JP5649037B2 - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine for washing and drying clothes.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a washing machine with a drying function that can dry clothes after washing by installing a heater and a fan in the washing machine and sending warm air into the washing machine. These washing and drying machines use a stirring operation or an operation of stirring the clothes by rotating a drum in order to efficiently apply warm air to the clothing. At this time, lint is generated due to friction between the clothing. A widely used method is to remove the lint by providing a collecting means such as a filter on the path through which the warm air passes.

  However, lint often wraps around the drainage route, and even if the lint is collected by a filter in the drainage route, the drainage condition cannot be avoided. Operational abnormalities (such as foam activation) may occur. In order to avoid such a problem, a method has been proposed in which the lint that has been supplied with water to the drainage channel is flushed with water at any time during drying (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2004-313231 A JP 2009-56112 A

  However, depending on the situation where the drainage channel is clogged, this water supply may not cause the lint to be washed away. Increasing the amount of water supply or extending the water supply time uses a large amount of water that is essentially unnecessary in the drying operation, and increases the amount of water used. Also, by increasing the amount of water supply in a situation where the drainage conditions have deteriorated, the water level rises to the bottom of the heat exchanger, and the drying efficiency changes by blocking the hot air path with water, and it ends in undried, In such a case, there is a possibility that the clothes in the washing tub may get wet.

  The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and provides a washing and drying machine that eliminates an adverse effect on a drying operation due to abnormal drainage when performing a washing operation for flowing lint of a drainage channel during drying. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, a washing and drying machine according to the present invention drains the outside from a washing tub rotatably provided in a water tub, a motor that rotates the washing tub, and the water tub through a drainage channel. Drainage means, drainage path cleaning means for cleaning the drainage channel or the vicinity of the drainage means, water supply means for supplying water to the washing tub or the drainage path cleaning means, drying means for drying clothes, and An intake air temperature detection means for measuring the intake air temperature, and a control means for controlling the motor, the water absorption means, the drainage means, the drying means, and the like. The vicinity of the drainage means is cleaned, and water supply from the drainage path cleaning means is stopped when a temperature rise of the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detection means is detected .

  As a result, when the drainage state of the drainage means is determined to be poor, it is possible to prevent adverse effects on the drying operation, that is, the occurrence of undriedness and the wetness of clothes.

  When it is determined that the drainage state of the drainage means is poor, the washing / drying machine of the present invention can prevent adverse effects on the drying operation, that is, the occurrence of undriedness and the wetness of clothes.

Sectional drawing of the washing-drying machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention The flowchart at the time of the drying operation in Embodiment 1 of this invention

The first invention includes a washing tub that is rotatably provided in a water tub, a motor that rotates the washing tub, a drainage means that drains water from the water tank through a drainage path, and the drainage path or drainage means. Drainage path cleaning means for cleaning the vicinity, water supply means for supplying water to the washing tub or the drainage path cleaning means, drying means for drying clothes, intake air temperature detecting means for measuring the intake air temperature of the drying means, A control means for controlling the motor, drainage means, drying means, etc., wherein the control means cleans the drainage channel or the vicinity of the drainage means by the drainage channel cleaning means during the drying operation, and the intake air temperature detection means by in stopping the supply of water from the drainage channel cleaning means upon detection of a temperature rise of the intake air temperature measuring, the drainage state of the drainage means during the drying based on the intake air temperature measuring intake air temperature detecting means As a result, when the drainage state of the drainage means is judged to be poor, the washing of the drainage channel is stopped, the increase of undrained water is suppressed, and the adverse effect on the drying operation, that is, the occurrence of undried and wet clothing is prevented. Make it possible.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the control means prevents the erroneous detection of the end of drying by suspending the detection of the end of drying when detecting the temperature rise of the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detecting means. Make it possible.

