JP5511754B2 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a clothes dryer including a filter that collects lint generated from an object to be dried such as clothes.

  The clothes dryer contains clothes and other items to be dried in a rotating drum, and the rotating drum and fan are driven to rotate by a single motor, and the air heated by heating means is supplied to the rotating drum by the fan and rotated. By exhausting wet air from the exhaust outlet of the drum, the object to be dried in the rotating drum is dried. On the exhaust outlet side of the rotary drum, a filter for collecting yarn waste generated from the material to be dried is attached. If this filter is clogged, the exhaust of wet air from the inside of the rotating drum is restricted, and normal drying operation cannot be performed.

  Therefore, in the case of a conventional clothes dryer, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the drying operation, the remaining drying time is estimated from the exhaust temperature to grasp the entire drying time, and the entire drying time is a certain time or more. In some cases, it was determined that the filter was clogged and notified (Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-140494 A

  In such a conventional clothes dryer, since it is necessary to wait for the drying operation to stabilize in order to estimate the remaining drying time (paragraph 0042 of Patent Document 1), a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the drying operation. The clogging of the filter was detected. Therefore, if filter clogging has progressed since the start of the drying operation, detection of filter clogging is delayed, and heated air rises abnormally until clogging is detected. There was a risk that some parts were thermally damaged and the rotating drum was overheated. The same problem may occur when the drying operation is started after the material to be dried is packed too much in the rotating drum.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a clothes dryer capable of detecting clogging of a filter from the start of a drying operation and preventing occurrence of overheating of a rotating drum, thermal damage of an object to be dried, and the like. The purpose is to provide.

A clothes dryer according to the present invention comprises:
Rotating drum for storing objects to be dried such as clothes, heating means for heating air, a fan for supplying air heated by the heating means into the rotating drum, and an exhaust path for wet air discharged from the rotating drum A clothes dryer comprising a filter attached to
A fan motor for rotating the fan;
A rotational speed detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the fan;
An operation control means for controlling the motor current of the fan motor to be constant and rotating the fan to perform a drying operation;
The operation control means determines that the filter is lightly clogged when the fan rotation speed exceeds the initial limit level rotation speed at the start of the drying operation, and heats more than when there is no filter clogging. Reduce the maximum heating output of the means to operate the heating means, and if the fan speed exceeds the initial stop level speed higher than the initial limit level speed, it is judged that the filter is in a severely clogged state. The filter clogging is notified, the drying operation is stopped without operating the heating means , and the fan rotation speed further rises to a fixed rotation speed or higher than the final fan rotation speed at the end of the previous drying operation. If have to notify the subject that is in the state of the air passage obstruction due stuffed only like the object to be dried into the rotary drum, control to the error stop drying operation without operating the heating means And it formed.

  With the above configuration, since the fan motor rotates only the fan, the fan motor is only subjected to the rotational load of the fan. Further, when the filter is clogged and the amount of air passing through the filter is reduced, the rotational load of the fan is reduced. Therefore, if the motor current to the fan motor is controlled to be constant and the fan is rotationally driven, the greater the clogging state of the filter, the higher the rotational speed of the fan. Therefore, if the fan rotation speed exceeds the initial limit level rotation speed at the start of the drying operation, it is determined that filter clogging has already progressed (mild clogging). Then, the heating means is operated by lowering the maximum heating output of the heating means than when the filter is not clogged. Therefore, the filter can be prevented from clogging during the drying operation and the heated air can be prevented from abnormally rising in temperature, and problems such as thermal damage to the object to be dried and overheating of the rotating drum can be prevented. .

  Further, if the fan rotation speed exceeds the initial stop level rotation speed higher than the initial limit level rotation speed at the start of the drying operation, it is determined that the filter is in a closed state (severe clogging) due to clogging. In this case, the filter is clogged and the drying operation is stopped by error without operating the heating means. Therefore, when the filter is severely clogged and closed, the heating means is activated and the drying operation is started, so that the heated air abnormally rises in temperature and the object to be dried is thermally damaged or the rotating drum is overheated. Inconveniences such as being prevented can be prevented.

When the drying operation starts, and further, when the fan rotation speed is higher than the final fan rotation speed at the end of the previous drying operation, it is dried in the rotating drum. to inform the user in the state of the air passage obstruction due stuffed only such things, Ru a structure for error stop drying operation without operating the heating means.

  The filter clogging state does not progress between the end of the previous drying operation and the start of the current drying operation. Therefore, when the fan rotation speed at the start of the drying operation is higher than the final fan rotation speed at the end of the previous drying operation, the filter is not clogged. Judged to be due to overstuffing of the material to be dried. In this case, it is notified that the air flow path is closed due to overfilling of the material to be dried in the rotating drum, and the drying operation is stopped by error without operating the heating means. Therefore, the drying operation is started in a state where the air flow path is closed due to excessive filling of the object to be dried in the rotating drum, the heated air is abnormally heated and the object to be dried is thermally damaged, or the rotating drum It is possible to prevent problems such as overheating. Then, a normal drying operation can be started by taking measures such as eliminating overfilling of the objects to be dried by notifying the air channel blockage.

