JP3626369B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates to determination of the end point of a drying operation in a clothes dryer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a clothes dryer is known in which an electrode sensor is provided to detect the degree of drying of clothes housed in a rotating drum. The electrode sensor has a pair of exposed electrodes, and uses the fact that the resistance value between the pair of electrodes changes according to the wetness of the clothes in contact with the pair of electrodes, thereby controlling the dryness of the clothes. To detect.
[0003]
Then, after starting the clothes drying operation, the clothes dryer continues the drying operation until the drying degree of the clothes detected by the electrode sensor reaches a level at which it can be determined that the clothes have been dried (drying completion level). To do. However, there may be an error in the dryness of the clothes detected by the electrode sensor. When such an error occurs, the dryness of the clothes detected by the electrode sensor reaches the drying completion level. If the drying operation is terminated, the clothes may not be sufficiently dried.
[0004]
Therefore, in the conventional clothes dryer, the drying operation is terminated when a predetermined drying extension time has elapsed from when the degree of drying of the clothes detected by the electrode sensor reaches the drying completion level. .
[0005]
If the drying extension time is set as a fixed time, it has to be set longer with a margin in consideration of fluctuations in the time required for drying clothes due to differences in the amount of clothes and materials. Therefore, if the amount of clothing to be dried is small or the material of the clothing is a synthetic fiber that is easy to dry, the drying operation is extended for a longer time than the actually required extension time, and wasted energy is consumed. There was an inconvenience.
[0006]
Therefore, the drying extension time is not a fixed time, but varies depending on the amount and material of clothing, until the drying degree of clothing detected by the electrode sensor reaches the drying completion level after the drying operation is started. It can be considered that the drying extension time is varied and determined according to the required time, the temperature in the rotating drum when the drying completion level is reached, or the like.
[0007]
However, the present inventors have found that even if the remaining drying time is determined in this way, useless energy may still be consumed, or conversely, clothing may be insufficiently dried. I found out.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clothes dryer capable of reliably drying clothes while suppressing wasteful energy consumption.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been made in order to achieve the above object, and includes a rotating drum for storing clothing, hot air supply means for supplying warm air to the rotating drum, and the degree of drying of the clothing stored in the rotating drum. A drying degree detecting means for detecting the dryness and a drying operation for drying the clothes in the rotating drum by supplying warm air into the rotating drum by the hot air supplying means, and after the drying operation is started, the drying Drying control means for continuing the drying operation for a predetermined drying extension time and ending the drying operation after the degree of drying of the clothes in the rotating drum detected by the degree detecting means reaches a predetermined drying completion level. It is related with improvement of a clothes dryer provided with.
[0010]
And the 1st embodiment of this invention is equipped with the room temperature sensor which detects the room temperature of the room where the clothes dryer was installed, and the drum temperature grasping means which grasps the temperature in the rotating drum, The drying control means, after the start of the drying operation, the time required for the clothing dryness detected by the dryness detection means to reach a semi-dry level set below the dry completion level, and the room temperature sensor detection A temperature and a grasping temperature in the rotating drum by the drum temperature grasping means at the time when the drying degree of the clothes detected by the drying degree detection means reaches the semi-dry level after starting the drying operation ; According to the above, the drying extension time is determined.
[0011]
In the clothes dryer, the larger the amount of clothes housed in the rotating drum, the more heat is needed to dry the clothes to the drying completion level, so hot air is supplied into the rotating drum. The required time is longer. Further, it can be assumed that the higher the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, the higher the absolute humidity in the room. However, the higher the absolute humidity in the room, the harder the clothes in the rotating drum naturally dry.
[0012]
Therefore, according to the present invention, the drying extension time is determined according to the required time and the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, so that the appropriate amount according to the amount of clothes in the rotating drum and the absolute humidity in the room. The drying extension time can be determined, thereby suppressing wasteful energy consumption and reliably drying the garment.
[0013]
In addition, when the clothing material housed in the rotating drum is hygroscopic and difficult to dry, such as cotton, the amount of heat of the warm air supplied to the rotating drum is absorbed by the clothing. Therefore, it is difficult for the temperature in the rotating drum to rise. On the other hand, when the material of the garment has a poor hygroscopic property such as synthetic fiber and is easy to dry, the ratio of heat absorbed by the garment to the garment is small. The temperature inside tends to rise.
