JP3517655B2 - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washer / dryer provided with a water cooling / dehumidifying means.

[0002]

Conventionally, there has been provided a washer / dryer in which a vertical rotary tub for accommodating laundry is arranged in a water tub to automatically perform from washing to drying. However,
In general, for a laundry operation that has a plurality of different steps such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration, the drying operation originally requires a long time for such a drying operation, and the allowable drying amount of laundry that can be dried at one time. Also, the capacity tends to be relatively small as compared with the allowable washing capacity for washing. This is because a relatively large space (rotary tub) is required because the laundry expands greatly as it dries during drying, and spreads widely to obtain good drying performance without unevenness.

Therefore, in order to improve the drying efficiency, a washing and drying machine provided with an air-cooling type dehumidifier has been developed. It is well known that exhaust hot air containing a large amount of moisture after contributing to drying is condensed and removed by cooling from outside with outside air, and thus so-called dehumidified air is heated again. It is a structure to be weathered and used for drying. Certainly, if the outside air taken in as cold air has a predetermined temperature or less, it effectively functions as a cooling action for dehumidification, and has an advantage that the running cost during the drying operation is low and the drying can be performed efficiently with a relatively simple structure. .

However, when such an air-cooling dehumidifying means is adopted, the outside air used for cooling is naturally heat-exchanged to raise its temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the surrounding installation environment is raised, and the temperature of the entire outside air taken in for cooling rises due to the influence of the environmental conditions of this temperature rise.
As a result, the cooling effect effective for dehumidification decreases, and as a result, the drying time becomes longer and the desired improvement in drying performance may not be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a washer / dryer provided with a water cooling / dehumidifying means for obtaining an efficient drying performance.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a washing and drying machine of the present invention comprises a water tank capable of storing water, a rotary tank provided in the water tank for accommodating laundry, and both ends of the water tank. have a hot air generating device in the middle are formed in communication with the upper
A warm air circulation path extending downward , and from the air sent into the warm air circulation path by the water provided in the warm air circulation path from the water supply means, which is arranged on the upstream side of the hot air circulation path. Water cooling and dehumidifying means for condensing and removing water is provided, and water is directly supplied to the inside of the warm air circulation path in the warm air circulation path.
A water supply port of the water supply means is arranged, and a turbulent flow is generated in the air flowing through the hot air circulation path in the inner lower part of the hot air circulation path to promote contact with water supplied from the water supply means. Providing a stirring rib for
Are provided at positions facing each other in the vertical direction .

According to the above structure, the hot air is dehumidified by the water-cooling dehumidifying means, so that the dehumidifying performance is improved. Moreover, the warm air is made into a turbulent state by the agitation rib and comes into contact with the cooling water, and the water is also scattered to make good contact with the air.

In this case, the warm air circulation path extends in the vertical direction,
Water supplied from the water supply means into the hot air circulation path flows from top to bottom, and air is supplied into the warm air circulation path from the bottom side and flows upward, and the agitation rib promotes contact with water. Can be configured to be.

[0009] Also, adjacent to the hot air circulation passage, the structure than the air flowing through the hot air circulation path with the air of low temperature air flows through the hot air circulation passage having a cooling air path that flows in the opposite direction You can. According to this configuration, the warm air flowing through the warm air circulation passage is cooled by the air flowing through the cooling air passage.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a partially expanded view of the entire structure of a washer / dryer. A main body 1 forming an outer shell is provided with a lid 2 for opening / closing a loading / unloading opening of a laundry at a central portion of an upper surface thereof. An operation panel 3 having various selection switches, which will be described in detail later, is arranged in the front, and a control device having a circuit configuration mainly composed of a microcomputer for controlling the overall washing and drying operations is provided inside thereof. 4 are provided.

Inside the main body 1, a bottomed cylindrical water tank 5 having an open upper surface and capable of storing water is provided with a plurality of elastic supporting devices 10.
The drainage valve 6 is provided through (only one is shown), and a drainage valve 6 is communicatively connected to the drainage port 5a at the lowest portion of the drainage port 5a. Incidentally, the above-mentioned water tank 5
Is made of synthetic resin, and is made of, for example, a composite material in which glass fiber is added to a base material of polypropylene in an amount of 15 wt% or more, and is heat-reinforced so that the water tank 5 can be used as a drying chamber.