In addition, the “ air channel blockage” is, for example, that the exhaust damper in the exhaust path is closed or the window near the exhaust pipe outlet is closed in addition to the blockage in the rotary drum due to excessive filling of the dry matter in the rotary drum. This also includes the blockage on the exhaust side, such as the air supply, and the blockage on the supply side, such as an obstacle placed near the air supply port of the appliance (the same applies hereinafter).

  When the fan rotation speed exceeds the limit level rotation speed during the drying operation after operating the heating means, the operation control means determines that the filter has become slightly clogged, and there is no filter clogging. When the fan output is increased and the maximum heating output of the heating means is decreased, and the fan speed exceeds the stop level speed higher than the limit level speed, the filter is severely clogged. It is desirable to provide a configuration for determining, informing about filter clogging, and stopping the drying operation with an error.

  Since the fan motor rotates only the fan, the fan rotation speed increases as the filter clogging progresses during the drying operation. When the fan rotation speed reaches the limit level rotation speed, it is determined that the filter is slightly clogged, and the fan output is increased and the maximum heating output of the burner unit is decreased. As a result, abnormal heating of heated air can be prevented by reducing the maximum heating output of the burner unit, preventing problems such as the object to be dried being thermally damaged or the rotating drum being overheated. Can do. In addition, by increasing the fan output, a decrease in the amount of heated air supplied into the rotating drum due to filter clogging is prevented, and a decrease in the drying efficiency of the object to be dried is prevented. Therefore, even if the filter is lightly clogged, it is possible to prevent the drying efficiency of the object to be dried from being lowered while preventing the heated air from rising abnormally.

  Further, when the clogging state of the filter progresses and the fan rotation speed reaches the stop level rotation speed, it is determined that the filter is clogged severely and is in a closed state, and the drying operation is stopped due to an error. Thereby, the drying operation is not continued in the closed state of the filter, and it is possible to prevent problems such as the object to be dried being thermally damaged during the drying operation and the rotating drum being overheated.

Moreover, the clothes dryer which concerns on this invention is
Rotating drums for storing objects to be dried such as clothes, heating means for heating air, a fan for supplying air heated by the heating means into the rotating drum, and an exhaust path for wet air discharged from the rotating drum In a clothes dryer comprising an attached filter,
A fan motor for rotating the fan;
Current value detection means for detecting the motor current value of the fan motor;
An operation control means for controlling the fan speed to be constant and rotating the fan to perform a drying operation,
The operation control means determines that the filter is in a lightly clogged state when the motor current value of the fan motor is less than the initial limit level current value at the start of the drying operation, and more than when the filter is not clogged. If the motor current value of the fan motor is lower than the initial limit level current value, which is lower than the initial limit level current value, the filter is severely clogged. It is determined that there is a filter clogging, the drying operation is stopped without error without operating the heating means , and the motor current value is more constant than the final motor current value at the end of the previous drying operation. If it has decreased below, the air drum is informed that the rotating drum is overfilled with air to be dried, and the drying operation is performed without operating the heating means. A control arrangement for error stopped.

  With the above configuration, since the fan motor rotates only the fan, the fan motor is only subjected to the rotational load of the fan. Further, when the filter is clogged and the amount of air passing through the filter is reduced, the rotational load of the fan is reduced. Therefore, when the fan rotational speed is controlled to be constant, the motor current value of the fan motor decreases as the filter clogging state increases. Therefore, if the motor current value is less than the initial limit level current value at the start of the drying operation, it is determined that the filter is already clogged (lightly clogged). Then, the heating means is operated by lowering the maximum heating output of the heating means than when the filter is not clogged. Therefore, the filter can be prevented from clogging during the drying operation and the heated air can be prevented from abnormally rising in temperature, and problems such as thermal damage to the object to be dried and overheating of the rotating drum can be prevented. .

  Further, when the motor current value is lower than the initial stop level current value lower than the initial limit level current value at the start of the drying operation, it is determined that the filter is in a closed state (severe clogging) due to clogging. In this case, the filter is clogged and the drying operation is stopped by error without operating the heating means. Therefore, when the filter is severely clogged and closed, the heating means is activated and the drying operation is started, so that the heated air abnormally rises in temperature and the object to be dried is thermally damaged or the rotating drum is overheated. Inconveniences such as being prevented can be prevented.

The operation control means is configured to start drying in the rotating drum when the drying operation starts, and further, when the motor current value is further lower than the final motor current value at the end of the previous drying operation. to inform the user in the state of the air passage obstruction due stuffed only such things, Ru a structure for error stop drying operation without operating the heating means.

