JP3920314B2 - Drum type washer / dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum-type washing and drying machine that performs washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying steps in a rotating drum that is rotatably supported in a water tank in a horizontal direction or in a direction inclined from the horizontal direction.

  The drum-type washing / drying machine has a bottomed cylindrical rotating drum having a plurality of through holes formed on its peripheral surface for allowing water and air to pass in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined from the horizontal direction in a water tank. The rotary drum can be driven to rotate. The water tank is provided with a clothing doorway that can be opened and closed by a door on the front side thereof, and the laundry is put into the rotating drum from the clothing doorway to control water injection and drainage into the water tank and rotation of the rotating drum. Thus, each step of washing, rinsing and dehydration can be performed. Further, by forming a circulation air passage that exhausts air in the water tank and returns it to the water tank again through the dehumidifying part and the heating part, a drying process for drying the laundry stored in the rotating drum can be performed, In addition to the washing, rinsing, and dewatering steps, the drum-type washing and drying machine can also be used for a drying step.

As such a drum-type washing / drying machine, many proposals have been made for a structure for smoothly carrying out the drying step. For example, a structure shown in Patent Document 1 is known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-333185 (pages 3 to 5, FIG. 1)

  In order to efficiently dry laundry that is wet like dehydrated laundry, it is necessary to blow dry air heated to the required temperature into the rotating drum, which is included in the air exhausted from the water tank. After the moisture to be removed is dehumidified in the dehumidifying part, it is heated to a required temperature by the heater of the heating part and blown into the water tank.

  Since the circulation air flow path communicates with the inside of the water tank, there is a state in which water, bubbles, etc. enter the air flow path in the process of washing and rinsing, and the blower fan in which the intruded water, bubbles, etc. constitute the circulation air supply path When a pipe structure that does not flow into the components is required, and water or foam abnormally enters due to some abnormality, it is necessary to stop the operation of the washing and drying machine.

  The purpose of the present invention is that in the process of washing and rinsing, there is a state in which water, foam, etc. enter the air flow path, and water, foam, etc., flow into components such as a blower fan that constitutes a circulation blower path. An object of the present invention is to provide a drum-type washing / drying machine that has a difficult duct structure and that stops operation of the washing / drying machine when water or foam abnormally intrudes due to some abnormality.

In order to achieve the above object, a drum-type washing / drying machine according to the first invention of the present application includes a rotating drum in which a large number of through holes are formed and accommodates laundry, and a rotating shaft of the rotating drum that is horizontally or from the front side to the back side. a water tank which is disposed inside so that the direction inclined downward toward the side, a motor for rotating said rotary drum mounted on the outer side of the rear surface of the tub, blowing means inside, dehumidifier and heat And a circulating air passage connected at one end to an exhaust port provided at the water tank and at the other end to a blower port provided at the back of the water tank. Washing, rinsing and dehydration processes are performed by controlling the drainage from the inside and the rotation of the motor, and the air blowing means is driven to rotate, so that the air in the water tank is sent from the exhaust port to the circulating air blowing path. And a drying step of drying the laundry by circulating by being blown into the water tank from the air outlet after being dehumidified by the dehumidifying means in the circulating air passage. in practice for the drum type washing and drying machine, a portion of the circulating air passage is the back of the tub said blower opening formed to rotate around the motor to the rear upper side of the tub as a downstream side starting point of the air mounting et is outside, the blowing means is provided on the upstream side of the lower a and blowing from the lower end position of the top inner diameter of the circulating air passage which is attached to the outside of the rear of the tub, on the upstream side of the blowing port and wherein the position of the downstream side of the lower end position of the uppermost inner diameter, wherein the water level detecting means for detecting intrusion of water from the water tank is provided.

According to the above arrangement, a conventional, circulating air passage, which had been provided in the housing above the water tank, by forming a circulating air passage above the empty space of the motor, it is possible to effectively utilize the space The housing can be made low, making it a compact and easy-to-use drum-type washing and drying machine. Water and foam can enter the air flow path during washing and rinsing processes. It is possible to make a pipe structure that is difficult for water and bubbles to flow into components such as a blower fan that constitutes a circulation blower path. Because the water level that has entered the heating pipe from the air vent leading to the inside of the water tank due to the cause is detected as an abnormal water level that exceeds the lower end position of the uppermost inner diameter of the circulating air flow path, For detection The control for response the occurrence of damage due to water entering the components such as the blower fan can be prevented.