[0015]
Therefore, according to the present invention , after starting the drying operation, from the grasping temperature by the drum temperature grasping means when the drying degree of the clothes detected by the drying degree detection means reaches the semi-dry level, It is possible to determine the easiness of drying depending on the material of the clothes accommodated in the rotating drum. Therefore, in addition to the required time and the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, the drying control means determines the drying extension time according to the grasped temperature in the rotating drum by the drum temperature grasping means. The drying extension time can be determined with high accuracy.
[0018]
In addition , a heat exchanger that heats air by the amount of hot water supplied from a water heater is provided, and the hot air supply means supplies the air heated by the heat exchanger as the hot air to the rotating drum. It is characterized by.
[0019]
When the heat exchanger (so-called hot water type heat exchanger) is used, the temperature of the air heated by the heat exchanger and supplied into the rotating drum is higher than that when the burner type heat exchanger is used. Lower. Therefore, the influence which the change of indoor absolute humidity has on the drying time of clothing becomes larger than the clothing dryer using a burner type heat exchanger. Therefore, it is particularly effective to determine the drying extension time according to the detected temperature of the room temperature sensor that changes in relation to the absolute humidity in the room.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a clothes dryer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the clothes dryer shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 3 to 4 are execution flowcharts of a drying operation, and FIG. It is a data table for doing.
[0021]
Referring to FIG. 1, a clothes dryer 1 according to the present embodiment is controlled by a controller 2 including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, so that the entire operation is controlled, and a clothes S to be dried is stored. The drum 3, a hot water heat exchanger 4 that heats the air supplied to the rotating drum 3, and the air heated by the heat exchanger 4 is sucked into the rotating drum 3 from the intake port 5, and An intake / exhaust fan 7 that exhausts wet air released from the clothing S from the exhaust port 6, a motor 8 that rotates the intake / exhaust fan 7 and the rotating drum 3, and an open / closed state of the door 9 of the rotating drum 3 are detected. The door switch 10, the clothing temperature thermistor 11 for detecting the temperature of the clothing S in the rotating drum 3, and the electrode sensor 12 (ON / OFF according to the present invention) according to the wetness of the clothing S in contact between the electrodes a and b. Dryness detection hand ), An exhaust temperature thermistor 13 (corresponding to drum temperature grasping means of the present invention) for detecting the temperature of wet air discharged from the exhaust port 6, and the temperature in the room where the clothes dryer 1 is installed. A room temperature thermistor 14 (corresponding to the room temperature sensor of the present invention) and an operation panel 15 provided with a switch operated by the user. The heat exchanger 4 and the intake / exhaust fan 7 constitute hot air supply means of the present invention.
[0022]
The wet air discharged from the exhaust port 6 is discharged to the outside through an exhaust pipe 19 communicating with a ventilation port 18 provided in a wall surface 17 such as a veranda through the ceiling. The controller 2 is communicably connected to the water heater 20, opens the thermal valve 21 that opens and closes the hot water outlet pipe 22, and transmits a hot water start instruction signal to the water heater 20. Supply of hot water to the heat exchanger 4 is started via the hot water supply forward pipe 22. Then, the hot water supplied to the heat exchanger 4 returns to the hot water heater 20 through the hot water supply return pipe 23. Further, the filter 24 attached to the exhaust port 6 is for preventing yarn waste and dust generated from the clothing S from being discharged to the exhaust pipe 19.
[0023]
Next, referring to FIG. 2, the controller 2 detects the opening / closing detection signal of the door 9 output from the door switch 10 and the temperature detection output from the clothing temperature thermistor 11, the exhaust temperature thermistor 13, and the room temperature thermistor 14. A signal and a dryness degree detection signal output from the electrode sensor 12 are input. With reference to these detection signals, referring to FIG. 1, the controller 2 opens and closes the door 9, the temperature of the clothing S in the rotating drum 3, the temperature of the wet air discharged from the exhaust port 6, the room temperature, and the clothing S Recognize the degree of dryness.