  The filter clogging state does not progress between the end of the previous drying operation and the start of the current drying operation. Therefore, if the motor current value at the start of the drying operation has decreased below a certain current value further than the final motor current value at the end of the previous drying operation, the filter is not clogged. Judged to be due to overstuffing of the material to be dried. In this case, it is notified that the air flow path is closed due to overfilling of the material to be dried in the rotating drum, and the drying operation is stopped by error without operating the heating means. Therefore, the drying operation is started in a state where the air flow path is closed due to excessive filling of the object to be dried in the rotating drum, the heated air is abnormally heated and the object to be dried is thermally damaged, or the rotating drum It is possible to prevent problems such as overheating. Then, a normal drying operation can be started by taking measures such as eliminating overfilling of the objects to be dried by notifying the air channel blockage.

  When the motor current value becomes less than the limit level current value during the drying operation after operating the heating means, the operation control means determines that the filter has become slightly clogged and there is no filter clogging. If the fan output is increased and the maximum heating output of the heating means is decreased compared to when the motor is in a state, and the motor current value is less than the stop level current value lower than the limit level current value, the filter is in a severely clogged state. It is desirable to have a configuration that determines that the filter has become clogged, notifies filter clogging, and stops the drying operation with an error.

  Since the fan motor rotates only the fan, the motor current value decreases as the filter clogging progresses during the drying operation. When the motor current value falls below the limit level current value, it is determined that the filter is slightly clogged, and the fan output is increased and the maximum heating output of the burner unit is decreased. As a result, abnormal heating of heated air can be prevented by reducing the maximum heating output of the burner unit, preventing problems such as the object to be dried being thermally damaged or the rotating drum being overheated. Can do. In addition, by increasing the fan output, a decrease in the amount of heated air supplied into the rotating drum due to filter clogging is prevented, and a decrease in the drying efficiency of the object to be dried is prevented. Therefore, even if the filter is lightly clogged, it is possible to prevent the drying efficiency of the object to be dried from being lowered while preventing the heated air from rising abnormally.

  Further, when the clogging state of the filter progresses and the motor current value falls below the stop level current value, it is determined that the filter is clogged severely and is in a closed state, and the drying operation is stopped due to an error. Thereby, the drying operation is not continued in the closed state of the filter, and it is possible to prevent problems such as the object to be dried being thermally damaged during the drying operation and the rotating drum being overheated.

  As described above, according to the clothes dryer according to the present invention, since the filter clogging can be detected from the start of the drying operation, the rotating drum due to the fact that the filter is already clogged at the start of the drying operation. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of overheating and thermal damage of the object to be dried.

It is sectional drawing which showed the structure of the clothes dryer by this embodiment. It is the flowchart which showed the control operation of the blockade detection at the time of the drying operation start as Example 1 of a clothes dryer, and filter clogging detection. It is the flowchart which showed the control operation of the filter clogging detection during the drying operation as Example 1 of the clothes dryer. It is an operation | movement time chart during drying operation as Example 1 of a clothes dryer. It is the flowchart which showed the control operation of the blockade detection at the time of the drying operation start as Example 2 of a clothes dryer, and filter clogging detection. It is the flowchart which showed the control operation of the filter clogging detection during the drying operation as Example 2 of the clothes dryer. It is an operation | movement time chart during drying operation as Example 2 of a clothes dryer.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the clothes dryer 1 according to the present embodiment has a rectangular box-shaped main body case 10 and a door 2 that opens and closes an outlet 11 that is opened on the front wall of the main body case 10. ing. In the main body case 10, a rotating drum 3 that accommodates an object to be dried C such as clothes and towels, a burner unit (heating means) 4 that heats the air supplied to the rotating drum 3, and the burner unit 4 are heated. And a fan 5 for supplying the air into the rotary drum 3 and exhausting the wet air released from the material C to be dried in the rotary drum 3.

  The rotary drum 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an opening 33 provided on the front surface, and is installed in the main body case 10 so as to be turned in a horizontal posture. An air supply duct 13 disposed in a rear space in the main body case 10 communicates with the air outlet 32 on the rear wall of the rotary drum 3. The rotating drum 3 is rotationally driven by a drum motor 31 disposed in a lower space in the main body case 10.

  The burner unit 4 is disposed in a lower space in the main body case 10 and heats air taken in from an air supply port 12 formed through the lower portion of the side wall of the main body case 10. The burner unit 4 includes a heat source burner 41 and a proportional control valve 42 that adjusts the amount of gas supplied to the burner 41. By adjusting the gas amount by the proportional control valve 42, the combustion amount of the burner 41 is varied and the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is controlled.