Inside the water tub 5, there is rotatably arranged a rotary tub 8 for accommodating laundry and serving as both a washing tub and a dehydrating tub. The rotary tank 8 is made of metal or has a solid structure mainly made of metal, has an upper surface that is substantially the same as the water tank 5, and has a vertical cylindrical shape having a large number of through holes 8a in the entire peripheral wall including the bottom. Stirrer 9 at the center of the inner bottom
Is rotatably provided, and a balance ring 8b is fixed to the upper end portion. Therefore, the rotary tank 8 and the stirring body 9 are
Is driven by a drive motor 11 mounted on the outer bottom of the water tank 5 so that only the stirring member 9 is driven through a clutch mechanism (not shown) in the washing process, and the stirring member 9 is used during the dehydration process and the drying operation. The rotary tank 8 is driven to rotate together. However, in the drying operation, the rotary tank 8 is controlled to rotate at a lower speed than in the dehydration operation.

A warm air circulation passage for circulating hot air into the water tank 5 in the inner corner of the main body 1 at the side of the water tank 5 having the above-described structure from the lower end to the upper end. Forming twelve. That is, in the warm air circulation passage 12, one end of the lower end communicates with the vicinity of the drain port 5a in the lower part of the water tank 5, and the other end of the upper end of the duct 13a opens to a position facing the upper surface opening of the water tank 5. , 13b, and a dehumidifying unit 14 provided at an intermediate position thereof, so that the water tank 5 having the rotary tank 8 built therein and the duct 13 and the dehumidifying unit 14 in the external measurement are used. A communicating passage is formed.

Furthermore, a so-called warm air generator is provided downstream of the dehumidifying unit 14 in which a blower 15 and a drying heater 16 are sequentially arranged. Thus, the duct 13, the dehumidifying unit 14, and the hot air generator form the hot air circulation path 12 through the water tank 5. 2 shows the main body 1
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic arrangement configuration viewed from above, in which a warm air circulation path 12 and a dehumidifying unit 14 are arranged in a corner portion of the main body 1.

The specific structure of the dehumidifying unit 14 will now be described with reference to FIG. 3 as well.
The area that constitutes the dehumidifying unit 14 of the
Particularly, in this embodiment, a heat exchange part 17 having inner and outer surfaces formed in a bellows shape is provided, and a cooling fan device 18 for supplying the outside air as cold air to the peripheral side of the heat exchange part 17 and the cold air is guided downward. A short tubular wind tunnel 19 forming a so-called cooling air passage,
It is provided so as to surround the upper portion of the heat exchange portion 17. As a result, with respect to the air (exhaust warm air) that flows upward in the direction of the arrow in the heat exchange unit 17, the outside air taken in by driving the cooling fan device 18 is guided as cold air to the wind tunnel 19 and the heat exchange unit 17 By flowing down the outer surface of
The air in the interior is cooled and the moisture is condensed and dropped to form a so-called air-cooled dehumidifier 20 that removes moisture from the air.

In this case, the wind tunnel 19 has a shape of a short cylinder that covers the upper portion of the heat exchange portion 17 and has an open lower portion, and is disposed adjacent to the upper portion of the water tank 5.
Part of the cold air flows down along the outer peripheral wall surface of the water tank 5 to cool the lower half portion of the water tank 5. As a result, a part of heat is exchanged with the hot exhaust air inside through the water tank 5, and the dehumidifying action by cooling and condensation of water is promoted.

In addition to this, water supply means for injecting cooling water is provided inside the upper portion of the heat exchange section 17. This water supply means has a water supply switching valve 21 connected to a water supply source such as a water supply, and at least two branches from this water supply switching valve 21, one of which is connected to the inside of the upper portion of the heat exchange section 17 to serve as a small amount of cooling water. And a water passage 23 for supplying a large amount of water as washing water that faces the water tank 5 on the other hand. Therefore, such a water passage 2
Since a small amount of water as cooling water is supplied into the heat exchanging part 17 from the tip end opening ( water supply port ) of 2 for contacting the air moving upward in the heat exchanging part 17 for cooling. The moisture in the air is condensed and dehumidified.