Further, in the drum type washing and drying machine of the second invention of the present application for achieving the above object, in the first invention, the circulation air flow path attached to the outside of the back surface of the water tank is formed in a substantially arc shape. It is characterized by.

  According to the above configuration, in the process of washing and rinsing, there is a state in which water, foam, etc. enter the air flow path, and the water, foam, etc. are difficult to flow into components such as a blower fan that constitutes the circulation blower path. An arcuate pipe structure can be used.

According to the present invention , the circulation air passage has been conventionally provided in the housing above the water tank, but the space can be effectively utilized by forming the circulation air passage in the empty space above the motor. The housing can be made low, making it a compact and easy-to-use drum-type washing and drying machine. Water and foam can enter the air flow path during washing and rinsing processes. It is possible to make a pipe structure that is difficult for water and bubbles to flow into components such as a blower fan that constitutes a circulation blower path. Detects an abnormal water level where the water level that has entered the heating pipe from the air vent leading to the inside of the water tank exceeds the uppermost position of the arc-shaped flow path. Corresponding control Ri water can be prevented the occurrence of damage caused by entering the components such as the blower fan.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a drum type washing / drying machine 1 according to an embodiment. A water tank 3 is suspended in a housing 6 by a suspension structure (not shown), and a bottomed cylindrical shape is formed in the water tank 3. The rotating drum 2 formed in the above is disposed with its axial direction inclined downward from the front side toward the back side. On the front side of the water tank 3 is formed a clothing doorway 11 leading to the opening end of the rotary drum 2, and a door 9 that closes the opening provided on the upward inclined surface formed on the front side of the housing 6 so as to be openable and closable. By opening, the laundry can be taken in and out of the rotary drum 2 through the clothing entrance 11. Since the door 9 is provided on the upward inclined surface, the work for putting in and out the laundry can be carried out without bending the waist, and generally the workability of the drum type washing machine for taking in and out the laundry from the sideways opening is provided. The evil has been improved.

  The rotary drum 2 is formed with a large number of through holes 8 communicating with the water tank 3 on its peripheral surface, and provided with stirring protrusions (not shown) at a plurality of positions on the inner peripheral surface. The rotating drum 2 is rotationally driven in the forward and reverse directions by a motor 7 attached to the back side of the water tank 3. In addition, a water injection pipe 12 and a drain pipe 13 are connected to the water tank 3, and water injection and drainage into the water tank 3 are performed by controlling a water injection valve and a drain valve (not shown).

  When the door 9 is opened and laundry and detergent are put into the rotary drum 2 to start the operation of the drum-type washing and drying machine 1, a predetermined amount of water is injected into the water tank 3 from the water injection pipe 12. 7, the rotary drum 2 is rotationally driven to start the washing process. By the rotation of the rotating drum 2, the laundry accommodated in the rotating drum 2 is lifted in the rotating direction by the stirring protrusion provided on the inner peripheral wall of the rotating drum 2, and the stirring operation of dropping from the lifted appropriate height position Is repeated, so that the laundry has the effect of tapping and washing. After the required washing time, the dirty washing liquid is discharged from the drain pipe 13, and the washing liquid contained in the laundry is dehydrated by a dehydrating operation that rotates the rotating drum 2 at a high speed. Rinsing is performed by pouring water from the passage 12. Also in this rinsing step, the laundry stored in the rotary drum 2 is rinsed by repeating the stirring operation of being lifted and dropped by the stirring protrusion 4 by the rotation of the rotary drum 2.