  The fan 5 is installed in an exhaust duct 14 disposed in an upper space in the main body case 10. The fan 5 includes a fan motor 51, and the fan motor 51 is configured to rotate only the fan 5. Although not shown in the figure, the clothes dryer 1 detects the number of rotations of the fan motor 51 by detecting the number of rotations of the fan motor 51, and detects the motor current value to the fan motor 51. Current value detecting means is provided.

  A connecting duct 21 is provided inside the door 2, and an exhaust inlet 22 and an exhaust outlet 23 communicating with the connecting duct 21 are provided on the inner surface of the door 2. When the door 2 is closed, the exhaust inlet 22 of the door 2 communicates with the outlet 11 of the main body case 10, and the exhaust inlet 14 of the exhaust duct 14 is connected to the front wall of the main body case 10. 15 is communicated. Further, a filter F that collects lint, dust, and the like generated from an object to be dried C such as clothes in the rotary drum 3 is detachably attached to the back side of the exhaust inlet 22 of the door 2.

  An operation panel 6 is provided at the lower part of the front wall of the main body case 10. Although not shown, the operation panel 6 is provided with a power switch, an operation switch, a course changeover switch, a display unit, and the like. The display unit is provided with a clogging sign display (notification means) for reporting clogging of the filter F. For example, the clogging sign indicator is lit yellow when the filter F is lightly clogged, and is lit red when the filter F is severely clogged. Therefore, the user can clean or replace the filter F in a timely manner by looking at the clogging sign display. In addition, the display unit is provided with an overfilled sign display (notification means) for notifying an air flow path blockage due to overfilling of the object to be dried C or the like. Therefore, the user can appropriately start the drying operation by reducing the amount of the object to be dried C in the rotary drum 3 by looking at the overfilled sign display. Note that the clogging sign display and the overfilling sign display may be provided separately, but a single display may also be used to alternately notify every few seconds after the start of operation.

  A mounting board of electrical components is attached in the main body case 10 on the back side of the operation panel 6, and an operation control unit (operation control means) for controlling the operation of the clothes dryer 1 is attached to the mounting board. 7 and a storage unit 71 are provided. The storage unit 71 stores an operation program for drying operation, various parameters (including threshold values necessary for filter clogging detection, etc.), and the operation control unit 7 stores the operation stored in the storage unit 71. Each part of the clothes dryer 1 is controlled in accordance with a program, parameters, etc., and operations such as drying operation and filter clogging detection are executed. That is, when the operation switch is turned ON, the operation control unit 7 starts the drying operation, rotates the rotating drum 3 and rotates the fan 5, and then burns the burner unit 4. Then, the air heated by the burner unit 4 is supplied into the rotary drum 3 from the outlet 32 on the rear wall of the rotary drum 3 through the air supply duct 13 and is released from the material to be dried C in the rotary drum 3. The wet air passes through the filter F from the opening 33 on the front surface of the rotary drum 3, passes through the connecting duct 21 and the exhaust duct 14 of the door 2, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 16. By this drying operation, the material to be dried C in the rotary drum 3 is dried.

During the drying operation, the airflow resistance of the fan 5 varies depending on the amount of the object to be dried C, and the amount of the object to be dried C varies every time the drying operation is performed. For this reason, if the fan rotation speed is controlled to be constant, the amount of air (air volume) of the heated air varies every time depending on the amount of the object to be dried C, and the drying operation may not be performed efficiently. On the other hand, by controlling the fan rotation speed so as to be variable, the fan rotation speed is freely set in accordance with the capacity of the object to be dried C. Therefore, the capacity of the object to be dried C for each drying operation. However, the air amount of the heated air to the object to be dried C can be controlled to be substantially constant, and the drying operation can be appropriately performed every time. Therefore, the operation control unit 7 controls the motor current value of the fan motor 51 to be constant so that the fan rotation speed can be varied, and the fan 5 is rotationally driven. However, the operation control unit 7 may rotate the fan 5 so that the motor current value to the fan motor 51 can be varied and the fan rotation number is controlled to be constant.
Further, the operation control unit 7 performs a clogging detection process for the filter F when the drying operation is started.

  By the way, when the clogging state of the filter F progresses, the amount of wet air passing through the filter F decreases and the rotational load of the fan 5 decreases. Accordingly, since the motor load decreases as the rotational load of the fan 5 decreases, the fan rotation speed (motor rotation speed) increases when the motor current value to the motor that rotates the fan 5 is controlled to be constant. When the rotational speed is controlled to be constant, it can be said that the motor current value becomes small.