As described above, by providing the water supply means for supplying an appropriate amount of water for cooling in the heat exchange section 17, it functions as a so-called water-cooled dehumidifier 24, and the dehumidification unit 1
Reference numeral 4 is a structure provided with two dehumidifying means of these air cooling type and water cooling type. In particular, the heat exchange section 17 in this embodiment
Is formed in a bellows shape as described above to increase the heat exchange area to enable efficient heat exchange, and at the inner lower part of the heat exchange portion 17, a stirring rib 25 is provided in a protruding manner. Turbulent flow is generated in the air flowing here to promote even contact with the cooling water, and the cooling water itself is also scattered to further improve the contact between the water and the air.

Therefore, the dry air dehumidified through the dehumidifying unit 14 is efficiently warmed by the blower 15 and the heater 16 which are the warm air generators arranged on the downstream side, and passes through the duct 13b to the water tank 5. Supplied. The warm air circulation path 12 in which the dehumidifying unit 14 having the two dehumidifying means and the warm air generating device are arranged on the way is connected and fixed to the elastically supported water tank 5 side though the detailed mounting structure is omitted. Therefore, the cooling fan device 18 that takes in the outside air is also elastically attached and supported at a position facing the outside of the main body 1.

As particularly shown in FIG. 3, an internal temperature sensor 26 is provided near the inlet of the duct 13a in the water tank 5, for example, in the upstream region of the drain valve 6.
The in-compartment temperature sensor 26 detects the water temperature in the process of supplying water to the aquarium 5 as the washing water to be used for washing and rinsing during the washing operation, inputs the detection signal to the control device 4, and always outputs the latest data. Will be updated. On the other hand, during the drying operation, the temperature of the hot air as exhaust air after contributing to the drying is detected at the inlet of the hot air circulation path 14, and the output signal thereof is also input to the control device 4.

An outside air temperature sensor 27 for measuring the outside air (indoor) temperature is provided on the front side of the cooling fan device 18, and a detection signal thereof is input to the control device 4. Thus, the control device 4 is based on the detection results of various temperatures as such environmental conditions and the operation input of various selection switches to be described later, and according to a program stored in advance, not only the washing operation but especially the dehumidification. The operation of the unit 14 is automatically started and the entire dry operation is controlled (the details will be described later in the section of operation).

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the operation panel 3. The main selection switches of the above-described various types will be described. The power switch 28 and the start switch 29 are provided on the right side. First, it has a course selection switch 30 and a dryness changeover switch 31, and display sections 30a and 31a for lighting up and displaying the course selected corresponding thereto. The left side is provided with selection switches 32 to 35 that can select the setting conditions for each process of washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying, and the corresponding display units 32a to 35 are also provided.
Each has a. A dehumidification selection switch 36 is provided in the central portion, and the display portion 36a thereof can be lit and displayed so that it can be selected from three categories of "water cooling dehumidification, air cooling dehumidification, and automatic dehumidification".

It should be noted that the display 37 provides a display relating to the overall operation. For example, although not shown and described, the amount of detergent corresponding to the amount of laundry measured by the amount-of-clothes detection means is notified at the start of a washing operation. , The reserved time, the remaining time during driving, etc. are displayed. The start switch 29 is controlled to start the operation when it is pressed once, to interrupt the operation when it is pressed during the operation, and to restart the operation continuously when it is operated again. It

FIG. 5 shows the characteristic of the temperature change in the water tank 5 (inside the chamber) during the drying operation. Particularly, the temperature characteristic in the chamber shown here is the outside air as the ambient environment condition. A model case is shown as a reference according to a specific process of the drying operation in the present example in which the (indoor) temperature is 20 ° C.

Explaining in detail below with reference to FIG. 5, first, in the drying operation, it can be specifically divided into three strokes associated with three phenomena from the start depending on the progress situation. That is, it is divided into a "remaining heat period" observed in the initial stage of drying, a "constant rate period" in which the dehumidifying action is actively performed, and a "decrease period" which is a finishing period in which the drying progresses and the dehumidification is almost completed. Among them, in the process of the "remaining heat period" immediately after the start, assuming that the outside air temperature is equal to the inside temperature, the inside temperature characteristic based on the inside temperature sensor 26 rapidly increases from 20 ° C to about 50 ° C. It corresponds to the period.

