JP3048788B2 - 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 clothes dryer for preventing a rush current of a heater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional clothes dryer of this type is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-175397 (D06F 58/28).
As shown in, the plurality of semiconductor heaters are divided into a heater for constant power supply and a heater for control, and only the heater for constant power supply for a certain period of time at the beginning of operation is independent of the room temperature where the dryer body is installed. ON, and after a lapse of a certain time, the control heater is turned ON to prevent an inrush current, and the control heater is turned ON.
The control is performed so that the current value becomes a desired value from the time when the current value is set.

[0003]

In the case of the conventional dryer, since the control heater is energized after the energizing heater is energized for a predetermined time, it takes a long time to reach a desired current value. There is a problem that it costs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer capable of preventing an inrush current and quickly reaching a desired heater current value according to a room temperature while keeping the above points in mind.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a clothes dryer according to the present invention comprises a drum rotatably provided in a dryer body for storing clothes, and a dryer in which drying air is circulated through the drum. In a clothes dryer including an air passage, a fan for circulating the drying air, and a motor for rotating the fan, a heater provided in front of a drum inlet of the drying air passage, and a drying air passage when the power is turned on. Temperature detection means for detecting the temperature before the heater, and the temperature of the room where the dryer is installed is determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means, and the current value of the heater is set according to the room temperature. And control means for gradually increasing the number of revolutions of the motor so as to reach.

[0005]

In the clothes dryer of the present invention having the above-described structure, a heater is provided before the entrance of the drum in the drying air passage through which the drying air circulates, and the temperature before the heater when the power is turned on is detected by the temperature detecting means. The control means determines the level of the room temperature from the temperature detected by the temperature detection means, sets the current value of the heater according to the room temperature, and circulates the drying air to reach the current value. Since the number of rotations of the motor was gradually increased, the air flow of the fan reaching the heater gradually increased, and the current value flowing through the heater gradually increased. The desired current value is reached quickly.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In these figures, first, FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the clothes dryer, 1 is a machine frame of the clothes dryer 2, 3 is a clothing inlet provided in the center of the front of the machine frame 1, and 4 is a machine This is a rear plate fixed to the rear surface of the frame 1. A large number of external air introduction holes 5 are provided at the center, and an outlet 6 is provided at a lower portion. Reference numeral 7 denotes a door that opens and closes the input port 3, 8 denotes an annular sheet metal drum support plate attached to the front of the machine frame 1 so as to surround the input port 3, and 9 denotes a rear portion of the machine frame 1 at a distance from the rear panel 4. Is a fan casing fixed to the support plate 9 so that the inside of the machine frame 1 is divided into a drying chamber 11 and a fan chamber 12.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a horizontal axis type drum arranged in the drying chamber 11, which is supported by a drum supporting plate 8 with felt or the like with a front opening facing the input port 3, and a rear plate is provided on the rear side. It is rotatably supported on a shaft 14 supported by the support plate 4 and the support plate 9. Reference numeral 15 denotes a drying air outlet provided radially at the center of the rear surface of the drum 13, 16 denotes a lint filter that covers the front surface of the outlet 15, 17 denotes a drying air inlet provided below the drum support plate 8, and 18 denotes a support plate 9. A communication port 19 for communicating the drying chamber 11 and the fan chamber 12 with each other, and a sealing member 19 for reliably guiding the wind from the drying air outlet 15 to the communication port 18.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a disk-shaped double-sided synthetic resin fan fixed to the shaft 14 in the fan chamber 12.
A circulating fan surface 21 located on one side and a cooling fan surface 22 located on the rear plate 4 side are integrally formed front and back;
A pulley 23 is provided integrally at the center of the cooling fan surface 22 side. Reference numeral 24 denotes a synthetic resin partition plate provided on the fan casing 10 so as to surround the double-sided fan 20.
The double-sided fan 2 is inserted into the central circular opening of the partition plate 24.
The inside of the fan chamber 10 is partitioned into a drying air passage 25 and a cooling air passage 26 by the partition plate 24 and the double-sided fan 20.

Here, a rotating rib group 27 having a plurality of concentric grooves is integrally formed on the peripheral portion of the double-sided fan 20, and a plurality of concentric grooves is formed on the partition plate 24. A fixed rib group 28 is formed integrally, and each rib of the rotating rib group 27 is
The rotating ribs 27 and the fixed ribs 28 form a labyrinth connection by being loosely fitted in a non-contact state with each other.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a first temperature detecting means which is disposed behind the communication port 18 of the drying air passage 25 and comprises a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the air discharged from the drum 13. Reference numeral 30 denotes a lower portion of the drying air passage 25. And a drying air inlet 17, 31 is a semiconductor heater for heating disposed in front of the drying air inlet 17 in the duct 30, and 32 is disposed in front of the heater 31 in the duct 30. A second temperature detecting means composed of a thermistor for detecting the temperature just before 31; 33
Is a discharge port provided at the lowermost portion of the duct 30 for discharging the dehumidified water flowing down into the duct 30 to the outside of the machine. Reference numeral 34 denotes a drive motor, which is connected to the pulley 23 via a small pulley 35 and a belt 36. And the drum 13 via a pulley 37 and a belt 38.