  However, conventionally, the fan 5 and the rotary drum 3 are driven to rotate by the same motor. In this case, the rotational load on the rotary drum 3 is greater than the rotational load on the fan 5 as the load applied to the motor. Therefore, even if the rotational load of the fan 5 fluctuates, the influence on the motor load is very small. Moreover, since the amount of the object C to be dried in the rotating drum 3 is different every time the drying operation is performed, the rotational load of the rotating drum 3 is changed every time the drying operation is performed. Therefore, the fluctuation of the motor rotation speed and the fan rotation speed linked to the motor rotation speed or the fluctuation of the motor current value are more greatly influenced by the rotation load of the rotary drum 3 than the rotation load of the fan 5. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the clogged state of the filter F based on the fan rotation speed and the motor current value particularly at the start of the drying operation.

  In the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment, the fan motor 51 rotates only the fan 5, so that only the rotational load of the fan 5 is applied to the fan motor 51. Accordingly, when the motor current value to the fan motor 51 is controlled to be constant, the rotational load of the fan 5 decreases as the amount of air passing through the filter F decreases as the clogging state of the filter F progresses. With this, the fan speed increases. From this, when the fan rotation speed is higher than a predetermined level, it can be determined that the filter F is clogged.

  On the other hand, it is usually difficult to think that the clogged state of the filter F proceeds from the end of the previous drying operation to the start of the current drying operation. Therefore, when the motor current value to the fan motor 51 is controlled to be constant, if the fan rotation speed at the start of the drying operation is significantly higher than the final fan rotation speed at the end of the previous drying operation, the filter It can be determined that there is a high possibility that the air flow path is not clogged with F but, for example, the air flow path is blocked due to excessive filling of the material to be dried C into the rotating drum 3.

  When the fan speed is controlled to be constant, the motor current value of the fan motor 51 becomes lower as the filter F is clogged. In this case, when the motor current value is lower than the predetermined level, it can be determined that the filter F is clogged. On the other hand, when the motor current value at the start of the drying operation is significantly lower than the final motor current value at the end of the previous drying operation, the filter F is not clogged, and the object to be dried in the rotary drum 3 It can be determined that there is a high possibility that the air flow path is blocked due to excessive filling of C or the like.

Example 1
Hereinafter, the clogging detection process of the filter F will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. In the first embodiment, the operation control unit 7 controls the motor current value (for example, 0.4 A) to the fan motor 51 to be driven to rotate. Referring to FIG. 2, when the operation control unit 7 starts the drying operation by turning on the operation switch by the user, in step S <b> 1, the operation motor 7 drives the fan motor 51 to rotate the fan 5 to rotate the drum motor. 31 is driven to rotate the rotating drum 3, but the burner unit 4 is not yet ignited. As the fan 5 rotates, air is supplied into the rotary drum 3 and passes through the filter F from the opening 33 of the rotary drum 3 and is discharged out of the instrument.

  First, the air flow path blockage is determined. When the motor current value of the fan motor 51 is stabilized at step S2, the fan rotational speed at that time (fan rotational speed at the start of the drying operation) is compared with the final fan rotational speed at the end of the previous drying operation. To do. When the rotational speed of the fan at the start of the drying operation is higher than the closing level rotational speed obtained by adding a constant rotational speed α (for example, 1000 rpm) to the final rotational speed of the fan, the filter is not clogged, and the inside of the rotating drum 3 It is determined that the air flow path is clogged due to overfilling of the material C to be dried. This is based on the fact that the clogged state of the filter F does not progress between the end of the previous drying operation and the start of the current drying operation. If it is determined that the air flow path is closed, the air flow path is closed in step S6, and a dry operation error is detected without igniting the burner unit 4 in step S9. Stop. As a result, the temperature of the heated air rises abnormally by starting the drying operation by burning the burner unit 4 in a state where the air flow path is closed due to overfilling of the material to be dried C in the rotating drum 3 or the like. It is possible to avoid problems such as the object to be dried C being thermally damaged and the rotating drum 3 being overheated. Further, a normal drying operation can be started by taking measures such as eliminating the overfilled state of the object to be dried C by notifying the air channel blockage. In addition, as the air flow path blockage, it is assumed that a large amount of the material to be dried C is mainly put in the rotary drum 3 and the inside of the rotary drum 3 is blocked, but in addition, the exhaust connected to the exhaust port 16 It is assumed that the window near the outlet of the tube is closed, or that the air supply port 12 of the case body is blocked by an obstacle.

  If the fan rotation speed at the start of the drying operation is less than the closing level rotation speed in step S2, the process proceeds to the next filter clogging determination. In step S3, it is determined whether the fan rotation speed at the start of the drying operation exceeds the initial stop level rotation speed (for example, 2000 rpm). If it exceeds the initial stop level rotation speed, the filter F is in a severely clogged state. It is judged that. In this case, the filter clogging is notified in step S7, and the drying operation is stopped in error in step S9. If the fan speed at the start of the drying operation is equal to or lower than the initial stop level speed in step S3, the initial limit level speed (for example, 1800 rpm) lower than the initial stop level speed is exceeded in step S4. If the initial limit level rotational speed is exceeded, it is determined that the filter F is in a slightly clogged state. In this case, the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is reduced in step S8 as compared with the case where there is no filter clogging. For example, the proportional control valve 42 of the burner unit 4 is throttled to limit the maximum gas combustion amount to a certain value (for example, 2.3 kw / h) or less. Then, the burner 41 is ignited and burned in a state where the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is limited to a low level (step S5). On the other hand, if the fan rotation speed at the start of the drying operation is equal to or lower than the initial limit level rotation speed in step S4, it is determined that the filter F is not clogged, and the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is set to the maximum gas at normal times. It is ignited and burned by the combustion amount (for example, 4.7 kw / h) (step S5).