  The drum-type washing / drying machine 1 is provided with a function of drying laundry stored in the rotary drum 2. The air in the water tank 3 is exhausted to dehumidify, and the heated dry air is returned to the water tank 3. A circulation ventilation path for blowing air inside is formed. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the circulation fan path, and by rotating the blower fan 15 disposed in the circulation fan path, an air flow is generated in the circulation fan path to accommodate the laundry. The air in the rotating drum 2 is exhausted from the exhaust port 21 of the water tank 3 to the dehumidifying conduit 16 through the through hole 8. Since the dehumidification pipe line 16 is cooled by spraying water supplied from the water supply pipe line 12 or the like, the air containing water exhausted from the water tank 3 is cooled and dehumidified by moisture condensation.

  The air duct 18 connected to the dehumidifying duct 16 is formed as a duct that guides air to the back side of the water tank 3 through the lint collecting filter 17 disposed in the vicinity of the clothing entrance 11. It connects with the heating pipe line 19 arrange | positioned by the side. As shown in FIG. 3, the heating pipe line 19 is formed in a substantially circular arc shape above the motor 7 attached to the back surface of the water tank 3, and the blower fan 15 is connected to the blow pipe line 18 in the inside thereof. At the other end, a blower port 22 communicating with the water tank 3 is formed, and a heater (heating means) 20 is disposed at an arc-shaped bent portion. The air passing through the heating pipe 19 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 20, blown into the water tank 3 from the blower opening 22 as dry heated air, and fed into the rotary drum 2 through the through holes 8. The laundry agitated by the rotation of the rotary drum 2 is dehydrated by the dry heated air, and the drying proceeds. The laundry is dried by repeating this air circulation for a required time.

  Since the heater 20 is disposed, the heating pipe 19 needs to be made of a material that can withstand high temperatures. In particular, when the blowing capacity of the blower fan 15 is reduced or stopped for some reason, the heating pipe 19 is 400 ° C. It will be exposed to near temperature. For this reason, it has been conventionally formed of a metal material. However, since metal has a high thermal conductivity, the heat of the heater 20 is dissipated to the outside and the amount of air heating consumed for heating the air is reduced, leading to a reduction in heating efficiency. It was. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the heating pipe 19 is made of a heat-resistant and flame-retardant synthetic resin material, and the heating efficiency by the heater 20 due to heat conduction is suppressed simultaneously with weight reduction.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the heating pipe line 19 includes fitting portions 23a and 24a in which a lower case 23 on the water tank 3 side and an upper case 24 on the housing 6 side are formed at respective edges by resin molding. By fitting and joining, a pipe line that accommodates the heater 20 can be formed. As shown in FIG. 4B, the lower case 23 and the upper case 24 can be directly exposed to the heat of the heater 20 by attaching a thin metal plate (incombustible material) 25 to the arrangement position of the heater 20. And heat resistance can be further improved. Although the temperature of the metal thin plate 25 is increased by the radiant heat of the heater 20, the heat is lost to the flowing air, so that the air is heated and the temperature increase is suppressed.

  In the washing or rinsing process, water and bubbles enter the heating pipe 19 from the water tank 3 through the air blowing port 22, so that the portion of the heater 20 disposed in the heating pipe 19 is electrically insulated. It is formed as a sheathed heater and is supported by the upper case 24 by a support fitting 26 at a plurality of positions. Further, a thermal fuse (temperature detection means) 27 is attached to the outer surface of the heating pipe 19 downstream in the air blowing direction, that is, on the side close to the air blowing port 22 to detect that the heating temperature by the heater 20 has risen abnormally. Then, the energization circuit to the heater 20 is shut off.

  FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the mounting position of the thermal fuse 27. The thermal fuse 27 is held by a holding metal fitting 28 fixed to the outer surface of the upper case 24, and the inner surface of the upper case 24 facing the holding metal fitting 28. A support fitting 26 that supports the heater 20 is fixed to the side. Since the heat of the heater 20 is transferred from the support fitting 26 to the holding fitting 28 through the upper case 24, it is possible to detect the abnormal temperature rise of the heater 20 by the temperature fuse 27, and the heat transfer temperature is blown out of the temperature fuse 27. When the temperature is reached, the thermal fuse 27 can be blown to break the circuit.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, since the heating pipe 19 is formed in a substantially arc shape above the motor 7, the splashes and bubbles that have entered from the blower port 22 exceed the lower end position of the inner diameter of the arc uppermost portion. Therefore, it is difficult to reach the blower fan 15.