[0024]
The electrode sensor 12 detects when the resistance value between the electrodes a and b (which increases as the dryness of the clothing contacting the electrodes a and b increases) exceeds a predetermined level (approximately several MΩ). The output is turned on. The controller 2 inputs the detection output of the electrode sensor 12 every predetermined time, and the ratio of the number of times the detection output of the electrode sensor 12 is ON with respect to the number of inputs per predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12). ) Is 95% or more, it is determined that the clothes are dry.
[0025]
In addition, referring to FIG. 2, rotation control / rotation stop of motor 8 and valve opening / closing of thermal valve 21 are controlled by a control signal output from controller 2. . Then, as described above, the controller 2 and the water heater 20 are communicably connected, and an instruction to start and stop the hot water supply from the water heater 20 to the heat exchanger 4 by a signal transmitted from the controller 2 to the water heater 20. Is made.
[0026]
2, the operation panel 15 includes a power switch 31 for instructing start and stop of power supply to the clothes dryer 1, a start switch 32 for instructing start and pause of a drying operation, and a drying operation. Is provided with a display unit 33 for displaying the remaining time until the end of the operation, and an audio unit 34 for informing the user of the end of the drying operation.
[0027]
Next, the operation of the clothes dryer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. When the user puts the clothes S to be dried into the rotary drum 3, closes the door 9, and turns on the power switch 31 provided on the operation panel 15, power is supplied to the clothes dryer 1 and the controller 2. Starts operating.
[0028]
When the user turns on the start switch 32, the drying control means 40 provided in the controller 2 starts the clothes drying operation. First, the drying control means 40 opens the thermal valve 21 in STEP 1 and transmits a signal instructing the hot water heater 20 to start hot water supply in STEP 2. As a result, hot water is supplied from the water heater 20 to the heat exchanger 4 via the hot water outlet pipe 22. In the next STEP 3, the drying control means 40 operates the motor 8 via the motor driver 30.
[0029]
When the motor 8 is actuated, the rotary drum 3 and the intake / exhaust fan 7 start to rotate in conjunction with each other, and the air heated by the heat exchanger 4 is sucked by the intake / exhaust fan 7 to become hot air and becomes the intake port 5. To the rotary drum 3. And the clothing S in the rotating drum 3 is heated by this warm air, the humid air discharged | emitted from the clothing S is discharged | emitted from the exhaust port 6, and the clothing S is dried gradually.
[0030]
In the next STEP 4, the drying control means 40 starts the first timer 41 (see FIG. 2), and in STEP 5, the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 is 95% (corresponding to the semi-drying level and the drying completion level of the present invention). ) Is monitored. Then, when the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95%, the process proceeds from STEP 5 to STEP 6, and the drying control means 40 measures the time of the first timer 41 until that point (corresponding to the required time of the present invention). was retained as _{t m,} the subsequent STEP7, it holds the detected temperature of the exhaust temperature thermistor 13 at that time as _{T D,} in STEP 8, holds the detected temperature of room temperature thermistor 14 as _{T R.}
[0031]
Here, when the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95%, it can be determined that the drying of the clothing S has been completed. However, since the electrode sensor 12 has a relatively large detection error, even if the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95%, the clothes may actually be insufficiently dried.
[0032]
Therefore, the drying control unit 40 continues the drying operation for a predetermined drying extension time even after the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95% in STEP5. The drying control unit 40, at STEP 9, the time required _{t m} which holds the drying extended time STEP6～STEP8, exhaust temperature _{T D,} and determined in accordance with the room temperature _{T R.}
[0033]
Referring to FIG. 1, the greater the amount of clothing S accommodated in rotating drum 3, the greater the proportion of heat that hot air supplied from intake port 5 has absorbed by clothing S. Therefore, the larger the amount of clothing S, the more difficult it is to dry clothing S, and the required time t _m becomes longer. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the amount of the required time t _m is housed in the rotary drum 3 from clothing S.
[0034]
In addition, when the material of the clothing S accommodated in the rotating drum 3 is a material that is hygroscopic and difficult to dry, such as cotton, the heat of the hot air supplied from the intake port 5 into the rotating drum 3 The ratio that is absorbed by the clothing S increases. For this reason, the rate of increase of the temperature in the rotary drum 3 is reduced. On the other hand, when the material of the garment S is, for example, a synthetic fiber having poor hygroscopicity and easy to dry, the rate of temperature increase in the rotating drum 3 increases. The detected temperature of the exhaust temperature sensor 13 changes according to the temperature in the rotary drum 3. Therefore, it is possible to know the temperature of the rotating drum 3 from the detected temperature T _D of the exhaust gas temperature sensor 13, to grasp the material dried difficulty of clothing S.