  In the clothes dryer 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the fan motor 51 is only subjected to the rotational load of the fan 5, so the motor current value to the fan motor 51 is controlled to be constant and the fan 5 is rotated. When driven, the rotational load of the fan 5 decreases and the rotational speed of the fan 5 increases as the clogging state of the filter F progresses. Therefore, in Steps S3 and S4, when the fan rotation speed exceeds the initial limit level rotation speed at the start of the drying operation, it is determined that the filter F is already clogged (lightly clogged). When the initial stop level rotational speed higher than the initial limit level rotational speed is exceeded, it can be determined that the filter F has already reached the closed state (severe clogging) due to clogging.

  When it is determined that the filter F is slightly clogged, the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is reduced and burned (steps S8 and S5), and the filter F is clogged during the drying operation. Abnormal temperature rise of the heated air can be prevented, and problems such as the object to be dried C being thermally damaged and the rotating drum 3 being overheated can be prevented. On the other hand, when it is determined that the filter F is severely clogged, the drying operation is stopped by error (steps S7 and S9), and the burner unit 4 is burned in the closed state of the filter F and the drying operation is started. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid problems such as abnormal heating of the heated air and the object to be dried C being thermally damaged or the rotating drum 3 being overheated.

  Next, referring to FIG. 3, during the drying operation after starting burning of the burner unit 4, it is first determined in step S10 whether a light filter clogging state is informed. If there is no such notification (“Yes” in step S10), it is determined in step S11 whether or not the current fan speed (current fan speed) has reached a limit level speed (for example, 1800 rpm). . If the current fan speed is equal to or lower than the limit level speed, it is determined that the filter F is not clogged, and the process proceeds to step S13. If the current fan rotation speed exceeds the limit level rotation speed, it is determined that the filter F is slightly clogged. In step S15, a light filter clogging state is notified, the fan output is increased, and the burner is increased. Reduce the maximum heating power of unit 4. For example, the motor current value of the fan motor 51 is increased by a predetermined value (for example, 0.1 A) to a motor current value (for example, 0.5 A), and the fan output is increased so that the fan rotation speed is increased. The proportional control valve 42 of the unit 4 is throttled to limit the gas amount, and the maximum gas combustion amount is limited to a certain value (for example, 2.3 kw / h) or less.

  Then, when the light clogging notification is made in step S10 and the light clogging notification is made in step S15, the current fan rotation speed is set to be higher than the limit level rotation speed in step S12. It is determined whether or not a high stop level rotational speed (for example, 2000 rpm) has been reached. If the current fan speed is less than or equal to the stop level speed, the filter F determines that no severe clogging has yet occurred, and proceeds to step S13. If the current fan speed exceeds the stop level speed, it is determined that the filter F is severely clogged, and a notification is made in step S16 that the filter F is severely clogged and has become a closed state. In step S17, the drying operation is stopped due to an error. On the other hand, in step S13, it is determined whether or not all the processes for drying clothes have been completed. If not, the process returns to step S10. When all the processes of drying clothes are completed, the fan rotation speed at the end is stored in the storage unit 71 as the final fan rotation speed in step S14, and the drying operation is terminated.

  FIG. 4 shows an operation time chart during the above-described drying operation. With reference to FIG. 4, when the motor current value (fan output) to the fan motor 51 is controlled to be constant as shown by a one-dot chain line, As indicated by the solid line, the fan rotation speed gradually increases as the clogging of the filter F progresses during the drying operation. Then, when the fan rotation speed reaches the limit level rotation speed, it is determined that the filter F is slightly clogged, the light filter clogging state is notified, the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is reduced, and the fan Increase output. At this time, the fan rotation speed increases as the fan output increases.

  Thus, when the filter F is lightly clogged during the drying operation, the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 can be reduced to prevent abnormal heating of the heated air, and the object to be dried C is thermally Problems such as damage and overheating of the rotating drum 3 can be prevented. In addition, by increasing the fan output and increasing the fan rotation speed, a decrease in the amount of heated air supplied into the rotary drum 3 due to filter clogging is prevented, and a decrease in drying efficiency of the object to be dried C is prevented. The Therefore, even if the filter F is lightly clogged, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the drying efficiency of the object to be dried C while preventing abnormal heating of the heated air. Further, it is possible to promptly notify the user of clogging of the filter F by a mild filter clogging notification, thereby promoting cleaning of the filter F.