  Conventionally, the heating pipe is provided in the casing above the water tank, but the space is effectively utilized by forming the heating pipe 19 in a substantially arc shape in the empty space above the motor 7. Since the height of the housing 6 can be reduced, a drum-type washing and drying machine that is compact and easy to use can be obtained.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of water level detection contacts (water level detection means) 29 are disposed in the heating pipe line 19 to detect that the water level in the water tank 3 has abnormally increased due to some abnormality. The structure which performs is provided. When water that has entered the heating pipe 19 from the water tank 3 through the blower port 22 is connected to the pair of water level detection contacts 29, the water level detection contacts 29 are electrically connected to each other. The occurrence of a malfunction due to an abnormal rise in water level can be prevented by controlling water injection and drainage. The heating pipe 19 is formed in an arc shape, and the water level detection contact 29 is disposed at a position below the lower end position of the inner diameter of the uppermost part of the arc, so that intrusion of water from the water tank 3 is caused by the water level detection contact 29. If it exceeds, the abnormal water level can be detected before it enters a state of flowing downward into the blower fan 15 or the blower duct 18 and the corresponding treatment can be executed.

According to the present invention , the circulation air passage has been conventionally provided in the housing above the water tank, but the space can be effectively utilized by forming the circulation air passage in the empty space above the motor. The housing can be made low, making it a compact and easy-to-use drum-type washing and drying machine. Water and foam can enter the air flow path during washing and rinsing processes. It is possible to make a pipe structure that is difficult for water and bubbles to flow into components such as a blower fan that constitutes a circulation blower path. Detects an abnormal water level where the water level that has entered the heating pipe from the air vent leading to the inside of the water tank exceeds the uppermost position of the arc-shaped flow path. Corresponding control Ri water can provide a drum-type washing and drying machine can be prevented the occurrence of damage caused by entering the components such as the blower fan.

Sectional drawing which shows the principal part structure of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the circulation ventilation path | route in a structure same as the above. The top view which shows the structure in the heating pipe line which comprises a circulation ventilation path | route. Sectional drawing of a heating pipe line. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a thermal fuse attachment site | part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drum-type washing dryer 2 Rotating drum 3 Water tank 7 Motor 8 Through-hole 15 Blower (blower means)
16 Dehumidification pipeline (dehumidification means)
18 Blower line 19 Heating line 20 Heater (heating means)
21 Exhaust port 22 Blower port 25 Metal sheet (non-combustible material)
26 Support metal fittings 27 Thermal fuse (temperature detection means)
29 Water level detection contact (water level detection means)

Claims (2)

A rotating drum in which a large number of through-holes are formed to store laundry, and a water tub disposed in the rotating drum so that the rotating shaft thereof is inclined in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined downward from the front side to the back side. other When the motor for rotating the rotary drum attached to the outer side of the rear surface of the tub, with an internal air blowing means, one end has a dehumidifier and the heating means is connected to an exhaust port provided in said water tank A circulation air passage connected to an air outlet provided on the rear surface of the water tank, and washing, rinsing, and dehydrating by controlling water supply to the water tank, drainage from the water tank, and rotation of the motor. As the air blowing means is driven to rotate, the air in the water tank is exhausted from the exhaust port into the circulating air passage and is dehumidified by the dehumidifying means in the circulating air passage. After the heated by the heating means, in the subsequent from said blowing port to implement the drying step of drying the circulating laundry by being blown into the water tank drum type washing and drying machine, a portion of the circulating air passage is , said blower opening formed to rotate around the motor to the rear upper side of the tub as a downstream side starting point of the blower mounting et al is to the outside of the rear of the water tub, the air blowing means, the outside of the rear of the water tub the lowermost position of the upper inner diameter provided on the upstream side of the lower a and blowing from the position of the downstream side of the lower end position of the upstream side a and the top inner diameter than the blowing port in the circulating air passage which is attached to the water tank A drum-type washing / drying machine comprising water level detecting means for detecting water intrusion from inside. The drum type washing and drying machine according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation air flow path attached to the outside of the rear surface of the water tank is formed in a substantially arc shape.

Images