During drying, the driving force of the driving motor 34 causes the drum 13 to rotate at a low speed and the double-sided fan 20 to rotate at a high speed, and the heater 31 is energized at the same time.

As a result, the drying air generated by the rotation of the circulation fan surface 21 of the double-sided fan 20 is dried by the drying air path 25, the drying duct 30, and the drum 13 as shown by the thin arrows in FIG.
Through the drum 1 and heated by the heater 31
Heat exchange is performed with the material to be dried in 3. In addition, the double-sided fan 20
The outside air is introduced into the cooling air passage 26 from the introduction hole 5 by the rotation of the cooling fan surface 22 as shown by a thick arrow in FIG. Is done.

Therefore, when the drying air that has exchanged heat with the object to be dried is introduced into the drying air passage 25, the drying air flows into the two-sided fan 2.
0, and the water in the drying air is condensed, and the condensed water flows down in the drying air passage 25 and is discharged from the discharge port 33. By continuing this operation, the drying of the object to be dried is performed. proceed.

Next, FIG. 3 showing a block circuit will be described. Control means 3 composed of a microcomputer
To 9, key signals such as course selection and start from the input key circuit 40, temperature signals from the first temperature detecting means 29 and the second temperature detecting means 32, and an input signal of the door switch 41 are inputted. The means 39 operates according to a program set in advance based on the input information.
, The heater 31 and the motor 34 are driven, the current detection circuit 43 detects the current value of the heater 31, the rotation speed detection circuit 44 detects the rotation speed of the motor 34, and controls the driving of the heater 31 and the motor 34. Then, the display of the driving state of the heater 31 and the motor 34 and the like is performed by the LED lighting circuit 45, and when an abnormality occurs, the buzzer circuit 46 notifies.

Next, FIG. 1 showing the control operation of the control means 39 will be described. When the power switch is turned on (S1), the temperature at the back of the communication port 18 of the drying air passage 25 when the power is turned on is changed by the first temperature detecting means 29 to the drying when the power is turned on by the second temperature detecting means 32. Heater 3 for air passage 25
The temperature before the heater 1 is input (S2), and the control means 39 determines the level of the room temperature where the dryer main body is installed when the power is turned on based on the temperature before the heater 31 and determines the heater according to the room temperature. 31 is set (S3). For example, when the room temperature is low, the inrush current is large,
1, the current value of the heater 31 is set high because the rush current is small when the room temperature is high.

Then, the start switch is turned on (S ₄ ).
After that, the motor 34 and the heater 31 are turned on to start drying the clothes. At this time, at the start of operation, the motor 34 is turned on at the minimum operable speed (S ₅ ), the heater 31 is turned on (S ₆ ), and the current value of the heater 31 is detected by the current detection circuit 43 ( S ₇ ) Then, it is determined whether or not the current value of the heater 31 is equal to or less than the set current value (S ₈ ). If not, it is determined whether or not the heater 31 has been dried (S ₉ ). If it is, the operation is terminated, and if it is not dried, the operation is continued.

[0017] Then, if below the set current value, the rotational speed of the motor 34, i.e., gradually increasing the rotational speed of the double-sided fan 20 (S ₁₀₎ is, by gradually increasing the amount of air reaching the heater 31, the heater It is determined whether the current value of the heater 31 has gradually increased and the current value of the heater 31 has reached the set current value (S ₁₁ ). If the current value has reached the set current value, the rotation speed of the fan 20 is kept constant (S _12). ). By doing so, the rush current does not exceed the maximum allowable current value.

Next, it is determined whether the time before the temperature in front of the heater 31 has sufficiently increased, that is, whether 10 minutes have elapsed since the start (S ₁₃ ), and then the heater 31 is turned on and off.
Without OFF, increased to a maximum rotational speed of the rotational speed gradually fan 20 (S ₁₄₎ is, or the maximum rotational speed (S ₁₅₎ to determine whether, if the maximum speed of the heater 31 again current detecting the value (S ₁₆₎ and, if the range of the set current value (S ₁₇₎
It is determined whether or not.