  Further, when the clogging state of the filter F progresses and the fan rotation speed reaches the stop level rotation speed, it is determined that the filter F is clogged severely and is in a closed state, and the drying operation is stopped due to an error. Thereby, the drying operation is not continued in the closed state of the filter F, and it is possible to prevent problems such as the object to be dried C being thermally damaged during the drying operation and the rotating drum 3 being overheated. .

(Example 2)
In the second embodiment, the operation control unit 7 controls the fan rotation speed (for example, 1800 rpm) to be constant and rotationally drives the fan 5. The clogging detection process for the filter F is performed by monitoring the motor current value to the fan motor 51. The effect in this case is basically the same as that of the first embodiment (FIGS. 2 to 4) performed by monitoring the fan rotation speed, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the clogging detection process of the filter F in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. Referring to FIG. 5, when the operation control unit 7 starts the drying operation by turning on the operation switch by the user, the fan motor 51 is driven to rotate the fan 5 and the drum motor is rotated in step S <b> 21. 31 is driven to rotate the rotating drum 3, but the burner unit 4 is not yet ignited. As the fan 5 rotates, air is supplied into the rotary drum 3 and passes through the filter F from the opening 33 of the rotary drum 3 and is discharged out of the instrument.

  First, the air flow path blockage is determined. In step S22, when the fan rotational speed is stabilized at a constant value, the motor current value of the fan motor 51 at that time (the motor current value at the start of the drying operation) is compared with the final motor current value at the end of the previous drying operation. To do. When the motor current value at the start of the drying operation is lower than the closing level current value obtained by subtracting a constant current value β (for example, 0.2 A) from the final motor current value, the filter is not clogged and the rotating drum 3 It is determined that the air flow path is clogged due to excessive filling of the material C to be dried. If it is determined that the air flow path is blocked, the air flow path is blocked in step S26, and a dry operation error is detected without igniting the burner unit 4 in step S29. Stop.

  If the motor current value at the start of the drying operation is higher than the blockage level current value in step S22, the process proceeds to the next filter F clogging determination. In step S23, it is determined whether the motor current value at the start of the drying operation is less than the initial stop level current value (for example, 0.2A). If the motor current value is less than the initial stop level current value, the filter F is in a severely clogged state. Judge. In this case, the filter clogging is notified in step S27, and the drying operation is stopped in error in step S29. If the motor current value at the start of the drying operation is greater than or equal to the initial stop level current value in step S23, it is less than the initial limit level current value (eg, 0.3 A) higher than the initial stop level current value in step S24. If it is less than the initial limit level current value, it is determined that the filter F is in a slightly clogged state. In this case, the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is lowered in step S28 as compared with the case where there is no filter clogging. For example, the proportional control valve 42 of the burner unit 4 is throttled to limit the maximum gas combustion amount to a certain value (for example, 2.3 kw / h) or less. Then, the burner 41 is ignited and burned in a state where the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is limited to a low level (step S25). On the other hand, if the motor current value at the start of the drying operation is greater than or equal to the initial limit level current value in step S24, it is determined that the filter F is not clogged, and the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is set to the maximum gas at normal times. It is ignited and burned at a combustion amount (for example, 4.7 kw / h) (step S25).

  Next, referring to FIG. 6, during the drying operation after the combustion of the burner unit 4 is started, it is first determined in step S <b> 30 whether a light filter clogging state is informed. When there is no such notification (“Yes” in step S30), the motor current value (current motor current value) to the fan motor 51 at the current time in step S31 is the limit level current value (eg, 0.3 A). It is determined whether or not it has fallen below. If the current motor current value is equal to or greater than the limit level current value, it is determined that the filter F is not clogged, and the process proceeds to step S33. When the current motor current value falls below the limit level current value, it is determined that the filter F is slightly clogged, and in step S35, a light filter clogging state is notified, and the fan speed is increased. The maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is reduced. For example, the fan rotation speed is controlled to be a predetermined value (for example, 200 rpm) and the fan rotation speed (for example, 2000 rpm) is controlled, and the proportional control valve 42 of the burner unit 4 is throttled to limit the gas amount to the maximum. The amount of gas combustion is limited to a certain value (for example, 2.3 kw / h) or less.

  When a light clogging notification is made in step S30 and a light clogging notification is made in step S35, the current motor current value is set to be higher than the limit level current value in step S32. It is determined whether it is less than a low stop level current value (for example, 0.2 A). If the current motor current value is greater than or equal to the stop level current value, the filter F determines that no severe clogging has yet occurred, and proceeds to step S33. If the current motor current value is less than the stop level current value, it is determined that the filter F is severely clogged, and a notification is made in step S36 that the filter F is severely clogged and has become a closed state. In step S37, the drying operation is stopped due to an error. On the other hand, in step S33, it is determined whether or not all the processes for drying clothes have been completed. If not, the process returns to step S30. When all the steps of drying the clothes are completed, the motor current value of the fan motor 51 at the end is stored in the storage unit 71 as the final motor current value in step S34, and the drying operation is terminated.