According to a third invention, in the second invention, provided with a drainage channel temperature detecting means for measuring an ambient temperature in the vicinity of the drainage channel, and the control unit resumes the detection of the end of drying when detecting a temperature drop in the ambient temperature near the drainage channel. By detecting whether or not the drainage state has recovered to a good state, it is possible to prevent undrying and overdrying by restarting the dry end detection operation when the drainage state has recovered. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the display unit is configured to notify the user of an abnormality in the drainage, and the control unit drains the water when the temperature rise of the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detection unit is detected. If it is determined that there is an abnormality and the drainage abnormality is detected during the drying operation, the display means notifies the user of the deterioration of the drainage state immediately after the completion of drying or at the next washing operation, thereby inspecting and cleaning the user immediately. It is possible to prevent further deterioration of the use state.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the control unit determines that the drainage abnormality has occurred when detecting a rise in the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detection unit, and detects the drainage abnormality during the drying operation In this case, by automatically executing the cleaning of the drainage channel or the vicinity of the drainage unit by the drainage channel cleaning means at the next washing operation, it is possible to improve the drainage state by automatically performing the cleaning again at the next washing operation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a washing / drying machine having features of the present invention. A washing tub 1 provided with a plurality of holes (not shown) on the side surface for rinsing, dewatering and drying by rotating clothes and washing water provided in the water tub 9, and the washing tub 1. A stirring means (pulsator) 10 that is provided at the bottom of 1 and causes a water flow by rotating and agitates clothes during drying, and a motor 11 configured to rotate either or both of the washing tub 1 and the stirring means 10. I have.

  Further, a clutch (not shown) that switches transmission of rotational force to a washing / dehydrating shaft (not shown) at the time of washing or dehydrating is connected to the washing tub 1 or the stirring means 10 via the washing / dehydrating shaft. . The stirring means 10 has a substantially pan-shaped shape having an inclined surface on the outer peripheral portion, forms a protruding portion for stirring, and the clothes are stirred during the washing process, and the clothes are rotated by the stirring means 10 during the drying process. Centrifugal force makes it easy to rise upward along the inclined surface. In other words, the clothes are configured to move left and right (in the rotational direction) and also move up and down by stirring.

  Further, a draining means 2 for discharging water from the washing tub 1 to the outside of the washing machine, a drying means 3 constituted by a heater 3a and a fan 3b for drying clothes in the washing tub 1, and an intake air to the drying means 3 By supplying water to the intake temperature detection means 4 composed of a thermistor for measuring the temperature, the washing tub water supply means 14 for supplying water to the washing tub 1, and the upstream of the drainage means 2 instead of the washing tub 1 A drainage channel cleaning unit 5 for cleaning the drainage unit 2 and a drainage channel temperature detection unit 6 including a thermistor for measuring the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the drainage unit 2 are provided.

  A water supply valve (water supply means) 13 for performing washing is configured to selectively control water supply to the washing tub water supply means 14 and the drainage channel cleaning means 5. Further, load control means (control means) 8 for controlling various means such as operation / display means 7 for performing display to the user, drying means 3, water supply valve 13, and motor 11 is provided. In addition, an operation / display means 7 for the user to operate is provided.

  However, it is good also as a structure which performs washing or drying by rotating the washing tub 1 without mounting the stirring means 10.

  The drainage means 2 has a drainage valve and a geared motor for driving the drainage valve. The drying means 3 has a PTC heater and a blower fan. The intake air temperature detection means 4 and the drainage temperature detection means 6 have a temperature sensor (thermistor). ), Operation buttons, LEDs, liquid crystal panels, buzzers, speakers, etc. are examples of the operation / display means. Examples of the drainage channel cleaning means 5 include a water supply nozzle installed in the vicinity of the drainage channel, and the load control means 8 includes a built-in microcomputer.

  The load control means 8 drives the water supply valve 13 to supply water to the washing tub water supply means 14 side according to the amount of clothing detected by a cloth amount detection means (not shown), and rotates the washing tub 1 or the agitation means 10. Carry out the washing process. After carrying out the washing process for a predetermined time, the drainage means 2 is driven to drain water, the water supply valve 13 is driven to supply water again to the washing tub water supply means 14 side, and then the washing tub 1 or the stirring means 10 is rotated. Perform a rinsing process. After performing the rinsing process once or a plurality of times for a predetermined time, the laundry tub 1 is rotated at a high speed for a predetermined time to perform a dehydration process, and the laundry washing, rinsing and dehydration processes are completed.