[0035]
Therefore, the drying control means 40, according to the data table shown in FIG. 5A, the required time t _m (changed according to the amount of clothes S) held in STEP 6 and the exhaust temperature T _D (changed in STEP 7). The drying extension time Et is determined according to the change of the material of the clothing S). For example, a required time _{t m} is 30 minutes (range 30 ≦ _{t m} ≦ 45), when the exhaust gas temperature _{T D} is 42 ° C. (in the range of 40 ≦ _{T D} ≦ 46), the drying control unit 40, FIG. The drying extension time Et is determined to be 15 minutes from the data table of 5 (a).
[0036]
In addition, it can be assumed that the absolute humidity in the room generally increases as the temperature in the room in which the clothes dryer 1 is installed is higher. And the clothing S in the rotating drum 3 becomes difficult to dry, so that the indoor absolute humidity is high. Therefore, drying control unit 40, when room temperature T _R is was 30 ° C. or more, determines the dry residual time Rt by data table shown in Figure 5 (b). Data table shown in FIG. 5 (b) is a temperature classification of exhaust gas temperature T _D of the data table shown in FIG. 5 (a) those higher respectively 5 ° C..
[0037]
The drying control unit 40 determines the dry extension time Et from the data table of FIG. 5 when room temperature _{T R} held in STEP8 is lower than 30 ° C. (a), was room temperature _{T R} is 30 ° C. or higher Sometimes, the drying extension time Et is determined from the data table of FIG.
[0038]
Thus, for example, when the exhaust temperature T _D in the time required t _m is 30 minutes was 40 ° C. is to dry the extension time Et is 15 minutes from the data table shown in FIG. 5 (a) is lower than room temperature 30 ° C. If the room temperature is 30 ° C. or higher, the drying extension time Et is determined to be 25 minutes from the data table of FIG. That is, high room temperature T _R, the garment for the absolute humidity of the room is high if can be assumed difficult drying, drying extension time Et is set to a longer time.
[0039]
Thus, the time required t _m which varies depending on the amount of accommodating clothing S in the rotary drum 3, and the exhaust temperature T _D which varies according to the type of the material of the garment S, depending on the absolute humidity of the room by calculating the dry residual time Rt in accordance with the room temperature T _R that varies Te, drying control unit 40, a drying prolonged time Et can be determined at the appropriate time depending on the dry difficulty clothing S .
[0040]
In subsequent STEP 10, the drying control means 40 sets the remaining drying time Rt as the count-up time of the second timer 42, and starts the second timer in STEP 11. Then, the drying control means 40 performs the drying operation for the extended drying time Rt after the second timer 42 has timed out in the next STEP 12, that is, when the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 has reached 95% in STEP 5. When the operation is continued, proceed to STEP13. As described above, by continuing the drying operation for the drying extension time Et set to an appropriate time in STEP 9, it is possible to suppress wasteful consumption of energy required for the operation of the water heater 20 and the motor 8, and the clothing S Can be reliably dried.
[0041]
Then, the drying control means 40 closes the thermal valve 21 in the next STEP 13, transmits a signal instructing the hot water supply stop to the water heater 20 in STEP 14, and stops the operation of the motor 8 in STEP 15. Thereby, the supply of hot water from the water heater 20 to the heat exchanger 4 is stopped, and the rotation operation of the intake / exhaust fan 7 and the rotary drum 3 is stopped. Then, in the next STEP 16, the drying control means 40 notifies the user of the end of the drying operation by the sound unit 34 and ends the drying operation.
[0042]
In the present embodiment, after the start of the drying operation, the required time t _m until the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95%, and the exhaust temperature T when the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95%. by calculating the dry extension time Et according to the _D and room temperature T _R, but to give the best effect of the present invention, time required t _m at room temperature T _R, or the exhaust temperature T _D and the room temperature T _R Accordingly, the effect of the present invention can also be obtained by calculating the drying extension time Et.