Here, if the current of the heater 31 does not increase to the set current value while the rotation speed of the fan 20 is the maximum rotation speed, whether the lint filter 16 is clogged (S ₁₈ ).
Determines whether, if clogged, after clogging detection (S _19), to continue the drying by changing the control data of the control unit 39 for clogging. In the case of non-clogging, it is determined that some abnormality has occurred, performs the abnormality notification (S ₂₀₎ by a buzzer circuit 46 causes then stops the operation (S _21).

If the current is within the range of the set current value, the drying control is continued (S ₂₂ ), and time correction (S ₂₃ ) is performed according to the drying progress state of the clothes.
And dried termination judgment by both temperature and temperature difference (S ₂₄₎ where the temperature detecting means 32 detects, terminates the drying operation when judging completion of drying and.

Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 will be described.
In these figures, 47 is a start switch mounted on the front of the machine frame 1, 48 is a plurality of LEDs arranged at equal intervals around the start switch 47, and the LED lighting circuit 45 is controlled by the control means 39. Controlled drum 13
The rotation direction and rotation speed of are displayed.

Next, the control operation of the control means 39 will be described. First, when the power switch is turned on (S ₁ ), all six LEDs 48 are turned on (S ₂ ). Then, it is determined whether or not the turbo course, that is, the quick-dry course by the input control of the heater 31 is selected (S ₃ ). If the quick-dry course is selected, the control means 39 sets the blinking speed of the LED 48 to be lower than usual. fast (S ₄₎ to set up. For example, if the normal ON and OFF are performed at a flashing speed of 0.5 seconds each, the turbo course flashes the LED 48 at a flashing speed of 0.3 seconds and the normal drying course is selected. If it is to set slow down the blink rate (S _5).

Next, it is determined whether or not the start switch 47 has been turned on (S ₆ ), and then the motor 34 is turned on.
(S ₇₎ is, the heater 31 is ON (S _8). At this time, it is determined whether or not the phase control is performed (S ₉ ). If the phase control is performed, the rotation speed of the motor 34 is changed (S ₁₀ ), and the LED 48 is controlled.
Is also variable in proportion to the rotation speed of the motor 34 (S ₁₁ ).
Then, the drum 13 operates from the right rotation (S ₁₂ ), and the LED 4
8 also performs a clockwise rotation operation as shown in FIG. 4A.

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the set time has elapsed (S ₁₃ ). When the set time has elapsed, the drum 13 rotates left (S ₁₄ ), and the LED 48 also rotates left. or setting time has elapsed (S ₁₅₎ to determine whether,
It is determined whether or not the drum reversal period has ended (S ₁₆ ). If so, the drum 13 is rotated clockwise to continue the drying process with only the clockwise rotation (S ₁₇ ). S
₁₈ ) It is determined whether or not the drying operation is completed if the completion is detected.

In FIG. 5, the blinking speed of the LED 48 is changed in proportion to the rotation speed of the motor 34 when distinguishing between a normal drying course and a quick drying course, or when distinguishing the presence or absence of phase control. Although the distinction is made, as shown in FIG. 4B, the distinction may be made based on the number of the LEDs 48 to be turned on.

As described above, in FIG. 5, even if the inside of the drum 13 is difficult to see,
Since the rotation speed is linked to the motor 34, the rotation state inside the drum 13 can be easily known.

[0027]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. The clothes dryer according to the present invention includes the drum 1 in the drying air passage 25 through which the drying air circulates.
3, a heater 31 is provided in front of the entrance 3 and the temperature detecting means 32 is provided.
The temperature before the heater 31 is detected by the
Thus, the level of the room temperature is determined from the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means 31, the current value of the heater 31 is set according to the room temperature, and the motor 34 of the fan 20 for circulating the dry air to reach the current value is set. Since the rotation speed is gradually increased, the flow rate of the fan 20 reaching the heater 31 is gradually increased, and the current value flowing through the heater 31 is gradually increased, so that an inrush current can be prevented, and A desired current value corresponding to room temperature can be quickly reached.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cut-away side view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are a front view of a part of FIG. 2 and a front view of another state.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of another example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 Drum 20 Fan 25 Dry air passage 31 Heater 32 Temperature detecting means 34 Motor 39 Control means

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-38397 (JP, A) JP-A-60-242900 (JP, A) JP-A-62-164498 (JP, A) JP-A-55-32557 (JP, A) , A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06F 58/02-58/28

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A drum rotatably provided in a main body of a dryer for storing clothes, a drying air path through which the drying air circulates, a fan for circulating the drying air, and a motor for rotating the fan. In a clothes dryer comprising: a heater provided in front of the entrance of the drum in the drying air path; and a temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature just before the heater in the drying air path when power is turned on. From the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, the level of the room temperature where the dryer main body is installed is determined, and the current value of the heater is set according to the room temperature, and the motor of the motor is set so as to reach the current value. A clothes dryer including control means for gradually increasing the number of revolutions.