  When the washing, rinsing, and dehydration processes are completed, the drying process is started. In the drying process, when the user selects a course for performing all the processes of washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying by the operation / display means 7, or the user operates / displays the course for performing only the drying process. Implemented when selected by.

The normal operation at the time of drying will be described. The warm air generated by the heater 3a and the fan 3b flows so as to circulate in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. If the air containing moisture taken from clothes is discharged as it is, the humidity outside the washing machine will increase, and most of the heat will escape outside the washing machine, so the drying efficiency will not increase. Therefore, air containing moisture is collected through a heat exchanger, dehumidifying operation is performed by a water cooling means (not shown) for supplying water for dehumidification into the heat exchanger 12, and the dry air is heated again by the drying means 3 and circulated. Let the clothes dry.

  In the middle of the path from the washing tub 1 to the heat exchanger 12 and in the middle of the path from the heat exchanger 12 to the heater 3a, there are a drainage channel temperature detecting means 6 and an intake air temperature detecting means 4 as temperature sensors, respectively. Measure the temperature before and after dehumidification. These temperature sensors detect that the temperature drop due to the dehumidifying operation decreases as the drying of the clothing progresses, and determines the end of drying.

  When drying the clothes, the clothes are stirred by rotating the stirring means 10 and the washing tub 1 in order to apply the warm air uniformly to the clothes, but lint is generated due to friction between the clothes. Some of the lint generated at the time of drying returns to the heat exchanger 12 side by riding on warm air, but some of the lint is stored in the vicinity of the drainage channel 15 or the drainage means 2 below the washing tub 1.

  If lint accumulates in the drainage channel 15, the drainage performance will deteriorate, the drainage will not be sufficient during the next operation, causing abnormal drainage, and a large amount of foam will be generated during dehydration after washing or after rinsing. Abnormal operation may occur. As a solution, the load control means 8 supplies water to the drainage cleaning means 5 side by driving the water supply valve 13 at regular intervals during the drying process so that lump lump does not grow in the drainage path 15.

  The drain cleaning means 5 has a smaller flow diameter than the heat exchanger 12 and the washing tub water supply means 14 and has a nozzle-like tip, so that it adheres to the vicinity of the drain means 2 by water pressure. The operation to remove the waste thread

  At this time, the drainage cleaning means 5 does not supply water into the washing tub 1 but directly supplies the water to the drainage means 2 or its vicinity so that the clothes in the washing tub 1 are not sprinkled with water because it is in a dry operation. There is also an effect.

  By draining the lint by the drainage channel cleaning means 5, the drainage means 2 is always cleaned during the drying process, but if the number of times of cleaning is increased unnecessarily, the amount of water used will increase dramatically. Also, if the number of washings is reduced too much, the amount of lint that should be discharged at one time increases, so that a sufficient washing effect cannot be obtained, and the waste water that was supplied at the time of washing could not be discharged. There is a possibility of accumulating.

  In addition, if the lint accumulates in the vicinity of the drainage channel 15 and the water does not collect and is not discharged, the flow of warm air returning to the heat exchanger 12 after drying is interrupted, the air volume drops extremely, and the dehumidification efficiency decreases. Since the supply of air to the heat exchanger 12 is reduced, the temperature in the heat exchanger 12 rises, resulting in a temperature rise similar to the situation at the completion of drying. There is a possibility that the operation will be terminated due to an erroneous judgment. Therefore, it is a matter of course that the operation is terminated as a washing and drying machine with insufficient drying and must be prevented.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the undried operation at the time of abnormal drainage is prevented as follows. First, during the drying operation, the intake air temperature detection means 4 measures the intake air temperature K1, and the drainage channel temperature detection means 6 measures the wastewater temperature K2 (FIG. 2 flowchart 2-1).

