JP3108278B2 - 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 dryer for drying clothes washed mainly with a petroleum-based solvent.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a dry cleaner using a petroleum-based solvent, after putting clothes or the like into the drum, the solvent is supplied to the drum while maintaining the proper temperature, and the solvent is circulated while rotating the drum. Washing is performed, and after the washing is completed, the solvent is drained from the clothes, and then the solvent remaining in the clothes is recovered and dried, that is, so-called recovery drying is performed.

[0003] However, such recovery drying is performed while maintaining the internal temperature at a relatively low temperature so that the solvent concentration in the drum and the circulation path does not become higher than a predetermined value, so that drying requires a long time. Shortening was strongly desired.

As a countermeasure, after the liquid removal process, high-temperature air (around 120 ° C.) heated by a heater is sent into the inside of the drum from the inlet side of the drum to evaporate the solvent of the clothes and discharge the clothes to the outside. Dry cleaners have been proposed. In such a dry cleaner, the temperature of the air sent into the drum while the solvent remains in the clothes is increased, the internal air of the drum, the circulation path, etc. is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port, and new external air is discharged. Drying while taking in the inside through the intake valve.

Therefore, in this exhaust drying process, the intake valve is set to the open state in a normal state, but if the intake valve remains closed for some reason, the internal air temperature is raised to about 120 ° C. Therefore, there is a danger that the solvent evaporates quickly and the concentration of the solvent inside the drum or the like exceeds the explosion limit. Therefore, conventionally, a sensor for detecting the opening and closing operation of the intake valve is provided, and this is detected by the sensor each time the intake valve is opened and closed during the washing, draining, and drying processes. Then, the operation check is performed.

[0006]

However, in such a conventional dry cleaner, each time the intake valve is opened or closed, the operation can be checked only, and the operation check timing cannot be selected. If the intake valve is kept open as in the exhaust drying, the operation check as to whether or not the intake valve is actually open cannot be performed. Could remain closed and could lead to unexpected accidents.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a purpose thereof is to check the operation at an appropriate timing by intentionally opening and closing the intake valve at a necessary timing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a clothes dryer that has significantly improved safety.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer in which the operation of the intake valve can be accurately checked by opening and closing the intake valve once. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a small and compact clothes dryer by detecting the opening / closing operation of an intake valve using a proximity switch, thereby utilizing a large degree of freedom in the installation position of the proximity switch. It is in.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clothes dryer including: a drying chamber for storing clothes washed with a solvent;
A circulation path connected to the drying chamber to allow temperature-controlled air to flow through the drying chamber, and an intake valve provided in the circulation path and an intake valve for taking in external air; opening the intake valve, Flowing the heated air from the circulation path to the drying chamber,
In a clothes dryer that performs exhaust drying for drying clothes while exhausting air from a drying chamber to an outside through an exhaust port, a sensor that detects an opening and closing operation of the intake valve, and during the exhaust drying, A control unit that outputs a control signal to open and close the intake valve, and performs an open / close operation check of the intake valve based on a detection signal of the sensor after outputting each control signal.

[0010] In a clothes dryer according to a second aspect of the present invention, the controller is configured to temporarily close the intake valve during exhaust drying and then output a control signal to open the intake valve. And

A clothes dryer according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the sensor is constituted by a proximity switch arranged near an intake valve.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the invention, if the intake valve is operated by intentionally opening and closing the intake valve by the control unit, this is detected by the sensor if the intake valve operates, and the opening and closing operations of the intake valve are performed. The operation can be confirmed, and if the sensor cannot detect the operation of the intake valve, a trouble of the intake valve can be detected, and the operation check can be reliably performed at a necessary timing.

According to the second aspect of the invention, after the intake valve predicted to be in the open state is once closed and then opened, the opening and closing operations of the intake valve can be accurately grasped. It becomes possible.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the proximity sensor detects opening and closing operations of the intake valve so that the proximity sensor has a large degree of freedom in installation position and can be compactly installed in a required position. Becomes

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a piping diagram of a dry cleaner using a petroleum-based solvent according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a drum, and 2 denotes an outer tank. The drum 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a large number of holes opened in the peripheral wall, and is rotatably supported in the outer tank 2. The outer tank 2 is provided with a circulation path 3 and a drain pipe 4 for air and vaporized solvent outside a cylindrical portion covering the outer periphery of the drum 1.

A blower 5, an exhaust port 6, a cooler 7, an intake valve 8, and a heater 9 are installed in this order on the inside or on the wall of the circulation path 3 in this order. Draws air and vaporized solvent in the drum 1 and the outer tank 2 into the circulation path 3 by driving the blower 5 and discharges a part of the air to the outside through the exhaust port 6, while taking in outside air from the intake valve 8. This is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 9 and then introduced into the drum 1 again. After introducing the cooling water supplied from the cooling water inlet side in the cooling water system, the cooler 7 allows the cooling water to flow to the cooling water outlet side, thereby cooling the air and the vaporized solvent flowing in the circulation path 3, The solvent is condensed and liquefied.

