drum; a resistance detecting means for detecting a resistance value of the electrode per unit time; and a resistance detecting means within a predetermined time. A comparing means for detecting the number of times the detected resistance value becomes smaller than the set value; a number-of-times change rate detecting means for detecting a rate of change of the number of times detected by the comparing means; Arithmetic means for setting an operation time in accordance with the number of times and the rate of change detected by the number-of-times change rate detection means, and control means for controlling a motor serving as a heat source and a drive source based on the operation time set by the arithmetic means The arithmetic means comprises, at the time when the comparing means continuously detects 0, the delay time determined by the number of times detected by the comparing means and the change rate by the number-of-times change rate detecting means. The delay time is set so as to be longer as the number of times detected by the comparing means immediately after the start of the operation is larger and as the change rate immediately before being continuously zero is smaller. Dryer control device.