The drainage channel cleaning means 5 starts supplying water for cleaning the drainage channel 15 when a predetermined period or a predetermined time comes (2-2). The intake air temperature detecting means 4 records the intake air temperature K3 again after a predetermined time from the start of cleaning the drainage channel 15 (2-3). The load control means 8 compares K3 and K1 (2-4), and when K3 rises above K1 to a predetermined temperature (threshold value a) or more, the cleaning water is collected in the vicinity of the drainage means 2, and the heat exchanger 9 12, it is determined that a state that occurs due to the obstruction of the air flow to 12, that is, a state equivalent to the drainage abnormality has occurred. This can be distinguished from a temperature increase phenomenon during normal drying by judging from a temperature increase in a short time when linked to the operation (2-2) of the drainage channel cleaning means 5.

  When the water supplied from the drainage cleaning means 5 is stored in the vicinity of the drainage means 2 due to poor drainage, the amount of air flowing into the heat exchanger 12 is reduced and the dehumidification effect is reduced, while the heater detected by the intake air temperature detection means 4 The intake air temperature near the entrance of 3a rises when new air is not supplied into the heat exchanger 12. In order to prevent erroneous detection of the completion of drying due to this temperature rise, the load control means 8 compares the intake air temperatures K1 and K3 before and after the previous cleaning by the drainage channel cleaning means 5 for a predetermined period of time. When the above temperature rise has occurred, the end of drying determination is suspended so as not to determine the end of drying (2-5).

  As described above, the intake air temperature is monitored in conjunction with the cleaning operation, and when a sudden temperature rise is observed, it is determined that the drainage state has deteriorated. It is possible to prevent erroneous detection at an early stage.

  Further, by observing and comparing the intake air temperature in conjunction with the cleaning operation, when a sudden temperature rise is observed, it is determined that the drainage state has deteriorated, and the load control means 8 is in the process of being dried by the drainage channel cleaning means 5 Stop the washing in the vicinity of the drainage means 2 (2-6). This is because it is already in a state where the lint cannot be completely discharged by one wash, and if the water supply for washing is repeated, the water that has not been discharged will further reduce the drying efficiency and wet the clothes being dried. There is an effect to prevent.

  In addition, if a sudden temperature rise is observed by observing and comparing the intake air temperature in conjunction with the cleaning operation, the load control means 8 determines that the drainage state has deteriorated and then uses the operation / display means 7 to dry. A display for notifying the deterioration of the drainage state, for example, blinking of an LED or display of a message by a liquid crystal panel, is performed at the timing such as during or after completion of drying or when the power is next turned on. As a result, the user can detect lint of the drainage channel 15 due to the drying operation at an early stage, and it can be expected to reduce occurrence of drainage abnormality and trouble related to the next operation by encouraging cleaning.

  Further, the load control means 8 automatically performs the cleaning by the drainage channel cleaning means 5 again in the next washing operation when the drainage abnormality is detected as in the examples shown so far. Unlike the drying operation, if the washing operation is started, it is inevitable that the clothes get wet with the water. Therefore, the drainage washing means 5 is more powerful and effective, such as a means for increasing the amount of water supply for discharging the lint. A cleaning method can be taken, and it can be expected that the cleaning effect of the drainage means 2 is improved.

  Moreover, the load control means 8 measures the wastewater temperature K2 before washing | cleaning by the drainage channel temperature detection means 6 at the time of washing | cleaning operation | movement of the drainage channel 15 (2-1). If water remains in the vicinity of the drainage means 2 due to abnormal drainage, K2 will be lower than during normal drying. When water is discharged and the air volume is restored, the temperature of the drainage rises again due to the warm air. The load control means 8 determines that the drainage state has improved and the air volume has recovered when the drainage channel temperature K4 has recovered to a predetermined difference (threshold value b) from K2, and the airflow has been recovered (2-8), and the drying end suspended as described above. The detection operation is returned to the normal determination process (2-9). As a result, when the abnormal drainage state is resolved and the drying operation returns to normal, it is possible to quickly return to the drying detection operation, thereby preventing overdrying and non-drying.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the cleaning operation for discharging the waste thread exceeds the waste thread discharging capacity, the intake air temperature detecting means 4 detects it and changes the operation. First, the end-of-drying determination is stopped to prevent the clothing from being erroneously determined to be dry due to a rapid rise in temperature even though it is not dry.