[0043]
In the present embodiment, the temperature in the rotating drum 3 is grasped from the detected temperature of the exhaust temperature thermistor 13, but the temperature in the rotating drum 3 may be grasped from the detected temperature of the clothing temperature thermistor 11.
[0044]
Also, in a clothes dryer using a so-called hot water heat exchanger that heats air by the amount of hot water supplied from a water heater, the temperature of the hot air supplied into the rotating drum is air with the burner as a heat source. It becomes lower than the clothes dryer using the heat exchanger which heats. Therefore, the absolute humidity in the room has a great influence on the drying time of clothes, and the effect of applying the present invention is particularly great. However, the present invention is also applied when applied to a clothes dryer using a heat exchanger using a burner as a heat source. The effect of can be obtained.
[0045]
In the present embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, when the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches 95% (drying completion level) in STEP5, the processing of STEP6 to STEP9 is performed to determine the drying extension time Et. However, when the ON frequency of the electrode sensor 12 reaches a semi-dry level set to a level lower than 95% (drying completion level), the processing of STEP 6 to STEP 9 is performed to determine the drying extension time Et. Also good.
[0046]
Moreover, in this Embodiment, although the dryness degree of the clothing in the rotating drum 3 was detected by the electrode sensor 12, you may detect the dryness degree of clothing using a humidity sensor.
[0047]
Further, in the present embodiment, FIG. 5 (a), the as shown in FIG. 5 (b), changing the drying extension time Et to determine a two-step whether or not room temperature T _R is 30 ° C. or higher However, the drying extension time Et may be changed at a finer stage. Further, instead of the data table, the dry extension time Et using a function (experimentally, determined by simulation or the like) for outputting the dry extension time Et of the required time t _m and exhaust temperature T _D and room temperature T _R as an input parameter You may decide.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a clothes dryer.
FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the clothes dryer.
FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the clothes dryer.
FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the clothes dryer.
FIG. 5 is a data table for determining the drying extension time.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Clothes dryer, 2 ... Controller, 3 ... Rotary drum, 4 ... Heat exchanger, 5 ... Intake port, 6 ... Exhaust port, 7 ... Intake / exhaust fan, 8 ... Motor, 9 ... Door, 10 ... Door switch, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Clothes temperature thermistor, 12 ... Electrode sensor, 13 ... Exhaust temperature thermistor, 14 ... Room temperature thermistor, 15 ... Operation panel, 17 ... Wall, 18 ... Ventilation port, 19 ... Exhaust pipe, 20 ... Water heater, 21 ... Thermal motion Valves, 22 ... Hot water outlet pipe, 23 ... Hot water return pipe, 24 ... Filter, 30 ... Motor driver, 31 ... Power switch, 32 ... Start switch, 33 ... Display unit, 34 ... Audio unit, 35 ... Filter lamp, 40 ... Drying control means, 41 ... first timer, 42 ... second timer

Claims (2)

A rotating drum for storing clothing; hot air supplying means for supplying warm air to the rotating drum; dryness detecting means for detecting the degree of drying of the clothes stored in the rotating drum; and the hot air supplying means A drying operation for supplying warm air into the rotating drum to dry the clothes in the rotating drum is executed, and after the start of the drying operation, the degree of drying of the clothes in the rotating drum detected by the drying degree detecting means. In a clothes dryer provided with a drying control means for continuing the drying operation for a predetermined drying extension time and ending the drying operation from when the predetermined drying completion level is reached,
A room temperature sensor for detecting the room temperature of the room in which the clothes dryer is installed, and a drum temperature grasping means for grasping the temperature in the rotating drum,
The drying control means, after the start of the drying operation, the time required for the clothing dryness detected by the dryness detection means to reach a semi-dry level set below the dry completion level, and the room temperature sensor The detected temperature and the grasping temperature in the rotating drum by the in-drum temperature grasping means when the drying degree of the clothing detected by the drying degree detecting means reaches the semi-dry level after starting the drying operation. The clothes dryer is characterized in that the drying extension time is determined according to the above. A heat exchanger that heats air by the amount of heat of hot water supplied from a water heater is provided, and the hot air supply means supplies air heated by the heat exchanger as the hot air to the rotating drum. The clothes dryer according to claim 1 .

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