  FIG. 7 shows an operation time chart during the above-described drying operation. Referring to FIG. 7, when the fan rotational speed is controlled to be constant as shown by a one-dot chain line, the fan motor 51 is shown as shown by a solid line. The motor current value gradually decreases as the clogging state of the filter F progresses during the drying operation. When the motor current value falls below the limit level current value, it is determined that the filter F is lightly clogged, a light filter clogging state is notified, and the maximum heating output of the burner unit 4 is reduced. Increase fan speed. At this time, the motor current value increases as the fan speed increases. Further, when the clogging state of the filter F progresses and the motor current value reaches the stop level current value, it is determined that the filter F is clogged severely and is in a closed state, and the drying operation is stopped due to an error.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change suitably within the range of the summary of this invention. For example, the heater may use a heater instead of the burner unit 4. Further, the rotation speed detection means may detect the fan rotation speed directly by attaching a sensor to the fan 5 instead of detecting from the motor rotation speed. Further, the current value detection means may detect an output current value to the fan motor 51 or a current value flowing through the fan motor 51.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clothes dryer 2 Door 3 Rotating drum 4 Burner unit 5 Fan 7 Operation control part 10 Main body case 31 Drum motor 41 Burner 42 Proportional control valve 51 Fan motor 71 Memory | storage part C Dried matter F Filter

Claims (4)

Rotating drum for storing objects to be dried such as clothes, heating means for heating air, a fan for supplying air heated by the heating means into the rotating drum, and an exhaust path for wet air discharged from the rotating drum A clothes dryer comprising a filter attached to
A fan motor for rotating the fan;
A rotational speed detection means for detecting the rotational speed of the fan;
An operation control means for controlling the motor current of the fan motor to be constant and rotating the fan to perform a drying operation;
The operation control means determines that the filter is lightly clogged when the fan rotation speed exceeds the initial limit level rotation speed at the start of the drying operation, and heats more than when there is no filter clogging. Reduce the maximum heating output of the means to operate the heating means, and if the fan speed exceeds the initial stop level speed higher than the initial limit level speed, it is judged that the filter is in a severely clogged state. The filter clogging is notified, the drying operation is stopped without operating the heating means , and the fan rotation speed further rises to a fixed rotation speed or higher than the final fan rotation speed at the end of the previous drying operation. If have to notify the subject that is in the state of the air passage obstruction due stuffed only like the object to be dried into the rotary drum, control to the error stop drying operation without operating the heating means Clothes dryer to be formed. The clothes dryer according to claim 1,
When the fan rotation speed exceeds the limit level rotation speed during the drying operation after operating the heating means, the operation control means determines that the filter has become slightly clogged, and there is no filter clogging. When the fan output is increased and the maximum heating output of the heating means is decreased, and the fan speed exceeds the stop level speed higher than the limit level speed, the filter is severely clogged. A clothes dryer that judges and notifies filter clogging and stops the drying operation error. Rotating drums for storing objects to be dried such as clothes, heating means for heating air, a fan for supplying air heated by the heating means into the rotating drum, and an exhaust path for wet air discharged from the rotating drum In a clothes dryer comprising an attached filter,
A fan motor for rotating the fan;
Current value detection means for detecting the motor current value of the fan motor;
An operation control means for controlling the fan speed to be constant and rotating the fan to perform a drying operation,
The operation control means determines that the filter is in a lightly clogged state when the motor current value of the fan motor is less than the initial limit level current value at the start of the drying operation, and more than when the filter is not clogged. If the motor current value of the fan motor is lower than the initial limit level current value, which is lower than the initial limit level current value, the filter is severely clogged. It is determined that there is a filter clogging, the drying operation is stopped without error without operating the heating means , and the motor current value is more constant than the final motor current value at the end of the previous drying operation. If it has decreased below, the air drum is informed that the rotating drum is overfilled with air to be dried, and the drying operation is performed without operating the heating means. Clothes dryer to control configuration for error stopped. The clothes dryer according to claim 3,
When the motor current value becomes less than the limit level current value during the drying operation after operating the heating means, the operation control means determines that the filter has become slightly clogged and there is no filter clogging. If the fan output is increased and the maximum heating output of the heating means is decreased compared to when the motor is in a state, and the motor current value is less than the stop level current value lower than the limit level current value, the filter is in a severely clogged state. A clothes dryer that judges that the filter has become clogged, notifies filter clogging, and stops the drying operation with an error.