In this phenomenon, the heater 16 for drying is turned on to generate heat by energizing, and it operates as a so-called hot air generator, and the hot air is supplied from the duct 13b of the hot air circulation path 12 into the water tank 5 which is the inside. Be started. However, the rotating tank 8 in the water tank 5
The laundry housed in contains a large amount of water immediately after it is washed (dehydrated), and since the so-called cold storage is in a cold state, the temperature inside the water tank 5 rapidly increases with the start of the supply of the warm air. The efficiency of heat exchange with the laundry at the start of the drying operation is low, and the temperature rise due to warm air is large and continues for a predetermined time. Therefore, the dehumidification performance of the dehumidification unit 14 is not sufficiently exerted during the period, and the dehumidification unit 14 may be operated as needed.

When the internal temperature reaches about 50 ° C., the temperature rises suddenly, and the temperature gradually increases to a flat shape. This phenomenon causes the laundry to actively dry. This corresponds to the "constant rate period" that lasts for a relatively long time until the drying rate reaches about 95%. In the process until the drying rate reaches about 95%, the drying action of the laundry is efficiently performed, the heat exchange action with respect to the hot air constantly supplied is also performed in a well-balanced manner, and the dehumidifying performance is sufficiently exerted. The inside is kept in a substantially equilibrium constant temperature state.

Therefore, in this period, the dehumidifying unit 14
Since it is possible to obtain an effective drying action, the dehumidifying operation is performed by selecting either the air-cooled dehumidifier 20 included in the dehumidification unit 14 or the water-cooled dehumidifier 24 according to the ambient environment conditions such as the outside air. Alternatively, it can be said that it is a period suitable for dehumidifying operation by selecting both so as to function at the same time.

Then, when the drying process further progresses and the drying rate reaches about 95% as described above, the period is shifted to the "reduction rate period", which is also called a finish drying period. In this case, in the control based on the drying rate, for example, the detection result of the exhaust temperature of the internal temperature sensor 26 is input, and the control unit 4 determines that the drying rate has reached about 95% based on the data stored in advance. I am trying. Then, in this process period, the temperature inside the refrigerator shows a sharp rise when the temperature reaches about 60 ° C. After that, the heater 16 is turned off and the circulation supply by the blow air (cold air) is continued, and eventually the whole temperature is reduced. It corresponds to the period until the operating time ends.

In this case, as shown in the figure, the heater 16 is turned off at about 72 ° C. in the present embodiment, but the temperature is further raised temporarily due to the overshoot that has been heated up to this point. Exhibit a phenomenon tendency. This means that, particularly when the drying process progresses up to this "reduction rate period", the drying action of the laundry considerably progresses and the drying rate reaches about 95%, and accordingly, the heater 16 is turned on. while,
This is because the heat exchange of the supplied warm air is also small, and the tendency of warming by the warm air in the refrigerator increases.

However, this phenomenon of exhibiting a high temperature generally shows the same tendency in the model case shown in FIG. 5, but is usually 30 ° C. higher than the temperature of the “constant rate period”.
Increasing by C is also necessary for better drying. Therefore, in this process period, the dehumidification performance will be smaller than in the previous "constant rate period", and will eventually end,
Since it is certain that the heater 16 will also warm the air in the initial stage and that the dehumidifying unit 14 will tend to improve the dehumidifying performance, either the air-cooling or water-cooling dehumidifying means is selected and executed depending on the ambient environment conditions. To do.

As described above, the drying process is specifically divided into three parts, "remaining heat period / constant rate period / reduction rate period", and whether the dehumidifying unit 14 can be used or not depending on the progress of these steps. In this case, by selecting air-cooling or water-cooling dehumidifying means according to the ambient environment conditions, and further selecting them to function at the same time, effective dehumidifying performance is exhibited while suppressing running cost during operation and drying performance. Therefore, efficient dry operation can be expected.