  In addition, the cleaning operation of the drainage channel cleaning means 5 is stopped, and the drying conditions are prevented from being further deteriorated by the water supplied by the drainage channel cleaning means 5.

  Further, it is effective to prevent troubles caused by abnormal drainage by detecting clogging of lint during drying and informing the user of prompting the user to check and clean the drainage channel 15.

  Further, by performing the washing operation at the start of the next washing, it is possible to wash the drainage channel 15 more powerfully and effectively without being restricted by the restrictions at the time of drying in which clothes should not be poured with water.

  Moreover, if the temporary rise in the water level due to the water supplied by the drainage cleaning means 5 is recovered, it is possible to quickly detect the drying of the clothing while preventing overdrying by returning to the normal drying end detection operation. It leads to energy saving.

  It is difficult to detect water accumulated in the vicinity of the drainage means 2 and determine that the drainage is abnormal, and it is difficult to accurately use a water level sensor used for normal washing. It is conceivable to detect the change in electrical conductivity using a sensor or the mechanical switch linked to the float. However, both of these will add a detection circuit for increasing the water level, but in this embodiment, a temperature sensor is used to measure the intake air temperature and drainage channel temperature necessary for adjusting the drying temperature. Therefore, there is a merit that there is no waste in terms of cost without adding a new detection circuit.

  When the washing and drying machine according to the present invention determines that the drainage state of the drainage means is poor, the washing end detection is suspended and it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the end of drying. Is also applicable.

1 Washing tank 2 Drainage means (drainage valve)
3 Drying means 3a Heater 3b Fan 4 Intake air temperature detection means (thermistor)
5 Drainage channel cleaning means 6 Drainage channel temperature detection means (thermistor)
7 Operation / display means 8 Load control means (control means)
9 Water tank 10 Stirring means (pulsator)
11 Motor 12 Heat exchanger 13 Water supply valve (water supply means)
14 Washing tank water supply means 15 Drainage channel

Claims (5)

A washing tub rotatably provided in the water tub, a motor for rotating the washing tub, a drainage means for draining the water from the water tank through the drainage path, and a drainage path for washing the drainage channel or the vicinity of the drainage means Cleaning means, water supply means for supplying water to the washing tub or drainage cleaning means, drying means for drying clothes, intake air temperature detecting means for measuring the intake air temperature of the drying means, the motor, drainage means And a control means for controlling the drying means, etc., wherein the control means cleans the drainage channel or the vicinity of the drainage means by the drainage channel cleaning means during the drying operation, and controls the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detection means . A washing / drying machine that stops water supply from the drainage channel cleaning means when temperature rise is detected . 2. The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the control means suspends the detection of the completion of drying when the temperature rise of the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detecting means is detected . The washing / drying machine according to claim 2, further comprising: a drainage channel temperature detection unit that measures an ambient temperature in the vicinity of the drainage channel, wherein the control unit restarts the detection of the completion of drying when a temperature drop in the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the drainage channel is detected . It is provided with a display means for notifying the user of an abnormality in the drainage, and the control means determines that there is an abnormality in the drainage when detecting a rise in temperature of the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detection means. The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is notified by the display means after completion or at the next washing operation. The control means determines that there is an abnormality in drainage when detecting an increase in the temperature of the intake air temperature measured by the intake air temperature detection means, and if the drainage abnormality is detected during the drying operation, the drainage path or drainage means by the drainage cleaning means during the next washing operation The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the washing of the vicinity is automatically executed.

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