The intake valve 8 is configured to be opened and closed by an air cylinder 8a. By opening the intake valve 8, external air can be taken into the circulation path 3. A proximity switch SW for detecting the opening and closing operations of the air cylinder 8a is provided near the rod moving area of the air cylinder 8a. The heater 9 is a valve 2 on the inlet side of the steam system.
4. By opening the valve 27 on the outlet side, steam of about 100 to 120 ° C. is introduced, and the air flowing through the circulation path 3 and the vaporized solvent are heated. Further, the bottom of the outer tub 2 button trap 10 having a liquid level sensor SE ₁ for detecting the solvent level with intervening draining conduit 4 drum 1 is connected.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a petroleum-based solvent tank. The liquid supply port of the solvent tank 11 and the liquid discharge port of the button trap 10 are provided with a liquid supply valve 21 and a liquid discharge valve 22 interposed therebetween, respectively. Connected to the side. The discharge port side of the pump P is connected to the heat exchanger 12 via a filter F.
The heat exchanger 12 is provided with a pipe 12a through which steam or cooling water is selectively passed in the flow path of the solvent, and the solvent outlet of the heat exchanger 12 is connected to the solvent outlet by a three-way switching valve 23. It is configured to be selectively connected to either the tank 11 or the drum 1.

The heat exchanger 12 opens the valves 24, 25, 28 and closes the valves 26, 29 to allow steam to flow through its line 12a, and also closes the valves 25, 28, and
By opening the openings 6, 29, the cooling water flows through the pipe 12a, so that heating and cooling of the solvent can be selectively performed. The solvent condensed and liquefied by the cooler 7 is subjected to water removal by a water separator 13 and then removed by a solvent tank 11.
It is to be returned to.

SE ₂ is a temperature sensor composed of a thermistor or the like provided in the heat exchanger 12, SE ₃ is a flow sensor disposed on the solvent outlet side of the heat exchanger 12, and SE ₄ is a thermistor for detecting the temperature on the drum inlet side. 3 shows a temperature sensor constituted by the above-described method.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a microcomputer as a control unit. The microcomputer 31 includes a keyboard 34, a display panel 35, and a temperature sensor S via input / output devices 32 and 33.
E ₂ , SE ₄ , and the above-mentioned pump P, blower 5,
Intake valves 8, each valve 21-29 and level sensor SE _1, proximity is connected to the switch SW, and these drive controls, also adapted to take in the detection value.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the keyboard 34. When the keyboard 34 operates the program key 41 and then designates a program number with the ten keys 44, one of a plurality of operation programs stored in the microcomputer is obtained. One program is called, and setting data of each process in the program is displayed on the display panel 35. In this state, by designating each step of the operation program in order by operating the call key 43, a new operation can be performed in each of the designated steps, and a new operation program can be registered.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the display panel 35. The timing of the solvent temperature in the cleaning process, the temperature of the cooler 7 in the drying process, the cool-down time, the drum inversion cycle, etc., the solvent circulation method, and the drainage The method, the setting of high, medium, and low drum rotation speeds, the liquid supply method, and the details of each stroke setting at the time of automatic or manual operation are displayed by correspondingly lit LEDs or the like.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of checking the operation of the intake valve in the dry cleaner according to the present invention. When the draining temperature process is finished, the set temperature of the temperature sensor SE _4, i.e. first inlet temperature setting (e.g., 0 ℃) has been whether the determined (step S1), and if not 0 ℃ the intake valve 8 closed (Step S2) It is determined whether three seconds have elapsed (Step S3). If three seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to Step S2 to repeat the above-described process. 8 is released (step S4), thereby determining whether or not the proximity switch SW has operated.
(Step S5).

If the proximity switch SW is not operating, it is determined whether 10 seconds have elapsed (step S6).
If 0 second has not elapsed, the process returns to step S5, and 1
After the elapse of 0 seconds, it is determined that an error operation has occurred under the failure of the intake valve 8, and the power of the dry cleaner is cut off to stop the operation (step S7). If the inlet temperature is set to, for example, 0 ° C. in step S1, the intake valve 8 is opened (step S8).
If the proximity switch SW is activated in the judgment of 5,
Immediately, the process shifts to the exhaust drying process to start the control.

[0026]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit intentionally opens and closes the intake valve, detects the operation with a sensor, and checks the operation. The operation check, which has been performed every time the valve is operated, can be reliably performed at a necessary time, so that safety is enhanced and high reliability is obtained.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the operation of the intake valve can be reliably checked at a necessary timing by intentionally closing and opening the intake valve first during the exhaust drying process. Becomes

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by using the proximity switch, a large degree of freedom in the installation position can be used to select the installation position, and the installation can be made compact without bulk and the miniaturization can be easily realized. Can be done.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping diagram of a clothes dryer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an operation panel.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a display panel.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of checking the operation of an intake valve.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drum 2 Outer tank 3 Circulation path 4 Drainage line 5 Blower 6 Exhaust port 7 Cooler 8 Intake valve 9 Heater 11 Solvent tank 12 Heat exchanger 13 Water separator 21-29 Valve SE ₁ Water level sensor SE ₂ Temperature sensor SE ₃ Flow sensor SW proximity switch

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A drying chamber for accommodating clothes washed with a solvent, a circulation path connected to the drying chamber and allowing temperature-controlled air to flow through the drying chamber, and an exhaust provided in the circulation path. A mouth and an intake valve for taking in external air, the intake valve is opened, the heated air flows from the circulation path to the drying chamber, and the clothes from the drying chamber are exhausted from the exhaust port to the outside while exhausting the air. A clothes dryer configured to perform exhaust drying for drying, a sensor for detecting opening and closing operations of the intake valve;
A control unit that outputs a control signal to open and close the intake valve during the exhaust drying, and performs an open / close operation check of the intake valve based on a detection signal of the sensor after each control signal is output. A clothes dryer characterized in that: 2. The clothes drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control section temporarily closes the intake valve during exhaust drying and outputs a control signal to open the intake valve thereafter. Machine. 3. The clothes dryer according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity switch disposed near an intake valve.