Incidentally, FIG. 6 is pre-programmed so that the dehumidifying means can be selected by the dehumidifying selection switch 36 of the operation panel 3 on the basis of the model case according to the concrete process disclosed in FIG. It is a figure showing various setting contents. Therefore, the selection means labeled "water-cooled dehumidification" and "water-cooled dehumidification" on the display unit 36a of the operation panel 3 corresponds to the "manual (by) air-cooling" dehumidification means of FIG. This is equivalent to the "water cooling" dehumidification means, and the user can manually select any dehumidification means in any drying process.

On the other hand, in the "automatic dehumidification" of the display section 36a, in this embodiment, the dehumidifying means is automatically selected according to the ambient environment conditions such as the outside air temperature and the cooling water temperature. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, four types of dehumidifying means of "Random selection 1, 2, 3, 4" set as suitable means for each stroke segment are prepared. Then, based on the contents described in "Selection conditions" in the figure as the ambient environment conditions, the controller 4 which inputs the detection signals from the outside air sensor 27 and the internal temperature sensor 26 determines the dehumidification conditions. Means will be selected and controlled.

Next, the operation of the washer / dryer having the above structure will be described. First, the washing operation will be roughly described. As is well known, the laundry is put into the rotary tub 8 and the power switch 28 and the start switch 20 are operated to start the operation. Then, the amount of detergent corresponding to the amount of laundry is added,
Further, the water supply switching valve 21 and the water passage 23 side, which are water supply means, are opened, and the wash water is supplied to a predetermined water level. Next, the drive motor 11 is energized and started, and the washing operation is performed by the rotating operation of the agitator 9. After a predetermined time, the rinsing operation is started and, for example, two rinsing operations are performed in the same manner as the washing operation. Then, in the dehydration process, the rotary tub 8 and the agitator 9 are integrally rotated through a clutch mechanism (not shown) to dehydrate the laundry.

When such a washing operation is completed, the operation is shifted to the drying operation. Here, the rotary tank 8 is rotated at a low speed, and a warm air generator including a blower 15 and a heater 16 is driven to warm water from the warm air circulation path 12 into the water tank 5.
The drying action is performed by blowing warm air of the laundry supplied into the rotary tub 8 into the rotary tub 8. The exhaust gas, which has contributed to the drying, passes through the through hole 8a of the rotary tank 8 and flows down in the direction of the arrow in the figure to reach the lower portion of the water tank 5, and is discharged from the duct 13a to the dehumidifying unit 14 side.

Now, it is assumed that "automatic dehumidification" is selected by the dehumidification selection switch 36, and both the ambient temperature and the cooling water temperature which are ambient environmental conditions are, for example, 25 ° C.
If any of the above is detected, "Omakase 4" shown in FIG.
The dehumidifying means is automatically selected, and the dehumidifying operation is executed. The outside air temperature in this case is detected by the outside air temperature sensor 27, and the cooling water temperature is the result of detecting the temperature of the washing water by the inside temperature sensor 26 in the water supply process during the previous washing operation as the detection result. Has been entered in. Therefore, when "Random 4" is selected, the heat exchanging unit 17 of the dehumidifying unit 14 is not used in the initial "remaining heat period" process as shown in Fig. 6 along with the progress of the drying process. The cooling operation for dehumidification is not performed, and the setting content is set to "no cooling".

Next, in the "constant rate period", the two dehumidifying means, "water cooling + air cooling", simultaneously function to perform dehumidifying operation. This is because the environmental conditions described above are inherently unfavorable conditions of both outside air and cooling water temperatures of 25 ° C. or higher. Therefore, the water-cooling and air-cooling dehumidifying means are operated at the same time, and the optimum maximum under these conditions is obtained. It is set to obtain dehumidification performance. Therefore, the rotation driving of the cooling fan device 18 takes in outside air as cold air,
It is guided by the wind tunnel 19 in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and is delivered along the outer surface of the bellows-shaped heat exchange section 17, and heat is exchanged with the so-called exhaust hot air inside the heat exchange section 17. In this case, since the heat exchange portion 17 forming a part of the warm air circulation path 12 has a bellows-like large surface area, heat is effectively exchanged, and therefore, the exhaust hot air is effectively cooled, and It functions as a so-called air-cooling dehumidifier 20 that dehumidifies by condensing the contained water.

On the other hand, the water passage 22 side for cooling water is opened from the water supply switching valve 21, and a predetermined small amount of water is supplied from the upper portion inside the heat exchange section 17. By this water supply, the warm exhaust air is directly contacted with water to be cooled, and is efficiently contacted by the ribs 25 for stirring, and moisture is also cooled and condensed to drip to be dehumidified, so-called water-cooled dehumidifier 24. The water that has condensed and dropped is eventually discharged from the drainage valve 6 to the outside of the machine. Thus, in the "constant period", as is clear from FIG. 6, both the air-cooling and water-cooling dehumidifying means are simultaneously dehumidified, and the maximum dehumidifying action is exerted, and the drying operation which is also effective in the drying action is executed. It

Next, when the laundry is dried and the controller 4 judges that the drying rate has reached approximately 95%, the "drying rate period", which is so-called finish drying period, is started, and the heater is started from the middle. The drying process in the blown air (cold air) state in which 16 is also turned off proceeds. Then, in this process, as shown in FIG. 6, the operation is switched to only the "air cooling" dehumidifying means, the dehumidifying operation is executed while the dehumidification is efficiently performed from the exhaust gas that has decreased, and the dehumidifying operation is performed for a predetermined time. Later, the motor 11, the cooling fan device 18, and the blower 15
Etc. stop and the whole operation ends.

By the way, in this period, as described above, the temperature in the water tank 5 which is the inside of the chamber due to the overshoot even after the heater 16 is turned off is about 30 ° C. from about 60 ° C. in the “constant rate period”.
As the temperature rises by 90 ° C to nearly 90 ° C, better drying performance is obtained. However, the water tank 5 that functions as a drying chamber needs a material having excellent heat resistance. Since polypropylene is used as a base material and glass fiber is molded with a composite material of 15 wt% or more as in this embodiment, the heat resistant temperature is Approximately 100 ° C can be secured, and in particular, reliability sufficient for practical use can be secured.

In the above, the case where "Random dehumidification" is selected by the dehumidification selection switch 36 and the dehumidifying means is automatically set according to the ambient environment conditions has been described. However, it is simply "air cooling dehumidification" or "manual dehumidification". When "water-cooled dehumidification" is selected, the dehumidifying operation is executed only by the selecting means in the drying process as shown in FIG. 6 regardless of the ambient environment conditions, so that it can be arbitrarily selected and set according to the intention of the user. I have to.

In addition, when "Omakase 1" shown in FIG. 6 is automatically selected and set under other ambient environmental conditions in "Omakase dehumidification", this means that the outside air temperature is 1
Since the temperature is as low as less than 5 ° C, it is in an environmental condition where the dehumidification performance by air cooling can be sufficiently exerted. Therefore, in such a case, since the running cost is low and the sufficient dehumidifying performance can be exhibited by the air-cooling dehumidifying means, the preferable dehumidifying according to the degree of progress of the drying process as disclosed in the temperature characteristics of FIG. Operation can be expected, and thus operation is controlled to obtain efficient drying performance.

As described above, this embodiment has the following effects. First, according to the present invention, the dehumidifying unit 14 is used during the drying operation.
In a washer / dryer capable of drying laundry by supplying warm air into the water tank 5 via the dehumidifying unit 14, the dehumidifying unit 14 includes an air-cooling dehumidifying means and a water-cooling dehumidifying means. The operation can be automatically selected and executed based on the ambient environment conditions such as the outside air temperature.

Thus, in the drying operation, the air-cooling or water-cooling dehumidifying means can be automatically selected and used properly according to the ambient environment conditions, so that sufficient dehumidifying performance can be obtained under the conditions suitable for each. In addition to being effective, it can be expected to have efficient drying performance by reducing running costs during operation, and it is easy to use because it does not require complicated operation settings.

Further, as the ambient environment condition, it is possible to make a suitable setting for exhibiting dehumidification performance based on the detection result of the outside temperature (room temperature) for cooling used in the dehumidifying means or the feed water temperature which is the wash water at the time of water feed. In this case, in the above embodiment, a plurality of appropriate dehumidifying means (“Random selection 1 to 4”) are selected from the outside air temperature and the water supply temperature in FIG. 6, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the selection conditions of FIG. Along with the outside air temperature as a reference, it is possible to set "Omakase 1, 2, 3" or "Omakase 1, 3, 4". Similarly, it is easy to set based on the water supply temperature. It can be developed, and even in this case, it is possible to expect the same effects as those of the above embodiment.

However, since these two air-cooling and water-cooling dehumidifying means can be operated at the same time, the dehumidifying performance can be maximized. Therefore, in the case of a temperature environment where the above-mentioned environmental conditions are not always desirable, two As a setting content for simultaneously operating the dehumidifying means, the dehumidifying performance can be sufficiently exerted and the drying performance can be improved. Furthermore, by skillfully selecting and setting the two dehumidifying means according to the degree of progress of each of the specific "heat remaining period / constant rate period / reduction rate period" during the drying process, dehumidification is performed according to each process period. It is possible to select a dehumidifying means that can efficiently exhibit its performance, and it can be expected that proper drying operation will be performed in consideration of the running cost during operation and the drying effect.

On the other hand, the dehumidifying means can be selected according to the ambient environment conditions in this way, and the dehumidifying performance can be sufficiently exerted as shown by the temperature characteristics in the refrigerator in the model case of FIG. The temperature in the water tank 5, which is a temperature, can be properly controlled, and in addition to the fact that the water tank 5 can be made of polypropylene, in particular, as in this embodiment, glass fiber is manufactured by combining 15 wt% or more. As a result, the heat resistance can be improved, and the drying performance can be greatly exerted under the required high temperature. Therefore, the water tank 5 can be sufficiently put into practical use as a drying chamber, and the mold can be used. It can be easily manufactured by molding.

Further, since the wind tunnel 19 forming the cooling air passage along the heat exchanging portion 17 of the air cooling / dehumidifying means is designed to allow a part of the cold air to flow to the outer peripheral side of the adjacent water tanks 5, A heat exchange action occurs between the inside and the outside of the water tank. Particularly, by contacting the cool air on the bottom side of the water tank 5, heat exchange with the exhaust warm air can be performed, and the cooling and condensation action of water can be promoted. .

In addition, in this embodiment, since the heat exchange portion 17 is formed in a bellows shape so as to increase the heat exchange area, heat can be efficiently exchanged through the heat exchange 17, and from this point as well. The dehumidification performance can be improved. On the other hand, as described above, while the dehumidifying means is automatically selected according to the surrounding environment, the user can manually select an arbitrary dehumidifying means, so the number of options increases and the user Drying operation can be done as intended, and it is effective for practical use.

(Second Embodiment) Next, FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. And omit
Only different parts will be described. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. The second embodiment is different from the dehumidifying unit 14 in the first embodiment in that a dehumidifying unit 37 having a two-layer pipe structure with further improved heat exchange performance is adopted.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, in the dehumidifying unit 37 of this embodiment, the heat exchange section 38 forming a part of the warm air circulation path 12 is connected to the cold air duct 39 forming the cooling air path. Layered. Specifically, the cold air duct 39 is open and communicated with the upper and lower portions of the side of the main body 1, the cooling fan device 18 is provided with one opening serving as the outside air suction port 39a, and the other has a hollow shape serving as the discharge port 39b. Is doing. Therefore,
As is clear from the directions of the arrows shown in FIGS. 8 and 7 showing the cross-sectional structure of the two-layer portion, the warm exhaust air moves in the inner layer portion, and the cooling fan device 18 is provided in the outer layer portion surrounding the entire circumference. The cold air, which is the outside air taken in, flows. As a result, heat is exchanged through the heat exchanging section 38, whereby the moisture in the exhaust gas is cooled, condensed, and dehumidified, and functions as a so-called air-cooled dehumidifier 40.

Further, as the water-cooled dehumidifier 41, the water passage 22 is connected to the inside of the upper part of the heat exchange section 38, as in the first embodiment, and the water passage 22 is connected during operation. It is configured to bring the water supplied from 22 into contact with exhaust gas flowing in the direction of the arrow in a state of facing the exhaust gas, and to exert a dehumidifying action by cooling and condensing water. The other configurations are also common to the first embodiment.

According to the above structure, the heat exchange section 38, which also serves as a part of the warm air circulation path 12, has a two-layer structure and is surrounded by the cool air duct 39 and surrounded by the outside air. Therefore,
The cooler the outside air temperature is, the more the cooling capacity is increased, and as a result, the dehumidifying performance can be sufficiently exerted. Further, since the cold air duct 39 flows only the outside air as a cooling air passage, it effectively contacts the heat exchange portion 38. The heat exchange effect can be reliably promoted. In addition, the dehumidifying unit 37 having two dehumidifying means of air cooling and water cooling is selected and switched according to the degree of progress of the drying process, and the dehumidifying means is automatically selected and operated according to the ambient environment conditions. The same operational effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings. For example, the rotary tub has a so-called vertical rotary tub having an agitator at the center of the inner bottom thereof. However, instead of this, it can be applied to a drum type washer / dryer equipped with a drum (rotary tank) supported by a horizontal shaft and rotating, and the dehumidifying unit may be configured by combining the embodiments. In carrying out the invention, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention, the hot air flowing through the hot air circulation path is dehumidified by the water-cooling dehumidifying means, so that the dehumidification can be efficiently performed and the efficient drying performance can be obtained. In this case, in claim 1, the warm air is turbulently brought into contact with cooling water by the stirring rib, and in claim 3 , the warm air flowing through the warm air circulation path is cooled by the air flowing through the wind tunnel. Therefore, the dehumidifying performance is further improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing a schematic configuration of an entire washer / dryer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic arrangement configuration of the whole from above.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged main part.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the operation panel.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining temperature characteristics and actions in a drying process.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing setting contents of dehumidifying means and selection standard contents.

FIG. 7 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a main body, 3 is an operation panel, 4 is a control device, 5 is a water tank,
8 is a rotary tank, 9 is a drive motor, 12 is a hot air circulation path, 1
4, 37 are dehumidifying units, 17 and 38 are heat exchange parts, 18
Is a cooling fan device, 19 is a wind tunnel (cooling air passage) , 20, 4
0 is an air-cooled dehumidifier, 21 is a water supply switching valve (water supply means), 2
2 is one water passage, 23 is the other water passage, 24 and 41 are water-cooled dehumidifiers (water-cooled dehumidifying means), 25 is a stirring rib, 2
Reference numeral 6 indicates an inside temperature sensor, 27 indicates an outside air temperature sensor, 36 indicates a dehumidifying selection switch, and 39 indicates a cold air duct (cooling air passage) .

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06F 25/00 D06F 39/04 D06F 39/08 301 D06F 58/02

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] And 1. A store water aquarium, a rotating tub for accommodating the provided laundry this water tank, both ends have a hot air generating device in the middle is formed to communicate with the water tank, in the vertical direction A hot air circulation path that extends , and water that is placed upstream of this hot air circulation path and that is supplied from the water supply means into the hot air circulation path condenses water from the air that has been sent into the hot air circulation path. And a water cooling / dehumidifying means for removing the hot air circulation path.
A water supply port of the water supply means for supplying water is arranged, and water supplied from the water supply means by causing a turbulent flow in the air flowing through the hot air circulation path at an inner lower part of the hot air circulation path. The ribs for agitation that promote the contact between the water supply port and the ribs for agitation are installed at positions vertically opposed to each other.
A washer / dryer characterized by a digit . 2. The warm air circulation passage extends in the vertical direction, and the water supplied from the water supply means into the warm air circulation passage flows from top to bottom,
Air is supplied from the lower side into the warm air circulation path and flows upward,
The washer / dryer according to claim 1, wherein contact with water is promoted by the stirring ribs. Wherein adjacent the front Symbol hot air circulation passage, and a cooling air path flows in the opposite direction to the air of the low temperature air flows through the hot air circulation passage than the air flowing through the hot air circulation path The washer / dryer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein .